[Orb]

[consultmybooks]

[The orb shows the beach - grass leading to rocks leading to sand leading to the vast expanse of ocean in the distance. It's a picteresque sort of sight, with the bonus of no dragons around to eat people. Turns out you just can't entirely trust the maps here..]

I've, um, I've found the ocean. It's not as bad as it looks, out here...I mean, um, the thorns are moving rather fast, but it turns out that we're hardly cut off.

Well...hardly cut off yet.

I did stop by the infection zone before I came out this way. The reports are certainly true. For plants, they are moving alarmingly fast. I didn't want to stay in the area. If I'd actually dared make camp there, I probably wouldn't be here now. Still. I, um, I made an effort. A couple of basic identification spells, and a bit of scrying, although s-something about them made that even harder than it normally is, for me.

If anyone has any ideas how I might, um, proceed further, or even get a bit off for further examination, I'm certainly all ears. It's not as though I'll have to walk that far to reach the border zone on my way back.

[...really, though, looking out at the beach, at the ocean and thinking of what lies beyond it, it's actually a little hard to remember that they're all in such terrible danger. The land around him brings up a feeling of nostalgia in Giles' chest that he can't ignore.]

...if worst comes to worst, I suppose we could always build a ship.

[Because, when he finds himself forgetting, now he can summon up the mental image of that great, gnarled tangle of malevolent, thorny evil. That's a familiar feeling as well - consult the books. Fight the evil. Save the world.

What happens next? Well...they'll burn that bridge when they come to it.]

((ooc: Hey, sorry for the edits, guys! Turns out I was a bit mistaken as to the positioning of the thorns. But! Things should be able to proceed from here.))

Comments

[consultmybooks]

Yes. [There's always a way to stop the bad things. "No weapon forged" just means no one's brought out the rocket launchers.] But, um, w-we haven't found it yet. Rest assured, though - we are working on it.

That's, um, why I was out here in the first place. Thought I'd try getting a look up close, see if anything worked better that way.

[rutagraveolens]

Is there any way I can help? [A small beat as she thinks about what she has.] I have a knife! And I'm real good at climbing too. [For despite everything she went through in her short life, when most would rest or run away, Rue honestly, earnestly, wants to help.]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles actually winces at the mention of the knife, remember the point he'd been considering using his own, only to finally talk himself out of it with the threat of getting scratched by these damned demonic plants a little too close for comfort.

So his next question is as much to steer Rue away from the idea of trying her knife against the thorns, as anything else:]

W-What sort of climbing?

[rutagraveolens]

Trees! I was the fastest climber and could climb quietly too! [There's a hint of pride and joy when she speaks. The little bird of District Eleven, the little squirrel, she heard it all.]

[consultmybooks]

[Hm...]

Just, um, just out of curiosity...how do you feel about mountains?

[There seems to be no end of strange happenings going on in the mountains around here. First this mysterious "old capital", and now something about a temple.]

[rutagraveolens]

I've never been in mountains before. [Oh. Sadness. :c]

[consultmybooks]

I only ask because, um...well, there are a great many mountains around here, and apparently there's a lot that goes on up in them. M-Might bear investigation.

Other than that, well, I would caution you to stay out of the, the Two Faced Forest after the sun goes down, if no one's told you to already. In the daytime, however, it's, it's perfectly safe.

[rutagraveolens]

The Two Faced Forest? [Yep, that critical bit of information was left out.]

[consultmybooks]

[...what are they teaching forcibly drafted heroes these days?]

The, um, the forest. Near the city proper. It's, um, it's known as the "Two Faced Forest", a-and it certainly lives up to the name.

In the daytime, it's, it's safe enough. Unless you happen to pass by the witch's house.

[rutagraveolens]

Witch's house? What's a witch?

[consultmybooks]

[...what the hell are they teaching forcibly drafted heroes these days?]

It, um, it depends on who you ask and, quite frankly, where you are. [Giles is a witch, by some definitions.]

In this particular case? She's a rather unpleasant old woman who lives in a house made of candy and discourages visitors by means of unpleasant magic.

[rutagraveolens]

[Truly? Not a lot. Just the basics, but as it happens to be, the details are the important part.]

What's magic? I asked someone, but he didn't explain what it was.

[consultmybooks]

[Oh, this is just wonderful.

At least she's not saying something as ridiculous as "magic doesn't exist". Giles was going to have to kick something if someone tried that line on him again.]

Well, um, to be fair, it isn't terribly easy to explain.

But...magic is, um, an element of the world, the same as air, or, um, or water. The right sort of person can gather it together and use it to create...well, um, certain effects. The specific effect depends on the person, or the intention of the caster in question.

[rutagraveolens]

Like breathing fire? [She sounds a little excited.]