-=Lost Souls Intertwined=-
The sun was slowly beginning to set over the horizon. Whatever light the rolling clouds of gray allowed into Kerning City below was disappearing. Any activity going on in the city was quickly being concluded as people made their way towards their homes. Lights from the windows of skyscrapers came to life, slightly illuminating the approaching darkness covering the urban area. Some people didn’t always sleep in the city.
-=The Fourth Lightbringer=-
Shadow, Amber, Emma, Genya, Lance, Skye, and Grendel the Really Old were now grouped together amidst the townsfolk once more, at the floor of Ellinia. The day was slowly ending, made evident by the fading rays that were now barely poking through the walls of trees. The townsfolk stood together as a large circle, in the middle of which were the twenty taken by the Victorian Oni, along with a silver urn. All bodies were covered in decorative quilts, each bearing a victim’s name. On the urn was etched the name, “Kyle Sage.”
-=Grendel the Really Old=-
The entire island was still in a fairly strong uproar over the emergence of the Victorian Oni, even after the maroon moon girl returned to Kerning City. Though she made a fast run to get there, she was instantly on her knees trying to catch her breath as soon as her feet hit the concrete. Her mind was wracked, her nerves were shot, and her emotions were all but beyond complete control. Tears dotted the ground beneath her as she struggled unsuccessfully against crying. Of all the things that could’ve happened that day, this was something she prayed wouldn’t happen, no matter how certain it really was.
My first day back on MS lasted 7 hours. My second lasted 9 hours, and came with little sleep.
You can just imagine how happy I am to be back.
After months upon months of being gone, I haven’t lost my touch. My bandit ShadowViperX is as strong as ever and then some. In fact, I managed to pull off a feat I’ve never accomplished before. The title says it all; On my first two days of mapling, I gained two levels each day. Considering I’m in the mid-to-high forties, that takes quite a while. In fact, if it wasn’t for the 2x XP event going on for MS’s 2nd birthday, it wouldn’t have happened. Of course, that isn’t the only reason.
-=Sisters of the Forest, Oni of the Island=-
“I’ll never forget today, you know. For the first time in months, you finally said something.”
Emma Raine, 18 years old, had kept this fact in mind all day, ever since she heard 16-year-old Genya Raine verbally give thanks to the bandit who had helped them fend off ribboned pigs. After that moment, the older sister was filled with hope. For a great deal of time, Genya had been so shy and so withdrawn that she never said anything out loud, not even to Emma. Today, however, that had changed, and Emma knew what it was. Even though she didn’t actually see it, she could tell that Shadow had rescued Genya from certain doom, and that more than likely sparked something within the younger sister in a way that, for once in a great while, gave her the courage to open herself up to people.
-=The Third Lightbringer=-
The five elders of the village hidden in darkness sat unmoving in their pentagonal formation as they did every day, breaking it only for meals and sleep. Each and every day, they meditated and contemplated as they waited for their powers to finally recharge themselves. The wait would be a very long one, but the elders didn’t give up hope; they were sure that by the time Shadow Viper finished his quest, they would gain power enough to return him home. In the meantime, they could only listen as Lord Scorpion gave them updates on Shadow’s progress. The elders were content with this, though, as it was better than nothing.
-=Convergence=-
*Amazing. That Dark Lord sure knew a lot, despite the mystery of everything. It really helps to know I have a decent foundation to start investigating with.*
Shadow’s mind was brimming with eagerness, knowing that he’d managed to find the master of ninjas and get a decent grip on the trouble going around Maple World. He still had a long way to go before figuring out the great evil’s identity, but that didn’t faze him in the least. All that mattered to him was getting the quest started right away. He considered options for a moment. Eventually, he reached a decision:
-=Dark Lord=-
Kerning City was a bustling area of urban culture. No other location on Victoria Island left a greater touch of industrialized flavor. All around the people in the city were buildings set at numerous heights, though they all reached well into the sky. In the parts outside the city proper, a few construction areas could be seen, some crudely fashioned into cheap structures. Those areas were usually monster infested with many creatures, including snails, stumps, and green shrooms, along with a unique visitor-the octopus. The skies above, if not infested with gray clouds, held an amazingly beautiful sunrise and sunset, each of which were viewed by many adventurers from high points in the construction zones.
-=Enter Kerning=-
The day had passed slowly since Shadow Viper’s arrival, but like many things good and bad, it was coming to an end. The entirety of L Forest was slowly taking on a darker hue as the bright sun above began it’s downward setting beneath the western horizon. The blue that was the daytime sky was dissipating, giving way to the blackness that was the signaling of night’s arrival. Those who looked up carefully into the sky could make out stars revealing themselves through what remained of the cyan color.
-=Warning Signs=-
The L Forest, as it was called simply by being to the left of Kerning City, wasn’t too different in appearance from the rest of the green, open parts of Victoria Island, despite it’s higher number of trees and a small ruin or two. It was tricky to navigate, however. The floating land masses here were very oddly placed, and in different shapes, forcing a few difficult jumps out of anyone who navigated them. Adventurers were always thankful for the handy ladders and ropes, all of them ideally placed for getting past the somewhat confounding forest.