The Ivilan Quest

[Misha]

I was sitting against the small table when Acantha said hello and bought some wheat from Father. I smiled and nodded, replying with a soft "Hello" as she walked by. Father turned to me. "Who was that young girl?" He asked. "Acantha" I answered. "And how did you meet?" I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't want Mother or Father to know I had left the house without their permission but sometimes I can't stay in cooped up.

[Evelyn]

I didn't want to know what kind of expression Leo had. Knowing him, probably a rather squished expression, probably indicating that he didn't want to cry. And, as much as I did dislike him, I didn't want to make him cry. I left everything there once the wound was fairly clean, completely unaware of whatever he was going through. I mean, it's not like I'd never scraped myself before, but even so...it was one of those memories that just came and went. Not one you really wanted, or needed, to keep.
The marketplace seemed to be repopulating itself now. Evening was beginning, and it must have been that there wasn't enough to go around in the morning. Maybe some new food had...well...arrived now. I picked up a book, fingering the soft, delicate parchment inside. It was something about the creation of Merolia, but that wasn't important. I hadn't stolen it to read about some pointless (and probably untrue) myths and legends. No. I'd been shown this book once before, and I'd pored over every page until I knew it all. But there was one important thing, a map, a drawing right at the back. Water had spilled over it as some point, but, to the best of my knowledge, it was still readable. Or at least, that's what I hoped. I faced the window, knowing that the only view I'd get was one of the now once again busy marketplace. Whoever worked there must have been busy all day now. Maybe even some of the night, seeing as the demand for supplies was increasing. I set the book down and turned its leather cover. I'd heard that the leather was some kind of...skin...off some creature that grew in the Light. Everything seemed to grow in the Light, and not the Merolia's everlasting darkness. I flipped it until I reached the last page, and examined the map. The stain had now long dried, but its effects were obvious. Some of the lines were smudged, but not enough to cover all the regions. I searched for anything unusual, but found nothing but an odd, rectangular square in the Unknown Regions. Unknown? More like unexplored.
Maybe though...was that the library? I slumped onto the table, almost bored, and started to watch the substance that filled the hourglass trickle slowly through. Someone had told me, once, that the substance, they'd called it 'sal' or 'sald' or something like that, came from Ivilan. Apparently our ancestors had brought many useful things down. Perhaps they were still up there...or maybe it was all a myth. A silly dream. But I was convinced I was right. And once that happened, there was no going back. If I succeeded in proving the existence, then I'd be known as a genius. But if I failed, then I'm nobody again. That was just the way Merolian history was written. All history, even...

[soccergirl2121]

Later mother came in and told me it was time for bed. When I finally fell asleep I heard a deafening scream. I jumped out of bed and looked out the window. It was a chicken, lying on the ground dead. I sighed, my heart beating fast from the screech. I layed back down in my bed wondering what could have killed it. Finally I fell back asleep.

[Evelyn]

I didn't even realize I fell on the delicate map, into a dreamless sleep. It was still early, a little too early to be awake. But still, before the village meeting, I thought that I'd better get a little bit of exploring done...maybe even some research. It would seem suspicious to anyone else awake...I doubted, though, that Leo was awake yet. Besides, he probably wouldn't hear the creaking of the floors in my father's study. I slipped on a simple cream-coloured dress, almost as if preparing for the meeting. Upstairs, all was silent. It felt almost wrong to disturb it, as if I would taint the silence of the room. Still, some things had to be done. I wasn't exactly in a position to question my actions.
I took only a few of our family's precious books. One, 'A Study of Merolia'. Two, 'Discoveries Over the Ages'. Three: 'A Traveller's Notebook: Merolia Explored'. The last one, particularly, was of interest to me. After all, I needed to know about the actual discoveries made. From what I knew, the notebook had actually been composed of both parchment, thin slices of wood and thick leaves. Probably some of its 'pages' had been destroyed or rotted away over time, but it still held together. I felt as if I could trust its author.
I still don't know why.

[Little Comet]

I sat straight up in bed. I stood up and opened the curtains. It was much too early to wake up. I lay back down in my bed to go back to sleep. Bliss walked past my bedroom, wearing a pretty dress and looking very fancy. I wonder how long she had been awake. "When's that meeting?" I called after her, but she didn't hear me and kept walking and soundlessly slipped into daddy's study. I watched the door for awhile until my eyelids drooped and I fell back to sleep. I hoped Bliss would wake me up so I didn't miss the meeting.
I was dreaming about something but I don't remember what it was. I think I ate a newspaper for lunch and realized I had had the same issue for breakfast and spat it out. Whatever it was, it made no sense. I looked out the window again and saw people milling around outside in the market. I think it's about time to get up. I dressed in a fresh gray shirt and grey pants and walked outside. I looked like a storm cloud in all that gray clothing. I walked up to father's study and wondered if Bliss was still in there. Whatever she was doing, I wanted in. I pressed my ear against the door and tried to hear what she was doing inside but the door was too thick. The only thing I could think of to do was knock. So that is what I did.

[pinkycrystal]

So it is true. The long anticipated meeting is today. I quickly get dressed into a red dress with a line of pattern at the bottom. On top of that I put on a darkly coloured cloak and straightened out all the wrinkles. I searched for my hairbrush, trying to untangle the mess I call my hair. When I was done I looked quite neat and tidy but sadly not perfect. But for the first time I do not care for perfection. I'm running out of time anyway as the meeting will start soon, according to the markings on the side of my sand timer.

[Evelyn]

(OK, so this meeting was unplanned before, but there will be a meeting...I'll post Part 1.5)
You hear of the meeting, dreading what will be said. You know that if they want the village to escape, you and the rest of the village are going to be running...forever, from the inevitable darkness that will claim your lives. You have two choices: to run, and be killed, or to volunteer to try and find the portal to Ivilan. Even if it means leaving everything behind, its a risk that mjst be taken. There is no other choice. But if you volunteer, then you will have no direction. You'll be left to the mercy of Merolia itself.

P.S. Little Comet? Sunlight?

Oh no. Leo. He would knock. Only I wouldn't answer. Pointless to. I yelled, 'Are you ready yet?" Probably he was, but I just needed something to get him away. As soon as I heard his footsteps lead away, I went back to my own room, clutching the notebook. Just the notebook. It was already so far into the morning. I hadn't even expected that. I looked at myself, and was almost surprised at how I looked. Too good for such a formal occasion. It was one of those I saved for once special occasions. Birthdays that I used to value. Things like that. I hoped that Leo was awake already...I didn't really want to remind him to come. Oh well. Quickly, I changed into a peach coloured top and a white, lacy skirt. God enough, I supposed, as I pulled my hair into a resonable plait and tied it with one of my ribbons. I usually hardly cared about how I looked, but I guess just for today...
"Leo!" I called, "Are you ready yet?" My question was almost rhetoric. I mean, even in endless darkness, you can't sleep for that long! My brother, as usual, was probably just being obnoxious and refusing to answer. I sighed again, not even bothering to count the times I'd done so now. I slipped outside, unwilling to wait any longer. The gathering yard was already packed, but I thought I recognized someone there...

[pinkycrystal]

My parents accompany me to the meeting. Although I am curious as to whether if we will discuss Ivilan at the meeting, I'm scared. Scared of what the future will hold. What if the dark comes too quickly and we will all die? What if we have to leave the Merolia our ancestors spent many decades building to become nomadic in the obscure parts of Alia Dimensi? Would we we on the run forever?

A large amount of citizens are already there by the time we arrive. Everybody in Merolia must be here, from the lowest of peasants to the highest of nobles.

[Misha]

Mother shook me quietly waking me up. "Kandi, remember it's the meeting today." I lifted my body off the straw to see Father, in slightly clean shirt accompanied with his brown trousers and boots. Mother was wearing her clean blue dress which she only wore on special occasions like this one.

I got changed into my black dress, which I wear on funerals as it's the only piece of clothing I have which is acceptable for times like this. I put my hair into a bun and washed my face out the back, to remove any dirt. Happy that I looked presentable I returned indoors and slipped on my little black shoes. Apparently there is news concerning Merolia, and the Darkness but these all seem to be rumours, spreading across the villages and towns. However due to the recent events these rumours may be true.

[Little Comet]

"I'm ready!" I called back. "Are you?" Pretty stupid question considering I had seen her wearing a nice dress and she looked pretty ready to me. I grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed it in my mouth and yelled, "Now I am 100% ready!" The bread fell out of my mouth and onto the floor. Oops. I leaned down to pick it up and stuffed it back in my mouth. I hoped Bliss hadn't seen that. Now she would have yet another reason to criticize me.

[Evelyn]

So many people. There was certainly news to be heard here. Last year's meeting, I remembered, was lacklustre, with just a few people from here and there attending. Of course, like most things in Merolia, it was held with good intentions and expectations, but nobody really cared. I really wasn't surprised. I mean, everyone does have their own life, their own ways. But today, it seemed like everyone was here. Just everyone. I saw my brother rushing to the yard, and, although I supposed that I should have waited for him, I had already abandoned trying to be a good family member to him. I slipped into the center, nearing the front of the crowd, strategically going through every gap available. I almost laughed at how easy it was.
Everyone was caught up in their own conversations until the voice of the Merolian leaders was heard...
(I'll post the speech after someone else has posted)

[Misha]

I looked around and saw so many faces, some familiar and some were not. I suspected most people had come this year. Everyone was queit and tense, it was obvious people were beginning to fear for the worst. There was a bit of bickering but it soon fell silent. In the middle of this crowd of people the leaders of Merolia started to speak.

[Little Comet]

Bliss disappeared into the crowd. There were too many people there to see where she had went. I just gave up looking for her right there and then and stood in the back of the crowd. Everyone looked so fancy. I felt out of place in my plain gray shirt and pants. I couldn't hear anything either because people were screaming at each other. I couldn't see what was happening up in the front of the crowd. Suddenly the screaming stopped. Two old ladies next to me started whispering inaudibly to each other. Now that no one else was talking, I could call out Bliss' name because she will probably hear me. I opened my mouth and then closed it again. Someone else beat me to it. I heard the distinct voices of the leaders beginning their speech.

[Evelyn]

(Ok, sorry to those who haven't posted, but I'm going to start the speech, if you don't manage to post to volunteer in time, just try to say that you missed out, blah blah blah, and you follow everyone etc. Or PM me if you're really stuck)
"Citizens of Merolia..."
The announcer's voice boomed out across the yard as a thousand heads turned to look at him, a hundred conversations stopped so that people could listen.
"You may have heard of the group - the strange force, sorry - known only as the 'Shadows'. This is not a myth. I repear, this is not a myth. We must all escape, dig a new city, restart. Run. What choice do we have?" But even he sounded unsure as he paused for discussion. But run? That was the best solution that we had? How was that even possible? Besides, logically, there would be no chance for a restart. We would perish, lack supplies. After all, our ancestors had brought things that once grew in the lLiht...the Light that Ivilan possessed...I could have thought about it for ages, but then the announcer spoke again. An expression of annoyance flickered briefly across my face.
But it was different this time. A new face, a new voice. Rich and unctuous. I recognized it almost instantly. The royal advisor, Aedrian. My parents knew him well, almost as a friend, but I couldnt help feeling that he couldn't be trusted. He just had an aura of menace and evil that I felt like I could almost sense.
"But why, my people, must we run? Why run when there are fruitful lands above? Or are we too scared to try?" That was his nature. To annoy and create suspicion with the emphasis of a single word. But this time, I almost agreed with him. Why?
A second later, he spoke again, "Oh, so we are too scared!" he cried, evidently trying to aggravate and irritate. "No volunteers, I see! Well..." His tone was almost frustrated, but his eyes told me otherwise. This was an intricate plot, his words carefully chosen. I knew that I couldn't trst him for a moment, but at that time, I was desperate just to end it. As obnoxious as he was, he was clever. Cunning.
Before I could stop myself, I felt myself, heard myself speak.
"I volunteer."
Silence followed as everyone looked for the source of the sound. Oh well, though. I'd had a terriblelife already, and I didn't see how it would get any worse. It was my chance for glory! Fame! It was only later that I realized that Aedrian had already beat me. I'd acted on impulse. A rush of emotion, of desperation shot through me as I took in what I'd just said. But as I was thinking it, I realized that I was already losing control of what I was doing. Already behind the platform, a silent tear trickled down my face, What had I even done?

[Misha]

The announcer began talking, he mentioned things about running away, starting anew. A few mumbles erupted as people discussed their opinion, however moments later everything became quiet again when another person began speaking.

"But why, my people, must we run? Why run when there are fruitful lands above? Or are we too scared to try?" I could hear the little smirk in his voice and everyone became tense. He paused for a second before starting again "Oh so we are too scared!" I almost felt patronised by his voice. It felt like his was looking down on us, treating the people of Merolia as though we were nothing but children. A sense of anger ran through my blood, his voice, his face, everything about him was angering me although I had just met him. "No volunteers, I see! Well.." His voice trailed off. He seemed annoyed but I couldn't tell, his facial expressions weren't really linking with his tone of voice.

I don't know what was happening but I felt myself become angrier every second. It was only quiet for a few seconds yet it felt as the silence was going on for minutes, hours. Then from the silence a voice was heard "I volunteer." Everyone looked to see where the voice had come from, when I noticed a girl with milky white skin, stepping back and slowly closing her mouth as though she had said something before. Everyone else began looking in that direction, so I deduced she was the one who volunteered. I gulped as I realised who it was. I only knew, well met, one person with skin as pale as hers. Bliss. But why would she want to leave here? Leave everything she had. The money, the clothes, and probably a big house.

That made me think. I didn't really have much items here. And maybe if we do get away from here I can gain things. Get away from being poor, an urchin, a servant and be my own person. But I'd have to leave my family behind, unless they would volunteer. But I knew Father, he would never leave home and our crops. And Mother would stick by Father. My thoughts fought with each other as my anger for that, man, built up. All my thoughts were mixing up but I silenced them with a small shout.
"I volunteer as well!" The words escaped my mouth like a trapped bird being set free. I wanted to take it back. But it was too late. People were turning their heads in attempt to find the second voice while Mother and Father looked at me with tears in their eyes. I sunk back, looking down, hiding away. But it's too late, I've made my decision.