Nari-Lanreth

The crunch of snow beneath her boots was welcoming on the crisp air. It had been some time since Nari had visited the winter wonderland that was floor four. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp cold, almost as much as the fox on her shoulders. Nari knew that although their home on floor twenty seven was enjoyable, Yuki didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the winter floor that she had come from. Each visit here seemed to instil more longing in the fox, and once again Nari considered selling the estate. It had been on her mind more and more frequently lately. The whisper of a voice would pu

The return to Demeter was far quicker than Nari had expected – and although she had managed to scrounge up another mighty find of materials and col, she hadn’t managed to locate the piece she truly desired. The goddess herself seemed almost excitable as Nari placed the collection of gems on the table before her, holding up each to show the light that glimmered through, before placing them in the order of the rainbow. As she stepped aside, the light shone in such a way that the colours spilled across the table. “I see that you figured out my unspoken problem.” The woman spoke with a s

“Well, that was…an experience. At least I found you.” She beamed a smile at the woman who had led her to the island to begin with. It had been hours since she had found the last gem, and although the night sky had still remained dark, Nari felt like morning was slowly coming on. Or perhaps she was just exhausted. Either way, she was glad to have found a familiar face. “Ah, you return. Have you completed the quest provided to you, then?” Welcoming and emotional as always, these NPCs. Nari forced back the scowl, instead smiling at the woman in a way that bespoke of less than happy emotions

“Ha!” Her exclamation would have disturbed the birds in the trees, had there been any to begin with. Holding up the most recent gem she had discovered – a translucent piece, with an orange and yellow core – she felt almost proud of her success. She had continued right into the dark, scrounging around in the garden for the gems that she knew would bring her success. As the final one had fallen into her hand – literally, having fallen out of a tree as she passed underneath it – she had felt the conclusion come. With this last piece, she had a collection of six gems that had created a varyin

“Well now, what is this…?” Her curiosity was peaked as she saw the colours – a combination of silver, blue and green – splaying across the ground. She cocked her head in confusion, shifting the gem a bit to see if it was simply a trick of the ground itself. The beams of light seemed to follow, and Nari felt herself growing more unsure as she continued playing with it. “What in the nine hells…” A sudden thought came to her, and she pulled some of the other gems from her pocket, holding them up to the light and testing their deflections. Most gave off no sign of similar effects, but one – a

Her afternoon slowly faded away, her search becoming more and more erratic as she found numerous different gems – some of a blood red colouring, others of a greenish colour that reminded her of emeralds, and one that seemed to be a golden exterior with a centre of bronze. Yet, she still hadn’t found the single gem she had searched for. Her path had brought her to the waterside as she had anticipated, not long after she’d had the thought itself. She’d followed the coast for a while, before making her way back towards the interior, her search along the coast itself having been relatively fr

The first stone she had found that was anything beyond standard rock, was a small gemstone of a varying blue and silver colouring. She had spent some time staring at it, wondering if she had somehow come across exactly what she needed. The longer she stared, however, the more certain she was that this was nothing more than a common piece, not one that would appease a goddess. Deciding to pocket it for the moment, she carried on through the garden, keeping an eye out for the gemstone in question, as well as anything of value that could be found upon her path. Her wandering taking her furth

Wandering back into the dining room with what she had needed, Nari came to as a stop as she noticed the cat, currently surrounded by curtain, being stood over by Cleo. Cocking her head, she beamed a smile before calling out. “You know, I think he’s right. This place was a little too enclosed. Opening the curtains is definitely an idea.” She wandered over to the far wall, before bringing up her menu. From it she called forth the pieces she had collected from the forge – a few armour stands, some helmets and a couple of pieces of plate armour that she had meant to find a way to dispose of.

Her search continued for some time, the path leading her ever onwards into the underbrush. At points she was forced to crawl, before being able to stand again. She wasn’t sure quite how long had elapsed, but she eventually found herself needing a break. A small clearing had provided the perfect place to sit and relax, to consider her options. She only had a minor bit of information to go on – and although she’d managed to find a veritable amount of stones, none had been anything beyond the grey of common rock. Her eyes drifted across the area around her, wondering what the goddess had her

Her brow furrowed inwards as she considered the challenge, wondering how she was supposed to find a stone that could only be found by those who desired it, when she had never had more than a simple description of it. Throwing her caution to the wind, she decided to ask the goddess – not truly expecting to get any results from the question, but realising that it never hurt to try. Usually. “And how, exactly, does one desire something that they’ve never laid eyes on before?” Her voice was emotionless, not tone of anger, frustration or disapproval – and yet the question itself seemed harsh t

The goddess almost immediately launched into a monologue. Nari listened attentively, as the goddess explained her purpose here. The words, to Nari at least, had an almost pre-designed manner to them; as if the NPC had pre-written them and was reading them from a paper. “You see, I have lost a gemstone that was precious to me, one that I truly desire returned – if only for the purpose of being able to display it again. It is a rare piece, designed of natural stone, but with a shifting of colours that seem to glimmer and morph with the very light that plays upon it. One would recognise it a

Their final few steps brought them to what appeared to be a small luncheon setup, a table and chairs made of stonework laid out in the centre of a miniature stone pad. The garden seemed to halt at the edge of the pad, providing an area of openness to the individual sitting in the centre of it all. Laid out along a bench of stone, Nari could only assume was the goddess Demeter. She had to admit there was a beauty to the being, although Nari herself oddly felt no attraction towards her. She did, however, realise that a greeting was required of her, and so she stepped forward and bowed her h

Her first success on the island found her almost falling behind again. Cursing herself, she collected the goods and made her way after the guide, quickly catching up – and hoping that her delay wasn’t noticed once more. ‘Even if it was, this find was well worth a bit of anger.’ The pathway took a turn, wrapping around towards a direction away from where they had entered the island – a direction that Nari had no concept of. She pondered that conundrum, wondering if it would cause problems in the near future. ‘A problem for another time, I guess. There doesn’t seem to be anything dangerous

As she fell further and further behind, the guide called back towards her. The tone held a measure of respect, but there was an edge to it that noted that she wasn’t pleased. “We are already delayed, I would recommend perhaps not delaying further. Demeter isn’t one known for immeasurable patience.” Nari bowed her head in response, muttering a few apologies as she disengaged herself from the bushes she had been searching in – relatively fruitlessly at this point. Making her way up to the guide, she continued to follow her dutifully, casting her eyes across the bushes and areas they passed,

Realising she was within a garden – one that reminded her of a less tamed version of Nemo’s own – she considered if it would be rude to search for anything of value. Deciding to risk the wrath of her guide, she posed the question aloud. “I realise this is…a sacred place, but I was wondering if it was acceptable to search for goods that could help in the…uh…mortal realm?” The guide turned to look at her, a pleasant smile upon her face. “You may look and take anything of desire, so long as you do not disturb the sacred beauty that is found on the Land of Hesperides. Tread with care.” T

The shoreline slowly appeared in Nari’s vision, and sooner than she had anticipated the guide was motioning her to exit the water based craft. Shakily, her legs giving way to the uncomfortable position she was in, she stepped from the boat onto solid land. A quick cast gaze over the area, and she realised she was in some equivalent to a natural beauty, a garden allowed to be free of human control. She could see bushes of varies berries and flowers, trees that held fruits, assorted edibles, and colours that were both vibrant and nearly overwhelming. “This way, if you please.” The woma

She watched the powerful swing as Ruler strode forward, unleashing the attack in a blaze of light. Nari squinted to avoid the effects on her eyes, almost missing the follow up from Sewallus. The NPC swung, but his strike failed to connect with the Monkey King. ‘All right, this is getting a bit ridiculous. This should be over by now.’ A grit of her teeth as she realised just how long this entire endeavour was taking. She couldn’t blame Ruler at all – but she herself should’ve been able to do more. She was just considering her options when their opponent attempted to slam its fists int

She heard the question, but for a time couldn’t think of an answer. It meant providing a truth beyond the depths of truth she was used to bringing forth. Even for her, it was something she often avoided. Instead, she found her gaze trailing to the crepe stall. Something familiar, something that reminded her of home, in a sense. “Do you think they have real maple syrup?” The question was whispered, her thoughts still trailing on the answers she didn’t want to give, desperately trying to strike away from the queries. Anything but that, would be preferred. “Not like the corn syrup you find e

“Is that a bad thing?” She wondered if she was being too overbearing, pushing too hard. She’d heard the return commentary, the flirtatious tones in NIGHT’s own voice. But it had only made her more confused, more unsure. “Am I…too obvious? I can…I can step back a bit…” She took a half step away, waiting to see how the girl would react. She didn’t enjoy the disconnect, unable to break the connection between their hands quite yet. Somehow, she felt colder, as if there had been a change in the actual environment. It brought a shiver up her spine, something she was sure the other would notice

She watched as Cleo went running after the small feline, chasing it down in what would likely be a comical scene, if it weren’t for the fact that the cat was very clearly in control of the situation. Sighing, she made her way after the pair, thankful again that Yuki had never displayed a rebellious side. “And if you even think about it, you’re sleeping in the kitchen for a week…” Gaining pace beside Cleo again, she’ll lead the other up to the teleporter platform, before activating it and transporting the two of them – and their familiars – to floor twenty seven. The perpetual darkness was

“Around here…? No, unfortunately nothing comes to mind around here. I just trained Yuki…well, in my forge the first time, and then at Oji’s – a friend’s house.” She paused to consider her options. The estate had more than enough room in it, seeing as a number of the rooms were still empty. “If you wanted, we could use my place? I’ve got some unfurnished areas that would make a decent training hall, if nothing else. Large enough to encompass what we need.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned and made her way out of the little café. She paused outside the doorway, waiting for Cleo to

“No, I just have a you fetish. I can stop if you want me to?” She paused her fingers for two steps before continuing her tracing pattern between NIGHT’s shoulder blades. She had no intention of stopping, unless specifically requested to do so. Which, she hadn’t been, as of yet. “The eleventh sounds fine. Not sure I’ve ever been there before, either.” She cocked her head, looking at NIGHT’s face from the side. She enjoyed this view, and took a moment to bask in it as the girl tried desperately to ignore her touch. “You’re always taking me to new places.” They reached the teleporter pa