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ximilialog2023-01-07 09:04 am
- ! event log,
- ace attorney: yujin mikotoba,
- adventure time: finn mertens,
- fear street: ziggy berman,
- fire emblem: yuri leclerc,
- fullmetal alchemist: edward elric,
- grishaverse: malyen oretsev,
- grishaverse: the darkling,
- gundam seed/destiny: yzak jule,
- marvel comics: gwen stacy,
- mcu: shang-chi,
- one piece: rosinante donquixote,
- pacific rim: newton geiszler,
- red vs blue: felix,
- star trek aos: leonard mccoy,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- the iliad: helen,
- the old guard: andromache,
- the witcher: yennefer of vengerberg,
- wheel of time: rand al'thor,
- yakuza: zhao tianyou
MISSION: THE DIE IS CAST, PART 1
● ● ● M I S S I O N 1 1 . 1
A few days after the information of Olivia is released to the entire crew, the discussions that ensue, Viveca makes her move. That morning dawns with Olivia confined to the old robot body that Newt had once made for Viveca herself.
Olivia, her glass-edge-like face visible now in the monitor of the robot, is quiet as she seems to look at each of the Orbers who’ve spent so much time helping Viveca ensure the station’s safety.
As a thank you for helping her, Viveca gives each of the Orbers who helped her a picture of one of their loved ones from home — it may be an old picture, depicting the person as they remember them best, or it may be a current one from their timeline as it currently stands, taking into account the time that has passed on the station.
After Olivia’s containment, and the station is secure once more, things move quickly. The next day the team will get a ping into their earpieces, signifying yet another mission file — and this time, it comes with additional explanations (courtesy of the station’s commander) as well as a more in-depth guide into creating a suitable backstory to blend into the world.
With that, she leaves the team to read and familiarize themselves with their given information ... and in this case, the long wait for the start of the mission will seem more of a blessing than a curse.
On the dawn of the fifth day, all Orbers are called to the teleportation platform, the ever-present hum already loud and clear, with the white lights familiar to some, but perhaps blindingly bright to those whose first mission this is.
There in front of the now-closed North Wing doors, Viveca and Degar wait for the team to gather. Once they’re all present, Degar steps forward.
Oh! And as for Jun, he’s a great guy, honest; I’ve known him all my life. I was just ribbing him a little, so take what I wrote with a grain of salt. He’s actually my best friend … so you know, feel free to rib him a little for me.”
He grins briefly before he pauses, rolling his shoulders and pushing at his sleeves.
He hesitates for the briefest moment as though he means to add something else, before he continues.
The hum and buzzing of the machine grows so loud it very nearly drowns out his last words — now, all you need to do is to imagine exactly who you’re going to be, keeping thoughts and images of both your race and class tightly at the forefront of your mind …
And soon, all you can see is pure white around you. The hum in your ears is gone: instead, it is replaced by a soft, whispery voice, telling you exactly what you are required to do in exchange of receiving their power…
But before you can truly process what you’ve heard, you feel the air shift around you, and feel ground beneath your feet. You’ll also notice, upon opening your eyes, that there are only a select few Orbers around you — those who picked the same class as you did.
Welcome, Orbers, to Alydhion.
No matter where you’ve ended up, you’ll find yourself breathing in the clean, sweet smell of fresh air and something earthy and woodsy that seems to linger in the warm breeze that floats past you. You’ll now be in your full disguises, your features changed to suit, as well as your clothing and a heavy little pouch of gold coins (the currency in this world) strapped to your side. You’ll notice that the court might not strike the same level of ‘flourish’ that your mission file described but there are people milling about, busy and very much alive, occupied with whatever task they’ve taken on themselves. There are humans and dwarves and gnomes most notably—but also all manner of other races can be spotted amongst the crowd. No matter what form you’ve chosen for yourself, you won’t have any trouble fitting in.
1.0 Depending on your designated class, you’ll find that you and others on the team who have chosen the same class will be grouped together. Barbarians will find themselves at the edge of Elindes where the borough’s border forms a path that leads into the next; from here they can either choose to leave for other boroughs (or the castle itself) or explore Elindes in greater detail.
Bards and Warlocks will appear before a large, heavy wooden door with a sign above reading The Nimble Nightingale. There is raucous laughter coming from within, muffled by wood walls lined with thick, thick straw and hay, and equally thick glass windows that distort any clear image of figures within — not for any other reason than the material itself is crude and unrefined. It lets a filter of diffused light into the space, and that is its function.
Clerics and Paladins will find themselves in the middle of what appears to be a small and cozy courtyard, a small stone shrine dedicated to the Seven Sisters appearing before them, covered in flowers. A small metal pot holds burning sticks of incense that fill the air with a smoky, too-sweet scent that immediately fills your lungs, replacing that previously woodsy smell you entered with.
Rogues will open their eyes to the skies, mostly clear and very, very blue, save for the fluffy white tufts of clouds that speckle the horizon. They will have to be careful to watch their step as one false move will send them tumbling off of the edge of the pitched roof beneath their feet.
And finally, Druids will find themselves surrounded by farm animals — either within a barn or in the middle of a pig’s sty, or the cow's or horse’s herding grounds.
Take a moment to gather your bearings, observe your surroundings, and figure out your next (or first) move.
2.0 Eventually, and perhaps at different times, your path will eventually lead you to The Nimble Nightingale tavern, owned by one Mahtlactlicallicocolotl — ‘Mat’ to his friends, his colleagues, and … well, everyone else in between. He has something of a reputation for serving up the perfect beverage to quench one’s thirst, the heartiest meal to satisfy the belly, the softest beds … and some of the best gossip this side of Alydhion. And the tavern is incredibly comfortable when you step into the space. Despite the rising summer heat outside, there is a healthy fire at the hearth that doesn’t seem to do more than illuminate the interior with a warm, orange-yellow glow. There is a free table near the back, and one nearer to the bar, and there’s an empty spot at the bar itself where behind it a large, broad-chested green-skinned man with long dark hair and giant tusk-like teeth protruding past his lips appears to be busily cleaning empty tankards for ales. He emphatically shouts something to someone across the room and begins to laugh just as the recipients roar with laughter too, the group clearly sharing a joke in their native orc tongue.
Elindes may be the smallest borough in the court but Mat’s tavern draws in an active crowd throughout the day (and night) no matter the time of year. Travelers and adventurers who pass through Elindes to get to other destinations might also find that a friendly word with Mat can only be a good thing as he seems to know all of the right people and events occurring within the court at any given moment. Perhaps you might try and find a way to get into his good graces. Ordering a large ale might be a good start.
Once you have found yourself more or less settled into your lodgings for the duration of your stay on Alydhion, you might find yourself itching to explore the realm and its boroughs that you’ve heard so much about. The weather varies throughout the year but as it is currently the summertime, expect mostly sunny, hot days and clear skies. Heatwaves are normal, as are dry winds, so bring along a flask of water and a little sustenance in your travel packs as you venture out alone or with another crewmate.
3.0 The journey to Stoneset will seem the shortest by comparison to the other boroughs in the realm of Alydhion, an advantage due to proximity to Elindes, as well as its sprawling lands that accommodate Alydhion’s castle and parliamentary buildings. Here you’ll find the remnants of the vibrancy and luxuriance that Stoneset used to be: every street is lined with spaces for merchants to sell their wares (jewelry, textiles, weapons, produce, perishables, etc.), pocked with hole-in-the-wall eateries, taverns, and boutique inns (more like bed-and-breakfasts). Guilds of heroes and adventurers that have taken on the task in search of the king’s heirloom have set up small and cozy keeps with open memberships to all — for a (sometimes hefty) price, of course. Much of these establishments are still in some form of business, but a lot of them show obvious signs of wear—either the buildings themselves are in desperate need of some maintenance, owners are short-staffed, employees are overworked, or some spend their days sitting in their empty spaces hoping for the one or two sales that will keep their businesses afloat. It seems that the people of Stoneset have seen better days and remember them too, and depending on where you go you may find some more open to reminiscing.
4.0 Break away from the still-bustling financial streets and you’ll move towards the proud, sharp towers of Alydhion castle. Guarded by gargoyle sentries, you may find that access is restricted to certain groups of people, though there are some areas that are free to roam for general citizens of the court, including the lush and well-kept Royal Gardens. Here you might find all manner of fragrant and full-bloomed flowers in blues and reds and pinks and yellows, including some of the king’s most prized collection of orchids kept in a special greenhouse. The Parliamentary Office, for example, will take you closest to the castle itself, its paths frequented by Alydhion’s rule-setters as well as committed citizens who make the early-morning trek to voice their concerns by forming a queue outside of the offices, awaiting their turn to speak with any of the elected officials on duty that day. You won’t be allowed free access to the castle itself, of course, as it is the house and home of King Zaros, but work your way up and you might be granted a brief audience with his grace.
5.0 Just past the parliament offices is a stout building made of solid stone brickwork, its roof sloping at a point and covered in dark brown wood shingles not so easily pierced by arrows. This is the barracks and guild of the Knights of the Seven Sisters. Drawing close to the walled off barracks you’ll already hear the sounds of knights in training, the enthusiastic shouts of exertion from both men and women of all races as they practice their weaponry and close-combat against their partners and wooden dummies set up within the courtyard. There will always be someone at the gates to greet you, or if you’re looking a little suspicious, to question your intentions. But any parties interested in becoming one of the Knights of the Seven Sisters are encouraged to speak with the Grand Cross who may test and assess you for squireship, depending on your skill level.
Otherwise, you might speak with any of the lower-ranking knights and officers within the barracks if you have any questions. Depending on their schedules or current countenance, they may be open to responding.
6.0 Make the day-long trek from Elindes a little towards the east, and you’ll arrive in the quaint borough of Lisleberg, famously known as the current home of one of the former party members of The Songbird Brigade, the dwarf Fribbington. While no natural rivers run along Lisleberg, you’ll find people-made (with a little help from magic, of course) trenches have been dug into the ground to allow a steady stream of usable water, connected to accessible wells and simple silos for water collection and storage. In the distance you might also notice a row of windmills slowly rotating on their axes, collecting energy for the mills in this almost entirely self-sufficient borough.
If you’re seeking shelter for the night, as well as, perhaps a warm meal and a cool drink, you might want to stop by her tavern, The Endless Ballad, where you’ll immediately enter in the midst of a particularly animated song being performed by a few locals—
it cleaved in half!
With a mighty roar,
the beast came after him
the situation'd never been so grim
but with a steady grip
his axe he hurled and hit
the beast right in its tit
a mourning wail it let
out as its eyes set
their last look on the man you won't forget
say your thanks, your prayers
to our brave hero who nothing scares
our fearless leader, whose chest needs no wax
raise a toast to Jun Shortaxe!
By the end of the song, the whole tavern rises up to clap and cheer, fists banging on tables and feet slapping against the floors. Everyone seems to be in good spirits despite some of their hardships. You might hear someone wistfully make mention about how no one else has been able to perform the song with quite the same flair as the Bard from the now defunct Songbird Brigade party, but boy, is it a good song nevertheless.
7.0 The Forests of Gha’har are located just past the borough of Harsby, separated by a wide, well-traveled road constantly enshrouded in fog and mist. Cross that path and venture into the woods and even the lightest of feet might lose their way quickly without the right senses. The trees here grow densely amongst each other, their branches stretching towards the sky so the ground level sees very little light on any given day, even at the peak of summer. The air is cool and constantly shrouded in the lightest blanket of mist. Around you, the breeze that sweeps past your ears might sound like whispers with no discernible words to snatch onto — but they feel heavy with magic, like a spell has been cast over these trees to keep them protected from harm by any outsider.
And perhaps they have. It is known well enough as home to the druids but is also home to the woodland elves and a number of other creatures, many of them dangerous and even lethal if you do not possess the right skills or abilities to tame them, and perhaps some that go beyond even the greatest druid’s skill. Venture into the forests at your own risk, but it would be best to take a fellow druid along with you because they will be granted the friendliest path in and out through the trees.
8.0 Within the court of Alydhion itself, there is more than enough land to explore. If you mean to head towards the Forests of Gha’har, you might consider taking stock and gathering resources from the modestly-sized borough of Harsby first. Made up mostly of farmlands, Harsby resembles Elindes the most, but with much more land to dedicate to raising livestock. For the meat-eaters, Harsby’s pubs and tavern will have plenty of delicious chicken, beef, and pork options, including steaks and hearty stews to replenish ones’ energy. (And for the vegetable-eating folk, there are plenty of equally delicious options too.)
Take a trip northwards, and you will enter the borough of Aberington, where the guild of the warlocks is situated. Magic is common in all of the realm, but in Alydhion, magic here is in abundance as warlocks learn, teach, and grow amongst other magic-users before they set off on their own adventures to other boroughs, and other courts.
Those that enter the borough of Brumshire will notice that like Harsby and Elindes, Brumshire most resembles the largest borough of Stoneset, except without the royal castle and surrounding buildings. Heavily focused on blacksmithing, machinery, and processing raw materials into the refined resources required to construct buildings, maintain tools, and build vehicles (horse-drawn wagons, mostly), Brumshire’s business enterprises greatly support the rest of Alydhion’s boroughs. It will be easy to find a job here in manual labour as there is always a need for extra hands, if that’s what you’re after, and there is enough gold coin in circulation for other odd jobs as well.
Past Brumshire, outside of Alydhion’s gates are the Jolnora Peaks and nestled into the bedrock through a sophisticated network of tunnels are the dwarven mines, some still active and others abandoned. Made up of a rocky snow-capped range of mountains that form a natural border between Alydhion and the court to the north, one peak stands taller than the rest and is named ‘Ffuren’ for its tumultuous past and supposed ‘bad temper’, erupting in a rain of fire and brimstone and ash every 1,000 years. It can be seen from anywhere in the court of Alydhion, majestic and tall in the distance. Anyone who ventures towards The Mountains might come across a cluster of tents camped out at the base of Ffuren — the campgrounds are a popular place for adventurers and those seeking a smaller, more isolated community, or to seek solace in their own company before moving onwards to another court.
In your wanderings around Alydhion, you may happen to pass a rather fancy-looking building in the middle of the borough of Brumshire; the coloured glass plate hanging in front of the porch declares it to be “Leviosa’s Guild for Adventurers”. Step in, and you’ll find… hm. Why is it that the small dragonborn manning the counter seems so familiar?
Should you decide to agree and pay the gold, Leviosa will show you to a board that is, indeed, full of quests to choose from.
QUEST 2: A family of farmers in Elindes has had a blight of unknown black sludge that has destroyed this year's crops. They are enlisting the help of locals to get rid of the sludge, in exchange for four gold coins. The black sludge has the effect of making you speak out what you have been trying to keep a secret. The effect lasts for an hour.
QUEST 3: A battle‐hardened older man travels from tavern to tavern, offering his magic items to any fighter that can beat him in an honorable battle. Meet him in The Nimble Nightingale on the third day of the week, every week, for a chance to beat him.
QUEST 4: The Knight’s Guild requests a party to escort an Elven diplomat through the Forests of Gha’har and safely to the other side, from where the diplomat and her entourage can travel to their homeland, the Elven kingdom of Ithrynne. The party needs to prepare to encounter bandits and tree goblins along the way. In return, the party will receive weapons crafted by Elven smiths.
QUEST 5: The Royal Gardens are hiring extra help to weed out unwanted plants. Sound easy? It is, except the weeds make those who pull them out experience an onslaught of different emotions, depending on their colour. Blue weeds make you burst into tears, red weeds make you feel angry about past wrongs against you, green weeds make you jealous or envious of others, pink weeds make all your tender feelings stronger, and yellow weeds make you indescribably happy.
QUEST 6: A young girl has found three dragonling eggs in the forest, abandoned. She does not have the means to care for them before they hatch. Dragonling eggs turn to silver once the babies have hatched, so she is offering the silver from the shells as a reward for taking the dragonlings and keeping them warm and safe until they hatch.
9.0 Perhaps one of the quests tickles your fancy immediately, or perhaps someone else talks you into joining their party to complete one of them… whatever the case, questing awaits! Once you complete a quest, you will be given the reward through whoever set it; but, to be fair to other adventurers, Levi will make you wait three days between quests to allow others to have a chance at them, too.
10.0 If the joining fee of the Adventurers’ Guild seems too steep for you, you can always find quests to complete by simply speaking with some of the locals. And for those who are looking to do some dungeon crawling, there appears to be three distinct locations around Alydhion to do just that: the Adamantine Tunnels of Jolnora Peaks, part of an old Dwarven mining network; the Sprawling Maze to the west of Alydhion; and the last one (with a name many speak of with dread) are the Silver Caverns, located north of the Forests of Gha’har.
If you venture into the Adamantine Tunnels, with the mountaintops of Jolnora looming high above you like a cold and cruel shadow, you will first discover a bustling mine of dwarves that is still very much active - they call it Efsêkheled Ithkî, or The Mirror-Mine, as the mines are filled with precious ore, and the most stunning of them known as nelkhel in the Dwarven tongue (or what other races call 'moonshards'), is a strange ore that is neither liquid nor solid, and can be fashioned into weapons, armor and jewelry.
However, mining nelkhel is not an easy task, and the dwarven mines reach deep into the earth down long caverns that criss-cross the foot of the mountain. Over the centuries the active mines (and thus the Halls of the Dwarf-Lord) have moved, leaving behind what are now called the Adamantine Tunnels — a dark network of caverns and tunnels, many hundreds of meters deep, sloping down and down, until mining any deeper into the earth would have been too perilous.
Presently many adventurers still risk going into the tunnels in search of hidden treasures: many bandits have used the network of caves as their base, and in the numerous tunnels, there are also many forgotten treasure chests waiting to be discovered … if you have a good sense of direction underground, and are willing to brave the mountain goblins and other creatures of the deep earth that grow more numerous the deeper into the tunnels you go, this quest may prove fruitful.
11.0 To the west of Alydhion, towards the Riverlands inhabited by the gnome tribes at the mouth of the river, a veritable maze (hence the name) of caves litters the hillside. There are many entrances — some are easy to quite simply walk into, while others require you to get your feet wet as you wade through water… and some specific entrances seem to be guarded by either a spell or an elaborate stone door with multiple locks. Clearly these particular entrances have been important to someone, enough to try and keep others out — but can you break the spell, or crack the locks? Or do you choose an easier entrance, and hope to run across something valuable there, with less effort?
12.0 Anyone asking after the Silver Caverns will be told, through whispered warnings, that only the bravest, most experienced adventurers can withstand going in: the caverns are a thing o’ beauty, you hear, shame that no one knows what’s deep inside them. Everyone who’s made it in has barely made it out.
If you’re brave — or foolhardy — enough to travel through the eastern part of the forests of Gha’har, coming out of its northern side, you will find one solitary mountain rising high above you, casting its shadow over the trees. Its peak gleams with snow, bright silver in the sunlight. The view might even be described as peaceful if you didn’t suddenly hear the clanging of steel and roaring of beasts coming from somewhere up ahead of you.
If you decide to rush forth you will see a lone knight, his armor splattered with black blood, fighting a veritable swarm of flurries. The closer you go, the better you see that the knight, a winged helmet on his head, fights not only with the confidence and movements that betray hundreds, if not thousands of drills performed, but also with the undeniable flair of a virtuoso: his strikes are sharp, his steps fast, his feints ingenious. The flurries are cut down like trees in a forest, and yet the knight does not slow down.
Suddenly, the five remaining flurries surround him; without him noticing, the black tentacles catch his feet, tying him in place. The flurries advance… yet the knight does not cower. Instead, he lifts his sword high in the air — its blade reflects in the sunlight like a beam… and with a crack that shakes the ground, the skies split open. A strike of divine lightning hits all five flurries at once, burning them into nothing.
With a sweeping move, the knight sheaths his sword, and removes his helmet — and you find Jun Shortaxe, Hero of Alydhion, smiling brightly at you.
He laughs as he prepares to walk past you, towards the treeline, where you’ll notice a beautiful stallion waits patiently for his master to return. You’ve got a choice, here — continue on to the Silver Caverns… or follow Jun and hope he’s feeling up for a chat.
F Y I
• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.
• To explore a specific location or speak to any of the NPCs, please submit your search request HERE.
• For your reference we've quickly sketched up a map of the world including and around the court of Alydhion, which you can find HERE.
• In the spirit of this mission's inspiration, feel free to use any of these online dice rollers to determine the outcomes of your characters' fates in your threads! 🎲 🎲 🎲 🎲
• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Felix
Well, lucky for the old man, one such idiot was in attendance that night.
He'd been camping in the woods near the old man's cottage for several days, waiting for the Barghest to reveal itself. Once the sun slipped behind the trees and the moon rose overhead, Finn was on his guard -- what little he'd learned about the creature was that it only moved at night, and had a bevy of magic at its disposal to deceive and discombobulate any aggressors. They were supposedly quite evil, which had Finn almost giddy. Surely something so obviously bad would be the perfect creature to eliminate his doubts about killing. He could practically taste victory over his own mental block, humming a song to himself over the fire as he waited.
A few hours later, panting and bloody, Finn wasn't quite so sure this was going as planned.
The Barghest was in fact tricky, able to lunge in impossibly huge strides and cut Finn off at every turn. The teenager was practically tripping over himself to stay ahead of his own demise, swinging his sword with a chaotic lack of aim. He had his chance to kill the beast a little over an hour ago, back before it had sensed his presence. Again, like had happened over two dozen times this mission, the sound of Fern's disappointed, frightened voice sounded in his head. Please don't kill me, Finn. Please--
Now he was crammed inside the hollow of a large tree, listening to the sound of splintering wood as the Barghest begin digging its way inside. Finn had hoped it would lose interest and run away as many other monsters had over the past week, but clearly this creature intended to send a message to the old man about bringing any more monster hunters around these parts. Finn cringed, sword tucked awkwardly against him, trying to will himself to just stab before the beast successfully made its way into his hiding place and tore out his jugular. Even with that delightful image playing out in Finn's head, the sword stayed frozen at his side.
This was probably it, huh?]
no subject
That had been a few days ago, a different night from the one where Finn watched the old man get declined again and again by the local adventuring parties. On a completely different errand now, Felix traveled the road out of the borough to track down a new lead that did involve monetary gain once he'd completed the task. He didn't seem to care that it was perhaps foolish to travel at night, alone, but then he wasn't expecting to run into the great beast the old man had talked about while out there either.
Felix heard the fight before he saw it. That should have been enough to divert him and go around but curiosity had him head straight for it instead. When he saw what it was that, too, should have been reason enough to send him along his way. It wouldn't be the first time he had ignored someone needing help. But the distraction was already in play and Felix began to wonder what the head of this beast would fetch him on the market. At the very least it would raise his reputation by tenfold from what he had heard about how dangerous a foe these things were.
So Felix didn't turn and leave. Suddenly he was interested in a job he had turned down. He was determined to kill a Barghest on his own.
Well, with the helpful distraction of the poor idiot who was currently on their way to being the creature's dinner. Felix caught a brief glimpse of armor and hair, and a face in the dark that almost look familiar. His eyes narrowed. His tail flicked out in annoyance behind him. Yet still he continued to sit perfectly motionless as he waited hidden in the dark for a perfect opportunity. Felix thought the boy would die at the rate he was going and Felix did not move. He watched and waited.
Then Finn ducked into the hollowed out trunk of a tree and for a moment the boy was safe. But the Barghest continued to pursue its prey. Felix could hear the crunching and ripping of wood as he approached with the stealth born of a trained professional. It meant his advance was slow, and Felix watched as the Barghest continued to batter the poor tree trunk with its considerable strength. Finn was in trouble. Felix didn't dare waste the opportunity and hurry just to save the boy. He took his time and sneaked up carefully. The last of the barrier was almost gone; the Barghest tried to get its claws through the gap and rake at Finn inside. It howled in frustration and pulled its arm back, rearing back for one more final blow to the splintered tree.
The monster never saw Felix coming. Its howl suddenly stuttered out into gargled chokes and then silence as it drew its last breath. Between its breast poked two sharp points of an unusual metal. They disappeared again as the two pronged blade was pulled out from the back and the beast toppled sideways. Felix in all his tiefling rogue glory stood behind where the Barghest had previously towered in its rampage against the boy in his pitiful hide. His tail flicked once in triumph, a dark smile on his face that fell as soon as his eyes locked onto the boy. He made a soft huffing noise of disapproval before dismissing Finn entirely to check on his kill.
Felix moved to make certain the beast was truly dead, ignoring Finn cowering in his tree trunk. The two-pronged weapon disappeared and Felix took out his largest combat knife instead. Time to claim his prize and bring it along with him to show off later.]
no subject
This? This was just stupid. He felt stupid.
The Barghest's breath was hot and close now. Finn was still unable to move, taking the only relief available to him by squeezing his eyes shut. The beast was terrifying enough to listen to, scratching and snarling in what sounded like glee. Or at the very least, impending victory. The final blow was coming any second now, and Finn at least wanted the hollow comfort of not knowing exactly when it was about to hit.
And that's how Finn would've met his end, if it weren't for the sudden strangled cry exploding out from his attacker. Eyes flying open, Finn managed to catch a glimpse of metal just as it was yanked back out of the Barghest. The beast stumbled over, pathetic and limp on the ground. It was so diminished like that, just a heap in the grass.
Finn swallows, a cold sweat breaking out over his forehead. He could still smell fresh cut grass, even now.
It's the approach of another man that startles Finn from his glum reminiscing, instincitvely stepping back towards the tree hollow out of caution. If the tiefling wasn't immediately familiar to him at first, recognition came quickly upon that disdainful glance.
... Now Finn wished the Barghest had killed him.]
Felix? [He pipes up after a few moments of awkward silence. Finn'd expected him to say something, ask if he was alright, anything. When that didn't come, the teenager felt a need to say something to acknowledge the fact that Felix quite literally saved his skin.] How did you know I... I mean, thank you. I thought I was a goner.
no subject
'How did you know I...'
Felix almost lost it then and there to a wicked bolt of laughter that bubbled up his throat; he clicked the back of his teeth with his tongue instead, grimacing, and swallowed the laughter like a thick pill going back down. Like he cared about the kid, much less knew the idiot would get himself into trouble so readily like this, with a foe as dangerous as this creature was supposed to be. No, he'd just been lucky.
Felix rocked back on his heels as he contemplated the meager 'thank you' from the teenager. At least the last sentence was dead on. Finn would have been a goner if Felix hadn't been passing by. If he hadn't decided to even bother with killing it for fun.
Suddenly Felix's knife flashed out and a tooth fell out of the Barghest's mouth. Felix released his hold and let the creature's head drop back to the ground. He stood in one smooth motion as he spun around to face Finn, and he waggled his knife menacingly at the kid as he spoke now, expression fierce.]
This is exactly what I meant when I said leave the dangerous stuff to the professionals. The hell were you thinking going up against an opponent like this? Do you even know what kind of creature this is?
It's way above your skill level! And by all rights you should be dead right about now! You're just lucky I came along...
[And decided, not to save you, but to kill the monster for the fame and glory to himself. The added bonus was just getting to ream the kid in private and not care about the consequences. Not to mention make it sound as altruistic as he wanted since the kid sure as shit hadn't seen anything to contradict him.]
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He snatches his sword from the ground from where he’d dropped it scrambling to hide from the barghest. He could feel the heat rising to his face, embarrassed and ashamed of how clumsily it must all look. How amateurish. ]
It’s not like that. I had it! I just…[he trails off, unsure how to explain that it wasn’t that he didn’t have the skill…] I…choked. I could have killed it! I just…couldn’t kill it…you know? Emotionally?
[He groans, rubbing his face, hoping Felix would understand that. Surely someone as experienced as him had choked sometime in his life, had a crisis of morality...it was normal. Right?]
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That's the way it had always been. That's the way it would always be.
The idea of this boy in front of him practically pleading with Felix to understand his plight was laughable. He didn't get the childish notion of worrying about morality, and he certainly didn't care about this dumb brat. It was either kill or be killed, there wasn't any room for worrying about whether it was the 'right' thing to do or not. There was no right or wrong in a war. It was all anyone could do just to survive. That was all that mattered.
And anyone that was too stupid to get that, too ignorant to understand the law of the jungle, too trusting to see the truth right in front of them, too honorable to make it to the finish line--well, that was their problem, not his. He wouldn't be left dead in a ditch somewhere. He'd be the one walking away with the riches in his pocket and the smoking gun in his hand.
His eyes narrowed as he stared down at the teen. He opened his mouth to talk, then snapped it shut and turned away to kneel in front of the dead monster again. Except he stopped mid-way through the movement and suddenly whirled back on Finn, his knife once again pointing at the kid harshly.]
No. No! That's the dumbest shit I've heard. You've either got the skill or you don't, and if you don't you're useless. The only thing that happens to people that choke is they die.
[He cut the air in between them with a horizontal slice of his knife.]
You're going to get yourself killed and no one is going to be there to pick up the body, no one is going to be there to mourn, because guess what kid. You're not at home where someone has time to notice you're gone and give a shit about it. You're out in the middle of nowhere with no reinforcement, no skill of your own, and no back-up plan when your precious conscience gets in the way of your own survival!
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Maybe it was that fantasy that allowed the harsh words to sting so acutely, sending Finn into a sort of stunned stupor as they washed over him and soaked into the cracks in his mental armor.
Dumb, useless, this isn't home, this could never be home--]
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[His voice cracked again and a terrible realization hit Finn with almost as much force as Felix's frustrated speech had. This wasn't adolescence, he was actually crying. With a rough scrub of his arm across his face, Finn growled out some Ooo curses to no one in particular.]
It was just one time. [A lie. A huge one. How many times had he been rescued this mission because he'd thrown himself into something he didn't have the mental strength to finish?] I can handle myself fine, dude. Just 'cuz everyone here thinks I'm some little kid doesn't mean I am one!
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His voice was calmer as he continued.] If everyone else perceives it that way it must be for a reason. You're not an adult yet by most standards, and you certainly don't act like one.
You can't fight to save your life, literally, so at least have the smarts to do everyone a favor and figure it out. There won't always be someone there to save you from your own stupidity if you keep this up.
Not everyone is cut out to be a hero.
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[Finn was so tired of telling people that. It was exhausting. But the panic he felt at that perception slipping away…the longer he was here and people saw him messing up, dropping the ball when he most needed to catch it…]
And I didn’t ask you to save me. Like, I’m grateful, but it’s not like I’m hurting anyone doing my own thing like this, okay?
[He wipes his face again, frustrated and embarrassed.]
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So you haven't made any friends here? You'd throw your life away and just let everyone wonder what happened to you? Because I guarantee you someone would wonder. And if not knowing isn't hurting someone... then I guess, by all means, go get yourself killed.
It wouldn't hurt a damn thing.
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The worst part was that Finn wasn't even sure if Felix was wrong.]
Whatever, man. [He finally manages, voice thicker and deeper than Felix would have had occasion to hear. He didn't sound older so much as he sounded done, and the limping retreat Finn made from the clearing only reinforced that.] Sorry you had to bother.
[He doesn't look back, slipping into the brush and disappearing through a copse of trees.]
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He didn't say anything as Finn's voice dropped low in disappointment and failure. There was no point in stopping it now that the seed had been planted. Felix knew he'd hit his mark and hurt the boy with his words. Good.
The mercenary wasn't entirely surprised at Finn's lame departure though seeing the defeated form limp away almost hurt to watch. A minute passed. Felix huffed something akin to a scoff and a laugh mixed together, as if, he couldn't care less. He turned away from the direction of Finn's retreat.
And went back to the body of the Barghest. He pocketed the tooth for his own personal souvenir and then got down to the nasty business of sawing off the beast's head with his combat knife. It took some time but at the end he held aloft his prize and stared into its lifeless eyes.]
Well, that went mostly as expected.