Another Journey: From Haven to Hope [PG-13]

[Tibiademon555]

The Elder's answer pounded into Etrius's skull. This man had made the decision to send him and the others away from the city... from reading a poem. There was no use in speaking to this nutcase. If Etrius were to ask another question, his 'answers' would only keep progressing into utter vagueness, and he was having none of it. Zilch. He didn't have to be here; Etrius raised his arms as if saying 'I give up', turned away sharply, and paced toward the exit without a word.

As he did so, a scream was heard outside of the palace. Everyone stopped to listen. No other noise was heard. A gust blew ominously throughout the room. The crowd set up to investigate, stepping in the gate's direction. The human girl stood before them. She pushed the doors open.

What kind of assault could have induced such howl?

Outside of the palace, shadows on the floor seemed to move. Unless induced by a spell, it was no illusion; something strange was crawling around.

[Oak Berbark]

A scream. Usually meaning someone or something in distress. Balgruuf mulled over his next course of action while everyone else hurried to see what the noise was. Balgruuf planted his yari upright with one hand while running his hands through his beard with the other. The Dwarf let his eyes look out from the balcony onto the city below, what little he could see over the railing creating a calming effect with his mind.

Once he had spent a couple more unnecessary moments looking out onto the city, silently meditating next to the silent elder, Balgruuf followed his companions down to the gate. Balgruuf seemed to have arrived just in time as the scene unfolded before the group. The Dwarf had to blink his eyes a couple of times at the sight of these shadow emanating from the flower boxes and fountain before them. In all of his years Balgruuf had seen and fought creatures the likes some could only dream of, but these shadows appeared something else. Not wanting to be left behind or labeled a coward he advanced past the gate with his Yari at the ready. As Balgruuf closed into range he lunged and stabbed at the shadow with his weapon, hoping to scare or wound this apparition.

[m139]

At first, the shadows seemed to flee in front of Balgruff. But after he began to chase them, one would notice they did not seem to be fleeing so much as leading. In fact, they "led" Balgruff to the broken fountain. And once they got there, they seemed to gather and be still in the bottom basin of the well, as though they were water themselves. No amount of yelling could move them now.

And as the night continued to come over this area, the extra dark shadows in the fountain began to be indistinguishable from the regular shadows.

But even as the shadows seemed to fade into the regular darkness, something else seemed to become more vibrant: atop the fountain, on the topmost tier, which stood around five feet high, was a withered white flower. Its petals drooped, and it looked almost dead. But each of its petals were still a brilliant white.

[Rae'ere Kortal]

Rae'ere kept her silence after her one inquiry. She could tell, well enough that there was more going on than just the banshee-like shriek she had heard, and even the shadows seemed to be taking part in the odd chaos that she had awakened to. Snarling slightly, she turned her wolfish head towards the gate and began to make her way towards it, stepping through it only a moment after the human girl pushed it open. She turned her head in time to see the dwarf lunge at one of the shadows, and she spun her bowstaff in her hand as she stepped toward him, keeping her eyes on him as the shadows moved and seemed to be leading him to the broken fountain, and so she followed.

Reaching the fountain, Rae'ere would snort, the sound very bullish as the air rushed through her nose, and she moved her red-glowing eyes over the broken and fallen thing. Standing just over seven feet tall, herself, the top tier of the fountain was easily visible to her, and she was intrigued by the single white flower she saw growing there. The thing seemed to glow, though it's petals were drooped and for everything Rae'ere knew it looked as if it should be dying. Reaching her large, clawed hand out towards the dainty thing, she let her fingers brush against the stem, as she wondered rather it were truly dying or simply needed water, as all that seemed to be in the well below it were the shadows, with their odd, almost living behavior.

[m139]

As Rae'ere stroked the flower, a small strand of green mist seemed to come from it, before fizzling out a few seconds later. It was quite dramatic in the darkening air.

Fenor, who up until now had been quietly observing everyone, had gone to the well as Balgruuf chased the shadows, which had departed even from this side of the courtyard. And so, alone, Fenor peered into the well, into which one long rope was hung. He pulled it up. Attached was a bucket, now full of water. It was impossible to tell the quality of the water in this lighting, Pouring it into another container, he was going to examine it more closely, when he saw the green wisp come forth from the top of the fountain.

He began to walk forward, trying to see, while still someway off, what exactly that thing up there was. However, he never really got a good look at it, for even as he was some ten feet off, he tripped on some branch that came forth from a broken box. And as he tripped, the water and container were tossed forward. Most of it splattered on the floor and on those who were near by. But one drop...

One lucky drop sailed through the air, landing directly at the base of the flower. And then, the flower began to bloom, opening its four white petals and emitting a stronger, green light.

The petals were broad and waxy, and no signs of its almost dying were left. Each petal was streaked with a reddish pink line down the middle. It was fully visible, illuminating itself, even as the sky was beginning to be filled with the dim lights of the stars.

And the green light floated above the flower for only a second, before darting off towards Kimberly and into the book that she was holding. The book seemed almost to jump out of her hands, and fell open onto a page previously unreadable. On the left side, there was a picture of the blooming flower. On the right side, in green script, the illuminated words could now be read:

The King's Flower

the petals lie closed for many years:
for it shall only bloom again
when the world slowly dies
when its legacy has been long forgotten

and though the world forgets, on it shall remain
one petal for the virtues four:
justice, fortitude, prudence, temperance
the closed blossom shall remain through peace and war

but in the time of need, it shall be chanced upon
and it shall bloom to help all be strong
take the blossom, use each petal well,
but hurry, do not linger, begin! Be gone!

[Toon Yoshi]

Kimberly gasped as the light came. She picked up the book that slipped out of her hands, ran up to the group, and said, "Look! We can read this page now!" She looked at the poem and recited it aloud for them to hear. "I guess we need to take this flower with us?" She asked, as she drew her hand out to release it from the ground.

[m139]

The flower came off easily in Kimberly's hand. Even there, it still seemed to emit its own pale light.

The others eventually came, as they wished, to see the flower and the now discernible page of the book. After some time of talking and discussing, the members of the party went to sleep where they wished, some in the provided rooms, others wherever they felt like.

Most of them woke early in the morning, as the sun began to rise. For the first part of the morning, the members went around the city, gathering various materials: food, weapons, and other items. Most things were given or just taken, as the people left in the town did not seem to really care about anything at all.

Midmorning, they all met up by the Western gate. With the sun at their backs, they began their journey to Hope. For now, it was moderately warm, and the sky was mostly blue, only dotted with a small, occasional cloud. They walked on a worn, dirt path. On either side of the road the grass rose, about eleven inches tall, and the occasional oak stood here and there.

[m139]

For a while, the walk was lonely. Bits of talk were mixed with pauses of thoughtful reflection. The whole group walked through the mostly quiet scene. And they met no other people or animals on the way. For the rest of that morning, the only other traveling companions they had was the sound of the wind in the grass and the river off to the side. It was kind of strange, traveling on an empty road that less than half a year ago would have been filled with noises of travelers and wildlife.

A little after midday, the party stopped to eat by the side of the road. They were almost done, when they heard a sound coming from further back on the road.

"Look!" someone shouted.

They all turned. Off in the distance, where Haven had once been, there seemed to be a pillar of fire. They had left Haven, and there was no return.

All they had was Hope before them.

And as they all turned again to the road before them, a piece of green mist raced towards them. It darted into the book, and another page became visible:

The Traveler's Prayer

In every moment, in every time
something must always be left behind

We only go on because we must
our fate to steady time we entrust

We only hope that what is to be
is better than what we had to leave

And we walk on with that one hope
and we walk on with that one hope

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END