No Ragrets

Well, he'd tried to go to a shrine in the Hollowed Grounds after finishing his blindfold training with Alys there, but no matter where he poked around he just hadn't been able to find one.

Which was weird. And maybe something someone should do something about...

A thought that lodged in the back of his skull and itched away, but one that would wait for awhile before it came to fruition.

For now he shuffled towards the shrine in the Celestine. The evening shadows, made darker by the clouds that filled the sky, stretched long across the grass and spring flowers, and the rain pattered down from the constant storms above, dripping onto the waxed wool of his rain cloak. Thunder grumbled nearby and Tal cast a wary eye towards the heavens before he bent at Mort's altar, unfolding a small umbrella to cover it and his offering: a fine beeswax candle in the shape of a fat and happy cat with one paw raised. The wick poked up between its ears but remained unlit as the courier also set his Dreamtdust-coated Special Delivery Dagger in front of it, careful to keep both items dry.

"Ludo? I hope y'don't mind me prayin' here. I finished all th'things y'asked for makin' my Dagger sharper. So could you, uh... y'know...?" He started to wiggle his fingers, but a sharp flash of lightning directly overhead had the nervous courier flinching and ducking with a strangled yelp from the crack of thunder that immediately followed.

---

Quest thread: This ends well
1. Complete a thread coating his Special Delivery Dagger with some of the DreamtDust.
{SE} From dust to dust
2. Complete a thread with someone and learn about the worst nightmare they've ever had.
Til the sandman comes
3. Complete a training thread while blindfolded, using the Special Delivery Dagger.
{Training} Mistletoe can be deadly
4. Complete a thread spending a night out on the salt flats of the Sea of Dreams.
{SE} Fear is the mind-killer

Using:
Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
DreamtDust | Dreamdust from the DreamWalker itself. Can be crafted by a God to add additional damage to an item.

To add extra damage to:
Type: Grey | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Special Delivery Dagger | A carefully crafted dagger veined with crimson markings, decorated with the foot of a blink hare. Upon making a stabbing motion in the air, the dagger may damage a target up to 30ft away from the user.

Ludo doesn't mind storms, but that likely comes as no surprise given their odd and spooky nature. Regardless, as Tal crouches before the altar with his little umbrella, of course the beeswax wick lights up merrily, untouched by wind or rain. The candle seems to provide more light than one might expect, too, and though the courier doesn't know it yet, the wax will never melt (and thus the cat will never be ruined). "I can y'know, sweetling," it confirms, the voice creeping out from the darkness, along with a sense of wiggling fingers as well. As the motion completes, the Dreamtdust will be no more, but the Special Delivery Dagger will retain a strange new sheen. Tal has completed his quest and has received the following: Honed by Nightmares | A curious silvery coating covers the Special Delivery Dagger. Causes extra physical damage at a Basic level. LUDO Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own

The candle burst into merry life and Tal blinked cautiously up from his crouch as the cat seemed to laugh at his jumpiness. There was no mask or fluttering rags to announce the herald's arrival, but the voice that slipped out from the darkness was one that the courier knew quite well by now. It did nothing to relax him, of course, but since he'd literally just asked for it at least he was prepared for it.

Mostly.

He looked around warily, half-expecting the god to pop out of the aether behind him just for the pleasure of scaring him witless not, alas, a high bar but when nothing happened and he looked back at the altar his Dust was gone and his Dagger was...

Huh. That looked like it might hurt someone.

"Thanks, Ludo," he murmured, balancing the umbrella with one hand and reaching out to collect the Dagger with the other, handling it carefully. "I'll, uh, I'll try t'use it well. Or at least not too badly." He sheathed it and rubbed his nose, then bowed again to the altar before making his escape from the storm and the nightmares that hid in it.

~Fin~