Faylin rides her horse while Aleena is in the lead, and Lyrian follows behind. Strutting of horses necks bob back and forth as they run smooth through a mix of biomes. The dirt trail heads into a dense forest filled with oak trees, large thick and green leaves in the treetops and vines growing along the bark. Willow trees with moss are in the middle of small ponds and swamps. Ground changing from grass to a thick mudded texture as the hoofs of their horses splash through. Moisture and swamp is filled with murk, lily pads. Dragonflies flutter around the marsh, and in Lyrian's face who is struggling to swat them away. The trees get shorter, thicker, and more gnarled, with willows growing.
Aleena looks at a map as their horses go by, their hoofs now clicking on the hard rock and soil.
The trio reach the village of Mosswick, and it has a few cabins standing on platforms over a river. Other cabins stands on higher dry ground. Disorganizing roads are made by wooden platforms with huts and rowboats. People are fishing off of docks.
Faylin scans around. A boat sails across the waters. There are fishermen on the shores with a bucket and rod in their hand.
"Should we ask about the mage, again?" Faylin says and she hops off her horse and Lyrian follows.
"No, let us ask about flightless dragons. People should know more about that then any mage around here." Aleena responds and pets Snowdrop's hair.
Lyrian points to a blacksmith shop, with smoke billowing from a furnace, and the sounds of hammering on iron. "Look Faylin, there's your people," he chuckles.
"Oh hush it," Faylin teases, smiling at him and patting him on the back.
Aleena sighs and continues to walk past the two.
A black haired man in an apron hammers away. He looks over to the three. His muscles are strong, showing through his thin white shirt. He wipes his sweaty and dirty forehead. The man approaches them, "what business do you have in the forge, travelers?"
"Any good mines around here?" Lyrian asks.
"Of course, it's quite wet though." The man chuckles.
"How wet?" Faylin asks.
"Pretty wet. Muddy and you have to be careful of mud slides, or dig to far and you'll hit a water socket in the rock, it'll spray mud all over you," he chuckles. "There is iron all around here," he points out to some trees in the background and the hills and mountains around. "The most valuable in the mines is gallium." The man hammers at another sword.
"Gallium?" Aleena asks.
"Gallium? The magical ore?" Faylin asks.
"Yes, a softer and light material, and the water around here in the rock should keep it cool," the smith explains.
"I know, the material has magic properties to help me make the best blacksmith tools, why didn't I ever look here," she laughs and smacks herself in the face, "that would be so much more convenient. Is there a carriage we can buy to haul ore?"
"You might be able to buy one from Osney. He should be fishing outside around this time."
Aleena nods, "thank you, one more question. Have you seen anything around here that resembles a giant lizard? They're called dinosaurs." Aleena explains. She puts a hand on her hip and gazes into the distance, waiting for his reply.
"Very much so, there's a lot of them all around here. And one comes near the village from time to time. One with a fin as large as a sail on it's back." the man chuckles. "No one knows where they came from."
"I guess we're in the right place," Faylin comments. She takes in a breath, happy they're not going the wrong way for once. She sighs with relief.
"It's a carnivorous animal so it comes out to the village and snags up pigs or chickens. Sometimes people, it doesn't have many natural predators. Just don't be too loud and obnoxious and we won't anger it. Our rangers always scout around and keep a watch," he continues, and the man goes back to his work and the group leave.
Lyrian flips through the pages of the book they found at Limerock. "It's semi-aquatic," Lyrian points to a picture, "but there. It's most likely a Spinosaurus. It's carnivorous and like the other carnivores, they're aggressive hunters with large and very powerful jaws. This one's dangerous. And that makes it our top priority to find and kill. Even if we find the necromancer or gallium first, I say we focus on this. This one is large and dangerous."
The blacksmith adds, "not only that, it's also eating our fish. This thing has to have more then a hundred stomachs, so all our meat supplies are dwindling."
Aleena glares, "isn't that a good thing?"
"Humans aren't vegetarians little girl," the blacksmith lectures.
"Enough with personal ideals, this beast is close. This is perfect," Faylin exclaims. "Let's go hunt this beast down."
"Don't forget that this thing can eat us Fay," Lyrian replies. Faylin gives him a worried smile, trying not to fear for his safety.
"I'm here to do a job," Aleena says to Faylin, and walks ahead.
"Maybe we'll get some coin for killing it. And then we can still look into these other issues," Lyrian replies.
Faylin thinks of Serrill, and she gazes at Lyrian and his caring eyes, and Aleena who's always stern and ready to get her job done.
"We can make it, I know it. And we'll get our mine and ore," Lyrian gives Faylin an excited smile. "Let's hurry," he commands.
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Faylin walks into the local carpenter shop to buy the carriage from the man.
"You're telling me you want a carriage? Right now?" he says. Faylin walks to a counter and the old man looks confused.
"Yeah. To haul ore. Do you have one?"
"For ore?" He questions. The man is wearing overalls, he is short with grey hair and has a pipe in his mouth.
"Yep," she says and smiles to the man.
"I guess I could get you one. It'll cost one hundred and fifty gold pieces," he responds. He pulls the pipe from his mouth and puts it on the desk, leaning forward.
"Is there a cheaper price we can settle on?" she begs. Faylin gives an innocent look to him. He smiles and shakes his head.
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"I'm afraid not, miss," he responds and puts the pipe back in his mouth.
Faylin puts a sack of gold on the desk, "it's all I have. Will you take a hundred?" The man smiles and counts the money.
"I can make your order now but it'll be at least three days until the wood dries," he says to her, placing the coins in a bag and stashing them under the desk. "But feel free to visit and see the process and I'm happy to do it for a young girl like you. Can you pay the other fifty later?"
Faylin feels relief all along her chest, finally relaxing. "Yes, I can. Thank you, sir," she replies. "I'm going to need it, so the minute it's ready, please let me know."
"Okay miss," he smiles. "I'll be expecting the other fifty once you pick it up."
She heads off with the others, they are waiting at a table in a tavern and Faylin approaches.
"It'll take three days, sorry," Faylin says. "I suggest we find the Spinosaur. We are dead broke and need money quickly. I have to pay him the rest once we pick it up."
"It'll be fine." Aleena responds, looking to the side at the window. "I saw some tracks and we should follow them. It'll lead to the beast," Aleena explains.
"Sounds good to me," Faylin agrees.
"Let's get hunting," Lyrian smiles. They all get up and Faylin and Lyrian follow Aleena expecting her to do what she's best at.
They head to the forest floor, following the tracks. They are in a bog, where there is a lot of mud and murky waters, with tall grass along the dirt. Flowers and mushrooms are growing all around. Cattails swish along, hearing plops in the water from frogs.
Aleena points to the cratered ground, "look, the tracks."
"That's huge!" Lyrian gulps. They continue to follow. Willows are dense as they brush away the vines, and the sun is high, reaching noon.
"There's a lot of trees," Faylin notices and they walk deeper into the forest. Faylin and Aleena hop onto a fallen log to cross a small shallow river and Faylin turns to Lyrian falling behind. "You coming, slow poke?"
Lyrian jumps and lands on the slippery log. His foot slips and he falls in. He gasps for air and Faylin grabs him. She pulls him up and the two laugh, "thanks Fay." Faylin gives him a friendly pat and Aleena shakes her head at the two messing around. But a small smile draws on her face as they catch up with her. Aleena feels a hint of joy seeing them happy despite the dangerous swamp.
Aleena is walking along the logs when she hears a howl of a wolf in the far distance. Then barking, echoing noise reaching her long twitching ear as she stops to listen carefully. Yet the barking was not dry.
"Better be careful," Lyrian says, "if the spinosaur doesn't catch us, a pack of wolves might."
Aleena hops off the log, splashing a puddle, "yeah, maybe large fish-wolves?"
"Fish wolves?" Faylin questions her sarcasm.
"That barking was not dry and raspy. It was smooth like a whale. That's not a wolf."
"The spinosaur?" Lyrian questions.
Aleena furrows her brows with worry, completely disoriented at what it could be, "all I know is that it wasn't a wolf." Trouble stews up in her chest at not being able to know her animals anymore. She is confused more than ever, but at least focuses on what she does know. Aleena continues on with the others behind her.
A small clearing is where they land, balancing along the logs, and mud is thick. Aleena jumps off the log and her feet squish into the mud, knee high. "Right about now is when I wish I didn't have sandals. Gross," she groans, pulling a leg from the mud.
Lyrian and Faylin pull themselves from the mud and look to the center of the swamp, a small patch of land and a large egg sits on top. Aleena looks at Lyrian, "stay back, and no magic. It's not here but we need to be stealthy."
Faylin stays behind and Aleena takes big steps in the thick mud to get to the egg, it is about half the size of Aleena.
"What is that?" Faylin asks.
"That's the egg of a spinosaurus, it has to be," Lyrian says.
Aleena is halfway through the clearing of thick mud as it gets deeper up to her waist, struggling to sway her legs through it. She sinks, and fast, "oh gods! Help!" Aleena plunges head under the mud.
Faylin and Lyrian panic. "Aleena!"
Lyrian stomps his foot on the ground and platforms Aleena above the mud's surface. Splashing out, she is sent flying as she screams. Aleena lands with a roll on the island ground and the group laughs.
"That was too close," she says, shaking from her near-death experience.
Aleena gets up, covered in mud and sludge. "Gross!" she comments and pulls mud from her face and hair. She wipes off the rest of her body.
"Hey, at least I got you out," Lyrian chuckles. He smiles to her with a smirk and she glares at him.
"You were screaming," Faylin laughs, and Aleena gives her an unamused look.
"Ugh when you guys get over here, you're getting a face full!" Aleena threatens and they laugh. "Seriously be quiet! The spinosaur could be listening."
The two continue on together, holding hands to get the island. They manage to reach it and mud covers their waists.
Aleena shivers as she wipes more mud from her hair, "ugh, this stuff's gross." Aleena looks to the egg and back to the two.
"We should destroy it. The less eggs the better. If there are a lot of spinosaurus, the worse it gets," Faylin says to the two. Aleena nods and Faylin raises her hammer.
"Whoa whoa whoa, what are you doing?" Lyrian says.
"Getting rid of the problem," she says to him.
"If we kill an egg, the mother will get angry. I say we leave the egg alone for now."
"Lyrian, that's what we want. To draw it out," Faylin says.
"But that'll-," Lyrian gets interrupted.
"Lyrian. We're going to do it, okay?" Aleena assures. Faylin nods in agreement.
"I think we should stop and think before we do this," Lyrian says. Aleena and Faylin shake their heads in disagreement.
Faylin raises her hammer and smashes the egg, splashing a large glob of yoke onto Aleena straight in the face.
"Gods Faylin!" Aleena screams and wipes the yoke from her face.
Faylin and Lyrian chuckle and Aleena glares to the two, "oh you two are so in for it." She wipes more from her stringy face.
Lyrian laughs and Faylin helps her rub some of her face with her thumb. "It's just a joke," she assures her. "We're sorry, really. I didn't mean it. I didn't know it would explode like that. Laugh at yourself once and a while. You don't always have to be so serious all the time you know?" She gives her a warm smile with an arm over her shoulder.
Aleena groans, and wipes more from her eyes and hair. She growls over her gritting teeth and pushes the two off the island and straight into lake of mud.
"Hey!" they scream and Aleena giggles to herself with chaos in her eyes.
Faylin merges from the mud and gasps for air, "what the hell!" she screams to Aleena.
"Serves you right," Aleena laughs. "Come on, laugh at yourself once and a while."
Faylin crawls back onto the island, spitting up mud and wiping it from her face.
Aleena watches her struggle, "that's funny. Now you look like a monster. You're welcome." She chuckles and grins, watching her.
"Ugh, gross," Faylin complains. She wipes more from her face. Faylin looks behind her and realizes Lyrian is no where to be found. "Where's Lyrian?" She asks. The two look around in panic. "Lyrian!" Faylin screams.
The two get back into the mud looking but there's no way to locate except for feeling around.
Aleena sinks to her waist where Lyrian fell, "right here, sink hole." Aleena reaches her arm down deep into the mud but there is no sign.
"I'm going in after him," Faylin says and takes a deep breath, submerging her body deep into the mud. Faylin goes down deep and tries to feel around and Aleena tries to feel for Faylin so she doesn't lose her.
Faylin grabs onto something soft and pulls, trying to swim up from the mud. Lyrian emerges using the earth to lift himself and everyone else up back into the island in the center. Faylin and Aleena feel the hard rock form beneath them.
Lyrian coughs and chocks up mud from his mouth and lungs, gasping for air.
"Thanks Lyrian," Faylin says, still covered in mud. Faylin helps him to his feet and he is still coughing up mud, gagging.
Aleena plops to the ground and sits along the bottom of the lone willow tree with guilt in her eyes, "Alright, no more. That wasn't funny. I'm so sorry. You could have died."
"Aleena it's fine, we probably deserved it," Lyrian chuckles. "Don't feel bad. I'm okay."
Faylin sighs, "Lyrian I thought you were dead."
Aleena balls up on against the willow tree. "I feel like an idiot," she closes her eyes, "sorry."
"Aleena, mud is earth. I'm an earth mage, a geomancer. I just fell too deep is all, and I could barely move. But I can get myself out," Lyrian explains to her. "It was my fault for not being fast enough with my magic," he chuckles.
"Don't say that, no more mud," Aleena says. "I'm starting to miss the forest. Clean, and fresh forest. Not swamp." She leans against the tree.
"I think I have more globs in my hair." Aleena tries to pull more from her hair and the two giggle at the attempt. Aleena's eyebrows furrow and she glares to the two. "Oh shut it," she groans.
The two laugh and look to the swamp to take a moment.
"Aleena it'll be alright. Once we find the perp behind these dinosaurs, the forest will be safe again, and that's what matters." Lyrian smiles and tilts his head to Aleena, "I promise."
"Thank you, Lyrian," Aleena smiles but is short lived as Aleena's eyes shift to the distance, her long ears perk and her green eyes shift in focus.
A sloshing large scaly creature with a spiny sail on it's back and a long snout stands on the other side of the mud lake. It tilts it's head, hissing with a slow rotating quack and mouth closed.
"That's a big crocodile bird," Lyrian comments.
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XD!
image [https://i.imgur.com/2HIN9A6.png]