Kyngdom Survival Guide

My feet slammed

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My feet slammed

My feet slammed into the ground, kicking up mud and dirt as I ran through the heavy jungle foliage, leaves and branches scarping against my arms. I could hear shouting and yells from behind me, getting closer, closer--

I leap over a fallen log and the ground slipped beneath my feet as I landed, and I tumbled, my vision flashing between the green canopy far above and the mud below as I fell, and the moon was blocked by the leaves so I couldn't see where I was going--

And suddenly I hit level ground and the wind was knocked from my chest. I laid there, gapsing for air, listening to the sounds of the soldiers marching through the woods. Their flashlights passed overhead, but thick bushes covered me. After the soldiers finally left, probably on their way to Paralia, I sat up. My body protested in a chorus of pain and aches, so I moved slowly. Carefully, gently, I removed the pack from my back. The instrument inside was undamaged, and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least one thing was going right.

This did mean that seeking refuge in Paralia was no longer an option, though I still felt going to the Resistance was the best option. I could travel north, through the Varie Badlands, sneak across the Crimson Fields, and to the Drifter Outpost--no, that would take far too long and be far too dangerous.

Perhaps Mer, then--the city was still recovering from the events of the Flea Market, but it was the most pro-Resistance city there was. And yet, that would be equally dangerous--Catastrophe's soldiers clogged these woods like a plague in a hospital. Going north would only mean being blown to bits by bombs, or freezing in the night. 

There was nowhere, nowhere at all that was safe. 

 

submitted by Kosomi R., Kyngdom
(March 25, 2021 - 7:51 am)

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Kit~~

The Resistance base looms above us, its grey walls and wire fencing a sharp change from the peaceful aura of Mer. The base itself is located a short walk outside of the city walls, hidden in a small...valley, I guess? Gentle hills block the base on both sides, shielding it from attack. The surrounding jungle helps to hide it, too.

As we get closer, I'm able to make out the shapes of several guards standing in front of the main entrance. Their greyish-green uniforms blend in perfectly with the mixture of foliage and metal. There's about six in total, each one armed to the teeth.

"I'll do the talking," Angel says. Kosomi and I wait several feet behind as he approaches one of the guards.

The guard, a large wolf anthro with vivid blue eyes, looks down at Angel. The anthro has to be at least seven feet tall--I mean, he's even taller than me, and that's saying something.

"Who are you?" He asks. His voice is strong, and powerful, but not cruel or angry.

"Colonel Angel Hildebrande. I was stationed in Paralia, prior to the attack." Angel holds out his Resistance badge. He looks hilariously short compared to the wolf anthro.

"Colonel Hildebrande? We thought you were dead!" The anthro's eyes seem to light up. "Come on in. Hiraeth will be delighted to know you're okay." 

The anthro looks up, and spots Kosomi and I. "Who are they?"

"Kosomi Ramabasa and Kit-- they're also from Paralia. They helped save my life," Angel explains.

"Ah. They can come in, too. Open the gates!" The other guards scramble to open the doors as the wolf anthro guides us into the base. I wonder who 'Hiraeth' is. 

There's a Dolor Felis sitting at a desk in the entrance room. She seems bored, and is sharpening a knife when we walk in. She barely even glances up at them.

"Let me guess. New recruits?" The Dolor Felis ignores Angel entirely. 

The anthro shakes his head. "No. This is Colonel Hildebrande and his friends."

The Dolor Felis looks down at us. "Huh. Guess he's not dead." She goes back to sharpening her knife.

"So, let me guess, you want to know where Hiraeth is?" The anthro asks.

Angel laughs--nervously, it seems. "Ha, uh, no...actually… Er, there's something else I needed to discuss. With the medics."

The guard looks surprised for a moment, but doesn't question Angel. "Right. Of course. I'll just let him know you're alive."

"Uh, thanks." Angel watches as the guard leaves.

"So who's this 'Hiraeth'?" Kosomi asks.

"It's not important. The infirmary is this way." Angel begins to walk down a hallway on the left side of the room. Kosomi and I have no choice but to follow.

"So who do you think Hiraeth is?" Kosomi whispers to me.

I shrug. "Maybe an old friend, or something?" 

We aren't able to come to any conclusion by the time we reach the infirmary. There are several medics darting from bed to bed, treating a hauntingly high number of patients. Some of them look to be civilians--refugees from Paralia, maybe.

Some of the medics see Angel, and they pause. "Colonel Hildebrande?" One asks.

"Yes, it's me," Angel replies.

"Welcome back from the land of the dead, Hildebrande," Another says. "What do you need?"

"There's a house full of orphans--the blue manor on Serpent Hill Road, in the city. They need someone to care for them," Angel explains.

"I'll do it," A medic replies. The medic is a young human man, probably only about twenty.

"Thank you," Angel says. "You can bring them into the base or let them stay at the manor--as long as they're safe, it's fine."

"Right." The medic leaves the room.

"Have you spoken to Hiraeth yet?" Another medic asks.

Angel shakes his head. "Did any of the other soldiers from Paralia make it here alive?"

"A few made it back. They were with the group of refugees led by a person named Felix," A medic explains. Oh, good. Felix survived.

Angel sighs in relief. "Oh, good."

The same medic continues to speak. "You should get some rest. Your friends too. You all look exhausted."

"Thank you. I will," Angel responds.

"Talk to Hiraeth and the generals first, though. I know Hiraeth was devastated when you didn't return," She says.

Angel swallows nervously. "Yeah. I'll...talk to him. Can you take my friends somewhere they can rest?"

~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(June 2, 2021 - 10:52 am)

Um hi there! I was just going to try and jump in here! You are an amazing writer!!!!

Asa's pronouns are they/them and they can be shipped with anyone. They are  

~Asa

"Yes of course Hildebrande." Sacha was talking with Colonel Hildebrande. He was thought to be dead and was the subject of conversation on the base. I was tending to a patient but I was paying attention to the conversation behind me. 

I stand up and turn around after I finish wrapping a bandage and take a glance at the newcomers. There was a homo aquarius and a cyborg and neither of them looked good. Colonel Hildebrande didn't look too good either but he had to meet with Hiraeth. 

"Asa!" Sacha barks at me, "Tend to these newcomers and then lead them to the spare barracks."

"Yes ma'am." I say.

"Alright, this is Asa and they will take good care of you." Sacha rushes away to help another patient.  

"Please follow me,". I lead them to the back of the infirmary, "You can sit there." I motion towards two benches and I turn away to gather suppplies. 

"So you're Asa?" The cyborg asks.

"Yes I am. You already knew that." 

"Well, I'm Kit." Kit says

"And I'm Kosomi Rambasa." The Homo Aquarius says.

I nearly stumble at that, "You're a Nobyl?" 

Kosomi shakes her head, "not anymore" 

I nod as I finish gathering supplies and begin the examination, "So right off the bat, does anything hurt, are you wounded, and if so where?"

"I was in an accident and lost my memory." Kit says. 

I nod and walk over to them first, "Was this a recent accident?"

"No,"  

I do a quick examination and nothing seemed to be wrong except for some dehydration and exhaustion. I whip up a little remedy that will help them fall asleep, "You should take that when you get to the barracks." I say as I hand them the remedy.

"So, why is Angel so concerned about seeing this Hiraeth?" Kosomi asks me in a low tone.

"Angel?" I ask confused

"Colonel Hildebrande, sorry" Kit says.

I glance at both of them "I don't think I'm authorized to share that information with you." I say quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

So I was thinking that Asa is really closed off and proffesional and then them and the rest of the group keep getting into situations together and then you know.... possible shipping? I'll make a character sheet and post it.  

submitted by Skip
(June 19, 2021 - 1:24 pm)

Thank you! I'll try to write a response soon-- don't think I've abandoned the thread just because I haven't responded in a couple of days. I've been a bit busy lately, is all.

submitted by Sybill, age He/they, Ikea
(June 20, 2021 - 8:18 pm)

That's totally alright! You can take your time. I have also just realized that I never described Asa. 

They are human and they have short blonde hair that is growing out to their shoulders. It is typically in a bun or back with a bandanna of some sort while they are working. Usually wears the medic uniform while working. They have hazel eyes and freckles and they are about 5'4"

submitted by Skip
(June 21, 2021 - 3:25 pm)
Angel~~
I wipe my hands on my pants as I walk down the hallway, desperately fighting off my ever-raising nerves. I both desperately want to see Hiraeth and hope that we’ll never meet again.
Such is the way of love, I suppose.
The halls somehow seem very long and very short at the same time. I can hear the soldiers and other Resistance members whispering to each other about me--every so often, one will glance up and say something to me. Their words pass through my mind and are forgotten before I have a chance to process them.
Eventually, I reach General Mina’s office. I slowly open the door and am greeted by the pleasant voice of her current secretary-- a young hyena anthro with spiky brown hair and warm brown eyes. 
“Hildebrande! I expected you would come here. Mina’s busy at the moment, but I’ll let her know you’ve returned. If there’s anything she needs to tell you, I’ll send out a letter,” The anthro says. “Now, is there anything else you need?”
“Er, yes. Do you know where Major General de León is?”
“You mean Hiraeth? Oh, sure. He’s out at the training grounds with a couple of the new recruits.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Bye now,” The hyena says, his voice somehow becoming kinder.
I leave the room, heading towards the halls to the training grounds. As I get closer, I can hear the vague sounds of shouts and gunshots--not chaotic like the ones that would be heard in a battle, but calm, orderly. The sounds of target practice.
I push open a set of heavy metal doors and the training grounds appear in front of me. The sun beats down harshly on a wide green field, surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and the towering trees of the Mer forests. I spot Hiraeth almost instantly--he’s barking orders at a group of recruits, who look very overwhelmed. 
He looks as beautiful as the last time I saw him--dark hair curling around the edges of his warm, fawn-colored face, gorgeous golden-brown eyes that seem to reflect all the sun’s glory, features so perfect you’d assume he’s carved of marble. His elven ears seem to have piercings now--I wonder when he had that done. 
Hiraeth’s ears twitch and he glances at me, looks back at the recruits, then glances back and does a double-take. I don’t think I’ve seen him look this surprised or delighted, not even when I proposed to him.
“Angel?!” He sounds like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. 
“That’s right,” I respond, trying to sound nonchalant. 
“I thought you died! What happened?!” He runs towards me, and holds my hands in his. 
“It’s… kind of a long story. But right now, I’m just glad to see you again.” And I am. All my nerves seem to melt away in his presence.
Love never really goes away, does it?
----
Kosomi~~
Asa leads Kit and I down the hallways towards the barracks. I roll the small remedy they gave us between my fingers. It’s some kind of liquid, in a little glass bottle. A potion, or just medicine?
The barracks they take us to are completely empty. Probably why they’re considered spares. 
“You take any bed you want… take the remedy when you’re ready to sleep.” Asa glances down at their watch. “It’ll probably keep you asleep for three hours, meaning you’ll wake up… right around dinner--I think.”
“Are we invited to that?” Kit asks. I can’t actually tell if they’re trying to be funny or not.
“I would imagine so,” Asa replies. “If you need anything, I will be in the infirmary.” With that, Asa leaves the room. I can hear the sound of their shoes clicking fade softly away.
“So, what are your thoughts on the Resistance?” I ask after Asa is gone. 
Kit’s eyebrows knit together. “I’m not really sure. Well, that’s not really true. I know they’re the good ones, but they just seem so…” Kit waves their non-metal arm in the air, which could mean a million different things.
“Unorganized?” I suggest.
Kit shakes their head. “More like… young.”
“That’s fair.”
“What do you think about them?” Kit then asks.
“About the same as you, I guess. Their leaders are smart, and they fight for a good cause, but I’m concerned about their lack of resources and experiences,” I explain.
Kit doesn’t say anything for a moment. “I guess there’s not much we can do about it.”
“I suppose you’re right.” The conversation ends, and we both climb into beds. I uncork the remedy bottle, and drink it. It tastes like peaches. Sleep comes much quicker than I expected, engulfing me in peaceful darkness…
~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/They, Kyngdom
(July 7, 2021 - 12:10 pm)

~Asa~

I close the door after me when I leave the room and sigh. Kosomi didn't seem too fond of me. And of course they would be invited to dinner? Why wouldn't they? 

I shake my head and walk back to the infirmary. There Sacha is waiting for me.

"My little deer!" She calls 

I smile and head over to her, "hi Sacha" I reply

"soo, did you get our guests settled in?" She pulls me into a hug.

"Yes I did. I don't think the one is quite fond of me though" 

"That's all right, I'm sure they'll be out of here quick enough." She goes and begins cleaning up.

I nod.

"But while they are here I think you should talk to them." Sacha says turing back towards me.

"talk to them? why? " I ask. They were probably going to leave soon. There was no point in doing that. I take my hair down and redo the bun it was in. 

"They're adventurers. who knows, they might have a few good stories." Sacha says as she walks away to tend to a patient.

"Sacha.." I begin but it's no use. She's already busy and I know better than to interrupt her. Another patient just walked in and I immeatietly went to help them.

"Hey Asa," they said.

"Rami, what are you doing here?" I said as I assessed his situation. He was holding his wrist and was walking with a limp.

"I got into an accident?" 

"mhm, what does that mean?" I grab bandages and ointments.

"I made someone mad?" Rami says sheepeshly

"On accident or on purpose?" 

He says nothing

"Rami," I sigh "You really need to stop this." I begin to wrap his wrist and I put a brace over it.

"Wait wait wait, why the brace?" He says and tries to pull his arm away.

"You are getting the brace because you keep spraining this wrist and it needs to heal properly. which means no moving it." I say yanking his arm back into place.  

"Asaaaaa" he whines

"Oh shut it" I roll my eyes, "there you go" I finish wrapping his arm and focus on his leg. 

"So that one is just a bruise" 

"You are so dramatic," I say as I gather ingredients for a remedy. 

"I am not!"

I chuckle and give him the remedy, "It will knock you out for a couple hours. You'll wake up for dinner and you will defenitly be hungry." 

"What does this one taste like?" He asks with childhood wonder in his eyes.

"I guess you'll have to find out." 

He frowns "whenever you say that, that means that it isn't good,"

I shrug my shoulders and shoo him out, "please actually drink it, Rami. It will help you get better."

"fiiiiine" He says walking out.

"The kid is fond of you, little deer," 

"Ah! Sacha stop doing that," I jump. She's right behind me. Like right there.

"no can do, but you have time off. You should probably go and get washed up. Dinner is supposed to be nicer today since Hildebrande is back."

"Alright Sacha, I'll see you later."

"Don't forget to talk to the guests!" She calls after me.

I shake my head and chuckle.  

 

submitted by Skip, age she/her
(July 8, 2021 - 2:31 pm)
Kit~~
The dusty wooden panels of the bunk above me slowly fade into clarity as I awaken, shaking off the thin brown blankets. Kosomi is already awake, yawning and stretching. Her cloak rests on the floor beside the bed and I see that her four arms have fins on them. After another yawn, she looks up at the clock, then turns to me. 
“It’s six now--do you think dinner is ready?”
“Maybe,” I reply. “...Asa never told us where the cafeteria is, did they?”
“Well, it can’t possibly be that hard to find, can it? Come on, we’d better hurry.” With that, Kosomi stands and throws her cloak back over her shoulders. I stand up quickly, not wanting to be left behind.
She steps into the hall and looks around. “I can hear a lot of people talking not far from here. We’ve just got to follow the noise.”
I can just barely hear the sounds of voices in the distance. “Maybe we could ask someone where the cafeteria is?”
Kosomi waves her hand dismissively. “No, no, we’ll find it on our own.”
“If you’re sure…” Kosomi begins to walk down the hallway, and against my better judgement, I follow her. After several minutes of walking in circles, it becomes apparent she doesn’t actually know where she’s going.
“Are we lost?” I ask. I look around the corridors-- there is nobody around to ask for help, and no signs to tell us what direction to go.  
“Of course not! I was just… getting my bearings,” Kosomi says with a light laugh. “Let’s go… this way!” 
She picks an entirely random hallway and begins to march down it, bizarrely determined. Thankfully, though, the sounds of talking and the clinking of plates and glasses seem to be growing louder. Finally, we reach the cafeteria.
It’s huge. And loud. And absolutely packed.
And very, very overwhelming.
“Oh.” The word escapes my lips unintentionally.
“I don’t see Angel anywhere,” Kosomi mutters. She’s scanning over the crowd, and I join her. 
“There he is!” I tap Kosomi on the shoulder and point at him. He’s with a group of soldiers, drink in hand, seemingly laughing. An elf with warm, brown skin and curly, dark hair has his arm wrapped around him.
“Who’s he with?” Kosomi seems surprised that Angel could know people other than us.
“I don’t know, let’s ask him,” I suggest. I begin to weave through the crowd, Kosomi at my back. People give us looks, but I mostly ignore them.
Angel soon spots us and lets out a delighted laugh. “Kosomi, Kit! Come here, I have someone I want you to meet!” 
The group of soldiers--medics, I now realize-- make room for us to join them at their table. They all seem reasonably friendly, and greet us warmly. I notice Asa sits at the table as well-- I guess the medics all like to stick together, or something. 
“Hiraeth, meet Kosomi--she’s the Homo Aquarius-- and Kit, they’re the cyborg. Kosomi, Kit, meet Hiraeth--my husband,” Angel says. He sounds proud, and happy. And in love.
“So these are your friends?” Hiraeth, the elf, looks down at us. “How nice to meet you two. Angel has already told me lots about you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Kosomi says, shaking his hand, ever so formal. 
“Hi, Hiraeth. Good to meet you,” I say. “Hi, Asa. Thanks for taking care of us.” Asa’s head lifts up in surprise.
“Oh. You’re welcome,” they say, before turning back to their food. 
Something about this conversation feels nice. Like for once, I’m welcome to speak. I have a feeling this is what I used to be like, before the accident--more open, talkative, charismatic. I’m glad that part of me is returning. 
“So, Kosomi, Kit, what did you do before you met Hildebrande?” one of the medics, a gruff-looking human with silver eyes and long brown hair asks.
“I was the ruler of the Homo Aquarians for a short time, after we escaped the labs. That honor now goes to Aerwyna Nicchio--well, pur Nicchio, now, I guess,” Kosomi explains.
“Oh, you’re the Ramabasa girl, then? I’d heard about you abdicating your throne. Why’d you do it?” 
“Aerwyna was a better leader than me. She deserved to be queen far more,” Kosomi says. 
“What about you, Kit?” a different medic, a youthful wood elf, asks.
I swallow nervously. “Uh, good question.” There's a chorus of laughter.
“Seriously, what did you do?” Hiraeth asks. Several of the other medics repeat this question.
“Er, well, about two months ago… I was in an accident. I lost my memory,” I explain.
“What kind of accident?” the long-haired human asks.
“It was a fight. With… a gang member,” I reply. “Worked for a guy named Ron--he’s a big name in the Kyngdom black market, I think. But from what I remember before… I think I always travelled. Guess it’s just in my nature.”
“Ah, yeah, we’ve had our own share of problems with Ron. Guy’s a real maniac,” a medic says. “He’s got a deal with the Black Skull, we suspect. He had his goons hunting down our soldiers for a while, stealing our weapons and ammo to sell them.”
“Did you stop him?” I ask.
The medic nods. “Yeah. An assassin we sent out about two weeks ago finally put a bullet in his head.”
“Oh, good. Wish I’d been the assassin, though,” I remark. Once again, my comment garners laughter. Wow. I guess I’m… not bad at this talking thing.
Kosomi looks rather uncomfortable, though.
~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/They, Kyngdom
(July 8, 2021 - 8:46 pm)

~Asa~

Kit didn't tell me that they had an accident with Ron! That guy is literally insane. Thank Lunee he's dead. And thank Lunee they're okay!

"Oh, good. Wish I'd been the assassin though" Kit says.

The table laughs at that. Kit looks very comfortable. I'm happy for them. Suddenly there's a tugging on my arm.

"Asaaaaaa" Rami whines

"Rami? What are you doing?" I say as I turn to him.

"you lied!" 

"Technically I didn't lie," I say. that remedy that I gave him tasted asolutly disgusting. It's his fault though. He is so accident prone. I see him almost every week. 

He pouts.

"Okay, Rami, I'm sorry for making you take the remedy that healed you." I say rolling my eyes.

"Asa!" 

I whip my head around. Major General Hiraeth is looking at me with a smile, "yes sir?" I say my voice cracking. I had never been recognized by an officer like this. What in the Claaws is happening

"I just wanted to thank you for taking care of my husbands friends here," he says softly. 

"of course sir. it was my pleasure." 

"would you mind showing them around after dinner with Angel?" 

Dang it. "not at all, sir." I can't do anything about this. Unfortunately I will have to spend more time with these people. 

"Thank you, Asa" He turns to another conversation and I just sit there star struck.

 

submitted by Skip, age she/her
(July 9, 2021 - 11:47 am)
Kosomi~~
Dinner finally begins to end, and the cafeteria slowly clears. I can actually hear myself think now, which is a great relief. Kit is much more of a people-person than I am, so I let them carry the brunt of most of the conversations. Hiraeth has to tend to some important Resistance stuff or something, and when he leaves, most of the other medics decide to leave as well. Angel seems to want to go with them, but I suppose he sees the nervous expression on my face because he decides to stick with Kit and I.
“Major General de León asked me to show you around the Resistance base.”
I look up to see Asa standing there. It’s hard to read their expressions--they seem to be somewhat cold and closed-off, certainly very professional--but I think I detect a trace of… unhappiness? Reluctance? 
“We’d be delighted to have you show us around!” Kit swoops into the conversation effortlessly, letting their kind intentions guide their words. I suppose I could learn a thing or two about talking from Kit. It’s surprising how suddenly charismatic Kit is. They had seemed so shy, so lost before--perhaps they’ve finally started to grow used to their loss of memory. 
Or maybe I just never noticed their compassion and smooth-talking before, because I was so concerned with them betraying me.
“Right, then. I’m sure Angel will know the layout decently well, too.” With that, Asa stands and begins to guide us throughout the base. Along the way, they give short, brief descriptions of each room or place we pass. I can’t help but notice the stares Kit and I attract--I tug my cloak tighter around my body, thinking of the vine bag on my back and its contents. I’d mostly forgotten about it--but here, around so many people, I must remain extra vigilant to ensure the instrument remains safe.
Angel sometimes adds a few comments, usually nothing very insightful. He seems distracted. Kit is actually paying attention to what Asa is saying, but I find myself unable to listen. I haven’t checked on the instrument in a while--not since Lilith’s mansion… maybe it was before then, actually.
“And here we are, back at the spare bunks,” Asa finishes. I feel guilty for not paying attention to their tour. 
“Thank you, Asa,” Kit says. I murmur agreement quickly, before pushing past both them and Asa. 
“Kosomi? Is everything alright?” Angel asks.
“Ah--yes! I’m just...very tired,” I lie. I think both he and Kit--and probably Asa--know it’s a lie, but nobody says anything.
None of them know about the instrument, and I can’t let them know, either. I slip to the far corner of the bunk room and crouch down behind a small pile of old blankets, carefully opening the bag. My nerves quickly fade--Ecio is safe and sound. 
The hard part will be keeping him that way.
~~~~~
submitted by Sybill, age He/They, Kyngdom
(July 10, 2021 - 9:44 pm)

~Asa

I watch Kosomi as she disapeares. She doesn't really seem tired but I don't want to press it. 

"Well, have a good night" I say and turn and walk away. What a strange group on individuals.

First we have Colonel Hildebrande, very high up in the Resistance very confident. He has a sense of power around him that he carries. He's married to Major General de León though so that may have something to do with it. They are quite the power couple.

Then there's Kit, the young one who lost part of her memory. They seem very charismatic and talkative in social situations. That seems like a nice trait to have. They always light up the room whenever they walk in. 

Next there's Kosomi, she seems very jumpy and protective over something but I have no idea what it is. Nor do I really care. She was acting strange at dinner. Like completley different from when I saw her earlier. I hope that she's alright.

And lastly there's me. The random medic who has no relation any of the previous three. I mean the Colonel and I serve in the Resistance but that's it. 

I made it back to the infirmary and see Sacha there cleaning something up. 

"Oh! Little deer, tomorrow I need you to go into Mer to deliver something for me." She says lowering her voice.

"Deliver something? What does that mean?" I ask confused.

"Asa, I need you to trust me" She says coming closer and gently holds my shoulders, "It is incredibly important okay?" 

"Sacha, what is going on?" 

"Do you trust me?" She says

"Yes" 

"Good. I will give you the package tomorrow. Deliver it to this address. Now go back to your room." She hands me a piece of paper and pushes me out of the infirmary.

What the heck. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So what if we did a thing where Sacha is kind of a traitor and using Asa and then Asa runs into the others and they somehow end up joining them and they go together and discover wha is happening? I don't really know I was just coming up with ideas. 

submitted by Skip, age she/her
(July 11, 2021 - 2:53 pm)

That sounds like a great idea!


Kit~~

Morning comes, and with it, the need to return to our journey. Kosomi seems stressed and more than ready to leave the Resistance base, but Angel desperately wants to spend more time here with his husband. Thankfully, I made the final decision--we will spend just a few more days here to resupply and gather information, then we will leave.

Which is how I’ve ended up at the Mer marketplace all by myself, a paper list of necessary supplies in my hand. 

There are enough shops and market stalls to fill the entirety of Kyngdom, let alone Mer. Finding what we need is going to be difficult, especially considering I don’t know anything about the layout of Mer. At least there are plenty of signs everywhere…

Just ahead of me is a shop called “Faramund’s Adventuring Shop”--sounds promising enough. I quietly push the door open, looking around the small wooden building. There’s an elderly man behind the counter, sharpening a silver dagger. He lifts his head to see me as I close the door, his green eyes surprisingly youthful compared to the rest of him. 

“What can I get you?” He asks, setting the knife on the counter and standing up. His skin is fair, though tanned, and his hair is a sharp, snowy white. The man is incredibly tall--enough for me to doubt that he is human. Sanukan, maybe? They’re a pretty diverse group--generally, the only way you tell someone is Sanukan is by their accent and height. It’d be odd for a Sanukan to  be all the way down here in Mer. Not that I’m an expert, of course--everything I know about them comes from a book I read while in the hospital. I suddenly realize it’s been a very long time since the clerk has spoken. 

“Er--I have a list.” I set the paper down on the counter, sliding it towards him. The man--I can see his nametag now, it says ‘Faramund’--slides a pair of glasses on his nose and picks up the paper. 

After a moment, he sets the list down. “Well, I have canteens, blankets, and traveller’s bags. My good friend, Nerezza Silversmith, runs a weapons shop called ‘The Burning Anvil.’ You can get the daggers and such there. And I believe you can buy food from the Oceanside Inn.”

“Thank you.” Faramund leaves his spot from behind the counter. He comes back a minute later with three bags, several blankets, and three water canteens in his hands, which he ungracefully drops onto the countertop.

“That’ll all cost ten platinum,” He says cheerfully.

“Ten platinum! Ah--okay.” I dig around in my pocket for the money Kosomi gave me. There’s just barely enough to cover the cost--I’m not sure how I’m going to afford the weapons, too.

Faramund takes the coins from me, then looks down at all the stuff. “You have a way to carry all that, right?”

“Oh, yes. Of course,” I lie.

“Alright, then.” He eyes me suspiciously as I grab it all. It’s not heavy--just incredibly bulky. I don’t want to have to pay extra for a box to carry it, so I set it back down, then shove it all into one of the bags. I think the bag is going to explode, but it should work until I get back to the base.

When I return to the marketplace, the number of people has seemingly tripled--no, quadrupled--no, even that’s not right. There’s definitely something going on. I try to push through the crowd, but a stray elbow catches me and I fall onto the ground.

A familiar face sees me fall, and outstretches a helping hand--Asa. I take it gratefully, thanking them as I stand back up.

“What are you doing out here?” I ask them.

“Delivering a package. Do you know what’s going on?” 

“No… I can’t see anything.” I can hear something up ahead, though. It’s almost entirely drowned out by the sound of the crowd, but there’s definitely someone--maybe someones-- shouting. 

Asa and I manage to clear a path towards whatever everyone has gathered around. As we get closer, the shouting becomes clearer, and then we see its source.

“YOU LUNEE-CURSED, CONNIVING RAT!” This person is a female elf, with deathly pale skin and long, wavy dark hair. She’s wearing heavy metal armor and looks like she could murder someone with a single punch. I notice, with a sinking heart, the shop she’s in front of is called ‘The Burning Anvil’. 

“Nerezza, wait! I can explain!” The person Nerezza is yelling at is also an elf, with the same shade of dark hair--though his is much shorter--and the same shade of pale skin. He wears slightly dirty robes in white and light blue, and I notice a very familiar blue bracelet on his left wrist. So he’s definitely with the Nocturnal--I wonder if Nerezza and him are related, though.

“YOU LIAR! GET OUT OF HERE!” Nerezza yells. She’s holding a sword, and suddenly swings it.  The male elf just barely dodges it. 

“Whoa, whoa! Calm down!” Someone from the crowd with a Resistance uniform steps forwards and holds Nerezza back. The other elf wastes no time, and scrambles quickly away.

I waste no time, either--I weave through the crowd, following this mysterious Nocturnal member. Nerezza’s weapons will have to wait. 

So will Asa, I suppose.

The Nocturnal elf is just ahead of me. He ducks into an empty alleyway and I follow him. He looks up with fear in his eyes when he spots me.

“Did she send you?” he asks, taking a step backwards.

“Nerezza? No.”

“Then why did you come?” He still looks wary, but he doesn’t move back any further.

“I saw your bracelet. You’re with the Nocturnal, right?” I point at his wrist. He glances at it and curses softly.

“Knew I should’ve been more discreet. How did you recognize it? And what do you want?” I decide to ignore his first question.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to know who you are. And what you’re doing.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” He keeps his hand resting on a dagger hanging from his belt. I wonder if I should do the same with my own dagger, but I don’t.

“I mean, you don’t. But if it makes you feel better, I’m friends with a member of the Nocturnal,” I explain.

“And who would that be?” I freeze for a second. I don’t know if I can trust this man…

“Miss Lilith,” I lie. 

“Miss Lilith? Then you’re probably here for the same reason I am,” The man says.

“And what reason is that?”

“To find out who killed her, and bring them to justice.” Fear shoots through me like a bullet. I have to keep this man off Kosomi’s trail.

“You are correct. I do want to find her killer,” I reply. “Perhaps we can work together?”

“Perhaps… What’s your name? Mine is Arche Silversmith,” The elf says.

“My name is… Tempest Fox,” I reply. “Silversmith? So you’re related to Nerezza, then?”

Arche nods. “Ah, yes, she’s my younger sister… I had hoped she would provide me with lodging, but it seems she hates me for not staying in Mer all my life.”

“Oh. That’s rude of her.”

“Yes, it is… Say, do you know of any place I could stay?”

“Uh--there are some… inns…” 

“Do you know of any good ones?” Arche asks. 

“Well, there’s always…” What was that inn Faramund had mentioned? “The… Oceanside Inn!”

“Oh. I’ll look for them… Meet me at Lilith’s mansion at midnight, if you want to help catch her killer.”

~~~~


submitted by Sybill, age He/They, Kyngdom
(July 12, 2021 - 1:40 pm)

~Asa~

"Kit!" I call after I see them run off. I don't know why they were interested in that Sanukan guy. It's no use though, they disapear into the crowd. I hurry off after them. who knows what kind of trouble they could get into out here. I have no idea what the argument was about but unless it got dangerous I didn't really care. It's not like i could do anything about it though. 

I shove my way through the crowd and see Kit watching the man walk away.

"Kit!" I shout and run towards them.

"Asa!" they exclaim.

"Are you alright? what was that about?"  I ask concerned. 

"Um, it was nothing, I was just making sure he was okay." They said.

I raise my eyebrow.

"Seriously Asa, It's nothing." They say.

"Fine" I say dropping it, "what are you doing in town?" 

"Just restocking on supplies, what about you?" they ask.

"I told you, delivering a package"

"Ah, yes, right"  

"Would you like to join me? You look like you could use some help with your, uh, stuff," I say offering to take some of it. The package that Sacha forcibly threw at me before she pushed me out of the base was a bag that was relatively small so I could take some of the stuff. 

"oh, um, sure" they hand me some of their stuff so they can carry it easier.

"Can I deliver this package first? I will be able to carry more stuff then." I ask

Kit nods and I dig through my pockets and pull out the paper with the address.

It's on Dulsire Lane. You'll know it when you see it.

Thanks Sacha.

I've never been here before. I thought it was an address. Didn't she say it was an address? I've never been here before so how would I know what it is?

I sigh, "So unfortunately I don't have an actual address." 

"What do you mean?" Kit asks.

"I don't know it says 'you'll know it when you see it', what do you think that means?" 

"Have you ever been here before?"

"nope"

"hm, this will be fun" 

 

submitted by Skip, age she/her
(July 14, 2021 - 3:52 pm)

I'm enjoying a perfectly good slice of pizza, when I bump into (someone) someone fill in the blanks I'm new

submitted by Kithri Tealeaf, age 11, Wandering
(July 15, 2021 - 9:22 am)

um Hi Kithri! If you're new I reccomend you go look at the kyngdom ultimate guide and read through it! I hope this helps! Here is the link and I hope it works! http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/inkwell/node/412799 

submitted by Skip, age she/her
(July 18, 2021 - 3:55 pm)

Sorry for vanishing! I'm working on a post right now.

submitted by Sybill, He/they/xe
(July 31, 2021 - 10:17 am)
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