“Now, I know…” Phyllis began to protest, but stopped as Bjorn began to glower at her, “... now I know what we need–...”
The Sergeant pulled up to Willow as close as she could without forcing her to lean and pulled off her morion, “Willow.”
“Phyllis,” Bjorn’s voice cut sharply against the joy of the moment, “we do not have time.”
“I know we’re hoachin’ here,” argued the canidaer, “but this outpost is’nae at full strength. We cannae just dingy these poor teuchters.”
The voices around them began to draw down a bit, at least Willow. A sound of large padding feet seemed to grow in the distance, like the sound of an elephant clearing a few trees. Phyllis spoke over it.
“One day, at the most, that’s all we’d nee–...”
Bjorn’s blade landed at her feet, sinking into the ground.
“Oathbreaker.”
Phyllis’ face grew red as her marred features cut hard edges of rage.
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
All the while that Phyllis was stating her case and Bjorn was being Bjorn, Willow was shut up inside her brain space hemming and hawing about what to do; but making sure her face seemed stoic despite the internal crisis. All her life Willow had been inclined to seize the initiative and act first. These sort of difficult decisions she would gladly leave to another member of the party, if her party were here. Kat would probably have some compassionate option, or Vrey would do some weird voodoo. Or, if she did stay put and wait, Mister Flynn would swoop in and save the day like Hawaii, and then she could start early to... Willow's brain slammed on the brakes before she started spiraling.And this is why entrusting the fate of a pocket dimension to a teenager was a bad idea.
Quote by, I don't know, Ben Franklin or something.
"I'm sorry, Phyllis," Willow spoke finally, interjecting before things got too heated between the canidaer and the odinkine. If nothing else, this was still progress seeing as Willow also wasn't exactly great at apologies. "I wish I could stay and commit to helping here. I really do, please believe that. But how many other posts like this one are out there? How many of them are just barely hanging on? How many of them will collapse if I stay here rather than pushing forward to try an cut off the snake's head?"
Willow couldn't save everyone. Deep down she knew that.
"I won't force you to come with me. As far as I'm concerned I don't outrank you in any way, Sergeant. If this is the path you want to take, then I will consider your bond to me fulfilled. But... cats, I could really use someone with a solid head on their shoulders."
With a soft smile Willow rapped her knuckles on the side of her head, just below her hat.
"Goodness knows mine is just filled with scrap metal."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A few of the canidaer and the other guards stationed were beginning to crowd around the commotion. A couple of the larger retriever hybrids looked ready to intervene. Phyllis had her gauntleted fingers gripped tightly around her halberd, leering with what remained of her soft face at both Willow and Bjorn.
The apology shook the gathering, even Bjorn was taken aback by it. Willow had more eyes on her than she may have intended, but they all watched and listened. Phyllis’s jaw locked into place and her face only twisted tighter and tighter with each word.
By the time the allomancer had finished, Phyllis’s eyes were clenched shut so tight that it looked like her tears were being wrenched out. She dropped her weapon, and reached up to grab Willow’s hands with a grip that felt like iron.
“No,” Phyllis’ voice cracked, her bright blue eyes shimmering in the gloomlight, “ye cannae go alone. Ye’re burdened with terrible, divine purpose. The Captain himself pronounced ye the Wordbearer, and I see why now.”
Reflexively, the canidaer doffed their caps and helmets.
The Sergeant wiped her face with her sleeve, “If I’m tae save all these louts, it will be by your side, void or venom.”
One of the guards tossed a mug they had clasped at Phyllis, “We dinnae need ye anywho!”
Phyllis whipped back around and tossed her helmet at the peanut gallery. They burst into laughter and began to run off. Their foot falls sounded incredibly heavy, but the morth cut through the volume.
“Just need to hold out a bit longer.”
“Vengeance’ll be dead by nightfall!”
They dispersed, but the footfalls did not stop. Soon, the canidaer became alert, and shortly thereafter the sounds could be felt in the earth.
“North-” a guard barely got off before being bashed off his post by a large figure bursting through the gate. It was like a gwylggi, but much larger, its back came up to just over Willow’s head. Tentacles writhed from its sides, while menacing green eyes scanned the camp over rows of teeth. It snapped its jaws once, and bounded in one long jump toward the center of camp.
The defenders were just coming to respond, as it tossed a spriggan away with its jaw and turned back to the gate. It bounded, stopping short of the entrance. A scream punctuated the landing as Willow came to realize the deft creature had snatched up Pebbles in one of its tentacles.
Coiled muscles bunched, and it bent into what would be a leap that would carry it out of the perimeter.
The apology shook the gathering, even Bjorn was taken aback by it. Willow had more eyes on her than she may have intended, but they all watched and listened. Phyllis’s jaw locked into place and her face only twisted tighter and tighter with each word.
By the time the allomancer had finished, Phyllis’s eyes were clenched shut so tight that it looked like her tears were being wrenched out. She dropped her weapon, and reached up to grab Willow’s hands with a grip that felt like iron.
“No,” Phyllis’ voice cracked, her bright blue eyes shimmering in the gloomlight, “ye cannae go alone. Ye’re burdened with terrible, divine purpose. The Captain himself pronounced ye the Wordbearer, and I see why now.”
Reflexively, the canidaer doffed their caps and helmets.
The Sergeant wiped her face with her sleeve, “If I’m tae save all these louts, it will be by your side, void or venom.”
One of the guards tossed a mug they had clasped at Phyllis, “We dinnae need ye anywho!”
Phyllis whipped back around and tossed her helmet at the peanut gallery. They burst into laughter and began to run off. Their foot falls sounded incredibly heavy, but the morth cut through the volume.
“Just need to hold out a bit longer.”
“Vengeance’ll be dead by nightfall!”
They dispersed, but the footfalls did not stop. Soon, the canidaer became alert, and shortly thereafter the sounds could be felt in the earth.
“North-” a guard barely got off before being bashed off his post by a large figure bursting through the gate. It was like a gwylggi, but much larger, its back came up to just over Willow’s head. Tentacles writhed from its sides, while menacing green eyes scanned the camp over rows of teeth. It snapped its jaws once, and bounded in one long jump toward the center of camp.
The defenders were just coming to respond, as it tossed a spriggan away with its jaw and turned back to the gate. It bounded, stopping short of the entrance. A scream punctuated the landing as Willow came to realize the deft creature had snatched up Pebbles in one of its tentacles.
Coiled muscles bunched, and it bent into what would be a leap that would carry it out of the perimeter.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The emotion behind Willow’s exasperated ugh was palpable. One, she and Phyllis were having a moment; two, she had just put her backpack back on. With the lithe movements of Pewter, she doffed the pack yet again before drawing her saber. Turning to face the creature, Willow gave her best menacing glower as she rioted feelings of anxiety in the beast as it looked at her. Accessing the situation, she set a battle plan. The plan more or less revolved around the tentacles being gross and a desire to chop them off. Realistically, this thing had tentacles for a reason that augmented the normally already formidable threat of large pointy teeth. While it could only bite from the front, those tentacles would be a nuisance in trying to hit the thing from the side.
Darting forward with Pewter fueled alacrity, Willow burned Mithril before pushing off of a spear tip to her right with Steel to send herself suddenly to the side. Another push of Steel against a shield behind her sent her towards the beast’s flank as it shifted in response to Willow’s motions. Dropping the burn on Mithril to burn Ivorium, the allomancer tried to anticipate the movement of the tentacles as she twirled her saber into a lateral slash. Just before contact, Willow shifted Ivorium to amplify the weight and momentum of her slender saber.
Darting forward with Pewter fueled alacrity, Willow burned Mithril before pushing off of a spear tip to her right with Steel to send herself suddenly to the side. Another push of Steel against a shield behind her sent her towards the beast’s flank as it shifted in response to Willow’s motions. Dropping the burn on Mithril to burn Ivorium, the allomancer tried to anticipate the movement of the tentacles as she twirled her saber into a lateral slash. Just before contact, Willow shifted Ivorium to amplify the weight and momentum of her slender saber.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The movement was just fast enough, the beast had tried to clear to the gate, but found Phyllis bracing her halberd. Calculating how to get past her was all the space Willow would need for the Allomancer to blur into position. Willow found herself on the same side as Pebbles, with just the angle she needed to bury her blade through the bushel of tentacles that held the girl. The sword met against oily, black flesh that would have resisted an unaided swing, but the ivorium allowed the edge to bite and sink through.
They came off like writhing, dark worms, Pebbles frantically pawing for freedom as she hit the ground. The beast didn’t howl as much as flinch as it realized what had happened, and Willow could see an almost intelligent estimation in its eyes as it looked at her.
That intelligence carried it away from the Allomancer and the Sergeant, before bounding to one of the walls. It crashed against the top, before scurrying over and leaping into the dark of the night.
If Willow wanted to pursue, she would have trouble moving, as a weight had gripped to her side. Pebbles hands held fist-fulls of her shirt in and an iron grip.
“Cannae’ have a moment; Good work, Willow. That thing nearly made off with the little lass,” Phyllis wiped her face of sweat and remnant tears.
One of the guards from earlier returned Phyllis’ helmet to her, and she slapped it on her head. “Someone needs t’get her out of here.”
“This girl is a Spirit of Old," Bjorn whispered as he settled back on Willow’s shoulder, "the spriggans revere them as gods. Spriggan-myth says that they made the world before the artisans, but they are bound to the Sprigganwald, they cannot leave the forest.”
They came off like writhing, dark worms, Pebbles frantically pawing for freedom as she hit the ground. The beast didn’t howl as much as flinch as it realized what had happened, and Willow could see an almost intelligent estimation in its eyes as it looked at her.
That intelligence carried it away from the Allomancer and the Sergeant, before bounding to one of the walls. It crashed against the top, before scurrying over and leaping into the dark of the night.
If Willow wanted to pursue, she would have trouble moving, as a weight had gripped to her side. Pebbles hands held fist-fulls of her shirt in and an iron grip.
“Cannae’ have a moment; Good work, Willow. That thing nearly made off with the little lass,” Phyllis wiped her face of sweat and remnant tears.
One of the guards from earlier returned Phyllis’ helmet to her, and she slapped it on her head. “Someone needs t’get her out of here.”
“This girl is a Spirit of Old," Bjorn whispered as he settled back on Willow’s shoulder, "the spriggans revere them as gods. Spriggan-myth says that they made the world before the artisans, but they are bound to the Sprigganwald, they cannot leave the forest.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Even before Pebbles had grabbed onto her Willow had decided against chasing the creature. Likely it would have an easier time in the dense forest than she would, and she wouldn’t have any support out there if she gave chase. So instead she upped the burn on Bronze and focused on the beast’s magical signature. For as large as it was, it gave her the impression of probably being decent at ambushing prey, and Willow would make sure she didn’t give it any advantage if she could help it.
Willow’s free hand moved to rub Pebbles’ hair as she watched the beast retreat. Pulling her hand back she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the saber off before sheathing it. As she listened to Bjorn, she dreaded what she was about to do. Kneeling, Willow turned to face Pebbles’ at eye level while putting her hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry to ask this of you, kid, but I’m on a mission. I need to get to the center of the forest and find a limestone platform in order to summon a shade before finding a tribe of spriggans that worship a specific deity. He is... was... a one-armed alchemist with a particularly dour appearance as a cover to hide the fact that he’s actually pretty helpful. I don’t know how to do this, and I hate to ask but... can you guide me?”
Willow’s free hand moved to rub Pebbles’ hair as she watched the beast retreat. Pulling her hand back she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the saber off before sheathing it. As she listened to Bjorn, she dreaded what she was about to do. Kneeling, Willow turned to face Pebbles’ at eye level while putting her hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry to ask this of you, kid, but I’m on a mission. I need to get to the center of the forest and find a limestone platform in order to summon a shade before finding a tribe of spriggans that worship a specific deity. He is... was... a one-armed alchemist with a particularly dour appearance as a cover to hide the fact that he’s actually pretty helpful. I don’t know how to do this, and I hate to ask but... can you guide me?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Willow could see the little girl in front of her growing up before her. She was still someone much younger than should have ever been exposed to something like this, but the look in her eyes reminded her of Ms. Smith. The gaze didn’t have the strength or direction, but a great sense of purpose. It was clear Pebbles knew what was necessary.
And still, she shied away from the Allomancer, tucking her arms under chest; afraid of the request, afraid of herself. Her head made the reflexive shake, an echo of what she wanted to say. Then, with lips pursed, she nodded her head.
“Okay,” she answered, the word having wormed its way up for air under an ocean of fear.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Helen objected with great heat, sliding off her plush chair, “Willow, you’re insane. You saw what was out there. It wants her. It went for her.”
“And Willow was the one that cut her free,” Bjorn objected, “the Spirit of Old is safer close than far.”
Just as it looked like Bjorn was about to get into another fight, Pebbles spoke up.
“The Leaf God can help us,” she offered, tying her fingers together tightly in nervous knots, “his tribe is on the path to the center of the forest.”
“Ogh,” Horst seized up in his saddle, making cutting motions at his neck, “Leaf Tribe? They smell, sometimes good, mostly bad, but they always smell. Horn Tribe is better. Smell less, do more. They’re a little further, but the Horn God is strong. Leaf God is small. Not as small as her, but probably not strong!”
Seeing her opinion doubted already, Pebbles just stared down at her bruised, scraped knees.
And still, she shied away from the Allomancer, tucking her arms under chest; afraid of the request, afraid of herself. Her head made the reflexive shake, an echo of what she wanted to say. Then, with lips pursed, she nodded her head.
“Okay,” she answered, the word having wormed its way up for air under an ocean of fear.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Helen objected with great heat, sliding off her plush chair, “Willow, you’re insane. You saw what was out there. It wants her. It went for her.”
“And Willow was the one that cut her free,” Bjorn objected, “the Spirit of Old is safer close than far.”
Just as it looked like Bjorn was about to get into another fight, Pebbles spoke up.
“The Leaf God can help us,” she offered, tying her fingers together tightly in nervous knots, “his tribe is on the path to the center of the forest.”
“Ogh,” Horst seized up in his saddle, making cutting motions at his neck, “Leaf Tribe? They smell, sometimes good, mostly bad, but they always smell. Horn Tribe is better. Smell less, do more. They’re a little further, but the Horn God is strong. Leaf God is small. Not as small as her, but probably not strong!”
Seeing her opinion doubted already, Pebbles just stared down at her bruised, scraped knees.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Well, I’ll be sure not to burn Tin around them. Beyond that, I’m not too concerned about smells or whether said smells have any bearing on whether they can help me or not. If Horn a further, then we’ll start with Leaf and make our way too Horn if Leaf can’t help,” Willow stood and walked over to her pack. Instead of donning it once again she made her way over to Horst and his gordalisk. “Mind stowing this on the frogodile for me?”
Then Willow returned to Pebbles and knelt again.
“How about a piggy-back ride?”
Then Willow returned to Pebbles and knelt again.
“How about a piggy-back ride?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“No, would be too heavy,” dismissed Horst, “too much already.”
“Really?” Curie chimed in, "The average gordalisk can usually carry up to fifteen percent of its body weight.”
Horst turned, staring at Curie with his blank, spriggan expression, before turning back to Willow. “Would make him too slow?”
“Yer fine,” Phyllis interjected by taking the bag and began to strap it to the creature, “Yer not doin’ any skirmishin’ now are ye? Do us some good and carry some of the load.”
The Spirit of Old stared at the allomancer, not sure at first, but gaining a little bravery to climb onto Willow’s back. She stumbled a bit at first, but she settled right in, hanging her chin over the older girl’s shoulder. Properly settled, she extended a hand to point ahead up the road where the attacks had come from.
“That way,” Pebbles directed, towards the dark, “the road forks three times to the center of the forest. Right, right, right. Never left. That's how you find the Leaf God from the south road.”
The group set off with that, into deeper darkness. Willow’s cohorts gathered around her, even Ghyslain with the plush chair. A farewell was blown from the horns at the north gate, but the eyes of the defenders indicated they did not expect to see them again.
Even so, it wasn’t completely dark once the post disappeared in the distance behind them. The gloom had a gentle glow to it that looked like moonlight. Bjorn explained that the Sprigganwald never saw the light Navipolis directly, but that the trees were told to hold on to the light that their canopies drank deep from.
“Told?” Helen muttered, “interesting choice of words…”
“Ghost of our artisan asked trees to pass on light,” Horst clarified, “bird has good sprigganlore. I am impressed.”
Bjorn shrugged off the bird comment, oddly enough.
They came to the first fork in the road, lit by an ancient looking lantern lit by a stone. By this point, Pebbles had fallen asleep, but Ghyslain had been repeating her guidance in whispers since they left. Right, right, right. Never left.
The path took them into a different part of the forest. The trees looked less sick and there were even animals flitting from the trees here and there. However, each time Willow caught sight of something that looked like a regular animal, it skittered and crawled in a way that was unlike what she thought it was. She could feel more and more eyes falling upon her as she went deeper into the path. Occasionally they would pass a few travelers, some of which carried bright and shiny objects as offerings.
It was when they arrived to the second fork, that Willow could feel it. The familiar presence of the beast touched the edge of her senses. As the surroundings changed from dark deciduous trees to fungal forest, the feeling grew. It was tracking them in the dark, just beyond their vision in the forest. This made it difficult to pay attention to wider, open spaces, with the now squishy, less forested floor.
“Never left,” said Phyllis finally as they came to the third fork in the road, “feel like we’re veerin’ further off center.”
“We go left, we could go to Horn Tribe,” mentioned Horst innocently.
“Willow’s call,” argued Phyllis, “what do you say? Keep pressin’ on right? The roads are safer than I thought they’d ever be. Spriggans are walkin’ along like there aren’t murderous creatures about.”
The bronze-fueled sense flared for a moment and then settled down.
“Really?” Curie chimed in, "The average gordalisk can usually carry up to fifteen percent of its body weight.”
Horst turned, staring at Curie with his blank, spriggan expression, before turning back to Willow. “Would make him too slow?”
“Yer fine,” Phyllis interjected by taking the bag and began to strap it to the creature, “Yer not doin’ any skirmishin’ now are ye? Do us some good and carry some of the load.”
The Spirit of Old stared at the allomancer, not sure at first, but gaining a little bravery to climb onto Willow’s back. She stumbled a bit at first, but she settled right in, hanging her chin over the older girl’s shoulder. Properly settled, she extended a hand to point ahead up the road where the attacks had come from.
“That way,” Pebbles directed, towards the dark, “the road forks three times to the center of the forest. Right, right, right. Never left. That's how you find the Leaf God from the south road.”
The group set off with that, into deeper darkness. Willow’s cohorts gathered around her, even Ghyslain with the plush chair. A farewell was blown from the horns at the north gate, but the eyes of the defenders indicated they did not expect to see them again.
Even so, it wasn’t completely dark once the post disappeared in the distance behind them. The gloom had a gentle glow to it that looked like moonlight. Bjorn explained that the Sprigganwald never saw the light Navipolis directly, but that the trees were told to hold on to the light that their canopies drank deep from.
“Told?” Helen muttered, “interesting choice of words…”
“Ghost of our artisan asked trees to pass on light,” Horst clarified, “bird has good sprigganlore. I am impressed.”
Bjorn shrugged off the bird comment, oddly enough.
They came to the first fork in the road, lit by an ancient looking lantern lit by a stone. By this point, Pebbles had fallen asleep, but Ghyslain had been repeating her guidance in whispers since they left. Right, right, right. Never left.
The path took them into a different part of the forest. The trees looked less sick and there were even animals flitting from the trees here and there. However, each time Willow caught sight of something that looked like a regular animal, it skittered and crawled in a way that was unlike what she thought it was. She could feel more and more eyes falling upon her as she went deeper into the path. Occasionally they would pass a few travelers, some of which carried bright and shiny objects as offerings.
It was when they arrived to the second fork, that Willow could feel it. The familiar presence of the beast touched the edge of her senses. As the surroundings changed from dark deciduous trees to fungal forest, the feeling grew. It was tracking them in the dark, just beyond their vision in the forest. This made it difficult to pay attention to wider, open spaces, with the now squishy, less forested floor.
“Never left,” said Phyllis finally as they came to the third fork in the road, “feel like we’re veerin’ further off center.”
“We go left, we could go to Horn Tribe,” mentioned Horst innocently.
“Willow’s call,” argued Phyllis, “what do you say? Keep pressin’ on right? The roads are safer than I thought they’d ever be. Spriggans are walkin’ along like there aren’t murderous creatures about.”
The bronze-fueled sense flared for a moment and then settled down.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
God bless Pewter. Between Bronze and Tin burning high Willow likely would have had a splitting headache if it weren’t for occasionally popping bearings like mints. Every step, stomp, and statement from her companions sounded like TV volume up way too loud; but it was worth it to let her listen for the stalking beast. Bronze was much the same; even though Willow had mostly acclimated to using it on this plane it was, it was still a different kind of deafening when focusing on one specific signature. Pewter also helped her stave off mental and physical fatigue. If she were trying to do all of this unaided she probably would have had a mental break by now. If she had to guess, that was probably what the beast was waiting for; for Willow to drop her guard.
At the fork, Willow reduced the burn on Tin as the others began to discuss the options. Listening diligently to the options, Willow was just about to respond when Bronze pinged. Immediately she brought Tin back up, wincing against the sudden influx of sensations. Shifting a bit against Pebbles braced on her back, she reached into her pocket and reassured herself that she had coins at the ready.
“We go right.”
At the fork, Willow reduced the burn on Tin as the others began to discuss the options. Listening diligently to the options, Willow was just about to respond when Bronze pinged. Immediately she brought Tin back up, wincing against the sudden influx of sensations. Shifting a bit against Pebbles braced on her back, she reached into her pocket and reassured herself that she had coins at the ready.
“We go right.”