Search      Members      Groups      Profile      Favorites      RSS      Register      Log in
Trailing Turquoise SG (Updated Version In Linear Lane Soon)
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
 
(currently a favorite of 8 users)
   Storygames Home -> The Fantasy Forest - Fantasy Storygames -> Storygames: Fantasy
View previous topic :: View next topic  

Author Message
Phantomfan
Citizen



Joined: 01 May 2008
Topics: 7
Posts: 309
Location: Deep within the music of the night

Items
Legends
2507 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great chapter, Noni. Their interactions are simultaneously adorbale and yet very telling of each character, revealing lots of growth. I like it a lot.
And yeah, I have to agree with everyone already. If the river is really that fast moving, IN SHE GOES. She might hesitate or whatnot, but I really think she'll jump in. She already knows he knows she's not human at this point, kind of seems useless to keep hiding it at the expense of what seems to be her only friend.
_________________
I've been pulled back from oblivion to lurk about the City once more. Though the music of the night always beckons...

Here's some stuff I started writing a long time ago. Orb. Nexus.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heads up guys, Im itching to get to the next chapter (and minorly pullied, though I won't name names.), so the poll is only going to be up for roughly 24 hours unless I'm explicitly asked to extend it. Happy voting!
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)


Last edited by Novelest_Ninjagirl on Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
12390 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

*raises hand* Was bullying... I regret nothing!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Crunchyfrog
Honorable IFian



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Topics: 168
Posts: 3998


Items
Legends
10415 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aggh, I missed the DP and the vote - but very satisfied with the outcome. On with the next chapter!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
kkdestiny
Mayor



Joined: 05 Oct 2010
Topics: 56
Posts: 674
Location: The Library of Interfable History

Items
Legends
7049 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dang XD oh well, I look foreward to seeing the water shenanigans~
_________________
I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Chapter
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chapter Six


Sionn hadn’t intended to die today, he reflected, but he had to admit, hearing Elona say his name was pretty satisfying, as far as it being the last thing he ever heard. Struggling against the swift current, Sionn found himself dragged under the water again. One moment, he’d turned towards Elona, elated to hear her calling for him, and the next, his foot had slipped, and he was plunged into the water. The surface had been initially warm, but once the water had gone over his head it was chillingly cold, and disturbingly swift. He had no idea how far he’d been dragged by the time his lungs gave out, and the world through the water around him was a multifaceted blur. A bend in the river thrust him along the riverbed, and Sionn let out the last of his breath in a gasp of pain. The grit and gravel that lined the bottom dragged against his exposed skin, and Sionn felt his vision start to blacken.

Somewhere in the distance, Sionn thought he heard a distorted splash, like something had fallen in. Elona! Suddenly enlivened, Sionn forced his eyes to open farther, willing his limp limbs to do something. How did a human body swim? Whether it was luck or his own sluggish movements, Sionn broke the surface. Swallowing a deep gulp of air, Sionn turned his head, trying to spot Elona. Does she know how to swim? Sionn frantically questioned, ignoring that his own brain couldn’t provide the answer. Did she fall in after me? Or did she- Sionn thoughts were distorted as the current grabbed at his feet and dragged him back under. Water rushed up his nose, and he nearly sputtered out the small breath he’d forced into his lungs, but Sionn focused his frenzied energy on searching the water for any sign of Elona.

Even a fox with human form could only hold his breath so long, though, and Sionn felt his arms move haltingly against the beating pressure of the water. There was a pressure in his head, like he was going to pop, but still, he forced himself towards the surface as best he could. Elona… With her name as a murmured last thought, Sionn’s body went limp, subject to the mercy of the river. A flutter of deep navy blue caught his eye just as he began to drift out, and Sionn turned his head. The water still blurred his vision, but a form all decked out in greens and browns was advancing towards him steadily, vivid turquoise and teal sparkling against the gloom creeping in. As he drifted out of consciousness, Sionn reached a hand out towards the splendid vision.

~*~*~

It was violent, almost, the way that the water thrust itself out of his lungs. Turning to his side and spasming, Sionn gasped for breath, scared to open his eyes. What had happened? Slowly, his memory drifted back to him. The picnic, Elona’s voice, the water… That vivid figure in the water. His eyes snapped open and he sat up straight, twisting sharply. His eyes landed on what he’d been looking for- Elona. She was looking at him with an expression of pure relief, but the instant his gaze met hers, shame washed over it. Blinking, Sionn stared at her, making no attempt to avert his eyes.

“That’s a really pretty color on you.” Sionn finally said, unsure if it was the right thing to do.

Bracing his hands on the ground next to him, Sionn squished his fingers through the mud. The slide of oozy muck was a sensation familiar to him, no matter the form, and it grounded him. Elona, the beautiful, wonderful woman who had saved his life twice over now- three if he counted hiding in her room- kneeled next to him, her skin a vivid blue green. While her clothes still mostly covered her, they were sopping wet and torn to disarray, and her gloves were missing. Scales, which had presumably been the beautifully turquoise he’d seen in the water, now shone a dull teal green over the back of her hands and up from the neckline of her top along the side of her face, crawling over her cheekbones. Her face was still mostly smooth, but the blue-green color was a vast change from her creamy pale complexion.

Sionn thought she was absolutely gorgeous, a work of art comprised of so many colors he couldn’t normally see. Water dripping down his face, Sionn started to lean towards her, unsure why he was, and his heartbeat began to quicken. Reaching up, his fingers still shaking from the cold of the water, Sionn brushed some of Elona’s shoulder length hair behind her ear. Abruptly, his hand still holding her hair, Sionn squinted at it.

“It’s different.” He was surprised, but also proud of himself. He’d been right! “It’s not that bark brown anymore.” Her hair had been that deep navy blue he’d seen!

“I-” Elona finally spoke, and Sionn noticed she began to shake. “I-”

“I’m a fox,” Sionn said helpfully, grinning at her, hoping to put her at ease. “What are you?”

“I don’t… know.” Elona burst into quiet sobs, reaching up to cover her face with her hands.

Sionn’s heart shattered. There she was, soaked, streaked with mud, and shaking like a leaf in a storm, tearfully wreaking havoc on his soul. It’d been infatuation, he realized, that had him following her like a little kit, but now… Whoops. Mom’s sure gonna be mad at me! Reaching towards her, Sionn wrapped her in a hug, and pulled her close, dragging her through the mud. Humans do this, He reflected, I always wondered why, but it’s so… nice.

~*~*~


Sionn wasn’t sure how long they’d sat there, or how many times Elona had mumbled protests that went ignored, but by the time they’d moved, they were mostly dry. It was fascinating to watch, as Elona’s skin dried, the color fade and the scales seemingly vanish. The only remaining mark of her multicolored glory was a few blue green streaks around her eyes from her tears. It was Elona who finally stood, pulling him to his feet as well.

“We need to set up a camp before it gets dark.”

They walked away from the river, deeper into the forest, and Sionn noticed that Elona didn’t seem as sure of herself as she had before. He could guess at the reason, because it was likely the same as his. He’d never been in this part of the forest before, didn’t know it as well. The trees were taller, older, and as they walked, it seemed to get darker and deeper. This wasn’t the woods he’d called home, it was almost as if a completely different forest was nestled inside it. Finally, they found a tiny clearing that Elona seemed to consider suitable enough to set up, and he helped her gather some rocks and firewood to set up a small fire.

As she reached into her muchly-abused bag, looking for something to start the fire, guilt burned through Sionn. How many of her supplies had she lost in that river rescuing him? He noticed that she didn’t seem to have her cloak or her bow any longer, most likely left on that rock along with the scarf she had loaned him. Closing his eyes, Sionn degraded himself. There you go again, you stupid kit, causing nothing but trouble for those around you. With a sigh, Sionn rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to formulate an apology.

“I-I’m sorry that-”

“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about the river,” Elona interrupted, still shuffling through her bag. “I told you it was one of my favorite spots, but I didn’t warn you of the dangers.”

“... Thank you for saving me,” Sionn’s mind began to make connections. “Oh. That’s why you were so violent that night. You were worried I’d see… what I just… saw.” Groaning, Sionn smacked his face. “I’m sorry. You plainly didn’t want-”

“Sionn.” Elona was looking at him now, and while Sionn could see the hesitation in her expression, there was trust there too. “I- … Only a few have seen that. And none have responded the way you did. As long as you don’t tell anyone, I don’t…. I don’t regret it.”

“I...Elona?” Sionn felt awkward saying this now. “I know I say it lightly, but, I really… I really am a fox, and, I really shouldn’t have told you. I only did because… because..” Now. Now is the time to tell her. But… She’ll think of me as pathetic. She’s had to rescue me so many times, what’s to stop her from washing her hands clean of me? She’d become so important, growing in his heart wistfully since their first meeting and now, blooming suddenly into the very breath he breathed.

“What do you mean, really a fox? I’ve seen other foxkith before, you know.”

Foxkith. He’d heard that term, his father had warned him it was what human would mistake him for, but Sionn was pleased that she had used the kinder term. Beastial. A derogatory term the humans applied to the beings born with animal appendages or traits. That was what she thought he was, after all, no one had heard of beings who could shift between animal and human form. That was exactly how his family wished it, and he’d broken their greatest rule in his attempts to persuade her, purely because he knew she wouldn’t take him seriously. Now that she might, Sionn found his throat clogged more than when he’d been drowning. If she knew what he was, how inadequate he’d been as a fox, would she want to put up with him as an… ‘foxkith’? Sionn remained in thought as she started the fire, before blurting out,

“I’m… I’m not a foxkith.”

He expected confusion, for her to tug on his ears, anything but what she did.
“Okay.” A smile, still weary from her earlier tears, “Wanna talk about it?”

“I’m a fox. I mean, I guess I’m whatever I am now, too, but mostly I’m a fox. A.. magical fox?” Why was this so hard to explain. The words fumbled in his mouth, and Sionn felt like he was only just learning to speak again. “My- my family,” This part was harder, how could he risk his family like this? “We’re a group of foxes. As far as any of us can remember, we’ve all had the ability to turn into humans- mostly.” His ears twitched, and his tail curled tighter around him. “Most of us, well, almost all of us, stay as foxes all the time. We just use these forms for added protection from hunters. But I.. I… I was never very good at being a fox. So I decided,”

“Why not try being a human?” Elona’s voice was soft, understanding, and suddenly, Sionn realized that she understood far more than he might have suspected.

“Yes.”

Sitting down, Sionn stared into the roaring fire Elona had nurtured, finally feeling drained. His endless energy had been tapped, with the varied events of the day. As the fire crackled and popped, Sionn reflected on how long it had been since he’d smelled a campfire. The scent had always appealed to him, despite the danger it presented to an animal. His chin pitched forward as, for merely a second, he dozed off, and with a jump, Sionn shook his head, trying to shake free the grogginess.

“Go to sleep, Sionn,” Elona’s voice sounded like it was from far away, but Sionn found it compelling anyhow. He closed his eyes and allowed his body to slowly drop towards the ground, surprised when he head hit something soft and warm, and then he slid seamlessly into sleep.

~*~*~


There was a soft fluttering around his ears, and Sionn smiled. It felt nice. Blinking his eyes open, Sionn was surprised to see the fire in front of him was… sideways? Screwing his face into a thoughtful frown, Sionn contemplated the shift of the earth for an embarrassingly long amount of time before he realized that it was because he was laying down.

“You awake?”

All at once, as if in a burst of information, Sionn’s brain caught up with what was happening and overloaded him with sensations. He was laying on Elona’s thigh, using it as a pillow for quite some time if the rays of dawn filtering through the trees were any indication. Her hand was resting softly on his head, her fingers shifting aimlessly through his hair near his ear. Sionn felt a scorching heat drift over his face, and hopelessly pleaded with whatever powers that be that she didn’t see it. Sitting up, Sionn attempted to stretch lazily, turning away from her and willing his face to cool.

As he scratched the back of his head, anything to delay having to look at Elona, Sionn noticed something through the trees he hadn’t seen before. Pushing to his feet, Sionn squinted, trying to get a better glance at it, but all he could tell was that there was something gray in the distance. Sionn’s inspection of the object didn’t break as he heard Elona stand as well, and he took a step towards it.

“That’s really odd. There’s something gray that way,” Sionn lifted a hand to point, finally tearing his eyes away from it to look over at Elona. “We should check it out. Maybe it’ll give us an idea of where we are.”

For a moment, Elona looked like she was going to argue against the implication she didn’t know where they were, but then a look of resignation crossed her, her shoulders slumping, and she nodded. As Sionn turned back towards the weird sliver of gray- all he could see through the densely packed trees- he heard Elona snuffing the fire and stepping next to him. His stomach growled as he remembered that he hadn’t eaten since the late lunch the day before, but Sionn ignored it. Sionn turned back to Elona, watching as she squinted to find what he’d been looking at. The moment she saw it though, she started walking forward, almost as if… compelled. There was no recognition in her eyes, and yet she looked entranced. Suddenly alarmed, Sionn followed behind her.

It took them nearly an hour to finally break through the thick brush of trees and approach what they’d been following. They stood in what had most likely once been a clearing, but now, untamed, the brush was edging in and pushing close. All around them trees were at war with stone pillars, both covered in an alarming amount of moss. Sionn realized a pillar had been what he’d seen, however what the pillars surrounded was far more interesting. It was an elaborate building made of stone, which seemed to vanish into the rolls of tree-infested hills around it, as if it were merely a doorway, and not the whole building.

The entrance was a pair of wide stone doors, and as Sionn and Elona got closer, stepping over broken and mossy stone steps that threatened to break their ankles, Sionn realized that these doors were merely carved onto the true doors, what he had assumed were the walls of the structure. They were large enough for a giant beast to make it through, an entire herd of deer even, all at once. To their left, one of the ‘doors’ had had the roof cave over it, leaving only a sliver of it accessible. Reaching forward and resting his hand on the carved door handle of the blocked door, Sionn wondered what it could possibly take to open such a thing, let alone build it.

Next to him, Elona was quiet. When Sionn looked at her, he was relieved to see the bewitched look had left her eyes. Instead, she merely appeared curious, like he, and maybe a little unnerved? Reaching out, Elona brushed away some of the moss and dust sticking to the door, and Sionn noticed that intricate swirls and designs had been carved in. Elona ran her fingers delicately through them, as if she was trying to memorize them, and Sionn watched, fascinated. Maybe they were letters? While his family hadn’t figured out how to read, they did know of it.

“What does it say?”

“Huh?” Elona turned towards him, her sage green eyes wide and her expression more open than he’d seen it since they’d met, “I’m not sure. It feels like I should be able to tell, but I can’t. It’s nonsense.”

“Odd.” Sionn chewed on the inside of his cheek. “My dad always said to listen to little things like that, that it may be the difference between life or death. Maybe it has to do with what you are?”

The look she shot him was startled and almost astounded, and Sionn wondered if perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say.

“Whatever I am is likely a monster, why would I want to know?”

Her hand had slid down the door as she spoke, and rested on the carved handle. Whatever Sionn was going to respond with died in his throat when there was a flash of light. The swirls and etchings all suddenly glowed a vivid light blue, brightening in intensity until Sionn couldn’t see anything. Frightened, he reached out, relieved when he felt Elona’s arm under his hand, and grasped it, stepping closer and attempting to angle his body to block the light from her. There was a ringing in his ears, painful and sharp, leaving a metallic tang in his mouth.

Out of nowhere, it all stopped. Sionn and Elona stood in front of the odd stone structure, Elona wrapped up in Sionn’s attempt at a protective embrace, the forest filled with nothing more than the soft noises of birds waking to the dawn. Shaking, Sionn pulled away, glancing up at Elona’s face. Her expression was stark surprise, and all the color had drained out of her face. Sionn wrapped her hand up his his grip, but her gaze didn’t falter. She was staring behind him, at the doors. Slowly, Sionn turned.

The carved door had turned inward, leaving an opening just large enough for Elona and Sionn to pass through. The symbols on the front were still faintly glowing blue, but it was quickly fading. Just inside the opening was a set of torches, burning steadily. Beyond them was dark, nearly impossible to see through.


~~*~~~*~~~*~~


Alrighty guys! That was a toughie, hope you guys enjoyed it.
The DP is a little looser than normal: What do they do? Feel free to give suggestions for both characters or just one. If it gets complicated enough, I may do two polls, one for each of them.

_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
12390 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

Sionn is okay, and the world is rosy, and he tried to protect her, and SQUEEEE!!! It was just fantastic.

Let's live dangerously. Enter the creepy tunnel. =D
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Sapphire_Rayne
Resident



Joined: 17 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 38


Items
Legends
758 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've given you my thoughts personally on this already, but here it goes! I held my breath the entire time Sionn was in the water until Elona appeared - I also adored that even as he's drowning he's worried about her - THE ENTIRE TIME. I wanted to crawl into the story and hold Elona as she sobbed when it came to light for Sionn that she had no clue what she was. I wanted to rock her and tell her that everything would be alright.

I also LOVED the thought he had about his Mom going to kill him. That and how Elona let him sleep on her thigh and played with his hair. I adored that.

As far as the DP goes, I think maybe they should wait to go in. Maybe not stray too far but try to find something that they could use as a weapon in case something goes wrong inside there. Something tells me though that they shouldn't go in just yet. Maybe find some food of some sort?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Adryrn
Tourist



Joined: 16 Sep 2015
Topics: 0
Posts: 22


Items
Legends
279 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oooh. Well, one can't just magically open a ruined old door and NOT enter. I'm leaning toward Elona not wanting to go in and Sionn persuading her. It seemed ironic at first since it seems like the place holds more potential personal meaning/game-changing info for Elona, but the more I think about it, the more it actually made sense to me? Elona seems pretty focused on stability, so entering a creepy tunnel when there are other options already seems unlikely for her, and a creepy tunnel that seems to resonate for her specifically and could change her view of the world or herself is even MORE dangerous in a way. But Sionn just had to see her cry when she told him she didn't know what she was, so it would make sense for him to think she might end up happier if she does learn more about herself. To me at least.

I also really liked the detailed description of Sionn almost drowning. If you didn't research it specifically, at least you imagined it thoroughly, and the end product is a lot more interesting to read than it would have been otherwise.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
Cyberworm
Respected Citizen



Joined: 19 Aug 2007
Topics: 5
Posts: 652
Location: Spatially found, temporal lockdown.

Items
Legends
2410 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 5:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lovely, NoNi. This was heartwarming. Very Happy Liked the drowning and waking scenes the most, too.

As for what to do... I'd say they'd go in. Of course! Very Happy No good adventure is without a mysterious cave-like area.
_________________
Slit and Slide
One man's journey through the possibilities of solving what he says is a murder. What was it? Try not to forget.




Beyond Good and Evil
Could it be that being good is not good at all?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
themightyzan
Resident



Joined: 18 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 57
Location: TN

Items
Legends
1150 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Go through the door!

I love these two. It was so sweet! *cuddles with her feelings* I love this so much, Noni!
_________________
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ” - Joss Whedon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Seraphi
General Fiction Mod



Joined: 25 Oct 2012
Topics: 2
Posts: 503
Location: Penna, having a hot cup of tea

Items
Legends
5512 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aaah, my heart, so adorable!!! I'm glad Sionn is alright, and its great to see them getting steadily closer. Excellent work, Noni :3

As for the dp...well there's really only one logical answer when confronted with a mysterious door that mysteriously leads to a mysterious cave - GO IN of course! Very Happy
_________________
"The aim of literary ambition is to demonstrate one's greatness of soul."
-Mason Cooley
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it, and I appreciate all the feedback! Since it doesn't look like any more suggestions are forthcoming, I'm going to put the poll up very shortly. Comment while you can!
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poll is up! While it's a simple one, I hope to get all the stragglers caught up if they're still reading (Lil and Crunchy, lookin' at you!) so I'll probably leave it up for the whole weekend, closing it sometime on Monday.
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
kkdestiny
Mayor



Joined: 05 Oct 2010
Topics: 56
Posts: 674
Location: The Library of Interfable History

Items
Legends
7049 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alrighty, my vote is sent in!

Im sorry I didnt get toread it until now, but I am pretty excited to see what possible connection she might have to this place. Smile
_________________
I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a friendly reminder that the poll has only 29 hours left! Get caught up and vote!



_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Kalanna Rai
Assassin for Hire



Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Topics: 173
Posts: 3102
Location: The Frozen North

Items
Legends
41350 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course they're going to go in. No good story comes of ignoring things like this. Of course it may all come to a sudden and abrupt halt because this was a wrong choice but it's also the interesting one.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."

"Music makes you braver."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poll is closed!

The mysterious door has opened. They...?
Go in!
55%
55% [ 5 ]
Look around for a weapon or food first.
22%
22% [ 2 ]
Go in at Sionn's persuasion.
22%
22% [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 9
Who Voted: Adryrn, Andolyn, Cyberworm, Kalanna Rai, kkdestiny, Novelest_Ninjagirl, Phantomfan, Sapphire_Rayne, Seraphi


Result: Go in!

_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
themightyzan
Resident



Joined: 18 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 57
Location: TN

Items
Legends
1150 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 6:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought I had voted, I distinctly remember looking at the poll and hitting "go in", but apparently that was all a dream since I don't see my name on there... weird.

At least the one I wanted won! ^.^
_________________
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ” - Joss Whedon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Chapter
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chapter Seven



As Elona stood in front of the mysterious door, she reflected on how she’d somehow come to this point. One little yes, and suddenly, rather than simply hunting down deer and selling the meat and hide for a tidy sum, she’d jumped full force into a river, lost her cloak, barely kept her bag, revealed her ‘circumstances’ to an essential stranger, and opened a presumably magic door. As if that all wasn’t distressing enough, now she had an excited fox tugging at her arm, goading her into going inside.

“C’mon! It opened just for you, we have to go in!”

Sionn’s voice sounded as if it came from a distance, Elona was still so wrapped up in her head. Her mind was fuzzy, between the lack of sleep and the trepidation of the unknown. That’s right, trepidation. It wasn’t fear, it was caution. Caution kept her safe. Caution kept her healthy. Caution… kept her alone. Finally tearing her gaze away from the dark tunnel in front of her, Elona looked at Sionn. He was holding onto her arm, and glancing excitedly between her and the tunnel. She could feel the warmth of his palm on her upper arm, the way his fingers pressed softly into her flesh with no hesitance. He didn’t fear her. Elona had always been feared by those who saw what she was. Beastial seemed a compliment compared to the screams she’d heard.

Sionn didn’t scream. He smiled at her, he broke bread with her, he slept on her thigh and didn’t mind her being close. He had reached for her in the water, even as he’d seen what she was. He had reached for her. Now, he wanted to go inside a creepy tunnel that opened to her touch. A tunnel that would no doubt reveal that she was just as monstrous as she had always believed, and she’d no longer be able to deny it, pretend she was something good deep down. The nightmares wouldn’t go away, they’d get worse.

But… Sionn wants to go in. Sionn, her only friend. The first time in years she’d thrown away caution, and she’d made a friend. She hoped they were friends by this point, but she knew saving his life didn’t guarantee that. What if whatever they found in there only diminished how he felt about her? What if she found out she was some river beast that devoured men heart and soul? Would he stay? Would he run away? Would Sionn, too, scream? Did it matter? Elona didn’t know for sure what would happen if they went in, but she knew that Sionn wanted to, and he was her friend.

So Elona took a step forward, glancing over her shoulder at the forest, her gaze skimmed over the fading glowing shapes on the door. Mid-step, Elona stopped. Sionn, still holding onto her arm, came to a stop too, and glanced at her curiously.

“What is it?”

“I can read it now.” She breathed it, staring at the letters in shock.

“What?”

“ ‘Answer the riddles to proceed’. The door. I can read it now.”

“Really?” Elona felt Sionn lean around her to peer at the door himself. “Still looks like scribbles to me.”

“I don’t like this, Sionn.” Elona confessed in a quivering murmur, startled at her own honesty.

At first, she didn’t know what he was doing. Then, she realized the warmth was familiar. He’d taken a step closer, and hugged her from behind, his arm slung over her collarbones. Slowly, almost scared to frighten him off, Elona moved her hand away from where it still rested on the door, touching it to his arm. Elona wasn’t sure when she’d lost the gloves. In the river? Had she taken them off in the night? Either way, it was a shock when she felt his skin beneath her fingertips. She’d forgotten the odd texture of skin. Unlike anything else she’d ever felt, with a soft pulsing warmth beneath it. It grounded her, and Elona realized something. Something very, very dangerous. She cared deeply for this person, and that opened her up. It left her open to danger, to worry, to pain. It changed her priorities, and altered her decisions.

“Okay. I think I can handle riddles.” She finally declared, pushing some of her normal confidence forcefully into her tone. “Are you any good at them?”

“Sure! They usually require thinking about words differently, right? I usually think of words backwards anyways.”

Sionn said it so boastfully that Elona laughed, and turned towards him. He dropped his arms as she did, and for a moment, Elona imagined grabbing them and holding him in the hug. Reminding herself that she mustn’t get greedy, Elona gave a firm nod, and turned towards the doorway. A burning nausea was eating it’s way up from her belly, but Elona strode forward anyway, feeling quite naked without her bow and quiver. Picking up one of the wall torches, Elona lifted it from it’s holder, the grain of the wood of the handle causing a comfortingly painful pressure.

“Sionn, don’t-” Before she could even finish the warning, Sionn had bounded off in front of her, going as far as the light reached and glancing around. “... do exactly what you did.”

Sighing, and shaking her head affectionately, Elona stepped forward again, into the tunnel proper. Holding her breath, Elona waited. Nothing happened. Another step, and she glanced behind her. Staring at the door, she glared at it, willing it, almost daring it, to move. Relaxing her shoulders, Elona kept going, her stride eating up the ground until she caught up with Sionn. Behind her, the door slowly drifted shut. It wasn’t until the sound of stone grating against stone reached Elona that she spun around and groaned. The door had not only shut, it had seemingly fused back into the wall, and now they were trapped.

Lifting her chin, Elona did an about face. Staring at the other torch, willing the wall to turn back into a door, wouldn’t help her get anywhere. As always, when things got tough, the only way to go… Was forward. For a few minutes, all it was was a stone tunnel. The paving stones inside were presumably the same shade of gray as the outside, but the sputtering light of the torch cast a golden orange sheen on them. They lined not only the floor, but the walls and ceiling as well. Sionn chattered the whole way, running his hands over the stones and glancing around. Gradually, Elona realized it was a nervous gesture. He was as frightened as she about being trapped. Oddly, this left her with a fervent need to protect him, and granted her access to yet another reservoir of courage.

Just as she’d had that thought, the tunnel ended abruptly at a door. There wasn’t a handle, but it certainly looked like a door. Sionn was glancing between her and the door, and it looked like he was attempting to be subtle, but failing nonetheless. He won’t force me. It was an astonishing thought, considering they were both presumably trapped inside these stone ruins, but one she believed with the full force of her being. He would gladly sit there and rot with her if she didn’t want to keep going. It was a weight off her shoulders, but an added responsibility too. Whatever happened, this was entirely her own decision.

“Alright, mysterious stone ruins, I’m up for the challenge.”

Elona reached forward and pressed her palm against the blank stone. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then, there was a flash of light. It wasn’t as blinding as the one that opened the ruins, there was no ringing in her ears, no metallic taint. It was just bright enough to drown out the torch, and when it faded, there were glowing etchings on the door that hadn’t been there before. Taking a deep breath, Elona held her breath as the same strange swirls seemed to form words before her eyes.

“What’s it say?” Sionn had propped his head over her shoulder, as if by looking at it closer to her eyes he’d have a better chance of understanding it.

“ ‘If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven't got me. What am I?’ “

Elona stated in a pondering tone, her mind already trying to wrap around the riddle. She hadn’t had much practice with them, but they had always intrigued her. She’d heard this one, somewhere, she was sure of it. Was this strange temple-esqe place starting them off with an easy one? It wasn’t too hard to fathom, it was plainly magical. A test of skill, perhaps? Nibbling on her lower lip thoughtfully, Elona lifted her free hand to her hip, resting it there and staring almost challengingly at the door.

“‘If you have me, you want to share me,’ “ She repeated to herself in a mumble. “‘If you share me, you haven’t got me.’ Hm.”

“Hey,” Sionn’s head, which had apparently been bowed in thought at some point, jumped up. “I think I got it.”

“Really?”

“I- I’m not sure though. I mean, I’m terrible with them, and constantly want to share them, but you seem pretty good at it-” Sionn’s voice was endearingly bumbling as his thoughts jumped around inside his mouth.

“Oh.” His rambling clicked it all together, and Elona grinned smugly, turning her attention to the door. “I do believe you’re right. Well, door, perhaps this is the answer you’re looking for- ‘A secret.’”

The glowing words faded, and Elona swiftly looked over at Sionn, unsure what she should do. Was the door opening? Had they answered incorrectly? Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for a change, any change. The slightest of shifts occurred beneath her hand, and tentatively, Elona pushed on the door with more strength. There was the same rasping stone-on-stone sound as the door opened, and Elona moved forward into the revealed room, Sionn close on her heels.

This time, it wasn’t a tunnel. The first thing that Elona noticed was the breaks in stone near the ceiling- and it was a tall ceiling. Even if she’d been a startlingly tall woman instead of a modestly tall one, she wouldn’t have been able to reach up and touch the ceiling, maybe not even if she jumped. The room was wider than the tunnel, she and Sionn could probably both lay down with their feet touching opposite walls, and been able to reach up and touch the others head. It was square, and like the hallway, lined almost completely in square, neatly placed stones. The only breaks were narrow lines near the ceiling on the far wall from the door, where all she could make out was a deep dark shadow. Stepping into the center of the room, Elona lifted her torch as high as she could and surveyed all that was around her. No riddle, no smooth ‘door’ stone. Just an empty, square room.

It was as she frowned at this revelation that the stone door, again, creaked shut. For a split second, Elona debated shoving Sionn through and making a break for it- but then she’d be stuck between two closed doors with no way onward. She had to take a risk, for the… however many-th time since meeting Sionn, and stayed inside the room. It seemed each time she had a reckless moment, it got easier. That’s not good. Stay focused. Don’t get cocky. Turning in a circle, Elona again searched for the riddle.

“C’mon, creepy stone room, work with me.” Elona muttered, feeling ridiculous this time, but talking to the door-riddle might’ve helped, she saw no reason not to try it this time.

Not immediately, anyway. A strange rushing noise sounded faintly in the distance, and Elona tilted her head in confusion, lifting her ear to try and catch it. Beside her, Sionn’s ears were twitching and rotating like crazy, and he’d lost most of his color.

“Sionn-” The noise reached her seconds before it burst from what were apparently holes in the ceiling.

Water began to flow from the spaces she’d observed earlier, cascading down the walls and hitting the floor with a force built from the fall. The water wasn’t flooding in uncontrollably, there was a distinct pace to it, and Elona eyed the spouts, attempting to gauge how much time they had even as the water rushed against her legs in a mockery of waves. She had to figure out where the riddle was, and the answer, before the room flooded. A swift kick of regret surged up her throat, and Elona wished, fleetingly, that she’d perhaps shoved Sionn out of the room. The water couldn’t hurt her, she’d discovered long ago that she could somehow breath in it, but Sionn… She’d just rescued him from nearly drowning, and now here she was, shoving him back into it.


~~*~~~*~~~*~~



DP is a slightly odd one: What does Elona try first to find the riddle?


_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
12390 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OOO! Intensity! I LOVE the riddle game. Very original, and I love that it's not just a series of doors and riddles. I like that the stakes go up with each riddle passed. I also love the budding relationship with Sionn. I love that he's so fantastically comfortable with her, and she's having to try SO HARD to get used to the fact that someone is comfortable with her. It's precious. He's precious. It's just perfectly wonderful.

For the DP, this place responds to her--to whatever she is. Water causes her to transform, so maybe that's what the chamber wants. I'm going to say she lays down and tries to transform fully as quickly as possible...while Sionn probably runs around the chamber searching for a door. XD
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Phantomfan
Citizen



Joined: 01 May 2008
Topics: 7
Posts: 309
Location: Deep within the music of the night

Items
Legends
2507 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RIDDLES HUZZAH
Oh goodness gracious this is a stressful DP. I imagine she'd panic a bit, and try touching every part of the room. Maybe there's another trigger or something? Which, like Andy suggested, might only trigger when she's transformed? I don't think she'd just lay down though, seeing Sionn in danger like this.
_________________
I've been pulled back from oblivion to lurk about the City once more. Though the music of the night always beckons...

Here's some stuff I started writing a long time ago. Orb. Nexus.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
themightyzan
Resident



Joined: 18 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 57
Location: TN

Items
Legends
1150 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oooooo! I love riddles, have I mentioned that? LOVE THEM!

I like the idea of her having to figure out the "riddle" to finding the riddle too, clever. I really like this chapter. ^.^

DP... maybe try talking some more? Maybe she needs to find the right question or phrase. *shrug*
_________________
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ” - Joss Whedon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
kkdestiny
Mayor



Joined: 05 Oct 2010
Topics: 56
Posts: 674
Location: The Library of Interfable History

Items
Legends
7049 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hmmm...im thinking a little freaking out should be normal...

but also, she can mysteriously read the writing, so thistemple has something to do with her and stuff. maybe with that logic, she'll eventually opt to transform quicker?
_________________
I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 12:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great suggestions so far guys! Just waiting on Adryrn and Sapph at this point.
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Sapphire_Rayne
Resident



Joined: 17 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 38


Items
Legends
758 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let me start with a "You just love to make us panic a bit don't you?"

Alright, I absolutely loved the fact that Elona was in a bit of a mental battle with herself at the beginning. It was nice to see that she had to kind of talk herself into going inside - with Sionn's help of wanting to go in of course. I also adored her honesty with him about not liking the idea of it.

I LOVE RIDDLES. LOVE THEM. Does that mean I'm any good at them? Not really, haha. But I do love them and I smiled when Sionn figured it out and hinted at what it was to Elona. (Can I also say I loved the line the Sionn said he thinks of words backwards, cause I found that adorable~) I actually figured that riddle out, so I surprised myself! (I didn't scroll down or read any further until I thought I had the answer myself haha!)

AND THEN YOU HAD TO MAKE THE ROOM START FILLING UP WITH WATER. WAS ONE SIONN ALMOST DEATH NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU? Enough capitals for now, you may see them again later. I had a feeling something like that was about to happen as you went to describe the room, and when Sionn's ears twitched and he got pale I yelled "NO" at my computer screen. Many, many times.

Alright, for the DP: I actually agree with Phan - and to a degree Andy - on this one. I get the feeling that she has to be transformed, the water filling the room is clearly screaming that out - and as she can only read the writing I'm going to assume that this is like a test for her or something. I don't think she'd lay down though, not with how you wrote that last line. I think she'd be trying to stay calm, but in a hurried fashion trying to find these words. TOUCH EVERY WALL AND STONE ELONA.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Cyberworm
Respected Citizen



Joined: 19 Aug 2007
Topics: 5
Posts: 652
Location: Spatially found, temporal lockdown.

Items
Legends
2410 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My surmising leads to a conclusion that they can get the solution of the riddle to the riddle by getting a bird's eye view of the room.

Alas, I don't know what to do, to wait or to look at the floor.

I say, let her look at the floor, the layout of the room against the floor must lead to a hint of some kind. Very Happy She'll get the bird's eye view eventually. She needs info now, so check the floor and walls. ^w^

Quite an intense chapter at the end. I feel like she's Indiana Elona now, with her trusty sidekick Sionn le chico. xD
_________________
Slit and Slide
One man's journey through the possibilities of solving what he says is a murder. What was it? Try not to forget.




Beyond Good and Evil
Could it be that being good is not good at all?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Seraphi
General Fiction Mod



Joined: 25 Oct 2012
Topics: 2
Posts: 503
Location: Penna, having a hot cup of tea

Items
Legends
5512 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome new chapter, Noni! And quite the decision you've left us with. I have a few ideas for the dp...the water could reveal a pattern on the floor that only appears when wet (much like Elona's true appearance only shines when she's wet) so Elona could check for a now unveiled riddle on the floor OR like Andy said, maybe the secret is her being totally transformed, and once she is she has to try talking to the room while completely submerged in the water. Here's hoping Sionn doesn't panic in the meantime XD
_________________
"The aim of literary ambition is to demonstrate one's greatness of soul."
-Mason Cooley
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Adryrn
Tourist



Joined: 16 Sep 2015
Topics: 0
Posts: 22


Items
Legends
279 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think this is probably my favorite chapter so far 8D. I really love how closely you follow Elona's emotional process/thoughts---for me at least, it really helps me take on her point of view. I thought the foreshadowing (Elona pondering pushing Sionn back through the door) and Sionn's reaction to the room filling were also well-placed. Did not see the flooding room coming at all, but it totally makes sense/makes it even more obvious that whatever this place is, it was made with beings like Elona in mind and contains things that are only meant for them. With that in mind, I have to wonder if the way out will only be revealed once the room is filled with water o__o. In which case, Elona certainly has her work cut out for her XD.

My guess is the riddle is on the ceiling somewhere. I suspect that must also be where the way out is, and it's probably not visible unless you get closer to the ceiling (which Elona could do by waiting for the room to fill and swimming, but which may not cut it for Sionn XD). If that's the case, I'd say they should get to the far end of the room and stay there, then focus on keeping Sionn's head above the water until they can get a better view of the ceiling (or figure out what they're NOT seeing, if that's what's going on). Sionn sitting on Elona's shoulders (if she can support his weight? I was thinking of him as shorter than her, but now I'm at equal height. She'll probably be able to once the room's filled with enough water either way, at least) to get a better view of the ceiling and keep his head above the water as the room fills seems like a good idea to start out with. Checking out the floor while the water's still low can't hurt either, as long as the room isn't filling up too fast.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

New poll is up! It will be closing my Wednesday morning (I'll post a 24 hour notice for you different-time-zoners). Vote while you can! and drag everyone else into voting too!
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a heads up guys, the poll is only going to be up for 24 more hours!
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Chapter
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How does Elona try to find the riddle?
Try to lay down and transform fully.
0% [ 0 ]

Run around the room and touch everything.
0% [ 0 ]

Talk while submergded in water.
14% [ 1 ]

Try talking more.
14% [ 1 ]

Transform quickly.
42% [ 3 ]

Wait for the room to fill.
28% [ 2 ]

Total Votes : 7
Who Voted: Adryrn, Andolyn, Cyberworm, kkdestiny, Phantomfan, Sapphire_Rayne, themightyzan






Chapter Eight

At first, the mysterious ruins had seemed intriguing and curious, and Sionn had felt an odd responsibility to urge Elona inside. They were plainly for her somehow, or maybe her people, and he’d remembered her cracking voice as she sobbed about her ignorance of her race. She needed to do this, Sionn had thought. She needed it, and more than that, she needed to do it at her own pace, so Sionn hadn’t rushed her when they encountered the first door. He’d even deliberately tried to ensure she got to say the answer, even if he’d solved it first.

Now, Sionn was petrified. He’d heard the sound of water before. He’d grown up playing by the babbling brook, learning to hunt by the roar of the waterfall. This forest he called home had rivers criss-crossing all throughout it, and he’d never before been scared of water’s soft, churning rumble. Not even when he had been drowning in the river. That had been quiet, almost peaceful. Now, as the water cascaded towards them, hitting his shins in repeated waves that threatened to knock him off his feet, all Sionn could hear was the slap of water on stone all around him. It reverberated in the room, in his ears, as he felt the water begin to seep into his boots.

Taking a deep breath, Sionn focused on Elona. She had gone very still, and lifted the torch up high. Watching as she turned with careful, deliberate steps, Sionn attempted to wet his dry mouth. I have to say something to reassure her we’ll get out of this. Or should I try to help find the riddle? But it won’t react to me, only to her. What should I do? Sionn was ready to reach up and pull his hair out when he heard Elona’s voice, the already familiar husky tones breaking through the waters noise.

“Sionn. Hold the torch.”

There was a whoosh as she thrust it towards him, and Sionn’s eyes went wide as he tentatively reached out for it. Using both hands, Sionn held tightly onto it and looked back up at Elona. She had closed her eyes and lifted her chin, and her hands were fisted at her sides. She’s come to some sort of a conclusion, Sionn wondered, And she doesn’t look happy with it. Did she find the riddle? Sionn’s gaze never left her as Elona walked forward, towards the spouts of water. His eyes widening, Sionn nearly dropped the torch. Is she…?

Elona reached the wall where the water was sliding down, and cupped her hands in front of her. Raising them above her head, she angled them just so and thrust them quickly into the water, sending it cascading over her head. It hit her and sent the clear liquid down her face, leaving the vivid blue-greens where it went. Sionn could see the scales glow when the water was over them, only to lose some luster when the water shifted. By the time Elona had lowered her hands, she was completely transformed, and stood staring at the wall a moment. She looks almost angry at it…

Sionn, noticing the light begin to falter, lifted the torch as he had seen Elona do earlier. The water was just past his knees now, and Sionn shivered at the cold touch. Yet another difference between this and the river, the water lapping at his legs now felt as chilled as a corpse in winter. Shaking his head away from those thoughts, Sionn lifted his tail higher, hoping to avoid it getting wet as long as possible.

“Elona?” Sionn wasn’t sure what he was asking, but her name slipped out unbidden anyhow.

“Sionn.” She moved away from the wall, turning towards him and smiling softly. Her eyes held fierce determination, rather than a humor to match her lips. “If the water gets high enough, I want you to get on my shoulders.”

“What? But you’ll-”

“Be able to support your weight under the water, don’t worry.”

“But how long can you hold your breath?”

Elona looked shocked, and then she laughed. The humor was genuine, and burst forth almost awkwardly, light she hadn’t expected to be laughing. Sionn attempted to scowl, though he was aware it was probably closer to a pout, his feelings almost hurt.

“Sionn. I’m sorry. It’s just… I thought… It’s odd.” Elona shook her head, as if she was trying to deny what she was thinking. “We’ve barely known each other a day, and yet, I instantly felt like you knew. I can breathe underwater.” She glanced down at the rapidly filling room, and Sionn realized it was already to his thighs. “We need to find that riddle.”

Her voice had lost any trace of mirth, and Sionn gave a nod. His arms began to shake from holding up the torch, and as the water rose to his waist, Sionn gave up on his tail and let it completely submerge itself in the water. Instantly, he felt infinitely worse. Believe in Elona. It was a reminder he didn’t need, but he told it to himself anyway. She wouldn’t let him come to harm. She was currently walking the perimeter, touching everything she could reach and mumbling under her breath. He couldn’t make out all the words, but it sounded vaguely like she was threatening the rooms very being. Sionn closed his eyes a moment, choosing to listen and focus on her voice.

It was deeper than many of the female humans voices he’d heard, and had a husky rumbling to it, like it was a tool that went often unused, but there was a lilt to the words. It was as if each word were a dear friend, and she was giving it a hug as she borrowed it. As she got more agitated with their circumstances, he could hear her voice get higher, uncomfortably strained, and the lilt was lost. The words were just words, now, and Sionn opened his eyes, sad that the calming music of her voice had been lost. She’s frightened too. Sionn wasn’t surprised, but it was still disheartening.

It was when Sionn glanced down at the water level- which had reached his chest- that he noticed something on the opposite wall. A glimmer, just beneath the water's edge. Moving the torch closer, Sionn furrowed his eyebrows as it vanished. Maybe… Without taking the time to think himself out of it, Sionn thrust the torch into the water. It gave one quick gasp of a hiss, as shocked to be dying out as Sionn was that he’d done that.

Instantly, the room was dark. The only light that Sionn could make out was the faint glow of Elona’s scales. Blinking as his eyes adjusted, Sionn heard sloshing as Elona fought through the water to his side. Under the water, Sionn squeezed the charred stick that had been the torch, and waited for the acrimonious tone she’d surely take. Instead, he felt her hands softly touch his face and flutter away, as if scared of hurting him.

“What is it? Are you alright?”

“I-” His throat seized. What have I done? How are we ever going to read it now? “I did that on purpose. I thought I saw something glowing in the water.” Sionn squeezed his eyes shut, braced for her to shun or scold.

“Really?” Sionn felt her move away, but her hand had rested softly on his shoulder, “You’re right!”

“What?”

When Sionn opened his eyes, Elona’s glow had moved to the wall he’d been staring at, the one to the left of the door they had entered. Where he had seen a sliver of glowing there now was a full line of the swirls that had been on the two doors. In the torchlight the light had been faint, but now they glittered beneath the water. Elona’s glow, too, was getting more luminescent. I didn’t mess it all up? Sionn felt relief bloom in his chest, only to squeeze into panic as the water reached his neck.

“E-Elona?”

“It says ‘Hard enough to crack rocks’, what could that mean?”

“Elona.” Sionn put a little more force into his quivering voice, standing on his tip toes to gain a little more leverage against the water. “The water…”

Sionn shifted towards her, his earlier misgivings about using her to stay above the water dismissed with his fright. He could feel the water in his nose and ears, feel his lungs begin to labor as if they were already fighting the water. It was the river all over again, and yet worse, and now, he could no longer force his mind away with inane distractions. Elona turned away from the riddle, and, he watched her hesitate for a moment. Before Sionn’s brain could run away from him, though, she had reached out and pulled him into a heartbreakingly gentle hug. Sionn could barely feel the pressure of her arms against his back, but his head tucked naturally into the crook of her neck. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Sionn felt himself calm down, her soothing scent drowning out the smell of old water and moss covered stones.

“I will get you out of this, Sionn. I promise.” She took a deep breath, and Sionn felt it against him. “Now, get on my shoulders.”

“But the water isn’t high enough-”

“I’m stronger than I look, Sionn.”

He had opened his mouth to argue again when Elona bent her knees and ducked into the water. He couldn’t see her, but felt her crouching underneath him. I’m stockier than her, Sionn fretted. I may be shorter, but there’s no way she can- woah! Elona had wrapped her arms around his legs, and with one push to her feet, he was seated on her shoulders. Her hands rested on his shins, holding him in place. The waters had reached her chin now, and Sionn felt them swirling around his thighs. The air clung desperately to his wet clothes, sucking away any remaining heat he’d had in his body. Trying his best not to shiver, Sionn glanced down at Elona. She was staring at the line of sc- lines? The raising of the water level had revealed another line of swirls. Or half of one, anyway.

“Try splashing it?” Sionn suggested uncertainly.

Elona did as he said though, letting go of one of his legs to reach forward and try to cause the wave of water to reveal the rest of the puzzle. It did nothing, though, and Sionn had a sinking realization. The riddle wouldn’t reveal itself until it was good and ready- and covered completely by the water in the room. With a renewed fear, Sionn reached above him, trying to figure out where the ceiling ended. One hands-length above his head, the room ended. They had very little time, and it all depended on how much of the riddle was left to reveal.

“‘Light enough to caress the sky,’” Elona’s voice was muffled, and he felt her head press into his belly as she lifted her chin to speak above the water. “ ‘Light enough to caress the sky,’ and ‘Hard enough to crack rocks.’ Think that’s it? Or is there more?”

“Elona, how are you going to speak when the water gets higher?”

“... I won’t. I’ll have to solve this riddle on my own.”

“But… how will you say the answer?” Sionn knew the answer, and selfishly dreaded it. *

“I’ll… Have to drop you and swim to the top. Which means I have to solve it before we run out of air to speak into, not just before you…” Her voice trailed off, and Sionn merely nodded, even if she couldn’t possibly see him in the dark.

The next moments stretched on, achingly, and for a tense moment, Sionn wondered if he should perhaps tell her now. He might never get another chance. But… I can’t distract her. Sighing, and shivering now despite his attempts otherwise, Sionn felt the water slip up past his waist again, and knew Elona’s head was beneath the water now. Softly, so quietly that the roaring would have covered it anyway, Sionn whispered into the dark.

Wordlessly, Sionn watched the third line of the riddle appear. Staring until his vision began to blur, Sionn willed himself to gain the ability to read. It failed, and Sionn simply reached into the water, his hand seeking out some connection to Elona. The swirling water wrapped some strands of her hair around his hand, and Sionn gently caught them between his fingers. He had to believe in her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have to be scared. The water rose higher, and another line appeared. Elona shifted beneath him, and Sionn braced for the drop into water, but it didn’t come. Oh. That must be all of the riddle, but she hasn’t solved it yet.

The tension of sitting, waiting as the water got higher and higher, unable to communicate with Elona and help her, began to get to Sionn. Having to be braced to be dropped into the water, having it all rush up at him, at any given second, wasn’t helping. He managed to stifle any panic, though, through sheer determination and blind belief in Elona. Until the water reached his chin. Then, childishly almost, he began to poke Elona’s head. She swatted his hand away, and Sionn gasped in indignation.

That was the exact moment that the water rushed up to greet him. For a split second, Sionn thought she had dropped him out of irritation, that she’d finally had enough of him. Sanity returned as the air left his lungs, though, and he felt her kick his leg as she swam to the surface. For a second, nothing changed, and Sionn didn’t know what to think, to do. His feet found the floor, the rocks slippery beneath his boots. Attempting to push to his feet, Sionn searched for Elona’s glow, watching as a chunk of the ceiling fell out, landing into the water with a splash that Sionn felt the recoil through the water. A bright light filtered through the water from the opening. Pushing off the bottom, Sionn flailed his limbs in a sad imitation of the movements he had seen Elona do.

Just as he’d thought of her, she appeared, her arms wrapping around his belly. She held him from behind, lugging him the short distance to the surface. Once they’d gotten his face in the inches of space left with air, he dragged a mouthful of breath into his lungs. At the same time, Elona shoved him towards the opening now in the ceiling, pushing on him. Grasping at the edge, Sionn pulled himself up. The water made it tricky, and the stone almost slipped from his grasp several times, but with shaky limbs, Sionn hauled himself into the next room. Stopping dead, Sionn looked around him in confusion, and then mild horror. Elona can’t come in here.

“Elona, wait-”

But Sionn was too late. Elona had followed him closely, and was kneeling on the ground next to him. As she began to lift her head, Sionn felt himself begin to pale. The walls and ceiling all around them were mirrored. No matter where Elona might look, she would be face to face with everything she had tried to avoid. Herself. As a monster.

~~*~~~*~~~*~~



DP:

What does Sionn do?
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)


Last edited by Novelest_Ninjagirl on Wed Nov 25, 2015 3:58 pm; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
12390 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, this chapter was FANTASTIC. It was intense, it was unique, and I loved it.

I loved that Sionn was forced to rely on Elona fully. I loved that even though he was terrified, she was his constant that kept him grounded. The description you provided of the water was incredible. It really made it feel like this cold, oppressive force. LOVED it. The revealing of the riddle was fantastic, and...and...and...

THE HUUUUG!!!! AWW GOD THE HUG! That was precious. The fact that one hug from her was all it took to calm him was just ...awwwww!!!


Okay, for the DP. She's already in the room, so it's either push her back in the water, do nothing, or somehow keep her from seeing. I'm going to say we go with the latter. Pull her close, grab her eyes, and keep her from seeing the mirrors. Sionn should explain to her what's around them and let her decide whether or not she's ready to see that. If she's not ready, she's safe in his arms. Maybe she'll find the strength she needs there to look. Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Adryrn
Tourist



Joined: 16 Sep 2015
Topics: 0
Posts: 22


Items
Legends
279 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2015 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Once again, your attention to detail was a pleasure to read =D. I'm not sure I would have thought of Sionn keeping his tail dry as long as he could and the difference it made once it was wet, but it really helped drive the feeling of being in a room filling with water home. As for what he should do---well, there doesn't seem to be much he CAN do about this other than be ready to comfort Elona (and I also really like how in spite of being in danger of drowning for the second time within 24 hours his first thought out of the water is STILL concern for Elona o__o). But then again, Sionn doesn't seem like the type to actually accept that, so instead of being ready to comfort her after she sees her reflection, I suspect he'll try to find a way to cover her eyes before she can see the mirrors.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
kkdestiny
Mayor



Joined: 05 Oct 2010
Topics: 56
Posts: 674
Location: The Library of Interfable History

Items
Legends
7049 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hmm....really nice and suspenseful so far...can still only agree with covering her eyes.
_________________
I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
themightyzan
Resident



Joined: 18 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 57
Location: TN

Items
Legends
1150 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 8:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Uhhh... I posted a reply... but apparently not? I don't even know what's happening with me and your story anymore. Lol.

I loved this chapter!

And now to remember what I said before.... I don't think he should just grab her and cover her eyes, maybe instead he tells her not to look around, or close her eyes. And then explain things.

*shrug* I'm not a big grab someone's face person. Lol.
_________________
“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ” - Joss Whedon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alright guys, waited as long as I could bring myself too, poll is up! It's going to close sometime tomorrow, but as I don't know when I'll be at the computer, I can't promise when. I'll post an hour-countdown on fb, so keep an eye out!
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Chapter
Novelest_Ninjagirl
Respected Citizen



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Topics: 13
Posts: 700
Location: The inn. Probably. Come check!

Items
Legends
5126 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poll results:
Elona is about to see herself surrounded by mirrors, what does Sionn do?
Push her back into the water.
20% [ 1 ]
Pull her close, covering her eyes, and explain.
60% [ 3 ]
Find a way to cover her eyes.
0% [ 0 ]
Tell her to close her eyes.
20% [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 5
Who Voted: Andolyn, kkdestiny, Novelest_Ninjagirl, Sapphire_Rayne, themightyzan




Chapter Nine


As Elona felt the water slip over her head, she stared intently at gradually appearing riddle. Light enough to caress the sky, She mused, and ‘Hard enough to crack rocks’. That couldn’t be all of it, yet still Elona struggled to wrap her mind around it. She had to. The weight of Sionn above her was a literal reminder of the responsibility she had on her shoulders. She had to keep him alive, and to do that, she had to solve this riddle the instant it fully appeared. The chill of the water faded from her mind as she focused on the glowing script.

The feeling of Sionn’s boot-clad legs beneath her hands grounded her, kept her mind from wandering. Circling the words through her brain over and over, Elona felt the seconds stretch out to a painful degree as the water rose and, finally, revealed the next line. For a second, she felt relief, but upon reading it, Elona was only more befuddled. ‘Gentle enough to soothe the skin’. Frustration and anger threatened to overwhelm Elona, and she ground her teeth together. A whisper of sensation distracted her, and Elona spared the briefest of moments to figure out what it was. Sionn had wrapped some of her hair around his fingers. The connection calmed her, reminded her that there would be plenty of time to rage at the riddles later, if she could just focus enough to solve them now.

The water had advanced further into the room during her distraction, and Elona watched in rapt attention as another piece of the riddle began to glow. As she read it, Elona became sure- she had all of the riddle now. Unbidden, her spine straightened in determination. She had all of the riddle, that must mean she only had so much time before… Shaking it off, Elona read the riddle through in her mind once more, this time in it’s completion.

Three lives have I.
Gentle enough to soothe the skin,
Light enough to caress the sky,
Hard enough to crack rocks.


Elona stared intently at the riddle, thinking of and dismissing options almost instantly. Touch? No, you can’t touch the sky. Words? No, words don’t crack rocks. How literally am I to take this? How much of it is word play? The questions burst into her brain, distracting her from her goal, and Elona felt her brain spinning away. The intensity of the conundrum was pressing into her skull. For the first time in her memory, someone else’s life was completely dependent on her. It wasn’t just her now, and Elona was unsure she could handle it.

Elona shook those thoughts from her head, taking a deep breath- of sorts, she was unsure how exactly her breathing worked, but she seemed to get air from the water if she kept her mouth shut. Letting it out through her nose, Elona watched the soft stream of bubbles rise in front of her eyes. They widened in shock as something occurred to Elona. Gentle. Light. Hard. The room. It was so obvious- ow. Sionn was poking her head now, and Elona batted his hand away instantly. She had to be sure, who knew the repercussions for saying the wrong thing. One last reread of the riddle, though, and Elona was sure she had it.

Now came the truly difficult part. Closing her eyes, Elona let go of Sionn’s legs and shifted forward. She felt him sink behind her, but Elona was already kicking her legs, pushing to the surface as swiftly as she could. How much air was left? So focused on swimming to the surface, Elona was there before she realized, and she headbutted the ceiling. An exclamation of pain wasted precious seconds, and before she could even draw in another breath, Elona forced out the words on the wisps of air she’d had left.

“Water! The answer is water!”

Without waiting for the room to react, Elona was turning back towards where she’d dropped Sionn, about to dive down when the center of the ceiling fell out. The luminous opening it left was ignored, though, as quick movements of her arms forced the water back over her head. The light soaked through the water, providing just enough clarity that Elona could find Sionn and wrap her arms around him. Kicking with all her force, now, Elona dragged them towards the surface. How long could he hold his breath?

The sound of Sionn taking some gasping breaths was perhaps the sweetest sound Elona had heard. Now to get him out of this water. The water seemed old, stagnant, like it had been sitting in some reservoir, waiting solely for this purpose, for years, maybe decades. It couldn’t be healthy for them to stay in it. As Elona pushed him up into the next room, Elona spared a glance back down at the room that had almost claimed Sionn’s life. There, Elona swore something to herself. She would do everything in her power to see that Sionn never had to experience the sensation of drowning again, not so long as he allowed her by his side.

Shifting her attention back towards the opening, Elona reached up, grasping the edge and heaving herself towards it.The water that clung to her clothes made her seem heavier than normal, and between that and the sheer mental effort the riddle had taken, when Elona finally hauled herself into the next room, she paused. Closing her eyes and bowing her head, Elona took a few breaths. Realizing Sionn had said something that she hadn’t heard, Elona started to lift her head.

“What was tha-”

His hands had been startlingly rough as they grabbed her arms and hoisted her into his arms, and Elona was shocked to find her face pressed into the wet red leather of his vest. His hands instantly gentled, and one of them rested on the back of her head. She angled her face so the could breath- she did still need to breath, even if water didn’t hinder her in that regard- but his grip kept her eyes firmly against his chest. At first, she thought Sionn was craving comfort after nearly drowning for the second time in as many days, but that didn’t add up. Surely he’d have wanted her arms around him if that were the case, but instead it was his grip holding her squarely in place.

“Sionn…?”

“The room.. It's… I…” His voice was strained, like he’d swallowed a frog and was trying to talk around it. “Just… just stay still a moment. Or, maybe, until you’re dried off?”

“Sionn?” Her voice held an edge of warning now. Whatever he was trying to avoid saying, he no doubt had a good reason, but she was going to hear it. Especially if it meant she had to stay in this half-kneeling half-crouched position.

“The room is covered in mirrors.” Sionn’s voice was soft, almost guilty. “And… And you’re still… I think it’s beautiful, but I was worried that… maybe you… didn’t?”

“Oh.”

Elona’s limbs went weak, and she unconsciously pressed her face into Sionn’s chest. So, he’d been trying to protect her from seeing herself. It had been some time since she’d seen herself. It was different seeing pieces of herself change as she bathed, almost surreal, like she was inhabiting someone else’s body. Now, if she shifted away, it’d be real. On all sides, she’d see who she was. Who I am… That was the question, wasn’t it? Elona was a hunter, a woman, someone who’s skin scaled at the touch of water. She knew those things. She was someone who had somehow attracted the companionship, perhaps even the friendship, of the man who was currently hiding her from everything she was. Whatever it was she was, it had allowed her to save him, both in the river, and just now. No matter that she had gotten him into both troubles, if she’d been human… Sionn would be dead.

Slowly, almost wishing she had made a different decision, Elona pulled her face away from Sionn. This time, he didn’t fight it. His hand allowed itself to be moved away, his fingers lingering in her hair. At first, all she saw was Sionn. His hair, darkened by the water, was sticking to his ears and spikeing out in little tufts. Water was even still dripping off, landing in little patters on his shoulders and sliding down to join the pool of it below them. His eyes, though, were wide amber-orange pools, staring at her like he expected her to shatter at the slightest touch.

She’d spent every waking second being strong, learning and adapting to survive in this world she knew nothing about and had no one in. Denying every weakness until it ceased to exist, Elona had come to suppress her vulnerability until she no longer believed she had any. Those eyes, though, ripped her clean to the core. He anticipated, expected even, her breaking down, and was prepared to be there. His instant acceptance of the weakness of emotion she rarely allowed herself was what gave her the courage, the strength, to turn and look into the wall to her left.

Her navy blue hair was slick from the water, tangled around her face. The face was smooth, the blue-green already beginning to fade, and the scales were beginning to vanish. Blinking, Elona stared deeply into the image. For the first time, she didn’t see the monstrousness. She didn’t picture the screaming faces, but Sionn’s smile. Maybe I’m not… so bad? Pushing to her feet, ignoring the slight wobble in her legs, Elona glanced around with resolve.

“Sionn, let’s find the next riddle.”

The reflections fed into each other, and Elona watched as Sionn pushed to his feet. He began to wring out the moisture trapped in his tail, and Elona watched as the water dripped onto the stone floor that had been the imposing ceiling from their previous trial. Hoping that there wasn’t some secret danger to this room as well, Elona attempted to speak to the mirrors.

“Well, creepy and mildly murderous tunnel place, where’s our next riddle? Or at the very least the next door.”

Placing her hands on her hips and glaring at herself in the mirrors for a moment, Elona sighed and turned back towards Sionn. If the room wouldn’t reveal the riddle, she had to begin thinking about their escape plans. The room they’d left was filled with water, if she could break the door, would the force of the water through the tunnel be enough to force open the giant stone doors at the entrance? Turning back to the hole to gauge how much water she had to work with, Elona let out an aggravated sigh.

“It’s right here, we missed it.”

There was a etching into each edge of the square, and Elona walked around it until she found the one she believed to be the beginning. They weren’t glowing, like all the others, until Elona bent down and touched them. She wasn’t sure why she did, perhaps for good luck. Pushing to her feet again, Elona looped her thumbs into her waterlogged belt.

“‘ You can see nothing else’,” Elona stepped around to the next edge. “ ‘When you look in my face’,” Another step. “‘I will look you in the eye’,” A final step. “‘And I will never lie.’ Well what could that be?”

Though she had solved the last puzzle on her own, and could no doubt solve this one, Elona was immensely relieved to hear Sionn humming in thought behind her. Peering out of the side of her eye, Elona watched him through the mirrors. He had cupped his chin in his hand, bracing the free one on his elbow, and was rocking back and forth. Behind him, his tail was shaking rhythmically, either in excitement or an urge to get dry. It was such a relaxed picture, after the horrors they’d just been through, that Elona giggled softly. Belatedly, she made an attempt to muffle it with her hand, but Sionn had already stepped around into her vision.

“What?” Sionn tilted his head, and his ears swiveled, as if to catch the joke bouncing off the walls. “Something funny about the riddle?”

“No, no, it was just your… reflection.”

Elona’s statement dwindled as understanding struck her. She turned back to the nearest mirrored wall, stepping towards it. Almost hesitantly, Elona lifted her hand and pressed the palm into the mirror. “‘You see nothing else when you look in my face,” Elona murmured, watching the words roll off her lips. “‘I will look you in the eye, and I will never lie’.” Staring deep into her own sage green eyes, Elona’s lips twitched in the echo of a smirk. “Room, you’re giving us far too many hints. Thanks. The answer is ‘reflection’. My reflection, specifically.”

A moment passed, as had become the norm, before anything happened. It almost felt as if the ruins were taking a moment to deliberate over her answer before responding. There was a loud creaking, before the mirror-wall Elona had her hand pressed against began to very slowly pull backwards. It pulled open, similar to a door, revealing a simple square room, until the mirror wall had pressed itself against the right side of the room behind it. The other two walls and the ceiling were made of smooth stone slabs, and the ground appeared to be of tightly packed dirt. Pausing before she stepped forward, Elona glanced back at Sionn.

He grinned, and stepped forward, automatically reaching for her hand. Elona felt her breath catch in her throat for just a moment at the gesture, but she didn’t hesitate to wrap her fingers up in his grip. Holding each other's hands, they stepped into the room. Instantly, the riddle appeared on the wall directly in front of them, the giant incandescent words taking up the whole walls space. Elona gripped Sionn’s hand more tightly as she read it aloud.

“‘I have rivers without water,
Forests without trees,
Mountains without rocks
Towns without houses.
What am I?’”

“What could that be?” Sionn’s voice was perplexed, and Elona tore her gaze away from the words to look at him. “The moon?”

“No,” Elona chuckled softly. “It’s a map.”

“A map?”
Elona was about to explain what a map was, but the ruins were already reacting to her answer. For a moment, the entire floor beneath her shook, throwing her and Sionn off their feet and to the ground. There was no respite when the floor stopping, however, for at that moment the blinding light had returned, this time from the riddle on the wall, rather than the words on the door. The ringing returned, only Elona felt a faint noise behind it, almost… almost like a voice. It slipped away as quickly as she had noticed it, and as the light faded, Elona was convinced it had been no more than her overstressed imagination. Lifting her head, Elona looked at Sionn. However, he was staring open mouthed up at the wall the riddle had been on.

“Elona… is that a map?”

Turning her head regretfully away from Sionn, Elona turned to study the wall. On it was a crude but detailed drawing. Pushing to her feet, and pausing to help Sionn up as well, Elona advanced towards it. The markings were basic, swirls for trees and little arrows for mountains. It could have been drawn by a child, or perhaps for one. Still, there was a star sitting not to far from a line she assumed to be a river, surrounded by trees. The markings all matched up with her knowledge of the area.

“That star,” She reached up to point to it. “That’s definitely where we are.”

Sionn pointed towards what was presumably a town, based on the boxes cluttered together, sitting between two rivers and near a mountain pass. Elona felt a shiver of dread as she saw the similar star that Sionn had noticed. Another set of ruins? Filled with more dangerous riddles? Near that town? Elona closed her eyes, willing the decision she’d have to make away for at least another moment. But wait. Elona’s eyes opened, and she glanced around her. How do we get out?

“This must be where we have to go next.” Sionn’s voice, innocent and calm, broke through her thoughts, but any answer she might’ve given him was interrupted.

The mirrored wall to their right began to groan and creak, and Eloan watched as it slid forward, vanishing into some secret cavity in the wall designed specifically for it. Behind it lay what it had been hiding, not a wall at all, but a set of stairs. They were made of stone, and beginning to crumble and moss over, but at first glance, they seemed sturdy enough. It seemed the ruins had answered Elona’s question.


~~*~~~*~~~*~~


DP: Well? What do they do?
_________________
My latest SG! (Image courtesy of the lovely Lebrenth)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
12390 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Dec 02, 2015 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SO GOOD!!!

Him calming her was precious. He wasn't even trying. I LOVED when he held her. That was just heart-melting. The bit about him not expecting her to hide her weakness ...just aww!!! And the innocence that he shows is adorable. She's all "MORE DANGER" and he's just like, "Hey! That's where we go next!" hahaha! I love it.

For the DP, let's have them make a copy of the map if either of them is able...either that or as soon as they get outside, Sionn bends down & starts drawing it on the ground from memory just to solidify it in his mind.

Great chapter!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Sapphire_Rayne
Resident



Joined: 17 Sep 2015
Topics: 1
Posts: 38


Items
Legends
758 Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2015 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love how you went back a little bit so we could see what was going on in Elona's head during the figuring out of the riddle. I'd also like to shamefully admit I had no idea that the answer was water (I'm smart just not amazing at riddles, cut me some slack!) Also, I love Sionn. Have I told you how much I love the fox? No, well I love him. If I could steal him right out of the story I would!!

I love the fact that when she's pulled against Sionn she thinks at first that maybe he was seeking comfort, before actually thinking about it and getting the confirmation from Sionn that it's really him trying to protect her. AND WHEN HE SAYS HE THINKS SHE'S BEAUTIFUL WHILE SCALED JUST OHMIGOSH. I reread it twice to make sure I read it right. And then the fact that he was so ready to comfort her if she broke, and was just totally set on being there if she needed him - I will die from how sweet he is one day, I swear it.

AND SHE'S STARTING TO SEE THAT MAYBE SHE ISN'T SO HORRIFYING BECAUSE OF HIM. JUST AW. kdfsnvkhbdf. Okay, enough with that, haha! This line here:
Quote:
“Well, creepy and mildly murderous tunnel place, where’s our next riddle? Or at the very least the next door.”

It made me laugh. Maybe it's the way she is addressing the ruins that made it funny to me, I'm not sure - but I did laugh.

I KNEW THE ANSWER WAS HAD TO DO WITH REFLECTIONS. JUST YES. Ruins - 1, Sapph - 2! And then the room opens up ( Was I the only one who verbally 'squee'd at the hand holding?)and the new riddle is revealed. I have to admit, I thought the moon for a minute, but that wouldn't make much sense considering what the other answers have been. Secret, water, reflection - like, moon doesn't fit in that what-so-ever. Then it turns out to be map? Like alright. Ruins - 2, Sapph - 2. And then the actual map is revealed and that made much more sense.

A set of ruins near a town, that doesn't sound too good. To be honest, I'm rather scared for them. If they are anything like these ruins . . I just hope Sionn isn't caught in another death room. Yes, that is what I'm going to call them. Death rooms. I'm with Elona in feeling the dread there.

As for what they should do... Well, I kind of agree with Andy. I don't think there is anything to copy the map onto in the room, so try to memorize it before leaving. Maybe one of them memorize one half and the other goes to the other being? Less to remember, and they could draw it together in the dirt when they leave said ruins.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic   printer-friendly view    Storygames Home -> Storygames: Fantasy All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Page 3 of 6
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group. Forum design by mtechnik, customized by City of IF
All site content © City of IF or the respective storygame authors.   Terms of use
Home   Book   Storygames   FAQ   Greek myth   About   Policies