Rhea's Tale

The sun shined bright upon the port town of Ardglass, the wind gently blowing in from the sea bringing with it the fresh scent of salt and seaweed wafting through the cobblestone streets. Rhea took a big sniff as she flapped her wings a few more times to gain some altitude, eyes darting back and forth across the city. In her excitement for adventure her recent promise to Athalie to not push herself had already been forgotten, and Pikk was grumbling their disapproval from within her flapping satchel.

“Oh hush now” Rhea said to her gribble. “Modeous said they were in every city, so this stranger's gotta be here, right? Finding them can't take that long!”

It took that long.

The sky was glowing a burning orange and pink as the sun began to hide itself beyond the horizon. Rhea had long taken from the sky, and now was almost dragging herself through a maze of streets and side alleys, her conviction on finding this stranger not letting her give up now. The sky turned dark fast, Rhea had never quite gotten used to how fast it did this time of year. The only sounds now were the shuttering of windows and the distance clacking of carts returning to their holds for the evening. That, and Pikk's snoring, which was a comforting sound. She rounded a corner, and jumped back a second later than she normally would have, were she full of energy. The shadows made it seem like something was there for a moment, a quick pass of the light. She chided herself on her slow reactions, and continued forward, stopping suddenly after a few steps. No, something was there.

A figure, lithe but bulky, tall yet short. Four legs stretching out of a dark cloak, a hood with... no... without a face. They had a faint aura around them, simmering like they were giving off intense heat, but the air was only colder in their presence. It was clear, but it was dark and oily. They were a contradiction, a mystery, and exactly who Rhea was looking for.

Rhea's ears perked up, eyes alit with new energy she didn't possess a moment ago.

“Found you!” She exclaimed, jumping forward to get a closer look at the being. “Who are you? Who are you really?”

She leaped, paw outstretched to try and catch the stranger by surprise, but as she closed, they disappeared. She turned, confused, and now they were behind her. Still far away, still awash in whatever obscuring aura that was hiding any sense of detail around them. They were darker still than even the disappearing light, no glowing mana sigil betraying use of magic. Rhea's temper began to flare uncharacteristically, the weight behind her eyes growing fast as her continued exertion caught up to her much quicker than she hoped.

“Just what are you?” she snarled, her forehead lighting up the alley as her own mana sigil lit up. The light had no grip on the stranger, still as dark an mysterious as before. As she began to will her magic to the fore, she saw the stranger was no longer there. Disappeared in the span of an eye blink.

Rhea snarled again as her frustration continued to rise, and looked around again, expecting the stranger to be behind her yet again. This time, they were not. After a few moments, she took a big breath, and calmed her magic down, the glowing rune fading into nothing.

“Well that was something, wasn't it, Pikk?” She said wearily, what brainpower she had left after the long day churning with ideas and thoughts about what had just happened. She turned to begin the trek back to Athalie's.

She cried out from surprise as her head hit something hard and cold. A small token, like a large coin, floated in front of her, gently spinning. It was old, rusted and oxidized. Even in the faded light the edges of unrecognizable runes could be seen circling it's edge on both sides. Stood behind the coin was the stranger, a few feet back.

Before Rhea could say anything it gestured at the coin with a paw, the fur along it's arm both long and short, color blended perfectly with the alleyway around it. Rhea paused for a few moments, her tired brain processing this. Whoever this was was not a regular Kyvalorian, with unknown intentions and abilities unmatched by anyone she knew. Would she just take whatever it was they were offering? Could she? But if she didn't, she felt like she'd never get to the bottom of this mystery. It was clear this stranger could only be found when they wanted to be found. After some tense mental back and forth, she snatched the token out of the air. Feeling it's rough edges in her paw, she put it in a side pocket of her satchel, so that the now wide eyed Pikk wouldn't play with it.

“Ok, now wha-” she began to ask the stranger. But they were already gone.

Days passed, and Rhea had almost started to think she may have imagined part of that night, that she really had pushed herself past her breaking point after not taking enough rest. That was, until she was at the market, perusing some breads and meats. She gathered up her order, and brought it to the merchant at the end of the stall, someone she hadn't seen there before.

“This'll be all!” she said, setting it all down to be counted and weighed.

“This and passage, then?” the merchant said in a gruff voice. “To the Isle.” he elaborated to her quizzical look.

“I don't need-” she began.

“The Grave Isle.” He interrupted. “Other side of the mountains from here. That coin is the only thing I accept for travel there. That's the only reason to have that coin.”

Rhea was even more confused now. What coin? What did he mean? Then the realization hit, a cold shiver that, in hindsight, had always been there since that night. She pulled the rusted token out of the same pouch she put it in. He had no reason to know it was there, she had almost forgotten it was there. And yet here he was, paw outstretched to accept it with the same indifference as accepting any other payment dozens of times in a day.

“What is Grave Isle?” she asked, still holding the coin.

“An island to the southeast, on the other side of the mountains. It's a long journey by boat, the waves get rough once we can't follow the shore anymore. We leave tomorrow, before dawn.”

Her common sense screamed at her not to go, to take some time and consider her course of action. Her curiosity and sense of adventure handed the token over to the merchant. The deal was struck. She had to know.

"The sand was rough and sharp against her paws, resembling caltrops more than grains. 

“Thanks for the -“ Rhea began to say, before seeing that the rowboat that took her here was already making it’s way back out to the parent ship, where it would sit and await her return. 

“24 hours before I head back to shore, with or without cha”  she was warned by the captain. Not the most reassuring send off.

Taking her first few steps into land, she could see why. No, she could feel why. This place had an aura to it, baked into it’s foundation. It was anger, it was dread, it wanted to hurt. Rhea took a gulp of trepidation and could feel Pik scooting around in her side bag, shrinking himself down as he surely felt the same aura. The shoreline was littered with all kinds of detritus from the sea. Logs, seaweed, shells, and remains of cargo of all kinds. Broken crates spilled their long rotted and dried husks, mingling with broken pottery and scraps of rope. 

Even the wildlife didn’t want her here. Multiple times on her short walk into the mainland she was accosted by small, four pincer-ed creatures. They wore the detritus of the beach as shells, snapping at her with angry piercing eyes and grumbling strings of what she thought was warnings. Stepping up the eroded beach into the grasslands beyond, it wasn’t any better. The tall grasses were tough and razor sharp, the trunks of the trees were ringed with thorns, and she had to defend herself multiple times from these crab-like creatures as they fell upon her from the treetops, using the hard casings of fruit as both their shell and their method of attack. 

“Gah! What am I even looking for?!” Rhea yelled out to no one in particular. The hateful aura of the isle had long gotten underneath her skin, only exacerbated by all the cuts and bruises she had received thus far. Pik was no worse for wear though, at least physically. This thought comforted Rhea, but only a little. She could still feel something, hidden in that aura. Something that called out for her attention. So she pressed on, and not happy about it. 

After another hour or so of tripping over bones of unidentifiable creatures and climbing over rocks that also seemed to have thorns, because of course, she found what she didn’t know she was looking for.

In a rocky clearing, a circle of trees stood, all bent inward as if they were whispering to each other, canopy’s intertwining to cover the area in intermingled shadows. In the center of this clearing was it’s own circle, of rough irregular stones. 30 feet across, the rectangular stones stood tall for the most part, a good few of them broken and worn down with time. It has stood here for a long time. 

In the center of this circle was a stone, cut and sanded completely flat on one of it’s sides, buried straight up and down in the rock, small piles of stones built around it in three circles. Upon this flat face was carved runes, in a language Rhea had seen a few times before. On the coin weighing down her pocket, or the parchment found in the streets a few moon crossings ago, the ancient language that held the very secrets of kyvalore that she and many of her peers were trying so desperately to decipher. The stone face was covered in this script, all available space taken up by it ordered neatly in rows, clearly a message of some kind. 

What lied at the stone’s center however, shook Rhea to her core. She saw it last, almost as if it hid itself from her until there was absolutely nothing left she could possibly look at. A figure seemed to float above the smooth stone. It was made of shadows. The shadows of the trees, the shadows of the sun, the shadows of the rocks, the shadows of the soul. It was constantly shifting, constantly flowing. It was everything, it was nothing. It was a voxibell for a moment of a second, before twisting and turning, making the form of an avilli a few seconds later. In between these seconds it was everything. After these seconds it was everything else. The only constant of this shifting form was it’s cold white eyes, Round orbs of the purest light and malice, regarding Rhea at the edge of the clearing. 

She felt it then, reaching out to her and Pikk, through her mana. It did not speak, but it was trying to, Rhea could feel the words in the undercurrent of the mana that was brushing up against her own, like the shadow of a fish in the current of a river. It pulled at her, tugged at her magic, but not in a malicious way. In opposition to the intense feeling of dread that filled her, it almost felt gentle. It was guiding her closer, it wanted her in, it wanted her to touch the stone it resided over. Could she? Could she go against every screaming instinct inside of her to get to safety and away from this island? But how could she not? Get so close to this mystery and actually discover what is going on, and just leave?

Salutations,

I hope this letter finds you in fair weather and jolly spirits. An interesting commotion has arrived and I hope to ask for your assistance for one additional task, loathe as I am to inquire so. I do hope our working relationship is well enough to allow your cooperation, for it is quite urgent. The next few lines had scratch marks and blocks around some of the words, as if it was revised as he was writing it. Either he hadn't wanted to write out a new letter, or had written many already. I was investigating a new avenue of research out in the forests of the Letan Ruins, east of Lanris, you see. A dive into the connection between the World Spirit and the mana of living beings, quite fascinati. In tow I carried that strange artifact you brought to me. I sensed something lingering within, and have been here and there trying to find anything that may stoke it's nascent mana into exposing its secrets. While investigating the forestI was atta

I was attacked by a creature of amazing strength and ferocity. I was overpowered, and had to retreat by using the lunch as bait to lure it away. It resides in the forest still, and I need you to hunt it. It will hurt people if it isn't stopped. Please come to Lanris at your earliest convenience to setout for the ruins, I can send a carriage your way immediately. Come prepared.

And when you go, please try not to hurt the poor boy, would you?

Modeus

—-

Rhea's footsteps were soft in the tall grass, silent amidst the chirping and rattling of insects that called the Letan Ruins home. Southeast of Vitrun by a decent margin, the sand of that desert had become green grass and dense trees again. It shrouded the remnants of what used to be an impressive city, in a history long since past. Rhea's breathing was sharp, kept in check but tense all the same. Her eyes darted from one moonlit tree to another, hunting. An old friend had reached out for help, and Rhea was never one to turn such an invitation down, despite the risks.

The letter that had brought her here hung heavy in her side satchel, despite it's almost literal weightlessness. Modeus was delving into the depths of study, again, depths maybe he shouldn't be. And this time it cost him. May cost more than just his lunch, if the letter is to be believed. And if the letter is to be believed, then there is some hidden truth to be found with Modeus and his research. Now was not the time for such thoughts, however, for something was loose within these ruins. Something fierce, and dangerous.

Rhea continued softly, slowly, letting the night fill her senses. Letting the silence fill her with dread, as the insects had stopped their chirping. A quick croak came from the trees to her right, a double tap of sound from a gribble. From Pikk. He found something. Rhea made long jumps into the treeline, using her air magic to soften her fall and minimize noise while making her way to her friend.

Pikk had nestled in a knot hole and was keeping an eye out into a clearing, and made another round of quick croaks before Rhea made her way to him. She saw the firelight before the little gribble, so knew why she was being summoned. A late night convoy was braving the main road between Vitrun and Ardglass, trying to hurry a shipment along through the dead of night for one of many possible reasons. Rhea cursed at the sound they were making, from the rattling of their wheels on the dirt to the singing coming from the back of a covered wagon.

Pikk jumped from the tree onto Rhea's back with a thunk, and started scrabbling his way back into his homey little pouch on Rhea's side. Before he could make his way safely inside, a roar shattered what little silence remained. A huge creature launched itself from the forest leaves and branches ripping from it’s surroundings, uncomfortably close to where Rhea was crouched even now. It landed in the path in front of the caravan, claws gouging tears into the dirt and sending loose rock flying the other direction. In the faint firelight you could only see various shades of brown fur and blank, white eyes. A long tail flicked agitated in the dark, and the faint outline of wings seemingly too small to be useful to a beast of such size puffed out to stop it's jump. It reminded Rhea too much of an avilli, just so much larger and dangerous.

The beast sniffed the air as the caravan came to a screeching halt, one of the rear carriages nearly tipping over in their haste. Screams went up from the group of merchants, and Rhea's hope she may have backup from a mage or warrior in the group was squashed as none emerged to face the threat. It roared again, crouching down as if to charge. Were it to do so, it would barrel right through the lives and livelihoods of those rolling down the path.

Thinking quickly, Rhea concentrated on a medium sized boulder on the far side of the path, her sigil glowing bright in the dark, underneath it at an angle. With a cry of strain and effort, she launched the boulder in an arc, crashing it down between the beast and it's prey. The beast jumped back, a grunt of fear overtaking it's seeming ruthlessness as it dodged out of the way.

“Try not to hurt the poor boy, would you?” Modeus' words from the letter echoed in her head. The creature turned and noticed her in the treeline, weaving back into the treeline beside it as it switched from the caravan to her. Rhea jumped backwards, mana sigil glowing again as she gave herself an extra push with the wind, sending her above the treeline for a few precious moments as the creature came barreling through, cracking one tree clean through at the trunk and causing it to fall over, and splintering the side of a second. It grabbed a clawful of ground beneath it and hurled it at Rhea, dirt rocks and wood knocking her off balance and blinding Rhea for a few precious moments. It used these moments well, and it was all Rhea could do to send herself blasting sideways through the air, dodging a claw swipe by a hair, catching the strap of her pouches instead of her side. It tore through the leather like paper, sending Pikk and her supplies flying behind her.

“No!” She cried out, angry now. She jumped behind the creature, so it faced away from her friend, who was hopefully ok.

“Begone!” she yelled at the thing. She sent a concentrated lance of wind straight into it's face, like blowing onto the face of a Delgu to get it to stop begging for food except much more punishing. She leaped backwards as it tried coming after her, sending lance after lance into it, hurting it but hopefully only enough to get it to stand down. This repeated a few more times until Rhea was were she wanted to be. After one more lance she pushed her magic again, yelling out from the strain as she whipped her winds up around the tree the creature had knocked down earlier. She launched it, hitting the creature hard in the chest and knocking it down. Feeling her reserves wearing thin, she brought her attention to the second tree, hanging on by a thread. She pushed with all her might, and the sharp whirlwind brought the second tree crashing down upon the beast.

Still it was not enough to fully stop, for it was still thrashing wildly, trying to escape the weight placed upon it. It's cries were not rage, however, but filled with fear again. Rhea jumped on top of the shifting logs, so it stared down into it's white eyed face.

“STOP THIS! LEAVE AND DO NOT RETURN!” Rhea shouted, with the last of her energy. The creature again roared in panic, frantic movements finally enough to free it from it's prison, sending Rhea flying as well. She fell hard onto the earth, not having the power to soften her landing any more. When she was able to rise again, the creature had ran, away from the roads or the towns, deeper into the woods around Letan and towards the distant shoreline. For now, Rhea would have to be content with that. Scratched and scraped, she pulled herself up and limped her way over to where Pikk had fallen, along with the scattering contents of her bags. He was breathing heavier than usual, and was bleeding slightly, but would live.

“Lets go clean you up, shall we?” Rhea asked through ragged breaths trying to hide her fear for her friend, as she scooped him up and began searching for her medicine pouch in the trees.