The Isle of Seven Blossoms is a land famous for Adventurers. Countless, larger than life heroes, including the likes of Carlos The Awesome, and Dennis, once called the island home at some point or another. It's in their shadow, the shadow of all who set out from the isle in search of the great wide somewhere, that the island natives thrive.
Adventure Tourism, as it turns out, is a booming industry- one that has fostered a generation of wealth and abundance. The influx of tourists soon gave rise to the creation of Adventure Schools. Functioning like traditional monasteries, these Adventuring Schools are self sufficient and help drive the local economy.
It is in one of these schools that you have spent the first eleven years of your life.
Surrounded by aspiring heroes and inundated by stories of local legends who walked the same halls you do, you made up your mind. You took a long look at the work of your adventuring predecessors and after a moment's thought declared: "I can do better."
And you will. But maybe you should pick up the pace and get back to the school before sun down or you'll be stuck on dish duty again, you tell yourself.
[[Hury back!]]
[[I rush for no one.]]"Ah," he says. "Easily done. With the authority of a Lord of Night, I grant you a power overwhelming!"
Indigo fire engulfs you from the base of your feet. The bright flames blind you, filling your vision with the color before all you see is black...
[[Wake Up]]"Ah," he says. "So be it. Then I shall bestow upon you a portion of my own strength. I grant you the speed and agility of Jaguar. I grant you the blessing of a Lord of Night!"
Indigo fire engulfs you from the base of your feet. The bright flames blind you, filling your vision with the color before all you see is black...
[[Wake Up]]"Ah," he says. "So you choose to walk the most painful path of all. I expected as much.But I cannot grant you a compassionate heart, as you are so clearly already in posession of one."
"We could just be friends," you offer.
"Friends? Do you mean you wish to form a pact?" the jaguar asks.
You've heard the word 'pact' before, and you're pretty sure it's just a type of promise. Right?
"Sure," you half exclaim. "From now on, I promise to look out for you when and if I can, and you promise the same."
The jaguar's eyes pierce you, before he mutters something about spare lives.
"So be it," he says. "As a Lord of Night, I accept this pact. You have earned my companionship, Zephyr."
Indigo fire engulfs you from the base of your feet. The bright flames blind you, filling your vision with the color before all you see is black...
[[Wake Up]]"Insightful? Insightful how?" the jaguar asks.
"Like the kind of person who can always put together what happened with no clues," you say.
"Ah," he says. "So be it. Take this, my blessing as a Lord of Night. I grant you a mind sharp enough to pierce the mysteries of this world."
Indigo fire engulfs you from the base of your feet. The bright flames blind you, filling your vision with the color before all you see is black...
[[Wake Up]]Your pace goes from a steady walk to a quick jog as you start rushing back.
Try as you might, the sun outpaces you.
As the last rays of orange hued sunlight dissipate from the sky's pallette, you let out a sigh and slow your pace again, relegating yourself to dish duty.
/"Well, at least the cub is okay"//, you think.
You had heard the ragged yowling of a small animal in distress during your daily hike. The sound tugged at you until you found the poor jaguar cub making the racket. It had gotten stuck inside the base of a tree and its spotted behind was comically the only thing you could see when you approached it.
The rescue ate up the rest of your day off and all you have to show for it is a series of bloody scratches along your arms and an empty stomach. You haven't quite figured out how much food to bring yet.
Navigating the hillside trail by moonlight isn't anything new to you. But the growling in your stomach is distracting.
You stop in your tracks, realizing at once that the last growl you heard, hadn't come from your stomach.
[[Investigate the sound]]
[[Bolt!]]You conclude that you'll be late even if you rush back and continue your steady pace as the sun continues its own.
As the last rays of orange hued sunlight dissipate from the sky's pallette, you smile, taking in the moonlight.
You soon realize your muscles are mounting a protest in spite of the pace and ackowledge you'll be hurting tomorrow morning.
//"Well, at least the cub is okay"//, you think.
You had heard the ragged yowling of a small animal in distress during your daily hike. The sound tugged at you until you found the poor jaguar cub making the racket. It had gotten stuck inside the base of a tree and its spotted behind was comically the only thing you could see when you approached it.
The rescue ate up the rest of your day off and all you have to show for it is a series of bloody scratches along your arms and an empty stomach. You haven't quite figured out how much food to bring yet.
Navigating the hillside trail by moonlight isn't anything new to you either. But the growling in your stomach is distracting.
You stop in your tracks, realizing at once that the last growl you heard, hadn't come from your stomach.
[[Investigate the sound]]
[[Bolt!]]Your head turns, slowly, in the direction of the sound. As your gaze scans the starlit surroundings, you make direct contact with a pair of glowing green eyes.
A jaguar, black as shadow, makes its way down a nearby tree and observes you from the side of the trail. Its eyes fixed on yours, it releases a handful of soft roars. They sound like grunts, almost.
At this, a strange sensation, that of a rhythmic drumming, begins to pulse within the hollow of your chest. It thrums to the rhythm of the jaguar's vocalizations.The feeling gets more intense, seeping into your sense of hearing now. The sound it's making is not quite a pur, but not a growl either.
Then, silence. All save the crickets of the night fall still.
"I have linked our hearts, so that there may be understanding between us," the jaguar says.
He says this without any vocalization, but with the just-so positioning of his posture and tail. You really can't explain it, but you understand it.
"My cub tells me you saved her from an embarrassing fate today. I must know, human child, why would one such as yourself go through the hassle for a rival predator?"
You pause, unsure if he can already understand your intent or if you have to speak.
The silence stretches before you finally respond, "I'm not one to ignore a cry for help."
"I see," the jaguar says, assuming a sitting position. "What is your name, helpful one?"
"Zephyr," you reply at once.
"The winds of change...Very well, Zephyr, I shall reward you for coming to the aid of my litter when I could not. But first, I must ask you a final question. What is the mark of a true hero?"
''How do you respond?''
"I'd say real heroes are [[Insightful]]"
"[[Brawn]] is what sets the heroes apart from the rest."
"The best heroes are always the ones with the most [[Skill]]."
"[[Kindness]]."Heeding your Flight instinct you start charging down the trail,
Something is chasing you though. You can hear the gravel it's dislodging on the hill side.
It's ctaching up, you can feel the dirt, leaves, and underbrush sliding down from just above you!
Then, a jaguar, black as shadow, gingerly pounces into your line of sight and stops directly in your path. Its eyes fixed on yours, it releases a handful of soft roars. They sound like grunts, almost.
At this, a strange sensation, that of a rhythmic drumming, begins to pulse within the hollow of your chest. It thrums to the rhythm of the jaguar's vocalizations.The feeling gets more intense, seeping into your sense of hearing now. The sound it's making is not quite a pur, but not a growl either.
Then, silence. All save the crickets of the night fall still.
"You have nothing to fear," the jaguar says. "I have linked our hearts, so that there may be understanding between us,"
He says this without any vocalization, but with the just-so positioning of his paws, posture, and tail. You really can't explain it, but you understand it.
"My cub tells me you saved her from an embarrassing fate today. I must know, human child, why would one such as yourself go through the hassle for a rival predator?"
You pause, unsure if he can already understand your intent or if you have to speak.
The silence stretches before you finally respond, "I'm not one to ignore a cry for help."
"I see," the jaguar says, assuming a sitting position. "What is your name, helpful one?"
"Zephyr," you reply at once.
"The West wind. The winds of change...Very well, Zephyr, I shall reward you for coming to the aid of my litter when I could not. But first, I must ask you a final question. What is the mark of a true hero?"
''How do you respond?''
"I'd say real heroes are [[Insightful]]"
"[[Brawn]] is what sets the heroes apart from the rest."
"The best heroes are always the ones with the most [[Skill]]."
"[[Kindness]]."TO BE CONTINUED...