A Strange Discovery in the Night
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:45 am
Ajax couldn't sleep the night of the 16th. It was late at night, and the rain was pouring down hard. He decided to get up from his comfortable bed and take his mind off things. It had been 3 months since his daughter had left on a research project and he and his wife hadn't heard any news since then. Ajax knew that Avatar Isle was a dangerous spot for his 24 year old daughter to research plant species but surely she could take care of herself. He taught her the basic magic and combat skills, she should have no problems. Still, as he walk around his damp house in Jhelom, he felt uneasy.
He looked back at his sleeping wife and smiled weakly. He always reminisced about his wife and daughter sharing stories about the strange creatures around Sosaria. On this particular night, he felt like he missed her more-so than usual. Ajax walked towards the dining table and began pouring a bit of ale into a mug. Suddenly, the door to his home creaked open and the sound of thunder outside boomed into the silent home, causing him to miss the ceramic mug he was pouring into. Ajax turned around, slyly taking a knife from the table and placing it out of view.
"Who goes there?" he said in a strong voice.
This late in the hour? Only a brigand would dare enter uninvited on a night like this.
"You better put that knife back where you found it, or mother will have your hand" said a familiar voice. Soaking wet, Ajax's daughter Lydia removed the hood from her head. Ajax stood frozen in place, stunned to be seeing his daughter so suddenly after many months with no word from her.
"It's nice to see you too" Lydia quipped sarcastically at her father's shocked facial expression. Lydia quietly closed the door, as to not wake up anyone who may have been sleeping.
"Lydia! You've returned from your research! We were worried about you when you were at Avatar Isle" said Ajax as he pulled up a chair for his daughter to rest her feet.
"You needn't worry about me so much father, I am a grown woman now" said Lydia as she squeezed water from her soaked cloak before taking a seat next to her father.
"My research was excellent. I discovered a few new plant species and brought them back with me. They will certainly help combined with your knowledge of Sosarian flora."
"Excellent! The whole town's been asking about you and your research. They are very proud of your continued determination to find uses for exotic creatures and plants." Ajax said as he offered her a loaf of bread to eat.
Lydia devoured the bread almost instantly. The voyage back home was a long and tiring one.
"Didn't know I was such a celebrity. Guess it helps to follow in the footsteps of the town's most renowned herbalist".
Lydia began emptying her pack of items. Several sprigs of unusual plants fell to the table, along with a beat up old journal and several quills.
"Did you find the island dangerous at all?" Ajax inquired.
"Well, I did get attacked a few times but nothing I couldn't handle. I stayed far away from any daemons." Lydia muffled from inside her bag. She was searching for something to show her father. Lydia pulled out a bottle with a gelatinous substance in it. She swirled it around in the bottle and placed it before her father.
"Some kind of tree sap?" Her father asked puzzled.
"Nope, try again" Lydia teased.
Ajax pulled the cork from the bottle and took a whiff. His face curled, intrigued.
"It smells like some kind of pulverized plant material" he said, passing the bottle back to his daughter.
"Wrong again. You wouldn't believe where it came from." Lydia said.
Lydia smiled at her father's defeat. Ajax knew so much about the flora and fauna of Sosaria but he could not pinpoint where the strange liquid had come from. 'The pupil has finally become the master' thought Lydia.
"It's a pigmented blood father. It came from a strange acidic species of slime. I've been studying them the last month or so but they appear to be pretty rare. I have searched through my books and haven't found any mention of this particular species"
The rain tapped loudly on the roof of the home. Candles flicked gently in the night, illuminating the exotic colors of the liquid in the glass bottle.
Lydia handed an object to her father and Ajax opened up his hands to receive it. He immediately recognized it as the dagger he had given to Lydia before she left. It was emblazoned with the family crest, a serpent and a sword. Ajax had received it while he was in the britannia guard. He observed it carefully and noticed that the blade was no longer a clean silver, but an exotic fire orange color.
"How did this happen Lydia? The blade used to be silver" Ajax asked, his eyebrows shifting as he continued to analyze it.
"The slime's blood, it can dye things just like any other pigment. It's incredible! If these slimes exist on Avatar isle, they likely exist in other places around Brittania. I'm willing to wager that they exist in other facets as well".
Lydia retrieved the dagger from her father and began collecting her stuff back into its bag. A horse whinnied outside the house.
"I should bring Silvanna inside tonight. You should get some rest Lydia. Your bed is all prepared." said Ajax.
Ajax got up from his chair and kissed his daughter on her forehead.
"We missed you here. Glad you're home now" he said as he opened the door and went outside to tend to Lydia's horse. Lydia's face grew warm at the thought of being back home with her family. She returned to the bottle of slime and swirled it in its bottle once more, examining it near the candle's flame.
"I hope I can get more research on this species. Imagine all the exotic colors we could find!"
Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:5535, old post ID:34621
He looked back at his sleeping wife and smiled weakly. He always reminisced about his wife and daughter sharing stories about the strange creatures around Sosaria. On this particular night, he felt like he missed her more-so than usual. Ajax walked towards the dining table and began pouring a bit of ale into a mug. Suddenly, the door to his home creaked open and the sound of thunder outside boomed into the silent home, causing him to miss the ceramic mug he was pouring into. Ajax turned around, slyly taking a knife from the table and placing it out of view.
"Who goes there?" he said in a strong voice.
This late in the hour? Only a brigand would dare enter uninvited on a night like this.
"You better put that knife back where you found it, or mother will have your hand" said a familiar voice. Soaking wet, Ajax's daughter Lydia removed the hood from her head. Ajax stood frozen in place, stunned to be seeing his daughter so suddenly after many months with no word from her.
"It's nice to see you too" Lydia quipped sarcastically at her father's shocked facial expression. Lydia quietly closed the door, as to not wake up anyone who may have been sleeping.
"Lydia! You've returned from your research! We were worried about you when you were at Avatar Isle" said Ajax as he pulled up a chair for his daughter to rest her feet.
"You needn't worry about me so much father, I am a grown woman now" said Lydia as she squeezed water from her soaked cloak before taking a seat next to her father.
"My research was excellent. I discovered a few new plant species and brought them back with me. They will certainly help combined with your knowledge of Sosarian flora."
"Excellent! The whole town's been asking about you and your research. They are very proud of your continued determination to find uses for exotic creatures and plants." Ajax said as he offered her a loaf of bread to eat.
Lydia devoured the bread almost instantly. The voyage back home was a long and tiring one.
"Didn't know I was such a celebrity. Guess it helps to follow in the footsteps of the town's most renowned herbalist".
Lydia began emptying her pack of items. Several sprigs of unusual plants fell to the table, along with a beat up old journal and several quills.
"Did you find the island dangerous at all?" Ajax inquired.
"Well, I did get attacked a few times but nothing I couldn't handle. I stayed far away from any daemons." Lydia muffled from inside her bag. She was searching for something to show her father. Lydia pulled out a bottle with a gelatinous substance in it. She swirled it around in the bottle and placed it before her father.
"Some kind of tree sap?" Her father asked puzzled.
"Nope, try again" Lydia teased.
Ajax pulled the cork from the bottle and took a whiff. His face curled, intrigued.
"It smells like some kind of pulverized plant material" he said, passing the bottle back to his daughter.
"Wrong again. You wouldn't believe where it came from." Lydia said.
Lydia smiled at her father's defeat. Ajax knew so much about the flora and fauna of Sosaria but he could not pinpoint where the strange liquid had come from. 'The pupil has finally become the master' thought Lydia.
"It's a pigmented blood father. It came from a strange acidic species of slime. I've been studying them the last month or so but they appear to be pretty rare. I have searched through my books and haven't found any mention of this particular species"
The rain tapped loudly on the roof of the home. Candles flicked gently in the night, illuminating the exotic colors of the liquid in the glass bottle.
Lydia handed an object to her father and Ajax opened up his hands to receive it. He immediately recognized it as the dagger he had given to Lydia before she left. It was emblazoned with the family crest, a serpent and a sword. Ajax had received it while he was in the britannia guard. He observed it carefully and noticed that the blade was no longer a clean silver, but an exotic fire orange color.
"How did this happen Lydia? The blade used to be silver" Ajax asked, his eyebrows shifting as he continued to analyze it.
"The slime's blood, it can dye things just like any other pigment. It's incredible! If these slimes exist on Avatar isle, they likely exist in other places around Brittania. I'm willing to wager that they exist in other facets as well".
Lydia retrieved the dagger from her father and began collecting her stuff back into its bag. A horse whinnied outside the house.
"I should bring Silvanna inside tonight. You should get some rest Lydia. Your bed is all prepared." said Ajax.
Ajax got up from his chair and kissed his daughter on her forehead.
"We missed you here. Glad you're home now" he said as he opened the door and went outside to tend to Lydia's horse. Lydia's face grew warm at the thought of being back home with her family. She returned to the bottle of slime and swirled it in its bottle once more, examining it near the candle's flame.
"I hope I can get more research on this species. Imagine all the exotic colors we could find!"
Archived topic from AOV, old topic ID:5535, old post ID:34621