eidolonic | Enchanted Forest meme

Enchanted Forest meme

one → small quest it might be a rare herb or a cup of magic water, but someone’s life depends upon you going through these woods and getting it. will you find it right away? have to battle a witch for it? or maybe you don’t want to succeed at all.

two → lost how did you manage to get lost in these woods? you had that map, right? how did you even get to this part of the country? whatever happened, you’re stuck until someone helps you out. if they want you out in the first place.

three → chased these woods weren’t exactly the place you wanted to go, but you had no choice. innocent or guilty of a crime, or a victim of circumstance, these woods might buy you some time… wait. was that a wolf in the distance?

four → the old castle sometimes when you’re lost or wandering about, you see something really amazing or unusual. or something you were never meant to find. like that old abandoned castle people have been whispering about…

five → passing through the forest has a well-worn path that no one ever strays from, lest something magical happens to them. you’ve traveled it often enough, but just because you’re on the path doesn’t mean you’ll be left alone.

six → refuge it might be dark and cold, or entirely welcoming, but it’s the only place those nasty goons or insane villagers won’t follow you. but what exactly is keeping everyone else away from here? or did you want into some danger yourself?

seven → chance encounter it’s a fairy! no, wait, that was just an ogre. an ogre?! from sorcerers to talking deer, you can meet anything in an enchanted forest. so will you meet someone who wants to help you, or will they want to eat you instead?

eight → danger this forest doesn’t like newcomers, and the creatures don’t like humans. its ways are old and strange, and just because you’ve been able to enter it doesn’t mean you’ll be spared. no one likes trespassers, after all.

nine → large quest the forest might be the end of your quest, or it might be a large part of it. you’ve been fighting hard for a long time to rescue the princess or defeat the wizard, and this forest isn’t going to scare or defeat you. will it?

ten → spell trapped in an ancient oak tree? put under a sleeping curse? or maybe you’re the one who is causing that mischief from that little cottage you’ve hidden in the old forest people are learning to become wary of these days.

eleven → magical not all enchanted forests are scary! some of them are filled with sunlight, fairies, pretty little birds, and all those big-eyed creatures, all of them singing along with you, having a wonderfully good time.

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[Aire is honestly having a hard time believing this guy. She's taking the girl's request seriously, of course, but Owain's narration is something else.]

Whoa, watch out! [For a second she worries about how to get him out of the web but he takes care of it himself.] How about taking a look where you're going?! Before you blunder into a monster's teeth.

I think I'd better take the lead if we're going to find this poor kitten. [She tosses her hair and nearly strides off confidently... but she doesn't want to be eating her words, so she looks first. Which is good because the web's owner is waiting above them to see who lunch is. Aire whips out her Black Mage hat and casts a fire spell at it, but the spider is already dropping to the ground and she misses.] Look out!

[Owain is carefully pulling residual web tendrils from his sword, and getting them stuck to his fingers instead, when sudden fire commands his attention. His first thought is to wonder where Aire's cool new hat came from... but then the spider drops down out of the shadows and Owain spots it.

...He was not expecting any, you know, actual deadly peril when he agreed to look for a cute little kitten.] Oh wow, that's a really huge--er, I mean HAVE AT YOU, LOATHSOME DENIZEN OF DEEPEST DARKNESS!

[And then Owain is dashing at the creature, quick to get over his surprise, sword raised and gripped tightly in both hands. He strikes at the nearest hairy leg, but the spider is fast, dropping down just beneath his swing and Owain instead slices through the string of webbing by which it was suspended. It hits the ground and immediately skitters back just out of reach, regarding them with multiple beady eyes as if deciding which of them will be the easiest to eat first.

Owain doesn't let it think long; with a shout he's slicing at legs again, driving the spider back off the path and into the denser forest.]

[Let's not wonder too much about where the hats come from.]

[Aire hits the spider with another blast of fire at its rump as it runs off. Apparently it's not interested in any lunch that bites back, because it's hell-bent on retreating... at least, for now.

But that's fine with Aire. Kitty is her first priority.]

Don't go after it! Oh--[Hurriedly, she searches through the spiderweb, but there's nothing else in it. Whew. She pulls a little bag of kitty treats out of her boot and starts shaking it.] No shouting until we find it! We don't want to scare the poor little thing, do we?

[except it's. probably up a tree. That' where she would go--did go--as a scared kitty.]

[That second blast of fire seems to do the trick, and the spider turns and flees as quickly as it can, soon vanishing into undergrowth and shadows, the rustling of leaves and grass the only clues as to where it's gone.

And if Owain heard Aire tell him not to go after it, there's no indication. He follows the sound, struggling and hacking his way through dense, tangled foliage... but he can't keep up. He finally stops and sheathes his sword, breathing hard, as he realizes he's lost his foe.]

...You've escaped your fate this day, evildoer! [Yeah he also conveniently ignored the part about not shouting. He shakes his fist in the air.] But woe upon you, should we chance to meet again! WOE, I SAY!

[Owain has lost the path and his companion as well, but it's not as though it will be difficult to follow his trail of hacked-up branches back. He does so, shoulders slumping dejectedly... and he's almost back on the path, wondering what it is that he hears shaking, when he hears something else. A faint mew.]

Hey, this way! Over here! [...And he's crashing through the bush again.]

[Oh man, she thought she would never meet anyone more gung-ho than Brandt. SHE WAS WRONG. She covers her ears, which is kind of overdramatizing things herself.

She's not about to plunge into that brush after him unless she has to, so she waits, tapping her foot impatiently until she sees him reappear--and then plunge abruptly into the foliage again after the faint mewing noise.]

Whoa, whoa, hang on!

[She rushes after him and grabs his shoulder.

And then she meows back--it sounds really, uncannily like a genuine cat. The answer comes, as she feared, from above.]

...Are you any good at climbing trees? [She might be less of a brat than she used to be, but snags and sap and twigs in her hair? Still not unless she has to.]

[Owain stops and turns as Aire grabs his shoulder.] Huh...? [...And then she meows.]

...

You... you can speak in the tongues of beasts! [His eyes are wide with amazement.] Oh man, that's so AWESOME! You have to teach me! ...I mean, not right now, of course. There are heroic deeds that need doing first. But upon our triumphant return to the village--

[The meowing above them grows louder and more insistent. Kitty does not like waiting longer than necessary to be rescued. And there, Owain finally spots the little patch of orange fur huddled in the branches overhead.

...Huddled quite high in the branches overhead. But Aire is welcome to be a brat, because Owain is more than happy to be the gallant savior.] Ha, I never met a tree I couldn't climb! [Never mind all the ones he fell out of as a child. Those don't count. He shouts up at the kitten.] Fear not, poor helpless feline, for I shall save you!

[The tree is sticky with sap and covered in ants. But heroes do not fear such things. Owain takes a running start at the trunk, and starts up.]

[Aire grins. She could teach Owain--she doesn't have the Transformation Staff on her at the moment, but she's going to pick it up as soon as they get out of the forest. Because she would quite like to see what kind of animal Owain turns into.

Aire waits at the base of the trunk as Owain scrambles up. She's actually not so great at speaking animal when she's not one (wrong vocal chords and all) so she just gives the kitty another reassuring meow. It's looking kind of dubious at this loud blond stranger, all right.

Another noise closer to ground makes Aire turn her head--ohhh, their spider friend is making its way back. Not rushing, but you know, rather definite. She hums a few tuneless notes and twiddles with her staff before calling up to her companion in a singsong tone.]

Owaaain, have you got the kitty yet?

I--ow--think the ants are the--ouch--biting kind.

[Regardless, Owain has managed to navigate his way up to the branch where the kitten crouches pitifully. He's stretched out along said branch on his stomach, reaching, while the little bundle of fluff eyes him with obvious uncertainty.]

Almoooost... just a little farther... here, kitty kitty kitty... [His fingers brush fur... and then claws. The kitten squirms free when Owain grabs it and scampers up his arm, attaching itself firmly to his face as he yelps.

The ants suddenly don't seem so bad.]

Ow ow ow... okay, I've got it! [His voice is slightly muffled by kitty tummy, but it does leave both his hands free for climbing down, which he starts doing at once. Even if he can't see much but fur.]

Oh good.

[Aire glances up to see that the kitten has starfished itself on Owain's face. That's hilarious. She wishes she had time to laugh at it. She rolls her staff between her hands again and decides that she'd better do what she can to take out the spider before he reaches the ground.]

Thundara!

[It hits the spider in the eyes! But rather than the paralysis effect Aire hoped for, it just makes it mad enough to actually rush her. Her eyes bulge and in very short order she goes UP, ants and sap no longer a consideration.]

You menace! Ooh, if that brat had just minded her cat properly!

[At the crack of thunder, the kitten scrambles up onto the top of Owain's head, leaving thin red scratches behind. It perches there and hisses, its fur bristling as it tries (unsuccessfully) not to look terrified. His arms and legs wrapped around the trunk of the tree as he works his way back to solid ground, Owain can't really glance down to see what's going on without the risk of the little thing falling off his head.

But when he sees Aire climb up the other side of the tree, and when the kitten leaps off of him and follows her up, he knows it can't be anything good. He looks down... and quickly changes direction to follow after them.

Spiders can climb too, though, and much better than humans can. When he hears it coming behind him, Owain stops at the first branch he comes to that's wide enough to plant his feet on, and draws his sword.]

Go back, foul harbinger of evil! [He levels the blade squarely at the approaching spider's face.] YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

[He's never fought a battle in a tree before. This is going to be epic.]

[If only Aire could share his enthusiasm. She reaches out and scoops up the kitten as it darts towards her, wincing as its tiny but very sharp claws dig in to her arm. In spite of that she manages to get settled on a higher branch while Owain rushes back down to confront the spider.

She would like to just keep going up, but two things prevent it: she'd feel bad about leaving Owain to his own devices, and she doesn't want to get stuck up a tree like the kitten. So she scoots back towards the trunk as the spider races up, undaunted by Owain's battle cry.]

Vermin! [augh, his yelling is contagious. Aire whips out another hat, or rather, a crown of leaves. She only just remembers to put it on her head gently and starts singing the Motet to buff Owain's defense.]

[Oh sweet, Aire knows the Rally Defence skill! Owain's not sure what the singing's for, but he knows a defence buff when he feels it. And he's certainly not about to object to some musical accompaniment for his moment of glory. Great feats of heroism are that much more heroic when the proper mood has been set. He assumes a fighting stance and grins manically as the spider joins him on his branch.]

Face me at your peril, fiend! My power surges beyond the bonds of--

[CRRRAAACK! There goes the branch, out from under Owain's back foot. He yelps as he falls, but manages to catch hold of the broken end of it with his left hand and hang on for dear life, his right hand still miraculously gripping his sword. He doesn't get a chance to climb back up, though; the spider advances until it looms directly above him, peering down hungrily at its dangling prey.]

NO!

[That's not the most helpful thing to do, Aire knows. She grabs the kitten (gently) off her head to hold in the crook of her arm, and by the time she does that the spider is blocking her view of Owain.

For an instant she thinks of just jumping onto the damn thing, which is a disturbing indication that just a few hours in Owain's company is enough to leave a mark, but she's got something better: she sings the Fugue ~~not that Fugue~~ to the spider.

It freezes where it stands, right above Owain. Not ideal. It won't last more than a few moments, and the effort is exhausting, but it's better than getting chomped.]

Hurry up and surge your powers already!!

[Owain doesn't need to be told twice. He may not understand why his foe is taking so long to attack him, but that's not the sort of thing you question in the heat of battle. He hooks one leg up around the branch, then the other, and with a wordless shout he swings his sword up and stabs it deep into the spider's belly, twists it, and slashes the creature wide open.

He is quickly reminded of the fact that, when your opponent's guts come spilling out, the worst place to be is directly beneath them. He'll be cutting that shout pretty short. Now he's got spider blood and entrails in his hair and sliding down his face and the back of his collar... but the deed is done and the beast collapses silently, sliding off the limb and crashing through the branches beneath before hitting the ground with a thud.

Owain pulls himself up onto his branch and kneels there as he attempts to wipe the blood out of his eyes. He mostly just manages to smear it around.]

...Okay, ew. That... could've been more epic.

[Aire breathes an audible sigh of relief when the spider flops off the branch, although she wrinkles her nose to see that it's left most of its guts on Owain.]

It's an epic mess. [She climbs down one-handed until she reaches the branch he's on, though she stays well clear of the gunk.] That's why I hate fighting bug monsters. Are you hurt? We'd better get back to town before anything else turns up.

[She is smiling a bit, though, in spite of the unexpected battle. She and Owain did pretty well in her opinion.]

Alas, I bear no bloody badges of honour to commemorate the fulfillment of our grand quest. [Aside from the numerous kitty scratches, but those don't exactly count as wounds. Despite sounding mildly disappointed, though, Owain smiles back as he sheathes his sword and starts down the tree.]

But fear not, for I shall see that the deeds we have wrought this day live on in infamy for ages yet to come! The Battle of the Thicket of Eternal Deadly Peril shall have its own chapter in the ongoing saga of Owain Dark, Avenging Avenger of Justice!

[He jumps the last few feet to the ground and offers Aire a hand... before realizing said hand is covered in smeared spider blood, and hastily wiping it on his pants with a sheepish grin.]

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Enchanted Forest meme

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