[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 have all the coins you need already, actually :Oa

the hollow log is empty.]

[glorious]

[...Wait, I do have all the ones I need.]

[Guess I'll make my way back to that flaming cat with them! MORE SCRATCHES.]

[dramatispersonae]

[it's a bit easier going this time.

the cat perks up at the sight of you.]

[glorious]

[Finally. The end is in sight!]

[Marching up to the cat with purpose and holding the coins out to him.] This should be all of them.

[dramatispersonae]

[it licks them delicately from your hand and swallows them; it doesn't burn! it's raspy and dry like a real cat's tongue.

the bird cheeps again and flutters up to your shoulder. it seems to have lost the ability to set you on fire. there's also a lump under the mat where it was sitting.]

[glorious]

[...Oh. I can pet the bird now.]

[Checking out that lump.]

[dramatispersonae]

[the bird likes pettings!

there is a golden key under the mat.]

[glorious]

[That seems important enough to pick up.]

[to the cat:] Thank you.

[dramatispersonae]

[mrrrt!]

[glorious]

[waving to the cat before making the way back to the stone pedestal. that seems like the most logical place to go now.]

[dramatispersonae]

[seven stone pillars have risen up around the pedestal! your bird flutters to one...]

[glorious]

[...D-Do I have to collect all the song birds too?]

[L-Lets take a look around first then. Is there something special about the pillar my bird is fluttering to?]

[dramatispersonae]

[the pillars are all plain stone! they are slightly shorter than the pedestal and do not obstruct your access to it. other than that there are no changes in this clearing.]

[glorious]

[No changes, all right...and there weren't any key-hole shaped things around the pedestal was there?]

[dramatispersonae]

[nope!]

[glorious]

[...Damn it. Is that snake still around here at all...?]

[dramatispersonae]

[yes it's still wiggling where it dropped

(there are no keyholes in it either)]

[glorious]

[...SO MUCH FOR THAT PLAN. It is time for drastic measures.]

...Can you please spit it out? I need that bird.

[dramatispersonae]

[talking does not budge this snake one millimeter.]

[glorious]

[...This snake is immune to copper poles and politeness. I have severely underestimated it. I...I don't know what to do now.]

[...Maybe I should go back to the bird by the tree stump and hollow log. Might be easier to coax him along.]

[dramatispersonae]

[there is the final break in the trees you haven't explored yet.

what do you do with stumpbird?]

[glorious]

[...I forgot about that one.]

[And to the stumpbird:] Would you mind following me for a few moment?

[dramatispersonae]

[it scuttles off the stump and hides in the hollow log '-']

[glorious]

[...oh it's shy. Leaning in to look in the log and speaking very softly:] We can wait until later, if you'd prefer that.

[dramatispersonae]

[it huddles at the back and peeps.]