WQ - A Foal's Errand

The World Boss event had more consequences than either girl could have guessed, though it made sense the way Lycia had explained it. After all if it had been an event geared for all players, a world event, expecting it to not leave its mark in the world after it was vanquished would have been a tad anticlimactic… though Milah hadn’t been expecting the ongoing rumors of the apparent King seemingly deciding to step down and form a government of sorts as a result. Then again she still didn’t knew many things about the world inside TerraSphere, and it’s not like the Felis was exactly interested in dealing with politics in her spare time, so Milah had focused instead on having fun with her sister and seeing what they could do to help the NPCs that lived here on a more permanent basis.

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that, due to the many intriguing and challenging quests going on, soe requests by NPCs fell by the wayside. One such was a plea of aid by a stable hand, beholden seemingly to a noble lord in Pormont and tasked with keeping a flock of Anteloper safe and sound. Even amidst all the chaos and ruckus from the fights, and the effects Titanius had on the flora and fauna even after its demise, the older man and his son had managed well… until a foal had gone missing.

How long did he say the foal’s been out there again?

Milah had been surprised no one else before the twins had seemingly expressed interesting in helping the duo find the young Anteloper, only a few months old from what the older man had told them. More surprisingly though had been the fact that they hadn’t gone out searching for it, though the son did look like he’d wanted to, and after some thought the brunette guessed it made sense--there were monsters out there after all, and while she and @Lycia could probably take good care of one another the same couldn’t always be said for NPCs. Worse case scenarios the girls would just revive if misfortune ever really descended upon them, a luxury none of the NPCs had.

Hopefully it hid itself and avoided the Grass Gnolls they mentioned...

Realistically speaking Milah was expecting the foal to have already become supper for any predator out there, though the Felis was certain her sister definitely believed they could find and save the missing foal. A part of Milah also hoped for that happy scenario, as unlikely as it sounded in her mind, especially considering that this foal and its mother we so unique compared to the rest of the herd. It was, in a way, that man's life work expressed into the pair...

 

I think this will be the third night, Lycia replied.

The Kitten duo were out once more in the world of TerraSphere, eyes open and ears up. This time, their quandary was a might simpler than some large eldritch horror that wished to devour anything and everything in its wake. No, this quandary was a mere foal that had gone missing from its mother and the rest of its heard. And, in its absence, the owner of both had had something close to what their father would call a conniption.

Enter Felis Princesses Milah and Lycia Ketasurin to save the day! Or, at least, that was what was playing in Lycia’s head as they wandered through the backwoods of Pormont. She allowed her sister o lead the way, bowing to her older sibling’s better eyesight and mastery over tracking things…and animals. Lycia thought it was cool, perhaps cooler than her whole dancing and finger wiggling, but she kept the second part to herself.

After all, Milah wouldn’t hit as hard if Lycia wasn’t there to back her up.

I hope the little fella is okay, she whispered, her eyes glancing upwards toward the setting sun. It was growing dark and the girls had been out this way for the better part of the day, getting a lead here or there that ultimately didn’t pan out for them. It was frustrating, yes, but they had given their word that they would find the little guy and they couldn’t return to the farmstead empty-handed. What kind of Princesses would they be if they did?

Have you picked up another trail yet, Milah? It must be tired and its probably super scared. Maybe we can try tip-toeing around so not to frighten it, if it’s close by?

Maybe Milah believed that the poor foal had become some bigger predator’s lunch by now, but Lycia still held out hope. She always did. Sometimes, it was the only thing that would help get you through the darkness. ​

 

I hope so too… but we might want to be a bit realistic, just in case.

A foal that had already been missing for almost two and a half days, from a domesticated herd no less, in the backwoods around Pormont… Milah didn’t like the sound of those odds if she was honest. Still so far there wasn’t any clues of blood or altercation from the new scattered hoof-prints the Felis had managed to pinpoint as possibly belonging to the foal, so just maybe… hopefully the little guy had some luck on his side.

At least none of the other leads they’d explored through the day hadn’t lead to a picked clean foal carcass, so in a way maybe that was good news?

Yeah, I noticed these prints a bit earlier… they seem a bit fresher than the others, so maybe our little guy passed around here at some point?

Milah kneeled closer to a cluster of bushes, inspecting some of the branches and leaves before picking a light clump of fur. No blood, good, and no signs of claws around… also good.

I think it passed through here, heading that way, but I can’t tell how long ago it was.

Hopefully the foal wasn’t too far away, just frightened but safe amidst some bushes waiting for the girls to find it… Milah would prefer a happy ending to this quest a thousand times over the more possible scenario, especially with her twin around. Already the death experience by Titanius had shook her twin more than Milah had estimated, it’d be nice if things could go their way for a while just like in fairy tales and story books and always end with happy endings for the twin princesses.

 

Lycia leaned forward, her ears rotating forward as well as if trying enough would somehow magically give her the ability to find the foal they were after. She inhaled, her nostrils flaring, and held completely still for a moment, counting to fifteen in her head. When she received only the chirp of birds and the skitter of animals against the barks of trees, she exhaled in a rush and returned to standing normally, her hands on her hips.

I thought I’d be able to hear him or something, she told her sister, her bottom lip fitting snuggly between her lips as she chewed on it in thought. She was trying to stay optimistic, but a little creeping sensation of doubt began to worm its way into her thoughts. What if he was beyond this forest? What if he was hurt? What if he was dead? The last thought made her eyes go wide and she looked down to the place where her sister had been squatting a moment before.

She didn’t see anything that looked like blood or fur so he couldn’t be hurt…and he certainly couldn’t be dead. But, how in the world were they going to find him? They had never done something like this before, especially not in the real world. They were only allowed to play in front of their house and when they did play in the back yard, there was no digging because they would get messy.

Oh, maybe singing might attract his attention?

Hey, what if we sing! she asked, her face immediately brightening as she brought out her finger cymbals, put them on, and pinged them together. Clearing her throat, she hummed a little intro tune before words spilled from her mouth, coated in the familiar teal of her harmonic magic.

Baby mine, don’t you cy. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest you head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine~​

 

Milah mulled the thought over her mind for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, before nodding to her twin softly. The brunette herself wasn’t a singer, but her sister had always had a very pleasant and soothing voice… maybe that would be enough to draw in the young foal from wherever it had hidden.

That’s… that’s actually not a bad idea, Lycia.

A smile crept to Milah’s lips as she recognized the lyrics and tune Lycia had chosen, humming quietly to herself as she remained crouched and still near some of the bushes. She didn’t want to take away from her sister’s singing and dancing, focusing instead on being as still as quiet as possible in hopes of having the foal not notice her--eyes quietly scanning the surroundings for any signs of the youngling even as her kitten ears flickered back and forth in attention.

A thumbs up was given to Lycia, the signal that so far she was doing great with her singing and dancing, before Milah continued to focus on their surroundings in hopes of spotting the foal. A minute elapsed, and then another, but there seemed to be no signs of the foal… and with each passing second the Felis felt herself losing a bit of her faint and short lived optimistic hope.

But then there was a flicker among the bushes, as if something was trying to creep through them, and Milah remained still and alert as she tried to catch a better view. Was it the foal, or something else…?

 

Little one, when you play, pay no heed to what they say. Let your eyes sparkle and shine. Never a tear, baby of mine~

Lycia was really getting into the song. Her lithe frame turned in a small circle, her arms outspread as she moved with the music. From time to time, a gentle chime would sound from her hand, keeping her on beat, but also allowing a soothing quality to permeate her music. She sung from the heart, allowing the magic to flow through her and use her voice as a conduit.

Her ears flicked at the sound of bushes shaking near them. She turned, the song paused for a moment as the duo waited to see if what was appearing was friend or foe. Another perfect chime sounded off and the creature walked forward another few paces. Lycia gasped when she realized that it was indeed the foal they were looking for!

If they knew all about you, they’d end up loving you too. All those same people who scold you, what they’d give just for the right to hold you.

The Felis extended her arms toward the foal, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. She couldn’t help that her heart had picked up pace or that there was a little sweat rolling down her back. She was nervous, but she couldn’t stop singing. The little guy kept calmly approaching after all.

From your hair down to your toes, you’re not much, goodness knows. But, you’re so precious to me, sweet as can be, baby of mine.​

 

Quietly her hands had found one of her arrows, nocked softly into her bowstring as Milah had waited patiently and still. The Felis had hoped the creature that would appear would indeed be the foal, but the reality was that they were in a forest--and forest were usually inhabited by many creatures… some not as friendly as others. As much as Milah wanted to find the foal and have a happy ending to this quest she wasn’t naive enough to let her guard down, not when she had Lycia to protect.

Thankfully it was the foal whom emerged from the bushes, the creature shaky in its legs and no doubt probably hungry and scared out of its wits… the man and his son had said it still hadn’t been weaned from the mother after all. A soft sigh of relief coursed through Milah as she lowered her guard, though she did not place her bow and arrow away just yet.

The foal might have appeared, but that didn’t meant something else couldn’t also show up after all. So the brunette watched instead as Lycia slowly tried to coax the young one closer, a faint smile lining her lips as she watched how the foal seemed transfixed and charmed by the blonde Felis’ performance.

Pssst Lyciiiaaa… don’t forget the bell they gave us!

She whispered to her twin as best as it was possible given the circumstances, hoping her words were not caught by the foal as he remained focused on Lycia’s singing instead. The stable hand’s son had given them a belt often attached to the Anteloper in their herd, hoping that perhaps the soothing and familiar chime would bring comfort to the missing foal and make it easier to attract and catch.

 

Oh, right!

The foal’s ears swiveled forward as Lycia’s song came to a halt, a single chime the ending note of her performance. Her body came to rest after her slow spin and the few animals that might’ve come to listen to her had scampered away after she finished singing. Glancing around, she felt like a real Disney princess right then and couldn’t help the beaming smile that covered her mouth, her tiny fangs displayed for a moment.

From her inventory, she pulled out the golden bell on a silver length of cloth. Dangling it out in front of her, it rung with a sweet sound, different from her finger cymbals but along the same tune. The foal, hearing this, whinnied and immediately came closer, his head extending so that Lycia could loop the bell around his neck and tie it with no problem. Patting him, she turned to her sister with a thumb up.

Mission accomplished!​