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Post by Jewel on Sept 23, 2019 16:09:01 GMT -6
Was there a rule written somewhere that requests from townsfolk could only be bizarre and confusing in nature?
Jewel was beginning to think it was the case. Though squashing caterpillars and facing the claustrophobic hell of the mines weren't outstandingly strange, it was the circumstances surrounding them that frequently made little sense. A nice old lady misplacing a precious possession was one thing. It having been stolen by a sentient tree was another thing indeed.
Back they were at the gardens, preparing to enter what looked like a miniature wilderness in search of the thief. Eilonwi was giving every impression that she would rather be anywhere in the world than with Jewel, but it wasn't an unusual occurrence to him. He needed her keen senses, so she would have to suck it up. She was one of the idiots who lived with him and hence needed his income for food.
Times were hard, weren't they?
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Post by Jewel on Sept 25, 2019 16:25:59 GMT -6
Jewel wasn't too familiar with the gardens. He'd stuck firmly to the nicer parts when he'd briefly visited - the plot he'd done his pest control in was not unruly by any means other than its infestation of gross bugs. Now, though, he'd have to step into the unknown, so to speak. The overgrown mess he was faced with was practically a jungle, and whatever used to be a logical path of progression through it had been lost to nature a long time ago.
"Ready, miss priss?" He asked the Felusine sitting at his side. Eilonwi didn't need to understand what he was saying to know that tone, and sighed indignantly. He was a real piece of work. "I'm sure it won't be so bad. Do you want to eat or not?"
It was rhetorical, regardless of her comprehension; he would never let her starve. Still, he didn't need her silently needling at him the whole time.
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Post by Jewel on Sept 25, 2019 16:30:29 GMT -6
Man, what had happened to make things this way? Jewel could distinguish, as he made his way through the initial cluster of nettles and overgrown shrubbery, that it wasn't one solitary abandoned lot. Several had amalgamated in their abandonment and created their own form of wilderness. It was hard to believe that anyone had ever occupied them; in comparison to the panite's lot, it was hostile, and looked a split second away from invading its surroundings.
Thorns snagged at the sleeves of his jacket - he was thankful he'd opted for long sleeves - but he pushed on, untangling himself as he went. There was no way to tell which way he was headed. The best he could do was pick out a route through the tangles, wherever there was space to admit him. His small stature was beneficial in that regard.
Eilonwi took her time, following in his footsteps when he'd cleared each obstacle.
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Post by Jewel on Sept 25, 2019 16:35:16 GMT -6
It seemed to go on forever. Jewel was happy to admit he was losing his bearings - how could it possibly go this deep? - but said nothing to Eilonwi. In fact, he found himself holding his breath, trying to be as quiet as possible. Though it was a Nyssa he was seeking, he found it hard to believe that they were the only creatures that might be find lurking in the undergrowth.
Anything could have been left behind when the previous occupants vacated. Sure, maybe some lab creatures would be unable to adapt without someone to feed them and would have either left or died. However, there was always a possibility that some tenacious beasts had survived, and were waiting for the opportunity to pounce.
It was probably silly, to feel a twinge of fear. He was unhappy; with each passing second, the vegetation seemed to be closing in on him.
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Post by Jewel on Sept 25, 2019 17:25:37 GMT -6
Jewel did his best to focus on keeping his breathing even, and to focus on the ground beneath him rather than the bushes around him. It wasn't working. His chest was tight, constricting further by the minute in his mounting fear, until it felt impossible to move. He had to get out of there. There had to be an end, it couldn't go on much further--
He bit the bullet and surged forwards. Brambles stabbed at his cheeks and hands, but he tore his way through them in his desperation to be free of the claustrophobia. He couldn't bear another second of them around him, on top of him, caging him in like that.
The end came blissfully soon. Jewel tumbled into a clearing, landing on his knees in the dirt. All he could do was take grateful, relieved lungfuls of air, his head drooping. What was it with these quests?
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Post by Renathan on Sept 25, 2019 17:34:28 GMT -6
Indeed, who knew what could be in the undergrowth? Despite this, thick stomping comes from somewhere beyond, stops, and then starts up again. Was it moving? Was that the Nyssa? Or was it something else entirely...?
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Post by Jewel on Sept 26, 2019 8:13:11 GMT -6
Jewel's heart leapt to his mouth. What the hell was that? The noise was deafening in the quiet - it had to be footsteps, it couldn't possibly be mistaken for anything else. Whatever was making that sound was enormous, and something told him that it was exactly what he'd have to head straight for.
Eilonwi stepped gingerly forward to nuzzle her head against his elbow. As frustrating as it was to traipse around the countryside with him, she couldn't help but be concerned when she saw him tumbling. He reached back to give her an awkward pat of acknowledgement.
"It's fine, I'm fine," He breathed. "Better for being out of there."
Once he was sufficiently collected, he heaved himself up from the floor. Other than a few snags in his jacket and the occasional scratch on his face or hands, he'd escaped unscathed. Nothing that he couldn't patch up. At least they hadn't been eaten.
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Post by Jewel on Sept 26, 2019 8:18:47 GMT -6
Jewel looked around. If he had to guess, he would've assumed that the area they'd landed in was someone's ornamental garden; the lawn had not grown, which would lead him to the conclusion that the turf was artificial. That was one way to ensure overgrowth was impossible. A dried-up water feature took centre stage, surrounded by crumbling stone statues that came to waist height on him. He reached out to touch the figure nearest to them.
It was depressing. Once upon a time, she might have been lovely. The rain had worn her down, until her rock figure had cracked and crumbled. Her own head laid where it had fallen from her shoulders. An impulse to set it upright seized him - he stooped down to scoop it into his hands, and he righted it, setting it at her feet.
"That's better," He sighed. "This sucks. It would have been beautiful."
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Post by Jewel on Sept 26, 2019 8:45:02 GMT -6
He wasn't there to do renovations, though, and looking at the state of things, he was glad of it. Jewel had to push on, and try to locate the origin of that horrendous, thudding footstep. He wanted to hightail it straight out of there, but they'd come that far. What was the point in giving up?
Alright. He'd continue, but at the first sign of perilous danger, he'd be gone lickety-split.
There was a parting of the shrubbery up ahead, behind the defunct water feature. A path, at last. Bolstered by the revelation, he nodded his head towards it and began to make his way over, picking his way over more fallen rocks from the statues on the way. Eilonwi trotted to keep up; he was going faster than he intended, just because of the intense atmosphere. There was a feeling of desperation that he couldn't quite escape, and his subconsciousness spurred him on.
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Post by Jewel on Sept 26, 2019 9:49:20 GMT -6
The further he went along the path, the more apparent it became to him that it was not a natural parting. Jewel had been walking on cracked paving stones for a while, but now there was nothing but grass and dirt under his boots, and the undergrowth looked as if it had been shoved aside rather than grown there naturally. The Nyssa had come this way. Unless there was another colossal creature stomping around and forging its own walkways, he was positive he was headed in the right direction.
God, he hoped there was only one giant. He was already fit to drop.
Eilonwi hadn't shown much interest in the goings on, until suddenly she surged forward. Surprised, Jewel came to a halt.
"What's up?" She made no response, but turned her face to the left, and after a pause, began trotting in that direction. "Hey, wait a minute! Eilonwi!"
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Post by Jewel on Sept 26, 2019 9:58:23 GMT -6
The Felusine paid no attention to Jewel's words. She pushed on, navigating a narrower path veering off of the main one, her nose to the ground. Whatever she could smell, she was certain it was leading them in that direction, so the Fae had no choice but to follow, in fear that he would lose her otherwise.
Once again, rushing through the undergrowth made his heart thud in his chest, and seemed to go on forever. Each turn only took them through a new copse of trees or sea of weeds, and they snatched at his ankles as he went past. Where the hell was this thing? The sooner they ran into it, the better, and he was going to take that crystal whether it wanted to give it up or not--
So flustered was he that he didn't notice when Eilonwi came to an abrupt stop. He kept going - only to smack face first into what on the surface appeared to be a thick three branch.
When it moved, it dawned on him that he'd bumped into something else entirely.
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Post by Renathan on Sept 26, 2019 11:18:52 GMT -6
You have rolled a success! Your QP has been added to the bank and your prize/s will be sent to you shortly. Feel free to continue roleplaying if you wish!
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