Quid pro quo
Continued from here...
Location: Goblin Sanctuary
As he landed inside the fracture, using the jets of fire to push him towards the ground, he grabbed at rocks and roots in what appeared to be a large cavern to help ground himself. He would be weightless for a while yet, so that would need to be dealt with first.
Using the rope, he tied some balast to himself, in the form of small boulders and rocks.
As soon as he had managed to ground himself well enough to stand, he braced himself against a rock and started to pull in his pack from outside the Fracture.
Begged
The diri shook his head in dismay. His spirit companion shook his head firmly.
Joe held his breath expecting something to happen, as if the words would summon trouble from the air itself... but nothing came.
He said, placing the Firestone back in his pack before putting it on and adding a few more rocks for good measure.
They wondered through the cavern, looking for anything of interest and it did not take long to see evidence of life. The prints were smaller than you average human and they appeared to have claws.
Joe sighed as they set off after the tracks, resigning himself to watch the ferret getting eaten by something big and scary.
After a short walk, the two of them entered a small bowl-like section of the cavern, through which a stream flowed to form a pool in its center. The water came from cracks and running water's along the walls and the reflective surface of the water looked appealing until Winston go closer and saw that something had perhaps been bathing in it.
There was ample evidence of squabbling between the dozen of so creatures they had followed as they made their way towards. They were about to continue as something made a sound beside the path leading away from the pool. It was about 3 feet tall, green and looked like it was searching for something.
It sniffed at the air as if it detected something on the breeze. As it moved forward, its movements were swift and reflexive, as if its wits being about it were a necessity for survival. Winston froze, carful not to suggest he was anything but a passer-by in this affair as it grew closer, apparently following its nose. The power of
The Ferret smiled amiably and the creature narrowed its eyes, before continuing to search around the cave.
Deciding that perhaps things were OK and bolstered by the success of his passing thus far, he went about searching the edge of the pool. He could see something familiar shimmering off to one side.. Then another... and another. They were Miragestone, formed around the reflective surfaces of the streams the fed the larger pool in the cavern floor. A small thrill of excitement fired up inside his chest as he approached a well.
He bent down to inspect one more closely, before reaching out to pick it up. As he did so, one of the green creatures swivelled its head towards him. It had the look of something very suddenly aware of his presence and not entirely happy about it either.
He slowly withdrew his hand from the glistening Well...
Winston considered how much Kelpie would have LOVED that pun as he slowly took off his pack and reached in to grab some food. He said, gently as
Winston placed the cake on the floor and backed away.
All three of the creatures looked at the plate, sniffing the air and the one closest began to smack its lips in anticipation.
As it reached for a cake, the slightly larger one, that had been first to spot Winston leaped forward and smacked them away, yelling something in its harsh and unintelligible language at the others.
The other two were not happy, but seemed less then willing to argue the point right now as they spat our what was probably a curse of some kind in reply to their fellow.
The larger (by only a few inches) creature, now called Tina, turned and took a cake and ate it. It's eye's lit up and it greedily to a second and a third and then it stopped... Its hunger was base and it ate them with vicious chomping movements.
It used one crooked finger to turn over the remaining cakes, tossing them into the dirt of the cave floor as if they were nothing.
It had only eaten the cakes that had been touched by ephemera.
He gingerly opened his bag again, being carful not to appear threatening in any way. He produced some more food and held it in front of himself. Whatever the Tina was liking, his cooking was second to none in Scalvaris and so even just the bake itself might have been appealing, but before he handed it over, he bent down and reached for a Well...
Tina grunted and scowled, bearing its teeth threateningly. He paused and withdrew his hand and the food. Tina stared at the food, then at the well, then at the ferret.
Explained Joe telepathically.
He reached for the Well again, slowly and simultaneously offering the food towards Tina. This time, it seemed that the creature was willing to make the trade, but instead of taking the food, it snatched the bag from his hands.
But the creature plunged a hand into it as Winston willed it to remain empty. The goblin gave a rage-filled cry as it threw the empty bag at the ferret and advanced on him menacingly. Winston fell to the floor, scrabbling in the bag for more food. He thrust the Well into the bag and pulled out a perfectly made loaf and sweetbread. He said, doing everything he could to seem compliant and, most importantly, useful tot he creature.
Again, Tina snatched the bag off the prone ferret, but this time she thrust another well into it before snarling aggressively at it as nothing it wanted came out.
Tentatively, Winston took the bag, reached in and pulled out a Pasty that had previously been intended to go to market. This time the creature looked irritated, but snatched the meat-filled parcel of pastry and scoffed it down.
As it ate, Winston sat up. Insisted Joe and for the first time since they arrived, Winston could only agree.
He rose to his feet, remaining low and quite as Geoff appear beside him, offering another Well. It placed it at the ferret's feet. Winston smiled, nodded and took the well into his bag, producing another loaf of bread. As it took it and began to eat Tina spotted the trade and lashed out at Geoff, scratching as it viciously.
There was a sudden explosion of fighting between the three of them as they argued over the food or perhaps the right to trade for it.
Winston took this opportunity to throw meat, bread and anything else he could tip out of the backpack for them to eat as he made for the exit. Throwing the backpack on and scrabbling to find purchase in the loos dirt of the cavern floor, he ran for the exit.
The screaming from the creatures behind him was frenzied as he made his way towards the Entrance to the Fracture once more. He did not take the time necessary to set-up any kind of rocket propulsion this time, he simply reached the mouth of the Fracture, dropped his balast and launched himself back into Idalos.
Location: Goblin Sanctuary
As he landed inside the fracture, using the jets of fire to push him towards the ground, he grabbed at rocks and roots in what appeared to be a large cavern to help ground himself. He would be weightless for a while yet, so that would need to be dealt with first.
Using the rope, he tied some balast to himself, in the form of small boulders and rocks.
As soon as he had managed to ground himself well enough to stand, he braced himself against a rock and started to pull in his pack from outside the Fracture.
"Well, you made it. NOW can we go?"
Joe
, not entirely happy to be in a place with far more dangerous things for him than Idalos usually held."Nah Joh. We need tuh see wat's in 'ere first. Dis ia a MAJOR Fractcha! Et's gat tuh 'ave sometin' cool enside et. Tink af all de tin's we cus make?"
The diri shook his head in dismay.
"Yuh don't 'ave tuh stick around buddy, ef yhu want to goh wait en
Chest
.""No. No, where you go I go. That's how this works. Just... Just lets not get into TOO much trouble, yeah?"
"Don't worry, Joe! Dere's no one 'ere. Wat trouble cus we passably get into?"
Joe held his breath expecting something to happen, as if the words would summon trouble from the air itself... but nothing came.
"See? Cummon, lets goh."
They wondered through the cavern, looking for anything of interest and it did not take long to see evidence of life.
"Dese luk 'umanoid, Joe. Bot nat any kinda 'umanoid me eva met befar."
"Lets goh see ef dem es friendly?"
Joe sighed as they set off after the tracks, resigning himself to watch the ferret getting eaten by something big and scary.
After a short walk, the two of them entered a small bowl-like section of the cavern, through which a stream flowed to form a pool in its center. The water came from cracks and running water's along the walls and the reflective surface of the water looked appealing until Winston go closer and saw that something had perhaps been bathing in it.
There was ample evidence of squabbling between the dozen of so creatures they had followed as they made their way towards. They were about to continue as something made a sound beside the path leading away from the pool. It was about 3 feet tall, green and looked like it was searching for something.
It sniffed at the air as if it detected something on the breeze. As it moved forward, its movements were swift and reflexive, as if its wits being about it were a necessity for survival. Winston froze, carful not to suggest he was anything but a passer-by in this affair as it grew closer, apparently following its nose. The power of
Cassion's Locket
had not once failed him yet, but even so, this might be the most interest anything had ever shown him to date while wearing it. It was only a moment of two before another green creature appeared from the sideways, and then a third. They chuffed at one another in a language he didn't understand and the one at the front, looked at Winston...The Ferret smiled amiably and the creature narrowed its eyes, before continuing to search around the cave.
Deciding that perhaps things were OK and bolstered by the success of his passing thus far, he went about searching the edge of the pool. He could see something familiar shimmering off to one side.. Then another... and another. They were Miragestone, formed around the reflective surfaces of the streams the fed the larger pool in the cavern floor. A small thrill of excitement fired up inside his chest as he approached a well.
He bent down to inspect one more closely, before reaching out to pick it up. As he did so, one of the green creatures swivelled its head towards him. It had the look of something very suddenly aware of his presence and not entirely happy about it either.
He slowly withdrew his hand from the glistening Well...
"I think it might consider these things 'its' things, Winston. We should leave well alone."
Winston considered how much Kelpie would have LOVED that pun as he slowly took off his pack and reached in to grab some food.
"Fud makes evertin' betta."
from the bag
came a plate of small cakes. As soon as they appeared, the other two creatures became avidly interested in what Winston was doing."Right, OK, so Geoff and Barry are interested as well now. We should just give cake and leave."
Winston placed the cake on the floor and backed away.
All three of the creatures looked at the plate, sniffing the air and the one closest began to smack its lips in anticipation.
As it reached for a cake, the slightly larger one, that had been first to spot Winston leaped forward and smacked them away, yelling something in its harsh and unintelligible language at the others.
The other two were not happy, but seemed less then willing to argue the point right now as they spat our what was probably a curse of some kind in reply to their fellow.
"Right, so now Tina has the cakes. Lets gooooo..."
The larger (by only a few inches) creature, now called Tina, turned and took a cake and ate it. It's eye's lit up and it greedily to a second and a third and then it stopped... Its hunger was base and it ate them with vicious chomping movements.
It used one crooked finger to turn over the remaining cakes, tossing them into the dirt of the cave floor as if they were nothing.
"OOOoooohhhhh...
You like the Fairy food?
"He gingerly opened his bag again, being carful not to appear threatening in any way. He produced some more food and held it in front of himself. Whatever the Tina was liking, his cooking was second to none in Scalvaris and so even just the bake itself might have been appealing, but before he handed it over, he bent down and reached for a Well...
Tina grunted and scowled, bearing its teeth threateningly. He paused and withdrew his hand and the food. Tina stared at the food, then at the well, then at the ferret.
"You know it's deciding wether YOU are food right now, yeah?"
He reached for the Well again, slowly and simultaneously offering the food towards Tina. This time, it seemed that the creature was willing to make the trade, but instead of taking the food, it snatched the bag from his hands.
"Wait! Noh, dats..."
"Wait. Wait! Yuh see? More food..."
"Here..."
Again, Tina snatched the bag off the prone ferret, but this time she thrust another well into it before snarling aggressively at it as nothing it wanted came out.
Tentatively, Winston took the bag, reached in and pulled out a Pasty that had previously been intended to go to market. This time the creature looked irritated, but snatched the meat-filled parcel of pastry and scoffed it down.
As it ate, Winston sat up.
"Look, I REAAAALLY think it's time to go."
He rose to his feet, remaining low and quite as Geoff appear beside him, offering another Well. It placed it at the ferret's feet. Winston smiled, nodded and took the well into his bag, producing another loaf of bread. As it took it and began to eat Tina spotted the trade and lashed out at Geoff, scratching as it viciously.
There was a sudden explosion of fighting between the three of them as they argued over the food or perhaps the right to trade for it.
Winston took this opportunity to throw meat, bread and anything else he could tip out of the backpack for them to eat as he made for the exit. Throwing the backpack on and scrabbling to find purchase in the loos dirt of the cavern floor, he ran for the exit.
The screaming from the creatures behind him was frenzied as he made his way towards the Entrance to the Fracture once more. He did not take the time necessary to set-up any kind of rocket propulsion this time, he simply reached the mouth of the Fracture, dropped his balast and launched himself back into Idalos.
All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy
