The Ivilan Quest

[pinkycrystal]

My parents came back today at noon and they brought from Hanmore some precious supplies like paper and metal. I often feel that being the daughter of two merchants has it's advantages. It means we have easier access to precious supplies than other people through trading. Parchment especially is scarce these days as they say it's made from something called a free...tee...tre... Whatever it's called, whatever it might be. According to the old tales my mother had told me on a cold night, those things didn't grow in Merolia. Not much of anything grew in Merolia.

The village grew dimmer and darker by the second. I light lamp by the stone windowsill and work on the device again. Somehow, a strand of my hair gets caught in in the lamp which I quickly put out. That's the fifth time my hair has gotten caught in something this week. My hair has extremely bad luck. It's always getting caught in between doors, getting assorted chemicals stuck in it, and of course, caught on fire. It's the only thing that I'm not fussy about as it has been damaged far too many times to care for.

I work through the late hours, ignoring the need for sleep. If Ivonde is right about the dark coming and I don't get out in time, I will have all the rest I need. I do worry though. If there really is a darkness would they let us escape? But where? Maybe we can try to find the world above. But not many still believe in it. I suppose preparations should be made just in case. When I told father of my worries, he simply told me there's nothing to fear, and that I should stop listening to rumors. Although he knows of my connections, I never told him about Ivonde and Ash. He would never accept them as allies(if we can ever have them) as he still thinks they are criminals of witchcraft. Witchcraft has been forbidden for as long as anybody could remember. Our ancestors would've thought that way, perhaps that's where the belief originated from.

In the morning, mother sends me on an errand to the marketplace. I put on a simple dress and wrap around me a warm cloak with vibrant colour before I leave for the marketplace, with a bag of coins in my pocket.

[Little Comet]

I had just snuck around the corner to spy into her little room when she came bursting out, walking with an unusual purpose towards the door, our parent's money in hand. I pressed my back against the wall and hid behind the door until I heard the front door bang shut. If I was a complete dodo...if I was completely oblivious to the world around me, I would think Bliss was just going to the market to buy us more food. But she never used to walk out the door with such purpose... like she was about to change her whole life. I rushed to fling open the door and follow her and see what was going on. Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe she was just going to buy some really delicious cake.

[Misha]

I woke up to see Mother standing over me. "Kandi, how are you feeling?" She asked. I nodded and quietly said that I was fine. She helped me stand up and wrapped the rag around my arm again properly. "You need to be careful Kandi, hurting yourself like that" She tutted kissing my forehead. I nodded "Where's father?" I questioned. "He's out, trying to sell some of the wheat we made." I nodded again.

[pinkycrystal]

I don't know if it's because I haven't been out into the marketplace for a while or because citizens know of the evil. The atmosphere seemed more tense today and the stalls weren't as crowded. The usual volume of the chatter and gossip has increased, but not in a good way. The streets where children used to play also didn't seem as lively. It'd only been a couple of weeks since my last visit to this place. Surely the village doesn't change that quickly.

Trying to think back to the list Mother had recited this morning, I made my way to some stalls selling breads, meat and grains. I buy a large amount of the food from those stalls and look for a one special stall. In a corner,was a man who sold wheat. He may appear to be very poor, with his torn outfit caked with dirt, but he always had a smile. His wheat was also of good quality. When I walked to him, holding all my bags of things, he greets me with a smile. I paid him some pieces of silver for an amount of wheat and start the journey home.

On the way home, I hear some interesting news. The fact that the town of Milthor are creating a new passage to ours didn't interest me as usual. Nor did the rumor that the duke of the faraway village of Rowmyn is marrying a Lady. No, it was the fact that the evil has apparently been confirmed. They say a meeting is to take place in one weeks time.

[Evelyn]

Now I had food, and a little money left. But there was something missing. Information. About the darkness. The supposed library. About my parents. No matter how much I may have despised my family, I couldn't help but fear for their safety. It was either that they were dead, or they'd escaped. Either way, though, it would be us managing our lives. Taking control of our destiny.
Around the marketplace, there were so many harsh reminders of the darkness. The words scrawled on walls about the meeting this year thats supposedly going to be horribly ruined by the forces. Really now, that would be somewhat of a coincidence, but if people believed it, and I didn't, it was their opinion. Not mind. I was nearly back to the house when I heard footsteps behind me, loud and clear. Obviously, there was only one person that would bother to do that. After all, despite the fact that everyone thought me 'really intelligent' (probably meaning, very much insane and dangerous), nobody risked following me. For good reason, too.
"Leo?" I felt like I was questioning the air. I felt my unexplained anger build up again. "Where are you?!"
This was no longer annoyance. I was almost fed up with his dismal attempts to follow. I sighed and said, "Leo, I know you're there. Better to show yourself. Things can't get much worse now, can they?"
I smiled to myself. With any luck, I'd find him soon enough. And if I didn't, that was his problem, not mine.

[soccergirl2121]

I was so bored that I pulled up my chair to the window and watched the people in the market. I sat back in my chair and sighed. Mother had just gotten back from buying two months worth of food. It seemed darker outside, which was strange because it was only the middle of the day. Mother and father feared at the darkness was coming today. In the market there was the blacksmiths shop, where an older girl worked. She had always seemed kind. I had brief chats with her before the fear of the darkness came to our town and I was forced to stay inside. I saw a girl smiling to herself and another girl, probably about my age walking away from the man who sold the wheat. Someone looked up at me through my window. I forced the curtains shut and laid down on my bed.

[Little Comet]

I crept along quietly, at least, I thought I was going quietly. I tripped over the wheel of a vendor's cart as he was pushing past me and I fell on the ground. I skinned my knee and wanted to cry like I used to when I was a wee little kid. I would bleed and my parents would comfort me. Bliss would always glare at me from the corner and then go back to her books. I think she hated me. I think she still does.
I wiped most of the blood form my knee onto my gray shirt. It left some horrible stains, but if anyone asked I would tell them that it is the mark of a warrior. I picked myself up. Be a man, Leo. Be a man.
I noticed a girl peering out her window into the street. I waved at her. I don't know why. But she snapped the curtains closed so my smile was obviously not a very nice smile. More like a wince because knee was really starting to hurt. I wondered if it was infected. Maybe my whole leg would fall off and I wouldn't be able to walk.
Suddenly I heard Bliss' voice. I had been discovered. She turned around to yell at me and I recognized that scary face. The one where it looked like she was about to topple over the edge of the sanity cliff and straight into the perilous anger pit. This time, it was worse. I think Bliss was about to hit the pit.
I ducked behind a huge barrel of something. Wine, probably. As if anyone would have money to spare for wine. I crouched behind it but Bliss could probably tell where I was. I think she was threatening me now. Might as well come out.
I magically emerged from behind the wine barrel. Bliss had definitely hit the pit now. Her eyes were a mix of an angry troll and a hungry bear. I waited for the hungry/angry bear/troll sister come to slap me. Or eat me. Or possibly kill me.

[Evelyn]

(Pretend this happened before your post LC. My page didn't refresh until after my post)
He still hasn't come out from the crowd, which was now slowly thinning. Evidently the market time was almost over. Out of curiosity, I read the sign that had been hung up so many years ago...a sign with a rule engraved crudely upon it. 'No one shall pass through the unknown'. So ominous. Rule? Note particularly. More of a warning. Pass through the unknown? Well, that seemed to be anything beyond Merolia. With any luck, though, the next delivery would come soon. It was already nearing the end of the day, and still not much had been achieved. I needed to know more. Just more.
Everyone now seemed to know of the darkness. The increased levels of chatter and gossip in the marketplace must have brought that on.

[Little Comet]

Bliss hadn't noticed me. I sank back down behind the wine barrel and checked out my knee. It looked kind of swollen. And bloody. I decided that the best option was to ignore it. I rolled my pant leg down over my knee so it was covered. Blood started to seep through but I guess it was okay after that. If it was ignorable, it was okay. I stood back up and left the wine barrel alone. Bliss was doing her weird smart person thinking thing. She was reading all the signs. Figures. I barely could even read the alphabet, let alone some of those books Bliss has been reading. I walked over to her, the market slowly emptying. Finally we were practically the only ones in the market. Just us two. I tugged on her shirt. "Bliss." I whispered urgently.

[Evelyn]

I searched for the source of the sound. "Leo?" I called, only just then realizing that the marketplace was empty. "Leo! Where are you!"
It was only then that I'd noticed him behind the barrel. But before even recognizing him, I saw the wound on his knee. Bright red blood had started staining the fabric of his clothing, drying into a dark burgundy. For a moment, both in shock and in horror of the wound, I felt like I was going to be helpful. Although Leo looked almost intimidated, maybe going as far as frightened of me, but I knew I needed to help. "Come!" I half ordered him. Maybe this scared him more, bu at that moment I didn't care. For once, I felt like I was actually having emotions about my family, regarding their safety more than mine. Out of shock and horror at the wound more than anything.
I half dragged, half led Leo back into the safety of the house, the house that was probably already ours. I felt as if our parents had betrayed us, leaving so abruptly, without so much as a a hint as to where they were. Alright, so maybe I didn't trust Leo to handle the gold that was stored away underground, but I was sure, that given the circumstances, I could easily manage it. I had almost started daydreaming about my 'new' life when I snapped back into reality. The blood had dried a little more, making it more horrific to look at. A strange shudder escaped me as I looked at the knee. I darted upstairs and searched through the wardrobe in my room. At last, I came out with a faded rag that no one in the right mind would bother to wear. I pressed it against Leo's knee, amazed at he still hadn't started, well, crying or anything drastic like that. "Wait!" I shouted at Leo, "Press it on!"
I rushed outside again, aware of the emptiness that was once a busy market. I had to get a bucket of water from the well. It was almost scary, how easy it was to hoist up the water. I'd heard rumors about the well being able to harness a...river, was it? Or something like that. A fast moving stream of water, controlled by just this one structure. I'd never pulled up water from it before. There had always been someone to do that kind of job for us. Manual labour? Don't make me laugh. But still, water seemed to have amazing cleansing and even healing properties. I'd heard of something called...herbs, was it? That grew where there was Light. Light. Some kind of magical substance that existed outside Merolia. Apparently it burned, but not to these herb plant things. They seemed to be able to help plants grow. And maybe even us, if we were able to get to it. I'd heard of only one place where Light existed. The world above. But it was a rumor. The name of the land, they said, was Ivilan.

[Little Comet]

Bliss didn't even look at my face. She automatically noticed my knee. I had worked up a tolerance for the pain but when I looked down it all came back. My knee looked pretty nasty! Even Bliss seemed concerned, which she didn't usually. Acting like a real parent, she helped me into the house and grabbed a rag for me to hold on my knee. She rushed back out to find water.
When she left, I gave me knee a long hard stare. It had dried blood encrusted all around it. I was really hoping it wouldn't be infected. Not only would it be horrible for me, but I suddenly felt really bad for Bliss. I wondered if having me here was wrecking her already horrible life. A tear slipped out of the corner of my eye and right into my cut. It burned, like, really, really stung. I squeezed my eyes shut and scrunched up my face. Be a man, Leo. Be a man. I turned my face away from my knee incase there were more tears coming. I also couldn't stand looking at my knee. It had suddenly started turning a sickly shade of brownish red.

[Evelyn]

The moment I walked back in, I could feel Leo's stare on me. It was actually rather unnerving. It was as if all his thoughts had been concentrated into that one stare. I'm already wrecking your life, it seemed to say, why are you helping me? Still, I had to ignore that, otherwise I'd never get anything done, would I? Realizing that I was still carrying the bucket of water, I left it by him and was getting all too close to leaving when I remembered what I'd come for. To - ah - help. It was a strange thought indeed. Slowly dipping the already blood soaked rag into the water, I struggled not to look at the congealing red liquid coming out of the wound. Somehow, thinking of it that way was easier that thinking of it as blood. In minutes, it was cleaned, but it was still raw and, above all, an open wound. Not something I truly enjoyed looking at. Really, my only incentive for doing this was to make us presentable at tomorrow's annual village meeting, to keep our family reputation safe, and to achieve my goal of becoming a little more united with my family.
Otherwise, I thought, he was really further wrecking my already strange and unideal life. All I could hope for was that he didn't notice the frown that crossed my face.

[Misha]

Mother began working, in place for me, while I cooked and cleaned. She wasn't letting me go near anything sharp today due to my cut. After cleaning most of the room I left the house and walked into the farm.

"Kandi? I thought I told you to stay indoors" Mother almost barked at me.
"I know, I came to ask whether I could go to Father's stall and help him sell." She shook her head. "Why?" I whined.
"Haven't you heard the rumours Kandi? About the darkness and what not. It's not safe."
"But Mother, I see children as young as 12 in the market. I am 16 I can look after myself." She nodded at my bandaged arm.
"Are you sure?" I nodded and looked at her with a pleading look. "Alright" She muttered. "Take care"
"I will" I kissed her cheek and walked out of the farm and into the market place.

It wasn't as warm as it used to be. Everyone seemed tense. I smiled at Father as I got closer and he nodded back at me. I looked around to see a young girl running towards the well. As I looked closer, her face looked familiar. The pale milky skin, the dark brown hair. I stood there thinking for some time when I realised it was Bliss. I wanted to greet her but she seemed to be in a rush so I left it. When I turned back around I saw another girl, about my age, walking away from the market stalls. She had short dark hair but the length of the strands varied.

[Little Comet]

Bliss came back in. I stared at her for a while. She looked kind of frightened. I had probably been staring at her too long. I forced my eyes to look back down at my knee. It was getting gradually worse. She put the bucket of water down next to me and turned to go. I reached down to dip the rag into the water. Bliss suddenly turned back around and looked at me again. All this staring at each other and silence was kind of creeping me out. Bliss came back over and started cleaning up my knee, silently. I watched her as she worked. She looked resentful. I wondered if I really was wrecking her life. I looked away again and squished my face up so I didn't cry. "I'm sorry." I whispered, so quietly I don't think she heard me.

[soccergirl2121]

The girl waved at me, which frightened me because I haven't been around other children in forever. Just then mother came into my room, and gave me money. I gasped. "I'm letting you go outside. Don't get yourself into trouble. I'm trusting you." Mother said as she walked out the door. I put the money in my pocket and walked outside. I passed Kandi, saying hello very quickly to her as I walked to the man who sold the wheat. "Thank you sir." I said as I walked away with some wheat. I still had money left, so I decided to buy myself a treat. I wondered if I would pass any of my old friends. I went to the older woman who sold the sugar cubes. I bought a couple. "Thank you mam." I said. I walked away putting a sugar cube in my mouth. I went home, happy for once in my life. "Thank you mother." I said as I put the wheat and leftover money on the table. I walked upstairs to my room. I sat in my chair once again looking out the window. Smiling this time. I had seen Kandi. Had sugar cubes again. I talked to Kandi, well it was more of a friendly hello.