Adventure On: Finale and Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

Blue

The Mountain

Once they get close enough everything is storm, ice swirls around them, stabbing them like knives. Winds seem to be actively pushing them away, no matter what direction they approach from. Still the crystal wolves walk on, heads down, paws silent, climbing upwards.

The higher they climb the colder it becomes. So cold that ice forms on eyelashes, that air seems to freeze as it leaves their mouths. So cold their chests hurt. They would not be wrong to assume that the only reason they can withstand this at all is because of the SCA around their wrist.

Ice tumbles down around them often, shaking the ground. The crystal wolves know the way and they keep going, steady on the path. They have spaced themselves out, to be in sight of all those who follow.

The Summit

As they finally reach the top of the mountain they reach a calm space, outside of the swirling storm. Domed across the summit is a fire cage, larger by far than any they have seen before. In the middle of the giant fire cage sits a dragon. White and blue, scales that look as if they were made of ice themselves. Their head was bowed, eyes closed but they are breathing, breath escaping in clouds of freezing mist that evaporated in the heat of the cage.

Around the cage itself are ice elementals, outside the storm these can be seen by the snow they whirl around inside them, each is about three feet tall but fly in a whirlwind as they attack. Like those in the storm they try and push people around and attack with shards of ice. These corrupted spirits seem to have no reason to their attacks, they are just as likely to push a combatant closer to the cage then they are towards the raging storm.

They can be fought, fire works well against them just as ice and cold magic works well against the fire cage itself.

A Sovereign Freed

Eventually the cage stops fighting, fading away into the snow before them. The crystal wolves spring forth, nuzzling at the dragon until they raise their head. Piercing blue eyes look over the group and the dragon bows their head once. They take a deep breath and breathe out over those assembled, cold fire washes over them, healing any hurts that they have, easing their fatigue som

The crystal wolves bow their heads too, a thank you. Aerlie flaps their wings, rising high into the air. Another breath of cold fire flies out around the area, clashing with the storm for a moment before overtaking it. Around the mountain the storm calms, the ice elementals stop and seem to sink into the snow or fade into the air. The mountain descends into a calmness.

The crystal wolves will approach all those who helped free them, nuzzling into their hands, a personal thank you before a shimmering gate opens for the adventurers to step through.

Red

Final Siege

It’s been a tiring three days of protecting the crystals from the creatures that sought their power. But now, as their power is fully recharged it is time to return them to the border. That is going to be a tougher job than getting them to the volcano’s heart in the first place!

They thrum with power and that power is a siren call to the creatures of the area, fire dogs, lizards, fire sprites. Just as the mountain attacked inside the heart, here the spirtes join with the rivers of lava to flood pathways, block routes, making it harder to cross already treacherous territory, or even driving them into traps of waiting fire dogs.

The heat is oppressive, heat from around them, heat from the crystals seems to sap the energy from those carrying them and so the duty is best shared.

Eventually though they arrive at the border, a mess of melted ice and frozen lava. Each of the crystals need to be replaced.

Restoring the Border

Replacing the crystals is a little more complicated than taking them was. Each one needs to fuse with the holder it sits in. It doesn’t take any skill, just someone to hold it in place for a moment whilst the two fuse together and the magic is channelled into the ground.

Holding a crystal in place is a little more difficult when being attacked by the creatures. The fire creatures keep up the attack until all of the crystals have been replaced.

The Land Repaired

When the last crystal is in place there is a ripple across the land. An invisible line, an ancient magic, connects the crystals, seperating the two lands. Ice recedes from lava and the melted snow refreezes. The borderlands of slush undergo transformation as the two elements separate from each other once more. A land of fire and a land of ice, with a pulsing magic separating the two.

The firedogs and lizards retreat, fire elementals calm and join with the lava streams once more. A shimmering gate opens.

Orange

An Important Message

The Huma birds have been carrying crystals and helping the harvesters, protecting them from the blighted birds and encouraging them to work hard.

But those returning to the floating islands on the afternoon of the eleventh day of Horseshoe come bearing black cloth bags in their talons, each has a scroll attached. The Huma birds will make it very clear they are to read the scroll first.

DO NOT OPEN THE BAG UNTIL NIGHT FALLS

Inside this bag are rare crystals. When they are exposed to the light of the sun they will cause the islands to sink back to the ground. After the sun has set tonight please distribute these evenly around the islands and then depart back down to the land below before sunrise. The lands natural magic will do the rest but we do not recommend being on the islands when they fall.

Thank you for your hard work.

The Adventurers Guild

With a long night ahead they may wish to rest for the remainder of the day.

Distributing the Crystals

If they do as they are asked then it will be a long night, there are many chunks of islands and a lot of crystals to distribute. The darkness makes it harder and the blighted birds seem even grumpier in the cover of darkness.

The wind sprites also are not resting and indeed seem delighted that playtime has been extended into the hours of night. Placing crystals is difficult when the Voidtreckers find themselves swept up into the air to dance around the trees.

Getting down by sunrise may be a little trickier than placing the crystals, especially if they have used up their flight potions, but hopefully there are enough people to help everyone get to safety.

Islands Fall

The sun rises, as the first rays of light hit the island they begin to vibrate, shudder. Then one by one they begin to fall, rapidly and chaotically. It is perhaps wise to not be anywhere near the crater as they do so.

They land in a crash of dust, which obscures the area. When the dust clears however they will see a perfect undamaged land. The pieces have fit back together, exactly where they should be, despite the chaos. The land is repaired and whole once more. Huma birds call excitedly as they dart through the air, their land restored.

A gate opens, for them to step through if they wish.

Purple

A Cure

It is day ten of Horseshoe when the first Huma birds fly into the village, they carry crystals either in bags in their talons or in their beaks.

The villagers clearly know what is going on for they welcome the birds and take the crystals thankfully. Anyone not currently fighting or purifying crystals is brought in to help distribute cures.

Actually curing someone is easy, it just requires the crystal to be touch an affected person or creature. The crystals are only good for one cure so those curing the blighted will be required to carry a few and run them to the villages.

Others can take crystals out into the woodland, looking for blighted animals to help.

A Final Fight

All but one of the golems have been found, defeated and restored. The final one has been elusive, not approaching the village or even the nearby woodlands.

The restored golems are back to standing vigil in each village, ready to deal with any attack that may occur.

But when an attack comes, it is not on a village, but on the shrine in the centre. A golem, three trolls and a host of animals, some blighted, some just angry. They attack in the early morning, the villages awoken by shouts and sounds of battle.

Luckily the blighted creatures can be healed, angry animals can perhaps be soothed. The trolls cannot be soothed though and will indeed try to rile up the animals again, to cause as much chaos as they can.

Peace Once More

Once the final golem is taken down, the crystal restored and the trolls defeated there is a quiet comes across the villages. Those who were blighted are cured, the golems are back in their place as guardians of the village and thanks to the adventurers the villages have gotten through this time with minimal damage.

The villagers thank the adventurers, tell them to come and visit whenever they are in the area. A gate opens, for any voidtreckers who wish to return to Royal Lake Hill.

Royal Lake Hill: All Teams!

They return to the tavern, each to the inn that they set off from. The town is a little busier now, more areas have recovered from the blight and it has brought more trade into the town. Everyone is still relatively elderly or young, non fighters. But the market is bustling, there is even a puppet show going on in the square.

Around midday a beeping of their SCA will show a dot on their map where the Voidtrecker Express has landed, not far out of town, and a message. You may remain here until sunset.

It is up to them whether they wish to return to the train or spend the rest of the day in the town. For those staying in town they will find word of their deeds have preceded them and they will find no end of young, wide eyed, budding adventurers ready to buy them a drink or two in exchange for stories.

Comments

[light_of_willpower]

Babe? So not helping his blush at all, as it deepens. Turning his head slightly to watch her, he does tense slightly at her touch. Not in a bad way, but more as a reaction to how close she is.

It was one thing to be close in combat. This...this was different.

Over at the counter, the shopkeeper just shakes their head, amused.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie is aware of the shopkeeper's amused attention. But she ignores it for now. Right now all she wants to focus on is Trunks.

She leans over to plant a kiss on his cheek as she finishes fastening the last strap. Then pulls to the side to whisper in his ear.

"There's another one where that came from. Turn around and let me look at you."

[light_of_willpower]

There was a pleasant shiver down his spine with the kiss and whisper. Words are still not coming to him, and he's definitely blushing. It doesn't seem to matter much, right then though, as he turns around. Keeping his arms out and trying to relax, so she can look. Trying to not fidget nervously.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie holds her breath as he turns around. And keeps holding it for a little while. Even as she catches it, her expression is filled with warmth, softness, and even a little awe.

She's a little lost for words herself now. So instead she'll give her feedback in the form of that kiss she'd promised him. A nice, long, and passionate one, with her arms wrapped around him.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks' eyes widened for a second, before closing as he responded to her. Ignoring his blush, ignoring that they're in a public shop, ignoring everything but a very pretty girl whom he respected and connected with and admired and enjoyed the company of in his arms. Hesitantly at first, then more fully, wrapping his arms around her and focusing on that kiss. And on her.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie doesn't have to ignore them. In this moment, the longest, truest kiss they've shared, they don't exist. Only he does.

She'd been wondering when the moment would come when it no longer felt too soon to use the "b-word" to describe him. This definitely feels like it. She still has the same soft smile on her face when she finally pulls away.

"You look...dashing."

[light_of_willpower]

"I'll absolutely take that as a compliment." His voice was quiet, soft, maybe there had been a pause while he tried to form words. Trunks reached up to brush her bangs back softly. To brush her cheek softly.

"It's also nice. To see you in something that isn't combat focused." Blue-eyes still focused just on her.

There was a throat clearing in the background.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's face, already quite warm and bright, brightens still more at his touch. She looks into his eyes, just smiling. For once, she doesn't feel there's any words she needs to add.

Aaaand then the shopkeeper chimes in.

"I take it this means you'll be buying it then?"

His expression is a barely-suppressed deadpan smile.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks head ducks, face outright flaming even while blue-eyes stay on Cassie. Feeling his heart speed up just a bit at that smile. That warm and fuzzy feeling increasing.

"We'll be buying all 3 items." It would take the bulk of his money left, but it was worth it.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's head turns a little as her face flushes. She's more amused by it than embarrassed - she'll credit the shopkeeper's sense of comic timing, if nothing else. And the kiss had been more than worth the joke at their expense.

She turns back to him, keeping her voice low. "Let's ring this up and take this somewhere more private. Sound good?"

[light_of_willpower]

"Definitely." He can easily feel the heat in his face, mostly from embarrassment. Worth it, but definitely embarrassed. "Let's not forget our other clothing too, since it does belong to the train really."

It was hard to pull away. To let her go, and unwind his arms from around her. Trunks swallowed, moving away reluctantly to gather up his other clothes and pull out his money pouch.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie does likewise, gathering her own clothes and money pouch, the latter just in case it's needed. Needless to say, she'd been rather disinclined to pull away herself, so she keeps close to him as he approaches the counter.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks looks around briefly, and grabs a larger backpack-type-sack to put their old clothing into. What will fold up, anyways. His sword slipped back over his shoulder and back, the purchases take up most of his remaining cash. Which is fine with him, honestly.

His mind is not necessarily on the money. It's on Cassie, and wanting to spend more time with her, and should they go back to the train or have one more meal in town?

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's right by his side, leaning a little against his shoulder as she takes his hand in hers. And wouldn't you know it, her mind is on the same thing.

"Think we've got time for one more pint for the road?"

[light_of_willpower]

"I'm pretty sure I can fly fast enough for us to make the train if needed." Still blushing, backpack over the opposite shoulder from his sword, carrying most of their old clothes. Cassie had what remained in her other hand.

Turning his head slightly, to gently nuzzle hers where she leaned against his shoulder. "So yes, we have time."

[nutkrusher]

Cassie hums contentedly.

"Wouldn't mind getting scooped up in your arms and flying away even if we're not up against the clock."

[light_of_willpower]

Maybe some other time; the idea made him want to blush more but also made his heart sing briefly. The 'friend' part of Cassie being his girlfriend was the most important to him. But Trunks having a girlfriend was still new, and scary and wonderful, at times like this.

"And here I thought you'd suggest a race." Trunks teased gently, ignoring his blush to kiss her hair. Then he really did have to focus on where they were going.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie shuts her eyes and sighs gently as he kisses the top of her head.

"That does sound like fun," she says. "My idea's got two winners, though."

[light_of_willpower]

"Besides, what if I want to be scooped up in your arms and flown away, hmm?" Once again, he is trying to learn to tease her. This may backfire on him.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's smile widens. "You're a fountain of great ideas, Trunks."

She plants a kiss on his cheek.

[light_of_willpower]

"Sometimes. Not always" Ducking his head, definitely bright red in a blush. But her hand was squeezed warmly. They were almost at one of the taverns.

[nutkrusher]

"Well, now you've got me to handle the other two percent of the time."

Cassie winks, then turns her gaze toward the tavern door. They have now reached the Opening Doors chapter of the Boyfriend Experience.

[light_of_willpower]

"Trying to play to my ego?" Trunks asked, only half-teasing her in turn. One more squeeze of her hand before he let go reluctantly. Moving to get the door for her--that was part of the Boyfriend Experience, right?

[nutkrusher]

"Heh. Guilty."

She nods, a playful half-curtsy, as she walks through the opened door.

"Why, thank you."

[light_of_willpower]

"Of course!" Trunks grinned. "While I know you are also perfectly capable, I was taught it is polite to open a door for others. Especially a lady." He might be teasing her.

The tavern is even more crowded than before, considering all the visitors and slightly festive mood.