Ch.1: "By the Fire" / Village of Ogygia

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell had her own suggestion for Akantha's purse problem, but she smiles when Hess offers to carry it. That works, too!

She says, "Here is the message I propose sending to Vivian:

Greetings to my fellow egg-sister, Vivian:

I do not believe I had the opportunity to make your acquaintance while I was dwelling in Aphrodite’s villa, but I have just completed a lovely meal of buck l’orange and tea at the table of the one who shares the name of our meal.

My two friends and I just had a run-in with that awful judge, Xarris, and I am happy to say that we prevailed and the evil man is dead. There is, however, a price upon our heads for our deed, and Uncle Buck has kindly given each of us an Orange Phoenix purse to help us get started in our new life as bounty hunters. Since we were not burned, we are NOT Orange Phoenixes, but we are honored to carry these lovely purses in memoriam of the price you and the other Phoenixes paid at the hands of Judge Xarris. I might even design an outfit specifically to complement to purse!

I suppose I should describe the three of us so that you and any other Orange Phoenix who sees us knows that we have not stolen the purses from a genuine Orange Phoenix.

My name is Kelleia Silvertide, and I am a nymph. I confess I ran away from Aphrodite’s villa, but it seems that our goddess has her eye on me nonetheless. I have long silver hair which I usually wear in a bun, blue-green eyes, and fair skin. I usually wear a Doric-style chiton of blue-purple linen with a knee-high slit and sandals, although my clothes may change. I sometimes wear vine armor.

My first companion is the Amazon warrior, Akantha. She is 6’9”, dark eyed, dark-skinned, and wears red and black body paint. She also has a bit of a rough temper, although great honor as a warrior.

My second companion is Leto the huntress. She is 5’8”, slender, and has grey eyes and long auburn hair which she wears in two braids. She wears clothes and hides made from animal skins and wears a cloak with swan feathers on it.

I look forward to making the acquaintance of you and any of the other Orange Phoenixes whose path Fate may cause us to meet.

Sincerely,
Kelleia “Kell” Silvertide

Kell looks at Akantha and Leto. "Would either of you like to add anything?"

She asks Buck, "Is there anything else you think I should add?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Buck says to Leto, "You may wish to shop a bit before you hunt this beast. My fairy friends heal for free, but they like to earn their living... not that they need much, they eat so little. The purse is a gift, of course. And it is a bit larger than your trap bag. Perhaps you can store an additional trap in this new purse of yours?"

He tells Kell, "It is a lovely introduction. I should have known a nymph can write so well. Vivian showed me her inner beauty which no burn can take away from her. I see that in you as well. Call your bird. I trust Vivian will reply within a day!"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

She nods and smiles at Buck's words. "I imagine I could. I should buy more arrows while I'm there, too." She looks back at the fairies with a grin. "Thank you for the healing."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The fairy says. "It is my pleasure to serve. My name is Midori. Call me if you need me again."

The green-haired fairy waves, then zips away through a tiny crack in the wall. Leto notices these cracks are fairly uniform in thickness, and there are square holes along the 'cracks' that are about two inches wide. These must be tunnels that are built for the fairies—possibly built by the fairies themselves. It's hard for you to tell them apart, except that they have hair of vivid colors. Seven of the girls have hair a different color of the rainbow. Three have shiny hair, like metal.

Once everyone is done eating, they are free to head down the hall. Already, a red-haired fairy and copper-haired fairy are opening a shop window. If they sell anything for fairies, that probably happens within the small spaces in the walls. Everything here is human sized. From afar, Leto can see arrows are sold here as well as traps. This shop may primarily serve hunters, though that doesn't mean her companions won't find anything of use…

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell quickly rolls up the letter and summons a local pigeon to carry it, telling it to take its direction from Buck.

"You'll have to tell it who and where to deliver the message to," she tells Buck.

Finishing her tea, she sets the cup down. Once Buck has directed the pigeon on where to go, she follows Leto down the hall to the shop.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Buck says, "You must know the Nyse Lagoon like the back of your hand. Vivian can be found there. Her face is many shades of pink, with a texture like leather. No other nymph will have this face. Also, she has taken my surname, if surnames are a must. I do not know her maiden name—oh, and I don't mean we are married or anything of the sort! After the fairies healer her, she told me if a nymph could have a brother, she would want it to be me. So…"

He faces the bird.

"…fly to Vivian L'Orange of the Orange Phœnix, located in the Nyse Lagoon!"

He tells Kelleia, "I'm not sure it works if I say it. I suggest you repeat this, and perhaps picture the Nyse Lagoon in your mind, or whatever you must do so the bird doesn't fly the wrong way and give the note to some weirdo."

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell repeats Buck's command to the bird, envisioning Nyse Lagoon and a nymph with a face many different shades of pink and skin texture like leather. Once she is satisfied that the bird has the destination, she sends it skyward.

"OK, now to the shop," she grins.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The two fairies who open up the shop introduce themselves as Ruby Redding and Copper Toppleton.

"We have cheap stuff," Ruby says.

Copper adds, "We tried finding things that you might like. Hope it's useful and affordable!"

Ammo
$1 - Arrow
$2 - Bullet

Traps
$100 - Shock Trap
$100 - Pit Trap
$111 - Wild Gravity
$300 : Rechargeable Shock Trap

Booze
$60 : Strong Sake Bottle (6 servings)
$10 : Strong Sake Serving (refill)

Food
$5 - Tough Cookie
$20 - Health Roll
$40 : Health Kit (8 supplies)
$5 : Health Supply (refill)

Body Paint
$30 - Acid Rainbow (6 applications: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)

Dress
$66 - Raven Cloak
$77 - Chiton of Enlightenment

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell squeals when she sees the Chiton of Enlightenment and asks, "Oh, what does that chiton do? In what way does it enlighten the wearer? Does it come in blue-purple?"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smiles as she browses through the shop. She has 29 arrows left, so she spends $11 to bring her total up to 40. The traps are intriguing, especially the rechargeable shock trap, but the latter is definitely beyond what she can afford right now. After some thought, she buys a Health Kit as well. The raven cloak is tempting, but her swan cloak has served her just fine thus far.

((Leto now has $67 left.))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Pleasure doing business with you!" Ruby says to Leto.

Copper answers Kell. "The chiton 'enlightens' any undesirable who touches you. Zap!" As for the color. "Oh… it's lightning enchanted, so we must have an indigo one. Let me check in back."

She zips away into a tiny hole. Within seconds, four fairies remove the sky blue chiton from the mannequin and another four clothe the mannequin. Copper asks Kell, "Is this the blue-purple you're looking for? We also have one in periwinkle. Not the color periwinkle, but the color of the actual periwinkle flower, which looks nothing like the periwinkle crayon."

Ammo
$1 - Arrow
$2 - Bullet

Traps
$100 - Shock Trap
$100 - Pit Trap
$111 - Wild Gravity
$300 : Rechargeable Shock Trap

Booze
$60 : Strong Sake Bottle (6 servings)
$10 : Strong Sake Serving (refill)

Food
$5 - Tough Cookie
$20 - Health Roll
$40 : Health Kit (8 supplies)
$5 : Health Supply (refill)

Body Paint
$30 - Acid Rainbow (6 applications: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)

Dress
$66 - Raven Cloak
$77 - Chiton of Enlightenment

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell exclaims, "Did you hear that, Leto? It's lightning-enchanted! Just the thing for breel hunting!"

Kell tells Copper, "I think either the indigo or periwinkle one will be what I'm looking for, if I may see them both, please? And how does the enchantment work, exactly? If someone were, say, trying to heal me, I should hardly want them being zapped by my chiton."

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto looks at Kell and smiles. "Looks like we'll both be prepared to fight it." Good thing she won't have to get too close to use her shock trap, or her arrows for that matter.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Ruby tells Leto, "It's no coincidence. We were getting some supplies for a breel hunt. We have a lightning cannon that can embed itself in your arm, but that's reserved for Patty Melt. It's her Orange Phoenix name. If you meet her, you'll see why.

"You might be surprised at the way some people deal with being disfigured. I'm used to it now... though with Xarris dead, I suppose there won't be any more Orange Phoenixes."

Ruby notices the traps in Leto's purse.

"Oh dear! The health kit is too big to squeeze into your purse! Shall I give you back your money, or will you have a friend hold the kit?"

((Kit takes 2 spaces. Same for the sake bottle and the expensive rechargeable trap.))


Copper replies to Kell, "I guess the lightning only zaps undesirables... so that probably depends on how undesirable. I know for mine, if someone tries to hold me--because for some reason big people--some, I mean--like to pick us up. Like, without asking permission. My chiton zaps the hand that touches me. The big person gets a little shock.

"So far, no human's tried to pound me flat. But if one did, he'd feel quite a jolt. I might get hurt, but I think the lightning will hurt him more.

"So for you, I suppose a pervert who can't keep his hands to himself gets a harmless shock, an attacker gets hurt more than you do. But you can be healed, hug a friend, and your friend won't get zapped. I'm not sure what happens if a stranger pats you on the back unexpectedly. Protective magic seems to do its own thing sometimes.

"How about you try one on?"

Four fairies enter with a periwinkle-flower-colored dress. It's brighter than the indigo one. A fifth fairy, who Leto knows as Midori, struggles to pull a lever that's twice as long as she is tall. She presses her hands against the wall and pushes with her legs. The lever drops, and so does a folded screen. The screen unfolds from ceiling to floor. Two more fold down on either side, forming a three-walled 10' X 10' room. The screens are pink, with a design that looks like a stick figure with a skirt.

Midori says to Kell, "Why not try before you buy?"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

"Oh." Leto doesn't really want to refund the healing kit, so she looks at her new friends. "Do either of you have room for a health kit in your purse? I can hold something smaller of yours if you need me to."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((Kell's purse has 3 item slots. She can hold it and still buy one small item like a health roll. Leto and Akantha can also carry a small item, so all three of you can have health rolls if you want to.))

Buck makes sure he's on the non-peeping-tom side of the changing screen, in case Kell will try on those outfits. He's used to overseeing burn victims being healed, and the fairies need his strong hands to help peel clothing from the body. Many of the Orange Phœnixes are women, and Buck's never taken advantage of them. Still… to see a nymph in the nude is overwhelming even for a man who can resist temptation.

He confesses to Kell, "I found Vivian's beauty overwhelming, even when I helped my healers keep her alive. I did nothing inappropriate, but… it's not easy to be a man around a nymph. I imagine it's not easy to be a nymph around a man either. I am not one who is easily tempted. I have even resisted siren songs, which is no easy task. But I am a man, and I have limits. If you try on the chiton, I ask you to remain behind the screen. I assure you, I will keep a respectful distance."

He doesn't mention the scent of a nymph, and how powerfully pleasant it is when a nymph removes her clothing. Averting his eyes will do nothing, but the fairies said the screen would block more than just the view. Buck hopes so—especially with an amazon in the room!

Turning to Leto, Buck says, "You were off to one of your hunts. I saw you before you entered the Tigerwood—I saw you turn back, and you wasted no time making your decision to aid Akantha. You even surprised me when you drew first blood. You could have walked away and said, 'this is not my problem.' And now, Judge Xarris will burn no one.

"No more cheap jobs for you, Huntress. And soon you will skin great beasts who are not food, but are monsters who prey on humans. The men will resist you joining their elite ranks, but you will thrive. I believe this. I want you to have a second gift." He hands Leto a sheathed blade.

((Principle Skinner—see thread of holding))

"This may be of little help in a fight, but if a monster is too close, use it regardless. And if the monster is dead, remove enough hide to wear his skins. If the hunting men see evidence you can do so much more than pluck a swan bare, they will respect you and your skills as I do."

There is pounding down the tunnel, beyond the shop, as if someone is beating a drum with a hammer.

"Ah… speaking of the men, I know that knock all too well." He starts down the hall shouting, "I'm coming, you big oaf! Kindly avoid putting your fist through the door!"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto gratefully accepts the knife Buck gives her, and smiles at his words. "I'll be honest, I didn't kill any birds to decorate this cloak. These are loose feathers I found and cleaned. But I'll gladly use this against large prey."

She looks on curiously as Buck heads down the hall to let in the unknown man. Who could that be?

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell tells Leto, "I have space to carry the healing kit in my purse. Hand it over."

Kell nods at Buck's request to remain behind the screen. Before she steps behind it, though, she asks Copper, "Oh, and do you happen to have this chiton in bright turquoise blue? I was just thinking about what would complement this lovely Orange Phoenix purse Buck and the healers gave us, and I think the turquoise might be just the ticket, if you happen to have it. I may want to add some little black and white stones like what is on the purse to adorn the neckline, but I can do that later."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Copper says, "I'm afraid you have seen all of our enlightening chitons. Oh… but we had two others. Vivian bought one, but I'm sure she bought the violet one."

She looks up, "Sapphie!"

Sapphire calls back, "WHAT! I just drew a bath! You said—"

"Never mind what I said! Did Vivi buy Shrinking Violet or Aqua Scrunchy?"

"Who comes up with all these stupid names? Clothes shouldn't have names!"

"Never mind that!"

"Okay…"

Kell and Leto can see a light moving along a crack too narrow for a fairy to fit through. Drops of water trickle down from the glow, one by one.

Sapphire calls out, "The scrunchy's the turquoise one?"

"Yeah." Copper gives Kell an apologetic look. "Sorry, I guess we sold—"

"No, Coppie, we still have it. I'll be right down."

Kell notices a glow behind the changing screen.

"Hey," Sapphire says from behind the screen, "where's the nymph?"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell calls, "I'm right here, Sapphire. Still waiting for Leto to hand over the healing kit she just bought. If you're strong enough to hand me the healing kit when Leto is ready, though, I could come behind the screen now."