In Search of Solace

[Reina]

Spoiler

Closed to Eckhart Von Musel.

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In Search of Solace

A cool shade from the myriad of trees provided shelter as the pink-haired woman waltzed down the dirt trail through the lush forest.  Her pace was slow but deliberate and the sound of her boots stepping upon the occasional twig was the only noise that cut through the song of the various birds and insects that called the trees home.  There was a reason she was in Moonspear, though it was likely a foolish one.

Her thoughts collided in distress, "why am I seeking out the Order of the Moon?  They are just as likely to kill me as they are to help me understand..."

But Reina felt as if this was her only immediate option.  The truth of the matter was that her abilities had become more troubling as of late.  And that terrified her.  The thought that one day she could return to her home village for the purpose of wanton destruction left a lump in her throat.  Her skin was growing hot from her concerns and she tried to change her state of mind as she brushed a loft of thin hair behind her ear.

Though she was a wanderer this was her first venture into Moonspear.  Only coming as a result of the stories she had heard related to the Order of the Moon.  An order dedicated to the eradication of vile creatures and fiercely opposed to demonic forces.  If anyone could cleanse her soul it had to be this group of divine warriors.  Always thinking of every angle though the young woman still had the lingering concern that sprang forward in her mind.  What if she was beyond redemption?  What if the order deemed it safer to lob her head off rather than fix the contents inside of it?  What if she was just as much of a vile creature as the demon who had afflicted her?

Another branch was trampled under her foot.  Its loud snap shook her back to reality as her vision adjusted.  She had been traveling with her eyes staring down at the ground and the clearing of the trees poured sunlight all over her.  Around her neck was the silver charm she owned since she was a girl, it dazzled from the rays of the sun.  Reina figured this was as good of a spot as any to rest before pressing on.  She approached a nearby tree on the edge of the clearing and sat with her back pressed against the rough gray bark of the large sycamore.

The soulbroken girl leaned her neck back so that she could rest her head against the tree as well.  She pulled out a small canteen and took a large gulp of water.

"Can't be much further now... the Order should only be a few hours walk from here."

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

"Yeah, this should be enough..."

Wallace Hope stood in the shadow of a large sycamore tree, almost a mile from the nearest village. He'd met an elderly woman earlier in the day who had lost her necklace, and being Wallace, had agreed to help find it without hesitation. Had he been told initially that it had been dropped in the forest surrounding the town, he may have had answered differently.

"Ah well," he thought, a dry smile on his face. "No use complaining now."

The man turned to his makeshift search party- a few dead squirrels, a couple of rotting finches, and the skeleton of a small snake. The necromancer's stave flashed, and animals writhed and twisted, eyes beginning to glow a pale green. After a few seconds they stopped, and began to crowd around their new master.  "Alright guys!" Wallace said. "Find that necklace!"

The zombie animals scurried off, and Wallace leaned against the tree. Hopefully with this many eyes looking, the search would be over before dark...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The undead squirrel scampered through the forest, its cloudy eyes darting about. It was looking for something... something shiny, yes. Shiny like the sun on a puddle. It wasn't like looking for a nut or acorn- those weren't very shiny at all. Standing on it's hind legs, the zombie smelled the air in a grotesque mockery of it's still living relatives...

Suddenly, the rodent caught a glimpse of something sparkly out of the corner of it's eye! In a flash it ran towards it's target, snaching the silver necklace off the pink haired human and running off with it...

[Reina]

Staring down at her muddied boots, the young lass was still lost in thought.  To pass the time she had begun twirling a small branch around in a nearby pile of dirt.  Drawing the same circle over, and over, and over again.  Of course, that was before her nose was unfortunate enough to catch the impending stench.

No sooner did her eyes lock into the hideous creature, rotting flesh and all, that the undead rodent snatched away her lotus necklace!  It was an old and low quality trinket, so the latch came off quite simply.  But, it was her old and low quality trinket.  Plus it has sentimental value!

"Hey!  Where do you think you're taking that!?"  Reina's shout fell on deaf zombie squirrel ears.

Leaping to her feet she ensured that her katana was firmly latched to her belt before bounding after the vile vermin.  Racing towards an undead tree dweller wasn't exactly how she thought this day would go but the rose haired woman wasn't about to let this creature make off with her only reminder of home.

[Eckhart_Von_Musel]

Wallace sat under the Sycamore tree, idly flipping through the pages of a book. It hadn't been very long since he'd sent out his "search party"- maybe only twenty minutes. The weather was nice enough, however, that the man honestly wouldn't mind having to wait all day if it came to it. The sound of bird-song,  wind blowing gently through the leaves, a female voice for something...

"Wait..."

As wallace stood up, one of his squirrels lept through the brush with a necklace in it's teeth. Dropping it at his master's feet, the rodent's carcass scurried up the man's leg an onto his shoulder. It was when Wallace bent down to pick up the jewelery that he heard footsteps approaching...