Glacial Gardening (Cave of the Hitodama: Deadly Moss)

Quietly the morning dew sets in on a flower which bears cotton beneath its petals. Gently a fair hand plucks the cotton, avoiding removing the petal itself. The hand then brings the cotton into a woven basket. With a cold breath sigh, the air turning the warm breath to a cloudy mist, the sun rises above the peaks of the mountains, cloudy fog and tree canopies. Haley takes in the rays and puts the basket into her suitcase. Her eyes gaze upon the flowers. They were named Fleece Flower. A rather uncommon flower, for they only grew in cold fertile soil. Their adaptibility to the cold allowed them to grow in otherwise unhabitable areas with untapped ariable land. Haley observed the cotton underneath to be a product of unknown process, and that it has the consistency of fleece, the weight of silk and thee comfort of teddy bear stuffing. It worked well as a sweater. It was like being in a barn full of sheep in winter.

Haley then looks rather daze. She had forgotten something but what it was, never seemed to settle as a clear answer. Feeling like the guild would help trigger the memory, she returns to it. Thank god for the forest or Haley would be curled up in a ball in a field of Fleece Flowers. Soon, Haley reaches the doors and enters, just to walk into Leona, who looks all ready for an adventure. In fact that sword she is hefting is definitely not one for a casual exploration of a jungle to find a lost city. Nor one with big boulders. It clicks.

"H-hey Leona! I'm surprised to see you already ready! Um well look at the time," A wrist watch materializes in her hand, and no it is not magic, it is... her skin morphing into a watch. Wait does that make it an actual biological clock? The watch disappears and Haley walks out the guild hall, muttering to herself how she almost forgot.

And soon, with the power of plot, they have arrived in the shivering cold that is their guild location. Haley has the sweater made of Fleece Flower on her, and a large wooden club with cloth wrapped around it. Two curved knives hung from her waist, next to a bunch of crystal gems. Putting her arms on her chest, she tries to not let her agoraphobia get to her. It is going to be nice and small inside the cave, that is good.

"Well Leona, let us set up camp, and we need to discuss our routes of access," Haley turns to face her companion. "Can't say it is going to be a smooth one, for... one no maps I could find of the cave..."

Haley shivered as the winds blew past her. Even sometimes she forgets that some of her clothes is still just her skin morphed. While they do provide the protection of clothing, they are still attached to every nerve in her body. Shaking off the cold feeling, Haley nodded in agreement, though there was one thing she covered that Leona did not have to worry about.

"Don't worry about shelter, food or water," Haley smiled as she gave Leona a pat on the shoulder. "I praise your early preperation though. Come we just need to find a large enough area like a cave to put this over here down." Haley pats her suitcase, which had just appeared in her bag. With that, Haley begun a small search around the area, before finding a small frozen cave big enough for 3 people just off of their destination. Haley pulls out what seems to be steel sticks, which is then thrusted down into the ice. Once that was done Haley asks for Leona to help her as she held up a sheet.

The completed structure ends up being a small extended shelter of the cave, and Haley takes out a pick, and drives a small hole into the cave wall and slots in a torch and then lit on fire. The orange glow of the flames spread across the icy blue interior. It was not much as a heat source, but served worthy as their light source. With that done, Haley puts her suitcase down on the ground and flips it open.

"Young before the old," Haley then slightly stiffens up. "Well not that I actually know you are younger, you kinda look way younger than me that's all. After all most guild mages start off... younger than 20 usually... Well... I'm 25..." Haley presses her hands together. "Yeah anyway um... If you uncomfortable being in my suitcase, I can get the fairies to set up the rest of this shelter..."

With not left to say, regardless of whether Leona enters the suitcase or not, Haley will go right in. If Leona remained outside, she would hear crashing and a mumble of Haley giving the assurance that she is okay. If Leona did follow Haley inside, the crashing occured because a fairy accidentally dropped a trash can while cleaning the corridor on Haley, which the shapeshifter narrowly avoids and lands in a beanbag. Haley proceeds through the hallway and into the lobby where instead of going right towards the library, she heads left, towards a location Haley has yet to show to anyone. Down a spiral staircase Haley would enter what seems to be a bedroom, and it looks, really small. It oddly however has an outside view of the area. Sticking her hand into a bucket with what seems like non-alcoholic drinks, Haley takes one and downs it. If Leona stayed above, Haley's upper half would pop up with a blank paper and a pen. Haley would just lay it out on the table in her bedroom and present it to Leona if she did follow Haley inside.

"This will serve as our map. I will take approximate measurements of the area in a two dimensional scale and sketch out important sections and areas. I doubt we would find the moss on day one, so we gotta track our routes carefully. Caves are not forgiving, especially one like this with such a dangerous item to collect."

Haley had no idea how to tell Leona that from Haley's experience, she had never ever gone anywhere as dangerous as a cave, nor the desert, nor the mountains. Well the guild is in the mountains but Haley did not count that as hiking through one. Haley had as much adventure in her as a snail, and the spelunking experience of a housewife.

Then there was the mention of wildlife. It never occurred to her that life could exist in the cold frigid area that was the Silent Glaciers. It was called Silent for a reason right? Haley then remembers the Fleece Flowers. They grew only in the cold. While she was not expecting any here, she knew that even life can find a way.

"I have no idea," Haley answered truthfully. "However let's try not to get killed, after all I don't believe either of us want to bring back a dead body." Haley's eyes flash purple for a moment, but it was too fast to actually catch. Her tone was grim. People often forgot that they were still humans, even with magic. Well Haley is not human to begin with but it still mattered. Haley gathered what she needed and beckoned her down a tube, which would end up sending them back out into the real world. Haley had a rough landing and rubbed her bum.

"Kinda... Embarassing..." Haley got up and brushed herself. "Lead the way Leona, I'll make sure to take down all the information I can."

Haley was slightly worried that Leona would have hesitance in taking the lead, however her doubts were put aside when Leona took that role with confidence. Haley smiled behind Leona, before climbing out herself. The bitter cold washed over them again, and now they slowly entered the cave, in hopes of retrieving the fabled moss. Haley just hopes that the mission would go smoothly, and they would not have to worry about uglier things ahead. Haley prepared a hook and rope. The mage was not going to get them lost early. Pinning the hook deep into the ice, Haley slowly followed behind Leona with parchment and quill in hand, and rope slowly uncoiling itself as they ventured into the unknown.

Haley could hear every breath in the silence of the caves, the only sounds were scribbles as Haley quickly mapped out the area the best she could. However Leona stopping alarmed her, and she knew why. Haley quickly grabbed her knives and attached the parchment to one of them, and like a ninja threw the parchment and knife into a wall, basically pinning her map to the wall just in time to avoid the ram dao. Haley however felt the rope coil lose tension. The ram dao had landed on their trial, cleaving the rope fibers in two. Leona's screaming hurt Haley's ears as she could hear it echo over and over again, but at least to Haley's relief she found her companion safe. Shaken but safe.

"I got it Leona, just watch yourself and try not to scream again," Haley puts a reassuring hand on Leona's shoulder. "I hate to be frank but we don't know what lives here. I hate to find out if they can hear you, and me losing you would be a great regret." Haley felt it came out wrong, but it was too late to swallow her words. Haley then moved to her rope, now split in twain. Haley grabbed the ends and quickly ties a secure knot, before tugging it to check whether it would loosen. Despite how strong the feedback was from pulling, it worried the mage slightly. Haley rubbed her arms, feeling the temperature starting to become noticeable.

"I hope you aren't going to be hesitant to lead the way Leona, I believe in you," Haley quickly retrieves her map, noting in clean small handwriting about the icicles and gestured Leona to proceed, with caution.

Haley could sense a slight irritation from Leona, however shrugged it off, it did not feel too significant to make a comment on. Haley just hoped she did not do anything to serious. Soon the gap proved to be their obstacle, and Haley used the moment waiting for Leona to make her way through to draw out the landscape. So for their map was rather barren except for a few notable landmarks. There was nothing else she could do.

Haley slowly unravels the rope as she finally reaches Leona's side. Haley stared at the waters. It was beautiful to say the least. Such pristine water is rare, and Haley needed a sample to take, it was an opportunity to not pass up. Haley rolls up their map and puts away her quill before producing a glass bottle as she approached the water body, unaware Leona is already being attacked. However as she slowly filled her bottle, she could hear scuttling and what sounds like a scuffle.

Haley quickly turns to see Leona slowly being swarmed by white crab like creatures. Upon a squint, Haley realized they are actually crabs. Her bottle was filled and quickly she caps it, unaware a crab crawled inside her bottle like a crab pot. Haley then felt tugging on her skin. Unlike Leona, Haley's clothes were part of her body. A pinching crab hung on her heel and Haley quickly kicks it off, feeling it cut her slightly. More begun to scuttle from the waters.

A book appeared in Haley's hands, and it started to float and the pages flipping in an endless loop. Haley had a glowing aura around her which blinded the crabs momentarily. "Summon thee from the pages, Page 29 of the Leabhar na fincéalta! Come forth Shield Princess! Lox Reinhardt!" Suddenly the pages of the book fluttered from the pages and surrounded Haley, repelling the crab attacks as more begun to swarm her. With a burst and the pahes returning into the book, a dominant presence makes herself known.

Standing before Haley, was a woman who looked about Leona's age. Her brunette hair had a small silver tiara with a single bright red ruby. A white dress adorned in grey armor, with colors of red and green across her chest attached to a big round emblem. This woman had a strong steadfast expression. To add to this was her imposing shield, which was an intidimating size, yet somehow this woman wielded it with grace in their compact enviroment, crushing crabs beneath her shining boots and shield. Soon Haley's side was dispatched as well.

"Haley Halcyon Musea! You have certainly picked an interesting place to summon me," The woman turns around and then looks at Leona. "I am Lix Reinhardt! The Shield Princess..." Her confidence seems to waver before she hides behind her shield. "D-did I do a good job? I-it is really cold her... ugh... Nothing like the Goliath's Range back home..."

Haley could only help but scratched her side in defeat, there is nothing she could do about Lix's personality. Haley quickly took note of these fuzzy crabs in her map while Lix observes the river. It was calm, meaning there is no flow. Haley then turns to Leona. "I'll sew your pants later once we are done." Haley look towards her own legs, covered in blood spots and holes and cuts. This is what she got for not wearing real clothes. However Leona presenting their latest challenge made her think, how are they going to get to the other side.

Haley could easily shapeshift and fly over, but she had no way of bringing Leona over. Then she looks at Lix, hugging herself to endure the cold.

"I got an idea Leona, stay here. Lix protect her," Haley shapeshifted and flew over their river before landing on the other side. The rope she was using floated lazily above the water. Haley pulls it and ties it around a thick stalagtite of ice. The rope would probably freeze but at least they knew where to go.

"Now Lix! Carry Leona over using your powers!" Haley called out. Lix look slightly confused at first. Lix then looks up at Leona, yes Lix is actually shorted than Leona. Then it clicks.

"Understood soothsayer!" Lix puts her shield behind her body, adjusting the strap so it would not come lose. Lix then proceeds to bridal carries Leona, and a surge of magic comes fortb from Lix, and the girl makes the jump, clearing the channel of water and landing right infront of Haley, presenting Leona before disappearing in a set of light particles.

"Well that was something Leona..." Haley commented, before waiting for Leona to once again, lead the way.

Haley smiled at Leona when she was thanked, grabbing her map and jotted down their path. Gently she tugs the rope to ensure there is still tension. The resistance assured her that their way out was still in tact. Quietly she followed her companion, resuming her duty as the cartographer.

When the two found themselves among stalagmites again, Haley worried that Leona might be caught off guard again, and to her relief she was not. Haley took a breath, watching her icy breath float into the air. Out of curiosity she picks up a shattered icicle and inspects the composition of the natural killer. Realizing she was going to fall behind her friend, Haley got back to her feet and followed Leona.

"My gosh..." Haley knelt before the corpse and tapped areas and checked the body. Grabbing gloves from her bag, she opens the mouth and inspected it carefully. Realizing Leona was gone, Haley did not take any notes of what she inspected.

Greeted by corpses, she watches Leona emerge from a hole coughing. Nodding at the warning, Haley puts a thick cloth of her mouth and inspected the other corpses. A smirk came across her face. Knives and pouches of gold. Upon a closer inspection however, covered in blood. Petty thieves trying to probably scam people using the plant found in the icebergs.

Relieving herself of the bodies, she found traces of vomit inside their throats. As much as they are thieves, their faces of agony are horrific and undeserving. Haley hears sounds and looks up. Haley nods and grabs her knives and a bottle. She wants a sample for herself. Carefully extracting the plant with a masterful skill, she plucks it out with no problem. Placing it in an airtight container, she nods to her friend with a thumbs up.

Carefully Haley lead them out of the cave, hoping the poison symptoms Leona was facing is not severe signs of potential death. However she could not risk the poison making her lose a friend. Once they got out, thanks to the rope guiding them through, she turns towards Leona and tore her mask off.

"We are not going home until I diagnosed you as healthy," Haley said sternly before taking out a flat ice cream stick and went into her suitcase, making sure Leona followed. Once inside Leona would find herself in a white room, with a light blue bed and some lights. Cabinets filled with oddly shaped bottles and what looks like colored drinks inside lined the walls. A poster of human anatomy was on the wall. Haley flicks the ice cream stick towards the bed. "There now."

Haley was quick yet thorough with the examination. Once or twice Haley looked concern and she clearly was if she was giving Leona such a critical examination. However once she was done, Haley goes through rhe cabinets and picks out a white flower and plucks a petal off. "Eat it, the poison should wear off and you'll be on your feet." Haley smiled. When Haley made sure Leona took the petal and ate it, she set a course home for them.