Criala

Take care, Rift. Hope you'll still around discord to chat still. It's been good having you on the server and as an Admin. But you gotta do what's best for you. 

Sobs echoed from somewhere within the temple of Thalassa, the sound carrying off of the stone. Following the sound of it was what led Estellise to Rhae. This was when she learned of what happened. The situation with Valerica wasn't something she'd known about, as she'd been spending most of her time at home, resting due to how late she was into her pregnancy. 

There was no hesitation to scoop Rhae up and hold her close, spending as long as it took to try to reassure her. Hours it took likely before the young 'fenn was calmed. It would have been a lie if she said she wasn't worried as well, but it was worth waiting to see what happened. Val was worth any wait they'd have to do.

'Please come home soon, Val.'

A mystery. That's what Gino Falcone had been to Natalia. Her future father-in-law, and yet she hadn't really had the chance to get to know him. Any interaction between the two was a simple 'ciao, come va?' and didn't extend much further than that, resulting in little personal experience with the man. Regardless, her heart ached for her fiancé. It also ached for their son who would never meet be able to meet him, and little Ludovica who would grow up not really knowing her father.

The room was empty, except for the mali’fenn woman who resided there. Careful steps took Estellise upstairs to the bedroom. Once she was there, she collapsed onto the bed into the blankets and pillows. Turquoise settled upon the ceiling above her. Slow, deep breaths. 

“Damned octopus…” It was muttered beneath her breath, which she’d finally caught. There were red marks all along her right leg, bruising already starting to show along them from where the deformed octopus had its hold on her. Her eyes closed, arm lifting to rest over them. Quite the ordeal, but she had survived. She’d gone through too much to be eaten by some deformed octopus.
 

“He tried to kill me, Estellise!” The man’s voice was raised, echoing throughout the room. Amber smoldering, full of anger and rage. All directed at her.

“I don't want anyone else to die.” Her words were barely audible, along with a slight shake of her head. But they were heard, and it caused a snarl to escape him.

“Estellise, you said you wanted to help me, didn’t you?” 

“Y… Yes.”

“Then tell me what I need to know.” A deep, growling rumble came from his throat.

“I don’t know anything you don’t know!” 

“Disappointing! Then you’re on his side!” He stepped forward, which caused her to take a step backwards.

“I-I..” Deep under the surface, yes, but he didn’t need to know that.

“There has to be something you know. He was rather protective of you at the end there, before he decided to leave. Maybe something to do with that.” He persisted.

“I don’t have any information for you. Nothing that you don’t already know.” She was adamant with her reply.

Another growl escaped him, fueled by him not getting his way. That hate and anger filled gaze burned. And it lingered on her face. This lasted for several minutes, before he finally tore his focus off of her, and he let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“Fine. But you will play your part when the time comes. Understood?” The anger and hatred had died down in his gaze, but it was now  replaced with expectancy. “If you don’t…" He didn't have to finish his sentence for the threat to be real.

A slow nod of her head. It was a threat that she knew he’d have no problem carrying out. But the nod seemed to be enough for him, because he gave one nod, then stormed down stairs to where his room was.

~*~

"The only reason we got back together was because I didn't want you to have any reason to remain loyal to Lothric. Are you aware of that?" There was no emotion to the man's tone, as they laid side by side.

"...I thought that might have had something to do with it." The timing was what told her that. But... Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

"That's all it had to do with it. I didn't feel any sort of feelings towards you. I felt the same towards you as I did someone I've never met before. There was no love."

"I... See." She hated that it hurt, that there had been a tiny bit of hope that the man she first met was still in there somewhere. She also hated that, deep down, she wasn’t surprised by it. He’d always just used her and used others to get what he wanted.

"I was going to kill you and pin the murder on Lothric. Use it as a way to ruin Fennic and Irrinor relations further." 

Even the admittance of his plan didn’t shock her. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d done something like that to someone. Why would she have been any different?
 

~*~

"No idea. Men are weird. Maybe you've got an issue with pride. Or..." There was a split second pause here before Rhae shrugged her shoulders, thinking better of it. "I'm not going to finish that one."

"Finish it." was the reply she got from the masked and robe-clad figure. Wisps of black were leaking out from the visor of the mask.

"No." The reply was rejected.

"Okay then. Give the Parasite control." By the tone of his voice, it was meant to be a demand.

"No thanks."  A demand that was denied.

"Does it really matter?" Estellise spoke up, arms crossed and resting against the top of her ribs. This ended her silence in the conversation, though her question was ignored.

"Wasn't a question, Rhaella. Give control to your Parasite." Still, the man persisted, despite being told no. 

"Would really rather not." Rhae held her ground on the matter though.

"I don't care. You'll either finish your statement or you will give control." Another demand.

"I think I'll do neither." But she wasn’t having it.

In a moment, the black wisps flowing out from the mask began to thicken, and the sense of dread in the room thickened and grew stronger, having an effect on those around him.

Estellise pressed her crossed arms tighter against herself, breathing out a slow and shaky breath.

"Nope!" Rhae spun on her heel, so she could face the doorway.

That was as far as she got though, because a gloved hand shot out and aimed to tangle their fingers within her ivory locks. With the grip on her hair gotten, she was yanked down onto the ground as much force as possible used to do such.

A shrill shriek erupted from her, likely heard throughout the entire Estate. A heavy thump came after when Rhae's back collided with the floor. Her hands shot up to her hair, one against her hair and the other searching for the hand clutching her hair.

Estellise was frozen in place, her eyes widening and her mouth hanging up. All of her senses were screaming at her to intervene. But she knew what would happen if she did. He had killed her once, so she was told by Lockezi, and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again. 

He knelt down on the ground, lowering his head so that his mask was close to Rhae's ear. "If you are going to insult and belittle me, I do not care. But you will do as I say, and you will not try to avoid me to get out of it."

Rhae grit her teeth, her eyes narrowing into a glare at the man.

Estellise was only able to stare, gaze darting back and forth between the two in front of her. 

"We had ourselves an agreement, Rhaella. You will do as I say, and you will listen to me. Remember?" The grip on her hair remained tight. "Estellise won't do nothing for you. She will watch, and she will listen.  I do not want to scold you, but you need to understand." 

"I didn't want to insult you! That's why I shut up!" Rhae squirmed, both hands moving up to try to loosen the fingers latched onto her hair. "I realized what I was going to say was bad, and I didn't want to finish it! You're really going to force me to insult you? Really? This isn't a Shade thing, so let me go!" 

"I want you to listen to me. Say what you were going to say, Rhaella Tathvir. If I were a Paladin, and you made the same slip, I would have done far worse to get you to talk." 

"It's not important! I'm not telling you! So, either let me go, or do what a paladin would do. Treat me as those idiots would, if you want. Or are you really that worried about your stupid manhood?" The words came out as a growl.

Promptly, the man released her. Seeping out from his skin, within his hand, was a thickening mass of amber. "Fine." 

A feeling of relief spread throughout Estellise's body once Rhae was released, though she didn't fully relax just yet.

Upon being released, Rhae turned herself over, tearing herself out of his grip. Daggers were still being glared at him. "If you really want me to shut up for paladins, just cut out my tongue, why don't you?" 

Any sense of relief was instantly shattered for Estellise. Her arm was snatched by him, his left hand tugging her in front of him. A gasp escaped her at this. She kept herself extremely still, aside from a slight upward tilt of her head, especially when his right hand moved close to her throat.

The glare Rhae had faded, her eyes widening. She scrambled to get herself to her feet. As soon as she was, she launched herself at him, grabbing at the arm which held the amber. "Let her go!" 

She was able to grab his arm, but the stream of amber stretched out to wrap around Estellise's throat. Though his face masked, Rhae likely felt the glare and unamusedness coming from him.

Rhae growled, her hand whipping down to her belt and withdrawing the wickedly sharp fork she kept stashed there. "Let her go." She raised it, the tines of it pointed towards his neck.

The only thing Estellise was able to do in that moment was keep still and take slow, deep breaths. There was nothing she could do to retaliate. No weapons on her. Her medical satchel was down stairs, no use to her now. 

Fortunately, the tendril of amber released her, and from the grip he had on her arm, he yanked her to his left and released her. His attention was on Rhae now. "Are you threatening me, my dearest Rhaella?" 

Estellise stumbled as she was moved, sucking in a deep breath and her hand lifting to rub at her throat.

"You're threatening my mother. So yes, I am." Her scowl deepened. "Shut up. Shut up." The grip she had on the fork tightened then relaxed, and then tightened once more. She seemed to be fighting with herself. "I am not weak..."

The man simply watched her, his arms crossing over his chest.
 

The sound of armored foot steps coming up the stone steps brought Estellise out of it. A sound all to familiar to her now. Her arm lifted from her eyes so they could open, turquoise meeting green. 

"Hey." It was a soft greeting from her upon seeing Taal at the top of the stairs.

"Hey." He returned her greeting with a warm toned one of his own, something akin to relief on his face as he drew closer to her, standing at the foot of the bed. "Quite the trial... I was afraid for a bit there, you know. Not even the sea could stand up to me if something happened to you." 

"Don't worry. It takes a lot more than an octopus to get rid of me." She reassured him. Her arm lifted, hand reaching out to grasp his. Reaching for the light. And the light, her light, reached back, taking her hand, pulling her out of the dark yet again.

((I don't wanna know what lurks in Lake Eada. I've seen horror movies, i know where this goes. nice post tho +1

IGN: Itsmearcher
Discord: Zadie#4764
Skin: Wings
Bid: 50

The fire in the fireplace roared, flames licking at the air. The carved statuette on the table hadn’t been moved, still sitting there from when the news first reached her. Rosalia was seated on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest. Her chin rested on top of them, amber gaze on the dark oak statuette which was carved to be the likeness of Awaiti. 

If any one ever saw it, the attention to detail was in the face, hair and clothing. A spear was clutched in her right hand, a shield on her left forearm. It was meant to be a gift. She spent extra time on it, so it would be just right. Only the best for Awaiti after all. 

It was a long couple of moments before Rosalia pulled herself off of the couch. Shortly, she returned to it, but this time, there was a sketchpad in her hand. With a sniff and using the back of her hand to wipe any stray tears away, she flipped it open to a specific page. It appeared to be an unfinished sketch. She took a small sketching pencil from her dress pocket. It was only a few inches in length, an 'R' etched just above the leather grip. The tip of it was pressed to a spot on the page, and she began to sweep it across the page.

This continued on for some time, her focus entirely on the page in front of her. But, eventually, her sketching pencil stopped. She tucked it back into her pocket, looking over the page. The final result was a full body sketch of Awaiti, holding a bow and pulling an arrow from her quiver in black and white. 

"... I'm sorry I wasn't able to give these to you." She murmured to the sketch, her bottom lip trembling with the effort to not tear up again. Taking a moment to compose herself, she sucked in a breath, setting the sketch down beside the statuette. She could give them to Irrin and Mordun. Yes, that was a good idea. 

Art by Nika

Art belongs to @NomadGaia

An audible, shuddering gasp came from the Lilac druid, her eyes widening at the deep tug in her soul. The loss, pain and sorrow enveloped her entire being, soon becoming overwhelming. She knew not who had passed, and the tears began to fall, dribbling down her cheeks. It would be later that she found out who it had been. Awaiti. Someone she hadn't known that well, spoken to only a handful of times, but the loss was felt just the same. 
 

The news hit Eraami like a hurricane. Flashes of that young 'ame girl she met over two hundred years ago went through her mind. Awaiti had barely been a teen then, and she'd had the pleasure of watching her grow into a young woman during her years in Linandria. Years it had been since she'd last seen Awaiti. The guilt... The gut wrenching guilt that she hadn't seen her in so long. And now... There was no chance to. No time to be able to take a few minutes to talk, catch up and see how things were, what she'd missed. 

"I'm so sorry, Awaiti." 

With an apology whispered under her breath, voice cracking with the effort to not just break down and sob right then, Eraami reached for a writing utensil and some parchment. A sniffle escaped her, hand lifting to rub at her face with the back of her hand. Leo needed to know.

Leilani heard the news of Awaiti's passing when Lyemar did. It caused her to be still where she sat, a slow exhale going out. Tears began to well up in her eyes, though she tried her best to hold it in. There was a void now. A piece of her heart that she felt now missing with the loss of the woman she considered one of her own. A young teen Awaiti had been when she first met her within Linandria around the Caerme'onn manor.

"Maybe she will, Lye... Maybe she will. I am sure Ara would be proud of her. I know I wa- am proud of who she became." 

It was then the dam broke, when she corrected herself. The tears began to fall, her hands lifting up so she could press her face into them. 

Not another one. Not another family member gone. But it was true. And this time it was Awaiti. Rosalia hadn't wanted to believe it, shaking her head and murmuring that it couldn't true the whole way. She only stopped once she was in her living room, her amber gaze drifting to the table in front of the fire. Upon the table was a statuette carved out of dark oak, the features of it having been carved to be that of Awaiti. 

It hit. As much as she wanted it to be not true, it was. Unable to hold it in any longer, she collapsed to the wooden floor, scooting back until her back was pressed against the wall. Her shoulders shook, shaky hands pulling her knees up to her chest. Tears poured down her cheeks, and she pulled her knees up to her chest so she could press her face into them. Sobs sounded out within the empty room.

"Awaiti.."

It was calm and quiet, hardly a ripple in the water. Estellise closed her eyes, offering a prayer to Thalassa. A couple of minutes later, she opened them, settling her turquoise gaze on the water. She took one last glance over her shoulder at those gathered, Rhae, Valerica, Taal, Idril, Beowulf and Aurelion. 

It was time. This was the last trial to take. She focused on the water in front of her, getting into position. A couple of seconds later, she dove into the water, going beneath the surface. A bit deeper down she went in search of  a golden glow. A couple of plants before she caught the glow, but once she spotted it, she was able to grab that piece. With that piece gotten, she turned, heading back up so she could surface. 

A few breaths, then one more, and down again. Any hints of that golden glow were miniscule, going out almost as quickly as she'd seen them. Her search continued for another couple of plants, failing to find any more, but there was no sign of that glow. The search would have to begin after she got more air. There was a slight burn in her lungs telling her that it was time to go back up. So, back up she went.

Breaking through it, she emerged with a gasp. A few gulps of fresh air gave her lungs the relief they needed. She only stayed long enough before she dove down yet again, so she could continue. Under she went, keeping an eye out for the familiar gleam of gold. Luck appeared to be on her side this time when she caught sight of it. The golden glow. Reaching out, she grasped it to pull it free. A glance around told her it was the only one around, so up she went again.

Another few minutes spent above the water before she dove back down to begin again. Under she went, going deeper than she had before in her search.

As she swam further into the depths, there was a hint of  the golden glow, glittering in the darkest corner of the waters. However, something was... Off. There was  no life. No visible living being or living thing was there with her. Only that single stalk of sea gleam. A second later, and the sea gleam was gone, leaving only the stalk behind, and it appeared different than it had previously.

With how dark it was down there, she caught sight of the faint glow of that familiar color. She swam just a touch deeper in, but something in her gut was screaming there was something not right about this. So, she didn’t venture any deeper, merely observing now. As soon as the glow was gone, she made her way back up to the surface, able to feel the burn in her lungs as air grew sparse.

She broke through the surface of the water, a gasp erupting from her as she gulped in air to relieve the burning in her lungs. A good moment was spent doing such until the burn had faded away and she was ready to dive once more. With another deep breath, she dunked back down in yet another search for the glow.

The waters began to shift from the abysmal depths of the ocean, but whatever caused it was unknown. From deep down below, there was only the slightest hint of a glow from a singular bean of sea gleam. The bean was all that could be seen, the stalk of it hidden.

She was able to feel the movement of the water rippling and shifting up towards her, her gaze focused on the sea gleam. Slight movement forward, only a little closer, but as before, her instincts were sounding an alarm, a warning that something just wasn't right about that gleam. She began to drift backwards, keeping her eyes on that singular bean for a moment, before fully turning and not venturing any deeper into the depths.

It was at that moment this creature revealed itself. An octopus with not just two but five eyes, two merged together, clouded as if it were blind. An abomination it was, covered in a vast array of tumors that gave the illusion of a sixth eye. As the 'fenn woman backed away, the chase started. It wasn't about to let its only available meal go free.

She only took one glance over her shoulder, brief but enough to get a glimpse of what was chasing after her. That didn't stop her from swimming, if anything, it caused her to swim as fast as she could towards the surface and away from that thing.

Faster and faster, the creature chased after her, more desperate than ever before. The moment it got into arms reach, a tentacle shot out to wrap around her foot, using the leverage to pull itself toward her.

She felt the tentacle wrap its way around her ankle, left hand shooting up her right sleeve to pull her hidden scalpel out from within it. As quick as she was able, despite her air running low and the burn beginning in her lungs, she twisted her body to stab the blade directly into the tentacle of the creature. An attempt to make it let go of her.

The blade pierced through the creature's webbed tentacle. Unfortunately this aggravated the hunger craved monstrosity. Even faster and stronger than before, the octopus wrapped its entire self around her leg. Another tentacle of it reached out to try to grasp at her face.

She let out a few air bubbles as it latched itself fully onto her leg. The scalpel was yanked out of its arm, blood likely flowing out of the wound and out in the water around them. With it pulled out, she sought to plunge the blade into the arm that was reaching for her face to stab through it.

The creature writhed in pain as its arm was struck, one of the hidden teratoma teeth infested eyes impaled by the blade of the scalpel. Having lost the will to keep fighting for its meal, the creature relinquished her, so that it could drift back down into the depths.

Having been released, she surged upward towards the surface, her lungs absolutely on fire from the lack of air. A blur of another person shot by her on the up way, but she didn’t stop.

The creature never got the chance to go back down into the depths. A large fork was drilled into its head, grasped within the hand of another ‘fenn. Electric blue eyes narrowed at the creature, now having a personal vendetta against it, despite it releasing her mother. With the fork still deep within the octopus’ brain, Rhae wrapped an arm around the corpse to drag it back up with her.

As Estellise burst through the surface, she coughed out a mouthful of water, taking multiple deep breaths. In her left hand was the scalpel, extremely watered down blood upon the blade. She made her way to the shore, chest heaving as she pulled herself out of the water. “Damned octopus…” It was breathed out, the ‘fenn slumping onto the ground and dropping the dirtied scalpel beside her.

Rhae broke through the surface, swimming her way back, so she could bring the octopus up onto the sand and rocks. 

Taal's attention was drawn to Estellise bursting from the water's surface, his features growing tighter as he noticed the scalpel. He gave a relieved sigh soon after, stepping forth with a look of concern on his face. “Thank the..” He rasped out, his gaze shifting toward Rhae dragging the cursed sea monster from the water.

“A dead one.” The arms still wriggled, despite the fork shoved deep into its brain. Dropping it, she turned her focus to Estellise. “Are you hurt?”

Idril’s attention fell on the dead octopus, soon pulling away to land on Beowulf. “Beo, what did you summon with your prayer?” 

“I didn't do anything!” Beowolf glanced anxiously between Estellise and Idril. “I just used the prayer for war! I don't even know what the hell that is!”

Estellise leaned back against the upward sloped hill behind her, her breathing finally seeming to even out. “I don't think so…” She mumbled in reply to Rhae. There were some nice, reddening suction cup marks going up her partially visible right leg. She then lazily reached for the fallen scalpel to hold it up. “And this… is a good reason I keep this on me.”

Back On The Surface Before Rhae Jumped In

At the shore, above the surface unknown to Estellise and what chased her, a young 'fenn shifted in place, hand drifting towards the fork on her belt. "“Is it supposed to take this long?”

“Nae..” A long haired, regal elfess admitted to Rhae. Idril soon made her way down to the shore.

Rhae stood up right, fork in her hand as she stepped down after Idril. Her eyes began to scan the waves, looking for any sign of her mother hidden beneath the waters surface. When none was found, she casted a glance to her step mother. “Can I go in?” 

An 'ame stood just up the small hill from Rhae and Idril, his features harden at Idril's admission of this not being normal. His left hand lifted to unfasten his fur cloak and step forth to descend the hill. As he too scanned the waters for his fiancé, his hand was undoing his chest plate.

Aurelion drew in a deep breath before he too stepped forth, eyes scanning the waters for sign of the 'fenn that swam beneath the waves.

“You may.” Idril finally confirmed with a nod of her head to Rhae. “However if you spot her on her way up, well and alive. Do not interfere, and allow her to make her way up on her own.”

Taal's chest and back plate fall to the sodden earth beneath, his gaze still scanning the surf for his fiancé. Within his right fist, he held his Thanhic-steel warhammer, his fist white knuckled upon its haft.

Permission granted, Rhae wasted no time in running to the end of the stone bank and plunging headfirst into the waves. She took a moment to get used to the salty sting against her eyes as she searched for her mother. It didn’t take her long to notice Estellise struggling with the murderous cephalopod. Immediately Rhae shot towards them with strong, urgent strokes.

Wooo, go Carol!!

Rosalia looked to the accord within her hands, her head tilting to the side as her amber gaze took in each word. "Perhaps there can be peace for us all now... I hope Kairn can find peace as well. It's not easy to lose your family..." 

Turquoise stared down from the cliff side at the ocean below. Right now, there was hardly any movement in it, from what Estellise could tell. But, soon enough, she’d find out herself. Before diving, she took a few moments to properly stretch. Didn't need to pull a muscle after all. 

With that done, she faced the cliff side once more. A deep breath, into position and she dove. She hit the water with a splash, surfacing almost immediately afterwards. 

In the distance, there was a sizable wave headed her way. Thankfully, there was just enough time for her to react and dive down below to try to avoid it. Unfortunately,  she wasn't quick enough to avoid the impact of it. The wave crashed against the water, the force of it sending her deeper under. 

She was able to pull herself back to the surface, sputtering out a mouthful of water. However, there was hardly time to compose herself, because on the horizon there was another wave coming. And it was coming much faster than the first. She ducked under the water as she had before, but the force of that wave  was stronger than the first. 

By some miracle, she wasn't pushed as deep down. Because of this, she was able to resurface quicker than the first time. The effort was beginning to wear on her body, but she wasn't going to give up. 

Another wave was coming her way, and it was raising up into the air to be the biggest of the three. She didn't look on with fear nor did she back down. Determination was evident on her features as she stared the wave down. She sucked in a deep breath before taking the plunge down once more. 

The wave crashed into the water, the force of it being enough to send the 'fenn straight to the bottom of the depths. Her right arm got caught between her body and the ocean's floor, likely to bruise later on. But that wasn't the worst of it. Her head also collided with the ocean's floor, hard enough to instantly knock her out. 

Nothing but a black abyss that was never ending. And then... A gasp as her eyes snapped open, coughing out water. She turned so she could cough it out onto the sand, Medli knelt down and supporting her with her arm. It took a moment for her to regain herself, but it was a relief. She was alive.

Yessss. The grand baby has joined us! 

Rosalia carefully looked over the invitation within her hands, a smile tugging at her lips. "How wonderful!" She tucked the invitation into her dress pocket, soon pulling a small sketching pencil from it. It was only a few inches in length, an 'R' etched just above the leather grip. Time to put it to use for wedding gift for the soon to be wed couple.

The Lilac druid stared at the sky, her staff clenched in her hand. A sigh was exhaled, and she turned to walk off. "It's the start, and time to bring Hareven back."

Yes, I used to play it all the time. It was one of my favorite games.

This is really good. I absolutely enjoyed reading it.

Wooo, go Mattio!!

3 hours ago, Keldrith said:

"I hate sand."

"I hate sand too." The 'aheral Csarathaire huffed, arms crossed over her chest. Grumbles about sand and cacti could be heard under her breath. 

This is the biggest crime Elvenesse has committed.

The vision was enough to cause the Lilac druid to freeze, seated beneath the willow tree with her staff resting across her lap. Once the vision ended, she took in a deep breath, letting it sink in for a moment or two.

"Hareven..."

With  a firm nod, Vienele tightened the hold she had on her staff, soon easing herself up so she could make her way into the burrow beneath the willow tree to speak to her partner.

"It must be done, llir, to bring you home." 

Many years had passed since Rosalia had spoken to or even seen Vulen. The Aegrothond forge in Arcas was the last time she remembered. The memory of the man introducing himself to her and offering to teach her to forge was clear in her mind. The necklace they never got to finish was something she still had. This was the first she'd heard of the man's death, and she wept, the unfinished necklace laying on her bedside table, for the death of a man she had considered her friend.

The First Climate and Item

Neia had always had a soft spot for the tundra, so that one would likely be left for last. Otherwise, deciding where to go was difficult. In the end, she decided to let her instincts guide her and her feet. After quite some time and a semi-lengthy journey, she found herself in the jungle. 

“And I thought Elvenesse was warm..” The ‘aheral mumbled to herself.

Heat was one thing. She could handle heat. But this was wet. It was almost suffocating with how wet and heavy the air felt. Strands of her pale blonde stuck to the edges of her face, and any hair that hung over her shoulders clung to the sides of her neck, along with the back of it. With a grumble, she pulled the crimson tie from her hair so she could pull her hair up to keep it off her back and neck. It didn’t do much, but at least the annoyance of her hair sticking to every surface of skin it touched was gone. 

She maneuvered through the jungle, bypassing shrugs. Every so often something would catch her attention, whether it be a pop of color from a flower, movement from the corner of her eye or the shape of a leaf, but after a short time of observation, it wasn’t quite what she was looking for.

By now, even her clothing was starting to get damp and feel weighted from the humidity and perspiration. A huff escaped her as she yanked her gloves off. Probably should have done that sooner, but alas. The gloves were shoved into her pants pocket. At least her hands were a little cooler now. 

Eventually, she came across a body of water deeper within the Jungle. She slowed to a pause at the water's edge, her head tilting to the side ever so slightly. A few lily pads were spread out across the water, at least three or four. She eased herself down, so that she could watch for some time. 

What she observed was something she found interesting. Frogs appeared to often sit on the lily pads. There was only one frog on the lily pads right now, but a couple of them before had jumped on to the lily pads and hopped away. Being on the lily pads was apparently safer than being in the water. At first, she thought it was just so they could eat whatever insect flew by. But it wasn't just that. Water snakes seemed to enjoy frogs, and she'd seen them try to go after the frogs multiple times, only to fail when the frogs hopped onto a lily pad.

"Who would have guessed?" She commented to herself, adjusting herself so she could scoot closer to the edge of the water. The frog one of the lily pads paid no attention to her, as she reached towards one that had no frog sitting on it. Her hand dipped down into the water to grasp the stem of it, giving a gentle tug. It was pulled free, and she was able to pull it out of the water. 

With that, she eased herself up, now standing at her full height. She turned away from the water, leaving the frogs to relax and eat flies as they pleased without being watched by her, not that they had seemed to care about her. "Now to get out of this jungle... Way too hot and damp here..." She cleared her throat, which was followed by a couple of coughs. Her chest felt a little heavy from all the humidity. At least she was done here, and she didn't have to spend more time here. It was onto the next climate now.

"Four more to go."

The Second Climate and Item

The desert was where Neia found herself next, by following the directions that Avius had given her on how to get there. While the desert was hot, at least it was a dry heat. Not where it felt like you were gulping in water with how wet and humid the desert was. Her hair was already tied up, so it was off her neck. Maybe that would help her stay a little cooler longer this time.

"Ahernan, Avius. Could have been wandering around a while, if not for you." She spoke, despite the 'ame not actually being there. The smug smirk that would have been on his face was easy to picture.

Sand, sand as far as the eye could see. Also cacti and brown, almost dead and dried up looking shrubs. Cacti weren’t what she was looking for. Too obvious a choice for her liking, considering it was only the first thing she saw and how abundant they were in the desert. It wasn't that she wanted to find something rare, just that she'd rather find something by observing and spending time in the climate. 

"Hopefully, there's more than cacti and dead looking plants here..." 

Sand, sand, more sand, even more sand. She was beginning to think there was no end to the sand. Her throat was dry, and sweat was already starting to bead at her brow. While it wasn't humid and wet like the Jungle, it was still incredibly hot. 

"Your desert is only full of sand, Avius." A huff escaped her, her gaze narrowing at the sand on the ground. "And cacti!" She threw her arms up into the air, narrowed gaze burning a hole through a nearby cactus. She hadn't paused to shout at the cactus, her stride continuing with a huff.

"Surprise. Another cactus." Her voice came out as an irritated grumble. The heat must have been starting to get to her head. It was almost as if she could hear the sand talking to her, taunting her with how much there was of it, and how many cacti there were.

Suddenly, in the middle of her wondering where exactly her mind had gone since the sand was talking to her, she stumbled over something. This caused her to go face first into the sand. She pushed herself up, sputtering out a mouthful of sand. Sand was sticking to her face, and in her hair, though due to the light shade of it, it was hard to tell. 

With a huff, she forced herself up so she was on her knees. First, she brushed off her face, bits of sand falling down onto her shirt and shoulders. Next was her shirt, though most of the sand didn't come off. Too frustrated to deal with that right now, she looked over her shoulder to see what exactly it was that she tripped over. A tortoise was there, making its way across the sand.

"I thought they needed a lot of water... Can they survive long here?" She murmured to herself, curiosity upon her features. She pulled herself to her feet, so that she could follow wherever it was that this tortoise was going.

It was slow paced, since tortoises weren't very fast, but she still trailed along behind it. The journey eventually took her to a spot somewhat nearby. Once it stopped, it did something Neia hadn't expected. It began to dig little holes, at least a few of them. It didn't stop until the holes were finished, and then it sat nearby. 

Curiosity was what kept Neia there, just observing this tortoise. Time dragged on, feeling like it had been forever. By now, she was sitting a short distance away from the tortoise. Nothing had happened so far, and she was beginning to wonder if hole digging was just a little quirk tortoises had. Digging holes for no reason. Maybe that's all it was. She hadn't encountered tortoises before, so what did she know?

A sigh escaped her, her hand lifting up to rest over her eyes. Her head was feeling somewhat light due to the heat, and her eyes felt dried out. Maybe closing them for a bit would help ease both feelings. It wasn't like the tortoise was going anywhere. And if it was, it wouldn't get far before she opened her eyes again. 

She dropped her hand from her eyes, opening them when she felt something on her head. Her head tilted upwards to find that it had actually started to rain. She cupped her hands together, allowing the water to pool in the palms of her hands. Once it had, she lifted her hands up to drink it. This was done a couple of times more to ease her dry throat.

The rain didn't last for very long, but it was welcomed. Now her attention shifted to see what the tortoise was doing, if it was even still there. It could have wandered off while she was distracted, but it hadn't. Instead it was in front of the previously dug holes, sucking down the water in one of them. It didn't stop there though. With the current hole emptied, it moved on to the next to do the same thing. The cycle was repeated until all of the holes were empty. That was what the holes were for. Gathering water for it to drink when it did actually rain.

"Strong little thing, aren't you?" She asked, moving over so she could pick the tortoise up. It wasn't 'little', but she found what she was looking for. It was time to move on from the desert, with the tortoise in hand.

"Three more now."
 

The Third Climate and Item

After the heat of the jungle and the desert, the ocean was the next stop. Neia paused at the shoreline, looking over the vast body of water. Water as far as the eye can see was much preferred over sand. If she never had to look at sand again, it would be too soon. 

She turned her head to the right, hoping to perhaps see something on the shore, but there was nothing. A look to the left showed nothing as well. A sigh escaped her, her gaze falling on the ocean before her. Swimming under the water and trying to find something that way it was. 

Taking a minute to bend down, she began to unlace her boots. One foot at a time she pulled them off, left then right. She also undid the sheath to her sword, so she could set it with her boots. Her gloves were left on. With her boots and sword off, she took a moment to properly stretch her muscles. Don't want to pull anything while swimming after all.

Now that she was done stretching, she faced the ocean again. Instead of diving right in, she started slow by just walking into the water. The swimming started when she was waist deep. She waded further out, but not too far that she couldn't see the shore yet. Nothing coming out of the ocean, not that she was expecting it to. It just would have been a pleasant surprise. 

With a deep breath, she ducked under the water so she could swim downward. It was hard to keep her eyes open underwater at first, but she adjusted after maybe twenty seconds. She had limited time to be able to look around before having to go back up for air, so straight to the task at hand. Her exploration took her a decent way beneath the water's surface. Some fish swam by, but they went by much too quickly for her to even think of trying to grab them. 

Deeper she went into the depths, hoping she could find more. More kinds of fish and other kinds of ocean mammals, along with some underwater plants. What really stuck out to her was all of the kelp. Lots and lots of kelp spread out across the ocean's floor. Many fish and the other kinds of critters lingered by it or in it. Before she could venture any closer, a slight sting began to twinge in her lungs, the sign that whatever air she had left was starting to run out.

She pulled up, so that she could resurface to get air again. A few gulps of air, before taking a deep breath and diving back down. Her route took her straight to where she'd been before, and this time she was able to get closer to the kelp. Not only were some of the underwater critters appearing to use it as a home, but others appeared to be munching on it for dinner. So, it was both a home and food for those who inhabited the ocean. She drew closer, so that she could pluck a piece from the nearest kelp.

With it in hand, she made her way back to the surface. She burst from the water, wasting no time to suck in a deep breath. A moment was taken to catch her breath, but as she did, she held up her hand to look over the piece of kelp within it. She swam to the edge of the ocean, pulling herself out of the water and dripping all over the sand and dirt. Her sword was strapped to her hip once again, and her boots pulled back on.

"And two more."

The Fourth Climate and Item

Since Neia was saving the tundra for last, the mountains were the next destination. It wasn't too hot, and not all water. The temperature was perfect for fall weather. Up the mountains she trekked until she was closer to the top. Of course, this wasn't done easily. A few times she slipped on the way up, but she managed to catch herself so she didn't go tumbling down the mountain.

On the way up she passed by a number of grasses, bushes, a tree here and there, and shrubs. A few moments of observation for each one, before she continued onward. Along the mountain, coming up from the other side, was a long river. It went down the side she had climbed up, trailing down until it was hard to see from where she was on the mountain. 

A bird flew over head, catching her attention. From the looks of it, maybe an eagle, but she couldn't be certain. It swooped down towards the river, using its sharp talons to dip under the water and coming out with a fish in its grasp. 

"Well then..." Her eyes widened, watching the bird fly off with its meal. With a shake of her head, she snapped out of it. This put her focus on the river now, and she made her way to the edge of it, squatting down once she was there. 

Upon getting closer, she was able to recognize the fish within the river as salmon. A fish that she was somewhat familiar with. They appeared to be going up the river, against its current. Probably on their way to make the journey back to wherever it was that they came from. She knew enough to know it was something that salmon did. Unfortunately, it seemed to make them an easier target to be eaten. Still, it was pretty incredible they could make such a journey.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to take one of you." Not that the salmon could hear her, but she spoke to them anyways. 

Her gloved hands shot into the river, hoping to catch one in the first try. Alas, this was too much to hope for. One was caught, but it managed to wiggle out of her fingers. A grumble under her breath when she pulled back her hands, full of absolutely nothing. Time to try again. Another time of thrusting her hands into the water. This time, the salmon wasn't able to wiggle free from her death grip. 

There wasn't much time to celebrate her victory in catching it though, because a faint noise reached her ear drums Her head turned upward to see something in the distance up the mountain. She couldn't tell what it was, most likely a bear, but she wasn't going to stick around to find out and have to fight against a bear.

"Time to go. If I want to fight against a bear, I'll just ask Miven to spar." 

She stood up at her full height, as quick as she could. The salmon was sucessfully caught. It was now time to make her way down the mountain, as careful as possible so she didn't slip and roll down it. Only one more climate to go.

"One more now." 

The Final Climate and Item

Even though it was incredibly cold, the chill of the frozen tundra was welcomed. There was always a soft place in her heart for it. Neia looked out across the snow covered land, her form already starting to shiver from the cold. There was even a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, hanging down to the back of her knees. Even with the blanket to help shield some of the cold, if she stayed too long, she knew frostbite would set in. Hopefully it wouldn't get to that point, because loss of flesh wasn't something she wanted to experience. But it all depended on if she found her item or not on how long she was there.

As she walked further into the tundra, foot prints were left in the snow. Her boots kept her feet warm, her gloves shielded her hands somewhat, and the blanket against her back and arms kept the cold air from biting at her skin.

It didn't appear as though there were many things that grew here, or at least could survive the intense cold. But everything was covered in snow, so perhaps there was something hidden there where she couldn't see. The only thing she could make out were snow covered trees. Only the sound of the wind was heard. Chattering of her teeth as starting, but it wasn't enough to be more than a slight noise so far. Her nose and cheeks were definitely turning red from the cold.

In the short distance ahead, she saw what could have perhaps been a marsh. It was a body of water, not quite frozen over fully yet, but it was getting there. Some vegetation around it stuck out, though it just looked like tall grass or something like it. She forced herself forward, despite the way her nose and cheeks were starting to tingle. If there was vegetation there, there might be something to gather there.

At the edge of the water, she squatted down at the edge. This caused the blanket to shift, and a burst of cold air rushed up her back. A shudder went up and down her spine, since her back had kept some sort of warmth with the blanket on it. She brushed it off though, so she could look over the water. At first, nothing caught her attention. The water had ice across most of it. She assumed that whatever didn't have ice just hadn't frozen yet.

Her teeth were starting to chatter harder, enough that it was starting to make noise. Since the first spot she looked over didn't yield anything, she scooted herself down along it to check further down. Every few steps she paused to check, and after a couple of times of doing this, something stuck out to her in a spot of water that wasn't frozen over yet. At the line of it was short, small moss looking plants. Upon closer inspection, she found that it grew closer to the ground, and if she looked closer, she was able to see there was plenty of it around.

"Bit different than the moss I've seen before... Don't think that moss grows in this way." She murmured to herself, amidst the chattering of her teeth. Obviously, she couldn't see the impact it had on the environment, but it must have been vital, no matter how small it was, since there was this much of it.

One hand reached out, the other keeping the blanket securely around her shoulders, so that she could gather some of this interesting moss. It was easy enough, just cold on her hand even with the glove it. The moss was picked up, and she pulled her hand back into the blanket. 

While the tundra was one of her favorite climates to be in, she didn't fancy losing any limbs or appendages to frostbite. The final item was gathered, so it was time to head back to Elvenesse and warm up. It was hard to feel her nose and cheeks by now, only a dull almost stinging cold in them as she made the journey back out of the tundra.

On the steps of Miven's house was a basket. One of those big baskets that you use when you're going to go on a picnic and you pack it full of food. A note was stuck to the top flap of the basket, which read 'For Miven'. Smaller lettering was beneath that, reading 'And Celiasil if Miven decides to share'.

If the basket was opened, one would find a variety of baked goods. The basket was filled to the top almost. There was bread that had been baked into the shape of a bear, a couple of pies with the design of a bear holding a berry on top, a batch of cookies, a few little cakes and even some cheese to go with the bear shaped bread. There was no name signed or anything to say who had left the basket. Just who had left it?

Leilani scanned the parchment in front of her, reading over the invitation. So, it was time. She knew of the plans since the young Tresery and Tanila had asked for her blessing. She just didn't realize it would be so... soon. 

"My oem'ii... Getting married." 

Nope, she wasn't starting to tear up that her baby out of her children was getting married, nope.

"Perhaps I can get Lyemar out to attend with me."

Rosalia let out a gasp, upon reading the invitation over her mother's shoulder.

"Tanila's getting married! How exciting!"