[PP-F22] The Ivory Citadel

[Vigilon 0]

           Just because the three players were now out of the citadel did not mean it was time to stop running. He wanted to make sure he was out of sight from the citadel, and that meant traversing the outer courtyard and past its overgrown gates, before passing through the foliage that kept the location hidden.

      Only then did Vigilon slow to a stop, as to catch his breath. "Thank God that's over..." He thought aloud. He looked to the two girls with him. "Are you two alright?" He asked.
     Shanno nodded her head. "Alright, let's head back to Coral." Vigilon decided.

            Vigilon mainly referred to his map for picking directions to go. This deeper, dark part of the forest was easy to get lost in for the ill-prepared, or those with a poor sense of direction. It took a bit of time, but soon the forest of memory proper was within sight, which was arguably much easier to traverse.

[Dazia 0]

                    Once the players had reached the forest proper, Dazia took the lead from there. This was her mission, after all. About forty five minutes later, the lake was in view and the trio of players were leaving the forest. There was nothing else remotely dangerous to worry about now, the players could be at ease.

       Dazia now knew exactly which direction to go in order to reach Coral. Took only about ten minutes at this point, as the players picked up the pace because they were eager to finish up. At this rate, Dazia would not mind if Vigilon wanted to stick around near Dazia to the mission's completion. He played a crucial part in it, so he might as well witness the end result.

 

                 There it was, the room where Seline was waiting. "Seline, I return with the Nightingale." She greeted. Shanno walked into the room. "Birds of all feathers flock back to the Nest." She greeted. Seline turned her head to see Shanno, and made her way over to hug her. "I'm so glad to see you again...Shanno, my dear Nightingale, I have missed you..." She said as tears welled up in her eyes. Shanno hugged her back, tears welling up in her eyes as well. "I missed you too, Seline, I'm so happy to be free again..."
      Seline looked to Dazia, her expression wondering if these words were true. Dazia nodded. "There was a monster keeping her captive, we had to kill it in order to get her out. While the Ivory Citadel is now crawling with monsters as a result, Shanno is now here safe and sound."  She confirmed. "I suppose I should add, I have to admit, I'm not sure I would have succeeded if it were not for Vigilon here." She admitted.
    Seline then looked to Vigilon, and she would advance to embrace him as well. "Thank you...Thank you, Dragon, for helping us..." She said as her arms' grasp tightened somewhat.

     

[Vigilon 0]

                             The reunion between Shanno and Seline was warming to see. They must have really cared about each other. Dazia revealed the situation, and that Seline also had Vigilon to thank. Seline then moved in to hug Vigilon and thank him for his help. Vigilon was not expecting a full on hug, but perhaps it was just the emotions of the moment. He normally didn't get hugged like this, except maybe by his mother way back when, before everyone got trapped in this game. "Happy to help..." Vigilon responded.

    Seline was taller than Vigilon expected. He already knew she was taller than Dazia, but she was definitely taller than Vigilon, too. If Vigilon was to guess, Seline seemed to be about five foot ten in height. Vigilon didn't have very much else to note about at the moment, so he just waited for Seline to finish.

   With the reunion finished, it was time to leave, and let Seline and Shanno compare experiences.

        After leaving the inn where Seline was staying, Vigilon looked to Dazia. "Is Seline...normally like that?" He asked. "Just curious."

[Dazia 0]

                     Upon Vigilon's question, Dazia had but one simple answer. "Somewhat."
        Dazia looked to the skies. "Seline is the founder and leader of the Sky Swords Guild. She has some motherly tendencies, and has emotionally adopted everyone else in the guild, not just because she's the eldest, but because they were all...lost, in a way." She revealed. "She was like a real mother to them...so, as crazy as it sounds, me helping to find these players of the Sky Swords and returning them to Seline..." She began to hold back tears. "It's like I'm putting a family back together."

     Her breath began to shake. She was having a hard time hiding the fact that she...was jealous of this idea of a found family. She wanted to find people she could actually connect with, regardless of their differences. She couldn't choose the family she grew up with, but there was only one sibling Dazia would dare take with her if she were to seek a new family. Valna.

           "I....I need a moment." Dazia stated, before putting on her cowl and running off.

     She entered stealth and ran for the nearest darkened cover she could find. She then sought further cover as to lessen any sound. She could not let this weakness show. She curled up as the thoughts penetrated her mind. She could no longer hold back her expression...nor the tears.
                  She just wanted a better Father, she just wanted a better Mother, she just wanted better Siblings...
              She just wanted a better Family.

ID# 231117 LD: 18+5=23
Stealth Rating: 23

Edited September 11 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

            Dazia explained what she knew of Seline, and of the Sky Swords Guild. At one point, her breath began to shake, and she pulled her cowl over her head before suddenly taking off. Given the kinds of words she'd said, she must have hit one of her own weak points with what she brought up...but scenarios like these were never meant to be dealt with alone.

       Vigilon quickly followed Dazia's trail, though it seemed that she'd already disappeared. He kept his eyes open and heightened his senses. There didn't seem to be any noticeable traces of Dazia as of the moment, not even a footprint. Vigilon looked to his left, then to his right. "Violet!" He called out. "Violet, where are you?"

    His voice held both seriousness and concern. Whatever she was going through, she shouldn't have to go through it alone. She was his cousin; family...so if there was still hope for her and she was in need, his best option was to help out, right?

ID# 231127 LD: 9+6=15(Could not find Dazia)

Edited September 11 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

          Dazia kept to her cover, keeping herself hidden. She did not want anyone to see her like this. The last thing she wanted anyone to see was her breaking down in emotions. Did the cards she was dealt in life really have to be so cruel? All that effort just to learn that they aren't worth it? All those attempts to care to know that only one would care back? All that help to the very woman who brought her into this world, only to realize that some people never change and thus won't keep those wild siblings in line, even though being older they're supposed to be more chill? Couldn't she have done something to help calm Dazia?
          Awful. AWFUL. They were all so awful! So unhelpful, so deluded, so infuriating, so antagonizing...they were all so careless and selfish...they weren't worth the effort. Those freaks who claimed Dazia was a monster had only brought that punishment into themselves...and those higher up above only wanted Dazia to just sit there and take it.

    Dazia could hold it in no longer, she couldn't even stop herself from making noise, despite her best efforts to muffle it.

ID# 231128 LD: 10+5=15
Stealth Rating: 15

Edited September 11 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

                      Vigilon continued his search, hoping Dazia was close by. He couldn't let her disappear now. He practically ran around the town looking for her, looking through nearly every darkened space he could find.

         Soon, he was hearing sounds, and his heightened senses from his searching skill confirmed, this wasn't background noise by something of the environment, this was a person. As he got closer to the source of the sound, he recognized it as Dazia's voice, but in a tone he'd never heard before...

    Dazia...was crying. What had she gone through that would provoke an emotional moment like this by the thought of family being put back together? Did she...did she wish to have a found family like the Sky Swords?

  Vigilon kept himself to the wall out of her sight for a moment, so she could let it all out. He wouldn't step in until she'd released enough of that emotion to start settling down.

ID# 231129 LD: 15+6=21(Found Dazia!)

Edited September 11 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

                             She'd been bottling it up for so long, she couldn't even muffle herself anymore. All it takes for a dam to break is just a little leak, just a little crack.

                    Dazia's voice cracked, as her heart, or whatever she believed was left of it, lamented with a cry. She could only dream of a better world and a better family that she would never have. It was a hollow, empty dream, one she could never achieve. How could she, anyway? Who could care for and accept a monster like Violet Grace the Furious? Who could ever love the Raven of Wrath?

        No one...no one reasonable, at least.

   Weakness was punished in such an unforgiving world. She could not risk to show it, and yet here she was, nearly bawling her eyes out over the fact that she will never know peace, that she will never have true family. Others may think or act like it is her fault alone...but no...it was theirs, they made this monster whom they all hated...and she hated them in return.

[Vigilon 0]

           Vigilon waited.

    He simply kept his eyes closed, his heart feeling sympathy for the girl.

                         What if she wasn't all that people thought she was? What if she wasn't like this from the start? Maybe, in the end, all this time, she was simply suffering; broken?

   As Dazia's cries began to quiet down, Vigilon opened his eyes, and slowly made his way over to where Dazia was hiding herself. "Violet...you can come out now." He began. Nearly everything involving Dazia and emotion was a risk...but this was a risk worth taking, she shouldn't be suffering like this alone. "You don't have to be alone."

    Was this a dumb decision? Probably. Would this be worth it? Possibly. Was it the right thing to do? Absolutely. He proceeded to pull the cover away from Dazia, revealing her curled up state, shrunk into a ball on her side, and holding onto herself tightly. Vigilon's guess was correct. She was definitely hurting.

[Dazia 0]

                A voice disrupted the moment.
        Dazia's cover was removed, revealing her in her state of weakness. "Go away." She cried. She stuffed her face into her curled up form, unwilling to look at Vigilon while she was like this. "Go, now." She said, nearly pleading. "...No one's supposed to see me like this." She stated. Vigilon may have been an idiot, but at least he knew better than to leak the more sensitive areas of her to anyone. At least she could confide this one thing...but no more than that. She wouldn't let him near.
       She continued to cry, but it was scattered and stifled, for most of her lamentation had passed. She started bottling it up again, unwilling to show any further weakness in sight of anyone, even Vigilon. 
                After all, it's not like he could solve her problem, it was unsolvable. As long as both worlds were the way they were, there would be no peace.

[Vigilon 0]

                        "Are you sure?" Vigilon asked. "I don't think you should be suffering alone." He pointed out. "I didn't come here because you're 'weak', I came here because I'm your cousin, and I don't think you deserve to be suffering. Regardless if its friends, or family, when someone is in their time of need, the best thing we can do is show up for them. That's what we do, and that's why I'm here right now." He explained softly. Dazia's persistence continued. At this point, he'd have to respect her choice. "...I see, you still need some time." He noted. "I hope you find your new family soon." He said, as a statement of wishing her well.

    With that, he left, and returned to the inn. He knocked on the door to the room Shanno and Seline were in. When he was granted entry, Shanno asked, "Is there something you need? ...Are...are you alright?"
         Vigilon took a deep breath. He nodded his head, but he wasn't feeling happy. He hadn't given up hope, however. "Yeah, I just...have a question..." He began.

      "Have you considered asking Dazia to join the Sky Swords?"

 

Thread Summary in Progress, please wait...

Word Count: 23,065
Exp. Value: 1,614*Tier

Vigilon[T6]:
9,684 Exp, 17,812 Col(Thread Progression[1,000], Paragon Bonus[1,452], Mob Loot[9,860], Chest Loot[5,500]), 18 Materials(Mob Loot[6], Chest Loot[12])

Dazia[T5]:
8,070 Exp, 69,384 Col(Thread Progression[1,000], Paragon Bonus[1,210], Mob Loot[62,754], Chest Loot[4,400]), 16 Materials(Mob Loot[6], Chest Loot[10])

 

Unidentified Items:

Spoiler

Vigilon:

From Monsters:

<<T4 Perfect Consumable 209468>>

<<T4 Rare Weapon 231027a>>
<<T4 Uncommon Consumable 231027b>>

 

From Treasure Chests:

<<T4 Perfect Weapon 210010a>>
<<T4 Perfect Light Armor 210010b>>
<<T4 Perfect Consumable 210010c>>
<<T4 Perfect Consumable 210010d>>

 

 

Dazia:

From Monsters:

<<T4 Rare Trinket 218276>>

<<T4 Rare Weapon 218540a>>
<<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218540b>>

<<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218553>>

<<T4 Rare Weapon 218554a>>
<<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218554b>>

<<T4 Rare Trinket 218555>>

<<T4 Rare Trinket 219042>>

<<T4 Uncommon Consumable 230994>>

<<T4 Rare Trinket 230995>>

 

From Treasure Chests:

<<T4 Perfect Weapon 218501a>>
<<T4 Perfect Weapon 218501b>>
<<T4 Perfect Consumable 218501c>>

 

Edited September 15 by Vigilon