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Altana's Children; &
Topic Started: Nov 18 09, 7:09 PM (3,969 Views)
Lenna Suzaka
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Fenn was the first up to a small aclove, where he started a campfire. "No need to climb any higher." He said. "The gusts won't pull sand up here. It's bitter cold at night and making camp by the oasis also brings in razor dust... It can cut you up faster than any goblin." He said, reaching down to help pull Alicia up. At least that's one thing you could never top me at, Gareth. I know these deserts like the back of my hand. Always have, always will.
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Tressimir
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Gareth climbed up after Alicia was pulled up, sitting by the campfire. "Nice spot, Fenn. I guess it's worth having someone like you around for this particular reason." He chuckled to himself before leaning aginst a mound of hard-packed sand.
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Lenna Suzaka
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"Huh? Is that the sound of you two actually being together?" Alicia asked with a sudden gasp.
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Tressimir
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"And if it is?" Gareth looked up at the stars, thinking of his younger days.
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Lenna Suzaka
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Fenn simply grunted. "It's the sound of me being mocked."

Alicia only giggled. "Hey, I'm feeling much better. You guys are pretty cool to hang around with when you two do get along."
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Tressimir
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"Thanks." The red mage continued gazing at the stars. These are the same stars I watched with Mira all those years ago. Mira... I miss you.
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Lenna Suzaka
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"You're welcome!" Alicia smirked. "See... now can we start all over? My name's Alicia. Alicia Ralegnon." She held her hand out.
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Tressimir
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"Gareth Reynolds. Pleased to meet you." Gareth took Alicia's hand and shook it with a wide grin. "Now we're a proper band of adventurers!"
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Lenna Suzaka
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Fenn remained silent for several moments. After all the hell... After everything... Am I to reconcile with this man? I know that to end this journey will mean that he will lose what held him to restraint and lead to my end. Simply told, as long as that is the path we hold to, it is inevitable. Yet... He looked at Alicia. The only one I would have to blame on that path would be myself... Defiance of the call is what I deserve. To defy the call to adventure I once sought out so earnestly... Yet, you... You continually drive me to that path... Alicia, yet you do not even know my name... Very well, I will permit to you that, as you drive forward this path with reckless optimism.

"Fenn...

"Fenn Yang Everton." Fenn stated, without a hint of a smile, as he stared at the waxing moon. "And we should rest now."
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Lenna Suzaka
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Alicia lied down and glanced at the downing rays of light.

Kinda ethereal...

"Nice to meet you, Fenn... Gareth. I'm suUUUREEeee..." Alicia loudly yawned in the midst of the sentence, "We'll enjoy this adventure. I'm gonna take a small nap though, since you gave us the solid go to rest." She nodded as she placed her hands flat onto the surface, her head following the motion.
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Tressimir
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Gareth watched as Alicia laid herself down to rest before looking back at the moon. "Don't you think it's about time you told me what went on between you and Mira? I've been thinking back... She said as she died that she would've married me, yet she always seemed to hold you so dear in her heart. It's about time all the secrets are unveiled."
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Lenna Suzaka
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Before Gareth had even began talking, Fenn had disappeared. If there was one thing he could do in the desert, it was leave and not be able to be found until he wanted to be. Another perk of being a desert boy... He thought, off in his own direction. He was still wide awake, the desert sands not bearing on him at all.

Alicia woke up with a small yawn. She glanced over to the half-asleep (or fully?) Gareth and rubbed her eyes. She glanced over to where Fenn was and frowned.

"Fenn?" She called with a low voice. "Where'd he go?" Feeling adventurous, she stretched out her legs and stood, running off.

"I don't know where he could be... It can't be that far off though..." Alicia lowered her head as she continued to run.

After several minutes, she ran into Fenn, who was wearing a new cloak. It was white, practically shiningly so. "... Why did you leave the Cliff? It isn't safe out..."

"Well I uh... wasn't tired and... Oh hey, where'd you get the cloak? I don't recalling you having all the money..." Alicia took a step forward, her eyes scanning over the cloak.

"It's mine. I played a game once... With my sis." He looked up at the stars. "We would bury treasures in the desert sands, gifts for each other. We were kids then, but she was still frail back then..."

"Wait, I thought you told me it was dangerous out here..." Alicia interrupted.

"We grew up in the desert. We knew how to avoid the monsters and beastmen." Fenn said. "You see, I had to watch over her, make sure her illness didn't overcome her."

"Illness... was it really that bad? I mean... I wouldn't have even dragged her out to here if that was the case." Alicia casually responded. "Why are you telling this all to me anyway? It seems that I know more about Mira than the both of you combined!"

"She was defiant... The game couldn't be very fun when you see where she buried all the treasures." Fenn said, a little out of it. "When she was done, I buried mine. There were three each. She found two of mine... I never found any of her three, but... I think she knew that I knew where they were... And knew I was trying to just make her feel better..."

Alicia's eyebrows were raised. "Huh? So wait... did you eventually find all of her gifts?" She found herself asking.

The cloak moved in the wind. "I was actually getting them now..." He said. "Odd though... I have only found two of them... The last one, I don't exactly remember where it was buried. "Perhaps you can help find it... I'll give it to you if you can."

"Uh..." Alicia moved forward, kicking the sand around, "Sure." She then bent over and began to dig around, feeling the gritty earth.

"... If I remember... It was between three trees." Fenn said. The cloak blew in the wind, revealing a silver blade strapped to his side.

"The trees?" Alicia eyed the blade for a split second, but immediately turned her head away. How'd he end up with that? She asked herself as she positioned herself in the midst of trees and began to dig rampantly. Wait, why am I even playing this silly game? Not like I... or he would be able to find the treasure. Don't the sands shift? Someone must've gotten to it by now...


Fenn looked around for a moment. "Why would three trees be so heavy in my mind... There are plenty of trees in the dunes... Unless..." He looked up...

And smiled.

"Red leaves." He said, looking down at the tree trees with red leaves, and saw Alicia in between the three.

"Hm? Haa... hey I think I found something!" Alicia shouted with excitement as she continued to dig with a fierce momentum.

Fenn came up close as the box was completely uncovered. "... Well, you found it, it's yours to open."

"Really?" Alicia's eyes lit as she carefully opened the box.

Inside, was a carefully folded scarf, neither masculine nor feminine in design. It shimmered similarly to Fenn's cloak.

Fenn closed his eyes. "... I had always wondered what came of that scarf... I liked it when she made it... Now I see. I had thought she gave it to him... I'm a little jealous."

Alicia merely shrugged, "You want it? I mean if you're jealous... really, you can take it. I really have no need for it."

Fenn shook his head. "No, you found it, you should keep it. That scarf is one of a kind. Meant to protect from evil intentions." He said. "It's a lucky charm."

"Huh... alright I can keep it..." Alicia threw the scarf around her neck and smiled. "Thank you, Fenn."

Fenn shook his head once again. "You need not thank me. You found it." He said, before looking up at the stars. "... I had thought that would burn a bit more energy..." He sighed. "Well..." He walked up to a tree and started climbing it.

"What are you doing now???" Alicia asked in bewilderment. Ugh, what is up with this guy!?

"Good view from up there." Fenn said.

"I couldn't tell!" Alicia called out. "I can't climb trees!"

"Hm?" Fenn stopped and looked down. He jumped from the tree and landed on the ground beside Alicia. "See those spikes going up the sides of this tree?"

"Yeah... yeah I do." Alicia then scampered up the tree and braced herself against the branches.

Fenn followed her, and before long, the two were in the canopy. "They make these trees easy to climb..." He said before whistling. "Been a long time since I've been up here."

"Did your sister climb these as well?" Alicia asked with a yawn, glancing up at the stars.

Fenn was silent for a moment. "No." He said. "This was my hideaway." He looked around, before laying back, the heavy leaves supporting his weight. "I remember being stuck up here for three days once."

"Without food or water!?" Alicia gasped in surprise. "How'd you manage that? Wait, why were you up here for three days?"

"I was chased by goblins." Fenn said with a laugh. "Oh, by Altana if it hadn't been for their stubby limbs I would have been a goner." He laughed, then reached into the leaves. "I would have starved... Had it not been... For these!" He pulled a squash shaped fruit from the tree. "Try it." He said, knowing the fruit was almost painfully bitter.

"Eh... Okay." Alicia wasn't so casual about her answer, and timidly took the fruit. Carefully she took a huge bite into it...

And immediately spat it out. "Yuck!!! What IS that fruit? Ugh, it's horrible!!!" She continued to spit the remains of the mouthful.

Fenn laughed. "Valkurm Gourd." He said, pulling another. He bit off the stem and spat it out. "The flesh is terrible, but the juice is sweet, almost milky." He said, tilting the hole into his mouth and gulping.

"Eh?" Alicia then glanced down into the hole she created from the bite and crinkled her nose. I don't trust you... but you're drinking it... She thought before she pulled the gourd to her mouth and tasted it. "Hmmm, not bad..." She mumbled before draining the thing.

COULD NOT GET USED TO THIS DESERT LIFE THOUGH...

"Told you." Fenn said with another laugh. He savored the juice from the Valkurm Gourd, before draining it and tossing it down. "The things also fertilize the soil around the tree, making sure it can grow too. That's why nobody takes the Gourds from the trees. In fact, it's a tightly held secret in Selbina..."

Oh, wait... Fenn thought, before bursting out with laughter.

"Well, you kinda just ruined the secret for all Selbinaans..." Alicia raised a brow. "Huh? What's so funny, Fenn?"

"Nothing, I just remembered... Sharing a Valkurm Gourd is how we propose to an outsider..." He laughed. "SO I guess we're hitched!" He said jokingly.

".... WHAT!? Oh no! I'm not ready! Never mind I didn't get a say in the matter!!!?" Alicia was flabbergasted.

Fenn shoved Alicia jokingly. "Relax, I was kidding. Not about the tradition; it's real, but about the hitched thing."

"Oh phew... well be careful next time, geez..." Alicia murmured, rolling her eyes. "Trust me I'm very relaxed."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Fenn asked, pulling two more Gourds from the tree and passing one to Alicia. "Anyways, the bride isn't allowed to mention the Gourds until the honeymoon, so Gareth doesn't know anything about em." He said, biting off the stem of the one he'd kept and spitting it out.

"...So wait... how would he have proposed then to Mira?" Alicia asked with a loud drinking noise.

"I don't know how he did, but he did." Fenn said, pulling a ring from his tunic. "With this..."

"Oh? That ring...? ...Did he propose to you on accident?"

"... As I said, I picked it up during that attack..." Fenn said, before taking a small sip for his Gourd.

"Oh right, sorry... I was kind of joking." Alicia frowned.

"It's fine..." Fenn sighed. "Anyways... Don't tell anyone about the Gourds, alright?" He asked. "And... Well, we should be getting back." He said, finishing off his Gourd then jumping down from the tree.

"Yeah, don't want to worry Gareth." Alicia jumped as well, only not as gracefully. As she landed, she buckled over with a yelp but managed to stand. Damned ankle... She thought as she pulled off a smile. "Ready!"

"Yeah..." Fenn said. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah, couldn't be better!" The smile formed into a grin as Alicia began to walk ahead, albeit slightly sluggish.

"You're hobbling." Fenn said. "Worse than most travelers in the dunes."

"I'm an adventurer, not a traveler." Alicia responded. "Really, let's just go."

"Whatever you say..." Fenn said. He looked Alicia over. Wow... The moonlight on her back... He shook his head. "You're right... Let's go."

Alicia and Fenn eventually made it back rather in silence. Alicia plopped down with a yawn, the shimmering scarf still embracing her neck as she hit a deep slumber.

Fenn stared at Alicia for several moments. "... What am I thinking..." He said to himself, before laying back.

Good night... He thought.
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Tressimir
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As the morning came, Gareth awoke. Looking around, he saw Fenn and Alicia asleep before noticing Alicia's new scarf. Where could she have gotten that? He wondered. Then he stood and faced Selbina. No goblins ever come up here... I could probably go to Selbina and back before they woke up. And so he set off for the dunes' only town, wanting to see Mira's grave one last time.
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Lenna Suzaka
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"Hey... hey Fenn." Alicia shook the man. "Where's Gareth?" She asked, yawning. "He's not here..."
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Tressimir
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Gareth was outside Selbina, looking down at a carved stone set into the sand. It read: Mira Meltai. Dear daughter and sister. Gone far too soon. The red mage clenched his fist and shook his head. "If only I'd been there sooner..." He took a Valkurm Gourd he has taken from one of the trees and cut the stem off before pouring the juice onto the grave. "I know you always liked these. You told me all about them; it's the least I can do to bring you one now."
Edited by Tressimir, Dec 26 09, 9:59 PM.
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Lenna Suzaka
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(Just a reminder, Mira and Fenn have different fathers, and ergo, different last names)

"Probably admiring a stone..." Fenn said, sitting up. He yawned and stretched. "In any case, we'd best get down before we get stiff."
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Lenna Suzaka
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"Yeah... I'm feeling it already." Alicia stretched. "Woo! Already now!"
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Tressimir
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(Oh I thought they had different mothers >< I changed it)

Gareth stood there a while longer, watching the gourd's juice soak into the sand. "I wish I could've shared one of these with you." He then turned and made his way back toward the camp with tears in his eyes.
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Lenna Suzaka
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Fenn skidded down to the sands below and began walking northeast. "Well, we can't visit Selbina now... I'd hate to be the idiot who went that way to get to San d'Oria." Fenn said with a shrug.
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Lenna Suzaka
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Alicia followed along with a raise of the brow. "You think he tried to go ahead of us?" She asked.
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