[PLOT] ~ Epic Journey (Alethea+Eligor)

[Antidia]

((This RP is assuming the pair talked to their instructions to find out where to go. Alethea can't fly, so it will take her a while to get around the island. Eligor has volunteered to go on this journey with her, and they're already packed and ready to go -- time crunch, so skipped the preparation RP.))

Loaded down with a pack that had to have been heavier than she was, Alethea walked off the landing pad and looked towards Loka Nei Forest. This was their final task before the big battle that would determine who'd become a Holy Knight of the Order of the Light. This was a big deal. The instructors emphasized how important it was to get these items in their final test, so failure on this objective was not an option.

She felt so happy that Eligor was willing to do this with her. Five weeks of camping and adventure with her most favorite Pae'il in the world. Part of the extra challenge for her and her partner was learning to live off the land, and survive in the wild. Alethea was glad for that chance and was excited at the prospect of it giving her an edge in the final battle.

With her thumbs hooked into her back's straps, she rolled on her feet from her heels to her toes as she waited for Eligor to come through the landing pad so they could begin their adventure.  

[Teigra]

Having double, then triple-checked his pack for the journey, the demon finally shouldered his bag and headed for the teleport pad. Logically, he knew he was taking a risk and adding extra challenge to his own task by choosing to assist Alethea with hers. They'd not only have the tasks themselves, but also the burden of so much time traveling over the land, having to survive away from the comforts of the City and those who had served and taken care of them since birth.

But, didn't the Guardians teach that one was to help those in need if able? Even if the ones in need were fellow Squires? While he was sure she was capable enough to do so on her own if needed (after all, she WAS still a Squire), Alethea may need a hand along the way. Heck, so might he, depending on what was necessary to complete their tasks. There had been no provisions against working together, so even if they might have more to do, it would surely be easier with their combined efforts, right?

Besides, she was a nice comrade who seemed to enjoy his company, even when he had a tendency to ramble about some magical theorem or other. Why not help each other?

Armed with his pack and his staff, Eligor headed for the transport pad. Amaros was not around, but could easily be summoned if needed. Might as well save energy until he was needed, the demon thought. Taking a deep breath, he stepped onto the transporter and moments later was stepping off the one on the Isle below. Seeing Alethea already waiting, he smiled and walked towards her. "All ready to go?"

He looked around, remembering the discussions that they'd had with their instructors. "Hmm...so, which way first?" They'd have to cover much of the Isle by the end of this, but they'd have to pick a direction to start. "I suppose north could be our first choice...two of the tasks could be completed that way. The others may require the lake or even getting close to the Tree to the far east, if we can't find any heretics out and about in other locations."
 

[Antidia]

Alethea smiled bright when she saw Eligor appear on the landing pad. She reached behind her head and pulled a scroll from the top of her pack. "I made us a map. We have a long journey ahead of us, but it will be exciting and a great chance to gain experience." She couldn't hide how excited she was. Yeah it was going to be a lot of work, a lot of service and a long time away from the comforts of home, but she was doing it all with Eligor.

"It's not a great map, but should help us. I checked with Professor Asatira on some locations we could check out for the items. She circled a spot in the forest where we might find some wood." She stood beside Eligor, pointing to the red circle drawn by their history professor. The map had a few other circles on it, with some lines for routes for the pair to take. A couple blue circles on the map were circled as well.

"These other spots are places we could potentially stay if we needed a warm bed." She was all to happy to say that to him. Even though they were prepared for camping, staying with fellow Guardian loyalists would be a great boost for morale and chance to meet those Pae'il who live on the island.

Alethea pointed towards the wooded area several miles off, "I think that would the best direction to start. Make a circle of it and get to know the island we'll be ruling over someday."

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Alethea's enthusiasm was contagious and Eligor found himself smiling in response as she covered the preparations she'd already made for them. After pouring over the map for a bit, Eligor nodded. "Seems like a sound plan. It'll be nice to get to have some time with the local loyalists as well as their assistance. After all, we do this for their sakes, to save them all." He looked out at the forest where Alethea pointed, thinking to himself. It was reassuring to know that even down here among the savages, loyalists still held out and held true. Surely this challenge would test their abilities, but also, help to reaffirm their faith before their final test.

"So, a rod for fire protection," he mused aloud. That was their first stop. Seemed strange at first to collect a wooden rod to protect against fire...but surely the Guardians new something that they didn't. Well, obviously. They knew many things that mere Squires wouldn't know. That aside, he simply had to have faith. Maybe there was more to it...maybe they were to carve protective spells into the wood, or...

"Best get moving then. We've got a long trip and the sooner we start, the sooner we finish." He smiled, starting off with his staff in hand, his weapon easily doubling as a walking aid without raising much suspicion. Besides, it wasn't the staff itself heretics needed to worry about. He only used it as a focal point for his magic. That's what they needed to fear.

Antidia

 

[Antidia]

For the same reason that Eligor brought his weapon, Alethea did not. Anguish (her ranseur) was left at home in her room. A huge blade wouldn't look very friendly and it was near impossible to hide. Besides, she had other ways of defending herself if the occasion called for it. Plus, with Eligor with her, she was absolutely certain they could take on any heretic.



As they approached the forest, Alethea stopped and looked at the treeline. The forest was thick and she was about the trip all of a sudden. Why didn't these savages build roads or clear paths to get around easier? Did they enjoy climbing over dead trees and getting pine needles stuck in their feet? She tried to not let her concern become visible because she really was excited for this alone time with her most favorite Pae'il.

His comment about "wood for fire protection" was ringing in her mind as they had crossed over the farmland. That was odd and she wondered why kind of magic these trees held. "How far into the forest do we have to go? It looks dense." She took a few steps towards a smaller tree and looked up. Then looked at the forest floor. Yeah, this was going to be more difficult than she thought. Camping in this kind of place was not going to be easy.

"So a rod from a tree. Will we know what tree to use, or will any work when we get near to the Fae Clearing?" She had no idea how far off they were still.

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Alethea's voice broke through the demon's thoughts and he glanced aside at her from where they'd paused. "It does seem strange," he acknowledged, looking back to the trees. "Wood to protect from fire doesn't make much sense. However," he twisted, pulling some parchments from his bag which he started to unfold. "I did some research before we left. Technically, we need a wand to protect us from the fire element. And I found a book in the library on ancient wards and spells. They had some runes that were related to fire magic...of course, it's not really my specialty, so I could never really use them myself, but I figure maybe if we carve or burn then into some sort of wand, maybe it will serve as a protection item?" Alright, so it was a stretch, but it was worth a try, right?

"I'd imagine, if we have to go to the Fae Clearing to get it, then it must be a special sort of tree. Something we'll recognize when we get there; something we couldn't have gotten anywhere else." He turned towards his companion with a smile. "Makes sense, right?"

Antidia

 

[Antidia]

-=-=-=-~a week later~-=-=-=-

Trekking through the jungle on foot had been an absolute nightmare. The entire time, she felt so guilty for making Eligor go with her. He didn't have to; he could have just flown over the treetops and been done with this task. The fact that he endured this hardship with her make her heart flutter. He is so perfect.

Still, she owed him big time for doing this. And she offered plenty of apologies along the way. For the bug bites, the rough nights sleeping in low branches to avoid the nighttime creepy-crawlies, the tripping, the hunger, the thirst, the losing her machete forcing Eligor to do all the brush-cutting.

She stayed up while he slept most nights, wondering why she was given this personal challenge. Why the Guardians took her wing. She knew deep down it was her own rash decision that did it, but still, the Guardians could have pulled a miracle on her. She was one of the chosen, right? She thought of Dante. She supposed if that were true, Dante would be able to talk. She hoped someday to understand the extra trials some of them had to endure.

A bright light ahead offered hope to the exhausted teenagers. It wasn't far, but Alethea knew exactly what it was. The sun! That meant no canopy! Had they found the Fae Clearing?! She hopped over a large tree root, stepping in a pile of nasty and making a face. But she didn't let that slow her down. For days, the Fae Clearing felt like their savior. The place to deliver them from the hell that was the jungle. (She obviously didn't consider they'd have to walk out of the jungle too.) They could pitch a tent here, rest up safely, and maybe catch something to eat instead of having another one of those dehydrated food bar things. They were disgusting, but all the fairies swore their survival by them. So they were an essential survival item in their packs.

The pink angel stumbled into the clearing, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. "We found it!"

The clearing was a vast meadow. She could only barely see the treeline on the other side. The sun was bright in the noonday sky, but it was surely welcome. It was spring now, so the trees, which oddly remained deciduous, unlike the surround jungle trees surrounding the area. It was odd.

Alethea watched for Eligor to clear into the meadow before taking any more time to gawk at the surroundings. Eligor was her first priority. "Are you alright? Look, we made it! I'm so glad we're finally here. All we have to do is find the right tree and we're done! Well, with this task anyway." An inkling of an idea formed about how they'd get to the next one, which she knew was in the snow-covered mountains. She pushed the thought back for now, because it was too terrible to think of in this moment of celebration.

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Eligor was well aware that he spent too much time with books; he didn't need to be told that. It was just the most comfortable way he felt to learn new things. Of course, there was no substitution for true experience, even if he disliked it in some cases. Some weren't so bad: he liked magic lessons and attempting new spells he found in old tomes in the library.

Not so much with this whole 'hiking through the wilds' thing.

On the other hand, what better way to gain an understanding of what life was like for those who lived down here on the Isle? Sure, the Angels and Demons here still had the benefit of wings to get around, but what about the wingless heretics? In the past week, he'd gained an appreciation for the poor unfortunates who were glued to the surface. No wonder they harbored such stubbornness against belief in the Guardians. They must believe themselves neglected for not being blessed like the Guardians' true children.

It had truly been a learning experience.

He could not overlook the similarity to his comrade's plight. One wing was just as bad as none when it came to actually being able to use them. He had to give her credit; for all her apologies, it seemed she hadn't let it waver her faith. Perhaps one day, the Guardians would reward her for her devotion. Surely they could return the blessing of flight to her with some miracle. It was easily within their power.

Alethea's exclamation brought him back to the present and emerging into the clearing, he too had to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness. So long plodding through the jungle and finally, sunlight and open space again! For someone who spent so much time in the library, he never thought he'd be so happy to have both. Alethea's enthusiasm was infectious and he found himself grinning back at her. "I'm fine, don't worry. Especially now that we're here. Now, let's take a look around and see if we can find out what sort of tree we should be looking for." Before splitting off, he seemed to have a second thought of just wandering aimlessly around the open area. He summoned Amaros first, having missed the familiar during their hike through the jungle. Taking his cat form as usual, his friend had peered up at him questioningly after looking over their surroundings. "Amaros, keep an eye out for us, alright? Extra set of eyes in case this place isn't what it seems."

Antidia

 

[Antidia]

Alethea agreed with Eligor and decided to look around for a tree that might stand out. Or a tree that the Guardians might prompt her is the right one. The meadow was so lovely, warm and welcoming. She wondered why Pae'il didn't chose to make their home here, instead of some of the other strange places she has seen. She thought she saw houses and some sort of dwellings up high in the trees. Who was nuts enough to live like that?

As she poked around, looking at the different flowers, it occurred to her that the plants in this clearing are different from the plants anywhere else she's saw on the island. Maybe it's just because I've not explored the whole island. It did not escape her attention that there was a very definite line between the meadow and jungle, as if some sort of barrier existed over the meadow----

Except in that one spot she just noticed. Not because the tree seemed to grow in that imaginary barrier, overlapping the jungle and meadow. Not because the tree seemed to be a different species than the rest of the trees, no. It was the tree's color. On an island full of magic and unexplained phenomenon, a purple-barked and silver-leafed tree stood out as the odd thing in all of this adventure (so far).

"Eligor! I think I found something!" she hollered over her shoulder, keeping her eyes on the tree as if it'd disappear if she looked away. She hadn't even read anything about trees looking like a tree-shaped magical crystal. This was truly amazing! "I wonder if that is even wood..."  

[Teigra]

Eligor turned at the sound of his name, pausing when he caught sight of what Alethea had found. Woah...what...kind of tree was that? Was it even a real tree? As he neared, he heard her comment, leading him to believe she was having similar thoughts about the sight. But, if it wasn't a tree...what was it?

'There's another one over there,' Amaros' familiar voice offered in his head. The demon glanced back towards the cat who seemed to gesture to the other side of the meadow where a seemingly-identical sort of tree marked the opposite treeline. "Two of them?" he puzzled aloud before turning back to his angel companion. Frowning, he considered this new discovery before speaking. "Do you...think it's a sign?"

And if it were, and these were the trees they were looking for, then what? Did they take a limb from each or...? "I suppose they do certainly stand out. If we were looking for an obvious sign, I think this qualifies. Should we try to take a sample?" He wasn't sure what made him turn again, perhaps the sudden silence from Amaros after his earlier statement...perhaps some tension in the air...but the demon's eyes glanced back towards his summon, who was crouched low in the grass, softly glowing fur standing up on his back. Wonder gave way to wariness in an instant. Were they not alone?

Antidia

 

[Antidia]

"Of course it is! Were you not praying for guidance? This has to be it!" Alethea ran towards the northern-most tree and marveled at the illusion it presented. "Eligor come look at this!"

She looked over shoulder and could clearly see the other one across the meadow. She tilted her head a bit, curious how that worked because when she was closer, she couldn't see it because it was too far away. But the more interesting thing she discovered here is that as she got closer to the tree, it grew bigger. Not just from perspective, but it was a LOT bigger up close.

She was afraid to touch the shimmery purple bark because she could just feel the vibrations emanating. It looked crystalline and delicate. She held her hand over it, and could feel the magic buzzing beneath her palm, making little connections like static shock. "This has to be the tree." She was in awe of the beauty and flabbergasted at the huge thing they'd just discovered. "Do you think they know of this back at home? They never told us trees brimming with magic even existed. Maybe we're first to discover them!? I wonder why they grew here?"

She grew excited and sat down on the ground to remove a notepad and graphite stick from her backpack. She started noting details about the color, texture, smell (it smelled oddly pleasant - very floral - but that might be all the flowers), and she noted the peculiar silver leaves that when they fall to the ground, they only dull in color as they die, not change colors like the other trees that shed leaves. She picked what clearly looked like a dead, crispy live up to get a closer look. It didn't zap her. She couldn't even feel that buss from the leaf so she knew it had to be dead. She rubbed her finger on it, and noticed it left a silver residue on her fingers. She noted this in her notebad. "Eligor, what do you think? I think this tree would make a perfect wand because its alive with magic!"  

[Teigra]

As Alethea began her investigations, Eligor's attention was otherwise occupied for the moment. Amaros' guard was up, so Eli's had risen as well. He could almost feel eyes upon him...but, from where? Much as he tried, he couldn't pinpoint the source. It was just the constant feeling at the back of one's neck that told him they were being watched.

He backed up close to Alethea, holding his staff in both hands warily as she made notes about the odd tree and its leaves. Even if his eyes were otherwise busy, he did hear some of the things she said, so when she called for his attention, he dared a glance over his shoulder at her. Smiling, he nodded quickly. "It makes as much sense as anything else, so...this must be what we were looking for. What better material for a magic wand?"

He turned his eyes towards the clearing again, lowering his voice. "Alethea...I don't wish to alarm you, but perhaps we should quickly gather what we came for and leave this place. Amaros senses something nearby...and though we haven't seen anything yet, I trust his instincts." He shifted his grip on his staff. "Are there any fallen limbs you can collect quickly? If not, do you need a knife? I have one in my pack if you need it." He maintained a protective stance over her, leaving the collection to his comrade in case he needed to take up defense.

Antidia

 

[Antidia]

Alethea trusted Eligor's instincts more than her own. Mainly because Eligor was just the best thing since fairy electricity. She stood, notebook in hand and looked over her should at Eligor. So handsome... But he looked genuinely concerned and his commands -- even if he didn't want to alarm her -- actually did frighten her a bit. Neither of them were really fully prepared to fight anything. This was meant to be a peaceful trip with maybe some possible charity work as they ran across heretics.

"I can use my light blade. I am not sure a knife would work," She murmured and looked at the lower limbs. Something like this surely isn't going to be easy to cut through. It looked like crystal, not wood. "The branches on the ground are ... different. I don't think they'll work." She picked one up anyway, and noticed it had shed the brilliant sheen and was coated in that purple dust as well.

Focusing, and concentrating on the magic word to conjure her light sword, a small beam of bright yellow light extended from her hand and slowly took the shape of a short sword. Carefully -- because she didn't want to start any horrible chain reactions -- she reached for a lower limb and held with one had as she put the white-hot blade to the crystalline wood. It cut through it like butter, to her surprise. She cut one more for Eligor. She inspected the cut branches to see if they'd started fading yet, and she noticed that the heat of her light sword seemed to have a cauterizing effect on the limb. Did it bleed, or was that just sap?

Out of nowhere, a rainbow shot out of the bush, knocking Alethea down. She tumbled into Eligor. "What...what was that? I was attacked by a... a... rainbow?"

Another one came shooting from the same place, but this time, Alethea wasn't caught off guard. She pulled on Eligor's legs to pull him out of the path of the beam. Beam? It felt pretty solid to me. "Eligor, duck!"

"We need to get out of here!" she cried, echoing Eligor's earlier concern and instruction. She shoved the sticks into her bag, but another rainbow bolt headed straight for her head and she had to duck fast. "Who fires rainbow beams? Who is attacking us!?" She used light to manifest her magic, so rainbows shouldn't be that farfetched, but it still seemed odd to the squire. She should know better than to be surprised at anything that happens on this island. And who on this island would want to attack them? The Taint wasn't rainbow-colored, nor near this place. She hoped.  

[Teigra]

"Got what we nee--?" Eligor called over his shoulder, halting as Alethea tumbled into legs unexpectedly. What was that? Attacked? "Are you alright?" His concern was badly timed, as he was immediately instructed to duck as he was pulled aside. He nearly tumbled on top of Alethea, but training kicked in and a flare of his wings aided him in shifting his trajectory away from her, while making himself a larger target for whatever was attacking them.

His comrade was right; it was time to get out of here. They had what they needed, as he noted her shoving the short wooden sticks into her bag. Now, they just needed to escape while being under fire. He noted more shots going for her and wondered idly if this was a response to cutting the branches? Strange, but the correlation of the timing seemed all too coincidental otherwise. He couldn't let her take the worst of the heat when they were equally in this together. "Come on!" he snapped, scrambling to get his feet under him again and reaching for Alethea's arm to pull her with him.

"Amaros!"

Eligor had fallen back just a bit, perhaps it had been on purpose...perhaps subconscious, but he'd made himself a larger target as well by keeping his wings spread while pushing Alethea forward. Already moving, he stumbled forward with a grunt when one of the beams hit him square in the back. Ouch...rather not do that again. At least he'd kept upright, since he'd already been moving. About that time, the light-elemental cat passed the Squires in the opposite direction, leaping towards the bushes with claws extended and a yowl escaping his jaws.

This was their chance.

"Go! Amaros will cover us!" Eligor barked at Alethea, focusing on keeping his eyes on the far treeline where they'd make their escape.
 

[Antidia]

Everything happened so fast. She saw Eligor get hit with one of those rainbow bolts and it left a colorful spot on his back. Alethea screamed his name, and was ready to intercept those bolts, but saw that he wasn't down or seem even hurt. She picked herself back up and readied to escape.

Another rainbow bolt zinged by Amaros, nearly hitting Alethea as she started to run away. Wings. I need wings damnit. The one good wing she had merely served as a rudder in times of crisis, but she'd rather just be able to flee like a normal angel. "Eligor, fly ahead, I can catch up!" She shouted at him. She could move faster on land than any of her comrades because of her speed boost. She can usually sprint to catch up to any flyer. This time, they only needed the treeline. She saw Eligor fleeing behind her and cast her spell; taking only seconds to reach the cover of the bush.

She collapsed on her knees to catch her breath. She trusted Eligor would be right there.

This was only the first thing to collect, how hard would the other things be?