[selenia's quest.]

[dramatispersonae]

[wherever you are now, it's grey and half-lit; not quite day yet, but not too dark either.]

Comments

[dramatispersonae]

[you're standing in a clearing ringed all around by pine trees. the ground and the tree branches are covered with a thick layer of fine white ash, and it's unexpectedly chilly, especially after the heat of Three's realm. the shadows under the trees are a little too dark, and there are strange objects half-hidden behind their trunks.

a single road leads out of this clearing, into deeper woods.]

[glorious]

[...WELL THAT WAS SUDDEN.]

[After getting used to the sudden change of scenery and temperature I will investigate those strange objects.]

[dramatispersonae]

[they are five small humanoid statues with their arms upraised, half-buried in the thick ash. they're made of white stone. their faces are crude, rudimentary, but clearly scared. one has three round red stones embedded in a column down its chest. there's a copper coin in front of this one as well, like someone carelessly dropped it there.]

[glorious]

[...Vaguely ominous. Brushing the ash off the one with red stones and getting a closer look.]

[dramatispersonae]

[nothing more notable than that. well. despite their small size, the statues are too heavy to lift.]

[glorious]

[Very well. Picking up the copper coin, then beginning to head down the road.]

[dramatispersonae]

[perhaps the copper coin had a design on it once, but it's so worn now you can't really tell . . .

the path is very long, and lined with more huge, ash-dusted pine trees and rocks. at the start of it is a six-foot-high cluster of pale, opaque crystals, heavily flawed. there are three places as you go where the trees seem to get a little thinner and you might be able to break through!

or you could just keep going.]

[glorious]

[...Stopping at the first place where the trees seem to thin out, and moving to get a closer look, breaking down whatever brush might be in the way.]

[dramatispersonae]

[surprise: the trees are made of colored metal, all the way to the tip of every needle. you can push through, but it'll be much more difficult than you thought, and you're going to get very scratched up.]

[glorious]

[...Can't tell if deliberate test or not. The harder path is probably the right one so I'll just...keep pushing.]

[dramatispersonae]

[the branches and needles gouge at you as you go, barely yielding; ow, your everything.

beyond is a round. . . pool? not exactly a pool. a round hollow in the ground, about twenty feet in diameter. it too is covered in a layer of that flawed, opaque crystal. in the very middle of the crystal is another copper coin.

on the other is a tree stump with something red in front of it and something fiery atop it. but of course, you'd have to cross the pool to check those out.]

[glorious]

[owowowwhydidinotbringbandagesow]

[AFTER THAT: Investigating the pool and cautiously putting a foot on the opaque crystal. Collecting copper coins seems to be the best plan for now.]

[dramatispersonae]

[it crackles alarmingly underfoot . . .

the crystal seems to radiate some heat as well; it's warmer near it.]

[glorious]

[...Moving much faster now, darting toward the other side and scooping up the coin along the way.]

[dramatispersonae]

[CRACK CRACK CRACKKKKK but you make it over the pool without incident. if you look back there's no damage to it at all.

the coin is similar to the first one you picked up.]

[glorious]

[...WELL THEN.]

[I'll be checking out the tree stump and whatever is in front of it.]

[dramatispersonae]

[there is a cat made of fire sitting on the tree stump. it is alive, grooming one of its front paws.

in front of the stump is a red mat and on the mat is a tiny fat songbird, also living, also made of fire. there is a little sign hammered into the ground by the mat, but the writing on it is illegible.]

[glorious]

[...Aww.]

Ah, hello there. [kneeling down in front of the songbird and holding a hand out to it.]

[dramatispersonae]

[it cheeps and flutters but doesn't move off the mat.]

[glorious]

[gently reaches a finger out to stroke the top of its head; this won't burn me terribly will it?]

[dramatispersonae]

[it...it hella sets your finger on fire yes. the cat also hisses.]

[glorious]

[PULLING MY HAND BACK RIGHT NOW]

[AND TRYING TO SMOTHER THE FLAMES WITH MY TUNIC]

[dramatispersonae]

[you put the fire out. your finger is sure burned now, though.

the cat makes a 'mrrt' noise and jerks its head towards the illegible sign.]

[glorious]

[owmyfingerowow...looking toward the sign.]

...I'm afraid I can't read that.

[dramatispersonae]

[mrrrowwww.]