Hhhhhhnnnnnnn
I know where I'm going with this story, I just don't know how to get there :T
Once things start really picking up I'll have no problem, but in this odd kind of beginning part I'm having pROBLEMS
HHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNN
Let's check in with Olivia first, shall we?
Since I really miss her
She's one of my favorite s1 characters and I wish she was in s2 ;-;
(I'm currently replaying s1, and I am a MESS.)
(this is off-topic im sorreh)
Unfortunately this chapter was not written in one smooth go like most of the others- it was several sittings of me being kind-of-but-not-entirely-focused, so it's a bit shitty.
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The underground prison hall had been dimly lit, but the tunnel leading out of it was much brighter. The cavern-like structure sloped upwards, finally ending in a sandstone-fence gate that was raised when the lavender-haired girl approached it. Olivia quickly followed her out, blinking in the bright sunlight as she looked around.
Now she could see that the prison-cavern was on the outskirts of a kind of plaza, people milling everywhere in between the sandstone houses. A large, temple-looking thing dominated the center, surrounded by all sorts of simple buildings of varying shapes and sizes. The entire place was enclosed by a massive, intimidating wall, probably to keep rival bandit tribes out.
Olivia swiveled her head back and forth, trying to look at everything at once. When she had heard that the Husks were bandits, she had imagined shabby huts and dark corners, not an entire small town of clever craftmanship.
"Th-This place is incredible!" Olivia managed to say, still looking around. The girl grinned. "This isn't even our full base, actually. Most of the buildings are underground, to protect from the desert heat. All the same, don't try to take it all in at once."
Olivia finally turned her attention to the lavender-haired girl. "What's your name, by the way? Or is that information not allowed to be shared with prisoners?"
The girl rolled her eyes and tossed her thin golden scarf over her shoulder. "I'm Sapphire. And Coral already told you, you're not a prisoner. If you were, do you think we'd be walking through here unguarded?"
"Then what am I?" Olivia challenged. Sapphire shrugged. "That's why we're going to see Orinn, isn't it?"
Olivia paused for a moment. "What's this 'Orinn' like? Is he a good leader?" she asked somewhat anxiously.
"Well, look at this place! Does it look like it's lead by a weak or incapable person? Orinn's great. He can be a little stern, but he's reasonable and fair. And he's way smart." Sapphire replied.
"How did you end up here?" Olivia inquired, since Sapphire seemed okay with answering questions.
"It's complicated. No one here has a straight-out, black-and-white story." The other girl said with a small shrug as they walked through a series of pillars and up a few steps into the temple-like building. "Alright, right in here. I don't know what he's doing at the moment, but Orinn's always around the Hall at this time of day, and he's expecting us."
The inside of the hall was larger than it looked from the outside, and it was shady and cool. The whole place seemed very open, with the tall roof and nothing but rows of pillars separating it from the outside. A few doors were visible along the sides, and a raised dais was placed in the center of one end of the hall. An intricately carved chair sat upon it- not quite a throne, but certainly hinting at one. Several people were standing in groups, each deep in their own conversations. A young woman with bright pink hair in a ponytail gave them the once-over as they walked in, then deliberately looked away.
A middle-aged man stood near the edge of the dais, talking to a young blue-haired man and a girl with long orange hair in a braid. He looked up when Sapphire led Olivia into the room, and held up his hand to quiet the first two.
"I'm sorry, Fletcher, Gina, but we don't have anyone else that can replace you on guard duty at that time. Soon, maybe, but not yet. It's not as terrible as you're making it sound, and I should know- I spent a full two years as a wall guard. Now I'm sorry to end our conversation, but I have to deal with other matters at the moment."
The pair stalked off, and the man turned and walked over to the throne. He had sandy-blonde hair partially hidden by a black beanie, and a long brown coat swept around his legs. His face was marked by a countless number of scars large and small, which combined with his severe expression, gave him a rather intimidating look.
He sat down on the throne and motioned for Olivia to come forward. He didn't say anything at first as she obeyed, just looked her over with a calculated, scrutinizing glance.
"You're the girl that Coral found. Olivia, I think she said your name was?" He asked, propping his elbow on the arm of the throne and resting his chin on his hand.
"Yes. And you're the infamous Orinn." She replied slowly. He didn't seem immediately dangerous, but still gave off a sort of 'don't mess with me' vibe.
He laughed. "Infamous! You have been talking to Coral. She's a character, all right. But am I ever glad that she went out on that patrol. I'd hate to imagine what would've become of you had she not."
Olivia nodded. "Me too."
"So. I don't suppose you'd like to explain how you ended up burned nearly to death in the middle of the desert? Especially since Coral says that you don't seem to know much about the Khaol." His tone was deliberate and even, and he seemed to be silently gauging whether or not she was a threat.
Olivia shook her head. "I can't. I don't remember anything about what happened. My memory is as clear as ever, but last night is a muddled blur."
Orinn tilted his head towards her in a small nod. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time we've encountered heat-induced amnesia. However..."
He then sat up straight, a glint of suspicion flickering in his brown eyes.
"There is one thing I need to make clear. Around here, there is no deceit, no lies. You seem like someone who just ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time, and I greatly sympathize with that. Hell, I've been in that situation several times over. But this could potentially end up worse for you if you do not tell the full truth. Honesty is the true ruler of the Husks, and it must be your ruler as well if you are going to make it here, even if only for a little while.
"The reason that I mention this is because when you were found and brought here, the thing that immediately struck me is how much of a paradox you are. You wear the simple clothes of an ordinary citizen, one that comes from far off the desert. And yet your armor does not fit that at all- it is the mark of a hero, along with your finely crafted bow. And you say your memory is gone, but you are not behaving anything like other victims of the desert. So you cannot be just a lost wanderer, nor a confounded fool. In that case, I'll ask again: who are you and how did you wind up all the way out here?"
Olivia took a deep breath in. She had a feeling that he already knew who she was, and just wanted to see if she would go with his 'truth' policy. Well, in that case, she'd be better off making an ally than an enemy, right?
"You're right. I am a hero. You've heard of the New Order of the Stone, I assume? I'm the Redstone Engineer."
Orinn immediately broke into a grin. "Excellent! I have indeed heard many stories of you five, and they have impressed me to no end. It's always good to be proven right. I happen to know your warrior friend rather well, as a matter of fact."
"Petra? Really?" Olivia asked, recalling what the redhead had said about desert tribes all those months ago. Orinn nodded. "Indeed. You may know that she's made many deals with many people? I've been one of those people, many times over. She's a good one."
Olivia smiled, but it faded fast. "Yeah, she's definitely something. I hope she's alright..."
"Yes...so do I. Well, that just leaves the second question. How did y-"
"I don't know." Olivia said helplessly, shaking her head. "It feels like the memories from last night were taken away from me. I've got no clue what burned me, or how I wound up all the way out here. I swear to Notch I would tell you if I knew, but I just...I can't remember."
Now he frowned, looking puzzled. "But that's the only part of your memory missing?"
"Yes. My head feels completely normal, except for that one memory." Olivia explained. It felt exactly like that- as though there was a blurry hole where that recollection ought to be.
"So whatever happened...something burned you and had the ability to take your memory." Orinn's face was a mask behind the scars and smooth voice. Olivia couldn't tell if he believed her or not, though she hoped he did. She did not want to wind up in that cell again.
"You must understand this from my point of view." Orinn sighed, sounding conflicted. "I am inclined to believe you, considering your background and what I've heard from Coral. However, I am not the only one who is part of this decision of what to do with you." He gestured towards one of the groups standing nearby, absorbed in their own conversation. "I may be the leader, but my council makes sure that I'm not going around making stupid mistakes. They are all smart, fair, people, but even you have to admit your story sounds a little odd. And although you are injured right now, and we have a habit of rescuing outsiders, no one remains here without a reason."
"I don't need to stay long. As soon as I'm fit to travel, I'll go straight back to Beacontown." Olivia assured him. She could see that he had a point- if this tribe was as successful as Coral had made it out to be, it seemed unlikely that there were many strays like her hanging around.
"Ah, but you forget we are not the only group of questionable individuals in the Khaol. Several of the other tribes have a 'kill on sight' policy with travelers." Orinn said. Olivia cursed inwardly. Nothing was ever simple.
"But aren't you guys a powerful tribe? What if someone escorted me back...?" Olivia asked, starting to grasp at straws. Orinn sighed. "I wish, but..." he paused, debating how to word what he was thinking, and Olivia braced herself.
"Listen, Olivia. Here's the thing. We do not have the ability to just take you back to Beacontown, at least not yet. We could transport you there as a prisoner, but I don't think either of us are very interested in that. However we are reaching the point of peaceful negotiation with one of our fiercest rivals, the one that would cause us the most problems if we were to take you home. Us escorting a legendary hero straight through their territory would definitely create more than a few issues, issues we cannot afford. However, once things calm down a bit with said rival, hopefully some of us Husks will be able to move through their territory without stirring up trouble."
He leaned forward slightly. "If you join the Husks, even temporarily, I can guarantee that we will send you back to Beacontown as soon as we are able. This particular tribe has kept us penned in for a while now, but have not made any further aggressions. We are considering a treaty with them, and if that happens, you will be able to leave the Khaol without any problems. You see?"
"I...yes, I think so. But why would I have to be an actual member?" Olivia asked, borderline suspicious. Orinn replied with an easy smile. "Like I mentioned earlier, everyone has a duty around here. We are all important parts of a machine, and we all have to do our jobs for it to run well. I am more than willing to let you stay, but you must do something for the Husks in return. If you do not have a role in this life, I'm afraid I would not be able to defend you from those who are not so accepting of your staying here."
"Hm." Olivia huffed noncommittally, thinking. "But I'm...a hero. I hardly think I would fit in with bandits."
"What is it that you and the rest of the Order do for fun? When you want an adventure?" He challenged. "Looking for trouble, or searching for treasures in temples, yes?"
"Well, uh...yes...but-"
"Heroes and bandits are the same kind of people, just with different labels. You say that you do good, we say that we cause trouble. People flock to you, they avoid us. By assuming a title, we create illusions of different things, although we are much the same. Talk to a few people here, and you'll get similar answers."
Olivia shut her mouth, trying to find a crack in his logic, but came up empty. Orinn gave her a 'you see?' kind of look.
She let out a small half-laugh. "Well, I guess I'm joining a bandit gang. Didn't see that coming."
"None of us ever do, trust me." Orinn told her with a wry smile. "And I swear, you won't have to stay here any longer than you like, as soon as we manage to negotiate peace. And for the time being...Sapphire, do you know which part of the dormitory has space?"
Olivia glanced back at the lavender-haired girl, who was frowning slightly. "Uh...well, there's an empty bunk with Melody, Coral, and I..." Sapphire replied with a small shrug. "That might work, since she already knows Coral. And we wouldn't mind showing her the ropes of this place."
"Alright, that's good. See if you can find her something more suited for the desert, too." Orinn agreed, giving her red peplum top and warm leggings another doubtful glance.
As Olivia followed Sapphire out of the Hall, she noticed Coral hanging around just outside, trying to look casual and failing rather miserably. Her gold cat ears and tail kept twitching excitedly.
"You were listening the whole time, weren't you." Olivia guessed. Coral blushed. "Yeah. I hide behind Dad's dumb throne-thing to hear his meetings sometimes." The cat-eared girl admitted.
"So you know that I'm..."
"A freaking hero, yes! I saved an Order member!" Coral said giddily. Olivia laughed, and Sapphire shook her head. "Don't get too proud of yourself."
The teenage girl with the bright pink ponytail came down the few steps from the Hall. "Orinn said you were moving in with us."
"Uh, yeah. You're...what did he say your name was?" Olivia asked, wracking her brain. A small smile flickered across the girl's face. "I'm Melody. I'm kind of the Husks' weapon master."
Coral gave Olivia another excited grin. "So it's true, then? You're really joining the Husks? Even if it is just temporary, you're actually gonna be a member?"
Olivia nodded. "Yep. Guess I'm a bandit now."
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Hhhhnnnnnn fuck endings
And beginnings
And stories in general
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Petra sat cross-legged on the cot, polishing her sword and watching as Kiah dug through a chest. "Where IS IT!" the younger girl exclaimed, slamming the lid down and stomping over to a different chest across the room.
"You already checked that one." Petra called, grinning widely. Kiah looked up and gave her a surprisingly ferocious glare, and Petra quickly rearranged her facial expression.
"I'm not laughing at you, I swear. You're just...why are you in such a hurry to find...what was it?"
Kiah slammed the second chest shut, rocketing to her feet again. "It's just an emerald, but I need to find it before Jay visits. She's finally bringing me enough gold for a decent sword, and I promised I would pay her back instead of just kinda mooching off her like I usually end up doing. And she's nice, she's willing to give us whatever we need, but I still feel bad about it and WHERE DID I PUT THAT STUPID THING."
"You're a thief, in the thieving capital of this world." Petra reminded bluntly.
"Yes, but it's different with friends." Kiah said dismissively, walking away to check one of the other rooms.
This was the second full day Petra had been with Kiah and Twill. They had told her a lot about Clarion, the ins and outs and secrets they knew about the city. She found that she quickly liked both of the younger girls- Twill with her explosive personality and loud laugh, Kiah with her sarcastic humor and practical frame of mind. They were an entertaining pair, and Petra could see why they got along so well. Like sisters, but with less death threats.
Though she had to admit, it made her a little nervous to be in Clarion. She knew it was a dangerous place, but that didn't daunt her. It was a mix of several things- the least of which were how far away from Beacontown it was. If she had somehow ended up all the way over here, with no memory of how, what on earth had happened to the rest of the Order? She didn't have a single guess, and that was more frustrating than anything.
Petra was jolted out of her haze of worries when the front door banged shut, announcing Twill's return. Kiah came barreling past Petra's temporary room, cursing up a storm. Twill paused in the short hallway, looking at her companion with raised eyebrows.
"She can't find something and is overreacting." Petra summarized. Twill rolled her eyes. "What did you lose now?"
"THE FREAKING EMERALD FOR JAY!" Kiah hollered from the other room. Twill swore as well, and followed the brown-haired girl to their supply room. "It's right here, with the rest of our semi-precious materials. Honestly Kiah, pay attention."
"So tell me more about this 'Jay'." Petra prompted as both girls returned to her room. She had heard continual mentions of this friend of the two Clarionites, but had yet to meet her, though she apparently could later today.
"Oh, right. She's a close friend of ours, practically an older sister. We've known her since just after we came to Clarion, though she's a bit more...honest than us?" Kiah hedged.
"You'll like her. She knows that you're the Petra- we had to tell her, she's a huge fan of the Order." Twill added. Petra replied with a quiet huff of laughter. "Her and everyone else in the universe."
"Yeah, basically." Kiah shrugged. She still seemed a little star-struck at times while talking to Petra, but Petra was getting used to it. These two girls had saved her life-the least she could do was entertain them with some stories of her adventures with the Order. They had been an attentive audience, hanging onto her every word as she described the various perilous situations she and her friends had gotten in.
In return, they had told her all they about Clarion- the bigger things like politics of different districts, and smaller secrets, like hidden tunnels that ran underneath the whole city. Petra found the entire place fascinating beyond belief, and loved hearing the quirky little details about it that the two girls knew.
"Sooo, I didn't manage to get a potion of Healing or Regeneration. There aren't really any good potion masters here in Sidra. There's a few in Ri-Shung and Kyrget, but we can't get over there. Sorry." Twill said, looking at the ground. Petra shook her head.
"It's alright, you've already helped plenty. Most of these wounds will heal on their own." This was true, though she still had worries about the slash on her leg. The cut was bad- deeper than an average sword wound. Walking would be painful for a little while, but she'd live.
"I also got extra bandages, in case you need more." The dark-haired girl added, and Petra just shrugged. "I think I'm good. Thanks, though."
Since her usual blue shirt had been basically shredded, she had ditched it, adjusting the bandages so they covered her in a sort of sports-bra way. She had swapped out her shorts for a long pair of brown leggings, and her precious bandana had been moved to her right bicep because of the bindings covering another deep wound on her forehead. She had kept her usual boots, glove, sleeve, and vest, however.
"It might not be as modest, but you'll definitely fit in." Kiah had said when she saw Petra's revised outfit. "Clarion has all sorts of people, no one'll give you a second glance, especially if you display that sword of yours."
Petra came back to the present when Twill continued speaking. "I'm a little worried about some of the things I heard today, especially about the other districts." she mused, giving Kiah a furtive glance. The shorter girl replied with a thoroughly suspicious look. "Why? What've you been hearing?"
"Well, you know the usual paranoia that goes around. Nelet's hoarding stuff again, Ri-Shung has too much power, somebody found a body just outside Iir's borders, the usual. But there's been a few other things too." The dark-haired girl ended vaguely. Petra could sense Kiah getting angry, but the situation was accidentally defused before she could say anything.
"Hello? Kiah! Twill! Notch, you two'd better be home." An unfamiliar female voice called from the front of the house. Kiah bolted to her feet and scrambled for the door. "Yeah, yeah, we're here Jay! We've been hanging out in the back room, c'mon."
A few moments later, Kiah led the new girl into the room. Twill got up to give her a hug, and Petra greeted her with a small wave. Jay looked to be only a year or so younger than Petra, with shoulder-length brown hair and a kind face. She wore a simple black dirt-dusted hoodie, and stared in astonishment when she saw Petra.
"Wow, it is you! Kiah, don't give me that look, it's not like I thought you were lying, it's just...that's kinda unbelievable."
"Trust me, I feel the same way." Petra replied with a small smile, extending her palm. Jay shook her hand, still looking a bit surprised.
"You have my gold, right? Right?" Kiah pleaded jokingly. Jay laughed, and handed her three gold ingots. "Yes, here you go. Sorry it took so long."
Kiah cheered and snatched the gold, pressing the recently-found emerald into the older girl's hand. Jay put it in her inventory, then looked back at Petra.
"So you've just been hanging around here?"
"Yeah. Don't have much choice; my leg's too busted up to walk real well at the moment." Petra said with a grimace.
"She can't think of what happened, though. Says it's a total blank." Twill added sympathetically. Jay winced. "Yikes. That's not a good combo. Sure hope it wasn't someone in Clarion that did it, though I can't think of anyone who's an Order-hater."
Petra shook her head. "It wasn't a sword cut. It seems more like some, I don't know, huge claw or something. We're guessing it was some freaky kind of mutant monster."
Jay sat in the chair near the cot, the one that Kiah had been occupying earlier. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. "Have you come across stuff like that before? Mutant monsters?"
"Uh...not recently. Though I've seen my share of fantastically weird stuff, especially this year." Petra admitted.
"She's been telling us all about her cool adventures with the Order." Kiah bragged. Jay elbowed her. "Quit tryin' to make me jealous!"
Petra laughed, rolling her eyes. "You'd probably end up hearing about it anyway. I swear it seems like anything we do nowadays becomes instant news."
Jay suddenly got a sneaky look in her brown eyes. "Well, not everything."
"Oh, not this again!" Twill exclaimed, and Kiah started giggling, looking equally devious. Petra's guard immediately flew up. "...what?"
Jay sat up straight and crossed her legs, looking suspiciously smug. "We hear all sorts of things about your big adventures, but I'm a bit more curious about you personally."
The redhead gave her another wary look, and Jay held up her hands. "Okay, I'll cut to the chase. Is it true that you're dating a certain blonde Order member? I've heard a lot of rumors about that since the crevice, but it'd be awesome if you could confirm?"
Petra froze, then quickly tried to assume a casual expression, positive that she was blushing madly. "Oh, right. Lukas. Well yeah, he did, uh, kiss me after the crevice was resolved, and I'm sure word of that got around."
"Sooooo...?" Kiah asked hopefully. Petra shook her head. "We're not together, no. Although we both, ah, obviously had feelings for each other, we decided it would be simpler and better for the Order if we just stayed friends, at least for now." She fought to keep her tone even and her expression straight, even though this was a bold-faced lie.
She and Lukas had agreed to stay friends...officially. As far as the rest of the OOTS and their various fans knew, the two of them had put their feelings aside to keep things from getting awkward and ruining the great teamwork dynamic that the New Order had. But in truth, that was just a cover story. Everything had changed since that kiss, for better or worse.
It was difficult to have a relationship in secret, especially since neither she nor Lukas were efficient liars. Around other people, they were 'just friends', but the kisses and cuddles and thousand stolen moments when they were alone made all the secrecy worth it.
"Aw, really? That's disappointing." Jay sighed. Petra nodded. "It kinda was for us too, but think about it. The Order is such a strong team because we're friends, and have been friends for a really long time. A relationship in the middle of that would just change things and make everything awkward, and really, who needs that?" This falsehood was easier to say, especially since she had repeated it many times over.
"Yeah, that makes sense." Kiah said, then turned her head to give Twill a look, who had apparently lost interest in the conversation when 'romance' came up. "What were you saying earlier, before Jay showed up? Bad rumors about other districts?"
Jay stiffened, going very still. "You've heard about that?" she asked in a hushed voice. Twill replied with a nervous little shrug. "Well, kinda. It was mostly the usual stories, but like...elevated." Jay gave her an uneasy look. "So you haven't heard."
"Heard what? Jay, what's going on?" Kiah asked apprehensively. The older girl fidgeted in her seat, still looking troubled.
"You know that the people of Ri-Shung and Nelet have always kinda been at each other's throats. Nelet is richer, but Ri-Shung has the more overall power. Well, there's been talk of uprisings in Ri-Shung, and a lot of them. And because of that, Nelet is taking advantage of the situation in any way they can." She paused for a moment, and Petra took in Kiah and Twill's shocked faces.
"B-but...that's impossible!" Twill exclaimed.
"There's never been any real inter-district fights like that...I mean sure, each of the districts seem to have a problem with one of the others, but not to this extent. And I thought the government in Ri-Shung was strong- how are there uprisings?" Kiah said in disbelief. Jay's mouth was a grim line.
"It gets worse. The other districts are taking sides as well. Including Iir."
This prompted a loud gasp from the other three. Even with her limited knowledge on Clarion, Petra knew that the district of Iir was bad news. The two younger girls had told her various horror stories about the most mysterious, dangerous, district, and they hadn't been faking their fear.
"How did that happen?!" Kiah gaped.
"I don't know about the problems within Ri-Shung, but someone important from Nelet was murdered there. It wasn't a normal murder either; my source said the body was ripped completely to shreds, and it was someone who was supposed to be there, not a trespasser. The bigwigs of Ri-Shung are denying everything, and Nelet can't find the culprit without their permission. Well, that's ticked them off to no end, so they're looking for backup, and they're mad enough to look for serious backup. Iir is definitely with Nelet on this, and I think Lorick is supporting Ri-Shung. The heads of Kyrget, my district, haven't taken a stand on it, but it's only a matter of time. And since Sidra isn't big enough nor organized to matter much, it's basically down to Kyrget." Jay explained. This led to even more horrified staring.
"But this...no. If the districts are really rallying like this...won't that mean...?" Kiah trailed off, sounding scared.
"Yeah. Jay, you can't be serious. This would mean war in Clarion." Twill murmured.
"I thought murders weren't unusual here. I mean I know they're not common, but still..." Petra said. Kiah nodded. "Well yeah, people die all the time. Accidents, fights, assassins, etc. But that's usually just within districts. I can only remember one time that someone was killed in a district other than their own, and it was because of an unhinged madman who shouldn't've had a weapon."
"Yeah, I remember that too." Jay said. "It was a Lorick person in Nelet, I think, and the Nelet leaders owned up to it right away and did everything they could to damage-control. This is way different, since Ri-Shung is also usually pretty good at recognizing their mistakes."
"See, what I don't get is the 'uprisings' in Ri-Shung. There's never- never – been any government problems there. Something fishy's going on." Twill pointed out.
Petra began to feel lost after that statement. "Remind me again about Ri-Shung's whole deal?"
"Ah, right, sorry." Kiah said with a wince. "Ri-Shung is known for being the most powerful, organized district. Most of the main government is chosen once a year by the whole district, other than the Seer. She's arguably the most powerful person in all of Clarion, except for the leader of Iir, but no one knows anything about him except for the people of Iir. She allegedly knows everything that happens in the whole freaking city, so it's incredible that something like this blindsided her."
"Right, right, you told me about her." Petra remembered. Something was fluttering at the back of her mind, two memories that were trying to link up but not quite managing it.
"You don't think there's another unhinged murderer on the loose, do you? Ri-Shung's too good at keeping out nutcases..." Twill muttered. Jay shook her head. "No way. You're right, even if the Seer didn't know about that, someone would've."
"Maybe Ri-Shung is up to something."
"Or the murder was just a side effect of these revolts."
"But we have no idea what's going on with those- it could be completely unrelated."
The fluttering thing flapped harder, and Petra kept silent, focusing hard on her foggy memories.
"it's a deep wound, almost down to bone"
"you're sure you weren't hurt by someone in Clarion?"
"my source said the body was ripped completely to shreds"
"Oh my Notch." Petra breathed, staring straight ahead at nothing. "I was attacked by something in Clarion. Ri-Shung, to be exact. Whatever it was that killed the Nelet person...that's what attacked me."
Kiah smacked her open palm against her own forehead. "DUH! I thought something felt familiar about this!"
Jay gaped at her as well. "My Notch, you've gotta be right. So now we know that whatever did this is not human, and it might not be Ri-Shung's fault."
"Or it still is." Twill added, biting her bottom lip and scowling thoughtfully. "That doesn't explain how you survived, and they didn't."
"Well, I think I know how to find out." Petra decided, swinging her legs off the cot and grimacing as she put weight on her injured calf.
"I think we should pay a visit to this 'Seer' person, to find out if she knows as much about Clarion as we think she does."
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OOF
O O F
SO MUCH EXPOSITORY
I'm gonna post an info chapter about Clarion in my Short Stories book, so stay tuned for that. I know that I kinda threw you into Petra's section without really explaining much, but I can hopefully clear up questions if there's anything I was waaayy too vague about. I was having trouble starting Petra's part- everything just sounded wrong, so when I figured out something that worked, I went with it even though it left out some things.
Hope that was alright, even though you may need to end up rereading this to absorb all the chaotic explanations I just threw at you.
Also, I feel like I should make a list of people that are officially in this book (not including canon peeps or my OCs ):
Sapphire-
Ivory-
Serena-
Iris-
Kat-
Melody- (she was only in the end but she's there)
Jay-
And Kenzie, Lisa, Crash, Amelia, Midnight, Evan, Rika, nd more Authors will be in the next few chapters
I hope I'm doing an alright job of introducing the new peoples, I've never been very good at that. I have to warn you though: because of the copious amount of characters, some are not going to be in it very long.
And yeah, now things are starting to snowball downhill into monsters and chaos! *cough* I mean...now we're starting to get into the real plot!
Oh, another thing. If you're wondering why it sometimes takes me so long to update, you ought to look at some of my other stories, primarily Shattered Souls and Treehouse (in my short stories book). I am returning to my flimsy plan of multi-tasking several stories, and while that is a bit of a daunting task, I CAN PROBABLY DO IT
So if I don't update this on time, it's probs because I'm focusing on a different book that means just as much to me as this one :)
Word count: 5730 (FUCK WE'RE ONLY ON CHAPTER 2 AND I'M ALREADY IN THE 5000 RANGE FUCK)
-Rush💙