Grimm's Crossing: Ever After

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Arissa watched the older pig speak about the Nothing with a look of confusion until he had finished. Odd... it sounds as if there is something spreading through this land... perhaps it has something to do with the damage that had been done to the book in Isaiah's attack? She looked at the pigs and nodded slowly. "Alright... thank you for the warning, sir. I don't want to get any of you in trouble or anything, so I think we should probably get moving. It was great meeting you all!"

Arissa smiled and waved to the pigs before turning around and walking back up to her companions, losing her more childish mannerisms as she walked away from the pigs, glaring briefly at Yorgi. "Kallisto, this is Yorgi, the man responsible for the pirate invasion on Blackburns Crossing, as well as the spirit that has lived in my blade and plagued my mind ever since. Yorgi, I believe you are already familiar with Kallisto. Something about how you 'like them wild', ja?" Arissa frowned slightly before digging around in her basket, praying for the world for a bottle of fine Carmanthian wine large enough to match the headache she was just saddled with, but finding nothing. Gods, this really is a nightmare.
 
Kallisto's head tilted at Yorgi's first comment, "I don't normally go to bars ... well, I don't. But it seems that may not matter much here..."

Hearing Arissa's comments her mouth hung open slightly, "Er ... wait," she closed her snout as she thought, "wait, if he was in your blade, but is here now ... as a person?" Her ears flattened for a moment as a concerned expression, as much as it could, crossed her wolven face, "Arissa ... I don't hear the axe, in my mind. Did it ... maybe turn into something too? There is something that speaks from it, I had hoped to ... talk to you and Bernard about it."

She attempted to pull herself upright to stand and instead thudded to the ground as her hands had apparently turned into actual paws. A high whine escaped her as she struggled to stand, finding herself instead on four legs instead of two, yet nearly the height of Arissa as she stood. With a low growl she sighed, "Where do we go now...? That ... 'Starlight' place? I have no idea where the others might be but," her head tilted to the side, "something ... makes me think that it's an important place."
 
Edge of the Forest of Rocks:

Yorgi looked from Arissa over to Kallisto and shrugged. "A little less fur would be better," he said before itching the top of his head with the hook that he had for a hand. "Guess we just have all sorts of strange things happening. Glad to know I might meet someone with a sort of kinship of being stuck in a blade."

He started to walk in the direction the pigs had indicated. "Starlight sounds about as good as any other direction since we don't know anything about anywhere." He stops looking back for a moment. A bemused look on his face. "You don't need to be carried do you?"
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On The Road:

As Yelcan takes off, dust is kicked up and things begin to pass them in a blur. He finds himself surprisingly able to keep a steady pace despite the newness of his current form. Muscle memory seemingly having to developed a rhythm already for him to follow. They pass by small lakes, and eventually enter into a small forest that comes before Starlight. Upon the ride a few hours in they eventually come across someone walking slowly forward with a stick who then falls face first into the dirt.
 
Arissa looked at Kallisto curiously, wondering what was so hard to understand about Yorgi before she understood Kallisto’s meaning. She frowned as she thought to herself for a moment. “Gods... I hope not. It is worth mentioning, however, that Yorgi’s soul has been bound to my own in a rather... permanent manner. I would not discount the possibility of your axe’s presence here, but I think that Yorgi’s is a different matter. Still... what is it you had planned to speak of?”

Arissa then watched as Kallisto changed into a four legged form before her, somewhat horrified, before realizing that Kallisto still seemed to be herself. She then turned and glared at Yorgi indignantly at his final comment and spoke to him in a dignified, high pitched voice. “No, I am a proper noblewoman. I do not need to be carried.” She quickly turned and began to stride down the road for a few moments, before turning back and seeing how little progress she had made. She blushed for a moment before coughing. “Perhaps... for the sake of our traveling speed it would be best if someone were to...” Arissa trailed off, unable to finish her sentence but looking to Kallisto pleadingly.
 
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Walking a small circle, it seemed to Kallisto like the less she actively thought about walking, the less she stumbled over herself as she spoke, "The axe is bound to mine as well ... that was my cost, Arissa." She lifted her head from where she'd been looking down at her paws, "I ... spoke to it for a bit about what it even was, and what it wanted to do." Her gaze lowered again, "I asked it about Ialay, and myself ... I worry what it will be used for, and how it may try to use me ... but with it not even near me, I don't know what all we can do about it right now."

As the group started to move she noticed Arissa not easily keeping pace and returned to her side, laying down onto the path, "If it will help, I'm willing -- just please don't kick my sides like a horse." After Arissa hesitantly stepped over Kallisto's back, she stood, feeling the strange weight on her spine, and the tug of fur along her shoulders where the small girl was holding on. Trotting somewhat she came back to where Yorgi was waiting, stumbling a few times as her mind realized how weird it was to be on four legs, leading Arissa to have to rebalance herself as well, only to let a strange sort of muscle memory take over as she continued.

"Hopefully the others are not too changed, and we can recognize them..." Kallisto's tail wagged hesitantly as she glanced over her shoulder to Arissa, "They ... won't attack me, right? If I'm acting as a mount maybe they'll just think I'm some big wolf that's part of ... whatever is going on with you? It was bad enough being a person and considered 'scary', from what those pigs said, it doesn't sound like anyone will consider me as anything but the 'big bad wolf'."
 
Arissa shook her head to Kallisto and held up a small hand. "I am not certain of how your connection with your axe works, but it is not the same sort of bond. It sounds as if yours is a debt to be collected at the end of your life, yet my soul is interwoven with Yorgi's for the duration. When I had drank Phoebe's wine, and could see my wings, and your spirit animals, I could also see the bond between Yorgi and I. With you and the axe... I saw no such connection. Again, I do not mean to discount the possibility, but it is om appels en sinaasappels te vergelijken... Comparing fruits."

Arissa clambered on top of Kallisto, feeling even more useless than ever before in her tiny stature. She looked down to see her legs barely even crossing Kallisto's back. "I could hardly kick you if I tried." She frowned and crossed her arms, pouting for a moment before she caught herself, and tried to shift her position to look more dignified, trying to replicate the riding method Bernard had shown her weeks prior. "Gods... I am not certain if I would be happier to see Bernard at his normal age or my current one. Either way, it was not too great of a challenge for us to recognize each other." Arissa then shook her head at Kallisto as she began to speak of their friends attacking her and rubbed her large head with her small hands. "There's no way that they would attack you... and even if they would I think we would prove to be more than a match." Arissa gave Kallisto a mischievous grin, and for a moment felt a thrill at the thought of fighting before she realized what she was thinking about. She quickly recomposed herself. "Anyways... I pray that will not become an issue for us."
 
Bernard hopped off the horse, offering a hand to the man who had fallen. "Apologies, sir. We're in a hurry to Starlight City to deliver this letter, collect the candy sword, and save everyone from the Nothing." He smiled, "I am Prince Charming, this is my Magical Steed, and our companion... The Doctor. What brings you out this way?"
 
On the Path out of Forest of Rocks:

"It's almost not fair having two Yorgi's on the same side," came Yorgi's response to them having to fight the others. He begins to walk alongside Kallisto and Arissa as they finally catch up. "Who knows what your friends might be here. Hopefully none of them were playing the part of those pigs. I doubt you're lover boy will be able to stay in character upon seeing you so you'll know when you see him."

Yorgi suddenly looks behind him drawing everyone's attention to behind them. Suddenly things begin to rapidly disappear behind them, a wave of grey nothingness proceeding towards them at a rapid pace. "I think that's the signal to run!" shouts Yorgi as he's already tearing down the path as quickly as he can.
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On the Road:

After being helped to his feet once more, it is clear the man has seen some rough days recently. His lips are parched, hair messy and dirty though there appears to be finer cloths worn in tatters. For a second his head seems to swim before him as his eyes then focus in on Prince Charming.

“Ah, thank you kind sir,” croaks the man as he looks down to his hand for a moment. Text seems to swirl amount this man’s hands as the details of his hand seem almost translucent. “What am I out here for…?”

He seems to ask the question of himself, his mind clearly addled. “Ah, I am looking for my daughter. The Nothing consumed our cottage, and I sent her running to her Grandmothers,” says the man gazing off into the distance. He draws back to the conversation again after a moment.

“Sorry, I can’t seem to think quite clearly now a days. My name is Heizan and it is a pleasure to meet you Prince Charming,” says the man offering out a hand to shake Prince Charming’s hand.
 
Yelcan feels the power in his lower body as he gallops along the trail, and is amazed by the speed that everything passes by his face. This is absolutely exhilarating! I could definitely get used to this. I wonder if Peri has ever tried turning into a horse and just went out for a run, it's both exciting and relaxing at the same time. I'm gonna have to let her know when we find her...Gods I hope she is alright.

Yelcan was brought out of his thoughts by the appearance of this man with the walking stick that falls on his face, and he gently slows down to stop beside him. He felt the weight lessen on his horseback as Bernard dismounted, and he let a little sigh of relief out as he did so, the weight of the large man and his full armor was no joke. And yet he was still able to go full speed...Centaurs were certainly very interesting. Yelcan wondered if any of them existed in Mordent or nearby, he would be very curious to meet one.

As Bernard helps the man up, and the man explains his predicament, something he said rang a little bell in Yelcan's mind. Was it his centaur memories that recognized the man? Or was it Yelcan himself? After a few moments of confusion as he tried to decipher his thoughts, he realized what the man had said -- Heizan, that was who Arissa was an heir to! Which meant that this must be Arissa's father! As the realization hit him he couldn't help but gasp and grasp Bernards shoulder. "Bernard, Arissa --" But he saw the recognition already on Bernard's face and he fell silent once again, letting Bernard speak with his father in law.
 
Arissa rolled her eyes at Yorgi. "Bernard is not my 'lover boy', he is my husband, and you had best pray that you have returned to being a sword by the time we find him..." She trailed off as she saw that Yorgi was no longer paying attention, and turned to see what all the fuss was about before staring wide eyed at the thick curtain of nothingness behind them. She clenched onto Kallisto tightly and shrieked, "Run!" as Kallisto began to gallop down the path, quickly passing Yorgi. Arissa chanced a quick glance behind her to make sure that Yorgi was still alive, but had to turn back as she felt herself slipping off of Kallisto's back. She held on with all the might her ten year old body could muster and squeezed her eyes shut until at last Kallisto slowed and came to a stop outside the forest.

Arissa turned and opened her eyes to see that the Nothing had slowed it's progression. For a moment she didn't see any signs of Yorgi until she spotted him stumbling out of the fading woods. She waited for him to catch up, her grip still tight on Kallisto's fur, before it became apparent that the Nothing had ceased moving. "So I suppose that is the Nothing. Probably would be best to avoid that moving forward..." Arissa's grip loosened on Kallisto's back and she patted Kallisto's head. "Thank you, Kallisto. I am certain that I would not have been able to outrun it on my own." Arissa paused for a moment to look around before looking back to her companions. "So... do we just keep moving? I do not wish to be near to this Nothing longer than we must."
 
Bernard shook the mans hand with a smile and a look of surprise on his face, "Heizan, that's a name I had not expected to hear here nor anywhere else. It is good to meet you, Heizan. Where exactly does your mother live, perhaps our paths take us in the same direction? I would love to see you reunited with your daughter." As Bernard asked the question he approached Yelcan, removing a waterskin from the saddle bags and offering it to the man.
 
Hearing Arissa's words drop away, Kallisto turned to look back at her, only to follow her gaze towards the distance, her ears flicking towards the sound of Yorgi making a quick retreat. Between Arissa's shriek and an animal-like panic in Kallisto's chest -- notgoodnotgood -- she dug her claws into the dirt and pushed off as fast as she could, her mind a haze as she felt a familiar growling build in her throat, the pain of Arissa's tightened grip barely registering in her attempt to flee. Thankfully she didn't feel the weight of Arissa disappear, nor hear her hit the ground as she ran -- only stopping once she got out of the forest.

Her head looked around trying to find Yorgi until he finally approached, almost caught by the Nothing. She turned to look at where the forest used to be ... now just a void, almost painful to look at with the disconnect between what her mind told her should be there and what her eyes were reporting. Kallisto gave a small grunt as she felt Arissa pat her head, hardly breathing hard from the run, "I'm just glad I didn't stumble..."

Her tail drooped for a moment, "Does that mean ... all those others are just ... gone now? What if someone we knew was still in there?" She let out a low growl of a sigh, "One way or the other it seems we can only go forward..."
 
On the Road:

Heizan drank deeply of the water before wiping across his mouth and handing the water skin back to Prince Charming. “Heading towards her new home in Starlight in one of the lower districts. I pray that my little red didn’t head to her old house. The Nothing had been spotted around that area.” Says Heizen as he wrings his walking stick for a moment his knuckles momentarily becoming white. “Thank you, but I could not burden you further. Not when you quest to try and stop such large terrors to the land. I believe I will make it there before too long. I just need to hope she arrives before me.”

He briefly points a stick towards Yelcan. "A fine horse...man you have there. He must be more of a companion than a mount I would suspect. I have not seen his kind in a long time." He stared at Yelcan for a moment seeming to take in his form for a moment. Before his eyes fell upon the doctor. "Dr. Rosencrantz. I hadn't expected to see you again considering the Nothing had swallowed up your hamlet overnight."
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Near the Nothing:

Yorgi stops placing hand and hook on his knee for a moment before standing up straight. His breath was deeper but controlled. “If the dead couldn’t catch me, don’t think you’ll be able to so easily,” says Yorgi hawking spit towards the Nothing. It slowly unfolds apart into nothing before it even hits where the ground would be. Yorgi seems defiant of the thing before turning to the others, and briefly hears Kallisto’s wondering about the people in there. “Magic is a blight on the world. For all the good it does, there are things like this that happen. Come on, let’s get moving before it decides to catch its own breathe.”

The trio moves off along the trail setting off for adventure!
 
Prince Charming removed the letter from his pocket, handing it to Yelcan before turning back to Heizan, "Please, Heizan, take my companion and the good Doctor to Starlight. I fear your daughter would never forgive me if something happened to you when I could have prevented it." He looked the man over before nodding. "I will be just behind you. What kind of hero would I be if I did not assist an old man in need."

With a smile he turned to Yelcan, "Take these two to Starlight, deliver the letter and find Heizan's daughter. I will meet you at the library so we can continue our quest for the sword."
 
Yelcan's hooves kicked up small amounts of dirt as he skitters nervously on road, but he takes the letter from Bernard. Once he turns to Yelcan to ask that he take them ahead to Starlight, the Steed in him immediately rebelled, bolstered by Yelcan's own hesitation about leaving Bernard by himself in this strange place. He planted his hooves firmly in the ground, "I don't think that's a good idea Prince. We are in an unknown territory, where there can be many unknown threats. If this were the Crossing's lands I might feel comfortable leaving you alone, but I think your wife would never forgive me if I were to leave you alone and something happened. We should all stay together, and we will all keep Heizan safe together."
 
Bernard thought for a moment, realizing he could feel a familiar, but unknown presence in his mind. Where he was connected to Durendal, Yelcan now occupied that space. "So much for a loyal steed. If dismissing you wouldn't force me to walk these two to Starlight myself, I'd do it." Yelcan hears Bernard's voice in his mind, stern and displeased. "It is my part to be Prince Charming - self sacrificing and the perpetually perfect hero. It is yours to be the Magical Steed. Get these men to Starlight then come back and save me from whatever fresh hell I have unwittingly wandered in to."
 
Yelcan's eyes narrowed at Bernard as he heard his voice in his mind. His temper immediately flared as Bernard had the audacity to speak to him as some lowly servant, but he managed to quell that emotion. With a struggle Yelcan put a smile on his face, "You got it Bernie -- I mean my liege." And with and over exaggerated bow, he knelt a bit to allow Heizan to climb onto his back. Once he straightened up again, he looked at Bernard, his expression cold. "I will acquiesce to your request this time, but it would do you well to remember I am not your stupid horse, and you will watch your tone when you speak to me. I was merely looking out for your safety, as a friend should." There is a brief silence in the telepathic conversation before he adds, "I will be back in a few hours after I drop them in Starlight. Do your best to stay alive until I catch up with you again, I really don't want to have to explain your decision making to Arissa if you die." And Yelcan turned and started galloping in the direction of Starlight.
 
Léone nods at Peter Rabbit's answers, taking a few moments to sort out the new memories appearing in her head. Dragon bones, huh? What could possibly go wrong there? "Alright, I see. Thank you for letting me know, and for bringing this little one to me," she says, chuckling slightly at the sight of pixie Peri whizzing around her head. That was one person down, but how would they meet up with the rest? The only lead they really had was going along with the flow of this "story", whatever it was. "I suppose trying to find this 'Mr. Dark' is as good as a start as ever. Stay safe Peter, and we'll see what we can do to save Starlight."

She glances at the slip of paper and goes to put it away before she remembers that she's still wearing an inconvenient pink frilly dress with no pockets whatsoever. Giving a small sigh she glances back at Peter and chuckles awkwardly and gives a small half-curtsy. "I, uh, guess we'll be on our way now. Just gotta get ready - come on Peri." Tugging at her veil to keep it taut she quickly heads out of the room into the hallway, making sure Peri was still buzzing around her nearby. "Something tells me you're just as disoriented as I am, huh?" she quips, glancing in Peri's direction. "The rest of 'em will kill me if I let anything happen to you, so don't get into too much mischief alright?"

Before walking towards the exit of the tower she flags down a servant and inquires about any sort of traveling gear she could bring with her. A princess would at least have a bag laying around, right? And some equestrian clothes, or something with pants? Either way she tried to make haste towards this quest, knowing that the rest of their friends could be virtually anywhere at this point.
 
City of Starlight:

The steed’s travel is swift along the well-kept road as it rushes towards the town of Starlight. Heizan seems much surprised at the generosity of the party and only puts up modest protests. Upon reaching Starlight the small group can see rising up from the city is a long thin tower at the top where a star seems to sparkle on the tip. It is bright but not so bright as to discourage onlookers to gaze at its beauty. It seems to wreath the area with light. The city walls are white, and clean. Exactly what you might expect from a fantasy kingdom that has seen no hardship of war, and leading you to question why the need for walls to begin with. Four entrances on each side of the city hold lines of people attempting to get into the city and it seems that none are being turned away as the guards motion people in. It is soon that Yelcan, the Doctor, and Heizen are let through the gates with a cursory glance.

Nothing particular happens until the small group is passing where a crowd of people with pitchforks, and torches walks by chanting something over and over. “Kill the witch!” over and over again as they seem to be headed towards a mound and a post, as a girl is dragged along to it. She is younger with brown hair and a white dress that seems to have gotten dirty from the pushing, shoving, and dragging. The guards of the city seem on edge but they do not move to interfere with the current display a going on, instead holding tight to their weapons.

Heizen seems moderately curious at this happening. “Have they actually found a servant of the wicked witch or is this a mob trail?” he wonders to himself from Yelcan’s back. Coming down the street from the opposite of the mob there seems to be a gathering of guards a few blocks down headed in the direction of the mob. “Not sure if we’ll want to stick around to find out.”

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On the Road to Starlight:

Prince Charming is walking along side of the road for a good while before he hears hoof steps coming up from the path behind him. Looking briefly behind him there is a black rider slowly approaching down the road and looks like they will catch up with him shortly. From the distance of about one hundred feet you can see that the figure has bags along the side of his horse, what looks like a greatsword on his back. With his horse being a very dark black, it is clear that they stick out like a stark contrast to the environment around which is much more colorful.

Weary of the dark rider PC keeps an eye out as the rider continues along the trail slowly coming to a walking pace next to him. Before he can fully do so however PC notices the distinct lack of a head, and decorating the horse’s flanks are heads of people seemingly preserved as if they had been freshly severed. A long bone whip seems to be hung from the side of the horse within reach of the rider. The bone seemingly made out of spinal cord. Despite this chilling display the most odd thing about it, is the small feminine arms wrapped around the riders chest. Upon observing the creatures that had approached, PC looks briefly from the headless rider to the girl behind the Dullahan.

The girl’s golden eyes gaze curiously down at PC. She smiles a perfect white teeth smile towards PC a hand brushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. She looks to be somewhere around eighteen years of age. “It has been sometime since we’ve met anyone along this particular route. Even longer still than, Grimm has seen to write us coming upon someone not of here. Do not be afraid of my servant,” she says looking almost lovingly back up at the creature’s shoulder. “He is a man of few words. You must be confused and disoriented here. The rules of this place are unclear.”

The girl chuckles at her own joke before reaching down a hand towards PC. “Take my hand, and I will show you to where you must go.” After some brief hesitation PC reaches up to take the girl’s hand. A moment later there is nothing but the swirl of leaves left behind of where they had been standing.

Somewhere far away in a dark forest new leaves flutter on the wind in front of a small cottage where a large gnarled looking tree grows up larger than the surrounding blackened trees…
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City of Starlight:

Peter nods to the princess. “You would do well to recruit some companions for such a quest, I fear the previous champions may have attempted too much alone,” says Peter before looking to were the Sleeping Princess was moving for. “Good luck.”

As Leone checks with the servants of the tower they are alarmed that the Princess would try to travel in anything less than a regal gown but a brief explination gets them to relent. That or putting one of them to sleep. Some traveling cloths with a cloak is obtained for her and as she steps out onto the clean streets of Starlight she is met with the sensation of false memories coloring her thoughts with excitement at never having really left the tower beyond special occasions.

Before these thoughts can really germinate however, a crowd of guards comes walking by lead by what looks like the Sheriff Mayor Thomas McDuggan Von Brekker. Looking at where the group of fifteen guards are headed they seem to be headed towards a gathering of people at a square down the way. Some sort of distant chanting is going on in that direction.
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Idlethorp:

Traveling along, the road seems to be fairly peaceful, with plains stretching out for awhile with the occasional dotted trees and spots of the land that seem to lead down to small glens. Passing past these you find yourself at the first sign of civilization the group has seen since entering the book. The small town seems to be busy as people mozy about, but there is the underlying tone of desperation despite the outward appearance. "Well isn't this a cozy little town. Think any of your friends are here?" asked Yorgi as they walked through some of the streets. Upon seeing a particular building he motions to it. "Tavern usually has fingers to the pulse of a town, I'm going to stop in there and see if they've seen anyone strange pass through."

Yorgi heads towards the Tavern and a duo of a young boy, and girl seem to watch Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf from a distance. They seem to hold a curious wonder at you two, and appear to be very similar in appearance. The boy raises his hand and curls his fingers in a weak wave to which the girl, presumable his sister turns to him and whispers something in his ear through a cupped hand. He lets his hand fall down to his side.

Meanwhile a familiar face can be seen exiting the tavern as Yorgi passed in. A fully dressed Ialay walks out reaching a hand to a parked horse in front of the tavern running a hand along it's snout before reaching up and with what looked like a practiced motion saddles up onto the horse. She seems to be readying for a trip checking the last few things on her horse as she backs it away from the tavern.
 
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As Yorgi began to walk off to the tavern, Arissa slid off of Kallisto and quickly caught up to him. "Yorgi, wait!" Arissa paused and put her hands behind her back looking down as she shuffled her feet. "Could... could you bring me back a bottle? Please?"

After watching him disappear, Arissa looked around to see the children looking at her, and approached them, adopting a warm smile and giving them a wave. "Hey there! I am Little Red, and I'm on my way to Starlight to see Grandmother! Is there something that I could help you with?" She giggled for a moment. "I hope you aren't afraid of Wolf. She may look scary, but she's a real lieveling." Arissa frowned briefly before the word came to her head. "Sorry, a real sweet heart." She smiled innocently at the two children before her, doing her best to act her part.
 
Idlethorp:

Yorgi shrugs. "Where I come from there isn't an age restriction on such things, if you want to drink than you can drink. Easier that way," says Yorgi as he he stops looking at Arissa for a moment. He grins, "We'll see if I can't swindle some money up to get some booze." He then steps on into the tavern.

The children smile back at Little Red as she approaches. She almost instantly recognizes the boy as the one that had appeared so long ago in the river showing her to his body. "Your grandma-ma?" asks the boy before looking down at your basket and back up to you. "I hope your adult and doggie can make it there. People keep disappearing around here. First they gots letters on them, and then poof!" he makes an hand explosion bringing them together and then violently forcing them apart. When Arissa asks about offering them help the girl shakes her head.

"We don't need any help really, but were curious if you were Little Red. The one that wields a bloody axe against the minions of the Wicked Witch. They say you bite off an adult's hand to use as your magical axe, and that you can kill her minions with it," says the girl looking over Little Red as she speaks with a bit of awe in her voice. It is clear she's heard of Little Red's reputation.

"Yeah, can we see it?" asks the boy looking again to the basket. The girl knocks him on the head with the bottom of her fisted hand before scowling over at him. "It's rude to ask something like that before introducing yourself dumbie," says the girl as she turns back to Arissa. "My name is Jill. This numb skull is Jack."

Jack grumbles for a second. "Ow.... that really hurt." Jill's response is short and curt. "Big baby."
 
Arissa paused as she stared at the boy for a moment, recognizing him as James's brother. How could he be here?!? I had thought that those spirits had been banished by Bernard and Jeremiah's ritual... Did it somehow send them to the book? No... but Godefroy had Paulina... Arissa shook her head, realizing that this storybook world was never going to make complete sense. It sounds as if characters in this town are being unwritten... I pray that cannot happen to myself or my friends.

Arissa's eyes briefly widen at the mention of how she was allegedly some sort of great warrior, and her eyes drifted over to her picnic basket where she knew the hand was kept. Huh. I suppose I have some character research to do then before I can call this a true performance. Arissa smiled to the kids and nodded. "Yeah, that's me! Little Red, bearer of apples and slayer of witches." Arissa gave the two a curtsy. "It's nice to meet you both, Jack and Jill. I'll show you the axe, no problem." She opened the lid to the basket and removed the hand as it quickly transformed into an ivory white battleaxe with a bloody blade, and gave it a practiced flourish as she drew it. She gave the two children a mischievous grin. "So... what else have you heard about me? I am certain it is true."
 
After the distance the trio had traveled, Kallisto eventually stopped paying attention to her motions and just let muscle memory take over. The nose still reported more things than she really cared about, and could hear things shuffling around them, but those weren't important.

When they approached the town, Kallisto kept her gaze down, hoping no one would be too panicked by a giant wolf wandering into town, but movement caught her eye and ... was that Ialay?

She felt Arissa hop down as she watched but ... what could she even say? They didn't have much in common before and now one was human while the other was a wolf. Kallisto gave a long growl of a sigh before padding over to join Arissa, sitting near her and two two children. She couldn't help giving a wolfish grin as she heard the girl mention "biting" off the hand of someone. "I thought 'biting' and wielding axes was more my thing?"

She bowed her head for a moment towards the pair, "Hello Jack and Jill. You seem to know a lot about Ar-- Red. What of me?"
 
Idlethorp:

“Well… They say your the most dangerous kid around, and that you never seem to age. Despite years going by,” says Jill hesitantly for a moment. Jack finishes rubbing his head and soon forgets he was ever hit, with small bump forming at the top of his head. “That’s so cool!”

They both admire the axe for a moment before Jack goes into his pocket. “I got something cool too. Magic beans!” says Jack showing an assortment of different colored beans in his hand. They seem to move and vibrate in his hand. Jill grabs Jack’s hand forcing him to put it back. “Don’t go showing people. They’ll take the beans away dumbie.”

Jack frowns for a moment before shrugging and putting them back into his pocket. As their attention turns to the wolf, they shy away a step, as Ialay goes riding by setting off in the opposite direction of Starlight. “You’re the Big Bad Wolf. The one that blew down piggies houses. Jimmy tried to warn the piggies every time you came around but no one believed him. He just disappeared one day…”

The BBW has faint memories of Jimmy and what the piggies did to Jimmy. It angered you so much back then that you really did blow their houses down like Jimmy. “They say you eat little children… until a hunter fed you nothing but rocks. That stopped you for awhile...until you realized you could just blow the rocks out like cannon balls…” says Jill a bit hesitant. She looked back over to Little Red.

“I heard some people say that your grandma is a witch, who gave you the magic basket you carry around,” says Jill cupping her mouth as if it would keep it secret from the whole world. Jack tilts his head hesitantly to the side inspecting the BBW with a mixture of curiosity and fear. “You don’t really eat kids… Do you?”
 
Kallisto's head tilted for a moment as memories seemed to rise to the surface ... those pigs weren't exactly innocent ... they'd gone after whoever "Jimmy" was because they'd gotten tired of him announcing whenever she was near. Well ... "he" apparently, since even in her memories she apparently was male.

As Jill continued, speaking about her having rocks in her gut, Kallisto placed a paw against her stomach -- she didn't ... think she had any rocks in her stomach? That was ... it made her uncomfortable to think about, until her attention was brought back to Jack as she watched Ialay ride away ... off toward the Nothing it seemed.

She turned to Jack, "People say lots of things, doesn't mean they're true." Shaking her head she continued, "Maybe ... maybe other wolves do, or I did ... in the past, but I don't for sure now. Right now I'm trying to help 'Red' get to her Grandmother." Looking around for a moment she added, "Who ... was the hunter who supposedly fed me rocks?"
 
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