[PQ] Into the Woods Without Delay

The day had dawned bright and sunny, though clouds scudded across the western horizon in a distant reminder of Flowerbirth's capricious rains. At the northernmost edge of the barrier a raven perched on a tree branch on the edge of the the band of bare black earth where a wall of magic had once stood. White as snow and with piercing blue eyes he stood silent sentinel over the boundary, waiting for his companions to arrive on four legs or two, on wings or scaled bellies.

At the base of the tree a small, pale shape curled into a feathery ball of fluff. Hidden by a broad-leafed plant, the little gryphlet napped quietly while her companion kept watch over the greener, healthier vegetation just across the empty demarcation of a cage that no longer contained the heretic it had been constructed for. The world beyond was at last open to explore...

But thanks to Safrin's books, Jigano knew that the Hollowed Grounders were not alone, or at least they hadn't been, three hundred years before. Everything he had seen since sunrise indicated a wild and thriving forest on their northern border, but the mysterious winged people who likely still lived within it had yet to make an appearance, and the book had hinted of magic and dangers unknown to the world within the bubble. Now that the bubble had burst they needed to learn as much as they could, as fast as they could, or risk the friends and families who called the Hollowed Grounds home coming to harm from new threats. Whether the winged folk were enemies or potential allies had yet to be seen, but approaching them in forms that could pass for natural - or at the very least, as blessed by the Old Gods - had seemed like a reasonable plan, and having a variety of other-than-human senses and abilities such as flight would let them gather more information than human eyes and ears alone.

Whether it would play out that way remained to be seen.

---

Welcome to Jigano's PQ for the first organized exploration of the Wildwood! This PQ is primarily for Attuned characters with an animal shape.
Participants:
1. Caiside
2. Amalia
3. Ianto
4. Kiada


As Caiside and Ianto are already in the Wildwood at the time of the PQ's start, they are exempt from posting in rounds until they join the group.

This PQ will be moving on after 48 hours.

KIADA

The Harpy has seen the notice board, had recognized the name of the organizer, and much like when she had helped Remi, she makes it a point to come. She allows Auni to come, but makes it a point to tell the Luxere to remain back and hidden as she fumbles around and gathers her things to explore the great unknown. “You know where to go.” She tells him mentally, once she’s prepared. And now, with the barrier fallen there’s nothing else to do than to explore. Much like she has to look forward to with Deimos, she finds excitement in the surprises that come. As Auni plods through the streets, Kiada flies high above — her vulture form with dark red eyes scanning the ground around the Luxere for signs of pale long hair and perhaps some others.

She flies and Auni runs until she can see the scarred earth from where the barrier has been, to continue to fly until she spots the man awaiting others to join him. Auni arrives first as Kiada circles above, the wind racing through her feathers as she glances and scouts the brilliant greens of the forest beyond. Auni reaches Jigano with a small grunt and wag of his tail, and not long after does Kiada swoop close to the ground and shift back into herself. Pale red feathers shift to arms and she uses the momentum to reach Jigano with a grin. “Hey Jigano!” She calls to him, stepping up toward the scar in the earth as Auni proceeds to sniff the scar.

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON IT ROSE TOO SOON AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD It would be her first foray away from home. Her first time in 21 years leaving the familiar sphere into which she was born. Her first- Her heartbeat is a wild thing, a fast tattoo drumming in her chest. She can feel it in her throat, hear it in her ears: the thrum of blood, the wild beat of change. Terrified, electrified, she is paralyzed by the vastness of it all. It is the fruition of all her dreams- -it is the manifestation of all her nightmares- -it is her sins, her shortcomings, which have brought them here, and the weight of it sits upon her shoulders like a stone. In the search for their freedom they have condemned the world- Breathe deeply. Think clearly. At least as a leopard she feels safer (though she can hardly be said to deserve the form, now) shielded by an armor of claw and fur. Her feline eyes make out more than shadows in the trees which stand across the scar, gaping and expansive (there is so much world!), dark and unknown (but that world isn't home). Standing by Jigano, the leopard whines, her heart in her throat, her stomach in knots. She barely registers Kiada's arrival: all of her attention is on the scar, and what it means. She wants more than anything to cross that line, but she fears it more than anything, too. Inhaling deeply; one step, then again. If either of them are to cross it first it should be her- the sinner, the Natural, the fallen priest. Closing her eyes and swallowing deeply, Amalia steps across the scar-- --and out into the world. a m a l i a You said it's life that moves too much We're losing touch But I'm not losing you