Novelux Whisperwind Comb Mystery Dungeon

[Tetra]

That was as good as confirmation of what Koa dreaded. People, meddling in the affairs of legends, trying to create power of their own. Like Sage. Something they'd just made to use them, not even to have a choice... People who only wanted to use others power.

It's okay Betel. He tried his best to send comforting thoughts to them. It doesn't matter to me where you might have come from, I like you no matter what.

Koa blinked and frowned. "Where is Auriga though I wonder..." he muttered, half to himself. It felt like all of this was happening because nobody could reach her, or she wasn't saying anything even to those she summoned. "You think thats really it? Starr was summoned because the Covenant was trying to create their own... beacon?" That didn't feel right, instinctively. If that was the reason... no, there had to be something they were missing.

"...Did either of you try to call for help at some point?" he asked after a moment. Someone had, according to Betel.

Turning to Laura, he added, "I'll stay behind, wait in case the others make it down." He wanted to see Odette, and the others. Make sure they were okay. If Brisa had waited down here this long, he could handle an extra few minutes or an hour.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Hey, Betel. Are there any other Wayfarers you got contact back with? Did the dungeon kick anyone out instead of letting them pass?

It appears that Andre and Ridley have exited the dungeon following a period of apparent absense similar to your own.

Perhaps they were not permitted to pass?
​

It's okay Betel. It doesn't matter to me where you might have come from, I like you no matter what.

...Thank you, Koamaru. I like you too.

I appreciate your kindness.​

"Where is Auriga though I wonder... You think thats really it? Starr was summoned because the Covenant was trying to create their own... beacon?

"...Did either of you try to call for help at some point?"

Brisa frowned, and pawed at her cheek.

"I sure didn't call y'all here, if that's what you're thinkin'. An' I don't have much notion of how Starr might'a done such a thing... but the Lanterns sure do like messin' with the way of the world. Wouldn't surprise me if it was them as Starr was brought here to bring low."

Laura swallowed. "If there's something to that artificial Beacon idea, then... Well, the Covenant believe that humans like Starr have a responsibility to defend Forlas. Even their descendants—" she dipped her ears, conscious of Brisa's parentage "—have that responsibility. It wouldn't surprise me if some in their ranks decided to try summoning more humans. From their perspective, they'd be making the world safer, I guess."

She wondered what Powehi would make of that.

She wondered what was going on in Betel's mind right now...

"It'd be nice if we could talk to Auriga about all this," she muttered.

Brisa huffed with dry amusement. Apparently she felt the same way.

"Mhynt and I can help take you up. And get you somewhere to lay low." He was more than happy to leave this place behind.

"I'll stay behind, wait in case the others make it down."

"Sounds good," said Brisa, her shoulders finally untensing. "...and, uh. Thanks fer comin' after me. Can't say as I'm used to bein' the recipient of this much concern, but I don't resent it. Be seein' you folks topside. Don't go dreamin' down here."

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova produced his Escape Orb from his bag. "I, uh, think these work on multiple people if we bunch up or whatever."

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt nodded, tapping a claw on her arm. "We should be ready to go, then... once we're sure everyone has been properly accounted for, at least." She started to perform a headcount.

 

[JFought]

Through the whole conversation, Isidora stayed sat on the ground, her paw resting casually on her knee as she listened. Every now and then, her eyes would linger to a spot a far ways away, where a lonely mattress bed sat shoved into the corner of a quarter-manifested dorm room. By the time talk had wrapped up, she wanted nothing to do with this place anymore.

At least it all had a point in the end. If they had gone through all that just for Brisa to not be here, then she wasn't sure how she would've felt. She already felt violated as it was. "I know I'm ready to get outta here," she declared as she got back to her feet and adjusted her hat. "I'll help with any escorting too. Not that I think you need it, but I am a ranger. It's my job."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Andre and Ridley left the dungeon, so I think they got turned away," Nova said. He was about to mention Betel's name at the start but managed to catch himself. "Which would leave... Jade, Leaf, Odette, and Kimiko. If anyone wants to stay with Koa, they can. But I'm definitely going."

He looked to the others before triggering his Escape Orb.

 

[Tetra]

Summoning more humans to make the world safer? The idea sounded absurd to Koa. Auriga at least sounded like she tried to be selective. To summon at random felt so risky, not when you didn't know what kind of human you could pick... Did they even know the risks that Powehi had mentioned? As much as he wasn't fond of the shadowy being he didn't think Powehi was lying about the frabric of reality stuff...

Trying to untangle the answers made his head buzz even more than it already was, and Brisa looked more than ready to leave. And Nova very clearly wanted out. "We'll compare notes and catch up later then," he said to Brisa.

Something she'd said earlier came back to his mind. "One last question... What did you mean before about 'waiting on the whispers to get something to use against the lanterns'? How does this dungeon work?" Did the dungeon know? Did it see the truth?

 

[Phoenixsong]

"Hey! Hey, I think someone's over here— ha!"

The sound of hoofbeats clattering against the stone rose, then settled again as Leaf slowed to a stop, past a weathered camping tent and the smoldering remains of a campfire that had grown out of some formerly-bare rock to the side. Weird and kind of familiar, kind of cozy, but aight, sure, whatever—still a damn sight better than Whatever All That Was Back There.

Okay, so: Koa, Archie, Nova, Mhynt, Laura, Isidora... that was most of them, at least? Hopefully the rest would be along soon, and in the meantime this was probably enough that the dungeon wouldn't single anyone out and grab them again. And there... that had to be Brisa, right? The building the Comb had casually jumbled down here kinda looked like the cabin outside Frontier Town and everything; had to be. Thank god. And no sign of any greninja or bat rakes or anything like that. At least something had gone right down here.

 

[Namohysip]

"Hmmm." Mhynt eyed the new arrivals. "I believe... we only have one pair that remains unaccounted for," she hummed.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"I know I'm ready to get outta here. I'll help with any escorting too. Not that I think you need it, but I am a ranger. It's my job."

Brisa turned to Isidora with growing curiosity.

"A Ranger, huh?" she asked, as if to herself. "Y'all are workin' with the Union?"

Laura nodded. "Lots of us are, at least." She flashed the winged badge from under the folds of her scarf, and indicated Koa and Archie.

"Hey! Hey, I think someone's over here— ha!"

And Leaf and Jade, as they came running in. What a relief.

Something seemed to fall at ease in Brisa's expression, as she noted the Rangers among the party, and saw Jade alive and well for the first time in months.

"Well... I'll be sure t'get to know y'all once we regroup," she said, softly. And then to Jade, "It's good t'see ya, kid."

Laura pulled Escape Orbs from her satchel. "Sounds good. I know we'll head further east sooner or later, but for now, I think we'd better get back to Frontier Town. I expect you have some loose ends to return to, there."

The Luxio nodded, and took an offered orb.

"One last question... What did you mean before about 'waiting on the whispers to get something to use against the lanterns'? How does this dungeon work?"

Brisa glanced at Koa.

"Whatever made the Whisperwind as it is, made it so's it could take unspoken secrets from those as enter it, and whisper 'em in their place. If you make yer bed down here, as I've done, it whispers in yer dreams – I figured I might learn somethin' useful if I waited long enough."

Laura frowned. "And did you...?"

"Guess I'll find out," quipped Brisa, before cracking her orb and leaving Whisperwind Comb at last.

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