7 | Mistvall

“What Luck I have! I still can’t believe you guys are heading to Mistvall. I was trying to make it there myself, though it seems I went too far south. Of course, my fortune hasn’t let me down, always guiding me down the right path!” Laharis proclaimed, excitedly leaning forward on Nito’s back.

“Hey! Stop moving so much, or do you want me to drop you?” Nito snapped, continuing to march through the marshy grasses despite his threat.

“If you register with the explorer guild, they’ll give you a map, you know. That way you won’t get as lost,” Rivana said to Laharis, dashing alongside them. “Also, didn’t you say you were just wandering around with no destination?”

“I’ve just got other goals in life than exploring as far as I can into the Everwood. So, I don’t plan on registering myself with anyone. What about you guys? What’s the point of your journey, there must be some motivation. Did you leave Throne because you’ve got nothing left there, Nito? Rivana just looks like she doesn't have anything better to do,” He said, dodging her question.

“That’s not true! I’ve always dreamt of being an explorer listening to Father's stories night after night. I want to discover everything that exists outside the walls of my world,” she responded with a whimsical look in her eyes.

“I didn’t exactly come here by choice, though you’re not wrong in saying I have nothing left in Throne. I think I decided to stay here to figure out what I actually want out of life…” Nito answered him with a slightly pained expression. “And you? What are your other goals?”

“Yeah, if you think mine is stupid, tell us what your great goals are Laris.”

“It’s Laharis dammit! My goal is… I’m trying to cure someone.”

“Is your poison really that bad?” Nito asked.

“Not me, it’s my wife that I need to heal. She’s been homebound by an incurable illness since she was young, at least all the medical experts say it’s incurable. But I don’t buy that shit! There’s got to be some cure out there,” He said with determination, gazing off to the northeast. “That’s why I’m trying to find Mistvall. I heard a rumor that you can get some divine nectar there that has powerful healing properties.”

“She can’t even leave her house? I thought barely ever leaving my city was bad, but that… Well, we can help you look for that nectar if you want, right Nito?”

“Oh, Rivana, my sweet! You are too kind, but first, we need to get to Mistvall. So Nito, my steed, full speed ahead! Hey, why are you slowing down?”

“It's already been more than a day since we left that monument. If your poison isn’t that bad, surely you can walk on your own now!” Nito barked at Laharis in annoyance.

“Absolutely not, I have to focus all my attention on stopping the poison or I’ll- Ow! I can feel it eating me from the inside! I might not be able to- Woah, there it is!” His dramatizing was put on pause as an expansive forest peeked over the horizon.

The soggy, sedge-covered landscape they were traversing through began to slope upward in the distance. It rose until it leveled into highlands several leagues away covered in dense woods. From behind a barrier of trees blanketed in fog, what appeared to be a massive stone wall ascended into the sky.

“Incredible... That's taller than the Hyburn city walls. Is that Mistvall?” Nito muttered in amazement.

“Wow, I knew following you was the right choice! Come on, if we hurry, we should be able to reach it by the evening.” Rivana shouted before eagerly picking up speed.

“Wait, slow down! I can’t move that fast with this deadweight on my back.”

◈◈◈

“If I wasn’t fighting off this poison, I could blow a hole in this damn wall,” Laharis grumbled from Nito’s back.

The group raced along the outside of the wall surrounding Mistvall that they had first seen earlier that day. As they ran between the darkwood trees, each of them scanned every inch of stone that came into view, hoping to find an entrance. Just as their impatience was boiling over, a murmur drifted from an unknown source.

“Do you guys hear that? I think voices are coming from up ahead,” Rivana called back while pushing through the thick fog.

“Man, I can’t wait for the blooming festival, I already bought a new blossom gown and everything.” A disembodied voice floated through the air.

“Right? I’m ready to stuff my face with all the-”

“Hello! Is there a gate here? Guards?” Rivana yelled.

“Halt! Who goes there?” One of the voices ordered in alarm.

The trio did as told and stopped in an area where trees had been cut down for a path. Two armored guards stepped towards them, one of them raised a hand and sent out a pulse of ethereal energy to clear the mist. A towering gated archway was revealed in the wall behind their silver-plated shoulders.

“Finally, we found a gate! Dear guards, would you be so kind as to open the gate for us weary travelers?” Laharis asked them feigning politeness.

“Oh, it’s just more travelers. Yeah, come on through. Open the gate!” The female guard yelled through the bars. At her command, the gate quickly clanked open. “Alright, you may pass through. Enjoy your stay in Mistvall, and remember, what nature provides is for all to share,” she recited the practiced greeting monotonously.

“Excuse me, miss guard, but could you tell me where the Explorer Guild branch is?” Nito asked before going through the wall.

“Explorer Guild let’s see… You go straight then take the second left. After that, make the first right, then it will be on your left,” She said, using her hands to indicate each turn.

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“Great, now let’s go! I want to see the inside,” Rivana impatiently rushed through.

With the wall behind them, a portion of the city came clearly into view. The cobbled street they entered seemed to be a main road that snaked all the way towards the city’s center. On either side, mossy stone buildings with darkwood accents cropped up, some reaching three to four stories high. Vines crept up the sides of many buildings, and greenery grew between them from patches of soil, popping up through the cracks in the cobble. It was like an ancient city that nature had crawled back into. But this place was fully populated with citizens and travelers alike. Locals bustled along in plant fiber gowns and tunics, while those who seemed like visitors wandered about clad in multicolored cloaks and leathers.

Despite all the fresh sights, by far the most eye-catching one was what loomed over the moss-covered rooftops. A gigantic pink and purple speckled flower bud held up by a thick blue stem sprouted up from somewhere further into the city, dwarfing all other structures.

“It’s real… The giant orchid that grows at the city’s center. I can feel how dense the etherea around it is from here,” Rivana voiced her thoughts in wonderment.

“I wonder what it looks like once it blooms... Well, let’s stop gawking and get to the Explorer Guild. Left, right, left,” Nito said marching forward.

“Why are you wanting to go to the Explorer Guild? Shouldn’t you go buy me an anti-poison first?” Laharis questioned.

“I’ve got no Jen to buy anything with. I need to get my explorer compass from the Guild, and we should be able to board there tonight too. Left, right, left,” Nito responded.

“If you don’t have money, how do you expect to stay anywhere but the streets?” Laharis said, fearing for the sack of Jen in his pocket. But he got no answer.

The three weaved their way through the market-goers and down the cobbles, following the guard’s directions. As they made the final turn, they were met with a street lined by forges and trinket shops waiting to drink the coin of intrepid explorers. Amongst them, on the left-hand side towered an ornate, multi-floored building with a grand Explorer Guild sign hanging high above the doors.

“Now this is the real deal! Not like that shabby place Devrik was running,” Nito proclaimed as he walked up to the double doors. Without hesitation, he pulled them open and stepped in.

Entering the Guild, a far more elaborate version of the Garden’s Gate branch guild spread out before them. Floating yellow orbs brightly lit the hall, illuminating the intricately carved wooden pillars that supported the lofty ceiling. Smooth stone walls were inset with shelves displaying bottles of liquid, pieces of clothing, jewelry, and various other items. A crimson hooded figure and a group of three other customers were browsing the selections when the team walked in. They went up to the counter at the room’s center and were greeted by the attendant.

“Welcome to the Mistvall Explorer Guild branch. My name is Gin, how may I assist you all today?” The man asked, sizing them up through his narrow eyes.

“I’m here to get my explorer compass,” Nito stated.

“Oh, would you like to register as an explorer? What might your name be?”

“Ah no, I’ve already registered back in Garden’s Gate. But they were out of compasses when I did, so I’ve come here to get one,” Nito corrected.

“The compasses are quite expensive to produce, so you’ll have to pay to replace it if you lost the free one. I’m sorry but, unless you have some proof of your claim that you never received one, you’re going to have to buy one,” Gin’s eyes cast an obviously forced look of sympathy on him.

“What?! Uhh, maybe Devrik gave me something in with the bag… Rivana, would you mind seeing if there’s some kind of note in my bag?”

“Sure,” she pulled the sack out and rummaged through it. After a moment, she pulled out a piece of parchment, “Maybe this?” She placed it on the counter.

Gin picked it up with two fingers and unfolded it. Glancing it over once, he nodded, “Very well, it appears what you say is true. Though, if I find this seal to be forged, I will not hesitate to alert the authorities,” He smiled, stowing the paper under the counter and pulling out a small brown box like the one Rivana used in the village.

He handed it to Nito, ”Here you are. This is the explorer compass, an extremely nifty tool for anyone journeying about the Everwood. If you simply flip it open, the needle will lock on to areas of highly concentrated etherea up to several leagues away. Provided you power it with your ethereal energy, it can also translate Grael, Sarthi, and Shad all into Ophonic for you, and we are working on support for smaller languages. In addition, powering it allows you to communicate over long distances with those who also have a compass, as long as you’ve linked with theirs. But your partner here seems to be registered with us, perhaps she can show you how things work later,” He gestured to Rivana.

“Communicate? Like talk with it?” Nito gazed at the compass in his hand, skeptical as to how the tiny thing could do so much.

“It really is amazing! I could be standing on the street over, and when I talk into mine, my voice will come through yours. It runs on ethereal energy, but I’ve got no idea how it works exactly. How do you do it?” Rivana asked.

“If we reveal our secrets, we wouldn’t be much of a business, right?” Gin responded. “Now, valued customers, is that all you require? Have you perhaps collected any new log entries you’d like to submit?”

“We can turn in log entries?” Nito questioned.

“Of course! The explorer log is created thanks to explorers like you collecting information in the field and submitting it to us. The Guild gathers and confirms the information, then we publish a new log every star-cycle, though you have to pay for updated ones. We reward you monetarily based on the danger level of the organism discovered,” Gin explained.

Seeing the still puzzled look on their faces he went on, “As you should know, all flora and fauna can be ranked with a danger level. This scale ranges from zero to ten stars and is broken down into four categories. From zero to two stars a plant or creature is given the threat level Elfin, from three two five stars life forms are marked Gorgon, six to eight stars is Indra, and nine to ten is Monarch. Explorers assign these levels based on their experience, and sadly few ever survive an encounter with an Indra level creature. Even the existence of Monarchs, who could bring the human race to its knees, is uncertain. As such, the data on these two categories is severely lacking.”

After waiting for a breath, Gin continued, “Since it seems you don’t have any entries for me to collect, is there anything else you want to know? You all are first-timers to this city, surely there must be some things you are curious about.”

“Oh, there is one thing. Explorer Guild man, can you tell me about Divine Nectar?” Laharis suddenly questioned from Nito’s back. As his voice fell, The eyes of everyone else in the guildhall instantly locked onto them, and Gin cracked a smile.

____

Explorer Log:

Gigora

Danger Level - [Gorgon] ★★★

Appearance - A large amphibious quadruped; adults are typically 6 nanoleagues in length and 3 nanoleagues in height; they have dark-brown smooth skin and are extremely muscly; the females have a jagged green stripe pattern across their body; their front legs are larger than their hind legs and both have thick claws on them; they have a spiny dorsal fin-like structure that runs down their back and tail; their head is spade-shaped with two blue eyes under the bony brow ridges; their mouth is lined with serrated teeth

Behavior - Omnivores, they are at the peak of the Fens food chain, eating both the meat of smaller creatures and leafy plants like palofons; their serrated teeth help rip apart the meat as they chomp up and down, but while eating plants their jaw moves back and forth to shred the soft leaves; after they lay eggs, the females hunt food for their young while the males leave to find new mates, this is thought to occur due to the much smaller population of males; the eggs females lay are greenish-white and spherical, about 0.5 nanoleagues in diameter with brown specks; they often burrow into the marshland using their claws and head, laying there to keep warm or cool depending on the season

Habitat - Faron Fens