11-29-2018, 01:42 AM
CONCLUSION
From afar, they watch them struggle, and labor, but ultimately succeed. In singles and pairs and groups, they return to the Mountain and the faeries, all except one. One mare doesn’t quite make it – she falls in the Taiga, and does not rise to continue on to the mountain. They reach for her, gathering her into the gentle arms of sleep, and see the things she sees; the memories and the past. They don’t leave her in the Taiga, but deposit her in a safe land of her choice, to recover. Or not.
One of them, one they are familiar with, has created a snow monster of himself. He climbs the mountain, slipping and struggling, with icicles encased in his snowy cocoon. Santana and Valdis roll their icicle in a much smaller cocoon of snow to ferry it across the water. The cremello stallion creates a smaller basket of branches and ice, setting off on his own to carry it to the mountain, ice frozen to his very tongue and gums.
Agnieszka trusts to nature itself to protect her icicles, taking an entire branch to the mountain; she’s injured, but she struggles in alongside the others anyway. Nocturne works industriously on his carrier, with bark and ice and found treasures. He collapses at their mountain, and they understand – he is quite young, for this. The last three begin as reluctant allies, and seem to grow close as they drag their precious burden along; some journeys shared create bonds not easily broken.
The mountain is empty one minute, and suddenly not empty the next. They’ve brought their burdens to the summit of the mountain, offering them up, and their offerings are accepted. “You have made much progress through your work and your sacrifice.” They walk amongst the exhausted travelers, each selecting an icicle from the assembled choices, and disappearing into the growing mist until the original speaking is the only one left. Eyes of a similar color to the ice they’ve retrieved skim over each of them, and there’s a faint smile for the first time since this started – so faint, they might blink and assume they’d imagine it.
“You work will not go unrewarded.” The words are quiet but they echo nonetheless in their heads, their ears, their hearts. Then the strange creature who has assumed the form of a horse – for there is no mistaking the fairies for real horses, no matter their forms, steps forward and gently extracts the last glistening spear of ice from Nocturne’s basket before turning and following their companions back into the nowhere.
@[Kolera] has been transported to the safe land of her choice. She will be healed of any damage caused by this journey, but not of her infection. However, some of the symptoms of the infection have been pushed back – healed temporarily alongside her frost bite and hypothermia.
@[leliana], @[Leilan], @[Valdis], @[litotes], @[Santana], @[Agnieszka], and @[Illum] made it to the mountain. Their injuries from this quest will be healed, but any preexisting conditions – like plague infection – will not be. Each has the choice of a zero-space appearance trait related to this quest; for instance: a mane or tail color change to white/blue/gray/silver, ice hooves, a marking, or permanent ice encrusted in their mane/tail. If you have another idea, you may ask.
The fae admired @[Wallace]’s personal growth in this struggle and she takes second place, and has been granted her choice of Ice Mimicry or Frost Aura.
@[Nocturne] gained the especial notice of the fae for his efforts, and has been granted Ice Manipulation.
One of them, one they are familiar with, has created a snow monster of himself. He climbs the mountain, slipping and struggling, with icicles encased in his snowy cocoon. Santana and Valdis roll their icicle in a much smaller cocoon of snow to ferry it across the water. The cremello stallion creates a smaller basket of branches and ice, setting off on his own to carry it to the mountain, ice frozen to his very tongue and gums.
Agnieszka trusts to nature itself to protect her icicles, taking an entire branch to the mountain; she’s injured, but she struggles in alongside the others anyway. Nocturne works industriously on his carrier, with bark and ice and found treasures. He collapses at their mountain, and they understand – he is quite young, for this. The last three begin as reluctant allies, and seem to grow close as they drag their precious burden along; some journeys shared create bonds not easily broken.
The mountain is empty one minute, and suddenly not empty the next. They’ve brought their burdens to the summit of the mountain, offering them up, and their offerings are accepted. “You have made much progress through your work and your sacrifice.” They walk amongst the exhausted travelers, each selecting an icicle from the assembled choices, and disappearing into the growing mist until the original speaking is the only one left. Eyes of a similar color to the ice they’ve retrieved skim over each of them, and there’s a faint smile for the first time since this started – so faint, they might blink and assume they’d imagine it.
“You work will not go unrewarded.” The words are quiet but they echo nonetheless in their heads, their ears, their hearts. Then the strange creature who has assumed the form of a horse – for there is no mistaking the fairies for real horses, no matter their forms, steps forward and gently extracts the last glistening spear of ice from Nocturne’s basket before turning and following their companions back into the nowhere.
@[Kolera] has been transported to the safe land of her choice. She will be healed of any damage caused by this journey, but not of her infection. However, some of the symptoms of the infection have been pushed back – healed temporarily alongside her frost bite and hypothermia.
@[leliana], @[Leilan], @[Valdis], @[litotes], @[Santana], @[Agnieszka], and @[Illum] made it to the mountain. Their injuries from this quest will be healed, but any preexisting conditions – like plague infection – will not be. Each has the choice of a zero-space appearance trait related to this quest; for instance: a mane or tail color change to white/blue/gray/silver, ice hooves, a marking, or permanent ice encrusted in their mane/tail. If you have another idea, you may ask.
The fae admired @[Wallace]’s personal growth in this struggle and she takes second place, and has been granted her choice of Ice Mimicry or Frost Aura.
@[Nocturne] gained the especial notice of the fae for his efforts, and has been granted Ice Manipulation.
TO BE CONTINUED...