The walk started with a double take, Willow’s curiosity inspiring some sense of muffled surprise in the Leaf God. He laughed, first uncomfortably, nervously, but then he relaxed with a bit more laughter. With an audible, Hmmm, he gave his answer some thought, characteristically holding his chin.
They made their way up a ramp into a spiralling catwalk that swirled through the trees. The first stop was something that looked like a well room, with beds laid out with wounded or sickly spriggans. Here, they found Pebble, asleep, and joined by some of Willow’s weary companions. Anyone too tired to carry on stayed and had a place to rest. Bjorn and Phyllis stayed with Willow, though, as she and the Leaf God carried on.
“Percy…” the Leaf God tasted the name in his mouth, almost unaware of how groups of spriggans parted like viney, brushy water to let him by, “it sounds so terribly familiar. I might have known a Percy… maybe a brother…? Maybe…”
He stopped in the middle of a swaying bridge, and his hands shook, “Percy… I don’t know why, but it’s giving me the chills.”
Steadying himself, he led the way along a series of suspended huts. Some were shored up against the trees, while others hung freely in the wind.
“Names are the first thing to go,” he spoke, sounding sullen now, “from what I read, that was what happened to me. I wrote everything down, you see. Once I forgot my name, I wrote every day.”
He came up to one hut that stood very secured against a powerful, broad oak. Several reverent votives and offerings lay at the edges of the walkway, but the Leaf God walked by, beckoning Willow and her friends to come in. Inside, they found a warm, cozy space, with a large desk at the center. A bed lay at the corner, with a small stove and a kettle. The walls were bricked by books, journals, and bound paperworks.
The Leaf God waved a hand about.
“My sanctum, or is much a sanctum as you can get here,” he welcomed, going to one of the walls to look for a particular work, “this is my life’s work. A collection of knowledge, gathered from beyond the forest’s edge, and penned myself. I don’t know how I got here, specifically, but I’ve interviewed the ‘Gods’ in this forest, collecting what remained of their memories each year. I say this to be at least a little authoritative, as I bet you’ve not gotten a straight answer since coming to the Elementalia.”
He turned in what Willow could tell was for dramatic effect, “So, we all died, at some point. We, the Forest Gods, were the power sources for this land, and something went terribly wrong. As to why we are here? There’s a place beyond here, called Navipolis. It’s a city, built upon the ruins of an ancient device called the Centrifuge. Vengeance doesn’t want us going there, so she keeps us here, protecting us.”
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
”I didn’t die. I didn’t die. I didn’t die... But what if I did? What if I didn’t have any metal in my system when I just yeeted myself out of the window?! What’s my name? Oh cats! What’s my name?!” Willow had been listening, but her mind wandered down a dumb rabbithole. Then with a jolt, Willow excitedly whispered “Willow!”
Following that, Willow snapped back into the moment while hoping she didn’t look like a looney. Taking a moment to think back through what had been expositioned. It was quite a bit of lore regarding some of the entities she’d been associating with, and felt a pang of sadness at realizing Pebbles had met a similar fate as Leaf. Between the origin of these forest gods and even the notion of Vengeance helping; woof.
“Okay… Navipolis… That was… where I had woken up, I think? Forks, that was a few months ago… It’s built on some contraption?” shifting from her low tone as she talked more to herself than to Leaf, Willow tried a different approach to figure out where she needed to get to. “Back to directions; how about the center of the forest? You know about a limestone platform?”
Following that, Willow snapped back into the moment while hoping she didn’t look like a looney. Taking a moment to think back through what had been expositioned. It was quite a bit of lore regarding some of the entities she’d been associating with, and felt a pang of sadness at realizing Pebbles had met a similar fate as Leaf. Between the origin of these forest gods and even the notion of Vengeance helping; woof.
“Okay… Navipolis… That was… where I had woken up, I think? Forks, that was a few months ago… It’s built on some contraption?” shifting from her low tone as she talked more to herself than to Leaf, Willow tried a different approach to figure out where she needed to get to. “Back to directions; how about the center of the forest? You know about a limestone platform?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A muffled chuckle bubbled through the Leaf God’s mask as Willow struggled with her grasp on mortality. As she gathered herself, he set his hat down, revealing a series of leather laces on his head that he began to untie. He seemed insistent on doing it with one hand, until it became apparent he had only one hand. Once the mask came off, he tuggled off the cloak and laid them all on the table.
“You know about the limestone platform?” came the Leaf God’s voice, unmuffled and with interest. He turned and Willow was greeted with a face that was unmistakably Mr. Caxton’s, “you’re a lot more aware than most people that come walking through.”
But it wasn’t Mr. Caxton.
The young man was younger than Willow, less austere nor grim. The Leaf God had life in his eyes that Mr. Caxton never showed, except in his most devious moments. Taken by thought, he ran his hand through his sweaty hair, contemplating another response..
“This world is built on two constants, the Centrifuge and the Platform,” explained Leaf, happy to have someone to explain something to, “the Centrifuge keeps all the power in the world in one spot, the platform is the place from which the power is commanded. Vengeance has planted her tree, herself over it, and sits pretty to ensure the right person doesn’t get too close.”
Going over to one of the shelves, he picked out a tattered book and opened it on the desk. Sketches of a glade with a tree in the center stretched across the two pages he opened it to. “It’s rounded by an army of Wraiths, and they only ever let lone Gods in for conversation, or Spriggans coming by to offer rubbish to the girl who sleeps there. Otherwise the wraiths tear things apart as they come close.”
“You know about the limestone platform?” came the Leaf God’s voice, unmuffled and with interest. He turned and Willow was greeted with a face that was unmistakably Mr. Caxton’s, “you’re a lot more aware than most people that come walking through.”
But it wasn’t Mr. Caxton.
The young man was younger than Willow, less austere nor grim. The Leaf God had life in his eyes that Mr. Caxton never showed, except in his most devious moments. Taken by thought, he ran his hand through his sweaty hair, contemplating another response..
“This world is built on two constants, the Centrifuge and the Platform,” explained Leaf, happy to have someone to explain something to, “the Centrifuge keeps all the power in the world in one spot, the platform is the place from which the power is commanded. Vengeance has planted her tree, herself over it, and sits pretty to ensure the right person doesn’t get too close.”
Going over to one of the shelves, he picked out a tattered book and opened it on the desk. Sketches of a glade with a tree in the center stretched across the two pages he opened it to. “It’s rounded by an army of Wraiths, and they only ever let lone Gods in for conversation, or Spriggans coming by to offer rubbish to the girl who sleeps there. Otherwise the wraiths tear things apart as they come close.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Willow’s brows knit. She was thinking. More information had been provided, and now she needed to adjust plans. So the platform was important to go to, but in the sense that it was Vengeance’s capital; that was the easiest bit of information for her to adapt. More concerning was Leaf’s appearance, and it took a clenched jaw and a shift into thinking mode to keep from reacting to it. Why did he look exactly like Caxton, all the way down to the missing arm? That had to mean this was the tribe Caxton… um, Mister Caxton, had tasked her with finding, right? She wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting hug as her expression grew dour.
“The goal had been to find this guy and unite the spriggan tribes to occupy the wraith while I deal with Cottagecore Dommy Mommy. Fact. But… if lone gods can enter to parlay with her… If I go alone, I could… no, I can end this without anyone else getting hurt…”
Willow shivered and let out a long sigh. Calming herself before entering a funk by remembering something she had read years back. Her dad had come back from an expedition, having found remnants of an ancient order of knights including an etched stone with the words sworn by one of the circles. It had been so cool, and of course she had fantasized about being one of those knights so much she had memorized the words. Now, years later they had come back to her.
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination,” Willow spoke softly, she was the only one who needed to hear the words.
“I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.” She had been so Hell bent about this crusade because she wanted to help the smallfolk who were trapped in a cycle they had no control over.
“I will protect even those I hate.” Considering this line of the oath, Willow almost left it out but that felt disingenuous. There was someone she hated, and added her own, “even if the one I hate most is myself.”
“I accept that there will be those I cannot protect.” This line hurt Willow’s heart. As a kid she had felt like it went against the second line, but now she understood. Her friends, and so many others, were fighting just as she was to stop the darkness that was coming. She didn’t have a right to stop them, and she had to accept that she couldn’t always be there to keep them safe from harm; because…
“I will protect myself, so that I may continue to protect others.”
Willow breathed in, then out. If she neglected herself, and fell as a result, then she would have protected nobody. One more breath in, and she walked over to look at the book Leaf had set out.
“Okay. This might sound weird, but I’mma need you to help me rally the spriggan tribes. I need to get there,” Willow pointed at the tree. “And I won’t be able to do it alone.”
“The goal had been to find this guy and unite the spriggan tribes to occupy the wraith while I deal with Cottagecore Dommy Mommy. Fact. But… if lone gods can enter to parlay with her… If I go alone, I could… no, I can end this without anyone else getting hurt…”
Willow shivered and let out a long sigh. Calming herself before entering a funk by remembering something she had read years back. Her dad had come back from an expedition, having found remnants of an ancient order of knights including an etched stone with the words sworn by one of the circles. It had been so cool, and of course she had fantasized about being one of those knights so much she had memorized the words. Now, years later they had come back to her.
“Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination,” Willow spoke softly, she was the only one who needed to hear the words.
“I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.” She had been so Hell bent about this crusade because she wanted to help the smallfolk who were trapped in a cycle they had no control over.
“I will protect even those I hate.” Considering this line of the oath, Willow almost left it out but that felt disingenuous. There was someone she hated, and added her own, “even if the one I hate most is myself.”
“I accept that there will be those I cannot protect.” This line hurt Willow’s heart. As a kid she had felt like it went against the second line, but now she understood. Her friends, and so many others, were fighting just as she was to stop the darkness that was coming. She didn’t have a right to stop them, and she had to accept that she couldn’t always be there to keep them safe from harm; because…
“I will protect myself, so that I may continue to protect others.”
Willow breathed in, then out. If she neglected herself, and fell as a result, then she would have protected nobody. One more breath in, and she walked over to look at the book Leaf had set out.
“Okay. This might sound weird, but I’mma need you to help me rally the spriggan tribes. I need to get there,” Willow pointed at the tree. “And I won’t be able to do it alone.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The young Mr. Caxton looked a bit flustered as Willow came in close, and he stumbled against the desk. He clutched his side, having driven it into one of the corners. Quickly, he tried to draw himself up in a calm, composed manner, as if he hadn’t just bruised himself.
“The tribes,” the Leaf God repeated, still trying to gather himself, “Yes, the tribes.”
Then, he blinked, as her words finally sunk in. “Unite the tribes. To what. Attack?”
Willow could notice the blush fading from his face as he began to grow pale. It seemed, perhaps, he was starting to grasp the sort of person he was sharing the room with. She couldn’t possibly know, though, how well her teachers knew that face. It had the look of cowardice, bolstered by a sense of responsibility, like someone who was used to being assigned unpleasant tasks.
“Willow, don’t take this the wrong way,” the Leaf God began, carefully, “but do you have a death wish? Even with all the Spriggan tribes, and their Gods, backing you, what would be your chances of surviving the assault? Wraiths are awful, ravenous creatures; and Vengeance has been known to convert things beyond smallfolk into them. You would have to have the power to summon another army alongside the tribes to make sure you’d even get close, forcing your way in.”
Gently, quietly, he reached over and closed the book, “I’m sure your goals are noble, but… Why? Yeah. Actually, why? Why?”
“The tribes,” the Leaf God repeated, still trying to gather himself, “Yes, the tribes.”
Then, he blinked, as her words finally sunk in. “Unite the tribes. To what. Attack?”
Willow could notice the blush fading from his face as he began to grow pale. It seemed, perhaps, he was starting to grasp the sort of person he was sharing the room with. She couldn’t possibly know, though, how well her teachers knew that face. It had the look of cowardice, bolstered by a sense of responsibility, like someone who was used to being assigned unpleasant tasks.
“Willow, don’t take this the wrong way,” the Leaf God began, carefully, “but do you have a death wish? Even with all the Spriggan tribes, and their Gods, backing you, what would be your chances of surviving the assault? Wraiths are awful, ravenous creatures; and Vengeance has been known to convert things beyond smallfolk into them. You would have to have the power to summon another army alongside the tribes to make sure you’d even get close, forcing your way in.”
Gently, quietly, he reached over and closed the book, “I’m sure your goals are noble, but… Why? Yeah. Actually, why? Why?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Jury is still out on the death wish,” Willow’s voice carried a light-hearted rhythm as she turned her head to look at Leaf. Her eyes were bright, and appeared refreshed despite the weariness she felt in her bones. Backing away from the desk with sure-footed steps. The distance wasn’t anything personal, she just wanted some space before doing some over the top unnecessary flourishing. Propping her staff against her shoulder with her off hand, Willow drew her saber and let its tip fall in a clean arc before letting the tip sink into the floor as she held the weapon like a cane in front of her.
“Roused from my morning tea several fortnights back, I found a realm in need and answered the call. I have received a number of offers to turn away, but I know deep down that if I did I would regret it until I was old and grey,” Willow didn’t raise her voice, but did allow her tone to sound resolute as she spoke from deep in her chest. “I am Willow, the Metal-Eater, Envoy of the Gods, Arbiter of the Artisans, Emissary of the Forgotten Patron, and Harbinger of Absolution soon to be Soother of Vengeance; and I will not, nay, can not stand by and watch this realm continue these cycles.”
Willow brought her staff down to crack against the floor to her side, and did something she hadn’t tried to do for most of a year; she tried to do magic. Focusing her mind as best she thought a summoner would, she hoped this would either work, or make her look cool as she stood for effect.
“C’mon Creative, I could use some persuasive power here,” Willow thought to the staff.
“Roused from my morning tea several fortnights back, I found a realm in need and answered the call. I have received a number of offers to turn away, but I know deep down that if I did I would regret it until I was old and grey,” Willow didn’t raise her voice, but did allow her tone to sound resolute as she spoke from deep in her chest. “I am Willow, the Metal-Eater, Envoy of the Gods, Arbiter of the Artisans, Emissary of the Forgotten Patron, and Harbinger of Absolution soon to be Soother of Vengeance; and I will not, nay, can not stand by and watch this realm continue these cycles.”
Willow brought her staff down to crack against the floor to her side, and did something she hadn’t tried to do for most of a year; she tried to do magic. Focusing her mind as best she thought a summoner would, she hoped this would either work, or make her look cool as she stood for effect.
“C’mon Creative, I could use some persuasive power here,” Willow thought to the staff.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
As the Allomancer drew her sword, the Leaf God took a step back, but relaxed when he realized it was part of the show.
“Bearer of the Word!” added Phyllis pressing her fist to her chest.
“Stranger in a Strange Land,” came uncharacteristic theatrics from Bjorn.
One could’ve found Willow’s flourish as posturing or hot air, but the Leaf God had that look in his eyes, the same kind Drysi got. He was taken by Willow’s confidence, by the sheer belief in not just herself, but her goals. His chest rose, a fire rising to announce words of hot iron. Then, Willow did something that shook the very tree the hut was bound to.
She believed.
The peal of a bell resonated throughout the hut into the depths of the forest when the staff struck the floor. A hand shifted her elbow, a foot corrected her posture, and suddenly she felt a charge of energy resonate through the crown of her head. It flowed from above, and threatened to strike her down, but she bore it as it rode the line from her spine, to her shoulder, to her elbow, to her wrist, and down to the tips of her fingers. Her staff suffused with light, revealing an engraving on the square head of the haft, rattling the rings that dangled.
Ribbons of energy erupted from staff and quickly folded into shadows, before exploding into a burst of black feathers. A figure formed, an odinkine of considerable size. He was taller than Willow and the Leaf God, but somehow soared through the narrow space of the hut with ample grace, before landing on the desk, large talons gripping the edge. It was then that Willow, and Bjorn, could see this was no ordinary odinkine.
This was the Lord of the Odinkine, Creative, and with one mighty flap of his wings, he let loose a gust traced with feathers. Each loose quil formed an odinkine of Bjorn’s size, and soon the hut was filled with the wings and eyes of Jotunheim.
“You called?” smiled Creative with an easy air.
“Bearer of the Word!” added Phyllis pressing her fist to her chest.
“Stranger in a Strange Land,” came uncharacteristic theatrics from Bjorn.
One could’ve found Willow’s flourish as posturing or hot air, but the Leaf God had that look in his eyes, the same kind Drysi got. He was taken by Willow’s confidence, by the sheer belief in not just herself, but her goals. His chest rose, a fire rising to announce words of hot iron. Then, Willow did something that shook the very tree the hut was bound to.
She believed.
The peal of a bell resonated throughout the hut into the depths of the forest when the staff struck the floor. A hand shifted her elbow, a foot corrected her posture, and suddenly she felt a charge of energy resonate through the crown of her head. It flowed from above, and threatened to strike her down, but she bore it as it rode the line from her spine, to her shoulder, to her elbow, to her wrist, and down to the tips of her fingers. Her staff suffused with light, revealing an engraving on the square head of the haft, rattling the rings that dangled.
UNITY
Ribbons of energy erupted from staff and quickly folded into shadows, before exploding into a burst of black feathers. A figure formed, an odinkine of considerable size. He was taller than Willow and the Leaf God, but somehow soared through the narrow space of the hut with ample grace, before landing on the desk, large talons gripping the edge. It was then that Willow, and Bjorn, could see this was no ordinary odinkine.
This was the Lord of the Odinkine, Creative, and with one mighty flap of his wings, he let loose a gust traced with feathers. Each loose quil formed an odinkine of Bjorn’s size, and soon the hut was filled with the wings and eyes of Jotunheim.
“You called?” smiled Creative with an easy air.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Hearty, genuine laughter sounded as Willow beamed. That was about as good of a demonstration as she was likely to get. On top of that, and the spectacle of display, she had the rush of excitement from having summoned a ding dang demi-god. Sure, it was mostly flare, and Caxton had said himself the staff worked off of his magic rather than hers; she was mostly just doing the motions, but she was gobsmacked all the same.
“Cocking Nora, that actually worked~” Willow relaxed her stance a bit; but not before trying to remember the details of the position for when she needed to summon the others down the road. Still beaming, she looked around the suddenly crowded room. “Well, Leaf, this is Artisan Creative. Creative, this is Leaf of the Leaf Tribe. We were just beginning the discussion on how to topple Miss Cranky in her Big Fuck Off Tree. I figured you might give some assurances to me not being a nutter trying to find a flashy way of offing myself. Oh, and how was the party?”
“Cocking Nora, that actually worked~” Willow relaxed her stance a bit; but not before trying to remember the details of the position for when she needed to summon the others down the road. Still beaming, she looked around the suddenly crowded room. “Well, Leaf, this is Artisan Creative. Creative, this is Leaf of the Leaf Tribe. We were just beginning the discussion on how to topple Miss Cranky in her Big Fuck Off Tree. I figured you might give some assurances to me not being a nutter trying to find a flashy way of offing myself. Oh, and how was the party?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Merry enough,” groaned Creative with a fluid shrug. “All of our own enjoyed it, but Noble quit after you left, and the rest of the artisans are awkward at feasts.”
“Artisan?” Leaf spoke for the first time since Willow had shook the whole village. A few goggle-eyed spriggans stared in at the doorway, concerned.
“I am that,” answered Creative, bowing with a flourish, “creator of all that which mediums express by the heart. My kine create color, and are quite good at it.”
A few of the odinkine puffed their chests out at this statement.
“Decanus?” slipped from Leaf’s mouth.
Creative’s easy demeanour finally shifted, but did not fall through, “My name is Creative, and it is good to meet a friend of Willow, Leaf?”
“Percy.”
“I’m sorry?”
“My name,” Leaf’s gaze fell, before finding its way to Willow, “my name is Percival Bredon Caxton. Percival. Bredon. Caxton. I’m fifteen years old. I am a student at Nishi-ku Academy.”
Creative took this in a cool stride, but Willow saw him look at her for some kind of lead. Leaf, meanwhile, quickly made for one of his books in the corner, and slapped it open on the table. He grabbed a quill and scrawled his name into the page, laughing hysterically. After doing this a few more times, he stood back up, ramrod straight.
“A moot. We need to hold a moot of the gods. I can host.” Leaf explained suddenly, “My village is one of the safest in the forest. Those that answer the call will bring a small group, but we’d be ready in a couple days from then.”
The young man pinched his nose with a cadence that was eerily like Mr. Flynn’s, “Willow, do you think you’d be ready to present a convincing case by tomorrow afternoon?”
“Artisan?” Leaf spoke for the first time since Willow had shook the whole village. A few goggle-eyed spriggans stared in at the doorway, concerned.
“I am that,” answered Creative, bowing with a flourish, “creator of all that which mediums express by the heart. My kine create color, and are quite good at it.”
A few of the odinkine puffed their chests out at this statement.
“Decanus?” slipped from Leaf’s mouth.
Creative’s easy demeanour finally shifted, but did not fall through, “My name is Creative, and it is good to meet a friend of Willow, Leaf?”
“Percy.”
“I’m sorry?”
“My name,” Leaf’s gaze fell, before finding its way to Willow, “my name is Percival Bredon Caxton. Percival. Bredon. Caxton. I’m fifteen years old. I am a student at Nishi-ku Academy.”
Creative took this in a cool stride, but Willow saw him look at her for some kind of lead. Leaf, meanwhile, quickly made for one of his books in the corner, and slapped it open on the table. He grabbed a quill and scrawled his name into the page, laughing hysterically. After doing this a few more times, he stood back up, ramrod straight.
“A moot. We need to hold a moot of the gods. I can host.” Leaf explained suddenly, “My village is one of the safest in the forest. Those that answer the call will bring a small group, but we’d be ready in a couple days from then.”
The young man pinched his nose with a cadence that was eerily like Mr. Flynn’s, “Willow, do you think you’d be ready to present a convincing case by tomorrow afternoon?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“What was the line the Yanks used when they wasted out tea? Join or die? That’s more or less my case, but sure, I can see about saying it more eloquently to your contemporaries Le… Percy…” Willow stumbled a bit at the end. Even as far as this whole Elementia business was concerned this was an odd occurrence. Leaf was clearly Percy; what with the face, the name, and name dropping that one school in Osaka. At the same time, Leaf wasn’t Mister Caxton; what with Mister Caxton personally sending her to find Leaf, and Leaf being, well, a bit younger than she was.
“Either way, seems there’s not a whole lot I can do about it until the moot. If there’s nothing pressing, I wouldn’t mind making sure my littles are all alright, and then getting some shut eye,” rubbing her neck, Willow seemed to sag a bit; it had been a long day. Looking back to Creative, she also looked a little bashful. “Sorry about that, Bruv, I thought there would have been more going on tonight. Do I need to send you back? Is there a time limit? Or do you just hang out?”
“Either way, seems there’s not a whole lot I can do about it until the moot. If there’s nothing pressing, I wouldn’t mind making sure my littles are all alright, and then getting some shut eye,” rubbing her neck, Willow seemed to sag a bit; it had been a long day. Looking back to Creative, she also looked a little bashful. “Sorry about that, Bruv, I thought there would have been more going on tonight. Do I need to send you back? Is there a time limit? Or do you just hang out?”