Vyolt "The gems said you did it to yourself...but maybe I didn't hear them correctly."
"Do you know how to talk to them?"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Of course I don't, they're rocks. I don't get paid to converse with every little spirit around these woods."
Vyolt "Do you...get paid at all?"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "As for killing myself, I don't know what you mean. I've got too much work to do to lose years like that."
"Of course I don't get paid! Why do you think I don't bother with that much effort?"
Walid Al-Malik I glance at the others again, a bit irritated by the creature.
Vyolt "Oh! Um..." Vyolt opens his pouch and hands the man a piece of...chalk. "This is all I have."
Wilfred Pathwarden "Well, something had killed you, and you said yourself that such a feat is hard to accomplish"
"So forgive me, but I AM
very interested to know how you died."
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Chalk? Well sure, don't mind if I do. Good to have writing stuffs around, I suppose."
"And as I said, I don't know how I died. Just sorta, I dunno, withered away all of a sudden a few years back, I guess."
Walid Al-Malik "Also, we may as well finish helping the uh, stone spirits now that you're sorted."
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Ack, fine, might as well get them out of the old tomb."
Vyolt "That'll make the tree upstairs happy too!"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Oh, is Lord Oak still up there? Man, he just don't give up, do he. Alright, give me a hand with these little fellers."
Wilfred Pathwarden "Walid, dear friend, while I handle some of these gems, could you try to divine the cause of this woody fellow's life to death transition?"
I kneel down and pick up a few gems
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "I have a name, thank you very much."
mumble mumble lousy kids mumble
Walid Al-Malik I resist the urge to laugh "Excuse us, friend. You hadn't shared it with us, makes speaking it kind of difficult."
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "None of you asked, ya impolite cads."
Walid Al-Malik This time a smile breaks out. "Anyway, let me see if I can't find out why you died..." I attempt said divination
Drufle (Hollyhock God) The information comes through a bit fuzzy, as the transition was years ago, but you can tell that he died by the hands of a Noble.
The "hands", at least.
Not too sure how it was done.
Walid Al-Malik My smile fades as a vague piece of information becomes clear. "This isn't right. Our friend here was murdered by a noble."
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "A Noble, gee, what a shock that is."
The old dryad hauls a few gems up the stairs.
Still mumbling.
Wilfred Pathwarden I turn back "I'm afraid that, while it is wrong, it isn't 'not-right'. Nobles are a wide variety. Some will kill others for the slightest insult. A few would do it in less"
Vyolt Vyolt offers an energized ride to some of the gems.
Walid Al-Malik "I see a murder as a theft of a very important freedom. To me, it isn't right."
"I can't find out any more though..."
Wilfred Pathwarden I glance back at the Dryad "and judging from this fellow's behavior, he probably insulted the wrong person"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) A tennis ball-sized zircon falls back through the hole, dropping onto Walid's left foot.
"Whoops! Sorry about that! Clumsy old hands, these," you hear from above.
Vyolt Vyolt scoops up most of the gems, and carries them up.
Walid Al-Malik I frown "I wouldn't be surprised if he did that on purpose. I see what you mean about him insulting the wrong people."
Vyolt At the top, he drops them in a pile in front of the dryad.
Walid Al-Malik "Wait, Wilfred..."
Wilfred Pathwarden I turn to Walid "Yes?"
Walid Al-Malik "I decayed a living stump in the Prosaic world."
Wilfred Pathwarden That phrase hits me like bricks"..."
Walid Al-Malik A very unpleasant thought dawns on me
Wilfred Pathwarden "I see..."
"What's done is done...the harm reversed"
Walid Al-Malik "Let's go upstairs and inquire about this with Lord Oak. I may owe him and his helper an apology."
Wilfred Pathwarden "The Oak, yes. The helper, also, but he could go without one"
Vyolt "I think that's all of them, Mister!"
Walid Al-Malik I guffaw "Agreed, ya habibi!"
I start back up the stairs
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Yeah, yeah, thanks. I'll take care of them from here." He shoves them into a pile, and grabs a large leaf off of a nearby tree. The tree grunts a bit.
Vyolt Vyolt sparkles a 'bye' to the gems.
Walid Al-Malik when I reach upstairs I ask the helper "Excuse me, but what is your form in the Prosaic world?"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) The dryad scratches his head a bit. "Ack, it's been a while since I've had to keep track of that. Last time I checked I was some sort of stump, I think."
Wilfred Pathwarden I let out a sigh. So it was so
Walid Al-Malik "That would.. explain, the uh.. pile of ash near the hole we saw in the Prosaic world, yes."
I fail an attempt to not look guilty.
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Pile of ash? Ye gods, did they burn me down again? I swear, those humans are always up to something in that forest."
Wilfred Pathwarden I really hope Walid doesn't turn to me for help. I know the truth, I can't speak against it
Walid Al-Malik "Yes, uh, I suppose they did. I AM
glad to have been of service anyway."
Vyolt Vyolt is looking a little confused, not having made the connection yet.
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Yeah, yeah, just don't expect any favors from me. You might be a Noble, but you're a human too."
Walid Al-Malik The words sadden me a bit as I remember times I spent with Alya and Mahmud. "I used to be one, at least.."
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Don't care, stopped listening."
Wilfred Pathwarden "Sir, I believe you should know that Vyolt is actually a storm. Not a human"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) "Now get out of my forest before you burn something else down, I've got work to do."
Vyolt "I was a THUNDERSTORM!" Vyolt announces dramatically.
Walid Al-Malik "Yes, yet another thing that tends to burn down wood..." I add in an undertone
"Well, I suppose we can get back on the way to meet Jeanne's friend now that we have fixed m- I mean, the wrong that was done here."
Wilfred Pathwarden "If that is the case, then we shall take our leave." I announce "Vyolt, it's up to you again."
Vyolt "Yeah! Bye, friends!" Vyolt flies over and begins the light show.
Drufle (Hollyhock God) The living trees and dryad around you slowly fade away, and after a few seconds the old forest in Lorraine reappears. The stump seems to be back where it used to be.
Wilfred Pathwarden Once we return to the Prosaic world, I turn to my door and remember something "The black stones. I wonder if..." I head to my door
Drufle (Hollyhock God) Wilfred reenters the little cavern, and the skulls still lie scattered on the ground. The broken skull with the black stone sitting by it is still in one corner.
Wilfred Pathwarden I reach down and pick up. Then I reach behind me for my cape, only to realize that I'm not wearing it.
Drufle (Hollyhock God) The stone is still very unusually dark, and tingles a bit in your hand.
Wilfred Pathwarden Well, since I don't have my cape: I transfer my stone from my hand to the ring of my staff to hold it
Drufle (Hollyhock God) It settles softly into the nook of the staff.
Wilfred Pathwarden I take the staff and stone back through the door
"I have obtained one." I exclaim
Walid Al-Malik "Excellent. You may want this back." I hand Wilfred his cape
Wilfred Pathwarden I smile and take the cape back "Thank you kindly." I transfer the stone from the staff to the cape "Much better."
Wilfred Pathwarden I turn back to the door "I probably shouldn't leave that there"
I brace myself, and call Sauvage "Hello, lord Sauvage. I need to make a request"
Drufle (Hollyhock God) No response is heard, but you feel the land around you shake a bit. He's a bit busy.
Wilfred Pathwarden I sigh. At least I tried "Alright, your busy. I'm borrowing a little bit of your power. Call you later"
I snag just 2 DP to refill enough DMP to destroy the door
Then I raise my staff up "What is shall no longer be so!" And I bring my staff down onto the door, simple for show, and eliminate the door from existance
Vyolt "We really got off track there, huh?"
Wilfred Pathwarden "And learned a valuable lesson in the process, dear Vyolt." I grin "That's what life is about, is it not? Experience, yes?"
Walid Al-Malik "Experience and the making of stupid mistakes."
I chuckle quietly to myself
Wilfred Pathwarden I put my hand on Walid's shoulder and looked him in the eye "And forgiving others and oneself for those mistakes."
I smile
Walid Al-Malik I reply with a kind grin "Indeed, y'habibi. Well, onwards we go, I suppose?"
Wilfred Pathwarden "Indeed, onward towards a greater tomorrow!" I take my hand off Walid's shoulder and turn towards our destination.
Vyolt Vyolt flies ahead with them, staying closer than before and not straying off.