Door 4 - The Forest Green Forest

[Isa-sama]

Ton'yell saw the beetles in Cindy's hands and smiled. Does that mean I'm not the only one that the bugs like? The smile became a tiny smirk when she saw that the bugs were anxiously struggling to get out of the girl's arms.

It didn't surprise her that they started crawling towards her. "Um, hello." The bugs seemed content with that and got even closer to her feet. She was afraid that if she moved, she'd accidentally step on one.

We...lo.....you...

Oh sweet Jesus. She stiffened. Am I hearing things now? No. No she was not. That was her wild imagination. Probably caused by lack of food. It'd been a full day since they'd had something to eat.

She saw the meat held by the duo and salivated at the thought of eating it. No...La....eat....bad.... She had a bad feeling about the meat. "I see you have food. Would you mind telling me where you got it from?"

She turned to look at the bugs that were now hiding behind her. "And what these bugs are for?" She got the feeling they were scared.  

[SiberDrac]

By this point, the bugs were significantly creeping out Jesse. Alex, though, had yet to really perceive them as a threat. More as a curiosity, and if Ton'yell wasn't afraid of them, then neither was he. Watching Miss Jordan's odd series of actions and reactions, he did wonder briefly if they were indeed "okay," but again, they hadn't attacked. He was willing to accept their presence, especially when a blue one or three scuttled to his feet and started tapping at them with their little legs.

"Aww, they want ******** NO."

"Jesse, I still don't see how you can deal with zombies and monsters and be afraid of these little things."

Alex bent down and offered a finger to of the creatures, which promptly jumped on and scurried up to his neck, then on top of his head, perching there as if to get closer to Ton'yell. The boy giggled as its path tickled him. Then, Pierre hissed warningly at the blue bug, making it chitter in submission and scoot down inside the boy's shirt collar.

"I WILL MURDER IT UNTIL IT IS DEAD."

Without answering Jesse, Alex laughed to himself and offered the same assistance to the other two little blue bugs, who went through a comically identical routine. Once Cindy explained what the azure creatures were for, he got a little idea in his head. It would be good to keep them around and on his side, he decided.  

[NativeForeigner]

"It's meat." Ro answered, working another piece into his mouth, "From a beetle. A couple big brown ones. Tastes a lot like beef jerky."
He gestured with his head to the blue beetles, "And they're for water. I think they're like living canteens or something."

Ro passed the handful of food to Cindy and tried to coo one of the blue beetles to him. It shied away. When he persisted it spit a quantity of water at him, soaking him.

"I guess that's how we get the water." he mumbled, licking his lips and drying his face as he watched the beetles climb onto Alex.

*

After gathering everyone and heading off in the supposed direction of the city, they arrived to a cave leading into a large rockface. The inside of the cave looked like any other, a large entryway led to a three-way split which all inevitably lead to more and more splits. Glowing mushrooms and other fungi crowed every nook and cranny, offering slight illumination. The main source of light, however still dim, came from what looked to be thousands of glowing caterpillars of every color clinging to the ceiling high above. A few white insects, many of which looked rather strange, crawled along the walls before retiring to their homes in the walls.

Cindy took the lead, guiding the group through the maze-like paths of the cave. A left, right, straight, wait, no back again, right, down, down, down, up. Wait, no, that's not right, down again THEN up, around, through, wait, what? Through?

Their journey came to an end once they reached what appeared to be a dead end.

"Here we are." Cindy announced.

"It's a dead end, lass." Alastair hesitantly pointed out.

"It's a false facade." she went on, "An illusion." she tossed a rock at the wall to demonstrate. It went through unhindered. She then stepped through, followed by everyone else. It was as she said, a fake wall.

"They use some fancy light tricks to make it look like there's a wall there. You know, just in case someone can actually find their way here by some stretch of luck."

Beyond the facade was a massive, domed-shaped cave, probably seventy-five feet from the entrance to the back wall and with a ceiling unfathomably high. Only thanks to the very faint glow of the caterpillars covering the walls high above (there were much more caterpillars in this area, they covered almost every inch of the walls) could the height of the ceiling be estimated. The room was illuminated by sunlight filtering through some unseen opening up above.

Within the room was a beautiful garden. Plants of all sorts, many recognizable as from the Guest's world, but many more of bright and colorful species unseen by any of them. There were also several plants that didn't fit either category. In the center of the garden stood an impossibly large oak tree. It stood almost one hundred and fifty feet tall and its branches spanned out about twenty feet from the thick trunk. There was a brass doorknob on the trunk facing the entrance and the vague outline of a door. A rock path led to the treedoor and around the tree and presumably throughout the garden.

"There it is." Cindy said, smiling, "Isn't this place beautiful? Plants from here, home, and so many other places."

Something large was moving in the tree. Cindy seemed unworried.  

[Isa-sama]

Ton'yell looked slightly sick after hearing that the meat was from a beetle. However, she was starving. Her dilemma was noticed by some nearby beetles, and three big brown beetles came out from the forest.

They faced their heads inward as if to huddle. Ton'yell wondered what the bugs were going to do this time. They seemed to bump their heads at random times.

Pierre wasn't sure what to make of this new development. The bugs were playing a game. Rock, paper, scissors! Rock, paper, scissors! As all games must end, there was a winner.

Yaaaay! I get to be eaten! The winner was twitching happily. I am to become part of our pretty (for a human) Lady! The sad losers efficiently killed the "winner" and started to peel off the shell. They pushed their freshly killed comrade in front of Ton'yell.

"You want me to eat him?" The bugs twitched in front of her. "...really?!" Pierre snuggled against Ton'yell's neck. If Pierre approves, then I guess it's safe.

She picked up the carcass of the bug and started to pull at the meat. She felt terrible, but she enjoyed the taste. She gave some to Alex and said that it tasted good. It was weird how they picked their sacrifice, but they tasted good.

She quietly ate her meat while they traveled to their destination. They were in a cave with a tree. And they were about to enter the tree. So much for making sense of this place.  

[NativeForeigner]

"So, um, are we gonna get going?" Ro asked, inching towards the tree.

"I agree with the lad." Alastair said, heading towards the tree.

*

Meanwhile, Maria wandered the forest.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWN! DAWN-Y, DEAR! DAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWN!"

Max closed the door behind him as he stepped into the forest clearing. He could hear his sister Maria in the distance. He shook his head with a slight smile and went off walking towards her direction.  

[Elesariin]

Gwen followed Ro and Alastair without any complaint.
----

After a minute or two, some bushes by Maria rustled. The next second, Dawn's mussed little head poked out, quickly followed by the rest of her. She was holding a bouquet of lovely flowers-- some of them fairly normal looking, and others that looked like something from a science fiction movie. She blinked, obviously surprised. "Oh! Hello, Miss Maria," she chirped, smiling sweetly, "I thought you were Mary. I was just picking these flowers for Ton'yell."  

[thegoodsamaritan]

<
I'm back, baby!>>

"Hello...?" came a quiet voice from outside the cave. A familiar voice, at that, with a not so familiar smell of charred fabric. Jasper walked forward into the cave, and exhausted look on his face, but with satisfaction and relief clearly blended into his expression. Jasper walked unsteadily, one sleeve on his coat charred slightly, a result from his... experiment. Probably best not to mention that little tidbit yet. There was some surprise registered on some faces, but that was to be expected; one does not disappear in the middle of the night and suddenly reappear without causing some stir.

Jasper smiled wearily. "There you all are. I got a little lost, 'cause you guys weren't at the treehouse anymore." he swayed slightly on the spot. "There was just... something I needed to check really quick. Nothing to--" Jasper looked past the faces in the cave, to where a few people were heading toward... something. Jasper waited for his eyes to focus in the dim cave lighting, and when they did, he blinked rapidly, as though trying to remove the image from his eyes. He opened and closed his mouth alternatively, thinking of something to say, but then second-guessing himself. Finally, he spoke.

"...Is that a... tree?" he said, looking at the bizarre sight at the back of the cave. He blinked again, bemused. So much for making sense...  

[NativeForeigner]

Cindy smirked and turned around, "You mean you just walked through a "solid" wall of rock and you're surprised to see a tree? Come on, grab some meat and water and let's get going." she urged, holding out a strip of the beetle jerky and gesturing towards Alex who was still playing host to the blue beetles.

***

"Dawn! Dear!" Maria chimed, moving towards the young girl and bent down to smell the bouquet, "Oooh! They smell lovely, dear-y! I'm sure missy Ton'yell would love em! But didn't you hear? They've already left. Why don't you come with me, hun?"

*

Max continued to wander the forest towards his sister, his lenses pulled down and his blade drawn. He casually made several slices through the air as he walked along.

*

Shepard stopped, causing the other Workmen to pause as well. "Do you hear that? Sounds like...a cat...screeching...while being stretched..."  

[Isa-sama]

((Why make this post? Because we all love Pierre le Roache.))

By this time, Pierre had tuned out the humans. He was reminiscing his about his long lost love, Mercedes Araña. She was the one that got away. Ah, she was a beauty - and such a flirt. The way her legs created the intricate patterns on her webs was marvelous. Her numerous bulbous eyes were like black pearls - though it made it difficult to figure out which pair of spider eyes to look at.

Unfortunately, she had a habit of eating her many husbands. And boyfriends. Occasionally friends (but only if they were stupid enough to annoy her when she was hungry). Such was the life of a black widow spider. It didn't matter to Pierre that she would likely eat him after their relationship ended; he was in love.

Mercedes Araña DID happen to have a soft spot for dear Pierre (which reminded him, he really needed to get back in contact with the dear woman - find out how many husbands she'd killed). No matter how many times Pierre came to her web, she refused to eat him...some nonsense about him probably tasting horrible. He knew. She had a thing for him.

Oh how he missed sweet Mercedes. Perhaps she would be able to make him his Napoleonic hat now. Last time they spoke she'd mentioned that she was learning to make other things than a web and egg with her silken threads. He really hoped that she knew how to make a Napoleonic hat. But it probably wouldn't look like a REAL Napoleonic hat. On the up side, it was Mercedes who would make the hat and just for him - that made up for the fakeness of the hat.

Pierre now wondered if he could convince Mercedes to join him on his journey to protect the Lady Ton'yell. He might have to work on Ton'yell some to get her used to the thought of having a spider in the group, but it wouldn't be much trouble.

Because come on. He was Pierre le Roache.

And charming women was not a problem for him.  

[NativeForeigner]

Since everyone else seemed reluctant to, Cindy marched ahead of everybody and approached the tree-door.
"It's okay." she announced to whatever it was in the tree, "They're with me, to he-" before she could finish speaking and as she reached for the door, it opened outwards and Carpenter stepped out. His right hand and forearm seemed somehow fresher.

"Sorry." he said, his voice echoing around the spacious cave, "The Majesty still doesn't trust them in the city." He leaned to look past Cindy and at the others, "Nothing against you kids or anything, they're just rightfully cautious of outsiders."

He closed the door behind him and approached the main group, "They'll be here in a few moments."  

[NativeForeigner]

Within several minutes, the door on the tree opened slowly and a Woman wearing a flowing yellow robe with a purple collar, purple cloth wrapped around her waist, and purple hemming. She had incredibly blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and bright purple eyes. Her skin was rather pale. She stood to the right of the tree. Next was a man wearing an orange robe with a blue cloth wrapped around his waist, blue shoulder pads, and blue wristbands. His short, curly hair was fiery orange and his eyes were a stunning blue. His skin, too, was rather pale. He stood next to the woman. Then came a man wearing a similar robe to the orange man, only the primary color was red and his shoulders, waist, and wrists were green. His hair was messy and vibrant red, his eyes were a very prominent green. After him was a man in a similar robe, only purple with yellow accents. His hair was purple, wavy, and ear-length and his eyes were a bright yellow. His skin was also pale (a pattern quickly noticed). He stood to the far right of the tree. After him was a woman in the same robe as the other, but blue with orange accents, waist-length blue hair, and orange eyes. She stood next to the purple man. After her was a woman in the same robe as the other, but green with red accents, shoulder-length green hair and vibrant red eyes. She stood next to the blue woman. Finally, a woman wearing a pure white robe with a thick stripe of the purest black any of the Guests had ever seen running down the front from starting from her collar and going down to the floor at slightly less than her waist's width. Across the torso of her robe was a symbol that appeared to be the Greek letters Mu and Chi transcribed over each other. Her skin seemed tanner than the others, but otherwise that of an old woman's. Her hair was gray, seemingly with age, and pulled up into a bun. Her eyes were a steel gray and she had an elegant and gentle appearance. All of the others seemed young and elegant.

Carpenter cleared his throat, he had been bowing to the individuals as they had entered but now stood. "Everyone, this is the Majesty of Colours. Yellow is Kitrina, Orange is Portokali, Red is Adam, Green is Chloe, Blue is Sian, Purple is Phyrios, and in the center is Thaumantias. Majesty, you're already aware of the Guests."

Thaum nodded, gesturing slowly for the guests to move closer.

"You've been waiting to see us, yes?" She said. She spoke slowly and carefully and her voice was calm and gentle. "Please, introduce yourselves."  

[SirBayer]

Arthur made a quick decision. To Juliet, he whispered, "I'll take care of our introductions." Juliet nodded in agreement, taking a more-or-less at attention stance, hands behind her back and feet spread shoulder-width.

"I am Arthur Dramsten, a doctor from the town of Corona. This is my daughter Juliet Dramsten. She is an officer of the law," he explained. Hopefully that would do to explain the uniform. And hopefully that would be all the questions.  

[Elesariin]

Gwen shuffled, appearing completely stunned and almost painfully shy. She'd never met so many socially intimidating people at once. She was pointedly looking anywhere but their eyes as she all but whispered, "Gwen Mantle, Your Majesties." She wasn't aware of royal protocol at all. What if she had just mortally offended them? They looked too nice to call her on it, but...

---
Dawn looked a little puzzled by this, as well as by Maria's tone, and peered at the Duke (Duchess? Wasn't that right? She wasn't sure) with a faint little frown line above her eyebrows, shifting the bouquet to her other hand so that she could fiddle with a strand of her own curling hair. "... I- I'm not supposed to go with people that aren't the Workmen," she admitted apologetically, taking a small, reluctant step back. She didn't know what THAT stupid rule was about, to be honest. "If they've left, they prob'ly just went to go see the Majesty, so I could just run and catch up with them." Dawn was very, very good at running--probably as good as Carpenter-- and was very proud of it.

However, just as she finished pronouncing the 'm' on her last word, there was a loud 'twang!' The next instant, what looked like thousands upon thousands of very sharp little needles shot through the air from every direction, like bullets, right towards Maria. At the same moment, someone's arm-- it was too fast to be sure whose--shot out of the undergrowth, grabbed Dawn around the middle, and yanked her back into the bushes. Dawn went with a small, surprised little squeak, which was followed by, "Oh! Hi, Hunt-" and then a muffled exclamation, like someone had covered her mouth, and then abrupt silence.  

[NativeForeigner]

"Oh de-" Maria began, almost doing something to avoid the needles before Max dove out from a reality rip, tackling Maria down to the ground where he cut another as they fell.
The two of them emerged just outside of the impact point of the needle barrage.

"I saw him, Maria, follow behind me." Max said, ducking through yet another rip. Dawn briefly noticed herself in the air when whoever was carrying her was tackled out of nowhere by Max. Before she even began to fall, however, Maria's arms emerged from the same rip and she cradled Dawn to her chest.

"Now deary, don't make a fuss, I'll take care of ya. You can help us make this better." she assured Dawn, fully emerging from the rip.

Maria began trotting off away from Max.

***

"I think something's up." Shepard said, suddenly stopping and staring off into a direction, "I think I hear something, let's go."  

[Elesariin]

Max had a brief glimpse of coldly furious golden eyes as he jumped, and then he was being flipped up and over as his target used his own momentum against him. The next instant, whoever it was was just... gone. There was no hint movement, no rustling of leaves to suggest which way he'd gone...

Dawn, meanwhile, was understandably confused, and starting to grow legitimately frightened. "Miss Maria?" she asked uncertainly, squirming and pushing at Maria's chest as she tried to get the woman to put her down, "I-I don't understand. What is that man doing to Hunter? Put me down! I have to get to the Majesty! Hunter?"

"One chance, Maria," came a low, silk-smooth voice. It was impossible to pinpoint its origin, other than 'up'. It was probable that whoever it was was up in one of the trees. "Put her down, walk away."