losthunter | The Doors of our Heart

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The Doors of our Heart

Many thoughts about his latent magic had given Hunter a lot to think about in the past few days. He really wanted to find someone to help him learn more about his abilities. And maybe, help him to become stronger.

Kendra was gone, but that didn't mean there weren't ways to find her. Or at least find the people that were connected to her.

Hunter had spent a few days looking for the right door in the Nexus that would bring him the answers that he sought. And finally, he felt that he had found what he had been looking for.

But before entering into an unknown place, Hunter knew that he should have a couple of people come with him. He PINpointed a message to Jim first, since it was an adventure that he thought the restless captain would enjoy. Then he PINpointed a message to Faris, who had become his story-keeper in a fashion.

All that left was to wait for his guests, before the adventure could begin.

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"So many," Faris muses quietly. "What grief did Electra mourn for them?" Perhaps it is a clue as to where she is, if she is indeed the sister who is missing.

"She grieved for the City of Troy, after it was destroyed."

Hunter tilts his shoulders. "I am not sure if that has happened yet."

Jim looks over the girls, trying to tell if Electra is indeed the one that's missing. It's hard to tell, of course. "You don't have any clues to where she is?" he asks them. After all, if they are connected, you'd think they could feel something useful to finding the missing piece.

The girls all glance at Hunter for a moment. Then they shrug their shoulders. Hunter frowns. "I get the feeling that they can't tell me directly. That I have to figure this out on my own."

Jim's frown deepens. "That's going to be tough, without a starting point."

"Perhaps," Faris adds, his voice drifting out from somewhere near Jim's collarbones. "It is possible that useful information has already come to us."

Hunter is quiet for a long moment. It was always the 'useful information' hidden in the riddles that had always confused him. And he feels a little frustrated.

"What do I have to do, to get all seven of you girls here at the same time?"

"We have a trial." One girl answers. "For heroes." Another adds.

Jim's not a big fan of trials in general, but if it's what they have to do, then he's behind Hunter all the way. "Then I guess we'd better get started."

"There is a treasure, that awaits a brave soul, hidden in the cattails of the river. They claim that it only shines in starlight, and can only be found when you are lost. You bring it back to us, and we will aid you." One of the girls tells them.

Hunter shakes his head. "Great. A riddle and a quest."

Faris considers the riddle carefully. "A puzzle indeed. A treasure, found only by the lost, revealed by stars."

Jim arches an eyebrow, and goes to cross his arms over his chest before he reconsiders, in case it comes across like he's trying to stifle his passenger. "Sounds like step one is getting lost, somehow."

"That should be easy enough to do. I already feel lost." Hunter chuckles slightly. He heads towards the river, the girls going back to playing with the tree as he moves away.

"Hidden in the cattails..." He looks at the bank after bank of cattails.

Jim nearly stumbles as Faris leaps off his arm, momentarily pulling the captain off balance at the unexpected move. "Apologies," the K'da says, and tastes the air as he pads over to the water's edge. "Such a treasure may not be swiftly found. We must all be vigilant."

"Think it would do any good to set up a search pattern?" Jim asks, glancing over at Hunter. "It might not count as being lost." He feels just as mentally lost here as Hunter, out of his depth with magic and riddles.

"Us searching for answers, and the treasure, doesn't mean that we are still not lost." Hunter points out.

"I am thinking that we should search areas that are untouched by moonlight." There are some dark patches here and there along the river bed.

"All right. Let's split up. We'll cover more ground that way." Jim moves towards the edge of the water, carefully sweeping the area for any signs of this mysterious treasure, whatever the hell it is. Faris pads amongst the cattails, paws sinking into mud, trying to detect any unusual scent to lead him in the right direction.

In the direction that Jim took there are a number of anemone, several pink flowers, scattered close to the riverbed. There is a large patch of them nearby. They glitter with evening dew.

Faris will discover a small colony of frogs, chirping away in the cattails. There is a batch of lily pads nearby, most of which have small white flowers in them. There is one that has a silver-colored flower.

Jim is momentarily drawn to the flowers, but it seems to him that these aren't it. There are too many of them, and the reflection of the dew isn't what he'd think the girls meant either.

Faris is undistravted by the frogs, once he determines what they are. The silver flower grabs his interest, however, and he wades into the shallows to investigate.

As Jim watches the field of flowers, a few of them start to bloom, a strange sight at night. A few small butterflies appear, dancing from flower to flower, as if attracted by the nectar. There is one butterfly that seems to be glowing slightly, nearby.

As Faris wades into the shallows to investigate, he will find a small silver chain laying in the middle of the silver-colored flower.

Okay. Magic butterflies. What's next, Jim wonders. The glowing one seems significant, but he's not sure how to capture it without harming it. "Hey Hunter," he calls softly. "Do you know anything about glowing butterflies?"

Faris, meanwhile, is slightly surprised to find an actual, not metaphorical treasure. It seems the riddle was far more literal than the K'da expected, but he is certainly not going to complain. He reaches out to the flower, delicately picking up the chain in his claws.

Hunter moves towards where Jim is standing. He watches the butterflies for a moment. "Nothing comes to mind. But I think we better try to catch it."

As the K'da picks up the chain, he can feel a tug on the other end, as if it is attached to something underneath the water.

Jim nods in agreement. "Wonder if they'd go for your tattoos," he says, only partly kidding.

"I have found something also," Faris calls out to them. He wraps the chain more securely around his forepaw and lightly pulls on it, judging how much force will be needed to retrieve whatever is on the other end.

"You know... that is not a bad idea. Kendra created the tattoos..." Hunter starts to undo his robe, so that more of his skin is revealed.

Faris can tell that he will need at least one more person helping him. There is something quite heavy secured on the other end of the chain.

"Just a minute, Faris," Jim says, not wanting to possibly lose the fluttering creature if it decides to fly away. Whatever Faris has found doesn't look like it's going anywhere, after all, and the K'da isn't behaving like it's urgent. "I'll see if I can catch it, if you lure it in."

Dropping his robe to the ground, it is a little weird to be standing in the middle of the field, wearing only his underwear. But the moonlight is reflecting a little different off his skin. Several roses start to appear on the usually empty rose bush on his forearm.

The glowing butterfly seems to be interested. It lands on Hunter's forearm.

"It tickles." He whispers.

Once again, it occurs to Jim just how utterly weird his life has gotten lately, as he slowly and gently attempts to guide the butterfly into his cupped hands, unsure whether it would be better to use his hands like a cage of sorts, or try to take hold of its legs so it can't fly away. "C'mon, little guy. We might need you."

The butterfly settles contently in the middle of Jim's cupped hands. With the butterfly caught, Hunter pulls on his robe again.

Then he heads to where Faris is waiting. "What is the best way to do this?"

Well, it doesn't seem like it's going to fly away in a hurry, so Jim tucks it close to his chest, careful not to touch the delicate wings.

Faris looks up patiently as Hunter approaches, and lifts the chain at a slightly better angle for him to grab hold. "You are taller than I, so it is best if you stand behind me. I do not know what lies at its opposite end, only that I cannot lift it alone."

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