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The Prologue, starring Danie, Esthaenie, and Adelram:
The mist wound thick around the meadow as Danielle Amora picked her way across, cloak dragging through the dew-hung grass. Her boots were soaked through, toes clenched against the chill that drifted across the way.
Ahead of her, Adelram stalked through the fog, feathered arms clasped in reverence.
“This is as far as I shall take you. Be wary and wise, Amora.” The kenku’s beak clicked as he spoke, silhouetted by the light of the moon. His simple brown robe draped in billows over his shoulders. Danielle liked the man: he was quiet, and honest, much unlike most kenku. Adelram was an excellent monk and guide.
“Thank you, Adelram,” Danie said, wrapping her cloak more tightly around her middle. She winced at the tremor in her voice. Adelram nodded solemnly and began to leave when he paused.
“Ms. Amora,” he said, raven-like head bowed, “if I may… why are you here? There is naught here but a meadow, last I heard.”
Danie’s ears turned pink. “Do you know the Oracle of Verineth?”
The kenku shrank back. Danie regretted her words, wincing under her mask of calm. She was a fool to tell him.
“You spoke to the Oracle himself?” Adelram said, half-terrified and half-reverent. Danie’s eyebrows quirked at the hint of awe in his tone. She straightened.
“Yes, I did. And he said to come to this meadow, outside Graywing City.” Danie crossed her arms, but doubt ate at her all the same.
Adelram, however, looked satisfied. “The Oracle is wise, and trustworthy, despite being a filth--”
Adelram’s eyes widened. He put a hand to his beak. “Amora, I did not mean to speak in that way. I hope you understand.”
Danielle nodded. “I get it. And I know what he is. I’m not afraid of them.” Her voice went just a bit too high on the last word.
Adelram nodded, casting his eyes down. “Until we meet again.”
Danielle gave him a weak smile. “So long.”
He vanished into the mist without a sound. Danie shivered.
She walked forward, eyes scanning for trouble, ears pricked for the sound of pursuers. She was a rogue. Rogues prepared for the worst.
There were no footprints on the ground. The wet earth sucked at her feet as she walked, caking her boots and dragging her backward. She grumbled under her breath.
She dragged her boot along the ground until she came to a toadstool. It was green, like her cloak and hair, and almost blended into the grass but for the pulsing glow that came from within the bulbous top. It was a flight fungus.
She stopped in the meadow and screamed in irritation.
“A flight fungus?” she called, “I walk for miles to get to the city, pay 30 diamonds to hire a guide, and I get a flight fungus?”
She swooped down and plucked it, eyes blazing in blind irritation. Flight fungi were common around Verineth, and almost completely useless. One bite meant fifteen seconds of flight, and only fifteen. They couldn’t even be useful enough to give more than one bite, either. They crumbled to powder after the first nibble. Danie growled and crumpled the stalk in her hand. There went the last of her money until she bartered or stole for a meal. There went three days of walking. By the gods, she had had enough of Oracles.
A thunderclap drowned out her screaming. She tensed, waiting for rain, but it never fell. An electrical storm. Perfect. She looked up to the sky, daring the lightning to hit her. It would be preferable to her current existence.
A flash of golden lightning illuminated the woman in the clouds. Danie stopped shouting, suddenly sobered by the sight.
The woman hovered, violet dress billowing against the clouds, curls of red hair scattering across her back. Two ivory wings curved against her back as she levitated in the clouds.
An angel? Danie watched in awe as the woman’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, deep gray-green eyes glazed with lightning’s glow.
The woman began to fall.
Danie’s breath caught. The woman pitched backward and fell, unconscious, skirts twirling in dizzying whorls. The flight fungus grew heavy in her hand.
Danie took a bite from the fungus and felt it crumble in her hand. She stepped off the ground and began flailing, trying to make it to the falling woman. Thirteen seconds left.
She picked up some speed, wind battering her face, and swept in under the falling woman. Danie wrapped her arms around the tall woman and tried to slow the descent, breath wheezing through her lungs, grasping for oxygen. Seven seconds left.
Danie slowed in the air and readjusted her grip on the winged elf. The woman curled against her. A strained sigh escaped Danie’s lips. She was safe.
The woman’s eyes fluttered open, bleary in the mist. She blinked twice and let out a ragged cough.
Danie’s vision faded for a moment. In her mind, she saw the dark, gaunt face of the Oracle of Verineth, laughing, the third eye stitched to his forehead glowing with scarlet light. She shuddered.
She snapped out of her reverie when the gorgeous woman screamed and punched her in the face.
submitted by Brookeira
(October 24, 2017 - 8:10 am)
(October 24, 2017 - 8:10 am)
Danielle dragged a gawking Esthaenie by the hand and through the town, dodging rodents and animals and druid-courtiers. It was hard to see over the heads of the procession. Danielle wasn’t an Eris, height-wise, but she wasn’t exactly six feet tall.
Like Starflower. Unmerciful heavens, she was tall. Danielle hadn’t really noticed it until now, as she struggled to see over the heads of the throng ahead of her.
“Hey, where’s Eris?” Esthaenie said, brow furrowing. Danie quickened her step.
“Oh no, we’ve lost Eris? Wow, that’s a shame.” she joked, grinning. She heard a swear from behind her and turned just in time to get a mildly painful smack from Eris.
“Ouch…?” Danielle said, smiling. Eris snorted and stalked ahead.
“Watch where you’re going, greenie.” Eris said.
Danielle stiffened. “This hair was a curse by a sorcerer. I got it while fighting. Have you ever fought anyone and won, Eris?”
Eris’ face darkened. “Shut up, grass-head.”
“No, I don’t think you have!” Danie feigned shock. Something riled inside her, and she was saying things she didn’t really think--. “I think you’re a pathetic, miserable woman, who thinks she’s worth something because she BELIEVES in herself--” her voice dropped an octave and became deeper, more growling. “--and thinks that she can ever be anything but--”
“What the--” Eris began, blanching.
“--a bard, a support, a little girl lost in the woods--”
“Stop.” Eris said, no longer smiling. She didn’t look furious, only… frightened?
“--as weak as you are--” she felt it, now, her canine teeth growing longer, sharper. Stronger.
Danielle froze at a warm, soft hand on her shoulder. Something inside her howled at the touch, as though in pain.
“Danie? Danie, why are you doing this?” Esthaenie asked, concerned. Danielle shuddered. The thing speaking through her mouth lost its clawed grip and fell where it sat like a stone in her belly.
The rogue blinked twice. Her head seemed leaden. She looked blearily up at the avariel. “What happened?”
“I wish I knew,” Esthaenie said, looking at Danielle with repulsion. Danie shrunk under her gaze. She couldn’t remember what she’d said, but she knew that she’d upset Eris. Why couldn’t she remember? She hated the strange look Esthaenie was giving her, wishing the woman would smile with desperation. And where was the bard?
Danie spun back around. Eris was nowhere to be seen. A flash of red fabric and a shock of black hair could be seen in the bushes, and then nothing.
Danielle was silent for the rest of the walk. She was shivering. The warm, sunny kingdom no longer seemed safe.
She barely felt Esthaenie take her cold, clammy hand.
(November 14, 2017 - 9:34 am)
*Jumps up and down repeatedly and shoots confetti into the air* THIS IS AMAZING!
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Shaiduyn! EEEEEE!
~~
Hazel says napm. She is obviously not going to dance with Crypto, then.
(November 14, 2017 - 11:15 am)
Woaaah. Well that went from 0 to 100 reaaal fast.
(November 14, 2017 - 1:02 pm)
Holy guacamoley just decoded the atbash! Wish I had seen it before I had read the latest post!
Like the norse mythology ;)
(November 14, 2017 - 5:47 pm)
Whoa. I love this so much. Your writing is incredible, and the cipher has given me lots to think about... Plus, this new part is only feeding my Danesthaenie shipping! xD
(November 15, 2017 - 7:46 pm)
Whoooa.
BRAVO!
(November 16, 2017 - 6:20 pm)
New part should show up by Friday or Saturday!
(November 16, 2017 - 2:59 pm)
(November 16, 2017 - 5:51 pm)
Ooooh... That new part with the Atbash cipher...
(November 16, 2017 - 11:15 pm)
“Come on. We’re going to the Vrinka-Oracle.”
“What?” Danie said, jerking back. Her head swam. “No, no. I’m not dealing with another Oracle.”
“The Oracle of Verineth is a monster, and most Oracles are perfectly nice. I think you’re ill, Danielle.” Esthaenie steered her into the streets of the town, one hand on her shoulder.
“Danie.”
“Danie. She may be able to tell what caused your… outburst.”
“Oh… alright.” She stumbled and caught herself, the colors in her vision washing into and out of each other in a glaze. Esthaenie turned backward, and Danielle almost pitched straight forward.
“If I may?” came a voice from behind them.
Danielle turned, eyes blearing. Illaeara stood behind, her bag at her side.
“I could benefit from divine insight. I’m going to town for somatic spell components, anyway.”
“Sounds fine.” Esthaenie said, shrugging. Illaeara nodded, curt, and joined them. Danielle tried her best to look lucid.
“Just a moment!”
Danielle groaned. Another voice? This one was West’s. She turned around and glared, folding her arms. Esthaenie maintained a strong grip.
“Another person going to see the Oracle?” Esthaenie asked.
“Actually, no. I was wondering whether Illaeara would like to… accompany… me? To get supplies.” Westward scratched the back of his neck, fidgeting.
“I’m going to greet the Oracle.” Illaeara said.
“Oh, well, of course. I guess I’ll start on my own, and you can join me?”
“That sounds reason--”
Another voice, more lilting and assonant. “Ah, there’s the wizard of the hour!”
Illaeara laughed. Her eye-lights tinged a pale pink, while West’s face turned red. A young man--oh, right, Shaiduyn was his name--strode up to Illaeara.
“Please, Shaiduyn. There’s no need for that.”
“Oh, there is.”
“Will you three please make up your minds? Are you coming along, or not?” Esthaenie snapped. Danie slumped a bit, and Esthaenie grunted, keeping her upright. Her vision became a bit less blurry.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get going.” West said, scowling.
Shaiduyn smiled, eyes cold. “Sure, cleric. Go find my cousin. You only have eyes for her--”
“That is a blatant--!”
“Stop. West, go find Star and take her to eat. You’ve clearly wanted to.” Illaeara said, eye-lights burgundy with disdain. Westward sputtered, then stormed off.
“Anyway, wizard,” Shaiduyn said, “if I may, I’d like to give you a tour of the city.”
“That sounds lovely.” Esthaenie began.
Shaiduyn whirled and shot Esthaenie a glare that could cut her glassteel sword. Esthaenie took a step back. Danielle returned the look, fuming. Who did this druid think he was?
“Alright.” Illaeara said, eye-lights turquoise and happy. “I’ll come along. Goodbye, Esthaenie, Danielle.”
“Goodbye.” Esthaenie said, taking a step back.
“Goobye….” Danielle slurred.
And the two ran off, leaving Esthaenie and Danielle to go to the Oracle.
(November 17, 2017 - 9:37 am)
While Shaiduyn is probably a lovely person, I got to admit he's definitely ticking me off. Great character design!
(November 17, 2017 - 9:46 pm)
I'm looking forward to finding out what this Oracle has to say. Great work, Brooke!
(November 18, 2017 - 5:20 pm)
*flashes thumbs-up* *goes back to reading*
So good. Totally find a way to publish this.
(November 18, 2017 - 9:22 pm)
I second this! Please publish it! You can count on me to buy a copy. :)
(November 19, 2017 - 10:01 am)
Copy that! Brooke, you really need to publish this!I find myself checking it everyday just to see if youve posted!
(November 19, 2017 - 10:31 am)