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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 18:39:56 GMT -6
It was supposed to be a GOOD day, Fiera thought as the roots dragged her another few inches deeper underground. She could still see the entrance, but she couldn’t QUITE reach the knife in her back pocket. She could hear her snowtracker seeker, Donner, hissing and snarling outside of the tunnel, but she wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. How the hell had she gotten into this situation? Oh, right. That damned fae. It HAD been a good day, up to that point. Fiera hadn’t even intended on coming anywhere near the quest board- her walk had just sort of ended up in that general direction. Considering that Fiera always walked with a general air of purpose however, she supposed she must have looked like someone who knew just what she was doing. That’s probably why that awful man flagged her down to start with. Bastard. Fiera 1 Donner 8.1/4.1 1
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 20:20:05 GMT -6
She had almost not seen the fae, as short as they were, but their bizarre green hair stood out. Fiera’s first thought upon seeing them had been “Oh, that’s not a bush.” Her second thought was “Ugh, it’s probably a hobo that wants your money. Don’t make eye contact.” And thus she attempted to jog right on by after a brief withering glance. And yet, the fae rushed right up to her. “Miss! Oh, miss!” They cried, coming close to grabbing at Fiera’s jacket- though they recoiled when the humanish’s tail puffed out and she pulled up a lip to reveal a warning fang. “Oh, I- sorry, but you have to help me!” They cried. Fiera rolled her eyes. “Yeah, in great. Can’t you get someone who’s actually TRYING to be at the quest board to do it?” She drawled, pointedly checking her nails, but also not leaving.
Fiera 2 Donner 8.2/4.2 2
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 21:55:02 GMT -6
“Why do you even want my help anyway?” She asked, still not making eye contact. “Oh well, you look particularly, uhm, fearsome, and I need someone tough for the job...” That got Fiera’s attention. Fearsome? It had been some time since she was able to perform some good violence. “...What sort of job?” She asked, her green eyes finally sliding over the person’s face. It was chestnut brown and leathery, clearly from a lifetime in the sun. They looked old, but... still energetic. Too energetic, in fact. Wild, jittery. Their clothes were clean and somewhat professional looking, but disheveled (along with that lightning struck mop of green hair). They looked like someone who was probably good at what they did, but something was still... off. A small smile crept into Fiera’s face. Hm. Perhaps she’d actually get to do something illegal. Now wouldn’t that be a nice change.
Fiera 3 Donner 8.3/4.3 3
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 21:59:38 GMT -6
“Well you see... I have this garden. I keep it stocked with rare and exotic cuttings because you see, ah, strange plants are my hobby.” They continued, their eyes flicking around nervously, refusing to make eye contact now that Fiera was looking directly at them. Oh ho. This WAS something illegal, wasn’t it. “But then these ah... INVASIVE plants grew in! I don’t know where they came from!” They exclaimed. Fiera could fill in the blanks. “And now you need me to go destroy them all, correct?” She said, her eyes glimmering.
“What? Oh heavens no. I just need you to go collect some blossoms from my Vernal Lilies. They’re a very rare, very special plant, but I don’t dare go in the garden anymore because of the ah... mess.” They stuttered. “Uh, but the invasive plants aren’t all that dangerous, I promise! They’re just particularly poisonous ivys and whatnot.”
Fiera 4 Donner 8.4/4.4 4
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 22:12:17 GMT -6
Fiera’s face immediately turned to a sneer, her ears leaning back. “Oh, please? You want a big, tough person... to pick you some flowers? I can’t believe this. Do I look like a-“ Fiera stopped, realizing that perhaps saying “fairy” would be both offensive and redundant considering present company. Still, the fae rushed forward assuringly, trying to keep her from leaving, hands up with apology. “Oh no miss, no! I mean, my garden is in a bit of a bad part of town is all. I wouldn’t dare hire someone who couldn’t handle themself.” The humanish just rolled her eyes and tried to walk away, but the fae gave another quick “Wait, wait, wait!” Before getting out a piece of paper and scribbling on it furiously before handing it to her. “There’s the address, and, uh-“ They said awkwardly, looking at her expectantly, blinking a few times.
Fiera 5 Donner 9.0/5.0 5
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 22:17:30 GMT -6
“O-of course, I’ll also give you some of what I can make with those flowers, so-“ “Really?” Fiera interjected. “You’re doing the ‘write a number on a piece of paper’ thing. Buddy, you’re lucky that-“ She glanced down at the paper. Uh, wow. “-this is a VERY large number, or else a lady like myself would be offended.” She said, sharply folding the paper and putting it in her pocket. The fae seemed to deflate with relief. “Oh thank goodness.” “Yep. How about uh, Friday? For this?” “Of course! I’ll leave the gate unlocked for you. I’d do it myself, but I’m allergic to the new plants.” “Yeah, sure.” Fiera said, already walking away. “Don’t forget to bring a large pet with you! You know, for initimidation. Bad part of town and all that!” But the humanish simply waved her hand in response as she walked away.
Fiera 6 Donner 9.1/5.1 6
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 22:29:03 GMT -6
Of course, that meant that she immediately had to make a beeline to her kennels to determine the pet she was going to bring with her. She needed something that would behave itself, so that ruled out most of her untrained pets... and some of the trained ones too, now that she thought of it. If she brought Lincoln, her copper lamadidron, his appetite would probably render his rare plants extinct. Others were too little or unintimidating- that ruled out her harachiu, no matter how much she could trust them. Desert, her thundergug, was probably TOO big to bring to a traditional garden full of delicate plants, which left... hmm. There was a fighting tournament coming up that she was training up a snowtracker seeker for, and while he knew his basic obedience, she could afford to spend more time with him. So that was her answer: Donner would be coming with her to the garden.
Fiera 7 Donner 9.2/5.2 7
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 22:38:27 GMT -6
She did her research beforehand too. She didn’t stick around long enough to get a description of those “vernal lilies” or a picture, so she had to look it up herself that week. Thankfully it wasn’t too hard to find. They were rare, but their properties were well documented. Apparently they had very powerful nature magic that could yadda yadda magic plant nonsense. Fiera shut the book as soon as she was able to sketch a picture of the plant- she wasn’t being paid to learn this dumb thing’s phyla. That was all mage nerd stuff. It was a distinctive enough plant, however, with large, drooping lilies with long petals and stamens growing off of proportionally delicate vines, as if they put all of their effort into growing those few flowers. Well, their hard work would be lining Fiera’s pockets after this job, that was for sure.
Fiera 8 Donner 9.3/4.8 8
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 2, 2021 22:51:05 GMT -6
From there, all she had to do was get ready. Fiera didn’t feel the need to bring too much. A small set of shears, a flashlight, Donner’s leash (mostly useless, if she was being honest) and some treats for the seeker- murp jerky. Last minute however, just before walking out the door, she stopped... and grabbed her old, rusty hunting knife out of a drawer. She hadn’t even looked at this thing since she came to the city, but that fae said the garden was in a rougher part of town, right? Might as well grab something that would at least make her look a little intimidating if anyone tried starting something... though she figured she could talk her way out of mist. Besides, Donner would provide most of the intimidation she would need on the way there, and it was a quick trip to pick him up.
Fiera 9 Donner 9.4/4.9 9
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 3, 2021 0:26:26 GMT -6
Once her seeker was secured, Fiera made her way over to the garden as quickly as possible- not because she was worried about being accosted, but more because she was concerned that Donner wouldn’t put up with being dragged around for long. Despite what the old fae said however, the area... didn’t look bad at all. Sure the sidewalk had cracks in a few places and the buildings looked old, but there was hardly anyone polishing blades in the alleyway. It wasn’t exactly the den of sin it had been implied to be. Still, perhaps to someone of that person’s size, such a neighborhood would look more intimidating than it actually was? Still, it felt more... Empty than anything. Like everyone who lived here either kept to themselves or moved away. Weird. Fiera glanced around but no matter how hard she tried, she didn’t see anyone. Even Donner continued to act polite with no other living things to distract him.
Fiera 10 Donner 10.0/5.0 10
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 3, 2021 0:35:29 GMT -6
The humanish and her seeker didn’t see any other living PEOPLE on the way to the garden, but they sure knew the garden when they saw it. The wrought iron fence stood high and stately, a last firm barrier against the wilderness within. Fiera couldn’t see more than a foot through the bars as choked as they were with plants, but she certainly recognized the distinctive three loved leaves of poison ivy... with some sort of intimidating bright purple streaks on them. She crinkled her nose a bit and wrapped Donner’s leash around her hand another time to keep him from shoving his nose in it. Yeesh. How had that guy let it get so bad? No wonder he didn’t want to come here personally. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Make me do all the dirty work, huh?” She grumbled to herself before pushing at the gate.
Fiera 11 Donner 10.1/5.1 11
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 3, 2021 12:42:53 GMT -6
The gate, as promised, was unlocked and swung open easily, letting Fiera in to take a look around. The humanish stepped in and...yeah, this place was a mess. She could see what once was an organized garden beneath the snarls of thorns and ominous leaves, but it was long gone. Neat metal dividers were knocked over and grown around, patches of mulch vanished beneath encroaching tendrils, and directional signs were bent and knocked over. Fiera sighed and glanced at the piece of paper again, burning the image of the lily into her mind. Hopefully there would still be some surviving out here, and in a location where Fiera wouldn’t have to stick her hand in a massive bramble in order to do it. At least Donner had a nice, thick layer of fur to protect him. Fiera had her jacket and nothing else- and she was making sure to keep her sleeves down.
Fiera 12 Donner 10.2/5.2 12
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 3, 2021 12:48:50 GMT -6
She glanced around for a clue- ANY sort of clue- as to where the lilies were. There wasn’t much, however. Every inch of this place was choked with invasive plants, and the path had shrunk to nearly half a foot wide. For all she knew, the lilies were down a path that had already been overgrown. Donner didn’t seem to like it either, and a low growl began emanating from his throat. “What, claustrophobic?” Fiera teased, but she had to admit, this place gave her a bad vibe too. “...yeah, well. Same.” She admitted, a little glad she had her seeker with her. After nearly twenty minutes of aimless wandering however, Fiera found a clue. A familiar tendril snaked through a nearby bush, one that she remembered from her research. “Oh, please!” She prayed as she crouched down, pushing aside some leaves with the blade of her hunting knife.
Fiera 13 Donner 10.3/5.3 13
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 3, 2021 13:01:18 GMT -6
Yes! That was it! The vernal lily...’s vine. Fiera looked up and down the length of it, but she couldn’t see any of the now familiar blossoms. Ugh. Surely that guy wouldn’t send her here if it wasn’t the time of year they were meant to be blooming? “Vernal” meant springtime, right? Maybe there were just a couple blossoms... somewhere else. That meant she’d have to keep looking. “...Great.” Fiera mumbled to herself, Donner growling in the background. Fiera privately wondered what his problem was. Whatever. At least she had something to follow now. She could see the vine running along the ground in one direction, getting almost imperceptibly thicker the further down it went. Maybe she could find the base of it, and once she got there, the flowers she was looking for. Possibly. “It’s better than nothing, I guess.” She said, straightening up.
Fiera 14 Donner 10.4/5.4 14
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Mar 3, 2021 13:08:39 GMT -6
She tried walking further down, but her seeker refused to budge. “Oh, come on!” Fiera hissed, tugging on the leash. “I know you don’t like the plants, but I’ve got a lot of money on the line here!” She said, but the snowtracker just dug in his heels, cutting gouges in the mulch as Fiera tried to tug him along. Finally she sighed and threw up her hands, dropping the leash. “Fine! Fine. I know you can’t get out of here- this place is completely fenced in. And I KNOW you don’t want to run around in the plants. So you can stay right here and be miserable. I’ll be back when I get those damn flowers.” She said before spinning on her heel and marching down the path. Dumb animal. She could find those flowers on her own.
If only she had noticed what Donner did- that the plants were rustling... but there was no breeze.
Fiera 15 Donner 11.0/5.5 15
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