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pandoricpies · 3 years

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A Mentor’s Betrayal

“You’re sure this is safe?” Catherine asked once again, nervously fidgeting with her horse’s mane. The usual thirty minute ride from Valedale to Guardian’s Dale seemed to drag on endlessly, her worry increasing with it.

She should trust him. He was her mentor, the one Fripp had entrusted with her magical upbringing. However, he had let her down before- pushed her too far. Who’s to say this ‘harmless experiment’ as the young man called it would turn out any different?

“Yes Catherine, for the hundredth time I’m sure.” Evergray responded gruffly, his tone bittingly bitter. He never liked her questioning his methods or authority. It reminded her of Fripp.

“We’re here. Dismount and lead him in here.” The man ordered shortly, dismounting his own North Swedish draft. He tied the horse up to a wooden post inside the rocky cove that the two were now in. Catherine dismounted after him, giving Nemo some soft pats and a kiss on the nose.

“Don’t worry sweet boy. Evergray just wants to test out some new magic he’s found out about.” The girl smiled as her horse nibbled at her fingers.

“We don’t have all day.” Evergray yelled back at them, already making his way through the tree covered path. Catherine hastily followed, Nemo taking the rear.

The short path to the cavern was shrouded in purple mist, the trees so low that both horse and human had to duck to avoid getting slapped in the face by a branch. Catherine missed a few large tree limbs by inches, being left to pick the green leaves out of her hair.

A battle with the trees later, the trio finally emerged into the large cave. A chill floated through the area, goosebumps rising on Catherine’s arm. She wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the nerves.

“Here’s how this is going to work. You and Nemo will stand next to that big broken statue.”Evergray pointed to a large stone figure of what appeared to be a horse, although the top half of it had been broken off. Catherine could only imagine what powerful force had damaged it so severely.

“Then, once you’re in position, I’ll start the enchantment.” He explained, opening an old book that he had pulled from his saddlebag and flipping through the pages.

Catherine swallowed hard, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Manifesting magic was one thing- having it directed at you was entirely another.

“Well?” Evergray looked up from the book, eyeing her with raised eyebrows.

“I-I don’t know about this Evergray. Couldn’t we test it on some sort of non-living object first?” She asked nervously, pulling her horse’s head up to her chest for comfort. She couldn’t risk something happening to her best friend. The man let out a long dramatic sigh. He was getting impatient.

“Look Catherine. I told you this is going to finally give you control over your magic. That is what you want, isn’t it? Wouldn’t want another Eva and Starshine incident.” Evergray responded, his green eyes piercing her blue ones. She was on the brink of tears. He never let her forget that mistake.

“More than anything.” Catherine nodded weakly, Eva’s pained screams and Starshine’s frantic whinnies piercing through her mind.

She could never let herself do something like that again- no matter the cost.

“Ok. Let’s do it.” She nodded, determination filling her as she made her way up to the stone platform, Nemo tagging along.

Evergray wouldn’t hurt them.

Horse and rider reached the statue, the two turning to face Evergray, his head back in the book. Catherine reached over and placed a hand on her horse’s back.

“You’re sure about this?” Nemo asked, tense under her touch. Catherine turned to him, a half-smile appearing on her face. She wasn’t sure at all.

“I need you to think about your bond with Nemo. Picture Aideen’s light flowing cohesively between you two. Think about your role as Aideen Reborn, as the Chosen One- how much the island is depending on you.” He spoke, placing the open book in his left hand, right arm outstretched towards the girl and her horse.

Catherine closed her eyes, doing as Evergray told. A warmness crept inside her as she did so. Nemo was everything to her- her soul horse.

Evergray began to chant foreign words. The girl supposed they were from some old Druidic language. She felt nothing yet; no change, no difference. A strange calm washed over her as she stood, waiting for whatever was going to occur.

This calm didn’t last. Suddenly, a raging heat filled the girl. She screamed in pain, dropping to her knees. It felt as if a giant hand had reached down her throat, and was trying to pull the life out of her.

“Evergray stop! Please!” She cried out, her body going limp. Then a terrible feeling hit her, like her very heart was being ripped in two. She heard a frantic whinny, a sudden blast....

Then everything stilled.

Still weak, she attempted to look next to her. Catherine needed to make sure Nemo was ok. Her heart dropped.

Nemo wasn’t there.

“Nemo!” She yelled, tears pouring down her face. She felt lost, like her place in the world was no longer there. A part of her very being had been stolen from her.

Her horse, her Nemo was gone.

“No, no, no...” She repeated over and over, hugging herself around the stomach and sobbing. She felt so empty.

“Catherine!” A familiar voice called out, like a ray of sunshine amidst the dark uncertainty.

“He’s gone, Eli. He’s really gone.” She hiccuped, her friend kneeling in front of her and hugging her tightly.

“Are you ok?” The girl’s soft green eyes scanned her friend, looking for any signs of damage.

“No. Nemo’s gone.” Catherine shook her head, putting her face in her hands.

“That was supposed to work. Why-“ The man had been knocked back on his feet, and was just beginning to regain his balance. His voice filled Catherine with and unnerving rage- unnatural rage. All she could think about was attacking him. He had taken Nemo from her.

“What the hell Evergray?” Elizabeth turned to the man, her voice filled with disgust.

“I don’t understand why-“

“We don’t test unknown magic on innocent lives!” Elizabeth seethed, stepping in front of Catherine protectively.

Evergray made a motion to step forward, but Elizabeth stopped this by placing a hand out in front of herself.

“Elizabeth, I-“

“Stay back. I mean it.” The girl threatened, turning back to look at Catherine. She was shaking with sobs, her black hair falling around her shoulders in a knotted mess.

“The healers will be here soon.” Elizabeth kneeled once again, giving her friend a comforting smile.

Why? Why had she trusted him? Why hadn’t she said no?

“How could you....” She whispered, hurt filling her voice.

Her very own mentor had betrayed her.

#star stable #sso #star stable online #because I wanted to add more dialogue to this scene #catherine moorland #evergray #elizabeth sunbeam #this is rushed but whatever

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stelladarkdaughter · 5 years

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Thoughts and feelings about the new quests

I’ve seen so many opinions and theories that I decided to share what I think!

I was really awaiting these quests, and I am not disappointed in SSO! They did an amazing job, it was full of emotions, and finally some real action happened.

The first thing that got me very curious was what Evergray and Elizabeth said about Catherine, and the trials she had to go through (possibly those trials await us too?). Catherine didn’t survive the trials, and the plot thickens when we realize that she is possibly Justin’s deceased mother!

The other thing that interests me is that this is the first time we hear about the trials. Nobody told us before that there’s a possibly deadly trial we have to go through later, we were just dragged into the whole druid adventure. Plus, when Evergray blabbed about the trials, Elizabeth tried to sush him- meaning, we probably wouldn’t even know about them, and they possibly don’t even want us to know what those trials are. For a moment, I started to question our importance in the druid’s mission, we get treated more of an object than a human being, a lot.

Anyways, off to Pandoria!

The scene where we got to ride with the Soul Riders was amazing. A lot of times it felt like we weren’t included with the other girls and it was always the same ‘well we’re off, see you there!’ pattern, then they teleported away, and we had to ride there all by ourselves. Getting to ride along Linda, Lisa and Alex was fantastic, and we definitely need more scenes like that!

Little Concorde saving Anne was so heartwarming. I was screaming internally the whole quest and when I saw Anne I was smiling so hard. (because of Anne, and because gosh, I’m more attached to SSO than I thought) Her dialogues also gave some clues about how the story will continue perhaps. She mentioned she wanted revenge, so I see a pretty high possibility for sneaking to Dark Core and causing massive destruction.

Also, when she saw Concorde, her reaction was ‘You’re not my Concorde’. Does that mean that maybe she’s going to have difficulties with bonding with the foal? Or maybe she won’t even want anything to do with the little Concorde? I’m curious to see how their relationship will develop.

And one of my FAVOURITE part of the quests! Finally, some action! It felt like a real boss fight, and my God, do we need more of these! It was exciting, hard enough (at least for me, I failed a couple of times lol), and challenging! Also it was nice to see how the story quests also build on other quests too, and how past quests have an impact on the present. One thing I pitied that we were just like a puppet running around, I really want to use my Soul Rider powers, and I’d love to perform lightning strikes on enemies!

... then suddenly it got depressing.

Elizabeth’s death caught me off guard, and I was... shocked. Frozen. Numb. It was so... radical from SSO. They never killed off anyone before, and suddenly everything got more serious (it was time for that, in my opinion!), actions have real consequences, even irreversible ones, like Elizabeth’s death. As it is written in our journal, ‘she made the ultimate sacrifice’.

I especially loved the piano soundtrack and the dark, gloomy atmosphere- it represented the druids state very precisely. We couldn’t see, and everything was so... dark, hard to see, and lost. Just like how we really are after losing Elizabeth, our leader.

I couldn’t help but just wander around a bit. The music and the surroundings were hauntingly beautiful, and it really made me feel like we’re stuck. There’s nothing forwards.

The dialogue with Alex broke my heart. She just sat there accepting her fate: death. She didn’t want to go home. Suddenly, she has this huge burden on herself, that she’s at fault about Elizabeth’s death. If she didn’t stop and fight with Darko... It’s heartbreaking to see how Alex blames herself. and it literally broke my heart into millions of pieces.

We eventually find our way home with the guidance of Lisa’s voice, and the quests end with everyone sitting at the bonfire.

When I finished the quests, my only question was: What now?. Since the beginning, we worked on getting back the Soul Riders together, after Linda and Lisa we focused on saving Anne. Nothing else. So, now that we saved Anne, what’s the next step...?

I’m so ready to continue the adventure. I’m also curious about Anne, so I’m really awaiting some quests and lore with her!

#sso spoiler #star stable online

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centeris2 · 6 years

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A new Ydris, a new Circus, a new mystery that Rebecca does not appreciate.

(6/6/18 update fic) (follows/connected to An Exercise in Perception)

Help with a horse wandering around was nothing new to Rebecca, with the number of horses on Jorvik it was natural to have a few wandering loose every day. Usually people knew their horse was missing though, so when Maya said she didn’t recognize the horse it made Rebecca curious. With all the stables Maya worked at it seemed impossible for her to not know every horse on the island.

A beautifully colored North Swedish mare greeted Rebecca and Midnightwarrior at the dock by Moorland, Rebecca didn’t realize North Swedish could come in such a striking silver combination.

“Well aren’t you a pretty lady,” Rebecca muttered, glancing down at the box next to the horse. Was that a circus box? It looked like the ones Ydris used. A rival circus perhaps?

“Property of the AMAZING YDRIS! If found, please return to Nilmer’s Highland along with any cargo and you shall be rewarded handsomely.” the note on the horse said, answering Rebecca’s question.

So Ydris had gotten a horse. Understandable, it was Jorvik after all.

The mare did not require any cookies to persuade her to back to Nilmer’s Highland, and Rebecca and Midnightwarrior escorted the draft mare up to the circus.

“Special delivery for- YDRIS!?” Rebecca’s announcing call was turned into a cry of confusion when she saw Ydris.

“The circus!? Jester-? What happened to you?!” Rebecca demanded, staring at the man who had to be Ydris.

But… it couldn’t be Ydris. She couldn’t see his magic aura, he looked twenty, maybe even thirty, years younger, and he didn’t have his five leaf clover. And the circus was gone, as was the trailer, and the Jester was nowhere in sight.

But no one else had eyes like that, even if the fleeting glimpses of pink were no longer shining from his eyes. Well, many people had heterochromatic eyes, but Ydris was the only person on Jorvik she had seen with it. Aside from Evergray, but his seemed to be a product of too much time in Pandoria.

But Ydris didn’t answer her, instead he struck a dramatic pose, hand out with the other on his forehead.

“Stop! Do not tell me who you are. The Amazing Ydris knows all!” he cried, his voice younger, less raspy. It was bolder, flashier somehow. It was the voice a ringmaster used when addressing his audience. Ydris had always been a showy ringmaster, but this was… different. It worried Rebecca. Her worry grew as he introduced himself and took four guesses to get her name.

“Ydris, what is going on?” Rebecca asked seriously, but Ydris did not give her a serious answer. Instead Ydris launched into an enthusiastic speech about his circus and entertaining the world. Rebecca politely listened, knowing Ydris wasn’t one for straight answers on a good day, and whatever was going on was going to make him even less direct in his answers.

Rebecca found herself once more introduced to The Jester, now given the name Xin, along with the mare named Zee. Once again Rebecca helped set up a circus tent, a sign, and a trailer. It took significantly less time, much to her relief, but she was still baffled. A new tent, a new Ydris, a new Jester. There was even a race now, but it was that Rebecca saw inside that made her stomach clench.

In the stands, already waiting, watching, were figures in familiar cloaks. The druids had always kept an eye on Ydris, present at his circus, but now Rebecca was anxious by their presence in the tent.

Returning to Ydris to report her completion of the race she found herself grabbing the magic ticket in her pocket. It was still there, she felt the magic as a cold tingle in her hand. She had not imagined Ydris giving her the magic ticket long ago. The physical proof was there in her pocket, secure in her fist. But she no longer needed the magic of the ticket to enter the circus tent, no ticket was mentioned at all.

Ydris looked up at her on Midnightwarrior as he would a potential customer, another person he could entice into buying a ticket for his circus. He didn’t recognize her as his student. Rebecca took a deep breath and dismounted, walking up to him. Was he taller? She couldn’t tell.

“Yes, little dove?” he asked, a bit surprised that she ignored his personal space, almost standing close enough to touch him. She closed her eyes and leaned in, her nose brushed against his suit as she sniffed, making him freeze.

He smelled like cologne and freshly starched clothes.

The Ydris she knew smelled like must, dust, tea, aromatic herbs, alcohol, and Ed Field’s wood sauce. But the most noticeable smell missing was the smell of magic. It used to hang around him, clinging to his clothes and radiating from his being. It had taken her some time to figure out what she was smelling, it would be like trying to describe the smell of strawberries to someone who had never been exposed to any sort of berry.

“Has my greatness coaxed a dove into a cage?” Ydris asked in a teasing voice, lifting up her face from his chest. He froze, his heart stopping when he saw the fury in her eyes as she glared up at him.

“What did the druids do?” she hissed, knowing he couldn’t answer her. He gulped, bewildered, and stood still as Rebecca took a step back and looked at the Jester.

“Pleasure to finally get your name, Xin,” Rebecca said with a pleasant smile. She noted Xin still had his magic, but now he was silenced. Who made him wear that mask, and did it keep him from speaking?

“I look forward to meeting your friends, Ydris,” Rebecca said as she mounted up, giving Ydris the same pleasant smile she had given Xin. Ydris nodded dumbly, not knowing what else to do or say. He was still processing the rage on Rebecca’s face earlier.

“Be a good girl, Zee!” the mare snorted at Rebecca’s comment, clearly having no intention of behaving if it could be avoided.

Rebecca’s friendly expression disappeared as she rode away. She didn’t know how, but she was sure the druids were behind this. First they seemed to be rewriting the memories of the soul riders, now Ydris. How long would it be before they got to her and changed her memories? Rebecca decided to be wary of any North Swedish Horses she received from the druids. It might be rude to look a gift horse in a mouth but she knew to beware of druids, even those bearing gifts. Especially those with the gift of a horse.

Rebecca did not think it was a coincidence that it was a North Swedish horse Ydris suddenly had, not in a place like Jorvik, not when it came to magic. Not when North Swedish horses were the favored breed of the druids.

#sso #star stable #star stable online #fanfiction #starstable #starstableonline #My Work #My Writing

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ginnyzero · 3 years

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Completely Harmless Ch. 64

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter Sixty-Four The Cost of Victory

“Psst,” a voice said.

Lily slowed down.

“Hey!” The voice said a bit louder, sounding hoarse. They edged out from a raspberry shaded bramble patch.

“Lisa!” Alex hissed. She slid off her horse and ran over to her. She flung her arms around Lisa.

“Alex,” Lisa sputtered. Her eyes widened. “Why are you wearing makeup?”

“I’m in disguise,” Alex hiccupped. “You’re alive. I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Justin?” Lisa stared at them. “What in Aideen’s name is going on?”

“Hi, I’m Lily. We’re here to rescue you. We’re a little short for Stormtroopers.” Lily grinned. “Um, take a horse, any horse. Anne is up ahead.”

Lisa looked around. “Get behind here, quick.” She gestured.

They hid behind the brambles as best they could.

“Shh,” Lisa said.

“I know you’re around here somewhere!” A female voice called. “Come out, come out from whatever you’re hiding behind. You aren’t the only one that can manipulate Pandoric Energy here!”

“Katya,” Alex murmured, her voice hard.

They watched Katya, a girl with white hair and in a white outfit wander away.

“There’s a shadow seeker up ahead. I swear that it’s guarding the way to Anne.” Lisa ground her teeth.

Alex put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s what I’m for.”

“We don’t have time to explain. Alex, can you take care of the shadow seeker?” Lily reached up and pulled her hair back into a hair band.

“On it,” Alex said grimly and did the same.

Justin shook his head. “Girls, always so prepared.”

“I brought one for you too, baby,” Alex said. She leaned over kissing his cheek as she quickly tied up his hair.

“Baby?” Lisa squeaked.

Alex flushed. She eased out.

“No. You can’t leave me on that.” Lisa gestured back and forth. “Someone explain.”

“We’re, um, dating,” Justin muttered. His cheeks reddened.

“When did that happen?” Lisa gaped.

“You’ve been gone over a year,” Lily murmured.

Lisa gestured at the former Dark Horses. “What’s with them?” While Justin’s horse was looked like it was carved out of ice, the other Dark Horses were black with bright manes and tails of moving colored fire.

“I think they’re supposed to look like that,” Lily said. “We needed rides. The Soul Horses are a bit tied up.”

Lisa pointed at Nimbus. “And why is your horse all four Soul Horse- esque?”

“When I know, I’ll tell you.”

“Hah!” Alex shouted. “Come on, it won’t last long.”

They grabbed the horse’s reins and ran forward. They ran through the tunnel. Alex ran after them. They ran up another ramp before the Shadow Seeker could catch up to them.

“She can’t be far now,” Lisa said. “They’ve got more guards this way and Katya and the other one kept trying to herd me away from this place.”

Lily reached into her saddle bag and found a granola bar and a thing of water. “Food?”

“Thanks,” Lisa said as she grabbed it. “I found this place where it’s this entire grocery aisle of canned food. Beans and ravoli in a can. It’s a good thing I found someplace with drinkable water too.”

“It actually exists,” Alex said deadpan. “I thought Evergray was pulling our legs. Shit. Stay here. There’s another seeker.” She held up a hand and crept off ahead.

“Evergray?”

“Um, ex-druid, former chief archivist for the Keepers of Aideen, explorer of Pandoria. He knows a lot and he’s been helping us get to you and Anne,” Lily explained.

“I do hope you have some way out of here,” Lisa said. “With,” she paused to count on her fingers, “five of us, that grocery aisle won’t last long.”

“Oh, we have a way out barring any unforeseen difficulties.” Lily waved them ahead. “That’s why we don’t have your horses.”

“Good. Glad to see someone is thinking ahead for once,” Lisa said and ran towards Alex.

They followed her with the horses. The tunnel was longer and sloped downwards, turning teal and aqua. It opened up to a pink crystal hanging in the air and inside the crystal.

“Anne!” Lisa and Alex shouted.

“Alex? Lisa? No. No. Go back. Leave me! It’s hopeless.” Anne’s voice cracked. “There’s no way to win.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Oh shut the fuck up, bitch. Get on the horse. We’re going shopping.”

Alex, Lisa, and Justin all looked at her like they couldn’t quite believe what she just said.

Anne spoke again. “Did you just Mean Girls me?”

“Alex, crystal, time is fleeting.” Lily gestured at it.

Alex rubbed her hands together. “It’s not hopeless Anne. Not when we’re together.” She raised her hands. Lightning crackled and lashed out like a spear.

It hit the crystal. Cracks formed. The crystal shook and burst.

Anne screamed.

Justin lunged forward. “Got you.”

“Justin.” Anne stared at him.

Justin lowered her to the ground.

“Is that my horse?” Katya’s voice echoed in the tunnel. “What in hell have you done to my horse?”

“And that’s our cue to get out,” Lily said and mounted Nimbus.

Justin helped Anne onto a horse. He mounted Saga.

Katya stalked out. “You aren’t leaving are you? We were getting so well acquainted.”

“Hello Katya,” Lisa said.

“Good bye Katya,” Lily said and nudged Nimbus.

Nimbus ran.

Katya screamed and ducked down. “Darko!”

Nimbus jumped over her.

The other horses ran to either side of her.

Katya stood and whirled. “Darko. They’re escaping!”

The sky turned dark.

“I don’t think that’s Darko,” Lisa said glancing up.

Alex hit the shadow seeker on the fly. They kept running. There was no time to worry about it. They ran down ramps and through tunnels, jumping in places. They could hear a harp playing the closer they got back to where they began.

A thick tentacle smashed into the ground.

Alex pulled her horse to a stop. “Go. I’ll hold the rear.”

“Alex, no,” Lisa shouted.

“I’ll be right behind you, I promise,” Alex shouted back.

“Alex!” Justin screamed.

Lily hit Anne’s horse’s rump. It shied and darted forward and into the portal. The others not willing to be left behind followed it.

“No!” Justin sawed at Saga’s reins.

Saga jerked them out of his hands and ran flat out into the portal.

“Alex!” Justin’s shout was cut off.

The tentacle smashed the through the island between Lily and Alex.

The portal flickered and died.

At Guardian’s Dale, Anne on her horse jumped out of the portal and skidded down the stairs. There were others on her heels. Lisa held tight to her horse’s mane. Justin managed to get Saga to stop. He tried to turn her around. “Alex!” he screamed.

Anne swayed.

Lisa jumped off her horse and caught her. “You’ve been poisoned with Pandoric magic,” she said to Anne. She helped her lay down on the ground. “And you probably haven’t eaten in months. Water. Does anyone have any water?”

Evergray came over with another granola bar and water bottle. “Here,” he said.

Lisa looked up at him. “You must be Evergray.” She blinked. “You’re worse off than Anne.”

Evergray coughed. “Such is the price of Pandoria.”

“I have to go back,” Justin said to Linda who was standing in front of him playing the harp. “Alex is still in there. There were these tentacles. Lily is in there!”

Linda stood firm. “You have to trust Lily and Alex, Justin. The gate is still open. We have to hold the gate open.”

Justin almost fell off of Saga and his knees hit the stones. “She rescued me.” He put his head in his hands. “She rescued me and now she’s still in there.” He burst into sobs. “Let me go back, Linda, please.”

“She’s better equipped to defeat the Darkness than you are,” Linda said.

Evergray came over and touched his head. “I sense that a power has awoken in him.” He squeezed Justin’s shoulder. “Have faith in your lady.”

Elizabeth knelt by Anne and Lisa. “How can this be?”

“Lily and Alex came to rescue us,” Lisa murmured as she held Anne up.

Anne nibbled the granola bar. “She called me a bitch.”

“To be fair, sometimes you are,” Lisa grinned.

Anne shut her eyes. “I’m going to hold her to that shopping thing. I’m ugly now aren’t I?”

“It’s very magenta, kind of punk. Could be a whole new rebellious you?”

Anne snorted. She sat up straight and looked around. “Where’s Concorde? I couldn’t sense Concorde anymore.”

“He’s by his statue, see.” Lisa pointed. “Or, I’m assuming that’s his statue.”

“This is Guardian’s Dale,” Everygray said and coughed. “The gateway for the final battle with Garnok. Or, so go the tales. You may sit with Concorde if it will make you feel better, Anne Von Blissen. But we must hold the gate until Lily and Alex return to us.”

“This is your doing,” Elizabeth accused him.

“Mine? Nothing of the sort.” Evergray shook his head. “I merely coached it along. This was the doing of the Soul Riders who wouldn’t leave their friends in captivity.”

“You, you didn’t plan this,” Anne stared at Elizabeth, betrayal on her face.

“You were in too deep. We couldn’t risk it. Now, we may have lost another rider.”

Lisa trembled. “You knew where we were and did nothing?”

Elizabeth lowered her head. “We were waiting for the right time.”

“There was no right time,” Lisa bit out. “There was only now.”

Anne burst into tears. “You were supposed to guide us and support us.”

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth murmured. “I was wrong.”

“Then fix it,” Lisa challenged.

Elizabeth gathered her skirts. “I will,” she said and stepped forward towards the stairs. She stopped in front of Linda. “May I pass, Moon Rider?”

Linda continued to play. “There are different futures ahead of us, Keeper. The consequences may be deep and the story may go on without you.”

“That’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

“It won’t return you to the others.” Linda tilted her head. “They have moved on.”

“I care for Alex. My inaction drove her to this.”

“She would have done this anyways for the love of Justin, Anne, and Lisa. This was not of your doing. It had to happen. Birds must fly free of the nest. Foals must be weaned.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together. “Let me do what I should have done these past two years, please. I’m sorry, Linda. I thought your gift the weakest and least useful, thus I ignored you. I was wrong.”

Linda stepped to the side. “Make things right with Lily lest you regret it.”

Elizabeth put her foot on the stair.

Rhiannon put a hand on her arm. “What are you doing?”

“What I must for the sake of Aideen.” Elizabeth turned her head slightly.

“Then I’ll go with you.” Rhiannon lifted her chin.

Elizabeth nodded. “You’ll be welcome, friend.”

They mounted the steps to the gate together.

Darkness, all around her darkness. But there was something warm at her breast keeping the fear at bay. Lily fumbled into her trench pocket and pulled out one of the Fragments of Aideen’s Light. “Are you afraid of the dark?” she asked to no one. “No. Not really. I’m afraid of what’s in the dark. So let’s shed some light on the subject.”

The Sun Fragment flared to life. All around, the islands lay in shambles. Mushrooms floated by devoid of color and light. Lily shut her eyes and listened. She could still faintly hear the sounds of Aideen’s Harp. “I hope that’s not my imagination,” she said to herself.

She opened her eyes again. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” she murmured. There seemed to be only one path. She scrambled along it, holding the light out looking for anyone alive.

It reflected off something pink gold and black.

“Nimbus!” Lily scrambled over to him. “Are you okay?”

Nimbus whuffled. “Stunned mostly.” He shifted until he got his legs under him and stood. “That was quite a whallop.”

“Did the tentacle hit you?”

“No, it hit nearby. You must have been flung from my back.”

“We need to find Alex and get out of here.” Lily put a hand on his neck.

“The only way to find someone is to start looking.”

Lily fisted her hand and hit him lightly. “Thanks oh sage of the ancients.”

Nimbus whickered.

Lily mounted him and held up the Sun Fragment. It was easier going on Nimbus’ back. He could jump up onto places she couldn’t. Her eyes peered into the dark until they hurt.

She heard Alex first.

“There!” Lily pointed.

Alex lay curled up against a rock shelf, her horse’s reins loosely in her fingers. He stood over her, the fire mane a mere flicker of embers as if the horse was trying to hide. He snorted when he saw them.

Lily slipped off Nimbus. “Alex, I’m here.”

“Dead. Everyone’s dead. I’m useless. They tried to get away, but the portal blew. I’m the worst Lightning Rider ever. Can’t even hold a bit of ground to give them time.” Alex sobbed. “No wonder Elizabeth always berates me.”

“That’s not true. You’re better than that. You’re the only one that could have helped me with this mission. You know machines. You had motivations. You’re strong Alex. You’re brave. So brave. I want you to hold something.”

Alex stared blankly at her. “He’s so powerful. You can’t imagine how powerful.” The mascara streaked down her face.

Lily pressed the Sun Fragment into her hands. “You’re powerful too. You have more power than he can imagine because you love.”

The Sun Fragment pulsed in time with Alex’s heartbeat. It warmed her starting at her fingers.

“Lily,” Alex said and wiped her face on her shoulder. “You came back for me.”

“No woman left behind,” Lily said. “You are smearing that makeup something awful.”

Alex hiccupped. “I hate makeup.”

“Should have used waterproof,” Lily muttered and got out some hand wipes. She wiped off Alex’s face. “Close your eyes.”

The makeup came off and Lily crumpled the wipe putting it back in her pocket. “There. Clean.”

Alex sniffled. “Thanks, thanks for coming for me.”

“You are integral to this mission.” Lily looked down her nose. “And, we’re friends. I love you like a sister, not you know, romantically.” Lily hugged her.

“I love you too, Lils. Couldn’t do any of this without your scheming.” Alex hugged her back.

The fire horse snorted.

“We have company,” Nimbus said.

Lily grabbed the Sun Fragment from Alex’s hand and spun holding it up protecting the other girl.

Elizabeth Sunbeam held up her hands in surrender. Rhiannon kept her hands away from her side.

“Oh, it’s you,” Lily said flatly. She lowered the Sun Fragment. Standing, she offered a hand to Alex.

Alex grabbed it and stood. “Elizabeth,” she said in a hoarse voice.

Elizabeth looked back and forth between them.

Alex let Lily’s hand go and wiped it on her pants.

“I was wrong,” Elizabeth said.

“You think.” Lily’s lips parted.

“I’m trying to apologize.” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

“Suck it up, buttercup.” Lily glanced about. “Save it for when we’re out of here.”

Elizabeth sucked in her cheeks. “I saw myself in you, Alex, and I was trying to drive you to be a better rider.”

Lily grabbed Nimbus’ reins and mounted. She held up the Sun Fragment.

Alex mounted the fire horse. “You know, a ‘good job’ Alex would have worked twice as much,” she said and looked around. She shuddered.

Nimbus walked away. “There is no way to run on this terrain,” he observed.

“You aren’t making this easy,” Elizabeth huffed.

Alex followed Lily, magic around her hand.

“We’re teenagers. It’s in the contract. Do not make it easy on adult figures when they mess up,” Lily said.

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth managed.

“Excellent, be sorry, and let’s get back to the portal,” Lily said. “Alex?”

“I don’t like this,” Alex sang.

The ground shook.

“Run,” Elizabeth said. “Rhiannon, get them to the portal.”

Lily nudged Nimbus. “That isn’t a fight you’re going to win.”

Magic swirled around Elizabeth. “They need you now, Lily. I’ve failed them. You will show them the way.” Elizabeth turned and ran off, disappearing and reappearing further away in the distance. Lily could only see her because of the light around her.

“Elizabeth!” Rhiannon shouted.

Lily gritted her teeth. “Don’t make her sacrifice in vain.”

Rhiannon turned to her. “We can’t. You said.”

“I can’t keep fools from committing suicide by Cthulhu,” Lily said. “Show us the portal. Now.”

Rhiannon jogged away. “We have to get to her.”

“She’s too far off. No one can get to her.”

“Your horse has wings.”

Nimbus sighed. Humans. “I need a running start. There’s no running start.”

The portal appeared ahead of them, bright, and malevolent pink.

Behind them, the light around Elizabeth went out.

Alex choked. “No.”

The ground shook. Rocks lifted into the air and came down hard. It reverberated under their feet.

“Go!” Lily shouted.

Alex gasped and shoved Rhiannon through the portal. On the other side, she took Rhiannon up on the back of her horse and galloped down the stone pathway. She looked behind her.

Lily rode Nimbus, hunched over his neck, the Sun Fragment leaking light between her red fingers.

A tentacle pulled the other portal apart widening it. It wiggled through hitting the road.

Alex jumped through the portal.

“He’s coming!” Evergray shouted. “Get back from the portal. Get back!”

Alex’s horse ran down the stairs in a clatter of hooves.

“Alex!” Justin shouted.

Lily skidded to a halt right outside the portal. Nimbus flared his wings. Energy flickered around him, outlining every hair and every wing feather. The crystal horn on his head glowed with bright light. Lily’s eyes blazed white. She held up the Sun Fragment and the Star Fragment in her hand. Light swirling around them, pulsating and sparkling. It curled around her arm like a flame.

A tip of a tentacle jutted through the portal.

“Garnok!” Lily’s voice echoed on itself, hollow sounding and overlaid with hundreds of voices. “Go to hell and take your little friends with you!”

The light turned into a bright lance and pierced the portal.

Garnok screamed.

The druids and Soul Riders had to cover their ears.

The tentacle jerked back.

Evergray, somehow still having sense in all of this, yanked the keystone from the pedestal.

The portal slammed shut.

“Aideen,” the druids murmured. “Aideen has returned.”

The light around Lily faded. Her arm dropped. Swaying, she toppled.

Nimbus’ legs folded under him.

“Lily!” Linda shouted sling the harp onto her back by the strap. She dashed up the stairs to catch her. She managed to brace Lily before she hit the stone.

The ground trembled and shook. Stones fell from the cliffs of the Dale. Dust swirled off the statues. One of the walls cracked.

All around South New Jorvik County, the ground split open turning black and porous on the edges and magenta light spilled out of the cracks piercing the dark quiet night.

Epilogue

The blades of the helicopter churned up the water making it choppy and rough. It sped northwards under dark skies, the man inside brooding as he looked out the window.

It headed to a place eerily similar to where it began, an oil rig sitting in the middle of a bay. It came to a halt over the center of a pad and slowly lowered. As the skids touched metal, the great circular portal gate flared to life, swirling energies in pink and magenta.

Mr. Sands disembarked the helicopter. The back of it rose first and it returned to hovering before flying off. He faced the portal squarely.

The first thing to appear was a long thin cane followed by two tone tall lace up sneakers and leather pants. Belts wrapped and buckled around them.

Mr. Sands didn’t bother to hide his sneer.

The man finished stepping out, dressed in a black leather long coat with the collar popped up. Longer than the back, the sides went down to his ankles. It was faced in bright orange and closed with large buttons. Zippered pockets on the chest didn’t appear to be able to hold anything. He wore a red robe like shirt under it. Cracking his neck, he tugged at the orange cuffs of his sleeve passing the cane between his hands. The white gloves seemed out of place. The man set his cane tip squarely in front of him and rested both hands on it.

Mr. Sands lifted his chin slightly. “Darko.”

Darko ran a hand over his red mohawk and looked down his nose at Mr. Sands. “I’m here to take over.”

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

#star stable #star stable online #sso #fan fic #jorvik reimagined #star stable salt #Victory at a price!#what now?#no idea #completely harmless #silverglade reimagined #many nods to ruth westside #Ahh #It's over #So many words

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dorianwolfforest · 4 years

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Titles within the Keepers of Aideen

How do the keepers of Aideen refer to themselves? What is each keeper in charge of? How were they chosen to serve the Goddess? AKA my fantasy HC

Elizabeth = The Ray of Aideen. A specific group of druids in the sun circle who are believed to be able to directly communicate with Aideen and see her will through by guiding and advising the rest of the keepers.

Avalon = Aideen’s left hand. He sentences those who need judgement, silences those who speaks against the keepers, and protects the interest and reputation of the druids by dealing with competition. Also, he wants a puppy give him a puppy.

Fripp = Aideen’s right hand. (He gave himself this title) Fripp takes the lead when others think decisions are too tough to make because he has no moral compass and he’d do anything to achieve his goals like the rat he is. He’s the leader.

Rhiannon = Wild Whisperer. She matches the keepers up with their horses and helps them develop their bonds. She is also a riding instructor for the druids that don’t feel comfortable in the saddle.

Alex = Aideen’s champion. She’s the one who will fight to see Aideen’s will through, who will lead the keepers to glory in battle. Prophecies have spoken about her victories in the name of the goddess, but none of them have come true yet.

Linda = Chief archivist. She took over the work Evergray left behind, and does a damn good job. When she first met Evergray she was starstruck; this was a man whose work she had admired her entire druid career. Evergray wasn’t quite as thrilled since he wasn’t allowed his job back.

Lisa = Apprentice spymaster. Someone has to take over once the Spymaster retires. Lisa volunteered for the job. Sometimes she’ll disappear and no one sees her for days, and no matter how much the other girls pry, she never tells them what she was off doing.

Anne = Just like Elizabeth, she was trained since initiation to be a Ray of Aideen, a herald and messenger of their Goddess. After returning from Pandoria, she chose to step down from the position as she feels she can no longer hear Aideen speak to her.

#sso #can you tell ive been playing DAI

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centeris2 · 6 years

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Ydris found the friends of the women to be amusing humans. Namely Justin, poor fool was so distraught to see Ydris sitting as an ally between Anna and Louisa with tea, discussing plans. Justin had no idea of the lights shining around him, no inkling of the power of the woman he pulled outside to speak to. It was hilarious.

And then the foolish boy came to Ydris alone. Was it bravery or idiocy that made that decision?

It was so easy to toy with the boy, and not a single lie was told. It was just truths that he did not want to hear, did not want to know. Perhaps Ydris had gone too far, but seeing the darkness and the blood, hearing the screams that echoed in Justin’s ears, it had angered the Pandorian. Anyone who hurt Aideen, even a fragment of her, was an enemy to all Pandorians. And the Cult of Garnok had left their marks on the boy, phantom scars on his body and mind. Crisscrossed over those were marks from Druids, places where the Druids had dug into his mind, searching him. They must have found enough in Justin’s mind to trust him, at least with the Moon and Rebecca. The Cult of Garnok and the Druids were also enemies, and this boy being allied with both of them, his heritage, and his violence against a vessel of Aideen were worthy of punishment.

Ydris felt great after sending Justin away, and made his way back to the bangalow, happy to find some of those familiar and warm lights. He found the different bits of Aideen to be fascinating, each containing facets of the goddess but unique individuals. It did not surprise him to learn that the Star had become attached to one of those facets, though he did find himself feeling disappointed for some reason. The other two women were drawn to each other, which was only natural, but also to other humans. Seemed even fragments of Aideen had the need to love humans, several at a time in fact. Anna was much more receptive than Louisa and Lisa, at least in flirting terms.

It made him… he didn’t know the word. Uncomfortable wasn’t correct because he enjoyed it, but he also knew how dangerous they were, how easily they could burn him without even trying. And, masochist that he was, he was only drawn to that power, energy, that danger. It didn’t help that simply being around them made him feel safe and secure. He craved being near them, any of them, but fought with himself to resist wanting more. And, as much as it embarrassed him, he found himself experiencing carnal cravings. Somehow the idea of coming together and letting their magics touch wasn’t enough for him, despite how intimate a situation melding magic could be. They didn’t even seem to know what that was, and when Ydris brought it up to Evergray the man had been thrilled at the new questions he had. Did druids truly not know they could weave together their magic and very essence with one another? Perhaps druids did not have the magic for it, perhaps they were unaware.

But he said nothing to them, unsure they would understand, and not wanting to offend them with his growing vulgar thoughts.

He noticed Rebecca was quiet the day after he had spoken to Justin, something weighing on her mind as she entered the fortune telling tent and sat down.

“My dove, something is holding your wings,” he murmured, putting the normal fortune telling spiel on hold.

“Humans aren’t parasites,” Rebecca blurted out, not letting herself put it off.

“Dove,” Ydris said sadly. Poor dear, she cared so much for such ungrateful things.

“No, listen. Yeah some humans are awful, humans are capable of terrible things. But you can’t decide an entire species, an entire reality, are just parasites that can be destroyed!”

“This reality damned mine,” Ydris said as a harsh reminder.

“No, a few people in this reality did that. No one else knew! Or only a handful of people ever knew! Remember how Linda cut you off and started talking about Garnok? That’s what the druids teach, that’s what the druids believe. You can’t punish everyone for the actions of a few, most of who probably aren’t even alive anymore! Hell most people on this planet don’t even know about Aideen or Jorvik or Garnok!”

“How could they not?” Ydris demanded in surprise.

“Because Earth is huge, and when there are over six or seven billion people there are a lot of different languages and religions. Aideen and Garnok are pretty localized to Jorvik, I only knew about Aideen because I like looking up horse mythology and horse deities. I didn’t really learn about them until I got here,” Rebecca stopped as Ydris looked at her in shock, not understanding how things as important as Aideen and Garnok would be relatively unknown.

“Look, just, humans, Earth, are not your enemy. Some people here might be, but we want to help save your world. And not just because it’ll save ours,” Rebecca tried to explain.

“Oh?” he asked, skeptical.

“Humans have made it this far because we’re compassionate, it’s sort of essential to the survival of society, we have to work together. And over all humans are good and want to do the right thing, at least I think so,” she argued, trying to convince him that humans weren’t pests.

“You said yourself that Aideen had died, killed by the druids. And yet you would protect them?” he did not understand why she would.

“I won’t let innocent people suffer, in either reality,” Ydris snorted at her words. Aideen had no such qualms.

“They are not innocent.”

“No… but they are also so brainwashed, it becomes an awkward ethical question on how much the members of the druids actually know and operate independently and how much of it is brainwashed and conditioned. I’m sure the higher ups know a lot more, but the lower level druids that make up the majority of the group? How much can they really know? How much are they allowed to know before they get exiled for knowing too much?” she began to ramble, wondering aloud and getting off track.

“Why do you protect those who hurt you?” he asked, preventing her from continuing down her tangent on the druids.

“Because I’m better than them, I��ll deal with them later, there are bigger problems than my own grievances, and they are still useful,” she knew they weren’t all very nice reasons, but she had a feeling lying to Ydris would be useless.

“Justin is useful?” Ydris snorted at that, wondering how helpful he could be.

“Justin?” she asked, confused before she realized somehow he knew about Justin’s time at Dark Core.

“Justin is innocent as far as I’m concerned, he didn’t know enough to make his own decisions, and once they got him they brainwashed him so he couldn’t. And you being a total jerk to him isn’t going to make it better!” she accused him, knowing something had rattled Justin even if Justin didn’t talk about it much.

“I only told him the truth, I swear,” Ydris raised his hand and placed the other over his heart, swearing.

“And I bet you were an ass about it,” she grumbled and rolled her eyes.

“I may have been less than kind,” he admitted with a smirk. Making Justin see and feel blood wasn’t entirely necessary.

“Yeah, that, don’t do that. Be nice. You’re saving humanity after all, you may as well like them,” Rebecca pointed out.

“I am saving my home-”

“And humanity. You wouldn’t be working with us unless you wanted to at least try to save both worlds,” she cut him off before he could make excuses.

“And there, my dove, you are so very wrong,” he said with a soft smile, resting his chin on a fist, his elbow propped up on the table.

“Oh? Then why work with us when you could destroy us all and save yourself the time and energy?” she asked with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

“For you.”

“Me?” she blinked, not realizing he had meant that in both a plural and singular sense, Aideen singular, the different vessels of Aideen plural.

“Unlike this place, all of Pandoria knows and reveres Aideen, every little piece of her,” Ydris explained.

“So because we have Aideen’s Blessing you are working with us?” Rebecca asked, trying to understand.

“Correct,” Aideen’s Blessing? That’s what they were calling it? Did they not realize they were parts of Aideen’s soul?

“Well I hate to inform you of this, but we’re also human, and you have to get used to that. We may not all be magical but we are sapient, we can feel and think and reason, that has to count for something,” Rebecca tried again to persuade him to not hate humans.

“There is no reason why you can’t be reborn as something else,” Ydris shrugged, not seeing the problem.

“Well the soul riders have always been human, and their steeds horses, so I think it is species specific, and reality specific. The magic is bound to Jorvik after all,” she pointed out, making him go quiet.

That idea did concern Ydris, as well as the look of confusion on her face at the mention of being reborn. Fragments of Aideen must be reborn, yet the idea was foreign to her. Did she not know she’d be reborn?

But she said Aideen had died, why didn’t Aideen return in more than human form? And then fear hit him and he wondered what if Aideen was bound to humanity? Would she only be reincarnated as humans? She was supposed to return to Pandoria, she should have been able to be reborn in Pandoria, but she hadn’t. She was stuck here, on Earth. If Ydris destroyed Earth, he’d prevent Aideen from returning.

“Ydris?” she asked when he was silent for too long, staring at her in thought.

“Fine. I shall try to get along with the fleas,” he grumbled but agreed to her wishes.

“First step maybe don’t call us fleas. Although I find the term hilarious,” she admitted with a giggle.

“Oh?” Flea was not meant to be a polite term, or hilarious. It was meant to be insulting.

“Yeah, every time you say it I remember a poem I had to read in high school. Some middle ages or medieval poem, but it was basically a dude trying to convince a woman to sleep with him because their blood had already mingled in a fleas’ body so they basically already had sex. That was back when humans thought blood actually met and mingled during the do. So yeah, I can’t hear flea without thinking of that poem,” she explained, grinning at the memory of the weird poem and at his bewildered expression.

“What.”

“Humans are weird. You’ll love it,” she promised with a wink before she nodded to the crystal ball, “so am I getting a fortune or should I check the horoscope in the newspaper?”

“Mon cheri!” Ydris gasped in mock offense, “from a newspaper? No!”

But he straightened up, returning to the familiar routine of fortune telling for a customer.

And, somehow, he’d be nicer to the humans. Or try, at least.

#sso #star stable #star stable online #fanfiction #starstable #starstableonline #My Work #My Writing

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ginnyzero · 3 years

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Completely Harmless Ch. 58

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

Chapter Fifty-Eight The Compass to the Rift of the Pink Hell

From Valedale, they took the transport to the Wolf Hall Inn and rode to Guardian’s Dale.

“You’ve got the keystone.” Evergray coughed by the remnants of the fifth statue.

Lily kept it on her lap. “Why do you think a keystone will work to open this gate, anyways?”

“Didn’t you read the inscription?” Evergray pointed at it with his staff.

“It’s not in any language I recognize.”

Evergray shifted on his feet. “Sorry. I forgot you don’t read Pandorian. Allow me.” He squared his shoulders. “Guardians of Pandoria’s fate return to us one day. Four will open up the gate, the fifth will lead the way.”

“Pandoria’s fate, not Jorvik’s.” Lily tilted her head.

“I believe in the fifth statue there was a keystone. We replace the keystone and have the four soul horses, we can open up the gate.”

“Okay, so, you travel to Pandoria through these rips in the fragile world finding them by your compass.”

“You remember correctly.” Evergray nodded and coughed. “The boundaries between this world and Pandoria is insubstantial. In fact, it is more like a sponge full of holes. Things slip through all the time.” Evergray coughed again. “Rifts happen when there is a massive boundary failure. Things aren’t always so dramatic. Lost socks in the wash. Missing homework. They might have slipped into Pandoria.”

“Déjà vu,” Lily said. “They’re glitches in the matrix.”

“In my twenty years of exploring, I’ve seen more things than lost homework and lonely socks. Cars. Whole ships. The entire canned goods aisle of a grocery store, the shelves still stocked. I’ve heard rumors of an entire island ripped from our world to theirs.”

“Crazy and a bit surreal, go on,” Linda said.

“In order to get to a specific point without a keystone, you need my compass, the Celestial Wayfinder. It can find those tiny holes where it’s possible to pass through. Remember, time and space don’t operate the same way there as they do here. Finding the right rift without a corresponding energy signature is like finding a needle in an infinite number of haystacks.”

“Thus, the keystone,” Lily said. “And I do hope it’s the correct keystone.”

“With that keystone, we can use the compass to find the needle in the haystack that is Jorvik.” Evergray gestured. “I can match the energy reading to my charts and tune the Celestial Wayfinder and we can find the correct area.” Evergray sat on the stone step and pulled out a chart.

Not quite willing to trust him with the keystone, Lily dismounted. She brought it over to him and unwrapped it.

“Hmm, the rift’s specific location exists on a spectrum of possibility. Very complicated quantum magic goes into determining where it is. Shall I show you the math?”

“I’m sixteen. We’re into trigonometry. This sounds more like calculus.”

“No.”

“No,” Lily said.

Linda sat on the other side and adjusted her glasses to watch him work.

Evergray muttered and ran his finger along the chart listings. It appeared he was doing the complicated math in his head. It took him some time. Alex got bored and wandered around the dale examining the statues better.

Evergray spoke instead of mumbling having come to his conclusion. “Very well, I believe that the rift shall open soon in the Mirror Marsh to the south west of here. We should ride there and I can calibrate it better to pinpoint the precise location and predict where the rift will be before it opens.”

“Do we look like we have anything else better to do?” Lily wrapped the stone and held it out to Linda. “I’m not sure how the fragments will react to this.”

“Poorly probably,” Linda said.

They mounted and Evergray got on the back of Lily’s horse. “I heard you used the Sun Fragment and Star Fragment to great advantage in Hillcrest.”

“Did you also hear I passed out?” Lily said. “So, let’s not have to do that anytime soon.”

Evergray hummed.

They let him off and road around helping him calibrate the compass. It would be faster with them on horseback than he could do on foot.

The compass pointed off to one of the furthest islands to the east of the Marsh. Letting him back up behind her on Nimbus, they rode over jumping between island to island. Once there, Evergray hopped off Nimbus.

“What you’re looking for is a sample of pure Pandorium. It will be deep pink in color like the keystone you already have. Rifts like this are very unstable and will be open for only a brief period of time. At least in this dimension. Due to the space time dilation between our world and Pandoria, you should have about five minutes on the other side to find what you need.”

“Five minutes,” Lily stared at him.

“In a world we’ve never been to.” Alex gestured. “This is Anne’s thing. Not ours!”

“Then I suggest you be quick about it.”

“No time to sight see.” Lily wrinkled her nose.

“This isn’t a rescue.” Evergray shook his staff and put one hand on his hip. “If you do see Anne or Lisa, don’t dilly dally around. Find the Pandorium and return. Before the portal closes and you’re stuck in Pandoria forever.”

“Like Lisa.” Linda nodded. “Got it.”

“Should we all go?” Lily asked.

“No.” Evergray shook his head. “Lily alone should go. You don’t have the time to split up and get lost. No time to argue, there’s the rift.”

A line of sparkling magenta energy hovered in the middle of the air in front of them. Lily urged Nimbus forward. The line widened and turned into a circular swirl of magic. “I’ll be back, five minutes,” she said to them and Nimbus walked through the portal.

At first it was black, and then, it was a strange place, dark with stone walkways broken apart and hovering in midair.

“No time, no time,” Lily muttered.

Nimbus settled his wings closer to his back, in his ‘true’ form now that they were in Pandoria. “Let’s go then,” he said and took off running. He jumped gaps and skidded around corners.

There was another portal at the end of the broken stones.

Nimbus didn’t stop jumping through it.

They landed in a land of pink and purple with bits of orange.

“Pink hell,” Lily said. “Check.”

Small and huge mushrooms dominated the space, vying with crystal shards.

Lily rode up to the nearest. “Is that Pandorium?”

“Hell if I know.”

Lily found a broken off chunk. “Looks close enough. Though this is too small if I’m remembering correctly.” Maybe she should have brought a hammer and chisel. She wasn’t prepared.

The ground was like purple fungus almost with purple grass. In places it was purple stone rippling like water. It was a surreal space.

Lily was ever mindful of the time as she rode around looking for different chunks of Pandorium. Too brittle, wrong something, it didn’t feel right. The right piece ended up being in a grove of the purple glowing willow like trees.

“Should have known.” She tucked it into her bag.

Nimbus turned on his heels. “We’ve wasted too much time,” he ran back flexing his wings to skim over jumps and down back to the portal. They ran back up the broken stone causeway and through the other portal.

Nimbus’ sides heaved.

“Lily!” Linda gasped.

“I’ve got one.” Lily pulled it out of her saddlebag.

“Just in time, there goes the rift,” Evergray said. He frowned. “Well, that’s odd.”

“What’s odd?”

“It didn’t shut up properly. I think it took off somewhere else. Maybe you will be able to find it again.”

“I don’t think I want to,” Lily said. “So much pink, hurts my eyes.” She blinked hard.

“This one is perfect.” Evergray examined the stone in her hand.

“Good.” Lily refrained from rolling her eyes. Because she wasn’t going back if it wasn’t perfect. “Now, we must head back to the Stonecutter’s Vault and see if Magnus remembers how to make them.” Lily tucked it away.

“I’m sure he’ll be insulted you thought he forgot.” Linda smiled.

“Perhaps, I shall come with you,” Evergray said. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen Magnus.”

The three girls looked at each other.

“I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole,” Alex said.

“Nope,” Lily added. She offered Evergray a hand up.

Linda shook her head.

Evergray took it. “I don’t know what you’re going on about.”

“You said yourself that the Valley of the Hidden Dinosaur had been cut off for over a century.”

“Ah, but I know my away around Pandoria.” Evergray smiled.

Lily didn’t dare look over her shoulder at him. “Like we said, we aren’t touching it.”

They left the Mirror Marsh and headed to the Wolf Hall Inn. Hopefully there would be less people, and less questions.

The ghost of Magnus Steiner seemed confused. “You have returned. What is this gift you have brought me?”

“If you’d heard me all the way out.” Lily raised a brow at him.

“Did something happen to the keystone that I gave you already?” Magnus tucked is hands into the arms of his robe.

Linda unwrapped it.

“What we need,” Lily said cradling the raw Pandorium in one arm so she could gesture at the keystone, “is a close to duplicate keystone to that one as possible. This piece of Pandorium is from the exact same area as that one.”

“I am confused. There’s no need for two keystones. Besides, it would take decades to teach you the mastery of runic forging.” Magnus sniffed.

“Magnus!” Evergray said brightly.

“Hell’s bells, is that you Evergray?”

“In the flesh,” Evergray coughed. “You haven’t aged a day.”

“You, on the other hand, look absolutely ghastly,” Magnus said with far too much relish.

Alex groaned.

Lily looked up at the ceiling.

Linda rolled her eyes.

“These are my protégés.” Evergray gestured. “I know you taught me runic forging.”

“Can’t be done.” Magnus shook his head. “They know too little and you can’t carve. Not with your body in that state. What have you done to yourself old friend?”

“Ah, too much travelling in Pandoria.”

“I warned you.”

“So you did,” Evergray agreed amiably enough. “Perhaps another, there is one I know of,” he trailed off. “He could be convinced, I believe.”

“Conrad,” Lily said, her lips parting. “He will not and does not and downright refuses to follow directions.” She turned to Magnus. “I’m assuming there’s some foundational knowledge that we need to know.”

“It takes decades,” Magnus said again.

“We don’t have decades. We might not have ten days.” Alex waved her arms. “Justin is under his control and Lisa and Anne prisoners in Pandoria.”

“Evergray.” Magnus’ shade strengthened. “Is this true? Are two of the Soul Riders prisoners in Pandoria?”

“Yes.” Evergray nodded and coughed. “Lily has a plan to get them out.”

Lily’s brow furrowed. “Wait, how did you know that this keystone,” she gestured at Linda again, “is the right keystone? Especially since there’s more than one hidden in this Vault. And don’t deny there isn’t. There are more hidden doors I’m sure you control, Magnus. You don’t create a vault for one thing and you said keystones already.”

Evergray coughed and it was the cough of his sickness rather than the need to clear his throat.

Linda fiddled in her pockets and passed him a throat lozenge.

“Thank you, it probably won’t help.” Evergray popped it into his mouth. “You didn’t hear that part, hmm.”

“Avalon said something,” Lily’s brow furrowed. She switched arms with the Pandorium.

“The druids know approximately where Anne is being held in Pandoria and he happened to mention it. Once I decoded the code in the Pandoria Codex. It was simple enough.”

“And they’re doing nothing!” Alex shouted.

“They think she’s too deep in order to get out safely,” Evergray fiddled with his staff. “They don’t want to risk the two Soul Riders they have left.”

“They want someone expendable,” Lily concluded. “This person they’re waiting for. I bet until she proved herself, she’d be expendable. I like this Fripp less and less.”

“It’d be a test,” Evergray said.

“Fripp is a rodent,” Magnus said with distaste. “What is your plan?”

“Justin is being held on an oil rig near the Golden Bay along with his horse Saga, and Concorde. The oil rig has a gate that can create a stable portal to Pandoria. Alex can take a keystone and rig it into the gate.”

Alex nodded and cracked her knuckles.

“We use that gate to escape with Justin into Pandoria near where Anne is being held and hopefully Lisa has made it through. The keystone has too much energy and is unstable. The gate will explode making it impossible for them to follow us until they get to another gate if they have one. Hopefully no, but I bet the oil rigs are fairly cookie cutter.” Lily stopped. Did they have cookie cutters in the 13th century? She changed her words. “Err, the same. Then, Evergray and Linda along with the Soul Horses use the Guardian’s Dale gateway and the keystone to open another portal for us to get out of Pandoria. Hopefully with Justin, Anne, and Lisa in tow.”

“Extremely dangerous. Could have catastrophic consequences if it goes wrong,” Magnus said floating up and down.

“Look, I’ve got a row boat that can carry me along with two things, and a chicken, a fox, and a bag of grain. You take the fox over with the grain, take the grain back and get the chicken, you’re set. That’s the riddle.” Lily waved her hand about. “Now, what do I need to do in order to forge a keystone that doesn’t take decades? At least we aren’t trying to facet the dang thing.”

Magnus chuckled. “And why not?”

“Because that takes a grind stone, not a hammer and chisel which is what I’m assuming carving runes is going to use.” Lily shifted her weight to one hip. She glanced at Linda. “And before you ask, there is a jeweler at the Flea Market.”

Linda grinned.

Magnus considered. “Does this Conrad know how to make horse shoes?”

“That’s what he mostly makes since he won’t follow directions, plans, or blueprints,” Lily muttered.

“Then go learn to make horse shoes and then I will show you runic forging. Learning to forge the horse shoes will show you how much force and pressure you need to apply and teach you how to swing a hammer properly.”

“Stiff wrist,” Lily said. “More in the shoulder than the elbow.”

Magnus didn’t say anything.

“Right. We’ll be off. Hopefully we’ll have at least one keystone to return to you. Since, the other one we plan on having go kablooey,” Lily said lightly. “Thank you for your time. I’ll be back when Conrad finishes with me.”

They took their leave, Evergray and Magnus bidding each other a jovial good bye. They pretended not to overhear Magnus’ word of caution to Evergray about taking Soul Riders, of all people, as protégés given his exile. Evergray didn’t seem to care.

They got back into the snow, putting the keystone and the pandorium in Linda’s saddlebags.

“Moorland,” Lily said. “Well, shit.”

#star stable #star stable online #sso #fan fic #jorvik reimagined #star stable salt #completely harmless #silverglade reimagined #many nods to ruth westside

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ginnyzero · 3 years

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Completely Harmless Ch. 48

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

Chapter Forty-Eight The Evergray Nights of Midsummer

The Baroness declared to them that she liked the cloud light displays in her stable better than the bubbles and jelly fish. However, she seemed amused rather than annoyed, so they took it well and promised it’d be down at the end of the week.

They all went over to the opening ceremony for the Midsummer Festival. There was a huge maypole, traditional music played, there was a special shop with traditional Jorvigian dresses in all color combinations and gear to go with them. Everyone cheered as the Master Ranger from Goldcroft and Loretta lit the bonfire that was to last all week together. There was food from the Summer family spread out all over the tables, traditional Jorvigian fare including a large pot of crawfish boil.

They ran around and gathered the flowers so they could try the dream tent. No one was willing to say who’d they’d seen when they came out flushed and giggling. They fished for prize tokens at the fishing tent. (They’d have to come back every day to get them all.)

The table had a map of the South New Jorvik County and the locations where they could find the flowers for all the different wreathes they could make around the county.

There was also the schedule of the Dew Family Race Challenge.

Because there wasn’t as much to do except to visit the parties to get vials of sand and make wreathes, it felt like a much more relaxed event than Rainbow Week. It helped that there weren’t rainbows crashing everywhere and leprechauns to chase around. They were able to take their time and enjoy it more.

The artists had come back and set up more art in Fort Pinta square. It was all beach themed, of course. Tim wanted help with selling beach balls and setting out towels and collecting the dirty ones. He also needed help mixing the drinks.

One of the girls asked him why he was making them one at a time? Multiple drinks! Multiple. You didn’t shake any of them with the soda in it. You put the soda in last. Really, the drinks didn’t need shaking but if that’s how he was going to be with the ice.

But he did have streams of customers and people were tearing up on the floor under the pale yellow and green cabana to the tunes of DJ Kai. (Apparently hearing she was being broadcast around to the different parties, she and Syntax had agreed to move to a new party each day.)

People were having fun and that’s all that mattered.

They did have to take a couple hours each day in the evening to make more food for the parties. And run around and refill the snack buckets. (Loretta had definitely come through with snacks and bread, and the things for sausages and s’mores.) It was a good thing they had extra shells and crystals and beads. People wanted to make their own embellished shells rather than take the ones that were decorations. (And the lace sailboats too.) So they set up a crafting center in the Baroness’ new Pavilion and announced it on Jorvikgram.

At least they’d decorated it!

Elsa stared at the happy tourists gluing rhinestone trim onto sea shells with glue guns. “We should have predicted this.”

“We can’t think of everything,” Linn chided.

Elsa gave her a flat look.

“We can’t!”

Elsa raised her hands above her head, waved them around, and stomped away.

They’d invited Linda and Alex to join them on their rounds. Though there were times Alex had made some rather thin excuses.

“Just admit you’re off to run races with Justin!” Lily shouted after the retreating Alex.

Alex waved at her and flushed but didn’t respond.

“Go dance with the idiot!” Linda shouted.

The two girls laughed as Tin Can broke into a flat out run at Alex’s urging.

“They fool no one,” Lily said as the two continued to trot through New Hillcrest.

A cough interrupted them from a man standing near the bus stop. “Excuse me,” he said and coughed again.

They stopped.

He was definitely an odd looking gentleman. He wore odd dark grey robes, and carried a staff with a couple of mysterious blue stones dangling from it. His black hair was a mess and in the lines of the left side of his face there was the distinctive pink glow of pandoric energy. “I am Evergray. I’ve come from the Evermist Forest in the far north in search of the Soul Riders and a girl named Lily. Some girls told me that they’d be here today. Have you seen them?” His sentences were punctuated by coughs.

Linda and Lily looked at each other.

“Well, we are them,” Lily said.

“You just missed Alex. I’m Linda,” Linda said. “Um, we can protect ourselves.”

Evergray leaned against his stick and laughed. It devolved into a coughing fit. Squatting down his coughed until he could barely breathe.

Lily and Linda got off their horses. Linda reaching into her saddlebag, pulled out a water.

“Here, take a drink,” she held it out to him when he was breathing again.

Evergray wiped his sweating forehead on his robe. “Thank you. You’re most kind.” He took a sip.

Lily rubbed his back. “What happened to you?”

“I have Pandoria sickness. This is what happens when you spend too much time in Pandoria. Yes, I am a great explorer of Pandoria. So much it’s like a second home. I once longed to be a Soul Rider and weild magic instead of keeping it, protecting it. I studied more of the ancient secrets than any other druid before they kicked me out. And I’ve come to talk to you, tell you what the Druids may not.”

“You aren’t a druid.”

Evergray stood. “I was. They exiled me.”

“Exiled you?” Linda blinked. “For what?”

“Asking too many questions.”

“That’d do it.” Lily stood and brushed off her knees. “They don’t seem the type to like those who ask questions.” She glanced at Linda.

“She always shuts me down.” Linda shrugged.

“Ms. Sunbeam, she’d tell you not to trust me.” Evergray half smiled. “Peh.”

“If you’re exiled. You aren’t supposed to be here.” Lily gestured around. “I mean, exile is just saying ‘eh, you’re someone else’s problem now.’”

Evergray grinned and coughed again. “I have heard tales of a rebellious leader of stable girls who is causing quite a ruckus.” He touched Lily’s chest with the head of his staff.

She cocked her hip. “Have the squirrels been talking? Or the chipmunks?”

“Both. They are great gossips squirrels and chipmunks. They know I’m trustworthy to tell things that might upset the druids. They’re very loyal to you. Made me swear many oaths I wouldn’t harm you in any way.”

Lily had been being sarcastic given she didn’t quite believe the squirrels and chipmunks had enough intelligence to actually spy. But if he was being serious, she had to go along with it now. “Well, you’ve found me, now what?”

“I’d like to show you someplace,” Evergray said. “It’s where I’m going to stay, tucked out of the way, where no one would think to look for me. Would you help me there? I brought some luggage.”

Lily took Evergray and texted the rest of the club she’d met a friend and be a bit late. Linda took his luggage. He directed them through the Mirror Marsh.

He coughed. “I don’t remember it being this tidy.”

“The Bulldogz have been doing trail rides around it and cleaned up the roads. Apparently one of the delivery carts got into a wreck and Bernadette finally saw reason and let them take ropes and at least get the logs out of the road.”

Evergray grunted in approval and coughed again.

They went through the Eastern Expanse. Evergray could see the beach. “What’s going on down there?”

“More counter insurgency against G.E.D.,” Lily explained. “One of our club leaders had the idea to do a charity race event. People get sponsors, and depending on how many races they run, they get money. The money goes to the Dew family to pull them out of foreclosure so they can have their farm back.”

Evergray coughed again. “How out of hand has it gotten around here since I’ve been gone? Leave a place five minutes and it becomes a mess.”

“I don’t know how long you’ve been gone.”

“Take the dirt track above the road,” Evergray instructed and didn’t answer her question. At the top of the track overlooking the hills down to the sea was a campsite. “We can leave my luggage here,” Evergray said. “Yes. This will do nicely. But do continue onwards.”

Alex rode up over the ridge panting. “I’d just met with Justin and you said I need to be here on Soul Rider business.”

“This is Evergray, former druid,” Lily introduced the man on the back of her horse. “He’s going to show us something.”

Whickering, Starshine came over the hill too.

“Ahh, and where are the others?”

“In Pandoria, all three of them,” Alex said grimly.

Evergray nodded. “Continue along the track. You’ll know where we’re going when you see it.”

The trail twisted back and forth with trees and bushes. The rocks close in above them making it dark. They pulled out their cameras for light holding them above their heads.

The trail opened up into a huge dale in the mountains. Above them, a small crack let in light.

To either side of them were four huge statues of horses. They rode through them to where there was a set of steps and on platform in front of those steps broken off rocks of what could have been more hooves.

Evergray jumped off the back of Lily’s horse. “Have a look around,” he said. “This is Guardians Dale, a place of great significance for the Keepers of Aideen. Or should be.”

They dismounted and wandered from statue to statue trying to take them in.

“Are these supposed to be the Soul Horses, the original Starbreeds?” Linda asked snapping pictures. Each of the horses lit up with the purple pink of pandoria with designs on their sides. Designs that were the symbols of the four circles. The star horse had a horn. The one with the sun had wings. The one with lightning bolts had cloven hooves. And lastly, the one with the moon had a beard.

Starshine huffed.

“He doesn’t see the resemblance,” Linda translated.

Lily leaned back to look at the horned horse statue. “I do,” she said.

Starshine struck a pose. Clearly, he was far more handsome.

“Well, this was you back then when you didn’t have so many other horse lines influencing your bloodlines.” Lily gestured. “It’s still you.”

Starshine huffed again and tossed his flowing mane.

Lily went over to the winged horse. “So, this must be Concorde.”

Meteor nodded rapidly.

“Interesting.” She spun on her toe and returned to Evergray. “It’s certainly impressive enough.”

Evergray coughed and eyed her. “You aren’t impressed.”

Lily looked down her nose at him. “You have your reasons.” She shrugged.

“This place is a gateway to Pandoria.” Evergray gestured at the stairway going up and ending in the side of the mountain. “A gate that Aideen can use to enter the final battle with Garnok.”

“Sounds pretty definitive.”

“You need all the Soul Horses, but, as you can see, many years ago the forces of Dark Core destroyed the fifth statue, the horse of Aideen. And now this place has become forgotten, and disregarded by those who haven’t read the ancient histories or know the secrets of the Keepers of Aideen.”

“So, you’re saying it’s not completely useless,” Linda said. She adjusted her glasses and looked around. “It’s awe inspiring. Think of the history.”

“There are other ways to open gates and portals into Pandoria. I would know. I am the one who learned how to seek them out and have travelled many places, many ages, and epochs of that cursed and yet blessed place. I sought a secret so that others could travel Pandoria safely. It was almost in my grasp, but if I return to Pandoria now I would die.” His speech was again punctuated by coughing.

Alex stepped forward. “So, you’re saying if we needed to, we could use this gate to rescue Anne, Lisa, and Concorde.”

“We’d have to know where they are,” Evergray said. “And there is an artifact that the druids wouldn’t hand over to just anyone. I think I know where it is, but, I am missing some of the pieces of the puzzle.”

“Would the Pandoria Codex help?” Linda asked.

Evergray’s eyes widened. “How did?”

“I borrowed it from Fripp. We can make you a copy.” Linda shrugged.

“You would just hand it over to me,” Evergray pointed at his chest with his thumb.

Linda sucked her cheeks in. “You’re the first person who has given us any hope that we could rescue Anne, Lisa, and Concorde. They are in Pandoria and now they’re out of reach of the Weeping Widow.”

Evergray tucked his chin down. “It will be dangerous. There can be consequences. Terrible consequences for Jorvik. The fabric between Pandoria and this world is fragile and tears easily. Rescuing your friends could upset that balance of energy.”

“You came anyways. You gave us this hope.” Linda lifted her chin. “What would you do to save your friends?”

“I find I no longer have many.” Evergray scratched his chin. “If I did, I would travel to any realm they might be in to save them and die by their side if necessary.”

“Any realm?” Lily asked.

“You think Pandoria is the only realm.” Evergray coughed. “How foolish.”

Lily put a hand on his arm. “Thank you, for showing us this place. For giving us hope.”

Evergray coughed. “We still need all four Soul Horses. I only see three. It isn’t much hope.”

“It’s more than we had before,” Linda said firmly.

“Are you sure you don’t want to enjoy the party?”

“I may wander down to see the show,” Evergray said. “But I don’t want the druids to catch wind that I’m here.”

“Understandable,” Alex said and mounted Tin Can.

“We’ll get you a copy of the Pandoria Codex,” Linda added and mounted Meteor.

Lily stared at him. “Could the Star Circle help you with your sickness?”

“They wouldn’t, even if they had the power or knew how,” Evergray said.

“Maybe one day you can lead us to the point where it eluded you and we’ll figure out a cure,” Lily said. She mounted her horse. “Do you need a ride back to the camp site?”

“I’d like to meditate here if you don’t mind. It has been a long time since I’ve been on such a sacred site.”

“Evergray,” Lily paused. “Do you worship Aideen?”

Evergray coughed again. “No. Why would I?”

“I was simply curious. I know nothing of this land. Aideen may have been an extraterrestrial person, but to me, that makes her a person still. Not an infallible being. It would seem she is more like the gods of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, rather than, say, the god of Jews and Christians.”

Evergray tilted his head.

“She can make mistakes,” Lily explained.

“You have been thinking a lot about it,” Evergray said and coughed. “I came to much the same conclusion. Aideen was a person, limited and flawed.”

“But the other druids, ones like Elizabeth, they worship her?”

“Some do, others mostly desire the knowledge that the druids possess.” Evergray shrugged. “But they are not so willing to ask questions.”

“I don’t think Moses or Abraham got as far as they did without asking questions and arguing with god,” Lily said dryly. “It was like god approved.”

Evergray eyed her. “I don’t know of these men or the god of which you speak.”

“Not really important. I don’t think I would be part of a religion or organization where asking questions isn’t allowed. Asking questions is how we learn. Babies and children ask questions and do things because they’re exploring their environment and learning. We aren’t supposed to ever stop learning. Keep asking your questions, Evergray. I’d dearly love to hear the answers one day.” Lily nudged her horse around. “If you can’t ask questions, it sounds more like a cult.”

Evergray stared after her.

“But what do I know, I’m just a stable girl, completely harmless,” Lily called over her shoulder.

Evergray coughed again and snorted.

#star stable #sso #star stable online #fan fic #jorvik reimagined #star stable salt #completely harmless #silverglade reimagined #evergray the honest #at least he's honest #the only honest one so far #Many nods to ruth westside

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