Tides of Twilight - Chapter 4: It's My Life

Scary stories? Spriggans? DRAGONS? What's next?

You explain to Nael the cause of your chagrined awakening, describing the vividness of the nightmare in detail. All the while, you see his face become more and more uneasy, as if becoming more disturbed by it than you are. 

You: Are you alright...? 

Nael: (Shaking his head suddenly and giving an overly-casual laugh) Yeah! I mean, it's just such a creepy dream and all... but I wouldn't worry about it. I've had my share of extremely vivid dreams before. Like this one time, I dreamt that a HUGE rooster was terrorizing my house and trying to get at me... and no matter where I ran, it would break its huge scary face in through the windows and peck at me! Like, BUCKAWWW! (Spanning his arms across wide) Biiiig bucking chicken! 

You: Okay... I get it, Nael. It was just a dream. (Throwing your feet off the bed)

Nael: But, like, you know what I mean? It was crazy... I woke up screaming. Sweating and everything... Stupid chickens.  (Rubbing the back of his neck and shifting his eyes in your direction)

You: (Staring) I don't  know what kind of history you have with chickens, but quite frankly, I want absolutely no part of it. I think I'll get ready now. 

Nael: (Claps his hands and points at you) Good idea! I'll be downstairs, then. Make it fast, Fledge. (Walks out of the room while making chicken noises) 

You: What a weirdo... 

 ~*~

After getting ready, both of you start your morning off with a piping hot cup of tea and some crumpets doused in honey and butter. All the while as you eat at a table on Nael's front porch, he runs down the current draft of his article with you and makes sure you're good with the story. 

You are well fed. 

Nael: So! (Closing up his work and wrapping up the tea and crumpets inside the table cloth before swinging it like a sack into the trash bin) It's time to decide, Fledge! 

You: Hey! I still wasn't finished...

Nael: Oh, you can have crumpets later! It's time for the next chapter of "your story" my friend. 

You: Fine... 

Nael: "Faced with an ambiguous choice of lifestyle, the fledgling must now choose whether they want a typical commoner's- or should I say, un-commoner's lifestyle... or life within the ranks of the Brigade which elicits danger, comradery, chivalry, and self-righteousness! But who is to say that one side does not hold a bearing tale over the other? No, my friends. Both you and I have known that since the moment this young outsider walked into Eden, their presence of adventure and portentously perilous precariousness stuck through our very hearts like the prodigious horns of a King Behemoth! And, I do mean that quite literally."

You: Um... what?

Nael: (Smirks as he leans over, pointing the end of his pen at you) Pick your poison, Fledge. But there is still so very much to do. We must get you acquainted with these life choices. I sure don't want to push you in the wrong direction. 

You: (Narrowing your eyes) Yes, I believe you...

Nael: Whatever choice you have; whatever choice you may think you have, save it for later. We've got places to go, people to meet. Come on. (Getting up off his chair and walking down the small staircase leading away from his manor) 

 ~*~

Nael leads you out of Windward District, through the Square, and right into the "beak" of Eden. Strolling through the industrialized part of town and taking elevators that carry dozens upon dozens of people at once, you get to the "second plate" of the city. From here you get a very nice view of Eden in its entirety. 

You: (Staring in awe) I've never seen a district with two floors before... is there even a term for this? 

Nael: You bet! People refer to this upper level of Machina as the "second plate". The reason for that is, if you were to look up at it from below in its entirety, it'd appear like one big giant plate above the city. Almost as if it were hovering. Alternatively it makes a great umbrella for the first plate. Most residents have their homes in the second plate for the sheer fact that you can see the sky there. The first plate remains the "business" plate of Machina, where most workplaces are stationed- be it warehouses, factories, general shops, or offices. My original hometown was a lot like this, though on a much lighter, less convenient scale. 

You: Ah, no wonder those giant elevators are carrying so much... traffic. 

Nael: (Nod) Mhm. If you live in the second plate, odds are you'll be riding that thing to work every day. Anyway, moving on. 

 ~*~

Cutting your sight-seeing short, Nael takes you to the northern section of the second plate to a nice brick home attached to a large windmill. The large blades however, were quite rigid and appeared to want to move, but couldn't.

You: So, what are we doing here Nael? 

Nael: Well, my friend. We're here for your first gig! 

You: Wha? Gig? 

Nael: (Nod,nod) Yes. Don't worry, it's not just some mere job. This is simply to add to the integrity of your decision. (Knocking on the front door of the house) 

A middle-aged woman with lengthy blonde hair emerges from the otherwise pleasant home and greets Nael with a bow, which he meets with a nod. 

Nael: Good evening, Mrs. Medina. You are looking lovely today! 

Mrs. Medina: Hello, Nael! I've been expecting you. Are you and your friend here to help this troubled woman out, then? 

Nael: Indeed! Mrs. Medina, I would like you to meet my soon-to-be-sensation, Fledge! Well, I'm sure Fledge has a real name but for now it is withheld for... personal reasons. 

You: (Sigh) Hello... It's a pleasure. 

Mrs. Medina: (Bowing her head) Nice to meet you, Fledge! Nael was telling me about you this morning over the telepearl. 

You: Oh, I see. May I ask what the two of you were talking about? 

Nael: We were talking about a little quest to send you on in order to... test the waters. See how well you do under pressure, yeah? 

You: What!? You can't just accept dangerous errands for me without my permission! 

Mrs. Medina: Um... I'll be paying you for your service. 

You: (Turning to look at her) Did you say... pay? Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to hear you out. Just what is this quest you two were talking about? 

Mrs. Medina: (Smiles) Please, follow me. (Motioning to the windmill) 

 ~*~

The three of you make your way inside the large windmill, where at first glance its cogs merely appear jammed. But upon closer inspection, you see multiple strange soot-like creatures attached to the gears and pipes shuffling about. Their faces are hidden against the steel, paying no heed to you.

You: Whoa! What are those things? 

Nael: We call them Spriggans. Rude little b******s that like to sneak into people's homes! 

Mrs. Medina: (Sighing, placing her hands on her lap) Yes. They like to feed on the rust that forms on steel. Not only that, but if they're not disposed of properly... they can eat straight through it. 

You: Those are some mad chompers to be able to bite through steel... 

Nael: I know, right? A few days ago, the Medina's windmill suddenly stopped rotating. When Mr. Medina took a ladder and climbed up to investigate the gears, he almost fell back in surprise! He wasn't expecting those little b******s to be chewing away at their gears. 

Mrs. Medina: I've been telling my husband for a while now to replace those gears, but he wouldn't listen. Now we have spriggans in our house! And unless we get rid of them and the gears, they will attract more...

You: But... why doesn't your husband just go up there and give them a good stab? Wouldn't that take care of them? 

Mrs. Medina: (Quickly shakes her head) Oh, no! It's much too dangerous! My husband is nothing but an engineer... He does not handle blades well. If he was suddenly attacked by one, goddess knows how that would end. 

Nael: Not to mention it wouldn't be possible to get them all. That ladder can only reach the closest rusted gear! They need to be lured out of there at once, which is where you come in. 

You: Okay... I still don't know how I'm going to get them out, though. 

Mrs. Medina: Yes. You see, there is one thing that spriggans simply cannot stand. There is a story that tells of a group of guards that went into the forest in search for what they thought were thieves stealing parts of machinery, weapons, armor, and such. Two days later, only one of them returned, and he appeared very frightened- almost traumatized. His armor was in terrible condition and he was covered in wounds. When they finally got him to talk, he told them it was not thieves that were stealing equipment. It was these soot-like creatures thereby known as Spriggans. 

You: Yikes... go on. 

Mrs. Medina: He explained to them in detail what happened to his comrades, telling of how one by one they went missing as they scattered into the forest, only to be found hours later, dead and completely stripped of their armor... with horrendous bite wounds. (Shivers) At first, they put off the unfortunate soldiers' demise as wild animal attacks. But then came night time. 

You: (Gulp...)

Mrs. Medina: Huddled in their campfire and sleeping, the guards were completely unaware of the dangers that approached, hungry for their rusted armor. One by one, they were carried off into the dark forest. All but one guard who had seldom had any rust on his equipment. Still, he woke up with parts of his armor chewed on. They had been nibbling on it as he slept! (Squeaks in disgust) He found the bodies of his comrades in the same condition as the last, and after that he knew something was after them. The spriggans eventually came back, wanting more rusted steel. 

They chased him all the way to the Sacred Tree, where their pursuit came to a halt. He knew they remained at the perimeter, but he didn't know why. Forcing himself to spend another night there, he lit a fire using the Sacred Tree's bark and slept rather comfortably when he saw their glowing eyes retreat back into the forest. So you see, they stay away from the Sacred Tree. Not only that, but he was able to leave the area by filling his armor with the tree's bark. It's safe to say most guards keep their armor spotless now, and take heed not to go out in the rain. 

Nael: (Patting your back) You understand what she's telling you to do, right? 

You: (Nod) Sounds like I have a date with the Sacred Tree. But I don't get it, I mean... couldn't you guys get the bark yourself? 

Mrs. Medina: Well, for one, we simply do not have the time to venture out into Eden Forest. We've too much work to do. That is why we've enlisted in the aide of adventurers such as yourself. You understand don't you? But that's not all...

You: I guess...

Nael: Fledge, you're not just grabbing a piece of wood and coming back here, you know. You're going to have to burn it in here so that the smoke can rile these guys up and get them down from the gears. Soon after that... Well. Mrs. Medina, I believe you have something for Fledge here? 

Mrs. Medina: Ah! Yes... one second. (She hurries back into her house and walks back into the windmill a few seconds later holding a rather cheap sword) Here you go! (Hands it to you) 

You: Er... Am I supposed to kill these things with this? (Examining the sword with a crooked smile) Really? 

Mrs. Medina: (Bowing her head) I am sorry, but it was all we could acquire at this time. You see, most people who accept quests normally have the means and equipment to carry them out... 

Nael: (Bursts out laughing) An Onion Sword!? Oh, Fledge, you should have taken that sword yesterday at the parade after all! Haha! 

You: Hey! You're the one who kept telling me to run away! 

Nael: I wasn't forcing you to follow! (Chuckles) Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. You would have had a much better sword, but whatever. At least it's not rusted. 

You have received an Onion Sword! 

Description: A cheap sword known to be used by guards to cut onions while out in the field.

You: It will have to do, I guess. 

Mrs. Medina: I'm sorry...

You: That's okay. A cheap sword is better than no sword. Anyway, where about is Eden Forest? 

Nael: There's a lift towards the west of the second plate that will take you to the outskirts of Eden. Just up ahead will be the forest. The Sacred Tree will be deeper in, but shouldn't be too hard to find. We'll be waiting for you when you get back. 

You: Okay. Thanks. (Getting ready to walk out) 

Nael: Just a sec! You're going to need this. 

Nael hands you an aqua blue pearl that easily fits in your palm. When you look directly into it, you see many little images detailing your path to the Sacred Tree, sort of like landmarks. 

Nael: This oughta' keep you on the right track. Also, you can contact me through the pearl at anytime. It's yours now. It's attuned to mine though, so you can only contact me. I'm sure the Brigade will issue you a special one, should you choose to join them later. If you qualify to join them. 

You: Oh... thanks! (Holding it up to examine) What's with all these pearls? 

Nael: Quite possibly the best things about this world. (Wink) Speaking of which, it'd be wise to keep your eyes peeled for any natural pearls you find in the wild. 

Mrs. Medina: Good luck!

You have received Nael's Pearl!

Description: A unique pearl attuned to Nael's telepearl. Use this to communicate with him anywhere!

*Trivia: In this world, communications are made with magical  "pearls" that telegraph a variety of messages; ranging from recorded images, to vocal messages, and even memories. Some say the very first pearls came from the world itself, as records state that for centuries explorers have found many "natural" pearls with  recorded transmissions that just seemed to happen. Keep your eyes peeled for any of these pearls and you might just uncover something amazing! 

 The way this works:

 *As I begin to add illustrations to this story in future chapters, many of them will contain such natural pearls that have been carefully hidden in the background in order to be hard to find. Should you find one, be sure to detail its position in the comment/review section below! Only one person needs to find the pearl for credit to the chapter.

*With a world full of secrets, one can only imagine what kind of memories or treasures these natural pearls will tell of! (As you can imagine, this will open the door to items useful to you via "side-quests" or scenes that can affect the dialogue of others) 

                                                ~*~

Eden Forest

With the help of Nael's pearl, you find yourself easily locating the landmarks presented in the images and trekking through the lush, green forest. For such a creepy story Mrs. Medina had told, you find this place quite beautiful and tranquil. While you don't appear to be running into anything hostile here, the thought of the fight that awaits you upon your return makes you anxious. 

After a good while, you emerge into a clearing with a humongous tree in the center. You can almost feel the energy resonating from the tree weigh in on you as you approach it. Pressing your hand against the tough bark, you decide to pull out your sword and get to work. It all breaks off rather easily, though. Almost too easily... 

As you tear out the bark and place the strips into your pack, you begin to notice a glowing hue coming from within the area you took bark from. Placing your hand against it, you acknowledge its warmth and decide to strip away a bit more bark. The glow gets brighter and brighter until it makes way for a glowing, mineral-like rock. It is rather beautiful, and you are almost instantly drawn to its glow like a bee to honey. The way it resonates just seems to "call" out to you. 

It's strange, but you feel a strong connection towards this glowing rock. Almost like it belongs to you. What will you do? 

1). This rock... I can feel it calling out to me. I have to examine it. (2 votes)

2). What if I take it and something happens? Best to just leave it. (1 vote)

**Results have been tallied.

 ~*~

???

Somewhere, far on the edge of a floating island deep in the sky sits a young man. He keeps his gaze over the edge, looking down at the clouds below. He hums a soft tune he heard once, aware of the young woman standing quietly behind him. She approaches him, but halts midway and smiles as he stops his humming. 

"Hey kid," she says to him, despite looking no older than he does.

Young Woman: It's time. 

The young man stands up and turns, smiling as he walks past her and then comes to a stop. He fixes his gaze skyward and shuts an eye. He nods and gives a light smirk, turning around to face the edge once more before bolting straight for it with a chuckle. 

Young Man: (Diving off the edge of the island, plummeting with his arms stretched out) Let's fly!

As he leaps off the edge, a slew of giant dragon-like creatures bellow and roar out into the skies, diving down after him as he takes the lead onto the world below.

The young woman giggles as she listens to him bellow out his own "Woooooo!" in satisfaction, diving soon after and catching up to him. 

The two begin to descend unto the earth, followed by their dragon friends.

~*~

To be continued...

(Leave your choice in the Comment/Review section below)

Reviews

[okina]

1.
The blue rock sounds so mesmerizing @_@ i wanna see what it is!

I love the way you describe the scenery in this chapter. I feel like im actually in their world seeing it from their own eyes.

The idea of trying to find hidden pearls in your drawings sounds so cool! I'm really excited to start playing. This story just seems to get more fun with each chapter ^-^

[Buddha]

this is a nice story bro you make the city seem really believable

and the way you progress the story and add all of these items make it feel like im playing a game lol the spriggan story creeped me out

ok i pick 1 gimme that goddang rock

[Anniejuran]

2 LEAVE THE ROCK ALONE D:< dont listen to Okina she's crazy C:
EDIT: Also when ever a main character touches something they're not suppose to bad things happen ._.