@Eckhart_Von_Musel @Wrathwyrm (This thread is part of the Midnight Harvest (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=24339.0) event. Please post in the thread if you wish to join in late.)
Hylop was orange and purple. The sun hung low in the inky sky, and the hills were dotted with trees changing for autumn. The village was brimming with excitement. Lanterns were strung from roof to roof, and the paths were lined with squash-carvings of grinning beasts. If one looked close enough they might see bits of jewelry, glass figurines, and pouches of money stashed away in rain-barrels and beneath hay-bales. Tonight was the Midnight Harvest, and the children were herded toward the village green. Bigger children and veterans of this affair scampered ahead gleefully Smaller children, who'd never been changed before, clung to their brothers and sisters. Gaggles of self-conscious adolescents clung to the margins, feeling a bit old to join in the fun.
The nearest thing Hylop had to a temple was the Old Mother. It was a gnarled old oak with patchy leaves, encircled by three standing stones. No one could read what they said, but every year Duke Blackthorn would appear beneath its boughs. The wily old faun would sing his song, and every boy and girl in the village would twist into a hideous monster. To turn back they'd need to bring tribute...
***
Colby and his three sisters crossed the green together. His heart was aflutter with excitement but he tried not to show it, being a veteran of these events. He got to be a giant wolf last year. It was mostly fun...
"Do you think we'll be goblins this year? It was so much fun to ride on Colby!" said Marella.
"Except that he smelled like dog for a week." giggled Maeve.
"You shouldn't lie, Maeve. He
always smells," Maddy smirked and poked him in the shoulder, prompting a sigh of exasperation.
This year he was going to ditch the girls and run with some old boys and get up to some real trouble. Surely Michelo would let him come along? Colby usually dallied to chat with the blacksmith's apprentice when made to buy horse-shoes. Michelo could use swords. And maybe, just maybe, he'd teach him some day! It wasn't magic but it was still cool. When the girls turned to giggle at some inside joke, Colby darted into the crowd. Michelo was off by himself on the edge of the green. The farm-boy sidled up beside the blacksmith's-boy, prodding him in the back. "Hiya Michelo! Um, were you going, uh, Harvesting with anyone tonight? Because I think I'm getting a bit old to be going with my sisters and all..." His eyes were wide and filled with hope.
Ding!
Blacksmithing is an art.
Ding!
You are the creator.
Ding!
And the world is iron and steel.
Hiss...
Oh, and the water. Don't forget about the water.
The Malloys were a sort of typical family, here in Hylop. In every generation in every age, you need a guy who will melt down metal and forge it anew, with hammer and tongs. In their family, being that guy was essentially a father-to-son tradition dating back around a few centuries. It was something to be proud of. People need their tools and their weapons, not to mention the shoe-ing of horses. And while it seemed like having a mother who was a horse trainer would monopolize the business a little, she only caught them and broke them in. It was down to buyers to determine if they wanted Malloy shoes. There were still options, after all.
Now in his fifteenth year, Michelo had been given more responsibility. Many was the time he was simply taking care of things in the background - polishing, organizing, and delivering things - but lately he'd been allowed to work with the metal himself, so he wasn't just able to study and practice with weapons - especially blades - but he could make them! The whole thing facinated him, and he was always careful, taking in the proper instructions from his father so he could even take over for him if it became necessary. Good health was hard to come by in poor weather, after all. And while it'd been a beautiful autumn, cold and rain would steal that away oh-so-quickly.
Of course, that was hours ago. He'd managed to finish the work he'd been told to do, just so he could hurry up and watch it get started. The Midnight Festival was tonight... He'd been a number of times. His parents had always been a little worried, because - as blacksmithing and horses were a part of their lives - there was no way they could NOT have horseshoes aeound. If something were to happen to him, he might be cut off from blacksmithing forever. They were also worried that one of the other children would turn really dangerous and hurt him...
No, it didn't matter. The fair-haired boy shook his head to himself. It was always worth it. It was a game he knew well the rules to, and like any sort of job he'd been given, he'd joyfully carry it out, while having some fun on the side. The last time, it'd been a phoenix. And the time before that? A seven-headed hydra. Can you imagine him with seven heads? It was really confusing! Of course, then he began to sing...and it was glorious. He was at the edge of the green, still watching and waiting with anticipation, when a friend popped in out of the crowd. Michelo smiled his usual friendly smile.
"Yeah, I remember seeing you from high up. It didn't look that fun, with them all over you. I didn't have any special plans on who to go with. So yeah, we can team up on this."
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It was something that he heard of that happened here, in this town, every year. They called it the Midnight Haevest, and it involved a kind of fae being that appeared to transform every child that met with him into a monster, for a time. That was the rumor he'd heard, at least. He'd also heard that - among all the creatures that one could transform into - goblins were on the list.
Well, that was certainly relevent to his interests.
He was watching from outside of town for the signs. The first, of course, would be the gathering of children at a particular area. He knew not where, but he would see from further out, no doubt. His telescope - stolen from a trader vessel - would give him an eyeful, for sure. And who was holding that telescope? Why, a goblin! In preparation for this event, he was in one of his many little burrows throughout the continent. Why so many?
Because he was Gary Blight, that robbing hood of goblinkind.
He was in this burrow, and he was not alone. Gary Blight was sometimes a single act, but often a double-act. Behind him, and further into the burrow, was Concord, a giant spider. Once he had spotted all those children on the move, he smiled - showing some vicious teeth - and turned to his faithful spider-mount.
"Now, pay attention, girl. Tonight is the ritual that will change all those children, and I'll have to be out on my own."
"Yurker?"
"Because I'm going to pretend to be a goblin-turned-child myself, and try to get the ones who are also goblins to remain so."
"Hrrrg..."
"I know it's boring, but it's all in a good cause, and I can always rob the town, while I'm there. Now, remember that I may need a hasty exit if things go wrong. You'll be ready?"
"Rackle!"
"Atta girl..."
Yeah, little point about Concord: It was a she-spider, a Hunter Spider Queen he'd raised from a hatchling. She was big and she could get mean. Faithful ride, indeed...
It was nearing dusk as Beryl Feyal, High Lady of Altas Verde, approached the town of Hylop. She was only staying for the night- she was on her way to Arca for a very important meeting. Her advisor, a half-elf by the name of Atamai Fiegenbaum, was with her.
As the carriage rolled into town, Beryl looked out the window. "Mr. Fiegenbam?" she asked curiously. "Why are the children all gathering in one place? Is there a festival tonight? Can I go see?"
"If there is, it's none of your concern." her advisor replied sharply. "We aren't in your province, it would be seen as an insult if you made an appearance here."
"But..." Beryl said. "Nobody needs to know it's-"
"Beryl. No means no."
Scowling, the young noble was silent for the remainder of her carriage ride.
"R-really? I can go with you?!" Colby bounced on the balls of his feet, face lighting up. "And yeah... I mean I was a giant wolf at least. But I didn't get seven heads or nothing. And how do you suppose they decide anyway? And what was flying like anyway? And-"
"Oy! Out of the way, brats!" a man bellowed as a pack of children near stopped a carriage in its tracks. Colby saw a man and a girl, richly dressed, step from the coach and enter the inn across the road. Any other night and he'd be there to investigate. What would lords and ladies want here anyway? Were they royal-mages fleeing Connlaoth like in Finn Firebloom, book six? Or maybe the monster kids turned human again tonight? There was that princess, like a hundred years ago, who refused to give the Duke tribute and got stuck as a toad-girl!
***
A cold wind swept over Hylop. Trees groaned, leaves danced, and lanterns rattled. Little ones squeezed their bigger siblings' hands, and some even got a squeeze back. In all the commotion no one noticed the tall, willowy faun appear on the stage beneath the patchy old oak. Duke Blackthorn surveyed his audience,. "Such mirth and merriment! What joy and jubilation! It warms this icy to heart to see this sea of young faces come to keep their fore-bearers' oath. One thousand and forty three years ago did I nurse this land with blood of the wyrm Ganathryxargus. And for one thousand and forty three years you feasted on the fruit of land and ley. And so tonight, I claim my price! From dusk to dawn the whelps of this vale shall serve me in return. Where I have sewn, you shall reap."
The old faerie leaped from the stage stage, children scuttling back with frightened shrieks. His lips curled into a grin, "Return to this tree, by morn, things sweet and savory, scintillating and shiny, and to your parents you return. Else, you shall live forever more as beasts of underworld and vassals of my court!" With that the faun held his sickle high, and thick fog blanketed the village...
***
"H-here we go!" Colby's heart was aflutter with excitement as wisps of fog enveloped him and Michelo. The boy could see the skin on his hand turning warty and green; he stared with fascination. "A-a dragon! I bet I'll be a dragon! Or maybe a demon? Or maybe-?" The boy's ears and nose were already beginning to elongate, almost comically so. Definitely not a daemon or dragon.
Off in the distance came a chorus of childish squeals and monstrous roars. They caught a glimpse of little Aoife Applebough's wobbling by, a spiky green tail erupting from her back.
"Sure, why not?"
Well, Colby seemed happy to be running with him this year. And why not? Michelo had a good feeling about this one. It was the weirdest thing, but every time he attended one of these - even though he always returned to normal - he always felt somehow more energetic, like he could do more and such. Could be that he was actually capable of magic and had some untapped potential, but he'd never know unless he tried! Things like that left Michelo excited about this like he was still a kid himself, and not fourteen this year. A part of him was just a little sad that he wouldn't be able to do this many more times, but he wouldn't let that down his spirits.
All of this made him almost not notice the bit with the carriage in the middle of things. That seemed odd. Perhaps some nobles had some business around town and they got caught in the fuss and shuffle of children in the area? It seemed like they were going to the inn tonight. Michelo wondered if they even had any idea what was going on tonight. Perhaps, or perhaps some of the kids tonight werre gonna let them know. After all, kids will play their mischief. He wasn't exactly above the odd joke, just never too harmful on the person intended. Still, their arrival had interrupted Colby's questioning. Since they had a little time, Michelo started with how he tangled his heads up while arguing with himself as a hydra...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There were so many auras out here tonight. Gary could see the living magical or even ungifted auras of all beings. It was a result of some very personal life issues. Blight Sight, he called it. The devilish rogue was in the area now. He was small and hooded and among children who were all clambering for a good spot and paying little close attention to things. Well, what'd you expect? They're kids! Now, Gary had heard how this works, or close enough. The magic involved was cast over the kids, and it would affect neither the too young, nor the too old. In short, it could have no effect on him. He was an adult.
Now, it should be pointed out that the famed gobbo had done a little work to get himself into this crowd without notice. He was not super armed, for one. Although he had a fair amount of equipment, right now he was merely concealing his daggers - Dort and Zuruck - and his little container of Mandragora Essence, for emergencies. He was in common clothing, with a little hooded cloak, AND he was using one of his human masks, which he employed sometimes when he wanted to go around towns unnoticed. So, HE was in position.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Time passed, and the hour approacheth. He and Colby had still been talking about past experiences when the Duke was surprisingly here! He'd seemed to appear out of nowhere, but in reality they'd all just been very unobservant. Michelo's head darted to the stage in question when he started speaking. Duke Blackthorn himself was a kind of monster, like the children he transformed. He was a satyr, or at least his form was like one. Every child knew that, and that he was a Fae. He demanded tribute every year, but Michelo honestly wondered if he also just enjoyed doing this too.
So, he said his words, cast his spell, and the fog of transformation swept towards them all. Michelo was never afraid of this. An oncoming rush of fog was normally scary, but he had always felt calmed by it, for some reason. Heck, that he found it and other things like stormy weather inviting had always been taken as a good omen, for him. So, he actually closed his eyes and embraced the mist, and-
"Michelo..."
A faint voice, one that was only heard by him, bid him to open his eyes. In the fog, he thought he saw a shape with pointed ears, and then it was going. The boy got as far as "What...?" before it happened. There was alot of noise around them, as children excitedly began to change, but even they would still take notice that one among them was either struck by lightning three times, or was projecting it into the air that many times. The lanky fair-haired blacksmith's kid had undergone a change, and quickly! He now stood with white hair, blue eyes that were animal slits, a pair of white fox ears, and a matching fox tail that'd somehow created a hole in his pants and pushed its way through it. He felt a surge of energy, and the air felt a bit 'crackly' around him now.
Beryl was still sulking as she got settled at the inn.
"Stupid Fiegenbaum with his stupid rules!" the girl thought angrily.
"I hate it when he won't tell me things! It's not fair!" A sharp rap on the young noble's door got her attention. "Lady Feyal, why can I see candlelight from under your door?" said Mr. Fiegenbaum's oily voice. "I told you I wanted you in bed, we're leaving early tomorrow."
Fuming, Beryl clenched her fists. "I was just getting changed into my pajamas!"
"Don't use that tone of voice with me, My Lady."
"Fine!" said Beryl as she angrily blew out her candles. "I'll just sleep in my clothes!"
***
As Beryl lay in bed, she began to feel strange. Her feet felt oddly stiff, and it felt like something was growing out of her head...
"Wait..."Beryl got out of bed and walked over to the mirror hanging over the dresser. The girl gasped- she was
hideous. Her skin had turned bright red, and goat horns had sprouted from her head. Her teeth were now pointed, and when she looked down she saw her feet had been replaced by cloven hooves.
"What is happening to me!" she thought in a panic, eyes beginning to well up with tears.
"I- I can't let anyone see me like this!" From outside her window, Beryl could hear howls and screeches coming from where the children had been gathering.
"Maybe I'm not the only one!" she thought as she crawled out of the window and dropped to the ground.
"Maybe all the children have been cursed! Maybe they'll be able to help me!" With that the young noblewoman ran towards the village green, still wearing her dress and crown...
(Sorry for the wait. I've been kind of sick the past two days.)
Colby winced as mist, magic, and lightning surged around the smith's apprentice. He looked like a fox but there was more to it than that. "A snow-fox? A were-snow fox? Is that like magic in the air? I think there's a word for it! Its like in Firebloom book four where he shrinks down to help the frog people but then the fox-thing comes and tries to trick them with illusions and stuff so he's got to find a magic mirror and-"
"And man! What did I become?" Colby cringed at his warty arms. Between his mottled skin, bulbous nose, and long ears Colby was clearly a goblin. His overalls seemed just a bit more ragged, and his posture just a bit more hunched. Upon closer inspection his pack now burgeoned with an assortment of grappling hooks, stinkbombs, and other fiendish gadgets. The boy's shoulders sagged at this discovery. "Aw dang! Really? Every year I gotta be something dumb or ugly..."
Well. Maybe what Michelo became wasn't that great either? He just seemed foxy. But something was different. It looked way better, anyhow.
***
Out of nowhere a rather distraught-looking daemon-girl slammed into Colby, knocking him flat. "Hey! Watch it!" the goblin yelped, scowling up at Beryl. It wasn't long before he was trying to suppress a snicker at the sight of her. The girl might have looked menacing but for the torn finery. She wasn't anyone he'd seen before, of course, it was impossible to tell on a night like this. "What are you s'posed to be anyway? A daemon-princess?"
Never in his life had he seen so many auras twist like that, at once. That was fae magic, for you. It didn't do things by half-measures. So, after the mist had passed, Gary had thrown back his hood to reveal his goblin heritage among all the other monsterfied kids. There were many other kinds around, and he thought he saw some goblins right off, but in this crowd...well...it could be alot of things. Time to make an announcement.
"Hey, I'm a gobbo, me! Who wants to go mess with people? It'll be fun!"
These were kids, so chances are that the ones feeling up to a little mischief were gonna follow him. But just how effective was Gary going to be with his act? We shall see...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It wasn't as strange as could be, but it was somehow different from all the rest. He hadn't quite felt a surge of power like this before. Was it just because he'd never been this before? Michelo found himself looking over his body. He pulled on an ear to try and inspect it. He grabbed and looked over his tail, and he was snapping his fingers with a bit of lightning as he heard Colby talking.
"I think I'm more of a...lightning fox. I think they're called...kitsune, these magic foxes."
Yeah, that sounds right, but...where did I hear that before?
He couldn't recall, exactly. It was definitely something he knew, and he was certain of that as he was of his blacksmithing. Colby had been relating stuff about foxes from his books, and then he looked a little concerned about what he'd become. There was no denying it.
"I'm afraid you're a goblin, Colby. Better make the best of it."
"Calling all goblins! Join me for a night of tricks and traps!"
Michelo's ears twistched when he heard that, turning to gaze in the direction of it with a smile.
"Sounds like someone is rallying the troops."
Aaand that's when the girl with hooves and horns knocked the younger boy over. Michelo had been surprised by that-
Floop!
It had happened suddenly. One minute, he was taller than both of them, and in the next...he had to look up to meet their eyes. Of course, he didn't know yet that he was a fluffy white fox now. His new body had transformation powers, it seemed.
"I think she's a satyr."
OMG, a fox talked!
Running through the green, Beryl could soon see that she had not been the only one turned into a monster- all of the children had transformed. "Or they've been eaten." she thought. She shook her head. "No, I can't think like that. I am the high lady, I need to stay- oof!"
Tripping over something, Beryl fell over. Looking up, she saw what she had tripped over was a goblin. "Eww, that's gross." Standing back up she quickly crossed her arm. "I am not a demon princess." she said haughtily. "I am a regular-"
Suddenly hearing a second voice, the young noblewoman looked down to see a... talking arctic fox? "Um..." she said , confused. The talking animal bit didn't faze her- as the most magical province in Serendipity, Altas Verde had those in spades. She was, however, concerned about the animal's apparent displacement. "Shouldn't you be in Hyoite or something? We're really far from the tundra..."
More nagging just like at home; girls calling him gross. Ugh! But... the harvest was about playing pretend wasn't it? The goblin-boy screwed up his face and stuck his tongue out at Beryl, "Well shouldn't you be down in the underworld?"
"And Michelo is a magic fox! So he can be in the tundra OR the forest. And he can shape-shift and do lightning and go invisible and stuff, um, right? You can turn back?" Colby couldn't peel his eyes off Michelo. The word kitsune was awful familiar. It was some kind of fox spirit for sure. He secretly wished Michelo had become something equally mundane as a goblin. The entire exchange nothing to make the daemon-girl any less perplexed.
"So, uh, are you like new here or somethin? Don't you know about the Harvest?"
The girl asked him if he should actually be in Hyoite, to which the fox said...
"No no, I'm a regular. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oShTJ90fC34)"
Then, shortly after, the goblin-turned-boy began singing his praises. Yeah, he was some sort of magic fox, and he could do all those things, and he could turn back uhh... The white fox blinked at Colby for a second. Turn back? You mean change into a human again, like the Harvest spell never took hold or- Wait...why was he so close to the ground...and with paws?
"Whoa! How long have I been in this shape?"
He looked himself over, getting a load of his smallish body and swishing tail. While Colby was asking the girl questions, Michelo was sparking a bit as he thought carefully about how he caused himself to form-change like that. He tried concentrating on being human..
Pzap!
With a small lightning burst, Michelo found himself sitting now, back in the humanoid form with the fox ears and tail. He laughed out loud at the effect.
"That'll take some getting use to. I think she's the one from Hyoite, Colby. She must be a visitor in town, didn't expect any of this."
It was then that another goblin came running in, suddenly. Michelo could swear that he could smell alot of travel on this guy, and...spider? The guy jumped to get right over the girl's head and...
"Yoink!"
...took her crown before he landed and took off like shot! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S6WggEZeVE)
"Wait, did he just- Hey!"
"Shiny shinies go in the sack!"
Yup! After inviting all goblins to join him for a night of theft of mischief, Gary had taken to starting up his work for the evening.
Beryl watched the fox turn back into... A human-ish fox, a look of utter confusion on her face. "...Harvest? You mean like agriculture? I don't understand..."
"Is this a festival? If it is, it should be outlawed. I'd never allow children to be turned into monsters in my province."
"We will be turning back, right? I can't spend the- HEY! THAT'S MINE!"
Another goblin child had jumped over Beryl's head and stolen her crown. "I can't let him him get away!" the girl thought as she gave chase. "Mr. Fiegenbaum will kill me!"
"So you're new! Okay! So every year-" Colby puffed up his chest, about to tell the whole story. Maybe Hylop, just for once, was a little more interesting than the rest of the world. And then a little goblin had darted from a bush, snatched Beryl's crown, and was now speeding toward Old Siobhan's Dairy. The farm-boy pounded after the princess, grinning ear-to-ear. "If you're a daemon I bet you have powers! You can use 'em and stuff. They won't hurt nobody!"
The weight of his pack and hunched posture slowed the goblin-boy a bit. Wait! The spell gave him all sorts of tricks and traps! Warty hands probed his bag and instinctively located a slingshot and a pouch of large, angular seeds. These would have to do! Colby aim at the fleeing goblin and the seed arced through the air. It missed. But on impact it exploded into a mass of foul-smelling sludge. The thief stumbled in muck, allowing the trip to gain ground. "Hah! Got 'em! Uh, kinda?"
Off in the distance there was a terrifying roar. Across the field the silhouette of a giant ape was visible, wrestling with some sort of lizard.
The problem with kids turning into goblins is, as Gary was banking on, that you can't tell the difference from them and the adult ones, that well. The reason that was important, apart from disguise purposes, was that he was still physically stronger than goblings. These kids were all untrained nobodies who just didn't know the first thing about true goblin heritage. They might've had the powers of goblin trapmasters and shamans, say, but were they masters of those arts? Well, let's put it this way: That foul-smelling gunk was a summer breeze to a true goblin, and that muck was only a minor interference, as he demonstrated by tucking and rolling through it!
"Kid, get back here! That's not funny"
Michelo pulled ahead of Colby as the thief made it to the fenced-off area of the dairy in which the cows usually graze. The goblin seemed rather good on his feet. Was he really one of the local boys? Michelo gagged at the funk he had to get around to hop the fence. His nose was really sensitive right now, as were his ears.
"Seriously, give it back! She's not from around here!"
"What a coincidence! Neither am I!"
"Just give it back and you can get back to doing what you want in the festival, uhh... What's your name?"
"Call me Fred!"
Fred?
"Fred, stop clowning around! You know you're not suppose to be doing this, if you know the Harvest! Not to the other kids!"
"That's a new one on me!"
"Stop running!"
The lizard and the gorrilla be damned! There's a fox-boy chasing a goblin in a cow pasture, both swiftly avoiding cow patties as they do. Also, Michelo's body started to glow and uhh...a lightning bolt detonated one of those brown splats. He looked at his hands with shock.
"Colby, I have an idea! Throw another one of those gunk bombs!"
"Sure!" the goblin-boy chirped, bobbing up and down on his feet. It was good to feel useful. He scrunched an eye shut, took aim, and fired another of the sludge-bombs toward "Fred." Since they exploded it was only sensible to try and hit thief's feet! The fleshy seed burst once more into a glob of brackish muck. Colby was laughing, his teeth sharp and jagged. "Got 'em! Maybe being a goblin ain't so bad..."
"OUR COWS! GO STEAL YOUR OWN!" a far-off voice bellowed. The hairy brute rushed forward to tackle the lizard. The scaly creature simply danced aside, lashing the ape with a barbed tale. It howled in pain.
"Hey!" Beryl yelled as the the two boys started blowing up cow patties. "Be careful! You're going to get my crown dirty!" She began to hurry after them, gingerly stepping around the piles of manure that littered the ground. "Ugh, this is so gross!"
"I am so telling on you guys! Just you wait!"
Ironically, the King Kong and Godzilla expies were named George and Lizzie. No word on Ralph yet.
Now, you might ask yourself 'Why was Michelo asking Colby to throw a bomb-thing that the other goblin was handidly not getting bogged down much by?'. And that is an excellent question, actually. Because, if you'll look closely, the nimble actions of the so-called Fred were practically tip-toeing through the muck with only a slight delay in motions before leaping right out of it and back on the super-fast running.
But then, you might also recall that lightning is faster.
The goblin jumped, as planned, and then Michelo let out another bolt from his hands and... ZAPOW! It went right to the crown, shocking the goblin's hand and causing him to fling it away by reflex! The fox-boy moved quickly to go get it, caught it in mid-air and...looked around for uhh...Fred.
Fred was gone.
He'd just kept running, snuck around the house. He had better fish to fry, maybe more people to rob than those with crowns he can't really use. Although, if he'd had a moment - like Michelo did - he'd have realized just how authentic it was. The thunder fox was pretty impressed by the thing as he went back to Colby and the currently-demon girl.
"This is pretty good craftsmanship. Where'd you get it?"
(Insane week. Feels like a month has passed in 5 days. Sorry for the delay!)
"Just who're you gonna tell?! Its the Harvest! We're supposed to be doing this." Colby crossed his arms, glowering at Beryl in defiance. Of course some prissy girl would ruin the best night of the year! Though she was new. And kinda pretty. Sorta. His expression softened, and a warty finger prodded Beryl's shoulder. "What kinda powers did you get anyway? Bet you got cool magic!"
With that the goblin-boy heaved his pack on the ground and sorted through it. There were sludge-bombs, grappling hooks. A sly grin crossed his face, "You know in how Creature Compendium IV there was a story 'bout a faerie who would always do you a favor when you gave him a gift? Like an even trade? But you didn't get to choose what? So if we bring Duke Blackthorn something dumb, like your ma's cake mold, he'll just turn us back! But what if we get him something really nice? Like jewels! Do you reckon he'd give us magic and stuff?" Beady little eyes darted from Michelo to Beryl, hungry for approval.
"That is none of your business!" Beryl snapped, snatching her crown out of the fox boy's hands. "It's mine, that's all that matters."
The young noblewoman scowled as she put her crown back on, listening to what the younger boy had to say. It wasn't untrue that they were supposed to be doing this, apparently. This was disheartening, but it wasn't all bad- if the ceremony was being run by a Duke, then that meant that Beryl explicitly outranked him. "I'll have him imprisoned when this is over." Beryl thought. "Encouraging local children to bring him valuables, ha. That's a new one."
The girl crossed her arms over her chest. "We're not stealing, if that's what suggesting. That's illegal, immoral, and unjust." Beryl made a small clicking noise with her tongue. "What would your parents say if they found out?"
Well, apparently, if either of the two boys were looking for anything positive from the out-of-towner horned girl, they were in for a major disappointment. While they, veterans of the Midnight Harvest, could see the appeal of the thing, Beryl was incredibly annoyed and in the mood to host lectures. She even brought in mention of the parents. Michelo knew that his parents actually didn't think highly of his participation, but they never barred him if he had already fulfilled his responsibilities, done all of his chores. It seemed to him, then, that this girl needed the explanation.
"Parents don't generally like the Midnight Harvest, but they don't have any say in what goes on, either. This night is our night. Everyone involved has a chance to be something new and different, something beyond what they were, for one night. Either that, or they stay that way forever because Duke Blackthorn didn't like the tribute. And the reason he gains tribute? He makes sure Hylop's soil is fertile, and that there's plenty of rain at all the right times."
Some might call this some sort of a mythology gag, where people were filling in the blanks of how their world works with a supernatural event, but...this one actually happened. Here they were - a demon, a goblin, and a kitsune - as part of the miracle of change provided by a Fae of the Winter Court. Serendipity enjoyed a strange kind of reality, but it was indeed that thing. It was as unusual as any Serenian's allergy to iron - Remember that Serenians were actually Fae-descended, so the working of iron actually required safety gloves and such - but it was nevertheless true.
"This is strange to you, because you are a stranger, but you're gonna have to give the Duke something of value if you want to change back from that form. That's his rule for his magic. You were in range of his spell, so you have to take what you get and work with it."
Now, he smiled.
"As for us...you'll have to catch us if you can!"
Poof!
He transformed into a fox and started loping away!
"Come on, Colby! Let's go find the Duke something nice!"
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Meanwhile, Gary was going around town, nicking stuff. Nobody would take special notice, because everyone was probably doing it. However, there was something else of importance, something that should not have been. When no one was looking, when he was sure - by checking for auras - that no one could see, he snuck into places that were also protected. He was not a Fae-born goblin and he was not even a Serenian. Gary Blight was born in the caves below Connlaoth, hated and despised. He had no allergies at all, and the night's magic had had no effect on him. He was stealing with impunity from even protected places.
"Ya know there's a wizard family out west! Lives in a big tower-castle-thing on a hill and stuff. Its near um, that place. Alta Verda? Something like that! But they've got all kinds of walking mushrooms and bee people and man-eating plants! I bet you could zap your way past and we'd get cool stuff and the Duke would be real proud!!" he bounced on his heels with excitement. A real adventure! The goblin-boy was just about to skip after the fox when he noticed Beryl standing there all surly. Girls.
"Better come with us. Or you're gonna be stuck. And Blackthorn is a god you know. Ain't like you can tattle." She wasn't budging. Colby forced a crooked-tooth smile and stuck out a grubby hand. "I'm Colby by the way... my ma and da got a farm here. And he's Michelo."
(May I join?)
Beryl glowered at the boy standing in front of her. She clenched her fists tightly.
"Altas! Altas Verde! Say it right!" Breathing sharply, she readjusted her crown slightly. However, there were no untruths in what Colby had said.
"That means need to play his stupid game, or I'll be stuck like this forever!" she thought with a grimace.
"Gah, I hate this!"She stared at the boy's hand before gingerly shaking it. "It's Ber-" The girl paused. "Berry. My name is Berry." She looked towards where the fox had run off to, sighing. "Let's get this over with."
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Quiet.
Amitai Feigenbaum sat in his room at the inn, a glass of cheap wine in his hand. He swirled it in his hand, deep in thought. The upcoming meeting with Serendipity's queen was possibly the most important moment in the young Beryl's life, but he wasn't sure if she herself realized this. It was quite concerning, knowing that years of planning could be dashed against the rocks if a child spoke out of line.
The man's pondering was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking outside his window. Morbidly curious as to what kind of slum he had unwittingly holed himself up in, Fiegenbaum peered outside...
And saw a small figure running off with their carriage's expensive silver hubcaps.
"Not on my watch." he thought calmly as he ran outside, hoping to cut the figure off...
Oh, Duke Blackthorn may as well be a god. He was an age-old fae of considerable power, and fae have very few weaknesses. Iron was one of them, of course, but even if you threatened him with all the iron in town, he probably had some sort of spell that could blow it all away in the wind. It didn't matter, though, because nobody in town was going to raise a finger against him. The Midnight Harvest may have been a strange ritual, but the blessings upon Hylop were great a'plenty. Good, sturdy bumper crops every year... No blight or diseased livestock... Even the weather was amicable. Who would complain more than a token grumble around here? Nobody.
So now, Colby had an interesting idea on where to get some great things for the Duke. It was a little out of there way, but they had the time... Michelo nodded that he liked the idea, that his newfound foxy self could manage along with the other boy's goblin trickery. Hell, the girl - Berry, she said her name was? - could probably help. She seemed very upset about things, but since following was largely her only option - other than stealing on her own or remaining a demon - she would just have to deal with it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It looked as though the figure that Feigenbaum had seen was getting away with alot more than that. It had appeared to be a goblin. Other children were apparently running around as gobins, and with bags over their back. This one had a gunny sack that wasn't filled with stink bombs, but pilfered valuables, the silver hubcaps included. Now, Feigenbaum was moving to cut him off around the corner of the building, but a skilled rogue of Gary Blight's caliber - not to mention a guy gifted with him decent hearing, smelling, and sight - rolled aside as soon as he heard footsteps, saw a shadow, and...okay, he didn't really smell anything special, but he got out of the way of the guy and kept on running!
"All is fair for the Midnight Harvest!"
"So um, is it Berry like the fruit or Beary like you're like a bear?" The goblin-boy extended a hand. His grip was slimy. Or maybe just sweaty. "Nice to meet ya."
"Anyway the place is called Rhyswood Tower. I went with my da to bring them vegetables once. Its like a mile... that way!" the road zig-zapped upward into the hills, its destination obscured by a wall of bushy firs. Unlike the rest of Hylop, strung with lights and filled with giggling monsters, the road was pitch black and silent. Not even the moon could pierce its canopy. And while the Harvest had no official boundaries it did not seem part of the regular festivities.
Beryl looked at the goblin-boy's hand, grimacing. "I'm not touching that." she thought, feeling her stomach being to churn. "Why, I bet he doesn't even bathe!" Still, the girl relented, and shook Colby's hand quickly. "Ew! This is so gross!"
She wiped her hand on her dress, frowning. "Fine." she said bitterly. "It it will get me out of this awful form, I suppose I'll go with you." Her eyes twitched, and the tips if her horns seemed to spark. "We better not break any laws, though. I'll- somebody could get you in trouble."
Well, it isn't like Colby was unclean by nature. It was just because he was goblin-formed. By comparison, Michelo had been looking pretty damn sharp. It's not often that the Midnnight Harvest actually gives you a facelift, but kitsune tended to have striking looks, when it came to human forms. Hell, some or all of them could probably manage a glint of the teeth every time they grinned, be it by catching the light a certain way or providing their own.
Jury's still out on whether Michelo could do that or not.
Nevermind, though. There's more important things to be done! They were off to Rhyswood Tower to go sneak off with some 'special' treasure. Just about everything cool they could lay their hands on, but within reason. They were all still young, and wizards were nnever to be trifled with at the best of times. Right now, they were on the quiet approach, the dirt road with the trees on either side, leading to the tower. Michelo and Colby knew it, of course. The thunder fox had - on occasion - delivered something here from the forge. They probably wouldn't recognize him now, especially since he was currently a little white fox for stealth reasons.
"Okay, now we don't exactly have a plan, and I really don't know how to plan for this, but they know what night this is, and the worst they can really do is stop us if they catch us. However, if we are caught, you stink 'em, Colby, and we get out of there. I'm not gonna hurt them, if that's even possible. This is just...sneaky-sneaky, grabby-grabby. So, are we set?"
Uhh, maybe. It wasn't far to the place now, was it?
(I apologize for the late reply. Life got busy. I'm going to be more disciplined about responding in the future.)
Beryl's revulsion at the hand-shake made the goblin-boy's ears droop with dejection. Well, the magic did make him ugly didn't it? At least Michello seemed excited! Of course, at the mention of an actual plan Colby's face went blank. "I mean I don't know exactly what's there. But when my da left the carrots there was a talking statue in the front garden. It was just like Owain's Otherworld Odyssy! Well, except it told me where to get the pay, instead of granting wishes. And it was a bunny and not a dragon."
With all in agreement they trotted down the road and into the forests of Ravensway. The road was narrow and winding, fraught with prickers and undergrowth. Such things would be of little concern to a small animal, or hooved girl, but Colby kept catching his foot. Every now and again they came upon a stone marker, usually carved to look like some small animal, etched with the distance to Rhyswood Tower and the few other nearby landmarks. It was difficult to see through the gloom. On the very edge of his perception Colby thought he'd heard footfalls and hushed whispers. Were they being followed? By who? OR WHAT? Or maybe it was just dead leaves rattling in the wind?
The boy kep his orbit close to Michelo. The blacksmith's apprentice was the closest thing to a grown-up they had anyway. "Um, do you think you could turn back? I mean just so, you know, you have hands to grab stuff? But I guess you can zap things anyway right? I mean if we see something bad..."
Beryl sulked as she walked, staring at her feet. Her cloven hooves sunk into the ground with each step, leaving a clear set of tracks. "Stupid backwards town with it's stupid backwards traditions!" she thought angrily. "If we were in my province, I'd outlaw this!"
She looked at the stone markers as they passed- a clear sign if how unkempt this province was. Altas Verde's markers were magical and sparkly and... Not ugly like this. Looking at the two boys ahead of her, Beryl sneered. "Are we almost there? I hate this new body, it's too..." The girl paused, racking her brain for the perfect word. "Repugnant."
The white fox had been listening as he'd been moving along, testing out the strength of his newfound senses. He always had some new extension to his natural ones whenever he was a new being. It was always fun to see just how far they went when he had changed. Still, you don't exercise that without discovering a few things you hadn't expected. For one, there were definitely other presences around, other sources of movement. He didn't show that he knew, but he knew from Cobly's nervousness that he knew. It was why he wanted him to change back, to be honest, to give whoever was out there something to think about. The fox smiled.
"One face-lift, coming up."
There was just a little bit of sparking as he changed back into that light-haired, fox-eared, and fox-tailed version of himself, which resembled his old body, but had some charismatic upgrade that you see in kitsune about it. Something to think about, right? Still, he now crouched and looked at the place, as Berry was complaining about her form.
"We're here. I can see the tower. Don't knock your form until you've tried some of its powers. And in any case, we'll help you get back to normal, if you want to be."
And she did. Michelo could understand, really. I mean, look at Colby. As much as he enjoyed his Midnight Harvests, he didn't wanna be a goblin for the rest of his life.
"Anyway, I had a thought on this. Tell me what you think. I could run in and have a quick look for something valuable. If I see something special, I whistle a tune and you come right to me so you can help. Might be quicker for us that way. If it's daft, though, we can just stick together and head on over now."
Colby bristled at Beryl's remarks, knowing better than to say anything. Gets to be a magic daemon and doesn't even like it or want to do anything!
"And that sounds good!" the goblin-boy heaving his pack into the ground. There were grappling hooks, more those sludge bombs, and an assortment of strange hooks. Somehow he knew them to be lockpocks. And that you had to line the right ones up with little pins inside and it would open! "Bet I can get right through the front door! If there's anything good that is." In actually the shapeshifting fox could likely slip through a window and retrieve anything good. He was still eager to contribute.
Rhyswood Tower sat atop a rocky hill encircled by a low wall. Not a single candle burned in the windows (thin slats with paned shutters; big enough for a fox but little else). Scrubby vegetation had begun to grow around it. Were it not for the full moon they might have missed it entirely. A wrought-iron gate, opened just a crack, barred their path. And just as Colby mentioned the statue of a rabbit sat beside it. Its stony little eyes watching intently as the three monster-children stared at the old tower...
"Lady B B-B-eryl Feyal of Altas Verde! How good and grand and fine and stupendous and wonderful it is for you to visit. Welcome to Rhyswood Tower!" a reedy voice chirped. It was the statue.
Beryl followed the two boys sulkily, her left eye twitching. "Stupid, no good god and his stupid, no good ritual!" she thought angrily as the three approached the gate. "What if Mr. Fiegenbaum sees me like-"
"Lady B B-B-eryl Feyal of Altas Verde!"
The young noble froze. "Oh no!" she squeaked, staring at the statue in utter shock. Regaining her composure, Beryl jabbed her finger at the rabbit. "Look at this! It's clearly broken. "High Lady", as if..."
"Oh Kia, please tell me they believe me!"
Okay, it looked as though they had a plan. Even though 'Berry' didn't like any of it, the idea was workable. He could just about see his entrypoint, even. This was great. All he had to do was change into a fox again and-
A nearby statue spoke up, causing all three of them to stare at it.
Wait, what did it say?
His ears did not deceive him. At this point, nothing could deceive those things. Well...he didn't hear the 'Oh no!' over the declaration. Not when his focus had been diverted. The rabbit statue had spoken up, surprised to see what sounded like a name of nobility. Michelo did not make the connection until Berry interjected, stating that the thing had to be broken. And that was when the fox began to smile.
"No, no. He is not mistaken. He sees through your disguise most eloquently."
He'd turned to face the girl with a wink, indicating that he was up to mischief. Yes, that's right. He was about to bluff the statue - which he DID think was broken - into believing that Beryl was here...and she actually was. It played out thusly, as he turned back to the statue.
"Her ladyship wishes to visit good fortune upon your master's tower, but family tradition demands that it be done in secret. Please, do not rouse anyone this night, or she will be embarrassed."
"It is a p-pleasure to have you, Lady Beryl!" The bunny replied a cheerfully, and the wrought iron gate inched it's way open with a sickening squeal. It needed oil.
"Wait how-" Colby looked from Michelo to Berry in disbelief as they climbed the hill. How could she be a High Lady and how could Michelo know? "Oh, you lied. The spell ain't working right because it's old?
"Golly! I thought you really were like a secret princess." Colby errupted into a cackle of laughter, as if there was no way the hooven girl could possibly be highborn. Royalty was supposed to be all heroic and regal and stuff. Berry was just a stick in the mud.
The tower was an old crude thing. It's stones were blocky and slick with moss. It's great brass door, emblazoned eithba relief of a serpent entwined about a skull, peeled open at their approach. Beyond lay what used to be a parlor. A wooden bunny, of similar design, stood guard. "Her Ladyship may wait in the drawing r-r-room. For her safety the Master does not p-permit guests beyond."
The drawing room consisted of a fireplace, some old furniture with ragged appulstory. Most noticeable was the fact a spider plant, potted on the windowsil, appeared to have grown wildly out of control. An assortment of roots and vines crept down the wall its pot and into the floorboards. It looked more like some sprawling sea beast than a house plant. The room was otherwise a disappointment. There were some candle holders and a tea set. "Aw man! Nothing we couldn't have gotten from Hylop." the goblin stamped a clawed foot. It only then occurred to Colby there were no actual lights in the tower. His lips curled into a crooked grin. "Cool! Nightvision! Can you guys see at all? I can show you around..."
Beryl sulkily followed the the two boys into the tower, arms folded. "Yeah... the spell doesn't work anymore." she lied. She heard the sound of windchimes in the back of her head- she'd set off her own magic.
It was far too dark inside the tower for Beryl too see anything. The girl stumbled over her hooves trying to find her way, falling into what felt like a potted plant. "Gah! Light some candles, will you? I can't see anything!"
Why yes, of course she was lying! Could you really imagine a princess appearing at the Midnight Harvest? How strange would that be? Michelo flinched at the loud screech of the gate opening for them, his fox ears flattening down to his head for a moment.
"Oww... Must get dad to sell these people some oil or something..."
They were allowed to proceed into the courtyard, and then a snake statue apparently allowed them into the wizard's tower...in sort of a forward guest room. It was...sadly lacking in anything special to nip off with. Colby was right. They could've gotten this stuff from other homes, easy. There had to be something... Michelo was about to see what other ways they could go when their resident goblin asked if they could see.
"I'm not having too much trouble, being a fox and all. I-"
Berry fell into the plant for a moment and asked - nay, demanded a light. Considering what she ran into, it might look rather freaky to her, and they were suppose to be stealing stuff. Michelo wisely decided NOT to make a light with his lightning or anything.
"Sorry, can't. Besides, we're trying to sneak around, and it looks like we can help you without making any light at all. Colby, why don't you start the sneaky stuff? I'll watch your back and guide Berry."