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''Welcome to Rayla: A Moonshadow Night's Dream! ''
This is a text adventure game. It's a linear story but with several choices leading to unique scenes later on, including romantic moments and ending scenes. There are two romances you can pursue in it, but regardless, Rayla will at least crush slightly on Callum like she does in the show. Flirty player choices typically have a (text-colour:#e453af)[<3] symbol emphasizing it but some are secret. Making enough choices that Callum or the other RO like will unlock special scenes later on in the story.
Please enjoy!
[[Start the game]]
“No one listens to the noble elf,” I complain. “Ugh… Humans. Can’t they see I’m trying to help them?”
Callum thinks I’m a worry wart, but my elven intuitions are to be trusted. I’m a trained Moonshadow assassin. Trained by Runaan, the very best. If I sniff out danger, then danger IS afoot. Lujanne said that the magical lights we saw during Zym’s birth were a foreboding omen. Someone is coming… Someone tracking the princes, and most likely, they won’t be thrilled about me after I aimed a blade at Callum’s precious neck. His aunt seemed upset. That tracker guy equally so. They’ll kill me on the spot if they get the chance and then take Zym back to Katolis.
Or worse.
“Pffft” I say, rolling my eyes. “Like I’d let that happen.”
I slice my way through some especially troublesome tree branches as I waltz silently down the stone-laden pathway, blue roses lighting up my way.
[[Remember the King’s death]]
[[Cut through more underbrush and proceed forward|Continue down the path]]
I feel guilt pass through my heart as Callum and Ezran enter my mind.
Those boys need their father, the King, but he’s probably not around anymore. I meant to tell them days ago, I even tried before the egg went under the ice. Instead, I’m holding in this secret, perhaps carrying it to my grave. The words just won’t come out, the fear of seeing them so heartbroken… I know what it’s like to lose parents.
The memory resurfaces of my parents leaving me behind to go serve the Dragon King and Queen. I could never wish that upon them.
When Tiadrin and Lain fled, I was heartbroken and ashamed. And now, Runaan is probably dead. Their deaths… Their abandoning me hurts… But unlike my family, I know King Harrow is definitely dead. How much pain will the princes feel because of what my assassin brothers and sisters did to him? When they realize I knew it all this time... Callum… Will he hate me?
[[He means so much to you.]]
[[Continue down the path]]
(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
//He means so much to me...//
Callum trusts me with his stupid questions and decisions, like with retrieving that glow toy. He somehow convinced me with his puppy dog eyes, those swaying words about how much it meant to him… to learn his magic. I wanted to help him but I’m the worst. I’m lying to him because I can’t bear to see the resentment on his face, the tears leaking down his eyes. Why do I care so much for this boy I barely know?
[[Continue down the path]]
As I wander down the lush Moonshadow path, I suddenly feel strangely dizzy. My vision is going blurry as if I haven’t slept in several days, my legs turning to jelly.
This hardly feels natural. I can stay wake for days if need be. I’m trained to! What I’m not trained in, however, is in knowing when magic is afoot. But call it elven intuition, but something isn’t right here and if I can’t figure out what the problem is, I’ll be unconscious within the next few seconds. And likely dead at the hands of whatever mage laid this trap.
Only now do I realize the haunting melody of an ocarina had always been there.
My eyes dart down to the blue rose bushes on the path.
[[Grab one of the rose thorns to wake yourself up]]
[[Succumb to sleep]]
Runaan always said that illusionary spells had counters… weaknesses, and those seeking to shatter them needed their senses disturbed. So why not a bit of pain? I swiftly snatch a rose off the nearest bush, its thorn pressed to my thumb. It’s enough to send a sheer biting pain up my finger just as I collapse on my knees. I know I need to fool whoever was conjuring this magic or they’d probably just fire off an even worse spell to finish me off. What matters now is catching them off guard at their own game. So, I shut my eyes as my head painfully lays back on perhaps the worst pillow I’d ever slept on: a rock. The pain in my thumb continues to drive away sleep’s tantalizing call and all that he stands for.
I can hear footsteps marching towards me now. The ocarina’s playing sounds clearer than ever.
[[Play the part of the dead fox. Await the hunters]]
Like a fool, I give into the sweet lull of sleep. Unable to think of a proper countermeasure, the cursed tune I hear sends me adrift, likely to the sound of some cursed ocarina. I can faintly hear the clamoring of armored boots approaching. But as I pass into sleep, I’m suddenly awoke by the ocarina’s silence. They woke me up? I wake up just in time to see blue eyes and blond hair gazing down at me. This stranger, no doubt here for the prince, swings at my throat before I can even react, and I feel the pain of his cold steel carve me open as I’m caught reaching for my butterfly blade. My sword falls harmlessly to the earth, and I to my knees. As my blood pours out, I slump over on the brink of death. Tears leak down my eyes as I realize what awaits me, that I failed. I let the princes down. I let the world down. And I can only hope that Callum and Ezran will do the right thing.
This is as far as I go.
''GAME OVER''
I should have known it’d be that woman. That horrible raspy voice of that Dark Mage who tried to take the egg in that creepy dungeon back then. Callum had seemed to know her well, but even so, he was brave and true, choosing to betray her so I could escape. She’d also probably done that weird wolf spell that left burn marks on my arm. I felt their sting for days. I also hear heavier footsteps, probably of a man. Sounds like he’s wearing clunky armor. His voice is haughty, and he sounded rather casual about the situation.
Ending her tune, the Dark Mage says, “Oh! She is out like a sack of potatoes. One Moonshadow elf ready to fry up.”
Her tone was far cheerier than the dark deed she was so eager to do.
The man said, “So this is the elf, huh? I wonder why she wasn’t with the others?”
I push down the guilt of remembering my squadron, the Moonshadow assassins that had accompanied me. Accompanied Runaan. In the end, I’d run away just like my parents. Only I was no coward. This all has a reason and that was ending this ugly war between Xadia and humans. So, I have to keep the heartache buried deep down, and I have to act the moment these two meathead’s guards drop.
The woman says, “Dad said not to worry about that. So, let’s get it done with. Now. DO IT.”
My body tenses, ready to spring into action. However, the man has yet to swing his blade. How strange.
“But…” he said with hesitation. “It’s not sporting.”
Sporting? I can’t decide if I admire the honor behind it or if I should be horrified he’s treating me like a wild boar on a royal hunt.
The Dark Mage asks, “How long do you need?”
“One second is enough.”
[[One second is all you need too. Just then, you trip them both with a spinning kick]]
[[“Boo!” you shout at the oafish knight and the creepy mage.]]
Both the swordsman and the dark mage I knock off their feet with my spinning sweep. I point one of my butterfly blades at him, this blonde swordsman adorned in Katolis livery and armor. I notice his cold blue eyes, but pay far more attention to his sword stance as he gets back on his feet. Right now, I need to put him down in the dirt. Same for that raspy-voiced mage he’s accompanied by. I recognize her from the dungeon, Callum’s friend so keen on sticking her not so cute doggies on me. However, she seems to be scurrying behind a tree, which is lucky as that means I can take care of the knight one on one.
The woman asks, “Ugh. How are you awake? I put a sleeping spell on you?!”
//Idiot. //
I answer, “Oh. That? Did you now? I thought it was a musical recital you were putting on for funsies.”
“Ha! You have ear plugs in!” she says, pointing my way, as if she’s some sort of genius.
“What? No! It’s just that it’s hard to sleep with a thorn pricking at you.”
I reveal the blue rose in my spare hand, a drop of crimson blood leaking down my thumb.
With both silver blades drawn, I charge forward, and do battle with the knight. Fierce and vicious. Blade against blade as sparks fly between us. He’s certainly tougher than the standard Katolis soldier I bested a few days ago. Suddenly, he sends out a hard kick, one nearly cracking my ribs, that has me rolling backwards. It’s annoying how tough he is.
[[Regain your bearings and attack him]]“Boo!” I shout at the oafish knight and the creepy mage.
The man and woman stumble backwards, the woman, definitely the ebony-haired woman from the dungeon, falling right on her arse. The man, however, a blond knight adorned in Katolis armor and raiment, seems far more ready, instinctively slashing at me. I, however, duck beneath it, feeling a few strands of white hair sliced cleanly off.
“Hey!” he shouts. “Don’t do that! This place is already filled with ghosts and I do not need reminding!”
Flashing my fangs, I wickedly tease, “Well, you’re not wrong. We’re near the Moonhenge, a portal between life and death. Ghosts could be everywhere.”
“S-Shut up!” he snaps. Moon, he’s fun to tease, as much as I want to kick him in his pearly whites. My butterfly blades are drawn in full as I stare down his bastard sword. I keep an eye on his footwork and sword stance which are sadly quite masterful. It was fortunate the Dark Mage had chosen to hide idly behind a tree as I wasn’t keen on facing them both in battle.
“Awww,” I taunt him. “Don’t be scared of a few ghosts now. I’m the scariest thing in these woods. That and the giant spider from earlier.”
“The what now?” he asks, looking unnerved.
“I’ll be sure to introduce you!” I shouted as I charge forward. Immediately, we do battle. Fierce and vicious. Blade against blade as sparks fly between us. He’s certainly tougher than the standard Katolis soldier I bested a week ago. Suddenly, he sends out a hard kick, one nearly cracking my ribs, that has me rolling backwards. How annoying.
[[Regain your bearings and attack him]]We continue our dance, me and the obnoxious swordsman. I need to finish him off and fast, but as annoying as he is, I’d rather not carve him open. So, I swap out my blades for my climbing hooks before continuing my assault. I send forward my sickles to trip him, only for him to keenly stamp down his boots on both.
Whoa. Wasn’t expecting that. But…
“I keep telling everyone,” he says between hard breaths, “Sweeping the leg isn’t a thing in swordsmanship.”
“Oh,” I sing back, “Is that so?”
I yank hard on the hooks, sending the knight off his feet and onto his arse. Now, I’m standing above him proudly, my blade pointed out his throat as I offer him my smuggest grin.
“Go ahead and try to teach me then. I’m eager to learn.”
Suddenly, I hear a hard screeching as I turn to see the Dark Mage snapping a pin off a sea urchin, and suddenly she’s firing blazing needles at me like arrows. I spin my blades like a cyclone, deflecting every last one, but the distraction is enough for the man to tackle me. My heart leaps out of my chest as I realize he might ram me into a tree, shattering my spine. Before the fear can full hit me, I find he’s sent me into the mud. I’m half relieved. As I feel the wet touch of mud, I scramble for my blades but that woman is saying another spell backwards and tossing some sort of mixture atop them.
//What the…//
The second I touch my blades, I feel the same pain from her smoky wolves, realizing my swords are scalding hot as if straight out of Ethari’s forge. Immediately, the swordsman has his blade at my throat and I’m at his mercy. Or so he thought, but I’d never go down without a fight.
“Any last words, elf?” he asks.
[[Fling mud at him]]
[[Genuinely surrender]]
“Any last words, elf?” he asks.
“Does hot mud count as a word?” I fire back mockingly.
“What? No it doesn-Blegh!”
In the middle of the dummy’s speech, I kick up a footfull of mud, sending it right for his face. I hop onto my feet and I prepare myself in a battle stance. I doubt my fists will do much good against his armor and hulking frame, or the Dark Mage who seems ready to send more hexes my way, but I won’t go down without a fight!
Right then, I hear footsteps rushing my way and I can tell those are Callum’s clumsy footsteps. Moon, I’ve never been so happy to see him!
[[Look on as Callum approaches]]
“You got me,” I say with a bitter laugh.
“Good fight, elf. But this is good night,” says the swordsman.
I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender, before saying, “Oh? You know if you kill me, you might never find where I hid the egg.”
The Dark Mage says, “Nice try but I can just ask the princes. Just finish her off already, Soren.”
//Soren…//
“Fine then,” I say, eyes shutting in acceptance. “I don’t regret what I did. What I tried to do. That egg would bring peace for you humans. For us elves. For everyone.”
The Dark Mage replies, “That egg belongs to my father.”
“Whatever,” I remark before gazing up at the knight. “Just… make it quick, okay?”
Soren’s cold blue eyes seem to soften just a bit as he says, “Okay.”
Right then, I hear someone rushing my way and I can tell those are Callum’s clumsy footsteps. Moon, I’ve never been so happy to see him!
[[As Soren lowers the sword, you look on as Callum approaches]]
“Callum!” shouts the Dark Mage, and she seems so relieved he’s alive, her once-fierce expression swimming with concern for him.
Callum rushes between me and Soren, arms stretched wide. He’s brave. It’s enough to move my heart, and I wonder how I can protect him in the state I’m in.
“Claudia,” he shouts at the woman, “Let’s stop the fighting! Please!”
Claudia protests, “What? You do realize we’re here to rescue you! She tried to kill us!”
I retort angrily, “What? They jumped me! I was defending myself!”
Soren adds in, “She kicked mud in my face and some of it got in my mouth!"
//Idiot.//
I add, “Callum, are you gonna-”
“Bup bup bup,” he says so nonchalantly it kind of ticks me off. “Let’s stop with the accusations and figure this out. Now listen, these are my friends. Claudia? Soren? I’m happy to see you both.”
Claudia chimes in, “Oh! Well, I’m happy to see you…. NOW STAND ASIDE SO I CAN-“
The prince cuts in, “But not happy you attacked my new friend: Rayla.”
Claudia protests, “Friend? She’s an elf!”
“But a good elf!” he corrects her and at this point, my temper has reached a boiling point.
In my least flattering attempt at sounding like a dude, I put my hands on my hips and mimic him, asking, “What do you mean ‘bUt a gOoD eLf?’”
He ignores my incredible bout of comedy and continues, “Look, I’m not hurt. Ezran is fine. No one kidnapped us. So, let’s explain all this in the morning. For now, what matters is we’re all alive and not dead.”
Soren says, “But the mud, Callum! The mud!”
The prince again interjects with, “Look, if you want to fight so bad, you all can fight in the morning.”
What… That’s two against one! Does he plan to let me be killed? I’m a bit hurt honestly.
“Fine,” says Soren and Claudia together.
I cross my arms and pout, and I want him to notice. To my disappointment, Callum doesn’t seem to at all. Instead, he and Claudia are already practically arm in arm, and she’s fixing his hair. Is she flirting with him? Really? Worse still, he seems flustered by it. Seeing them so affectionate is utterly gross. Strangely, I hear the blond knight utter a similar scoff of disgust as me. We eye each other for a moment in a rare moment of mutual understanding.
[[Go to bed|Immediately go to bed]]
[[Hang around with Soren, wanting to belittle him some more.]]
[[March after the pair, feeling strangely jealous at Callum offering her such affection. <3]]That night, I slip into the soft bed of one of the sleeping quarters of the Moonshadow Nexus, perhaps a place where the Moon Druids once resided. The beds sure are comfortable and soft though… Was Lujanne really managing all these bedrooms by herself? And how will I explain this to her, that a Dark Mage has arrived? It was weird enough explaining it to Ezran. Speaking of the lad, as I lounge in bed, I hear Ezran who is now talking to Callum about our unwelcome guests.
Callum says, “Claudia came. She really came to rescue us.”
He sounds so appreciative of her, so…. In love. He’s never offered me such gratitude… Well, besides that time he was praising me in his letter to the king…
Moon…
How do I break it to them? If I don’t, I’m sure the siblings will, but I’m too worn out to think about it right now. My clothes are mostly washed free of mud but it’s far past midnight and sleep beckons to me.
Ezran says, “Goodnight, Rayla. Don’t worry, okay? We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
“Yeah… Yeah we will,” I say confidently. As always, the young prince is wise, and he makes me feel confident. I sink into the mattress. And this time it’s not procured from an ocarina of dark magic. Gently I drift off….
That night, I dream of the Silvergrove. Of hiding with Suroh beneath an umbrella of leaves as it rained. Of baking with Runaan and Ethari on a cool autumn day.
[[Wake up the next morning]]
(set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
I decide to hang around with Soren, wanting to belittle him some more. Also, I’m weirdly curious...
“It’s gross right?” I ask. “Read the room, people.”
“Right? So gross. I mean I’m fine with them being together, but I don’t need to see-Wait. Why am I telling you this?”
I cross my arms, cocking an eyebrow, as I retort, “I don’t know, dummy. Why are you?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is in the morning, you’re dead meat.”
“Callum will explain everything,” I say. “But if he’s your friend, you’ll help him. Or better yet. Leave us alone. You and that creepy mage.”
“Leave my sister out of this!” he snaps.
So they’re siblings?
“Well then, she should leave us alone. We’re trying to help. To do the right thing,” I say, poking at his chest armor.
“The right thing is the princes coming home with us,” says Soren, his eyes suddenly seeming doubtful of his own words. What is this man planning?
He adds, “How else will we cure the Moonshadow Madness you’ve infected them with!”
“Moonshadow-What? I’m not infected with anything,” I shout at him, hands on my hips.
“You bit them with it. With your infected moony… f-fangs!”
Was he getting something confused from the tale of the Bloodmoon Huntress? Not a memory I want to scrounge up at the moment, but it’s the only thing that comes to mind. She had all sorts of rumors spread about her when I was a kid, although my own learning of the matter was far far more nightmarish.
“My teeth are clean as can be,” I say, pulling up my lip with a finger so he can see one of my sharp canines.
“Those are definitely sharper than they should be!” he exclaims. “For ripping up human flesh!”
I gasp in offense before glaring at him, saying, “I’ll have you know I’m vegetarian not that you… Why am I arguing about this? Stay away from Callum. And me. And Ezran. And… the egg!”
“I’ll stay away from your infected teeth!”
“Just you wait. I’ll bite you in your sleep,” I say with a wink. “Then you’ll be my servant too. Albeit one with rocks for brains.”
As I march away, I swear he says, “You know, I think she likes me.”
//What?//
[[Go to bed]]
[[March after the pair, feeling strangely jealous at Callum offering her such affection. <3]]
“Callum!” shouts the Dark Mage, and she seems so relieved he’s alive, her once-fierce expression swimming with concern for him.
Callum rushes between me and Soren, arms stretched wide. He’s brave. It’s enough to move my heart, and I wonder how I can protect him in the state I’m in.
“Claudia,” he shouts at the woman, “Let’s stop the fighting! Please!”
Claudia protests, “What? You do realize we’re here to rescue you! She tried to kill us!”
I retort angrily, “What? They jumped me! I was defending myself!”
Soren adds in, “She... Well, actually she surrendered but only to backstab me and fire off a Moonshadow dart in the back of my head!"
In exasperation, I ask, "Wha-Callum, are you gonna-”
“Bup bup bup,” he says so nonchalantly it kind of ticks me off. “Let’s stop with the accusations and figure this out. Now listen, these are my friends. Claudia? Soren? I’m happy to see you both.”
Claudia chimes in, “Oh! Well, I’m happy to see you…. NOW STAND ASIDE SO I CAN-“
The prince cuts in, “But not happy you attacked my new friend: Rayla.”
Claudia protests, “Friend? She’s an elf!”
“But a good elf!” he corrects her and at this point, my temper has reached a boiling point.
In my least flattering attempt at sounding like a dude, I put my hands on my hips and mimic him, asking, “What do you mean ‘bUt a gOoD eLf?’”
He ignores my incredible bout of comedy and continues, “Look, I’m not hurt. Ezran is fine. No one kidnapped us. So, let’s explain all this in the morning. For now, what matters is we’re all alive and not dead.”
Soren says, “I know she's hiding a blow dart in her mouth! Make her spit it out!”
The prince again interjects with, “Look, if you want to fight so bad, you all can fight in the morning.”
What… That’s two against one! Does he plan to let me be killed? I’m a bit hurt honestly.
“Fine,” says Soren and Claudia together.
I cross my arms and pout, and I want him to notice. To my disappointment, Callum doesn’t seem to at all. Instead, he and Claudia are already practically arm in arm, and she’s fixing his hair. Is she flirting with him? Really? Worse still, he seems flustered by it. Seeing them so affectionate is utterly gross. Strangely, I hear the blond knight utter a similar scoff of disgust as me. We eye each other for a moment in a rare moment of mutual understanding.
[[Go to bed|Immediately go to bed]]
[[Hang around with Soren, wanting to belittle him some more.]]
[[March after the pair, feeling strangely jealous at Callum offering her such affection. <3]](set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
Perhaps it’s due to my lack of social skills making me clingy or something, but seeing this strange woman lead Callum around with her compliments, making him so flustered… He didn’t even thank me for protecting him and his wee brother! Instead, Claudia is the one receiving all his gratitude, something that is irking me more than I wish it did. I swear I’ll kill them both. I’ll kick those love birds off the nearest cliff if given the chance.
As they continue to giggle together, I slip to the other side of Callum, the one furthest away from her and her dark magic stench.
I say, “Well, don’t you two seem chummy?”
Claudia asks inquisitively, “Huh… Am I… Imposing? Are you and Callum like a…”
Before I can respond, not even knowing what I’m going to say, Callum swiftly says, “Rayla? Nah. She’s more like a friend. An assassin friend.”
The ebony-haired woman replies, “Oh yeah. I have friends like that too.”
For some reason, I hate how fast he answered her. Granted, I’d have answered her similarly but…
[[Lie to her and say that Callum is your boyfriend. Epic prank time. <3 ]]
[[Ask to speak to Callum alone. You plan to berate him]]
(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
“No need to be shy, Callum,” I say cruelly, flashing my fangs as I sling a friendly arm over his shoulder. “I don’t mind sharing the details of our blood-forged bond.”
Callum asked, “Our what?”
I turn to Claudia and say, “This last week with him has been enchanting. And it all culminated in the ultimate display of friendship…his lips against mine.”
“No, it did not! She’s saying that to get back at me!” barked Callum as he pulls away from me, his cheeks burning up. “I’d never…”
Ouch. Why does that sting even more the second time? I don’t have feelings for him so why am I jealous she gets to have his attention? Is this a friendship thing? Why is this friendship so intense?
Claudia responds with, “Uhhhh.”
She’s clearly baffled by the entirety of this conversation.
Cackling, I reply, “I’m pulling your leg. I’m his friend. His comrade. Meaning I’ve looked after him thick and thin. Best remember that if you try anything, lady.”
“Phew. So you aren’t dating. Good, good,” replied Claudia, “All I needed to know.”
I cock an eyebrow.
She asks, “So um… Can I talk to him alone?”
“Fine…” I say, rolling my eyes.
[[Go to bed]]
I wrap my arm around Callum’s own and say, “Can we talk? Alone?”
Callum interjects “But-“
“I deserve a minute before you two… Do whatever it is you’re doing.”
Claudia nods in understanding of my request, and the prince sighs in exasperation. As she heads back towards Soren who seems to be wiping mud off his shiny armor, I look Callum straight in the eyes.
“What is wrong with you?”
“I… Say again?” he asks.
“I was nearly killed and you’re okay with them being here all casually?”
The Prince said, “Listen, I know they seem like bad news to you but… These are people I’ve known since I was a kid. I trust them.”
“Well, I trust my gut and I know they’ll… They’ll take Zym!”
“It won’t come to that,” replies Callum with surprising resolve.
Even so, I reply, “Yeah. Because I’ll have to stop them. I… I don’t want to hurt your friends, but the world is at stake here.”
“I know…”
“And worse still,” I begin, hands on my hips as I feel myself reach my boiling point, “You told them they could fight me in the morning. Are you really so okay if I die?”
“No! No!” he says with genuine concern, enough to make me feel bad for scolding him. He continues, “I was just saying that to make them stop. But I won’t let them hurt you.”
I feel a warmth run through me.
[[“T-Thanks,” you manage to say]]
[[Even so, march away in annoyance]]
“T-Thanks,” I manage to say.
I don’t know why the words are so hard to come out, why I suddenly care for a guy who has caused me so much misery. But… My anger isn’t entirely fair to him, even if he is a dummy. Callum has been brilliant too, and he was the one who figured out how to save the egg back then. And he is looking out for me now, in his own frustrating way. And so, I thank him.
“Um.. Yeah. Listen… I’ll figure it out in the morning, okay? I promise,” he says, a supportive hand on my shoulder which I don’t hate for some reason.
“Fine,” I repeat. “Now finish up with her and let’s get some shut eye. I’ll go explain the situation to Ezran.”
“Thanks,” says Callum. “I’ll… I’ll figure it out.”
I nod warmly at him, something he seems to appreciate.
[[Go to sleep|Go to bed]]
“Whatever you say, Callum,” I say, already waltzing off.
I’m tired of this. Tired of all of them. I need to clear my mind, and I need to guard Zym closely tonight lest these two siblings make off with him. I’ll forgive Callum, but I need a bit of time to clear my head.
[[Go to sleep|Go to bed]]I raise an inquisitive eyebrow at them before shaking my head and heading towards our sleeping chambers. I’ll watch closely over Ezran and Zym tonight.
[[Go to bed|Immediately go to bed]]That night, I slip into the soft bed of one of the sleeping quarters of the Moonshadow Nexus, perhaps a place where the Moon Druids once resided.
Ezran says, “Goodnight, Rayla. Don’t worry, okay? We’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
“Yeah… Yeah we will,” I say confidently. As always, the young prince is wise and he makes me feel confident. I sink into the mattress. Moon, the beds sure are comfortable and soft for such an old place… Was Lujanne really managing all these bedrooms by herself? And how will I explain this to her, that a Dark Mage has arrived? It was weird enough explaining it to Ezran. Speaking of the lad, as I lounge in bed, I hear Ezran who is now talking to Callum about our unwelcome guests.
Callum says, “Claudia came. She really came to rescue us.”
He sounds so appreciative of her, so…. In love. Ugh. I’m going to be nauseous.
Moon…
How do I break it to them? If I don’t, I’m sure the siblings will, but I’m too worn out to think about it right now. My clothes are mostly washed free of mud but it’s far past midnight and sleep beckons me. And this time it’s not procured from an ocarina of dark magic. Gently I drift off….
That night, I dream of the Silvergrove. Of playing with my favorte yellow Adoraburr by a rushing creek. Of baking with Runaan and Ethari on a cool autumn day.
[[Wake up the next morning]]
At breakfast, the siblings are up to no good again, trying to win us over with trite deeds.
Ugh. Lujanne has been surprisingly absent since their arrival, showing little worry over Katolians invading such a sacred place. Naturally, this means she’s nowhere to be seen at the breakfast table. I’d welcome the aid of another Moonshadow elf in this matter. And as much relief as it gives me to not be feasting on her leeches, the alternative seems hardly better. Claudia has made pancakes. Evil pancakes no doubt!
We have pancakes in the Silvergrove, albeit ours are usually covered in fruit and creams. However, these are soaked in tree sap, and much to my discontent, they smell amazing. Even so I’m skeptical of anything this Dark Mage concocts.
I raise an inquisitive eyebrow at the meal before I stab a prong into it. It melts in my mouth, a perfect mixture of fluffy cake and sweet sap. Oh, and the butter adds another layer of flavor, but I swear there’s something else in there enhancing it all.
“I have to admit… That is good,” I finally relent with a smile.
The Dark Mage perks up and replies, “Right? So easy to make too. I’ll give you the recipe.”
Ellis, our resident wolf-wrangling companion, asks, “How do you get them so light?”
Claudia answers proudly, “The secret is separating the eggs and beating the whites into a meringue. And then you add just a pinch of dark magic.”
She seems way too proud of that last part.
[[Spit them out]]
[[Pelt pancakes on her and Soren]]
“Blegh,” I scoff as I expel the hideous flap jack. It tastes terrible!
“I knew it. You can’t even make food normally.”
Claudia argues, “It adds flavor!”
Soren slams his fist on the table and barks, “Enough. Let’s see the egg already. How do we know you didn’t make it into an omelet?”
Ezran says, “We wouldn’t do that. Isn’t that right, Zym?”
Before I can protest, he walks over and scoops out from the bush, a wee blue dragon. Puppy dog eyes and little stubby teeth. A total cutie he is. I see Claudia fawn over it, marching forward, her villainous grasp reaching for the poor baby. I’ve already left the table so immediately I’m besides her.
“It’s a baby dwagon!” she sings.
WHACK!
I slap away her hands before she can touch him, stating, “Hands off the baby.”
She glares at me as she nurses the hand.
Callum says, “Can we PLEASE just eat breakfast in peace?”
“I think I’ll skip breakfast,” I add. “And we should be hitting the road.”
Suddenly, Soren rubs his chin oddly thoughtfully before adding, “You need to come back home right now, Callum. Ez. Because… Your dad really misses you!”
//Oh no…//
Of all the things for him to lie about. What do I say to something like that? They’re clearly lying to the boys to get them home but to contradict them, I’d have to confess to the King’s death… It occurs to me that I’m hardly any better than these siblings. I have to tell the princes. But how? How do I tell him without them hating me, without watching them fall apart?
[[That afternoon...]]
Immediately, I fling an entire pancake onto Claudia’s smug expression, the syrup making it stick to her flesh. As Soren laughs it off, I send the pancake’s brother to the face for his troubles. I hear Claudia going “Blegh! Quit it!”
I shout, “Are you serious? Feeding a Moonshadow elf something made of dark magic?”
Pushing away his plate, Ezran says, “I think I’m full.”
I whine, “I’m tainted I am!”
The younger prince adds, “I’m sure they didn’t mean anything by it, Rayla.”
Claudia is lamenting the sap in her hair when she says, “Callum! Please control your friend. This is a peace offering! I swear.”
Liar. I’m not falling for that!
Callum says, “Can we PLEASE just eat breakfast in peace?”
She continues, “Right? Peace! Everybody likes peace. Now that we know you’re safe, let’s go home. With the egg of course. The elf can go… Back to her leaf home!”
I interject, “The dragon is going with us to Xadia to be with his mother! This is a quest for peace.”
Claudia remarks, “It’ll grow up to torch our homes.”
I say, “It’ll grow up to know love. You and your brother can scurry on home now. Tell her, Callum.”
Callum complains, “Hey. I can’t argue on an empty stomach. All this leeches and… and dark magic! I need a proper meal!”
[[Throw a pancake at him]]
“What?” Callum yelps as a small chunk of pancake hits his messy mop of hair. “Friendly fire!”
Soren slams his fist on the table and barks, “Enough. Let’s see the egg already. How do we know you didn’t make it into an omelet?”
Ezran says, “We wouldn’t do that. Isn’t that right, Zym?”
Before I can protest, he walks over and scoops out from the bush, a wee blue dragon.
Puppy dog eyes and little stubby teeth. A total cutie he is. I see Claudia fawn over it, marching forward, her villainous grasp reaching for the poor baby. I’ve already left the table so immediately I’m besides her.
“It’s a baby dwagon!” she sings.
WHACK!
I slap away her hands before she can touch him, stating, “Hands off the baby.”
She glares at me as she nurses the hand.
“I think I’ll skip breakfast,” I add. “And we should be hitting the road.”
Suddenly, Soren rubs his chin oddly thoughtfully before adding, “You need to come home right now, Callum. Because… Your dad really misses you guys!”
//Oh no….//
Of all the things for him to lie about. What do I say to something like that? They’re clearly lying to the boys to get them home but to contradict them, I’d have to confess to the King’s death… It occurs to me that I’m hardly any better than these siblings. I have to tell the princes. But how? How do I tell Ezran and Callum without them hating me, without watching them fall apart?
[[That afternoon...]]
Callum is off seeking Lujanne out for tips on Moon magic so I might as well be keeping an eye on the other two princes. Come to think of it, there sure are a lot of princes on this quest!
In any case, I’m glad I do play watch dog as I stumble upon the sight of that blond dummy Soren lingering way too long around Ezran and Zym. No doubt up to no good. I see he’s fashioned a cable between the valley’s cliffs, anchored in by trees, as a sort of zipline. It’s normally not something I’d balk at. In fact, I grew up on such dangerous contraptions. When I was seven years old, I was already sneaking off to try them out behind Runaan’s back. I did it secretly because it’s meant for recruits, one of the tools utilized by the Moonshadow assassin in training. However, Ezran is neither Moonshadow nor assassin. And I get the feeling Soren plans to drop him into the valley below.
What a scumbag.
Just as he has the boys gliding down the rope, I make my move and not a second too late before he cuts the line.
“Whatcha thinking about?” I ask him, popping up behind his broad back.
He spins around, cape whipping me in the face, as he replies, “Wha… Nothing. What are you thinking about?”
Why is he saying it so slyly?
[[Pressure him into crossing the line]]
[[Cut the line once the princes are safely across]]
“I’m thinking… you go next,” I say, returning his playful tone.
The way his eyes blink nervously gives me a twinge of satisfaction, and I jerk my chin a bit, pointing him towards the poorly-crafted zipline.
“It’s safe after all,” I say mockingly. “So, there’s absolutely no danger if you give it a go.”
“Of course. Tooootally not gonna fall to my death,” he says with a fake laugh. Immediately, he goes silent before he begins hammering at the stake in tree repeatedly with his scabbard. “Lemme just double check the uh… peg. Yep. Nice and sturdy! And off I go…”
I watch as he uses his sword sheath to slide across the rope. I could cut it right now, and no one would be any the wiser it was me. However, I just can’t seem to do it, no matter how stupid his face looks. Maybe I pity him, but I still decide to tease the dummy a bit, sending the cable vibrating as I yank on it with one of my climbing hooks. I see him twist his head to peer up at me, knowing he’s at my mercy. I grin in pleasure. Oh, I like it when he sweats.
But the way the nail looks ready to slip out of the tree says everything. This was an assassination attempt on the young prince’s life.
[[Go tell Callum what happened]]
(set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
“Hey! What are yo-”
Before he can finish his sentence, my butterfly blade has severed the rope, ending his schemes early. Ezran and Zym already safely landed, and their journey across the valley is to be the last for today. I immediately tug on the nail holding the cable to the nearest tree, and it’s every bit as loose as I expected. I cross my arms in disapproval at him. I see his fury turn instantly into awkwardness.
“Whoops,” he says. “Haha. Must have come loose. We’ve been using it all afternoon.”
I step in close and ask crossly, “Have you no shame? He’s a kid. Killing me is one thing. But killing him is… “
Frowning, Soren says, “Hey! I’ve been a Crownguard to those boys for years. What do you know about it?”
“What I know, is that if that’s true-“ I begin, jabbing him with a finger at his chestplate, “You should be dying inside. Or maybe you and your sister really are monsters. I was hoping you at least would be better. You spared me back there. You hesitated. Won’t you hesitate for him?”
The knight, for once in his life, doesn’t seem to have a dumb comment on hand. His lip goes tight. I stomp away in fury, leaving Soren there in silence, hopefully marinating in his own shame.
[[Go tell Callum what happened]]
''Not long after...''
“I’m telling you what I saw,” I argue to the older price behind closed doors.
Callum seems to be adjusting his hair in a mirror as he responds, “So, a nail which they’d already used was a bit loose and Ezran was nowhere near it?”
“But he would be! He would have yanked out the nail if I weren’t there!”
“How do you know he wouldn’t have tightened it?!”
“Because he didn’t! Because…. They’re lying to you Callum. I know because…”
Again, my confession eludes me. I’m such a coward.
“Rayla,” said Callum gently, his hands resting on my shoulders, something that makes me involuntarily melt a little. “I believe you think you’re right. But Soren and Claudia… I’ve known them my whole life. Saying they’d kill Ezran… You wouldn’t say that if you knew them. Or trusted like I do. That trust’s… just not something you and I have yet.”
My ears wilt down as his words hit me like a punch to the gut, sending my spirits spiraling.
Immediately, Callum adds, “Sorry, that was ruder than I meant. I only mean… I need you to trust me this one time. Besides, it’s not like I’m handing Zym over to them. It’ll be okay.”
[[Accept what he says and leave the room]]
[[Admit I know the King is dead and suffer the consequences]]
(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
I have to do this, for all our sakes. Ezran and Callum deserve to know as it is, but they don’t deserve the pain that will follow. Why do I have to be the one to wound them?
Callum sighs as he says, “This is all so crazy. This quest. Them being here. And… I don’t know what to do now that the primal stone is gone.”
“You’ll get it back. Magic I mean.”
I hear the mage’s spirits lift as he asks, “Really? Thanks. You um… You cheer me up, Rayla.”
Oh dear. How…
How do I tell him?
“Listen… Callum… Do you remember when we were on the ice… I told you about my wrist band.”
“Uh… Yeah. I mean that was pure craziness,” said the mage, “But I guess I remember.”
“It was made to fall off when my mission was completed. When Prince Ezran was dead.”
Callum replies dourly, “Yeah. But that’s fine now. Why bring it up?”
My ears wilt as I state, “Because… there was another wrist band that already fell off before that…”
The mage asks, “What?”
“The night the King was attacked… It fell off.”
The way Callum’s eyes widen in absolute shock is enough to steal the heart from me, the way he stumbles backwards as if I’d physically pushed him.
“What are you… That’s-You don’t know that. It could have fallen off because something weird happened like with Zym. It could have-“
I reply, “I saw Runaan’s messenger bird fly off. A signal telling the Dragon Queen it was over.”
As he blinks in confusion, I continue, “Callum, I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you. But I could never find the words.”
“But Soren-“
“Soren wants to bring you home.”
“This is… The King’s… gone… How do I tell Ezran?”
I say somberly, “I don’t know.”
“You had all this time to know. You knew, Rayla. I… I… I need to be alone.”
I saw how he stumbled out of the room hurriedly, just as the tears began to trickle down his cold cheeks. I hadn’t been the one to kill the King but in many ways, it felt as if I had. And I certainly was the one to destroy his world, and soon that of his little brother too. If I felt bad for Callum, I felt worse for Ezran. He was so young, and already, he’d lost both parents. Just like his brother.
I tried to reach out to the prince, but he stormed off too hurriedly, forcefully tearing himself from my grasp. Perhaps it was for the best. I hadn’t the right to comfort him. I never did.
“I’m sorry, Callum. So so sorry.”
[[Sit in front of his room until morning|Date Ruined]]
My ears sink at his cruel words. I’d tried so hard to be there for Callum, but in the end, I’m just an outsider, an elf to him, the girl who nearly killed him back in Katolis. I can’t blame him for not trusting me, but I can’t forgive myself if I don’t protect them. I need help. Perhaps a certain Moon Druid will give me an idea on what to do. I never was one for spiritual guidance but here we are.
[[Go see Lujanne at the Moon Temple|Lujanne wisdom]]
I wait in front of Callum’s room that night, as my guilt keeps me awake. He’s gone to sleep with Ezran and from what I can tell, my confession led to the cancellation of his date with Claudia he’d been hoping for. It seems what would have been the best day of his life is now the worst day of it thanks to me. And for that, I wait here hoping that, at some point, he’ll forgive me enough to offer a passing glance. That and even now, I’m protecting them.
[[The night drags on...]]
It must be a few hours past midnight when Callum leaves his room, and gazes down at me.
I stretch my arms, and yawn before gazing up at him, my heart pounding from the sheer dread of what he’ll say. I can’t stand being scared of him.
“Callum…”
“I couldn’t tell him,” said Callum, shoulders slumping. “I couldn’t tell Ezran. I get it now. When you love someone, it’s hard to hurt them. And so, I can’t be mad at you. Thank you for telling me, Rayla.”
“I still should have told you sooner.”
“Yeah but… thanks…”
He sits beside me, his big green eyes looking miserable, and again he sobs. This time I wrap my arms around him and we hug. Poor Callum. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body so why? Why did it turn out this way?
That night, we both fell back into sleep together, heads pressed against each other. Both of us heartbroken but I must confess, I’m relieved… Relieved he still is my friend.
[[Share the bench with Callum that night]]
My eyes pop open as I realize I’ve fallen asleep for the longest time in days. It’s as mortifying as it is comforting when I realize my pillow is particularly princely tonight. I feel the soft hair of Callum’s head pressed up against me. Oh yeah. That’s right. I fell asleep on the bench with him. My cheeks go red realizing the position I’m in with my own friend. It’s not like I’ve had a boyfriend before so this is quite literally the first time I’ve found myself in something more fitting of a cheesy romance novel than a quest through the wild. Sure my ears are still burning, I sheepishly grin as I let him rest against my shoulder. I really should wake him up though, despite how nice this feels.
[[Wake Callum up]]
(If: $CallumRomance is >1) [[I let him keep resting on my shoulder <3]]
Blushing, I say, “Um… Callum…”
As my four fingers gently press to his shoulder, Callum groans and begins to stir. I see how his eyes pop open in shock and he nearly falls off the bench if not for me grabbing him by the collar.
“Easy there, Callum!”
“Rayla? Why am I-? S-Sorry. I can’t let Claudia see me like-“
He goes quiet all of the sudden. My eyes latch onto him and I realize he’s remembering it all. His gaze simmers down with his mood.
“That’s right. The King is… I can’t believe it. He’s gone. He’s really gone.”
Miserably, I utter, “Oh, Callum...”
“I’ll tell him today.”
“Yeah… It’ll be okay, Callum. He’s your brother. He loves you.”
“That’s why it’s so hard to say it,” he whispers.
The prince looks over to me now and kindly, he says, “But um… Thank you. For telling me the truth and being here. I know it wasn’t easy.”
“O-Oh,” I say somberly. “Of course. We’re friends yeah?”
“Yeah. Yeah we are.”
I’m so relieved, that despite my mistakes, all isn’t lost between us. And it occurs to me how much he’s begun to mean to me. It’s all hitting me so fast though and I don’t know what to do with these… feelings? What do I feel here really? Comradery? Possessiveness? I guess it doesn’t matter. It can wait until after our quest.
[[Callum's POV|Callum POV kiss]]
(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
''Special Callum scene UNLOCKED:''
I’d feel bad for waking him and oddly, I’m enjoying this closeness. It’s unnerving to feel so, to feel something like this. It’s not like a Moonshadow lad never caught my eye before but my childhood was spent mostly with Adoraburrs and quiet meadows than other elves. My teens training with comrades to do the dirty work of dragons. I simply don’t know what to do in a situation like this… Is what I’d like to say but regardless, I’m no coward. Nothing wrong with me enjoying this a few minutes longer. Callum has some long eyelashes come to think of it. It’s hard to not admire the face before me. It’s far easier now that he’s not constantly aggravating me to admit he’s not a bad looking guy.
I’ll enjoy this while giving him another twenty minutes of shut eye.
[[Twenty minutes later…|Callum wakes up]]
After a few minutes, Callum groans and begins to stir. I see how his eyes pop open in shock and he nearly falls off the bench if not for me grabbing him by the collar.
“Easy there, Callum!” I say with a laugh, trying to hide my blushing.
“Rayla? Why am I-? S-Sorry. I can’t let Claudia see me like-“
He goes quiet all of the sudden before I can even dare be envious of the Dark Mage. My eyes latch onto him and I realize he’s remembering it all. His gaze simmers down with his mood.
“That’s right. The King is… I can’t believe it. He’s gone. He’s really gone.”
Miserably, I utter, “Oh, Callum...”
“I’ll tell him today.”
“Yeah… It’ll be okay, Callum. He’s your brother. He loves you.”
“That’s why it’s so hard to say it,” he whispers.
The prince looks over to me now and kindly, he says, “But um… Thank you. For telling me the truth and being here. I know it wasn’t easy.”
“O-Oh,” I say as I feel a tad feverish. “Of course. We’re friends yeah?”
“Yeah. Yeah we are.”
I’m so relieved to that, despite my mistakes, all isn’t lost between us. And it occurs to me how much he’s begun to mean to me. It’s all hitting me so fast though and I don’t know what to do with these… feelings? What do I feel here really? Comradery? Some sort of crush? I guess it doesn’t matter. It can wait until after our quest.
[[Callum's POV|Callum POV kiss]]
Alright, I’ll speak to Lujanne! With purpose, I march into the Moonshadow temple. Passing through rooms of butterflies and runes, I proceed forward, admiring the ancient white stone carved so elegantly into curves and swirls on every corner of its breadth. Moss and ivy is painted onto every stone, reminding me that this lays in the heart of this Moonshadow forest, as much as the Moon Nexus itself.
Across the room, I can see Lujanne squirm from her meditation corner.
“Can I ask you something?”
She answers, eyes still closed, “If wisdom is what you seek, I will do my best to fake it.”
Lujanne laughs at her own bad joke.
Easily ignoring it, I explain, “I need my friend to trust me. And I think it’s my fault he doesn’t. I’ve been hiding things from him. Things that could hurt him.”
“Hmmmm. Look to the Moon,” she begins before stretching her hand towards a window, guiding me towards the beautiful warm Moon floating in the heavens. A crescent is in bloom tonight. “Light only hits half its face yet it remains the Moon. So is it for you. This young man needs to accept your nature.”
“But if I want him to trust me, don’t I need to share the truth?”
“Real trust is accepting the darkness we will never know.”
She sounds wise, yet my heart fiercely resists.
“No… No that’s not right. Relationships should be built on honesty and respect.”
Lujanne giggles, replying, “Oh, now you sound like my first three husbands!”
What? When did she have time to marry so often? Either she’s passing a century or her marriages were worryingly brief. Is that what kept her entertained in her isolation all this time? That and pranking travelers?
In any case, I know what I must do.
[[Tell Callum the truth]]
''Callum's POV:''
To think after such crazy quest as this, Callum would be going on a date with his childhood crush. Callum thought she looked beautiful with her hair up, the silver lake of the caldera seeming to make her glow. As he approached, Claudia smiled tranquilly at him, looking as enamored as he did.
“Your hair looks nice,” says Callum nervously, letting out an awkward chuckle. He hopes his parted hair was also to her liking, but she immediately begs to ruffle a hand through it.
“Thanks. Yours is cute. Especially how it normally is.”
“Oh haha. Thanks.”
She bashfully tucks a hair behind her ear again before continuing, “Wow. This place is beautiful! Especially at night.”
“Right? I love being here. Being surrounded by magic,” says the prince.
“Yeppp. I mean there’s some pretty awesome ruins around here. Come on. Take me to see the Moon Nexus!”
“Okay,” he says, eyes lighting up.
Hand in hand, he leads her forward, both lovebirds swimming in affection.
The silver lake was a welcome sight, the half moon reflected in its depths.
Claudia remarks, “It’s like the Moon but more… here.”
Callum’s nervous eyes seem to lighten up from her goofy little remarks, just what he needed to keep the thought of feeling homesick from his mind.
“It is. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I’m glad you found us, Claudia.”
Claudia says, “Right? Rescue attempt turned to date with the prince is something I can really get behind.”
“Yeah. You… This has really cheered me up. Um... So, Claudia…”
His arms tense up as he fidgeted in place.
Callum continues, “I’ve known you for so long.”
“Yeah. Me too,” she replies playfully.
“Well, sure you’ve known yourself your whole life.”
As he facepalms at his own nitpicky joke, Claudia lets out a cackle. She said, “You always make me laugh.”
“You make me laugh too! And you make me see the world in a different way.”
Callum’s olive eyes flitter over towards hers, only to see Claudia gazing back with the same affectionate expression. His nervous ramblings seem to blend into each other as she merely laughs them off, all the while her lips traveling closer to his. Soon, they both lean into the other and their mouths hover dangerously close.
[[Kiss Claudia|Date unruined kiss]]
[[Freeze up. This is too soon|Date unruined hesitate]]
''Callum's POV:''
Sitting on his mattress, Callum reminisces over the last few days. Memories of his father, the King, leave his mind in agony, and in his hands, he’s holding a scroll Claudia brought him. The last thing ever written to him by the King. The final words written from a man accepting of his own doom. The wax seal remains unbroken, and he trusts Claudia to not have read it. Even now, he trusts her. Rayla had confessed it all before she managed to, and yet Claudia had still attempted to admit the truth that very night unknowing of this fact. And Soren was just being Soren.
In any case, Claudia and Callum had rescheduled their viewing of the Moon Nexus a few days later, and so swiftly that time had passed them by. Callum’s heart was too heavy to truly enjoy the romantics of his first date, but he figured it was better than doing nothing. Grieving the death of Harrow was all the worse when he was alone and hiding it from Ezran. And so, he spent his time sketching the beautiful ivory architecture of the Moon Nexus, the Moonshadow ruins that so enamored him and Claudia. Even though Claudia and him had fought in the dungeon… After everything, he needs her now.
And so, with his hair brushed to the side, the young mage wanders down to the Moon Nexus.
[[Go meet Claudia|Meet Claudia kiss]]
Callum thinks she looks beautiful with her hair up, the silver lake of the caldera seeming to make her glow. Claudia smiled tranquilly at him, looking as enamored as he does.
“Your hair looks nice,” says Callum nervously, letting out an awkward chuckle. He hopes his parted hair was also to her liking, but she immediately begins to ruffle through it with a teasing hand.
She replies, “Thanks. Yours is cute. Especially how it normally is.”
“Oh haha. Thanks.”
Claudia’s awkward smile shifts into something more grave as she adds, “Callum… I… I’m sorry again. About Soren. Not saying anything sooner.”
“It’s fine, Claudia. I know you were gonna tell me. I just… I just wanna focus on anything else really.”
“Well, sure. I mean there’s some pretty awesome ruins around here. Come on. Take me to see the Moon Nexus!”
“Okay,” he says, eyes lighting up.
Hand in hand, the prince leads her forward, both lovebirds feeling joy for the first time in days.
The silver lake is a welcome sight, the half moon reflected in its depths.
Claudia remarks, “It’s like the Moon but more… here.”
Callum’s somber eyes continue to soften from her goofy little remarks, just what he needs to keep the thought of Harrow from his mind.
“It is. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I’m glad you found us, Claudia.”
Claudia says, “Right? Rescue attempt turned to date with the prince is something I can really get behind.”
“Yeah. You… This has really cheered me up. Um... So, Claudia…”
His arms tense up as he fidgets in place.
Callum continues, “I’ve known you for so long.”
“Yeah. Me too,” she replies playfully.
“Well, sure you’ve known yourself your whole life.”
As he facepalms at his own nitpicky joke, Claudia lets out a cackle. She said, “You always make me laugh.”
“You make me laugh too! And you make me see the world in a different way.”
His olive eyes flitter over towards hers, only to see Claudia gazing back with the same affectionate expression. His nervous ramblings seem to blend into each other as she merely laughs them off, all the while her lips traveling closer to his. Soon, they both lean into the other and their mouths hover dangerously close.
[[Pull back. This is too soon]]
[[Kiss her|Kiss Claudia]]
Just as their lips hover an inch out of range, Callum feels a heavy pain run thorugh his chest and pulls back. If only Callum could fully enjoy tonight without feeling the pang of Harrow’s absence.
Claudia seems to understand. Her eyes light up with concern as she says, "I'm sorry. This was selfish of me."
"I want to!" shouts Callum. "Just not yet. Not until I'm not hurting anymore."
As always, she seems to understand. Claudia isn't even offended. She nods knowingly at him and says, "Sure. If you change your mind, let me know."
“Yeah. Give me a bit of time to figure out if I’m ready for this. But um… I’d like us to be a... thing… when I’m ready.”
Viren's daughter notices how he blushes as he confesses it. It's a proposal of sorts.
Claudia nods and says, “Yeah. Me too. But um… This was a nice first step.”
Viren’s daughter blushes as she confesses it, and she sees him do the same.
“It really was,” he responds.
[[Return to Rayla’s POV]]
The kiss is deep, and both lovers are unwilling to part for a moment. It’s strangely not awkward for two people that have only ever been awkward when flirting with the other. It just feels… right. If only Callum could fully enjoy it without feeling the pang of Harrow’s absence. Even so, it feels like healing. It makes his heart race, and the glow on her cheeks revealed by moonlight signals to him that Claudia is blushing too.
“That was... nice,” said Claudia. “I’ve never been kissed before.”
“Me too. Haha. So, um… Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Are we?” she asks, playing at a loose strand of her dark hair.
“Aren’t we?”
“We could be,” she replies. “I’d like that. But um… Maybe you should give it some thought.”
“Yeah. Give me a bit of time to figure out if I’m ready for this. But um… I’d like us to… be… when I’m ready.”
Claudia nods and says, “Yeah. Me too. But um… This was a nice first step.”
Viren’s daughter blushes as she confesses it, and she sees him do the same.
“It really was,” he responds.
[[Return to Rayla’s POV]]
I watch as Ezran continues to train Zym in the art of flapping his wee wings, even as dusk falls upon the Cursed Caldera. I sigh in boredom as I bend my spine, letting out a groan. As dull as this is, I’m relieved the siblings are nowhere to be found with their nefarious schemes. Of course, that’s because Callum has taken Claudia to the Moon Nexus, something that brings another surge of irritation through my body. Am I jealous? Annoyed? Both? I wish he’d just focus on the mission instead of that sinister Dark Mage.
And the mage’s brother fortunately has given up on his child-murdering schemes, at least for now.
Actually, where is he? Perhaps I should go find him.
I could also go and find Lujanne in her Moon Temple. I believe she’s spent the day in there meditating, no doubt looking to hide from Claudia more than anything. I need to protect these three princes from whatever schemes they have in store now, and I need to expose them in order to do so. Despite Soren being proven a filthy liar, Callum insisted they ware trustworthy. Lujanne might have some advice on the matter, and no doubt her illusions will prove the answer to my problems.
In any case, I rest a hand on my knee as I spy on the young prince and dragon from the edge of an ornate terrace. Bait is seated besides me. Even for someone as down in the dumps as Bait, he seems unusually glum, as if he’s moping. I smile as I pet him on his rubbery noggin.
“Feeling ignored too, Bait? I get it.”
[[Find Lujanne in the Moon Temple]]
[[Go find Soren to see what he’s up to <3]]
Alright, I’ll speak to Lujanne! Despite how late it is, I march into the Moonshadow temple. Passing through rooms of butterflies and runes, I proceed forward, admiring the ancient white stone carved so elegantly into curves and swirls on every corner of its breadth. Moss and ivy is painted onto every stone, reminding me that this lays in the heart of this Moonshadow forest, as much as the Moon Nexus itself.
Across the room, the massive gong looks ready to be gonged so I smash my butterfly blades up against it, sending out a resonating ring. I can see Lujanne squirm from her meditation corner.
“Awake?”
Flatly, she answers, “Yes. I’m awake.”
“Good. Since you’re caught up on sleep, you can help me out.”
“I take it you seek my wisdom?”
“Nope. I’m more of a clever plan and kick butt sorta girl,” I say, flipping a butterfly blade elegantly in the air.
“Meaning no wisdom?”
“Yes! No wisdom!” I snap. “Sorry. I’m on edge. It’s those siblings. They’re coming with us, but I KNOW they’re hiding something.”
Lujaane responds disinterestedly, “And this makes you unhappy.”
“Too right it does. And the thing is… There IS one thing you can do for me,” I say evilly, hands clasping together as I bask in the brilliance of my plan. In one swoop, I’ll win back Callum’s trust and protect the three princes at the same time.
[[The next day...|Rayla's plan]]
(set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
My amethyst eyes narrow as I find a sense of urgency. I know the blond knight is up to no good. That’s the only reason I’m curious about what he’s up to! I traverse the green foothills until I am back in the Moonshadow forest of these parts, wondering to myself what this place used to be like. My kin once thrived here but after the great exodus ordered by the Dragon King, we were forced to abandon the Moon Nexus and all our homes here. Come to think of it, that decision of his created such pain for both humans AND elves. Returning Zym and making the humans look good? This might be the start of things getting better.
In any case, I find Soren swinging his sword in the air in a small clearing. His footwork is pretty good, I’ve got to admit. But what my eyes are latching onto is the fact he’s oddly shirtless. Isn’t he cold? I swiftly look away, only to realize I shouldn’t take my eyes off an enemy. But… Seeing him like this has my heart racing. He wipes at a strand of long blond hair sticking to his forehead, and then gazes over at me. I see him offer a cocky grin, something that makes me blush involuntarily again and look away.
“Spying on me, elf?” he asks. “I get that I look good but isn’t that a bit much?”
“Shut up,” I retort, marching forward. “I’m on patrol.”
“Oh. Good luck with that,” he says mockingly. “Hope you find a nice bullfrog to arrest.”
“You know damn well what I caught you doing the other day,” I add. “You make another attempt at Ezran’s life and I’ll chop the line with you on it next time.”
“Yeesh. It was just a loose peg, elf! Lay off it. Besides… why are you over here watching me when you could be over there watching the princes?”
“I…”
My finger goes up in protest, only for it to fall as I realize my own lapse in logic. Whatever argument I’m forming never leaves my lips. Why am I here again?
[[Storm off]]
(If: $SorenRomance is >1) [[Tease Soren some more <3.]]
"Ugh," I say, rolling my eyes. "Like I said, I'm on patrol!"
With that, I march off in a random direction into the forest, not stopping until I'm out of sight, lest he realize I'm just heading back the way I came.
In the distance, I hear Soren say, "Oh, that fierce glare. She really is into me."
"Unbelievable," I say under my breath.
Enough of this. I need to deal with this man properly, and especially the Dark Mage accompanying him. I should go see Lujanne before Callum and Claudia get back from their da-Just thinking about it almost makes me hurl. I begin to make my way back towards Ezran and the Moonshadow ruins, shoving Soren from my mind.
[[Find Lujanne in the Moon Temple]](set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
''Special Soren scene UNLOCKED: ''
I reply, “Why do that when I’ve got the criminal right here?”
“Hmmm. Maybe what you’re itching for is a rematch,” he says to me. “Or if it’s Claudia you're picking a fight with, she’s off on her date thing with Callum.”
I put a hand on my hip and let out, “Ugh… Can you believe they’re going on a date, right now of all times?”
“Right?” replies Soren, bright blue eyes flashing. “Like, how do I explain how long this rescue attempt took to Dad?”
“Priorities. It’s lost on people,” I add.
“Mages, right?”
“Yeah... Mages,” I reply with a smirk. It’s weird to be agreeing with him, but perhaps we’re not as different as I thought.
For some reason, I feel my exhaustion catching up to me again and so I plant myself against a tree beside him, a blanket of soft moss making it more comfortable. Soren peaks over at me in curiosity as I feel my horns poke a bit against the trunk.
He asks, “Are those uncomfortable?”
“My horns? I guess if I lean my head back, but normally no.”
“They look heavy.”
I reply, “Well, they aren’t. No headaches or neck pain.”
“So... Is it light like hair? You trim them short, and they grow back, right?”
“What? No! If I sawed these off, they’d be gone for good.”
Soren says, “Yikes. Glad I didn’t cut one off back then.”
“Yeah…”
“So, um… Why do you folks have horns? Are elves like… part dragon?”
I glare at him and ask, “Soren… what the-”
“It’s just a question. Yeesh.”
“A dumb one. Elves have nothing to do with dragons. Our horns are our own. You’ll never find a dragon with horns this beautiful. Notice… the ornate carvings.”
I proudly wave a hand over one of them, as if presenting a fine painting.
“Those are pretty ornate,” Soren says, stroking his chin as if he’s an art critic.
“Aren’t they? My godfathers carved them for me. Runaan did the one on the left and Ethari the one on the-“
I realize then that this man has probably dueled with Runaan. And perhaps they’ve taken everything from the other. The question on the tip of the tongue I dare not ask, for I know I’m not as emotionally hearty as Callum. I’ll grieve later for Runaan. Worry later. For now…
Wait. How is this any better? Why am I mingling with this man?
[[Continue to speak with Soren anyway]]
“Well, I like them,” he says. “Just don’t gore me with them.”
“Gore you how?” I say with a laugh. “Charge you backwards to stab you in the face?”
“Y-Yes? I’m not the conniving elf here.”
I reply, “I have a name you know. Rayla.”
“Right. Rayla… I-Crap! Get down!”
My ears twitch a moment before he says it, but I don’t have time to respond to the sound of a far-off bush being disturbed. Instead, I feel Soren pull me against him as he holds his silver sword against me protectively. What the… Why am I against his bare chest, a bare chest burning like a blazing bonfire? My hands are feeling hard shoulder muscles. I’m not used to this. And frankly, I don’t want it. It’s bad enough I think I might be starting to crush on Callum, but now I’m having my heart race from this oaf? Is my taste in guys this poor? No! My taste is excellent, and this is a clearly platonic reaction on my part.
In any case, I recover mentally and draw out a butterfly blade, even as I remain silent in his grasp. We both stare over at source of the intrusion. What we see is… Some massive Xadian wingless bird flapping its wings at another bird, both squawking and sending out feathers. Probably two males fighting for territory in mating season. I roll my eyes at thinking it was something serious, only to realize I’m still being held by Soren.
“Ugh... Let go of me,” I say as I push myself away from him.
“Hey! That was an accident! I was… Using you as a meat shield!” he declares proudly as he points a burly finger in my face, but his confused tone makes it sound like he just made that up on the spot.
Even so, I want nothing less than to agree here and get out of this awkward situation.
“Right! As expected of a lowlife like you,” I say, feigning a scowl as I cross my arms.
“Now then, we never speak of this again. Deal?”
“Deal,” he replies.
Enough of this. I need to deal with this man properly, and especially the dark mage accompanying him. I should go see Lujanne before Callum and Claudia get back from their da-Just thinking about it almost makes me hurl. I begin to make my way back towards Ezran and the Moonshadow ruins, shoving Soren from my mind.
[[Speak with Lujanne|Find Lujanne in the Moon Temple]]
As I feared, Callum has decided to allow the siblings to accompany us, something I know that will end in us being captured the second we drop our guard. No doubt this is all because of his mage date messing with his mind. I hope my trap will shock him back into reality. Plus, I can’t wait to see the look on Soren’s smug face when I ruin his day.
That being said, I don’t want to do this without Callum’s approval. Trust is key here! Fortunately, Callum humors me. He agrees to this plan as he’s utterly confident Claudia and Soren would never do anything to betray his trust. It helps no one needs to get hurt. Hopefully…
Marching down the trail towards the border, I eye the map closely. By ship, we can cross a massive basin and seek refuge in a fishing town called Lorenth. I roll the map away before leading us down a dusty pathway.
Five minutes into the journey to Xadia, I proclaim in a bout of acting worthy of the Silvergrove’s Crescent Theater, “Hold up a minute. I need some elf food for the road. Let me just go and pluck up some berries.”
I don’t see it but Soren and Claudia stare at me in confusion before gazing at each other knowingly.
I wander towards the forest completely unguarded, knowing Soren is sure to follow. His eyes seem on me quite often lately, no doubt seeking to lop my head off. And so, it’s time I reward him for his loyalty.
As I kneel down to gather some Moonberries from a bush, I hear the hum of his blade being drawn behind me.
“End of the line, elf,” he says.
[[Sarcastically reply to him that you’re shocked by the betrayal]]
[[Tell him you’re disappointed]]
"What? It can't be. I thought we were friends," I say sarcastically, a hand to my "shocked" lips.
Soren says smugly, sword drawn as we encircle each other,, “Sorry but I'm just a nice guy and people get the wrong idea."
“Ugh,” I reply, rolling my eyes,. “You don’t sarcasm so good, do you?”
“No, I do not,” he says with a bit of pride. Dummy.
With our pleasantries out of the way, Soren violently slashes his long sword forward and I’m forced to duck beneath it as the bush behind me is split open. I launch forward at him with my own blades, and we duel. Sparks erupt in the air around us as my twin swords whirl around his guard, but his bastard sword manages to block each strike. I think I’ll enjoy this. I offer him a playful smile as I elegantly hop from tree branch to tree branch until I’m high enough to get a view of Claudia and the others. By now she’s enacting her plan.
“Boo! Cowardly elf! Cowardly elf!” I hear the knight remark from below. I roll my eyes.
What a dumb ass.
I state, “Says the guy who tried to stab me when I was alone yesterday!”
Soren snaps, “Hey! I gave you a whole extra second of living! I’m just that nice!”
Over aways, I see the Archangel moths have done their part, acting as illusionary decoys for Claudia to spring her trap on. Some weird snake-like chains are wrapping around the boys. Stupid Dark Mage.
She has no clue I have another member roped into this plan. That young girl called Ellis was pretty eager to be wrapped up in my schemes and so I and Lujanne had her wolf’s Moon opal outfitted with an illusionary spell. When she pulls off Ava’s collar, the lunar moths are revealed, replacing the fake princes. I see Claudia gasp in horror, and I smirk.
“You tricked us!” shouts Soren.
I can’t help but smirk cockily at him, sword resting on my back, as I prepare a taunt for him.
(If: $SorenRomance is >2) [[Flirt and mock him <3|Flirt Soren 2.]]
[[Sass him|Sass Soren 2]](set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
“Oh my. What a shock,” I state flatly, eyes in an unimpressed glaze.
Soren says smugly, “I know. Shame you didn’t see this betrayal coming.”
“Yeah… I did,” I reply, my amethyst eyes flitting over him crossly. “You don’t sarcasm so good, do you?”
“No, I do not,” he says with a bit of pride. Dummy.
I state, “Even though I knew, I’m still disappointed in you.”
He replies with a confident smirk, “Sorry babe but duty calls.”
Feeling anger course through me, I ask, “Duty? I thought you were the Crownguard. I don’t know what your dad said you had to do, but Callum trusts you. He stuck up for you and Claudia again and again.”
My tone sounds more emotional than I intended as I feel the hurt overcome me, the jealousy of how my friendship can’t compare to what they all have. Something I’ve never had. Until now. OR at least I dreamt I did. Instead, I’m doing this. Trying to prove myself. Feeling like I’m the only one keeping the mission going.
I see Soren’s sharp eyes blink rapidly and the smile on his face seem to vanish a bit.
“I have to do this,” he says more gravely. “You’d never understand.”
“Understand what? My father of sorts giving me a mission too cruel to stomach? Unable to kill in the moment of the truth? I’m the reason you found the assassins. I spared the guard. I disobeyed his orders. And you can too!”
“I… I CANT",’ he says in resignation, and for the first time, I feel pity for him. It doesn’t last as Soren violently slashes his long sword forward and I’m forced to duck beneath it as the bush behind me is split open. I launch forward at him with my blades, and we duel. Sparks erupt in the air around us as my twin swords whirl around his guard, but his bastard sword manages to block each strike. I think I’ll enjoy this. I offer him a playful smile as I elegantly hop from tree branch to tree branch until I’m high enough to get a view of Claudia and the others. By now she’s enacting her plan.
“Boo! Cowardly elf! Cowardly elf!” I hear the knight remark from below. I roll my eyes.
What a dumb ass.
I state, “Says the guy who tried to stab me when I was alone yesterday!”
Soren snaps, “Hey! I gave you a whole extra second of living! I’m just that nice!”
Over aways, I see the Archangel moths have done their part, acting as illusionary decoys for Claudia to spring her trap on. Some weird snake-like chains are wrapping around the boys. Stupid Dark Mage.
She has no clue I have another member roped into this plan. That young girl called Ellis was pretty eager to be wrapped up in my schemes and so I and Lujanne had her wolf’s Moon opal outfitted with an illusionary spell. When she pulls off Ava’s collar, the lunar moths are revealed, replacing the fake princes. I see Claudia gasp in horror, and I smirk.
“You tricked us!” shouts Soren.
I can’t help but smirk cockily at him, sword resting on my back, as I prepare a taunt for him.
(If: $SorenRomance is >2) [[Flirt and mock him <3.]]
[[Sass him]]
(set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
''Special Soren Scene UNLOCKED:''
I say teasingly, “Us? No… Moon, I love the expression on your stupid face. It’s almost cute.”
“Almost? I have a very cute face,” he argues.
“You won’t when I smash it in,” I reply.
However, I’m immediately greeted by the sight of Phoe-Phoe, Lujanne’s majestic lunar phoenix gliding in from above the tree line. As I’m now perfectly balanced on the top branch, I hop onto her talon for dear life as she flies off, all three princes roosted atop her saddle. I try not to freak out despite the fact I’m being carried hundreds of feet in the air. I gaze down at Soren one last time.
//Soren… You’re a dummy but you could be so much more, you big dumb lump. Pick right for once in your life.//
Just as I think we’re safely out of their clutches, there’s a moment where the entire bird is being restrained, and to my horror, I see the Dark Mage has a massive sea beast’s tentacle attached to the phoenix, anchoring her in place as she flaps for dear life. Oh no. Claudia is every bit as scary as I feared which was why I wanted to avoid combat with her.
However, the tentacle releases us and I’m not immediately sure who our rescuer is. Wait. Is it that tracker guy who I left in a ditch? I can’t say I like him, but I’m impressed.
I climb atop the Xadian feathered beauty now, and feel my boots hit the saddle. With a grin, I cheer myself on in triumph. “Whoo! I was right! I told you those two were up to no good!”
Somberly, Callum replies, “Yeah. You did.”
Ezran says softly, “It’ll be okay, Callum. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”
I feel guilt wrack me now as I realize what I’ve done. I’ve hurt Callum as much as Claudia did. And while I can’t forgive her, I can’t so easily forgive myself either.
[[Put a hand on Callum's shoulder]]
(If: $CallumRomance is >2) [[Comfort Callum <3]]
I say teasingly, “Us? No… I’m as honest as they come, especially to nice fellas like you.”
“Huh?” he asks, dumbfounded eyebrow raised, only for him to snap a finger at me and say, “Oh! Sarcasm!”
“Brilliant you are,” I say with an eyeroll.
I’m immediately greeted by the sight of Phoe-Phoe, Lujanne’s majestic lunar phoenix flying in from above the tree line. As I’m now perfectly balanced on the top branch, I hop onto her talon for dear life as she flies off, all three princes roosted atop her saddle. I try not to freak out despite the fact I’m being carried hundreds of feet in the air. I gaze down at Soren one last time.
//
Soren… You’re a fool but you don’t have to be. Pick right for once in your life.//
Just as I think we’re safely out of their clutches, there’s a moment where the entire bird is being restrained, and to my horror, I see the Dark Mage has a massive sea beast’s tentacle attached to the phoenix, anchoring her in place as she flaps for dear life. Oh no. Claudia is every bit as scary as I feared which was why I wanted to avoid combat with her.
However, the tentacle releases and I’m not sure who our rescuer is. Wait. Is it that tracker guy who I left in a ditch? I can’t say I like him, but I’m impressed.
I climb atop the Xadian feathered beauty now, and feel my boots hit the saddle. With a grin, I cheer myself on in triumph. “Whoo! I was right! I told you those two were up to no good!”
Somberly, Callum replies, “Yeah. You did.”
Ezran says, “It’ll be okay, Callum. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”
I feel guilt wrack me now as I realize what I’ve done. I’ve hurt Callum as much as Claudia did. And while I can’t forgive her, I can’t so easily forgive myself either.
[[Put a hand on Callum's shoulder]]
(If: $CallumRomance is >2) [[Comfort Callum <3]]
(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
''Special Callum scene UNLOCKED:''
“I’m sorry,” I say as I place my four fingers on his shoulder. “I wish wasn’t right. I wish it’d been different.”
“So do I,” he says, looking downward.
We begin to gain elevation, ascending into the clouds. Ezran is overjoyed, holding Zym in the air. The wee dragon stretches open his wings, pretending to be soaring about. What a cutie. I turn now to see Callum still in a daze. His eyes are pained. He’s lost so much. His father. And both his childhood friends, one who he might have loved. Whatever happened on their date, it’s ruined… At least for now. I wish I were happier about it but all I want is to see Callum smile. Why? Why do I want that for a friend I just made?
Slowly, Callum’s eyes wander from the clouds slipping by us to the passengers aboard our phoenix.
“Hey,” I whisper.
Callum’s eyes sheepishly look my way, perhaps fighting through the pain. I decide to cradle his warm cheek with a supportive hand. I see him willingly sink into it, eyes closing in relaxation. When he opens them again, I beam at him warmly as the cold air whips my long hair about.
I say, “It’ll be okay.”
“Maybe. I’m just glad I have you and Ezran.”
Ezran moves in now to hug Callum as well, the three of us joining in on a group hug. I feel Zym and Bait join in as well.
Ezran says, “We’re glad to have you too, Callum. I’m glad I don’t have to do this alone.”
Callum nods as we all pull away. I don’t see how he looks over at me as I pull in my knees to my chest, feeling the cold air nip at my bare shoulders.
I feel the older prince press up beside me, shoulder to shoulder. As I blush, he whispers weakly, “Rayla… Thank you.”
''THE END! Thanks for playing!''(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
“I’m sorry,” I say as I place my four fingers on his shoulder. “I wish wasn’t right. I wish it’d been different.”
“So do I,” he says, looking downward.
We begin to gain elevation, ascending into the clouds. Ezran is overjoyed, holding Zym in the air. The wee dragon stretches open his wings, pretending to be soaring about. What a cutie. I turn now to see Callum still in a daze. His eyes are pained. He’s lost so much. His father. And both his childhood friends, one who he might have loved. Whatever happened on their date, it’s ruined… At least for now. I wish I were happier about it, but seeing Callum so sad makes it hard for me to come up with even a witty remark.
Slowly, Callum’s eyes wander from the clouds slipping by us to the passengers aboard our phoenix. And I again put a supportive hand on his shoulder. He sheepishly looks up to me. I beam at him warmly as the cold air whips my long hair about. And immediately I pull Callum into a hug, one I need as much as he does.
“I really am sorry,” I whisper again.
“Me too,” he replies, and I see the mage’s eyes fill with resolve. “From now on, I’ll trust you. With my life.”
I nod, feeling warmth in my chest from his trust, and look over to the companions beside me. Ezran with his kind smile, somehow braving this out better than us older kids. I see Zym peaceful in his arms, and Bait huddled up beside him. We’re a ragtag group but we’re still together.
Together…
It feels nice.
''THE END! Thanks for playing!''
Claudia suddenly freezes in her tracks, pulling back right before their lips can crash together.
“Wait. Callum, there’s something I need to tell you.”
The prince asks, “Huh? Now?”
“Yeah. Now. Because if I kiss you, I want it to be… good between us. And that means being honest. Soren wasn’t telling the truth about the King. I mean not that he’d not miss you but… Something… Something happened to the King, Callum.”
She sees his eyes widen in horror, and the sight crushes her. Why had it come to this?
[[Return to Rayla's POV|Rayla POV. Didn't tell Callum]]
Claudia sees Callum hesitate, and so does she. Even if her heart is throbbing for him, she realizes it’s too soon. There’s something she needs to tell her childhood friend before doing something so intimate as a kiss.
Callum says, “Sorry. Just give me a minute. The nerves.”
“Of course. Um… Actually, there’s something I need to tell you before we keep going with the date.”
“Oh? Okay,” he answers worriedly.
Claudia explains, “If I kiss you, I want it to be… good between us. And that means being honest. Soren wasn’t telling the truth about the King. I mean not that he’d not miss you but… Something… Something happened to the King, Callum.”
She sees his eyes widen in horror, and the sight crushes her. Why had it come to this?
[[Return to Rayla's POV|Rayla POV. Didn't tell Callum]]
I await Callum at the base of the Moonhenge. At this point, I can’t even feel upset about their date because I’m too busy feeling sick to my stomach at my own actions. But I’m resolved to tell him tonight. This quest for peace hinges upon the human princes’ inclusion, and besides… They’re my friends.
I take notice of the Dark Mage walking my way back towards the sleeping quarters. Our eyes lock in a momentarily glare, and I’m determined not to show her any weakness. dark magic doesn’t scare me. I’ve been burned by her magic before but even so, I won’t give her that satisfaction. Instead, I march on past her, eyes searching for Callum.
And there I find him.
Unwilling to deceive him a moment longer, I say, “Callum, there’s something I need to tell you. About... about the king.”
But as I approach him, I realize that his green eyes are shimmering with tears. And the way he looks at me is like he’s looking at the one who killed Harrow personally. Not out of fury as much as hurt and betrayal. But it’s instantly lost beneath his tears and sorrow.
As he sobs, Callum says, “I know. He’s gone.”
“Oh no,” I let out.
I reach out with a hand to his shoulder, but he swats it away.
He asks, “You knew?”
As my heart sinks to a pit in my stomach, I soak in that tone of his, the sharp jab of his accusation.
I answer, “Yeah. My other wrist band fell off the night we left the castle. We swore an oath to… Well, it falls off when the job is done. But… I didn’t know how to tell you. I tried to. So many times.”
“Rayla, please… I… All I can think about is how I’m going to explain this to Ezran.”
“I’m sorry, Callum. I’m so so sorry.”
My ears sink as I say it, but his eyes won’t meet mine.
He says, “Liar.”
And with that, Callum marches off into his quarters, and I’m left to stand there in my own shame, wondering how to fix this. Instead, I sit down on the bench in front of the prince’s quarters, keeping guard because I can’t sleep with this guilt festering in me. Keeping guard even if he doesn’t want me to anymore. I hope he can’t hear the sound of me crying.
[[The next morning...|Next morning. Didn't tell Callum in time]]
(set: $CallumRomance to $CallumRomance +1)
That night I don’t get a wink of sleep. My eyes remain fixed for danger, wondering when the siblings will strike. Even so, it’s not difficult to stay awake, my own guilt building up a layer of anxiety in my mind. I need to see Callum again, to apologize for what I’ve done. To mend this broken friendship.
It’s the cusp of dawn when Callum leaves his room, and gazes down at me.
I stretch my arms, and yawn before gazing up at him, my heart pounding in fear of what he’ll say. I can’t stand being scared of him.
“Callum…”
“I couldn’t tell him,” said Callum. “I couldn’t tell Ezran. I get it now. When you love someone, it’s hard to hurt them. And so, I can’t be mad at you. Thank you for telling me, Rayla.”
“I still should have told you sooner.”
“Yeah but… thanks…”
He sits beside me, his big green eyes looking absolutely miserable.
The mage confesses, “I think a part of me always knew. I didn’t want to believe it but… he’s gone. He’s really gone.”
As he admits it, the prince sobs into his gloved hand. This time I wrap my arms around him, and we hug for the longest time. As long as he needs, I’ll be his shoulder to cry on. I’m still his friend somehow through all of this. But there’s something I must do to protect my friends.
[[Go see Lujanne for help.|Lujanne help. Didn't tell Callum in time]]
Despite everything, Callum still trusts the Katolis siblings.
Having heard that the siblings will be following us into Xadia, I know damn well we’re to be ambushed. I need help on this one, to concoct a plan that Callum will agree to.
And for that, I seek out the ancient druid that runs this place. I march into the Moonshadow temple. Passing through rooms of butterflies and runes, I proceed forward, admiring the ancient white stone carved so elegantly into curves and swirls on every corner of its breadth. Moss and ivy is painted onto every stone, reminding me that this lays in the heart of this Moonshadow forest, as much as the Moon Nexus itself.
Across the room, the massive gong looks ready to be gonged so I smash my butterfly blades up against it, sending out a resonating ring. I can see Lujanne squirm from her meditation corner.
“Awake?”
Flatly, she answers, “Yes. I’m awake.”
“Good. Since you’re caught up on sleep, you can help me out.”
“I take it you seek some ancient wisdom?” she asks reluctantly.
“Nope. I know you’ve got none of that.”
“Then what?”
I answer, “It’s those siblings. They’re coming with us, but I KNOW they’re hiding something.”
Lujaane responds disinterestedly, “And this makes you unhappy.”
“Too right it does. And the thing is… There IS one thing you can do for me,” I say evilly, hands clasping together as I bask in the brilliance of my plan. In one swoop, I’ll prove my trustworthiness to the princes and protect them at the same time.
[[The next day...|Rayla' plan. Didn't tell Callum]]
Everything is in place. Fortunately, Callum humors me. He only agrees to this plan as he’s utterly confident Claudia and Soren would never do anything to betray him and Ezran. It helps that my plan doesn’t require any harm to come to them, or anything to even go wrong if the siblings just behave. Oh, but I’ll show him. I can’t wait for him to realize I was right all along. And the look on Soren’s smug face will be well worth it.
Marching down the trail towards the border, I eye the map closely. By ship, we can cross a massive basin and seek refuge in a fishing town called Lorenth. I roll the map away before leading us down a dusty pathway.
Five minutes into the journey to Xadia, I proclaim in a bout of acting worthy of the Silvergrove’s Crescent Theater, “Hold up a minute. I need some elf food for the road. Let me just go and pluck up some berries.”
I don’t see it but Soren and Claudia stare at me in confusion before gazing at each other knowingly.
I wander towards the forest completely unguarded, knowing Soren is sure to follow. His eyes seem on me quite often lately, no doubt seeking to lop my head off. And so, it’s time I reward him for his loyalty.
As I kneel down to gather some Moonberries from a bush, I hear the hum of his blade being drawn behind me.
“End of the line, elf,” he says.
[[Sarcastically reply to him that you’re shocked by the betrayal]]
[[Tell him you’re disappointed]](set: $SorenRomance to $SorenRomance +1)
Special Soren Scene UNLOCKED:
I say teasingly, “Us? No… Moon, I love the expression on your stupid face. It’s almost cute.”
“Almost? I have a very cute face,” he argues.
“You won’t when I smash it in,” I reply.
However, I’m immediately greeted by the sight of Phoe-Phoe, Lujanne’s majestic lunar phoenix gliding in from above the tree line. As I’m now perfectly balanced on the top branch, I hop onto her talon for dear life as she flies off, all three princes roosted atop her saddle. I try not to freak out despite the fact I’m being carried hundreds of feet in the air. I gaze down at Soren one last time.
//Soren… You don't have to be a bad guy. Pick right for once in your life.//
Just as I think we’re safely out of their clutches, there’s a moment where the entire bird is being restrained, and to my horror, I see the Dark Mage has a massive sea beast’s tentacle attached to the phoenix, anchoring her in place as she flaps for dear life. Oh no. Claudia is every bit as scary as I feared which was why I wanted to avoid combat with her.
However, the tentacle releases us and I’m not immediately sure who our rescuer is. Wait. Is it that tracker guy who I left in a ditch? I can’t say I like him, but I’m impressed.
I climb atop the Xadian feathered beauty now, and feel my boots hit the saddle. With a grin, I cheer myself on in triumph. “Whoo! I was right! I told you those two were up to no good!”
Somberly, Callum replies, “Yeah. You did.”
Ezran says softly, “It’ll be okay, Callum. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”
I feel guilt wrack me now as I realize what I’ve done. I’ve hurt Callum as much as Claudia did. And while I can’t forgive her, I can’t so easily forgive myself either.
[[Put a hand on Callum's shoulder]]
(If: $CallumRomance is >2) [[Comfort Callum <3]]
I say teasingly, “Us? No… I’m as honest as they come, especially to nice fellas like you.”
“Huh?” he asks, dumbfounded eyebrow raised, only for him to snap a finger at me and say, “Oh! Sarcasm!”
“Brilliant you are,” I say with an eyeroll.
I’m immediately greeted by the sight of Phoe-Phoe, Lujanne’s majestic lunar phoenix flying in from above the tree line. As I’m now perfectly balanced on the top branch, I hop onto her talon for dear life as she flies off, all three princes roosted atop her saddle. I try not to freak out despite the fact I’m being carried hundreds of feet in the air. I gaze down at Soren one last time.
//Soren… You don't have to be a bad guy.. Pick right for once in your life.//
Just as I think we’re safely out of their clutches, there’s a moment where the entire bird is being restrained, and to my horror, I see the Dark Mage has a massive sea beast’s tentacle attached to the phoenix, anchoring her in place as she flaps for dear life. Oh no. Claudia is every bit as scary as I feared which was why I wanted to avoid combat with her.
However, the tentacle releases and I’m not sure who our rescuer is. Wait. Is it that tracker guy who I left in a ditch? I can’t say I like him, but I’m impressed.
I climb atop the Xadian feathered beauty now, and feel my boots hit the saddle. With a grin, I cheer myself on in triumph. “Whoo! I was right! I told you those two were up to no good!”
Somberly, Callum replies, “Yeah. You did.”
Ezran says, “It’ll be okay, Callum. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.”
I feel guilt wrack me now as I realize what I’ve done. I’ve hurt Callum as much as Claudia did. And while I can’t forgive her, I can’t so easily forgive myself either.
[[Put a hand on Callum's shoulder]]
(If: $CallumRomance is >2) [[Comfort Callum <3]]