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[Lenglon]

This is going to be a long night, isn't it?
I will win this waiting game.

[Salsacookies]

Look in the library or the Grid. Try to figure out what these dreams mean or if there is even anyone with the same condition as me.

[DarkArtemisFowl]

Good evening/morning/afternoon,

I've been a little under the weather recently, which is why I haven't posted an update yet. My brain was scrambled like sunny-side-up eggs and I had no mental energy to spare. However, I am starting to feel much better now.

Please post your turns if you can and I'll get to writing the update. Thanks everyone and have a good day!

Artemis

[Tiruin]

{Flynn isn't gonna be happy I took this long to reply! D:
That said, sorry for taking so long to reply! D: [personal issues!]}

Author's Notes: Not really much to say here. Wrote most of this on a phone, so again, if there are any mistakes, please let me know. I may do an intermission soon to explain some more things. What are those things, you may ask? Well, I don't know at this point. But I'm working on it.
Hope everyone has a wonderful day,
Artemis.

((o_o You inspire me.))
PPE: Get better soon!

Eleri took in Flynn's words as well as pondered on their meaning. They had great weight--and she did not presume anything other than what will be meant from them: It did not help to doubt his ideas given how...eclectic her recent days were.

"Guess nobody stood with him, or the 'red tape' as I remember was too tight? We need to keep moving then--do those agents know about this island? The town I'm dropping you at? I...I'm sorry to hear that."

Eleri had trouble bringing the idea to bear--trying her best to offer her condolences and respects and to at least try to lighten any emotional burden. She didn't notice that her sentences were not in line, however. "But if you can share that info with me, then it won't be just you anymore! And...I mean, we've to keep moving if that's the case, right? I mean not all those in a government are malicious and short sighted. There must be free thinkers and those who can see far past the intangible degree of goals, right?"

Her thoughts were racing. She felt awake, as if she had slept longer than she did, although this could be pushed towards the state of danger she perceived. "Um...you can fill me in with the information. I'm ready to move, and- and I'm telling you all this because I'm ready to help. That's quite a lot to take in...Um, c'mon. We...can talk about that on the way."

She approached and laid her hand on his shoulder, giving him a quick, tight hug. "I am lost with words. But you don't have to be alone in this."

Reaffirm hope! Also suggest getting a move on (and if that's decided, quickly pack up and leave--get to moving! Use this hopeful adrenaline [under the implication that I can rest later anyway!])

[DarkArtemisFowl]

TURN FIFTY-SEVEN: SPLITTING AND MERGING PATHS
A combination of sickness, work, and attempts to improve my personal life don't make for a healthy updating schedule for an RtD.
But yes, it's the standard fare of "I've been busy," basically. No matter, though.

This is going to be a long night, isn't it?
I will win this waiting game.

Lirian
Persistence shall be your ally throughout the night. You're still not sure if Artemis or any of his associates are prowling around the area. Considering that he seemed to know where your encampment was after the fight, he *has* to have some sort of surveillance around here. Unless, of course, he is using the Kito family as his surveillance. You didn't see Kito out at night, however, so your reasons to suspect him are lower than the ones to suspect Artemis.

Thirty minutes pass. The town is still quiet and about the same as before, with only the very occasional civilian walking about. As the night grows darker, it becomes more difficult to see, but you can still tell that there is no activity in the forest on the other side of the valley. Around you, the environment is still only flush with ambient noise. You've nothing to do but twiddle your thumbs out of boredom.

Crack. You tense up and look around. Was that an animal? It sounded as if a twig or a branch snapped somewhere to your right. You peer into the trees, looking for something on the ground or in the trees. You dare not move from your place yet; that would alarm a potential threat. A minute passes, then two, then three. You almost believe that there might be nothing there at all. Finally, you see something drop out of one of the trees and land on the ground with a soft thud. You get in a low stance and prepare for the worst. A familiar voice calls out as the figure emerges out of the trees. "Relax. I don't mean to harm you."

It was just as you thought. Artemis walks toward you, slowly, with his arms folded across his chest. He regards you with a neutral expression on his face. He still has his sword with him, bit it is sheathed at the moment. You can't tell if he has any other weapons; his coat would conceal any potential weapons. "You chose a good location," he remarks. "I was contacted by an associate who informed me that you had information pertinent to a priority subject." Ten meters from you, he stops and sits down in the grass in a cross-legged position. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting to come back here for.. a while. I had some rather important business to address. But this came at a convenient time."

The ball is now in your court.

Look in the library or the Grid. Try to figure out what these dreams mean or if there is even anyone with the same condition as me.

Cat Schrodinger
You have to admit, some of these dreams (or nightmares) are starting to creep you out. They don't seem to be based on anything you've ever seen before, and seem too regular to be, well, normal dreams. You could just be fussing over this for nothing, but it would be good to at least check if anyone else has experienced what you've seen so far. The University seems like it would be the best place for you to check. It is closed right now to the general public, but seeing as you teach there, you should be able to get in without any problem.

You arrive with plenty of time left in the morning. Few people are inside the University, save for some other faculty members and few administrators. First, you think you'll check in the library. If any place is to have knowledge on the matter, the library's probably your best bet. The library, one of the finest this side of the world, is rather expansive. Made up of multiple stories and close to the size of a large auditorium, every shelf is neatly organized and easy to access. Multiple catwalks connected by stairs allow you to walk between the towering shelves and access any book you want.

You spend about twenty to thirty minutes browsing research journals, biographies, and indexes that describe different disorders, experiences, and experiments on dreams and the subconscious. Many of these articles come close to describing things similar to your predicament, but none really seem to elaborate on what you're looking for. There are continuous dreams here and increasingly surreal nightmares there; still, the truth of your peculiar occurrences seems to avoid you.

Giving up on the library, you figure that one of the computers might be able to help you out here. The Grid is still relatively new, but research is still published regularly online. You should be able to find something new on the matter. You spend about an hour flipping through different websites, trying to find something that could at least lead you on a trail. To your disappointment, nothing appears that you haven't seen before. Everything consists of speculation, articles that you've already read in the library or elsewhere, or are not related to your issue.

Well, it does not appear that this is a documented disorder or other medical issue. There are some personal statements online that seem similar to what you've experienced, but they seem to be more like coincidences than anything.

You could try to continue searching if you want - you still have the entire day to yourself. Maybe something in the news will be related to what you've seen?

Eleri took in Flynn's words as well as pondered on their meaning. They had great weight--and she did not presume anything other than what will be meant from them: It did not help to doubt his ideas given how...eclectic her recent days were.

"Guess nobody stood with him, or the 'red tape' as I remember was too tight? We need to keep moving then--do those agents know about this island? The town I'm dropping you at? I...I'm sorry to hear that."

Eleri had trouble bringing the idea to bear--trying her best to offer her condolences and respects and to at least try to lighten any emotional burden. She didn't notice that her sentences were not in line, however. "But if you can share that info with me, then it won't be just you anymore! And...I mean, we've to keep moving if that's the case, right? I mean not all those in a government are malicious and short sighted. There must be free thinkers and those who can see far past the intangible degree of goals, right?"

Her thoughts were racing. She felt awake, as if she had slept longer than she did, although this could be pushed towards the state of danger she perceived. "Um...you can fill me in with the information. I'm ready to move, and- and I'm telling you all this because I'm ready to help. That's quite a lot to take in...Um, c'mon. We...can talk about that on the way."

She approached and laid her hand on his shoulder, giving him a quick, tight hug. "I am lost with words. But you don't have to be alone in this."

Reaffirm hope! Also suggest getting a move on (and if that's decided, quickly pack up and leave--get to moving! Use this hopeful adrenaline [under the implication that I can rest later anyway!])

Eleri
He shakes his head, saying, "My dad quietly suspended the official project so that he could have time to figure out some things himself. Based on what he told me, there are at least some people looking for me. I don't know who they work for, or where they are right now. But I couldn't risk it, and I.. I thought I could find a way to survive on the other side of the island. I've been down at the ruins before. I could manage myself, and then find a way off the island. Somehow. I was attacked, though, and, well, you know the rest. I don't think those agents know about the mountain cabin." Seeing that he is getting a little shaken up, you move quickly to at least provide a little bit of solace for him. You remind him that he's not alone here, and that not everyone could be out to hurt him.

"I don't know. My dad was really convinced about it. He was frightened by something. I didn't understand it until he let me know what it was, and why there was so much interest in the project." He sighs, biting his lip. "I really, really wish I could tell you what the project was about, and why it scared him so much. But I can't risk that. Not now, at least. Maybe when things calm down." He brushes his eyes clean with his forearm.

"You're right, we need to go." After a few moments, he picks himself up and looks around. "Sorry for wasting time. We need to get going. And, well, I am a little hungry," he says with a nervous laugh. With that settled, the two of you head back to the abandoned house. You have a quick bite to eat and help yourselves to a fair amount of water. A few minutes later, the two of you have your necessities and other items in order. With plenty of daylight to spare and a new resolve firmly planted in your spirit, the two of you begin the next part of your trek.

* * *

Finally! You never though you'd come across it, but now, a road emerges from the grass and snakes through the trees. You're about an hour into this section of the hike, which has mostly consisted of downward movement through the trees to lower sections of the island. Flynn is walking with you now, supported by your own arm. "There's several places we could be right now. If we're on the left side of the mountain, that narrows it down to three different routes. You'll have to look for forks or junctions. I think I could guide us from there." You feel much more confident knowing that you're closer to finding the correct path.

You continue this way for a few more hours, using the splitting of the roads and Flynn's knowledge. He's generally located where the two of you are. "We should be able to reach the cabin by sundown, if not earlier," he says between breaths. "But I think I might need a break," he admits. You're also pretty exhausted. Considering that you're much better off in terms of navigation than you expected, you can afford several breaks in your trip. The road here is neighbored by a steep incline on one side and a steep incline on the other. The right side leads off to denser forests, while the left drops down and gives you a perfect view of the inlet hat holds the town, the rolling hills and trees that compose a verdant and picturesque landscape, and the still-sparkling ocean that never lets off its constant up-and-down rhythm. The puffy white and blueish clouds roll over the island with slow motion. Flynn stops near a cluster of rocks and sits down, resting his back on the rocks while he catches his breath.

Your supplies are still in relatively good shape. Based on Flynn's estimations, you should be okay with your water and food until you arrive at the cabin. Flynn's wounds appear to be healing slowly, but his stamina is still very low. He can't walk up inclines very well and still has great trouble walking on his own. You don't expect him to have incredible endurance after he's been so terribly wounded, however. It's all the better that most of his energy is dedicated toward repairing his body. As long as you watch how his injuries are healing, he should be fine.

Author's Note: Once again, I'll try to keep the updates coming as quick as I can. Sometimes, it'll have to come through several weeks. Sometimes, it's a matter of days or even hours. I'm not gonna use that as an excuse for being late, though. My heart is totally put into making this as quick and flavorful as possible.
Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the update,
Artemis

[Lenglon]

"Haha, Thanks for the courtesy, but there's no point in pretending you don't have me outmatched right now, and I'm pretty sure we both know who and what you're talking about, but why not be specific? Anyways, first things first. How are you monitoring me, What else-"
I shadowstep to the base of the tree he jumped down from.
"can you do that is beyond the norm, and what do you know about previous conflict with the Shadows and your own role in such?"

[DarkArtemisFowl]

((Busy busy busy..))

"Haha, Thanks for the courtesy, but there's no point in pretending you don't have me outmatched right now, and I'm pretty sure we both know who and what you're talking about, but why not be specific? Anyways, first things first. How are you monitoring me, What else-"
I shadowstep to the base of the tree he jumped down from.
"can you do that is beyond the norm, and what do you know about previous conflict with the Shadows and your own role in such?"

He watches you with a small smirk on his face. "I don't want to be an antagonist, is all," he interjects. "I am here at your behest, at any rate. I believe you when you say that we are both on the same page here, but I still have to preserve the circles of involvement for the moment." He waits for your reply. Considering that you might be able to gain even ground in this conversation, you continue to talk while concentrating on using your shadow movement. One second, you are talking and remaining motionless. In the next, you feel yourself shifting through that same strange dimension from before. You reappear at the base of the tree that Artemis was previously at and continue to talk.

This catches him by surprise. He looks around, trying to find where you disappeared to, before locating you behind him. He flinches, seeming to almost reach for his sword before he halts. He recollects himself and simply turns around to face you, that same smirk on his face once again. He refrains from talking for a few seconds as he studies you carefully. "Out in these fields, I am my own actor. It's only by coincidence that we met and by an even greater coincidence that you had knowledge that parallels some of my developments. I had a feeling that you had more involvement with the shadows than I would have originally thought, and seeing as I was already completing some tasks in the region, I wanted to see how much you really knew; I carry no malicious intent.

"I can do no more than you can. I do have talents of my own, but nothing on that level," he says, referring to your shadow jump. "That's part of why I take an interest. I do have to say, though, that you are not alone with your peculiar gifts," he remarks with a hint of mystery. "The Shadows are part of a series of recent phenomena that extend back a few months. At first, they were isolated, localized, and even unbelievable. But they became aggressive, appearing at certain times of each month. I haven't nailed down an exact pattern to their appearances yet. I took a personal interest in these incidents and organized a network to analyze and report on these 'Shadows.' I am finding out why they are here, what their purpose is, and how they can be stopped. Frankly, the war has already brought enough concern and ruin to this side of the world. We cannot afford to have these Shadows destabilizing the region any further.

"Now that I've said my piece, what brings you here? What do you know about the Shadows, and what do you know about your power?"

[Lenglon]

PFP:
"Yeah. No. I'm not playing a game here. How did you know where to find me now and where you took me last night? If you can do it others can too, I need to know how I messed up. I'll tell you all I can after."
After:
"Okay. Now then, what I know. But be aware that almost all my information is secondhand Artemis, though I have reason to trust my source despite how crazy it seems. "First off, we are currently in an alternate timeline. In the primary I either didn't matter or didn't even exist. You on the other hand were capable of all my tricks and more. Most noteworthy being time manipulation, an ability I do not currently have. There, you were a conqueror, attempting to unify the world under a single banner, and you attempted to use all your power to fight and defeat the Shadows. As a conqueror,  you were successful. As a force to oppose the Shadows you were not. Although you discovered quite a bit about them, you failed to prevent them from growing to overwhelming numbers and overwhelming the world. After that point my source grew incoherent about the details, but somehow you killed yourself to force a reset of the timeline, acompanied by a scrambling of some facets of reality, causing the situation we have now."

[DarkArtemisFowl]

He drops the smile that he had and sighs. "While I was searching the forest area for my own vantage point over the town, I heard someone calling for a 'Liri' repeatedly. I was curious, so I followed the voice, and found your acquaintance and you in the forest. I wanted to know what sort of business you had out here, on what I suspected to be one of the dangerous nights where the Shadows would be active once again. I found your camp and took note of where it was. It took me some time, considering that you camouflaged it well. I kept that in the back of my mind as I headed back to the town. The night was falling upon us and I had to ensure the security of the town before I checked the surrounding areas for Shadows. That is when I encountered one on the edge of the town itself. As for the present, I came here from a different direction on my own. My presence here is, well, not supposed to happen. I am supposed to be on my way to an important meeting considering regional affairs, but I managed to delay myself for the moment; this occasion is more than important enough to be a bit behind schedule."

He finishes his explanation and then waits for the explanation of your side of events. As you talk, you can see that he raises his eyebrows at points, clearly showing his surprise. Considering what Danielle told you, you do have reason to believe that he is oblivious to the events surrounding these circumstances. Once you finish, he takes some time to think, and then begins his exchange of questions. "Hmm. That is certainly interesting. So you're saying that these Shadows have been around before, and that I existed in that time, and I failed to get rid of these Shadows?" He smiles while putting a hand under his chin. "If events transpired as you say, then we'll have to be careful to take a different route, shouldn't we? Well, if I apparently failed before, do you know now how we might be able to at least contain these Shadows? Are your powers related to the Shadows? Do you have other powers? And, finally, is there a way that I may talk to this source? Are-" he stops himself mid-sentence and clears his throat. "My apologies. I am getting ahead of myself. Well, if you would?"

[Lenglon]

"The Shadows themselves can be individually defeated, but attacking them directly doesn't work long-term. Given time they will regenerate even seemingly fatal wounds. However, it does slow them down. You were able to develop weapons that increased this regeneration time, but they did not permanently put them down and were exorbitantly costly to manufacture.

Shadows are based on an individual's internal conflicts, and they attempt to seek out that individual. If they meet, a contest of wills or test of spirit of some kind occurs. If the host wins, the Shadow is permanently beaten. If the Shadow wins, the host falls under the Shadows control. There is a secondary way to permanently beat them that you discovered. A person other than the host can somehow transfer the Shadow onto themselves. In that case they can challenge the Shadow in the hosts sted, with the same risks and rewards but a reduced success rate."

[Salsacookies]

Hate to admit it, but I think I need to go to my counselor again. It was a good streak, almost a year of peace. But they never stay away, do they?

 Give her a call, tell her I'm coming in shortly, the failure that I am. Can't even sleep normally. How sad.

[Tiruin]

A combination of sickness, work, and attempts to improve my personal life don't make for a healthy updating schedule for an RtD.
But yes, it's the standard fare of "I've been busy," basically. No matter, though.
[...]
Author's Note: Once again, I'll try to keep the updates coming as quick as I can. Sometimes, it'll have to come through several weeks. Sometimes, it's a matter of days or even hours. I'm not gonna use that as an excuse for being late, though. My heart is totally put into making this as quick and flavorful as possible.
Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the update,
Artemis

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

((You're an amazing person with an amazing attitude that I'd like to meet or in the least aspire to one day.
Wish I could develop that kind of determination

Also sorry for the long posts. Still busy from being totally busy.))

Eleri fanned herself with a broad leaf, before dropping it and getting back to Flynn to hoist him up (upon his consent or notification that he's ok to get a move on).

"I've been dwelling on the thing your father said. He's right, you know. You aren't alone in this in the world: Take me for example, I thought I was alone and better off that way. It just came to me that I'm better off with other people who care, seeing how I've been lately. I was apprehensive on meeting anyone due to reasons, and now I'm apprehensive to not meet anyone since I've known you. You can tell me when you're comfy with it anyway, I've got a pretty strong will and a powerful belief system I call Hope...the thing that lets you believe in many good things even if you can't sense them.

"How're you feeling up, now?"

Eleri examined Flynn's body, happy that he was healing and in a better shape after just a day or so since their meeting. She was happy to see him able to smile and laugh, and talk and shiver--those subtle emotions all shown in a physical word. She missed that breadth of feeling from talking to people.

"As an aside, I doubt you're out of meeting people who'd aid you even if they knew what you had intended to do. There're always good people in the world here, even if all you met are those who just don't know how to be good."

Get moving once he's rested! Consume basic resources for health and vitality.

[Harry Baldman]

Eh Ah

Markets still standing? Now isn't that something.

Reward their spirits of enterprise with my patronage, purchase some fresh food and make a fine breakfast. There is much work to be done.

Warren Drake

One last sip. After that, goodnight. Need to get some damn sleep at last.

((Apologies for missing quite a lot of turns. I get horribly inert at times.))

[DarkArtemisFowl]

TURN FIFTY-EIGHT: INERTIA OF THE ORCHESTRA
In between traveling around and trying to complete as much work as I can before the finals pounce on me, I've found some time to write! Hooray.

"The Shadows themselves can be individually defeated, but attacking them directly doesn't work long-term. Given time they will regenerate even seemingly fatal wounds. However, it does slow them down. You were able to develop weapons that increased this regeneration time, but they did not permanently put them down and were exorbitantly costly to manufacture.

Shadows are based on an individual's internal conflicts, and they attempt to seek out that individual. If they meet, a contest of wills or test of spirit of some kind occurs. If the host wins, the Shadow is permanently beaten. If the Shadow wins, the host falls under the Shadows control. There is a secondary way to permanently beat them that you discovered. A person other than the host can somehow transfer the Shadow onto themselves. In that case they can challenge the Shadow in the hosts sted, with the same risks and rewards but a reduced success rate."

Lirian
Artemis begins to pace around away from you as you talk. You keep your eyes on him, making sure that he does not attempt to come close and attack you, but you don't believe he has much interest in subverting you, even if he did before. As you approach the end of your explanation, he stops, turns to you, and returns to sitting down. He closes his eyes but continues to listen to you. When you finish, he stays silent for several moments, clearly digesting this new batch of information.

"If your information is correct," he begins, "then I..." He falters in his speech, lost in thought once again. This time, he sighs and looks straight at you. "I am already predicting, based on what you said, that what I am pursuing right now will not work. If, despite rare materials, willpower, and sacrifice, I failed, then I will have to find a different avenue. But what that avenue is -- well, that may very well be the question of the hour." He puts a hand under his chin and begins to muse once again, searching the ground with his eyes. After a short while, he stands up, inhales, and bows to you. "I have a proposition to make."

He straightens himself up and puts forth his offer. 'Based on what Dr. Kito has told me, you are not from this area. If you do not have anything else that would occupy your efforts and time, then I have something for you and your friend to consider. As you know, I have limited knowledge of these Shadows, and you appear to know better than I do when regarding this matter. However, I believe that I am close to finding something that may aid the both of us. With your knowledge and your proficiency in stealth, we may be able to uncover more about this issue." He stops and clears his throat. "Now," he continues, "There are some... caveats to this. If you were to work with me, you would have to accompany me on travels to potential warzones. You would be acting indirectly with the military of the Jaunatne Coalition, meaning that I cannot guarantee that you will be totally safe; I will assure, however, that my command entails a professional and renowned cadre of soldiers. I don't expect combat to strike us, but I will warn you nonetheless. There will also be information disclosed that can be considered confidential, so a proper contract of some sorts must be established. If you would oblige me, however, I would be happy to compensate your time and effort with money, status, transportation, or anything else of equivalent value to you."

Hate to admit it, but I think I need to go to my counselor again. It was a good streak, almost a year of peace. But they never stay away, do they?

Give her a call, tell her I'm coming in shortly, the failure that I am. Can't even sleep normally. How sad.

Cat Schrodinger
There's no shame in calling for assistance with mental issues. After all, you're pretty sure that you're not qualified to psychologically examine what happens inside of your head. Professor you may be, but a psychologist you are not. With this in mind, you head out to the University section of the town, where many different medical institutions are located. Your counselor's office is located in Carter plaza, to the southwest of the university. Hopefully, she should be able to clear your frazzled mind, or at least refer you to someone who can.

As you are on the way there, you pass by the university itself. The area is mostly deserted, save for a group of three people standing outside the main doors of the university. Two of them look at you as you pass by. You find them a little strange, but they're none of your concern right now. Soon enough, you make your way over to the counselor's office. There, you find your counselor, Stacey Maxwell, a middle-aged woman with lots of energy and an upbeat outlook on life. She informs you that she's busy, but she can meet with you later in the evening. Seeing as you have the day free, you accept and head outside to see what you can do until that time.

For now, perhaps searching around the university would serve to help you glean some information about your current predicament. Before you can enter, however, you are stopped by someone calling out to you. "Excuse me, sir, but are you affiliated with the university?" One of the three people who you saw before is currently approaching you. You've never seen her or her group before in this area of the town.

Well, you've got time to kill. Might as well entertain her conversation.

A combination of sickness, work, and attempts to improve my personal life don't make for a healthy updating schedule for an RtD.
But yes, it's the standard fare of "I've been busy," basically. No matter, though.
[...]
Author's Note: Once again, I'll try to keep the updates coming as quick as I can. Sometimes, it'll have to come through several weeks. Sometimes, it's a matter of days or even hours. I'm not gonna use that as an excuse for being late, though. My heart is totally put into making this as quick and flavorful as possible.
Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the update,
Artemis

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

((You're an amazing person with an amazing attitude that I'd like to meet or in the least aspire to one day.
Wish I could develop that kind of determination

Also sorry for the long posts. Still busy from being totally busy.))

Eleri fanned herself with a broad leaf, before dropping it and getting back to Flynn to hoist him up (upon his consent or notification that he's ok to get a move on).

"I've been dwelling on the thing your father said. He's right, you know. You aren't alone in this in the world: Take me for example, I thought I was alone and better off that way. It just came to me that I'm better off with other people who care, seeing how I've been lately. I was apprehensive on meeting anyone due to reasons, and now I'm apprehensive to not meet anyone since I've known you. You can tell me when you're comfy with it anyway, I've got a pretty strong will and a powerful belief system I call Hope...the thing that lets you believe in many good things even if you can't sense them.

"How're you feeling up, now?"

Eleri examined Flynn's body, happy that he was healing and in a better shape after just a day or so since their meeting. She was happy to see him able to smile and laugh, and talk and shiver--those subtle emotions all shown in a physical word. She missed that breadth of feeling from talking to people.

"As an aside, I doubt you're out of meeting people who'd aid you even if they knew what you had intended to do. There're always good people in the world here, even if all you met are those who just don't know how to be good."

Get moving once he's rested! Consume basic resources for health and vitality.

Eleri
You sit down next to him and talk to him for a short while, attempting to both build up his hope and your own. What you're most worried about is that his wounds might worsen internally; it's not like you've had a sterile environment to work with in order to patch up his wounds. Additionally, you're careful to make sure that you don't put too much stress on his body. He'll need the energy to recuperate. There's a fine balance to be had right now, but you believe that you can manage it. You'll just need to trust that he can believe in that, too.

He laughs ever-so-softly while rolling his to the other side. "I don't know if I'd be alive without you here, so... thanks. Not much else I can say, really. I just hope that I can make it through this. It's been stressful - real stressful - in the past few days. I guess things just seemed to work out well enough." After he finishes, you ask him about his health. He looks down at his chest and feels his left side with his hand. He winces, letting you know that he's still, at the very least, sensitive. "Well... it's getting better. A bit." He laughs nervously. "Still hurts a lot, but I'll manage. I don't really have that much stamina, though. I think I can walk for about five minutes on my own before I tire. But we're on a better track now. We should be able to get to the cabin well before sundown." He inhales deeply and closes his eyes.

You respond to him with some words of encouragement, trying to show him that not everyone will treat him so harshly as he has come to believe. He smiles weakly, and looks at you. He tries to muster some sort of statement, but comes up empty. A few seconds later, he whispers, "Thanks." With this, he tries to push himself up from the rocks, but collapses back. You assist him up to his feet, and he nods in appreciation. "I think I'm fine," he states. "We should get moving." With that said, you collect your supplies, hang them over your shoulders, and continue the arduous journey.

* * *

Two more hours and you've made it. The two of you have been changing between having him walk on his own and having him rest on your shoulders. You're exhausted now, with the fatigue practically running through your veins. Flynn lets out a cough that shakes his body. You instinctively try to help him, but he waves you back, saying that he just needs to catch his breath. You examine your situation in the meantime. Behind you, the path curves around the mountainside, with the same sort of steep drop visible in front of you and from the cliff behind you. The grass here is shorter, darker, and wilder, with the grass becoming entangled by itself. The mountain itself begins sloping far out, eventually becoming flat terrain and merging with the ocean. You can see the tiny structures in the distance that make up the major town of the island. About four hundred meters down from where you are, several cabins and houses dot the tree lines. Undoubtedly, one of them must be the one that holds the family Flynn was talking about earlier.

The sun appears to be approaching the horizon now. You've plenty of time to get Flynn down there, but next comes the question of how you will work through the night. You have most of your supplies with you, so surviving based on necessities is not an issue. Shelter and protection, however, will be. You put this into the back of your mind for the moment. Right now, getting Flynn to someone who can properly help him is your priority.

Eh Ah

Markets still standing? Now isn't that something.

Reward their spirits of enterprise with my patronage, purchase some fresh food and make a fine breakfast. There is much work to be done.

((Apologies for missing quite a lot of turns. I get horribly inert at times.))

((No worries. It's not like I've been on point with updating either ))
Eh Ah
It is indeed remarkable that many parts of the markets are still standing; then again, that astonishment should really be directed at the progress of the entire city -- perhaps even the whole island. Whether through the assistance of the Theyin Empire (who, admittedly, were at fault for the damage and destruction in the first place) or the resilience of the Atis population, many basic components of Aecrocia and the Atisi village have been restored. You're still unsure on the status of the Magis Kingdom; you didn't have enough time in the day to investigate fully there, and the matter of getting that strange woman back to Aecrocia was higher on your list of priorities.

Since you are in need of basic supplies such as foods and medicines, it would be prudent of you to visit the markets and see if you can purchase, at the very least, a decent breakfast. As you cross through the city, you notice that things seem to have quieted down in comparison to the last week. Homes have been at least partially rebuilt and people are returning to resuming their jobs in the city once again. The skyscrapers near the coast have been, for the most part, repaired. If this was truly the work of the Theyins in tandem with the local population, then perhaps Seira might have been at least partially truthful in her statements of remorse. Still, you're not entirely sure whether or not you can trust her completely yet. That remains to be seen through her actions, as well as the actions of those following under her.

The markets seem to be moderately active; you didn't expect much better. About sixty percent of the stalls that are laid out are occupied; the rest are empty or nonexistent. Luckily enough, there are several stalls with fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, and cheeses. Since the three ranches on the eastern side of the island haven't been restored yet, you assume that the cheeses are imported. Most of the foods, in fact, appear to be imported from as far east as Xiros and Thetos. You notice, however, that none of the foods seem to come from the regular exporters from places like West Liberon and Mesera.

For breakfast, you go ahead and purchase enough to make a couple of sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and ham. Additionally, you buy orange juice, a bundle of bananas, and an extra loaf of bread to carry you through the day. If you need extra supplies, you can visit once again -- the markets usually stay open until about thirty minutes before sunset. At home, you quickly consume two sandwiches and drink some of the orange juice. It's not extravagant, but it will give you the energy to go about your day and still have plenty of food left over for dinner.

Warren Drake

One last sip. After that, goodnight. Need to get some damn sleep at last.

Warren Drake
You haven't exactly cleaned the bottle out, but you're getting there. You reckon that you've got a little over half the bottle left. You're clearly inebriated now, with your movements being slow and your chance of stumbling rather high. You make it into the den within the tree and collapse on the floor of the place. You hear the girl calling out, saying, "Hello? Is something wrong?" before you nod off from a combination of exhaustion and liquor.

Some number of hours pass before you wake up. You groan, a veritable headache pounding against your skull. The soft, fog-like light pours in from the outside, unfortunately irritating your sensitive eyes. You prop yourself up against a wall and back away from the light while rubbing your forehead with a hand. You notice that you had a blanket wrapped around you, which you don't recall donning before you passed out. To the right of the door, a basket is filled with some dried fruits and vegetables. Judging by the amount of light pouring in from outside, it's probably sometime during the morning, considering that you seemed to pass out for quite the while.

You grab a peach from the basket and slowly eat away at it, attempting to recover from your morning sickness. The girl doesn't seem to be around -- at least, not in the immediate vicinity. You can't hear her yet. Even if you wanted to, the buzz in your head still prevents you from focusing. Well, it is less of a buzz and more of a "warble" in your head. You turn around and -- wait, a warble? You attempt to concentrate. A few seconds later, you recognize something distinct within the noise in your head. It's aural and it has a pattern; it is not simply static. You sigh, thinking that it may either be related to your alcohol consumption or your more-than-magical occurrences in the past few days.

Author's Note: Nothing too major in this update; at least, not for everyone. At the very least, time dilation seems to be working well.
Soon, I'll be on my Winter Break, so I will have MUCH more time to update frequently. Perhaps I'll even get to update the Compendium again, whoo! Lord knows how long it's been since I've done so, even with my numerous promises.

I hope you all have a fantastic week. Thank you for reading the update,
Artemis

[Lenglon]

"I can only speak for myself, but I have no reason to decline your offer, so long as you understand that if your military turns against anyone left of my home I will turn against them. As for what I want, I want help to go home and rescue anyone left, and help finding my sisters."