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[5E] The Age of Worms - Solid Snake's Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake_01" data-source="post: 7118767" data-attributes="member: 63254"><p><u><strong>Chapter 1</strong></u> <strong>(“A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” -Jean de La Fontaine)</strong></p><p></p><p>The sun rose lazily over Diamond Lake, much like the inhabitants of this struggling mining town, hiding behind the Cairn Hills until its first rays peeked out blearily well after dawn. Unlike most mornings, this one would be different. On the Urnst Trial, little more than a double track of wagon ruts interrupted by a petulant grassy verge, outside the Bode Farm, a chance encounter between two nomads would change the course of destiny for a great many lives.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Rey had been studying the farm for many days now, just as she had been trained to do. She could hear her Mistress’s voice in her head: Y<em>ou are weak, and so you must hide. Like other animals, you must use your natural environment to your advantage. Stay low and stay quiet. Wait patiently for the enemy to reveal its weakness to you. Then strike swiftly and without mercy.</em> The warrior shook her head to refocus herself.</p><p></p><p>The Bode Farm had recently been sold to a wealthy rancher named Darren, he had a few other farms around the town, and it would not be long before he owned all the livestock in the area. The woman who recently sold him the farm was Hannah, a lively woman who towered over the rancher. From Rey’s distance, a thousand paces up the trail, it was difficult to make out what they were arguing about, but Rey was sure it had something to do with the three dead cows lying in the front yard of the farmhouse. Darren’s farmhands were funneling the remainder of the cattle out to pasture for their morning feeding, but the argument was not the most interesting development this morning. </p><p></p><p>Rey’s attention slipped from the escalating human discussion to a figure moving along the trail ahead of her vantage point. It was a lithe elven woman who seemed oblivious to the ongoing human conflict. She hid her features well under her cloak, but Rey recognized her own ancestry. She moved gracefully around the obstacles making her way in Rey’s general direction. <em>She could not have seen me. The sun is in her eyes, and I am on elevated ground. Impossible.</em> It was then that the young woman removed her hood and waved to Rey with a smile. <em>S**t!</em> This morning was not going as planned, and, from the look of things, it was also heating up down at the Bode farm. Darren had waved over one of his men and was sticking his finger in Hannah’s chest threateningly. Something stirred inside Rey, and she arose from the ground rather quickly. The mysterious elven woman seemed taken aback by Rey’s sudden, almost overtly obvious movement, but she too sensed that something was amiss down at the farm.</p><p></p><p>“It is so good to see my brethren out here,” the elven woman said almost longingly in Elven, the words tinged with a heavy drawl from the wood elves of Celune. “I haven’t been able to speak my native tongue in quite sometime. It is such a blessing to do so, even if it is only to greet a stranger.”</p><p></p><p>“I had no idea I would actually meet a real elf near this town,” Rey remarked.</p><p></p><p>“My name is Etona Aspianne.” A wispy smile half-felt, half-testing spread from the chin to her sharp cheeks.</p><p></p><p>“It is a pleasure to meet you Etona, my name is Rey,” the half-elf replied with her hand outstretched in a very human gesture.</p><p></p><p>The diminutive elf regarded Rey’s hand for a moment before smiling and clasping her hand in a warm embrace. When the two looked up, they noted the shocked expression upon the faces of both Hannah and Darren, who had temporarily stopped their argument to look upon this fateful meeting.</p><p></p><p>“It appears that this commotion requires our attention.” Etona sighed. “Do not worry, I once was an Ambassador for my tribe,” Etona whispered in Elven. Switching to Common seamlessly, she called out to both Hannah and Darren “What seems to be the problem?”</p><p></p><p>It wasn’t long before Etona had reached the crux of the issue. Darren believed that Hannah had sold him a cursed farm, which had resulted in the death of three of his prized cattle. He wanted his money reimbursed and Hannah was not willing to do so. She had plans for the money, and those plans had nothing to do with Diamond Lake. Rey only half-listened as Hannah told her story. <em>I must find out what killed these cattle. It may be the same ailment that plagues my Mistress.</em></p><p></p><p>If Etona came from nobility, she gave no such illusions to Rey as she rolled up her sleeves and took out her hunting knife. She approached one of the cows, checking its mouth for a while before positioning her blade over the creature’s belly.</p><p></p><p>“Did you notice the bloating on these three cows,” she asked Rey as she cut the creature’s abdomen. Intestines poured from the wound as Rey nodded. With great precision, Etona began to open each of the cow’s stomachs in sequence, until she reached the third. With minimal effort, the opening expanded quickly and a lilac bush burst from the organ. Every stem and leaf was completely preserved as if it had not been masticated or digested. Even the unflappable Etona seemed surprised by this development.</p><p></p><p>“This should not be,” the elf simply stated. Etona turned the fully formed bush over in her hands deliberately for a while before looking at Rey. “Help me open the others.” The two women made quick work of the other two cows, and before long, they were staring at three identical lilac bushes. <em>What sorcery is this?</em></p><p></p><p>“Hannah, do lilacs like these grow on your farm,” Etona asked.</p><p></p><p>“No,” she said unconvincingly. An awkward pause followed as Hannah seemed lost in thought. “Well, there is one bush my mother planted on my father’s grave a while back.”</p><p></p><p>“Take us to it,” Rey commanded.</p><p></p><p>Nodding her head, Hannah escorted the group to the Bode family cemetery plot. There, near her father’s headstone was the very same lilac bush that had sprung from the dead cattle. After some experimentation on the part of Etona, this particular lilac plant seemed to be able to regenerate any damage it sustained. What’s more, pieces cut from this plant formed exact replicas that were able to survive for some time before disintegrating into dust. </p><p></p><p>After a brief discussion with both parties, Etona managed to convince Darren that the farm was not cursed and that he had an enchanted plant growing on his property. She suggested that he construct a fence around the graves to prevent other cows from ingesting it in the future. Darren took the elf’s recommendation and ultimately decided not to back out of the deal he had made with Hannah. The young woman was so elated by the prospect of not having to remain in Diamond Lake that she invited the elven women to the Emporium, a local tavern, for dinner and eagerly handed over her mother’s dusty journal to Rey. Hannah explained that she received the decrepit manuscript in the estate when the title was transferred over to her after her mother’s death. Etona made sure to thank Hannah for her kindness before both travelers departed the tavern, ushering Rey to a secluded glade near the edge of the town. It was obvious that the elven ambassador woman had expended what little reserves of energy she had from the haggard look upon her face.</p><p></p><p>“Rey, would you mind if I rested,” she asked.</p><p></p><p><em>She does not know me. How can she trust me with her life so easily? This is foolish. This is how they found us. This is why they are dead. My weakness. It is my fault. </em></p><p></p><p>“Of course,” Rey replied more warmly than she expected. As Etona clambered up the tree and rested between its branches, she did not notice the tear Rey wiped away from her eye. </p><p></p><p>To distract herself from the pain, Rey began to read the journal. It was bitter work, but by the time Etona roused from her trance she had made an important discovery.</p><p></p><p>“I found something,” Rey stated.</p><p></p><p>Perplexed, Etona responded. “What did you find?”</p><p></p><p>“The journal. I figured it out.”</p><p></p><p>“You read the entire journal while I meditated?” Even Etona could not restrain the awe and surprise in her voice.</p><p></p><p>“It appears that Hannah’s father, Haddock, used to frequent a tomb near the town called the Whispering Cairn. He describes cultivating lilacs from the area to bring back to his wife. But that isn’t the interesting part,” Rey said with a smile.</p><p></p><p>“The journal is over a thousand pages-”</p><p></p><p>“If I am reading this timeline correctly, both of Hannah’s parents are over 100 years old,” Rey continued. “That is a long timeline even for a half-elf such as myself. The regenerating lilac bush and the very old human couple are far too coincidental. Magic is at work here, and the Whispering Cairn has something to do with this.”</p><p></p><p>Etona nodded. “Then that is where we shall go.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SolidSnake_01, post: 7118767, member: 63254"] [U][B]Chapter 1[/B][/U] [B](“A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” -Jean de La Fontaine)[/B] The sun rose lazily over Diamond Lake, much like the inhabitants of this struggling mining town, hiding behind the Cairn Hills until its first rays peeked out blearily well after dawn. Unlike most mornings, this one would be different. On the Urnst Trial, little more than a double track of wagon ruts interrupted by a petulant grassy verge, outside the Bode Farm, a chance encounter between two nomads would change the course of destiny for a great many lives. -------------------- Rey had been studying the farm for many days now, just as she had been trained to do. She could hear her Mistress’s voice in her head: Y[I]ou are weak, and so you must hide. Like other animals, you must use your natural environment to your advantage. Stay low and stay quiet. Wait patiently for the enemy to reveal its weakness to you. Then strike swiftly and without mercy.[/I] The warrior shook her head to refocus herself. The Bode Farm had recently been sold to a wealthy rancher named Darren, he had a few other farms around the town, and it would not be long before he owned all the livestock in the area. The woman who recently sold him the farm was Hannah, a lively woman who towered over the rancher. From Rey’s distance, a thousand paces up the trail, it was difficult to make out what they were arguing about, but Rey was sure it had something to do with the three dead cows lying in the front yard of the farmhouse. Darren’s farmhands were funneling the remainder of the cattle out to pasture for their morning feeding, but the argument was not the most interesting development this morning. Rey’s attention slipped from the escalating human discussion to a figure moving along the trail ahead of her vantage point. It was a lithe elven woman who seemed oblivious to the ongoing human conflict. She hid her features well under her cloak, but Rey recognized her own ancestry. She moved gracefully around the obstacles making her way in Rey’s general direction. [I]She could not have seen me. The sun is in her eyes, and I am on elevated ground. Impossible.[/I] It was then that the young woman removed her hood and waved to Rey with a smile. [I]S**t![/I] This morning was not going as planned, and, from the look of things, it was also heating up down at the Bode farm. Darren had waved over one of his men and was sticking his finger in Hannah’s chest threateningly. Something stirred inside Rey, and she arose from the ground rather quickly. The mysterious elven woman seemed taken aback by Rey’s sudden, almost overtly obvious movement, but she too sensed that something was amiss down at the farm. “It is so good to see my brethren out here,” the elven woman said almost longingly in Elven, the words tinged with a heavy drawl from the wood elves of Celune. “I haven’t been able to speak my native tongue in quite sometime. It is such a blessing to do so, even if it is only to greet a stranger.” “I had no idea I would actually meet a real elf near this town,” Rey remarked. “My name is Etona Aspianne.” A wispy smile half-felt, half-testing spread from the chin to her sharp cheeks. “It is a pleasure to meet you Etona, my name is Rey,” the half-elf replied with her hand outstretched in a very human gesture. The diminutive elf regarded Rey’s hand for a moment before smiling and clasping her hand in a warm embrace. When the two looked up, they noted the shocked expression upon the faces of both Hannah and Darren, who had temporarily stopped their argument to look upon this fateful meeting. “It appears that this commotion requires our attention.” Etona sighed. “Do not worry, I once was an Ambassador for my tribe,” Etona whispered in Elven. Switching to Common seamlessly, she called out to both Hannah and Darren “What seems to be the problem?” It wasn’t long before Etona had reached the crux of the issue. Darren believed that Hannah had sold him a cursed farm, which had resulted in the death of three of his prized cattle. He wanted his money reimbursed and Hannah was not willing to do so. She had plans for the money, and those plans had nothing to do with Diamond Lake. Rey only half-listened as Hannah told her story. [I]I must find out what killed these cattle. It may be the same ailment that plagues my Mistress.[/I] If Etona came from nobility, she gave no such illusions to Rey as she rolled up her sleeves and took out her hunting knife. She approached one of the cows, checking its mouth for a while before positioning her blade over the creature’s belly. “Did you notice the bloating on these three cows,” she asked Rey as she cut the creature’s abdomen. Intestines poured from the wound as Rey nodded. With great precision, Etona began to open each of the cow’s stomachs in sequence, until she reached the third. With minimal effort, the opening expanded quickly and a lilac bush burst from the organ. Every stem and leaf was completely preserved as if it had not been masticated or digested. Even the unflappable Etona seemed surprised by this development. “This should not be,” the elf simply stated. Etona turned the fully formed bush over in her hands deliberately for a while before looking at Rey. “Help me open the others.” The two women made quick work of the other two cows, and before long, they were staring at three identical lilac bushes. [I]What sorcery is this?[/I] “Hannah, do lilacs like these grow on your farm,” Etona asked. “No,” she said unconvincingly. An awkward pause followed as Hannah seemed lost in thought. “Well, there is one bush my mother planted on my father’s grave a while back.” “Take us to it,” Rey commanded. Nodding her head, Hannah escorted the group to the Bode family cemetery plot. There, near her father’s headstone was the very same lilac bush that had sprung from the dead cattle. After some experimentation on the part of Etona, this particular lilac plant seemed to be able to regenerate any damage it sustained. What’s more, pieces cut from this plant formed exact replicas that were able to survive for some time before disintegrating into dust. After a brief discussion with both parties, Etona managed to convince Darren that the farm was not cursed and that he had an enchanted plant growing on his property. She suggested that he construct a fence around the graves to prevent other cows from ingesting it in the future. Darren took the elf’s recommendation and ultimately decided not to back out of the deal he had made with Hannah. The young woman was so elated by the prospect of not having to remain in Diamond Lake that she invited the elven women to the Emporium, a local tavern, for dinner and eagerly handed over her mother’s dusty journal to Rey. Hannah explained that she received the decrepit manuscript in the estate when the title was transferred over to her after her mother’s death. Etona made sure to thank Hannah for her kindness before both travelers departed the tavern, ushering Rey to a secluded glade near the edge of the town. It was obvious that the elven ambassador woman had expended what little reserves of energy she had from the haggard look upon her face. “Rey, would you mind if I rested,” she asked. [I]She does not know me. How can she trust me with her life so easily? This is foolish. This is how they found us. This is why they are dead. My weakness. It is my fault. [/I] “Of course,” Rey replied more warmly than she expected. As Etona clambered up the tree and rested between its branches, she did not notice the tear Rey wiped away from her eye. To distract herself from the pain, Rey began to read the journal. It was bitter work, but by the time Etona roused from her trance she had made an important discovery. “I found something,” Rey stated. Perplexed, Etona responded. “What did you find?” “The journal. I figured it out.” “You read the entire journal while I meditated?” Even Etona could not restrain the awe and surprise in her voice. “It appears that Hannah’s father, Haddock, used to frequent a tomb near the town called the Whispering Cairn. He describes cultivating lilacs from the area to bring back to his wife. But that isn’t the interesting part,” Rey said with a smile. “The journal is over a thousand pages-” “If I am reading this timeline correctly, both of Hannah’s parents are over 100 years old,” Rey continued. “That is a long timeline even for a half-elf such as myself. The regenerating lilac bush and the very old human couple are far too coincidental. Magic is at work here, and the Whispering Cairn has something to do with this.” Etona nodded. “Then that is where we shall go.” [/QUOTE]
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