AN: Oh gosh...it's been a while since I've written anything for DF so I hope it's okay...Hope I haven't gotten TOO rusty...it really has been a while. So hey, hi, welcome to this story, hope you like it and yadda yadda yadda...I don't own DragonFable, obviously, and all I own are my characters.
This is really just a prologue so not a lot of action happens here. I'm just introducing my characters. You can ignore the italicized paragraph, BTW. That's just a boring lecture...
Ya know, I'm sure we've all heard the fairytales of heroes saving princesses or something of the sort. Really now, if I wanted to, I can recite the tale of the great hero who slew a dragon and married a princess then lived happily ever after. Well, I'm here to tell the story of the great hero who put an end to the Great Eclipse of the sun eating dragon. You know what's funny about this story though? The hero, the poor little hero, did almost every act of heroism she ever did completely by accident. Laughing? I'm not. How can I be so sure almost everything was an accident? Well...considering that I AM the hero who did all of this, I'd say there's a fairly large chance of me knowing what I'm talking about.
It all started one sweaty morning in my house, when my mama was teaching me about the properties of brightstone...
"Brightstone is a crystalline mineral harvested from magically rich areas such as elemental hideouts. However, brightstone can also form when a combination of earthcrystal, glowdust and coal is kept compressed with continuously applied Light magic. This particular mineral is well known among the common folk for its ability to glow in the dark and is often used in substitute of lanterns in times of need. In potionmaking circles, this crystal is also known for its ability to purge and counteract most dark-empowered curses, diseases and spells. Magically speaking..."
The strange thing about this afternoon is that even though my mama's been talking on and on about the properties of brightstone, even gesturing at her two samples, one formed naturally, the other formed synthetically, with her dagger, I just can't find myself focusing on her lecture. It's not as if I'm not TRYING to listen...it's just that I can't help but not listening. I mean...I know what she's talking about...I'm noting everything down in my head...but I just can't focus myself completely today. It's one of THOSE days. Seriously annoying.
"This stone, when crushed and mixed with a few handfuls of DOOMDirt, is known to render some of deadliest poisons null and void. This is because the conflicting magical energies given off by these two substances, when used correctly, can..."
...I spy with my little eye, a beetle crawling at the doorway. Without meaning to, I sigh. I immediately sense my mother doing the same
"Great...she's asleep."
"No I'm NOT!" I immediately snap back, raising my head slightly. Mama just looks at me with her 'Are you sure?' stare and I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Then tell me, who made the brightstone-DOOMdirt solution? The one that worked as an antidote for most poisons?"
"The alchemist Alac." I snap back. She smiles sweetly at me. Crap. I must've gotten it wrong.
"Well...correct..." she sees my surprised glance. "Technically. She is now named Alina. Alina Poisonbane, by decree of the Royal Alchemical Society. Maybe if you listened to me yammering earlier, you would've gotten it exactly correct." She smiles again. I frown. Damn.
This isn't turning out to be one of our best sessions. Mother, you see, is an official, royal alchemist. Me? I wanna be officially part of the Royal Alchemical Society. Technically, I already am (seeing as doing any kind of alchemy makes you an automatic member), but I wanna be a recognized one. Sadly enough, my ma's too busy to teach me on a regular basis, leaving me to study books and do minor experiments in her absence. Which is about 75% of the week, if I'm lucky. My pap's an adventurer so it's a given that he's out of the house most of the time. Sometimes, he brings me along to help with getting ingredients for mama's potions. If I'm lucky, which I'm usually not, this'll happen once every two weeks.
I sigh again. "Sorry ma...I just can't focus today...I don't even know why..."
Ma gives me one look and softens, just slightly. She puts away the brightstone samples back in the supply box then stuffed it underneath our usual study desk. Then, maybe a bit more violently than usual, she yanks out a stool and sits next to me.
"I think I know why." she says quietly. I look at her, one brow raised. "You've been getting all cooped up, sitting around in the house all day, doing nothing but research about alchemy. And you're at the age where you'd be legally allowed to train as a hero. That's no fun."
I frown at her. "Mother, I told you. I have no intentions on becoming an adventurer. All I want is to be an alchemist. Like you. A royal alchemist." I specify, seeing that ma was going to tell me the usual 'aren't you already an alchemist?' answer. I hate it when she does that. "It's just one of THESE days again."
"Which is why I think you need to get out of the house more often." she tells me with a firm nod.
"Mama, I-"
She gives me a look and I shut up. "Dear, are you ready to listen now?" I nod. "Okay then. You see, I'm running low on white everblooms and I want you to get some for me."
I nod, considering the idea. Picking up some reagents isn't really that bad. It might even be fun, seeing as me and pap haven't really done anything together in a while. "Where'll I get them?" I ask, knowing that location DOES matter when talking about reagents. "Do you want the type that grows in the marshes?"
She shakes her head. "I find that Oaklore's variety best for what I need. I'd like it if you go off to Oaklore and get some for me. They grow in the forest right next to the keep so you shouldn't worry about monster attacks too much. Besides." she adds with a grin, "Oaklore forest is a beautiful place."
"Okay... is papa coming with me?" I ask as an afterthought. I've never been out to gather reagents on my own before, even in safe areas like Oaklore. Papa, who's an adventurer though not as active as some, always accompanies me. The way she said those words sorta implied that I would go alone...
"No. Your father and I have some things to discuss."
My jaw drops. My hands fall slack. I stare, unblinkingly at my parents for a few seconds before managing a somewhat strangled 'what?'
Ma, for the first time since we started this conversation, looks firm. "I said, you're going to Oaklore forest to gather some white everblooms for me while your father and I discuss some very important topics."
I finally find my voice after what must've been ten minutes of jawdropped staring. "But...but mother?!" I plead, "I've never even BEEN to the borders of Swordhaven by myself. What if I get attacked by monsters?"
She sighs, giving my father, who had been sitting on an armchair a few feet away from our study desk, an exasperated stare. Without meaning to, I copy her, staring at my papi as pleadingly as I can.
Papa, who's just sitting there, reading the newspaper, looks amused but he doesn't respond to my trump card, my sparkly eyes technique. I discovered that if I opened my eyes up real wide, my eyes kinda...sparkled. More often than not, one hit with a sparkly hazel-gold-ish eyed stare from a petite, child-like female brings people to their knees, cowering and submissive.
Not to mention, squealing. No one should ever forget the squealing: "That is just SOOOO CUTE!".
Yeah. I'm evil.
Strangely enough, this never seemed to work with my parents. Sad.
"But MOTHER!" I whine (probably looking really stupid). "Why on Lore do I have to do this ALONE!? I'm no fighter and the forests of Oaklore are filled with deadly stuff!"
One eyebrow is raised in response. Crap. Things just got serious. "Like what?"
Crap again. I don't know much about the monsters in Oaklore.
"Like...like sneevils!" my voice dies down as soon as I realize what I just said. I sneak a glance at Papi. He's just barely restraining his laughter. I look at Mam. She looks dead serious.
"Dear, as much as I agree with you on the dangers of you going alone, I would've never thought that you were scared of sneevils, considering that you wanted to keep one as a pet when you were five years old."
I huff again, this time without as much fire in my voice. "They're dangerous in groups..."
I can sense Mam smirking.
"I seem to recall you running up to three of them, grabbing them then trying to take them back to the house." she says softly. Without looking, I know that my pa can't take it anymore. He laughs uncontrollably, trying, unsuccessfully, to muffle his laughter with his shirt sleeve. Ma looks triumphant and I immediately know that nothing I say will ever convince them to change their minds.
"What about gorillaphants?" I ask desperately, trying to avoid the inevitable conclusion of my own loss.
This DOES make Ma stop for a second though. Pa stops laughing. Hope bubbled up in my chest. Lords...please?
Then, as always, Mother decides to burst my bubble. "Dear...I know that gorillaphants are dangerous but considering that the everblooms I need grow right next to the Keep, you could just yell for one of the knights to help you. Besides, the chances of you getting attacked by a gorillaphant are seriously slim. They only attack when provoked, you know."
...I can feel that Pa's agreeing with her.
"Bandits?"
She rolls her eyes at me. "You're gonna be right next to the Keep, in a bright part of the forest, the one by Sir Noob's cliff. No idiot would be stupid enough to try to rob you when you're in THAT part of the forest."
Pause. Blink blink.
"Are you sure about that?" I ask, a little more wryly than I expected my voice to be.
"Very sure." This time, it's my Pa who answers, setting down his newspaper. I stare at him a little. He stares back with enough coolness to make an ice elemental seriously jealous. "Even a brainless fool wouldn't dare to attack someone THAT close to the Keep."
Even I, with the stubbornness to rival my father's, know defeat when I see it.
And, as usual, Mother dearest senses that I see defeat.
"Best you go prepare for your trip, Greta. I've called for a gryphon to pick you up in twenty minutes so it's best that you get into your travelling clothes."
I comply, though it's EXTREMELY obvious that I'd rather lock myself in my own small, dark, potion-smelly room than go out in this beautiful, sunshiningly spectacular day to pick flowers in Oaklore forest, in the area that overlooked an incredible view...
Hmm...
Maybe I'm overreacting a little. It's not as if Oaklore's THAT far off from Swordhaven, which is where I live, by the way. On foot, it's barely over two hours' walk. And since it looks like Ma was kind enough to call a gryphon for me, it'll take me like...what, twenty, thirty minutes? ...to get to the Keep. Plus, it means that I could visit some of my old friends there, assuming that Sir Junn and the others are still around. I could even pick out some reagents for my own experiments (ma's banned me from her private stock...hmph...wow, why am I acting like a brat?).
It's because of this that I got dressed quicker than I usually would. For most part, the new clothes weren't really that fancy, just a simple, but sturdy brown leather vest over a clean tunic and trousers, along with some soft leather boots. Still, my mama told me that she got THIS particular set to be charmed for travel so I stick with them. Plus...they're really comfy...
I, however, failed utterly in my attempts to bring my hair under control.
I stare desolately at the mirror on my dresser, willing my hair to tie itself.
As if on cue, I hear a knock on my door.
"Greta? It's me! May I come in?" It's mam. Sometimes I wonder if she can sense my bad hair days...
Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door, holding out a brush and comb. I knew it. She probably sensed it too... "Want me to fix your hair?" she offers, holding out her brush. In Ma-Speak, this means 'Let's talk' so I nod. Plus, she's much better at fixing hair than I am.
Staring in the mirror, I watch my ma as she begin brushing back my hair with a slightly wet comb, a small handful of hair ties wound around her wrist. She frowns slightly as she tugs on the more insistent tangles before brushing back a lock of her own shorter, neater looking black hair, a far cry from my own vibrant auburn. To be honest, there aren't a lot of similarities between the two of us. My hair, as I've mentioned before, is long and auburn, like my pap's, while hers is short and black. And while hers is a bit thin and wavy, mine is thick and straight. And then there's the eyes. Hers are an obvious gold, an uncommon color for pure humans but she was born with them. Hers sparkle brightly, like a polished version of my grandma's eyes. Mine? Mine are a shade smack dab in the middle of my papa's hazel and her gold, a color I've never been able to name, a color that shifts between the two but stay the strange shade they are in normal lighting. To be honest, I'm not sure WHAT to make of my eyes. They ARE shaped like my father's though, sorta round-ish. I look a lot like my pa...with a few of my ma's faical features here and there...the result? A skinny, acne ridden, short, bad-tempered female with serious issues. Wow. My parents must be SO proud of me.
By the time I've finished my internal monologue, Ma's already finished doing my hair, having twisted my hair in a neat and practical bun, like princess coils. Ma takes one look at me then smiles.
"You look lovely."
I grunt in response. "I don't look horrible." Which is true. While I may not look particularly pretty, I don't look THAT hideous.
She frowns, brushing a stray auburn lock past my ear. "Dear...don't think like that. Be proud of yourself...are you ready for your trip?"
I nod. "Yep. Got my potion satchel all ready."
"Your dagger? Do you still remember what I taught you?"
I nod again. Ya see, my Ma used to be a hero herself, a rogue. She didn't become particularly powerful but she DID pick up a few tricks on the road. She may have retired not too many levels after eighteen but she knew enough to pass on a few knife tricks to me. I pat the dagger hanging on its sheath around my waist and she gives me a nod of approval. It wouldn't be enough to stop a full blown monster attack though...
"You're all set then. Here." she hands over a small chest, about the size of my head. She sets it on my dresser then opens it, revealing a tightly sealed vial, about as big as a normal Health Potion's, filled with bright orange liquid nestled in layers of cloth so that the vial wouldn't break. I give her an inquiring stare and she begins talking again.
"This is Fedalairn potion. This is what I need the everblooms for. The freshest everblooms work wonders with this stuff." She smiles at me for a few seconds, while I stare at the vial, before she frowns again. "Be careful in handling it, though. It's ridiculously volatile."
I immediately recoil, looking at the vial like it wanted to bite me. Which it COULD, if it was the right potion. "Volatile as in it evaporates really quickly or volatile like explosive?" I ask, looking suspiciously at the potion. She laughs.
"Until the everblooms are added in, this stuff is perfectly harmless." she assures me, and I relax. Slightly. I've had way too many experiences with potions exploding in my face to just relax completely like that... "When they are, though, the potion is explosive."
I stiffen. "Should I be worried?"
She gives me a wry smile. "Well...it's only really dangerous if you shake it a lot. It's a bit corrosive too so wear your gloves. Relaaax." she adds hastily, seeing my expression get more worried by the second. "Your gloves are made from earth dragon scales, they can handle some minor potion stains. Besides, you ARE wearing the travelling gear I bought you right? The charms there should be strong enough to handle this stuff."
"What IS Fedalaim potion for anyways?" I ask, slipping on my gloves as I do so.
She shrugs. "It's used in making Fire-charmed weaponry. It helps in making the Fire-magic...stick to the weapon better."
"I thought you said this stuff was corrosive."
"I said 'a bit'."
She's actually smirking at me. I have to smile, at least a little. "What about lunch?"
She hands me a scroll which I read. "'By requirement of the Royal Alchemical Society, the bearer of this missive is..." my voice trails off.
"What?" Ma's smile grows and I stare at the contents of the scroll with disbelief. She used her seals and wax and everything, her own personal crest stamped below the seal of the Royal Alchemical Society, complete with a signature from Llykar Stonebridge, head of the Society, and my Ma's own signature. I can't believe it...
"Mother...are you using your position in the Society to get me a free meal?" I ask suspiciously. Mother bats her eyes innocently at me, looking far too innocent to be innocent. Rogues...you've been one once, you stay one for the rest of your life...
"We-ell." she almost sang. "This is technically a real mission for you so you really are entitled to a note of reference...plus...I really DO need some Fedalaim potion...so...I'm not abusing my position. Nope. I'm definitely staying within the guidelines."
"MAMA!" I can't help but laugh. She grins back, the mischievous expression making her look YEARS younger.
Honestly. Now that I think about it though, this quest isn't really bad. It isn't bad at all, actually. I get to go out in the sunshine, go to Oaklore on gryphon and get a free meal at the Keep's mess hall (Sir Loin's cakes are famous around Swordhaven). All of that just for picking some flowers and mixing them in a bottle of potion. I mean, sure the potion could explode if I jog it around too much but NOT jogging it should be easier than jogging it, right? If I think about it, nothing can really go wrong today right?
It is with these kinds of thoughts that I clamber up on the gryphon's saddle, it arrived just as I got out of the house, and start saying goodbye to my parents, the box with the potion kept inside the saddlebags.
Papa looks cheerful. "Good luck Greta!"
Mama looks a bit more playful as I wave goodbye. "Come back by dinner, young lady! If you don't, then I'll swear to hunt you down Elsa Margrete Eiram..."
I start laughing just as the gryphon takes flight, taking two bounding leaps before launching himself into the sky with a slight squawk of satisfaction.
There, I take a deep breath and smile to myself. This really is a soft assignment. This can't even be called a quest, for crying out loud. This is more like a small holiday. Nothing can go wrong with a quest THIS soft, right?
Right?
Years later did I find out how stupid it was to think such Fate-provoking thoughts.
AN: Is it okay? CC is accepted here so don't hesitate to blurt out your thoughts on this. Just don't flame. That's rude. This chapter is fairly uneventful but I promise that the next one will have some action...and Greta panicking...heheh...hope she didn't turn out to be too much of a brat...or -God forbid!- a Mary Sue. If there ever comes a time where Greta starts acting Sue-ish, tell me immediately and I will slap her with a giant, smelly fish. Fun fact: the stuff about the Royal Alchemical Society and Alac/Alina Poisonbane is actual game stuff. Design notes stuff but still...that counts right? This'll follow DF's chapter/book one, BTW and I promise to try and update at least once a month...(I have school. Blame them) or maybe every two weeks...if I'm lucky...
I wonder if anyone saw the reference in Greta's full name (Elsa Margrete Eiram).
And that's the end of my rambling, hope you liked it. Review if you want. CC if you please. Flame if you want your throat ripped out.
(PS: If anyone can give me an idea for a better title and summary, I'll give everyone invisible, intangible, internet cookies.)