Author: Dala, Posted: Sun Jan 1, 2023 1:50 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Dala was about to offer to help clean up the camp but Fox Lady was already wrapping up the deceased in a sack of cloth. With her dress safely packed away, she stood and prepared herself for the journey ahead. Although she wasn't able to find that stupid star necklace, she still got paid in the end and knew exactly where she needed to go next. Her little dragon friend Charise, who had been napping in a tree somewhere, flew to her shoulder. Dala jumped to her feet when the campfire site was pulled away by the Fox Lady into a magical stone. If only Dala had a stone like that! She would have to see if she could find one on the markets. Or maybe a temple? The Fox Lady, stoic as ever, turned away from Dala with a single wave bye. 

"Bye Fox Lady!" Dala said, trying to be just as stoic but failing with that big smile on her face. 

Soon the fox lady vanished and Dala turned to her dragon friend. They had money and no longer needed that stupid star necklace. In fact, Dala had a much better idea. The noble lady had been pretty rude to all the adventurers they sent out and even allowed a child to participate, without any supervision. With the money concern handled, the girl went back to her schemes. 

"Hey Charise. Lets go hunt some rats. We could give a gift to that noblewoman." She said with a mischievous smile. 

Her little dragon squealed in delight at that idea. Together they ran off into the bog on a rat hunt, continuing their adventures. 

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 11:37 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Dala’s barely contained glee was suffocating. She practically wept with joy when I handed her the piece; clearly more taken with the piece of fabric than I was. It was a treasure beyond gold for her, and that was something I did not wish to partake in. Not now, at least.

I was there for distraction; not hollow merriment and sentimentality. Last thing I needed was another “friend” that would one day die and leave me behind, so, when Dala asked me to pass on her words to my daughter, I gave a weak refusal.

“If I remember the next time I see her, sure; but it would be better for you to stay alive long enough to tell her yourself.” I packed up the dishes from our meal afterward, and sent them off to the restaurant by portal. After that, I wrapped up the belongings from the deceased in a sack of cloth and prepared to journey back to town with my trophy in tow.

“Anyway, it’s time I get going before this trophy smells even worse,” I said while commanding my firestone back to my hand, “Watch your bum.” Just as quickly as it had appeared, the camp dispersed. The benches sunk back into the bog and the fire snuffed itself out. All that remained was a tiny blue pebble in the center of my palm, one that I pretended to place back in a chest pocket while I really deposited the thing back into my magical vault.

That was the last of my preparations to leave. I turned from Dala back toward the outskirts of the village, and trudged away with a single hand raised limply over my head.

“And goodbye, Dala of the lake.”

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:00 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

"Fair enough." Dala said.

The fox lady was blunt and to the point, they would part ways here. Dala didn't mind since it made it easier to know where the money was coming from. Better to have someone be direct then to lead her on and dance around the issue. The child waited patiently until the fox lady was done with her food, taking a moment to recover from her own digestion issues. Dala began packing up everything into her backpack, getting ready for the next trip to get more money and more food. 

Suddenly, the fox lady reached behind her back and magically summoned or created, Dala couldn't tell, and presented them both to Dala. The young girl was confused for a moment, wondering why the fox lady would be handing her the items. Then the fox lady mentioned Lucina Yamauchi and the girl's eyes widened with realization. It had been a while and for a moment the girl had forgotten all about it. But now she remembered. She carefully took the bag and set it down on her lap. Reaching into the bag, she gently pulled out the dress, high enough to avoid the bog or the ground. The dress was beautiful. 

To anybody else, a dress wouldn't have much meaning. Dala gazed at the silk pink gown made perfectly in every way with eyes starting to water. The fact that Lucina actually remembered her and followed through with her wish… was unfamiliar to the girl. A smile appeared on the girls face as she carefully put the dress back into bag. The girl clutched the bag to her chest as she squealed with glee. 

"This is perfect! Please tell Lucina thank you!" She said, stopping herself from jumping up and down in delight, "I'll take good care of it. Promise!"

The money was just a bonus but the dress was a treasure. The girl still took the money of course but she put it in her bag while still holding the bag with the dress close. 

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 7:16 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

My company wasted no time in consuming her meal once I had given it to her. In fact, she was more like a racehorse than a human child from my observations, scarfing down her food in a way that made even raccoons appear to have better table manners. It was quite the antithesis to my own dining habits as we sat by the fire, but she paid for her eagerness in the end. While I was still quietly munching on some almond chicken with a half-lifted mask, Dala was suffering from indigestion and trying to talk over her irritated stomach.

“So what’s next? Killing another monster or somethin” she asked? I stopped eating for a moment and cleaned my mouth with the included cloth before looking in her general direction.

“Now I finish my food and we part ways,” I told her straightly. “I don’t typically work with other people, kid. Too much trouble, and my trust does not come easily. If we meet again someday, I might hire you again; but I’m not looking for another partner.” Taking another bite of my food, I continued. “Don’t worry about your payment. I have enough silver on me to make due on my promises. But once coin changes hands, I’m gone.”

There wasn’t much food left in my box by then. A few more bites and I was done, but while I was polishing off the rest of my lunch my assistant displayed an ethereal script over my eye.

‘Present owed to Dala,’ that message said, alongside details of a previous encounter that Lucina had had with the girl in question. Apparently sometime in the past my daughter had promised her a dress fit for a princess; but she had never had the opportunity to give her the present in person. Thankfully, the coordinates attached to her note meant I could rectify that mistake.

So I did. Just after I put down my empty box and utensils, I reached behind my back and summoned the items in question: a pouch with payment and a dress sewed by Nea. I presented them both to Dala for her perusal.

“One more thing,” I said while lowering my mask to its normal position. “You met a Lucina Yamauchi in the past, did you not? She promised you a dress during the war with Azathoth.” The dress in question was neatly contained within a bag so that it would not be stained by the bog, and I offered it alongside a money pouch to the child in front of me. “Take it, along with the money I promised.”

Author: Dala, Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 8:54 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Fortunately, her new employer was not interested in the bones of the dead. If she was, Dala would have to jump back in and figure out how to break a bone before she ran out of breath. The second thing the young girl noticed was the box emanating a delicious scent. Her eyes widened and just from the aroma she was already drooling. The second the box was offered, she snatched it and started tearing the box open.

She grabbed the first pork bun and was about to eat it with her hands when Natsumi mentioned proper utensils. Dala slowly put the pork bun down and picked up a fork. Then she tore into the bun like a starved racoon using her fork. The child ate like she was a whirlpool, sucking in the dinner like it was about to vanish at any second. She didn't even bother speaking throughout her meal as her mouth was too busy chomping down on delicious fried rice. Soon the food was gone, and the girl gave out a loud burp. 

"Scuse me." Dala said quickly, "That was delicious!"

For a few moments the girl was happy. Then came the stomach ache from eating all that food so quickly. Unfortunately, fast eaters were rarely rewarded in this world. Still Dala was able to keep a neutral expression and pretend she couldn't hear the grumbling of her upset stomach. A distraction. That was always the cure for her upset stomachs after eating. She stood up and looked at Natsumi with an eager expression. 

"So what's next? Killing another monster or somethin?" She asked. 

Dala had a feeling this "Fox" person wasn't an ordinary monster hunter. Most monster hunters weren't able to fight creatures that strong with that type of speed. Then there was the aura of mystery surrounding the individual. Still, Dala was raised to have supposed manners and knew better than to ask too many personal questions. That was how you ended up dead in a ditch. Dala had little fondness for death or for ditches, so she would do her best avoid it. Still the girl was interested in getting more food and more jobs. 

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 3:34 AM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

For as much as I thought Dala would be little more than an urchin of dubious reliability when I gave her that job, she acquitted herself quite well with it. I watched her for a time, counting each round trip she made into the lake while warming myself by the fire. I was reasonably confident she wouldn’t drown by the 5th, allowing me time to go get our food.

Up north in Baltil, there was a tiny restaurant that I had taken a recent interest in. The proprietor specialized in making portable food that was both delicious and reminded me of home. He had come to know me as a regular, and wasn’t all that surprised when I dropped in an order slip via gate magic. Generally speaking, my favorite orders from him took about 30 minutes to prepare, so I waited about that long before teleporting over to pay in person.

“Thanks for your business,” he shouted over the din of the midday market, to which I responded with a silently raised, open hand. Dala was just finishing up her task when I teleported back from that establishment with hot food in hand, and it wasn’t much longer before she finally brought back the fruits of her labor.

“Well done.” The girl had found 17 trinkets in total, and I verified each and every one based on what I knew about the victims. They were all there, meaning that the 18th corpse my little helper had found was most likely the first victim. “Tragic,” I said to no one in particular - as if my mental dialogue could be heard by anyone present. The part I actually meant to say only came after I reached into the takeaway bag that I had brought back with me.

“No, that won’t be necessary,” I said while grabbing a box from within and offering it to Dala. “Lunch? I ordered some pork buns and fried rice for you. There are utensils inside too so try not to use your hands?” After my assistant had taken the box from me, I returned to my seat and got my own order out. “We can talk more business after you eat. In the meantime, no need to worry about that body down there; especially, if it doesn’t have a trinket.”

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon May 2, 2022 10:45 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

As the stranger, Fox began explaining the task at hand her eyes grew serious as she thought of the people who had gone missing. A trinket to their families would probably be the closest thing these people would get to a proper burial. Dala listened to the awards Fox was offering but she had already accepted the deal in her mind. However, the girl smiled at the idea of getting a free meal.

"Deal." Dala agreed with excited eyes.

She threw off her shoes and dove into the water, creating a massive splash. The young girl kicked her feet and opened her eyes to let them adjust underwater. The hardest part about diving was never the swimming. It was holding the breath that gave most trouble. As she inched closer to the bodies at the bottom of the lake, she spotted fish swimming around and an old piece of rope stuck around a rock. With a bit of nudging, she managed to free the rope and swam back to the surface to take another breath. The girl dove back under and swam towards one of the first bodies. Their clothes were ruined and every piece of flesh had already been stripped away before they arrived.

But she did manage to snatch a broken pocket watch that happened to be laying next to one of the corpses. The initials were on the back so the girl considered this a valuable keepsake. Dala then tied one end of the rope to a rock below and returned to the surface for air. For the rest of them, she used the rope to quickly pull her way to the bottom instead of wasting breath or energy swimming. By the end of it, she managed to collect seventeen keepsakes. Some were personal items like toys and painted photos while others were remaining clothes or jewelry. One even had a golden tooth which she managed to yank from the damaged skull.

Eventually, she swam her way back to the edge of the lake with a collection of items. The eighteenth body was there but it had been the first. The only thing that remained from that corpse was the half-buried bones in the sand. The sun was still high in the sky and white fluffy clouds dotted the sky. Dala knew she would be sore tomorrow from all that swimming and pulling but it would be worth it if she could get some silver and free food.

"Found most of it." Dala said, "There was an eighteenth corpse but it was stripped bare. I could try to go down there and break off a finger bone if you want but there wasn't anything else."

The girl hopped on a wooden bench and began drying herself off by the fire.

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:48 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Natsumi: (regards Dala through the cold visage of her mask) You can call me Fox; and you’ll be fine so long as you can swim. (walks to the edge of the water while she explains the job) Long story short, part of my contract has a stipulation for extra payment based on the number of victims I can confirm. I’ll give you a 40% cut of those fees if you dive down there and fish out whatever keepsakes you can from those bodies. (takes a runed stone from inside her coat pocket and tosses it on the ground to magically form a large campfire with wooden benches) That should net you about 64 silver by the end of the day. While you’re diving, I’ll also make sure to get you a meal. It’s almost lunch time anyway.

{Natsumi sits on one of the benches and pulls out a list of 18 names. They are the names of everyone who went missing, and she shows them to Dala.}

Natsumi: Do we have a deal?

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 8:19 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

"People were disappearing? I mean this is the Feeorin forest so I guess its not that unusual." She commented, "Still pretty fucked up…"

She had little to do with all of this defeating kelpies and saving people. The girl knew she was many things but a hero was not one of them. Being a hero meant having some level of strength. Today had shown once more how pathetically weak she was. The stranger seemed to be aware of the kelpie and had some level of experience with creatures like them. The Feeorin forest was filled to the brim with monsters and creatures, a field day for any monster hunters. Dala looked at Natsumi with surprise when she mentioned a job. 

"Sure. But if I end up dead I swear I'll haunt you." The girl said half jokingly. 

The coin was fine but the food was more important. Normally she could afford some decent food but there weren't any shops or taverns nearby. As for the death, everything she did could end up in her dying. Simply walking down the street on her own could result in death. Anybody and any creature could kill her easily, she wasn't going to pretend otherwise. She had been practicing in the sword but she still knew she wasn't anything in comparison to other fighters. 

"So what's the plan?" She asked, "And what do I call you?" 

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 4:36 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Natsumi: (slings the Redeemer over her back and grabs the coin pouch floating in front of her while listening to Dala) Depends if you’re the source of the local disappearances. I was hired to investigate them and exterminate the cause if necessary. (turns her attention to the lake) Now that the creature’s dead, you can probably see those bones at the bottom of the lake. My guess is that those are the missing people, but I’ll need to look closer to confirm.

[Nat was hardly dressed for swimming in her current attire, and she didn’t particularly want to change around a stranger. But she needed confirmation that the kelpie was the source of the disappearances and not just a convenient scapegoat. That’s when an idea hit her, one involving the strange, mouthy lass she had saved.]

Natsumi: Since you’re already wet, I might have a job for you. If you’re interested, I’ll pay too. Coin and food. What do you say?

Author: Dala, Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 12:30 AM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Blood filled the water as the man's hands fell from her neck. The girl jerked out of the water gasping for air. She coughed up some water then pushed to her feet with a look of fury in her eyes. Pulling herself out of the water, she began to kick the dead kelpie with anger, cursing while she did so. 

"I fucking knew it!" She said after several kicks, "I fucking knew it but I still fell for it. Motherfucker!"

Once she vented all her energy, her dragon took its place on her shoulder and the girl looked over to the new stranger who had saved her. The girl gave her a thumbs up when the stranger took the bag of coins. It wasn't that much cash and the person had just saved her life. Dala looked over the stranger and realized how strangely the person was dressed. A plague mask that covered the head made it impossible to tell what the person looked like. Instead of bothering further, she flopped onto the dry dirt and looked at the sky. Her stomach was still rumbling. 

"There wasn't any real food. At least kill me with a stomach full." She grumbled, "Murderers have no class anymore." 

Her dragon flew into the air and soared towards Nat. The dragon circled her once and then returned to Dala, pulling on her hair to get her up like it was her nanny telling her to stop sulking. 

"Fine fine." Dala pushed herself to her feet then looked over to the stranger, "So are you hunting Kelpies or are you after helpless starving sweet little innocent children too?"

The girl spoke dramatically and placed a hand to her forehead, imitating what she assumed was innocent children. She wouldn't fully know what that was like. 

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 12:00 AM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

[Caught in the stranger’s web of temptation, Dala followed him deeper into the forest. Natsumi followed suit, travelling as quietly as possible from branch to branch till all three laid eyes on the lake.]

Natsumi: (looks out onto a small lake that has a miniature graveyard of bones in its depths) ‘The kelpie guess is looking more likely.`

SAI: ‘All remains seem humanoid. There also appear to be some vestigial articles of clothing and accessories left on the bodies.’

Nat: ‘Or what’s left of them.’ (readjusts her aim now that she’s had to move perches and waits for further confirmation)

[At that moment, the kelpie revealed its form. It tried to drown Dala like others of its kind typically did, but made the fatal error of missing the sniper in the trees.]

Man: (hit in the back at the base of his cervical spine with a large bolt) gurgle (releases Dala’s throat and makes a feeble attempt to grab the projectile before 2 more similarly sized bolts hit him in one of his hearts and one of his stomachs) (crumples over on the lake shore, returning to his true, monstrous form while his blood mixes with the water)

Natsumi: (jumps down from her tree perch and walks for a few seconds before coming into view of the small girl) (silently walks over to the kelpie, points her redeemer at the beast’s neck and severs it with a blade of wind from the bottom cylinder) (takes a hook from her belt, drives it through the roof of the kelpie’s mouth - or rather that of its decapitated head - and fastens it back to her belt) (also telekinetically grabs the sack of coin that Dala had offered the man earlier) You said this is how much your life is worth, so I’ll be taking it instead.

Author: Dala, Posted: Sun May 23, 2021 11:16 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Dala first paid attention to Charise's warning as the baby dragon took a rest on her shoulder. The dragon made a squawking roar, a noise which Dala taught her to give her to indicate more people were around. Instantly the girl looked around the forest for additional people but couldn't see anything. If someone was there then they were too good of a hider for Dala's untrained eyes. The girl's attention returned to the man. 

"Don't call me damsel." Dala said with a level of irritation, "What do you want?"

"Oh! I didn't mean any harm." The man exclaimed, "I merely wanted to invite you to a feast near the lake." 

"Sure. And let me guess, I'm the main menu of that feast?" The girl rolled her eyes. 

Years of being on her own in both Vilpamolan and on her own exploration had taught her to avoid anything offered for free. They often turned out to be traps or some sort of fae trick. There was also that instance of cannibals…which was why she distrusted the man when he mentioned a feast. Her stomach growled and her face grew a little pink as it did. Her acting tough attempts were thwarted by her own stomach. Suddenly the young girl caught the scent of roast chicken, sweet apple pies, and some sort of potato dish. Biting down on her tongue, she tried not to let herself give into her hunger. After a few moments, she had no choice but to check it out. Next time she would eat before travelling. 

"Fine." Dala gave in, "Lets go check out this feast." 

The young girl cautiously followed the man towards the lake. The strange man had a rapier and yet he was in a forest. The girl wondered why he had such a weapon where an axe would be more appropriate. She couldn't find it in herself to vilify him completely, he did help her out earlier which was more than what most people would do. Still there was something in the back of her mind that was telling her to be careful. They arrived at the beautiful sparkling lake but there wasn't any sign of food. 

"Where-"

"Its in the center of the lake." The man explained, "Can't you see it?"

Dala stepped towards the edge of the lake and tried to see the feast he was talking about. Just as he described, it was in the center of the lake. But Dala, realizing how suspicious all of this really was, tried to step away from the edge of the lake. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her by her neck and throw her into the water. She only had a second to turn and see some sort of thing, a mashup of the man she saw before with some other creature. He slammed his hands around her neck and held her under the water. Claws pierced into her skin as she was held. She thrashed and kicked and tried to hold her breath. Meanwhile her baby dragon was biting on his shoulder, but the tiny teeth did little other than pierce the clothes. 

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Sun May 23, 2021 6:47 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

[With Natsumi hiding in the trees and Charise returning to Dala, the strange rescuer stood amongst the goblin corpses and in plain view.]

Man: Hold! (steps back from the pouch of silver, puts a practice cue on his rapier, and prods the bag offered to him cautiously) What brings you to this forest, young damsel? Surely you know that it is dangerous here? (now sure that the bag isn’t trapped, he bends down and opens it)

[Meanwhile, Charise has now realized that the individual she was leading back to Dala is nowhere to be found. She approaches her friend to try to notify her of this potential threat.]

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed May 12, 2021 11:55 AM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Just as things were getting difficult, a strange man managed to stab the goblin leader with his rapier. The rest of the goblins scattered the moment their leader was gone. Still, Dala was watching the man warily, careful to keep a distance between them. After a few moments, she sheathed her daggers then spotted her golden baby dragon flying back to her. The child gave her dragon a rare smile before looking back at the man.

"Here." She said tossing a bag full of coins to the man, "That's my life's worth. I owe you nothing."

There was 100 silver inside the bag and the bag itself was worth 20 silver. The girl lacked a job and knew that people would see her as a street rat. She didn't own her dragon or her snake friend, rather they worked for her for free. Dala looked at the remaining bodies of goblins, going through their stuff for supplies or anything that could be sold later. She kept a distance between herself and the stranger, though she didn't know who he was, she did understand that people smiled while holding daggers behind their backs.

"You're still here." Dala commented to the man, "What do you want?"

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Sun May 9, 2021 2:57 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

[When Charise garnered Natsumi’s attention, the woman had already trained a spell on her. She did not trust anything in the forest, especially since the local Fae were notorious for trickery. Lucky for the dragon, however, the fox was well-versed in speech of all kinds. She understood her pleas for help and slowly marched toward the sounds of battle with Redeemer in hand.]

Nat: (gets in sniping view before someone else intervenes) (silently watches as a “man” in pristine clothing fit for a well-to-do noble strikes down the hobgoblin from above before violently assaulting the rest)

Man: Have at thee, foul wretches!

[With one stab after another from a rapier, the fencer helps to drive off the goblins. With their  leader gone, most scattered of their own accord, leaving this mysterious rescuer with the ambushed Dala and company.]

Nat: (fades into the wind and leaves Charise behind before the others can see her) (repositions to another location where her superior eyesight can still catch a glimpse of the rescuer, then has a mental conversation with SAI) Kelpie?

SAI: That would fit the description of the disappearances. All of the victims have been young and disappeared near bodies of water bordering the forest. There is not yet enough data to suggest that this individual is the culprit, however.

Nat: (carefully aims at and tracks the “man”’s head, but doesn’t fire yet) Call it a hunch, then. I don’t trust that man.

Author: Dala, Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:44 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

Dala managed to avoid the arrows flying, all except one that scraped against her leg. Emerald struck one of the goblins with its deadly poison while Charise her dragon flew into the air to avoid arrows. Meanwhile the child had snatched her daggers and leapt at one of them to stab him in the face. She managed to strike him in the eyes, blinding him. The child wasn't about to let herself die to goblins. Being a pacifist in this situation would only result in being slaughtered. But despite their combined efforts, there were more goblins than they could handle.

"Regroup!" Dala shouted.

She backed up towards a tree with Emerald at her left and Charise on her right. Dala focused her knives at attacking the ones at her front. She was better at handling larger creatures where she could dodge and move around quickly. The large amount of goblins made it harder to defend against. Having the tree at their back made them less mobile but it helped ensure they could focus their attacks at the front. Besides, they couldn't be agile in a crowd of attacking goblins. Dala had an ace up her sleeve but if she played it, she would have to leave Emerald and Charise behind. That was something she couldn't do.

"Emerald use your petrification on as many goblins as you can." Dala ordered, "Charise, I want you to fly around and find some big monster to lead towards the goblins. Make sure you find something powerful and scary."

She would worry about how to escape from whatever Charise found later. This plan was a gamble, as there was no guarantee that her baby dragon would find anything at all. The next thing she needed to focus on was distracting the goblins from her dragon's departure. The child had a big grin on her face and rage filled eyes at the creatures who'd dared to attack her! Her eyes landed on the hobgoblin leader, whom seemed stronger than the rest of the fearsome goblins.

"Hey! You hobgoblin thing! Are you always this stupid or is this a special occasion?" She said to him, "You should know better than to fight my pets and me."

With enough stalling, she hoped to give Charise more searching time. Her words angered the hobgoblin and he began shouting insults back. Meanwhile, Charise was flying around until she spotted Nat. The baby dragon flew down in front of Nat and attempted to lead her towards the battle. Though the shouting of insults would be enough to draw any creature's curiosity.

Author: CodeAni, Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2020 5:46 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

-Shortly after Dala’s encounter with the fairy, scuffling can be heard from the iridescent bushes that surround her. Several arrows fly out from them moments later.-

Hobgoblin leader: (points a grisly spear out from the foliage causing the pack of goblins he commands to spring their ambush on the girl and her pets)

-Meanwhile, another spirit enters the forest. They are cloaked in the guise of a plague doctor with no discernable features or weapons apparent. A disquieting aura hangs around them.-

Fairy: (after escaping with her life, wanders around) Hmph, at least the goblins will get her. Treating me like food! You’ll get what’s- (bumps into the new stranger, looks up and takes a moment to squeak out a reply) Eep! (flits off in a hurry)

Nat: (keeps trudging further in once she is sure the fairy is gone, searching for her own quarry)

Author: Dala, Posted: Wed Apr 1, 2020 2:54 PM, Post Subject: Hunt for A Star [P][R]

A noblewoman had lost some valuable star sapphire necklace that had been in her family for generations. However, she was stupid enough to lose it near the Feeorin forest. Anybody who was willing to go into the forest would be paid handsomely. But most adventurers were unwilling to enter the Feeorin forest for any reason, let alone for a stupid necklace. There was one person who didn't care about the danger and was heading to the forest anyway. She was a little girl, only nine years of age, and yet she seemed to have more guts than the rest. Fully aware of the dangers, Dala was willing to risk it. The price was good enough. With that money she would be one step closer to creating the kingdom that she desired. Kingdoms costed money. If she kept this up, by the time she would become fourteen there would be enough to build every building and provide for the people until they would be able to be self-sustainable. 

But she hadn't come alone or without preparation. Her backpack was filled with lemons and she had used a lemon perfume on herself, for she had heard that lemons were poisonous to the fae. Her sheathed dagger was made up of pure iron and she had packed a rowan wand in case the fae tried some illusions on her. In her pocket were a bunch of shiny stones for when she needed to distract the smaller fae. And for once, she wasn't alone. Slithering by her side was her precious Basilisk that her father had given her. The giant snake could turn anybody to stone just through eye contact! Dala had to be very careful with her companion but the snake, Emerald, had proven to be loyal and sweet. It was strange for the child to have somebody by her side. Throughout most of her life she had been on her own. 

They traveled into the Feeorin forest together, both keeping watch for trouble. The forest held a blue hue and every part of the cool wonderland was filled to the brim with magic. Dala's jaw dropped as she stared at her surroundings. What kind of magic ran through this place? She would have to be doubly careful. Suddenly, a pain shot through her foot and when she looked down, she saw that a little fairy had stabbed her foot with a thorn. The child plucked out the thorn and held back a slue of insults to throw at the little beast that had tried to injure her. Emerald opened her mouth, ready to attack the little creature. 

"Haha!" The little fairy shouted, "Your big snake can't catch me! He's too big!"

Dala knew that the fairy was right, so she reached into her backpack and brought out her other friend. A beautiful golden baby dragon that she had named Clarice. Clarice was smaller and very very hungry. 

"Little fairy, this is my friend Ruby." Dala said with a smile, "Clarice, this is your lunch." 

The baby dragon sped after the little fairy, who was now terrified, and jumped to catch her. Dala had faith in the fairy's ability to get away and this was a great chance to let Clarice develop her hunting skills. The little fairy managed to escape but Dala didn't seem to be bothered. Instead, she took out a rat from her backpack that she had caught and placed it on the ground. The rat tried to run away but the baby dragon was faster and managed to catch it in her jaws. The baby dragon ripped the rat apart with her jaws then looked at Dala with pride. 

"You did great!" The little girl said, "Now back in the bag. I know its no fun in there but I can't have you wandering off……fine. You can sit on my shoulder but if we get into any fights I want you to stay out of the way. Got it?…..Good."

The dragon flew to Dala's shoulder and wrapped itself around her neck. The dragon was light and was always careful whenever it rested on the child. They continued through the Feeorin forest, searching the entire way for a star sapphire necklace. There wasn't any good clues yet and the noblewoman was vague on where she had dropped this precious item. Finding a necklace in the middle of a thick forest was difficult but she was determined to find it. Emerald was using her tongue to smell any scent of the noblewoman to help track down the necklace. They were following a small scent trail that would hopefully lead them to the necklace.