SOUL FORGE (CLOSED)

The thought of her old appartment was only depressing to Alex - especially now that she was in a castle of all places - so she tuned out the conversation about rent and the currency exchange value of gold to dollars. She remembered something Hazel had said the night before. "Hey, you studied mythology, right?" she asked, turning to the girl next to her, "So you already know stuff about the creatures in this world?"
 
Hazel wasn't sure if she liked the idea of a twin version of herself running her life, but it would have to do. It wasn't as if she could just call them from here anyway. She perked up at Alex's question. "Well, I'm a freshman this year so I don't know everything. Apparently, there's a lot here from Greek mythology." Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Some Celtic mythology as well! There's a ton of things here from the myths." Then a thought came to her. She looked to Victor. "I'm actually kind of surprised that you guys kept yourselves hidden. How come our world doesn't know you exist?"
 
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Victor listened to Hazel and Alex talk, wondering what a 'freshmen' was before Hazel asked her question. He sat forward, eager to answer. "You do know we exist in a way. Evidence of our visits are told through your stories and history. Your ancestors just may not have fully understood what and who we were. Take your account of Arthur Pendragon and the Olympians for example. You've seen us and known us for a very long time. We were just...misunderstood."

"I am glad uther is dead. He really was very anti-magic." James looked around at the mostly clear plates. "I shall start making dessert."

Alex chuckled. "Uther isn't the only person in human history to be anti-magic..." She paused for a second and a slightly mortified look passed over her face. "Wait a minute... all the eh, witch burnings that took place in the middle ages... those weren't Otherworlders, were they?"

"Mostly no, many non witches were burned, but wendalyn the weird got burned a few dozen times, so the ratio is quite offset."

"And she was called 'the Weird' because she enjoyed the feeling of getting her skin singed off or is there more to that story?"

"Spell made it tickle for her. Actual witches are pretty hard to kill."

"Well, then I guess it's a good thing I wasn't planning on killing any witches anytime soon," Alex joked.

"I am actually making a mystical lexicon that includes how to kill them. You all should read it. Stabbing a werewolf with a golden runic spear is a surefire way to die early on. That actually brings me to my next point nicely." He said, walking into the kitchen and speaking louder. "While your forge weapon may be a lot, one cannot rely on them alone, so we will be teaching you all a form of melee combat as well as some archery or throwing knife training. One of us should also know their medicines and victor has agreed to manage that." The sound of sudden fire and crackling.

Alex nodded. "Sounds good to me, I need to learn how to use Coraxe anyway..." She looked down at the sheathed dagger on her belt. "I mean, what's the use of a sentient knife if you can't even stab anything with it, right?" she said with a grin.

"Just how long are we planning on training?" asked Eyrth.

"As long as we can," Victor said, "Lady, James and myself have left a few traps and there are a few strongholds that have kept the Shadows from expanding, but there's no telling how long those will hold out. They could fall any day. That being said, James and Lady wouldn't simply throw you into battle."

"Well... How long do you expect us to have as an estimate? If we are so short on time we should be starting now."

Alex held up a hand. "Hold up. I do hope by now you mean after dessert." She looked curiously in the direction of the kitchen, where James had disappeared to. "I mean, we can't forge weapons without sugar in out bloodstreams, right?"

Victor chuckled at Alex as Emee ran around Eryth's shoulder, obviously still fueled by Shurlock Tea and excited over the prospect of dessert. "I think we have some time, but even I can't say for certain," Victor answered, still laughing a bit.

More sounds of cooking and a shout came from the kitchen. "I need a watermelon and a cantaloupe fast! there is a cantaloupe in my room if we do not have any in the pantry!"

Victor gave the kitchen door a concerned look as James called from within. He had a sneaking suspicion a mess was being made. At least the old swords man cleaned up after most of them. "Emee?"

The jittery house sprite perched on Eryth's head froze at the sound of his name and his wild eyes fixed on Victor. "Mind getting the cantelope from James' room, please? I'll give you some of my dessert."

Emee's nose twitched as he considered the proposal and then he leapt from Eryth's head, turning invisible, and skittered down the hall.

The only evidence he was going down the hall came from the exuberant squeaks. "Dessert! Cant-lope! Ery!" A few moments later, a loud crash was heard from the end of the corridor. Emee appeared back in the hallway rolling the tan colored melon with his forepaws over the stone floor.

James looked over at victor and put a non-pan-holding finger to his mouth and went back to shaking it. He then started mincing the watermelon with his offhand and head nodded for victor to head into the ice room. "You guys got any allergies?"

"Just Aspratame, but I don't think you have any of that here."

Victor shook his head at James' chromed face peeking through the doorway to the kitchen. He was a solider at heart and maintained the attitude when it came to food. "I'll eat just about anything."

James repeated the nod as he started to place the watermelon slices in containers (no reveals ;)) and whispered to victor. "PSSST. Get the tub."

Emee rolled the cantelope into the doorway and bumped the melon against the heel of James' boot. "Cant-lope! Dessert!"

"Emee, white bucket in cold room. Grab it by the handle and bring it to me please." James picked up the cantelope and started working with it aswell.

"Treat?" the house sprite mewed back with his eyes trained eagerly on James

"Ill bump up the portion of victors to your own separate all for yourself."

Emee ran up James leg and over his shoulder purring happily before bouncing off and disappearing altogether. There was a crash from the cold-closet to James' right and the door gave a violent shudder in its hinges as if something had hit it with a fair amount of force. Emee appeared on the other side of the door, though it had never opened, with bucket in paw. "Dessert!"

James took the pale and politely shooed them out before splashing noises and a semi-loud "Dammit." more splashing and the sound of glasses chinking. Some thuds later he came out with 5 hot fudge sundaes topped with cut strawberries containing pomone powder. "Fudge is made here, from scratch, so enjoy it. I will return with our drinks." He came back with 5 watermelon and cantaloupe (and honey) slushies, one glass with a wider top he placed next to Victors. "Enjoy."

The soldier grinned as he picked up a spoon. He had never had treats quite like the ones from the human world. Lady had brought him back chocolate bars and some kind of tasty pastry called a do-knot. Or had she called it a do-nut? He dug into the treat and his eyes grew wide as he put the spoon to his tongue. Cold, and fruity. Delicious. He would have to remember these ice cream Sunday's for when he got to visit Hazel in the human world.

Emee scurried to the bowl next to Victor's and looked to him questioningly.

"I think that one is for you," Victor chuckled to the house sprite.

The furry creature eeped a sound of delight and dove his paws into the cold cream picking up a quickly melting handful before slurping it down.

"Well, that isn't very exotic." Eryth said, quickly realising how he sounded. "Not that I'm complaining, it looks great, thank you James."
 
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Hazel sipped her slushie; savoring the refreshing melon flavor. "Huh," she replied thoughtfully. Misunderstood? Why? She resolved to ask Victor about it more later. She smiled as Emmee enjoyed his creamy treat. She finished the last of her slushie and pushed the cup away from her. "These are amazing. So, shouldn't we be headed to the Forge here pretty soon?"
 
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After Alex swallowed the last bit of ice-cream, she turned to James. "Is there any way we can prepare ourselves for the Forge?" she asked. The nerves were starting to kick in now, causing a tingling feeling deep in her stomach.
 
"I can't think of any," Victor replied with a slightly apologetic look, "What happens when a candidate enters the Forge has been a deeply held secret. Guardians will not talk of what they see or do inside and so I dont think there is any true way to prepare."

"I can only give you cryptic things, like expect what you least want to expect. Or be ready to see what lies beyond your imagination..... Hard to really describe what happens... just be sure to read the terms and conditions," James added, "Oh and found this one on a wall somewhere, 'To find what lies without, one must search within.'"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Well honestly, that just… made me have more questions that I already had, but I suppose that’ll start making sense once we’re inside the Forge..." Alex paused for a second, repeating James’s words in her head. "One thing, though – and I can't believe I'm about to say this because I have never in my life read the terms and conditions for anything – but where can I find these ‘terms and conditions’?”

Victor looked confused at James' answer and Alex's question. "What is-" His words were interrupted by a the flutter of wings and a sharp crow as Raina landed on the back of Alex's chair. Her plumage ruffled as her keen eyes peered over the group. "I think it's time."
 
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"It's time go into the Forge," Victor said as he rose from his chair, and grabbed his crutch, "I'll take you down stairs where Lady is waiting. I think she wants to talk with you before you enter. You can just leave the dishes and follow me."
Expecting them to follow, the young soldier started making his way down the long corridor to the right of the hall. Soft glowing and flame-less sconces lit the way as he lead them down the spiral stair case at the end of the hall and into the 3rd level where the massive oak door carved with the symbol of the Soul Forge waited.
Unlike the last time Alex and Eryth had come to this floor , the massive door was open wide. Welcoming them.
Victor didn't hesitate before leading them inside the circular room. A dome ceiling above was painted with a glittering blue paint that sparkled in the gentle light of the sconces lining the walls in between old weapons and tapestries. Curved wooden benches, surrounded a polished, wooden dais in the center of the room giving the effect of ripple in a pond. In the middle of that ripple was Lady.

She stood on the dais in a navy blue tunic with the silver laurel leaf pin at her collar. Her hair was neatly braided down her back and her hand stayed steady on Sperest's pommel. She wore a small smile, not giving away her own nerves for the three of them. She had chosen well. There were no doubts about their potential, but the fact remained their lives would be in her hands more than once before this was over. A fact she was keenly aware of. Still she would show no fear, and do her best to protect and lead them. Her eyes met James' silver face before she cleared her throat and addressed the three new recruits.

"Welcome to the Panel Room," she said, "For those who have not see this room. This is where meetings of every Guardian in Otherworld would meet. Where justice was met and the guiding panel of Guardians would convene. It is also the entry point into the Soul Forge. Tradition would have warranted all of the Guardians available to see you off. There would be pageantry and fanfare. I wish I could have given that to you."

She paused and took a moment too look at each of them. Eryth with his olive toned skin and kind, brown eyes with Emee perched comfortably on his shoulder. Hazel with her long dark hair and cheerful aura. Alex with her pale skin and discerning eyes, filled with questions and the search for answers.
These were the Guardians that would save the Otherworld. They were not from the first-guardian families... they were not all first born....they were not even from Otherworld.
And they were no less worthy than anyone who had stepped into the Forge before them.

"There is nothing I can say that will prepare you for what awaits inside the Forge," she continued, "But I can say this: Not everything is as it seems. Keep and open mind. I chose each of you for a reason and I have faith in all of you."

Lady nodded to them and then drew Sperest from its sheath, letting the sound of ringing metal echo through the dome. The silvery Soul Forge weapon was glowing more brightly than anyone had before, almost as if it were humming from the power flowing through it. She stepped to the side and tapped the tip of the blade to the dais.
As soon as the two objects met, the room dimmed revealing runes. Intricate, swirling characters covered the decorated walls, the flagstone floor, the glittering ceiling, and the wooden dais, making it come alive with bright blue script. The entire room seemed to tingle with a crackling energy.
She stepped down from the center as the glow consumed the dais completely and then faded, revealing a circular opening in the floor with stairs leading downward. The walls were lit with more of the blue writings as they descended out of sight.

"Good luck, my friends," Lady said as she invited them to step forward into the Forge.

(feel free to respond individually in thread or in chat! thanks!)
 
"I guess this is it then." Eryth said, petting Emee on the head absent-mindedly. "We'll see you on the other side then, mate."

Eryth walked down the steps, keeping a hint of courage on his face despite the second-thoughts crossing his mind. Still, Lady's words gave him strength. He was needed here, he could help. This is what he needed to do.
 
Alex had listened carefully to Lady’s speech; It was strangely moving. She didn’t know what to say, and the realization of how serious the situation really was struck her hard this time. She didn’t spare much thought on the irony of Lady’s words almost having more effect on her than the appearance of the Baku.
As she looked in the direction Eryth had just disappeared to, down the stairs, she felt as if she was staring into an bottomless pit. Her stomach turned, but she felt herself moving forward regardless. Lady’s speech felt final, and Alex didn’t think any more words needed to be shared… Until one more thing occurred to her. She turned to Lady.
“If something does go wrong… in whichever way, please make sure my parents know. I don’t care what you tell them, just… don’t give them a doppelganger daughter for the rest of their lives.” The thought of her parents only increased the nausea Alex felt. She didn’t wait for Lady's response and turned to the stairs leading down to the Forge. It was now or never. “Well… bye,” she said shakily, and she too walked down the steps.
 
Hazel stood and watched as the others deascended down the steps. Now, it was her turn. Her heart was pounding in her chest. This is it. She hopped it would be worth it. She also hoped that this wouldn't kill her. But it was a bit late for that now. She took one last look behind her. "Well, wish me luck." She tried to sound cheerful but her throat caught. She was more scared than she would care to admit. She swallowed and descended down to what awaited her below
 
Once Hazel stepped onto the fifth stair behind the others the entrance closed leaving them in the cool blue light of the runes etched on the walls. There was no going back.
The stairs descended lower, feeling endless, until a strange green light could be seen rippling at the bottom. At the end of the stair case was a stone ledge roughly 15 feet across. Beyond that, a black pool of water shimmered in the green light which came from emerald flames lining the entirety of the room. At the back of the pool were 3 obsidian pedestals emerged from the water, each holding up a creature. All three creatures were humanoid in some ways, but grotesquely deformed in others. The one on the left had an extra arm. The middle carried a distended belly and had no neck. The creature on the right had no legs at all. All had grey, mottled skin save for large, yellow pustules and all seemed to be writhing in pain.

Sitting regally between the three recruits and the pool guarding these wretched creatures was a large cat. Not just any cat, a lioness with golden fur and bright yellow eyes. One might mistake her for being from a human zoo, except that this lion's fur became shiny crimson scales on her chest and down her belly. Emee dove into Eyrth's shirt at the sight of the large predator and burrowed down as he shivered in fear.

The cat's eyes roamed over the three of them, weighing and measuring with a look of mild amusement.

"It is entry into the Soul Forge you seek?" she said in a deep voice, "This is not a place for the weak."

Eryth couldn't keep his eyes off of the repulsive creatures on the far side of the pool. "It is, yes. What... What are those?"

The lioness' tail flicked absently as she looked to the man. Her sharp eyes bore into him as if she had expected something different but knew the same would come. "The monsters you see," she said in her velvety purr,"are from above and they are in agony."

We can see they’re in agony, alright,” Alex mumbled. The creatures were repulsive, but the Baku had prepared her for that much. Her nerves hadn’t diminished by much, but there was a significant difference in her mentality now. In her mind she had already made peace with whatever would happen next. She felt prepared. She finally tore her gaze away from the writhing creatures to face the feline creature. “What do you mean, ‘from above’?” she asked.

The lioness rose to her feet and took a long, luxurious stretch, extending her sharp claws, before meandering over to the three of them. She circled them slowly, inspecting them, before stopping in front of Alex and sitting. Her scaled chest glittered in the green fire light.

"You are afraid," she said, ignoring Alex's question, "Yet a decision you have made. More must come. These creatures belong from whence you three came but cannot leave on their own."

Alex’s eyes flickered between the feline and the creatures. From whence they came…? These creatures couldn’t possibly be human, could they? If so, what on earth happened? Alex felt her nausea rise again. She urged herself relax. “What happened to them?” she asked tentatively.

"I cannot say," the lionness, replied with a rumble, "They have been long lost on the way. Sad beings, who long to leave, though help has been denied."


Eryth took his eyes off of the beings, looking at the lionesse. There was something alluring about her, something... "Can I pet you?" Eryth asked, not quite thinking straight before his mouth was moving.

The lioness stood and walked over to Eryth, circling him like a predator her tail whipping back and forth. As she passed behind him, she suddenly rubbed against him nearly knocking him over.

"A pet I am not," she purred, "But you may scratch my ears."


Eryth just about giggled in excitement as he lifted his hand up, scratching the lionesse where she permitted. "Sweet as."

The cat purred as he scratched until the comment and then rubbed past him, away from his pets, and bumped him playfully with her flank. "You flatter," she purred.

****

When the entry way closed, the Panel room's normal illumination returned and the runes faded away. Being so close to the Forge made Sperest hum with power and Lady felt it lessen when the dais returned. She sheathed her blade, trying to disguise her shaking hands, and looked to James.

"Now, all we can do is wait my friend. They will be down there for awhile. Perhaps we should take the time to train, or write?"


James looked up from his folded arms and moved to the center of the room. "More stories?"

"That would be a welcome distraction," she replied

James went over to his room and grabbed his sketchbook, heading over to lady and sitting on air. After giving her the extra watermelon drink, he turned to one of his last empty pages in this second book and started sketching the scene of them all eating the icecream.

When James returned to the Panel Room and handed her the strangely cold drink, she looked at it curiously before trying a sip. It was light and sweet, but the cold sent a dull ache through her ahead. "What is this? She chuckled as she rubbed her temples, "It's wonderful."

Watermelon slush. Try not to drink it too fast, it will give you what we call at the overworld call brainfreeze."

"I see what you mean," Lady said, before taking another delicious sip, "Thank you."

She sat on one of the benches near James as he sketched and ran her fingers over Sperest's pommel absently. "Tell me another story from your world?"
 
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Hazel stared in horror at the grotesque figures before them. Her breakfast churned in her stomach. It took all her will-power not to throw up. These where once human. When Eyrth went to pet the lioness Hazel tried to stop him
"Um, I don't think-" But it was too late he was already scratching her behind the ears. S She stared in shock. Instead of biting his head off the the lion started to purr. She looked over to Alex with a mix of concern and fright. Then she looked back to the lion.
"Why are you holding them here? Why can't they leave? Don't you see they're in pain?" She didn't like what she was seeing. These people where in pain why wasn't anyone helping them? A sickening feeling settled in her stomach. What if we're to become like them?
 
The Lioness slipped past Eryth and padded over to Hazel, looking her over with the same sharp, yellow-eyed stare.

"Girl, you assume," she growled, "I am not what keeps them in this room."

Then she turned away from Hazel and walked casually over to the waters edge and sat back on her hind legs. Her front paws braced against an invisible barrier, keeping her from drawing any closer to the edge. "The waters I cannot cross, to help those who are lost. If not me...perhaps you three."

She dropped back down to all fours and turned to the three of them. With a wave of her paw, some of the green fire along the wall to their far left fizzled out revealing a circular door of simple dark wood with no locks. "Of course you are free to leave if you so desire, the exit is there between the fire."

"Oooh."Eryth said, a realisation coming over him. "This must be the first test thing. Well, how do we save those things across the water then? Carry them back here or something?"

The cat laid down on the ledge again, her tail curling beside her. "I am just the keeper of the exit I have shown. Feel free to help them on your own. Be warned however, that danger awaits on the other side, should you try."
 
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PANEL ROOM:

James thought for a moment before starting to sketch a two panel picture. "There was this one time I was with my sister out getting supplies for the month when this kind man dropped his wallet without him knowing, so I picked it up and handed it back to him... And he gave me $20! That's about... two steak dinners with sides and drinks, for reference. So big sis and I went over to the cheap candy place and we ordered all sorts of delicious stuff. Bars of chocolate, gummy animals, these little suuuper sour little tiki things, It was so fun." James talked with a light and exited tone, as though he was that kid again. "And with the spare money we bought more rations then normal so I could go play with the other kids and that was fun. We played tag- the touching one, and hide and seek, this game where you sort of role these star things called jax in a circle. That was definitely one of the best days of my childhood." He turned over the book to reveal a black and white of the candy store.

Lady listened to him talk excitedly. There were things she recognized in his story...candy...chocolate...games... There were things she did not understand..tiki things...jax... even still she enjoyed listening to James' happy memories. They had exchanged many stories over the course of the past year and his happiest ones were her favorites. When he flipped the sketch around it revealed a shop filled with different kinds of treats and his sister etched inside with a cheerful expression. Lady smiled at the depiction and then at James.

"I find that those kinds of whimsical days are rare," she said, "But that's what makes them so enjoyable. Thank you for showing me this, James."
 
Alex smiled a little glumly at the situation. Letting Eryth pet her had taken away any intimidation factor the lioness had had. Alex felt her nerves fade because of it, which allowed her to look at the situation more clearly.
This was the first test, as Eryth had said. Now the only question was what exactly the test was all about. Maybe it was about the dangers they would find on the other side of the water. But if that was all there was to it, they wouldn't be given a choice now, would they? Alex wasn't a hero, and she didn't enjoy lying to herself. She didn't feel that compelled to help the creatures on the other side of the room, not like Hazel and Eryth seemed to be. The question of what had happened to them still floated through Alex's head, but now it was paired with the question of what they had done to deserve it. Alex couldn't imagine them being fully innocent. That is, if any of this was real in the first place. However, despite her reasonings, she didn't take a single step towards the exit.
It was a test and Alex wasn't an idiot. Simply taking the exit was too easy. Their objective in this Forge was to get out of it alive, with a weapon. In the time since she had entered Otherworld she hadn't been made aware of any alternatives. So really, there wasn't much room for choice, was there? Alex sighed deeply.
"We didn't just walk down those painfully long steps just to be scared away by the word 'danger'," she mumbled. She glanced over at Eryth and Hazel to see if either of them was willing to take the first step.
 
Eryth stepped forwards, squatting by the side of the water and looking to see how deep the water was.

His mind was shifting to be more like himself in the clinical setting. Help was for everyone, regardless of deformity, injury, illness, or anything else. The beings, the people on the other side of the water needed their help.
 
Hazel walked over next to Eyrth.
"I was a lifeguard for a summer back in highschool." She eyed the pool warily. "I could swim across and bring them over." As long as nothing in there tries to eat me.
 
The wretched creatures continue to writhe and moan across the lake, trapped on their pedestals. A blackened eye from the creature on the far left caught a glimpse of Eryth and Hazel at the waters edge and all three of his hands reach out depserately.

The lioness watched the two near the barrier, her large body stretched out for a moment, before her sharp eyes landed on Alex. The girl had not moved but she could feel her critical mind working.
She rose from her spot and sauntered over to the pasty-skinned girl.

"Your eyes say much," she said in her deep tones, "Those creatures are unworthy. Don't they look deserving as such? If you find the task too unpleasant, you may always use the exit."
 
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Alex was slightly taken aback. "What, are you psycho-analyzing me now?" she said, not quite able to suppress a slightly annoyed tone. "If you really want to know, it's not a matter of 'worthy' or 'unworthy.' You said they're from the same place we're from. That's all well and good but that doesn't explain how they ended up here. You said you can't help them? Why is that? Most importantly, we have no idea what would happen if we were to cross that water. So really, I don't have enough knowledge to judge them as anything - worthy or unworthy. All I really know is that we're going to be tested." Alex shrugged. "I have no problem helping them cross the water. That doesn't mean I trust them... or you." She felt her face curl into somewhat of a smile. "But hey, who knows. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I have a tendency to do that."
 
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