Where Two Worlds Come To Meet

[missrecalled_mods]

For those on the Boat

"Alright," Mal said, nodding. She and Ben had listened to what everyone had to say, and had pulled aside for a quick discussion. "This is the plan. Listen up, though it is subject to change based on what Professor Yen Sid has to say. But as it stands here is what we're going to do. Once we open an entry point in the barrier I will craft us a single use bridge. Everyone who is carrying stuff to the Isle will please carry it across carefully and quickly. Anyone who wants to stay on the boat, can. But once everyone is across the King and I will bring up the rear and close the barrier behind us."

She took a breath and continued. "Anything you need to summon to be prepared, do so before I open the barrier. You won't be able to on the Isle. Magic will not work there. Most tech will not work there. We're planning to stay about an hour. In that time if anyone sees anyone they know, please come and let the King, myself, and Professor Yen Sid know. Your words will carry weight as to if they stay or come back with us, but the final decision is ours. I want everyone to stay close to the shore either way. If we have to leave in a hurry we may not have a chance to wait for stragglers, and the phones won't work here."

"What about..."

Mal blinked then nodded. "We can talk to Professor Yen Sid about that," she agreed. "But I don't know if it is feasible for this trip. We also have to see if we have anyone who is as good with computers and tech as Carlos is...."

Ben nodded. "Alright."

Mal looked at everyone again. "We know that there are at least three confirmed villains on the Isle, or there were. Doctor Facilier, Lady Tremaine, and Mother Gothel. They've been without their powers for over twenty years and it hasn't sweetened their temperaments any. Don't underestimate them just because there is no magic. Be careful. And stay close. If you think someone you know is on the Isle but you don't see them, speak to Professor Yen Sid." Another breath. "Alright, that's about it. Sylvando's going to be staying with the boat, so if anyone doesn't feel comfortable going onto the Isle, you won't be alone if you stay back. Here we go..."

She turned to face the barrier and opened her spell book to the page she had been scribbling on during the boat ride. A deep breath and she cast two spells in rapid succession.

"Reprogram for now
and one time post
This remote to allow
For today and today only
this spot to be its target's host."

Her eyes glowed green as she spoke and a green trail followed her finger as she gestured at the remote. It flared green for a moment then the glow faded. "Done, for today the remote will open the barrier here, not at the bridge. And now..."

Ben nodded. As he clicked the remote, she began casting the second spell, eyes green once more. green finger trail in the air again as she gestured towards the barrier as a small entrance opened.

"Bridge of fate
Bridge of trust
Form quick
Be first rate
Formed of stone that does not rust
grow from this ship to the shore
to remain until the barrier closes once again
A bridge to aid all who are helping King Ben!"


The Queen intoned, her green eyes bright and glowing as a white brick bridge grew while she spoke. And when Mal had finished her spell, the bridge was fully formed connecting the boat and the beach. Well, perhaps 'bridge' was too strong a word; though it seemed to be made of the same sort of material as the magical bridge that sometimes connected the Isle to the mainland, it wasn't nearly as wide. Even if they'd had one, no one could drive a car over this. However, it was still wide enough for three people to comfortably walk abreast and the weight of it once the opposite end reached solid ground served to help steady the boat, making it quite serviceable as an extra-long gangplank.

The white seemed to almost shine against the dark of sea and the darker of the storm covered Isle.

Even from the beach the poor quality of life on the Isle could be seen. A rusting partial building that was some sort of bait shop was the only real structure that wasn't obscured by the thorns, but the damage to it seems to be older than the thorns might imply.

There were remains of what were probably a few small bonfires and broken bits of tools and scraps of trash laying around.

"Be careful on the bridge," Mal said as she led the people who were starting across, spell book at the ready. "On this side there are crocs, gators, and sharks." Then raising her voice to be heard by those on the beach. "IF ANYONE TRIES TO RUSH THIS OPENING TO ESCAPE YOU WILL REGRET IT!" Her eyes flashed green with the threat.

But perhaps it was the tall man with the beard, standing on the beach holding a beeping box with a light on it, perhaps it was his small but firm nod that made clear that she could back up that threat.

Isle Side

Eventually the raised voices on the other side of the barrier died down, and all was quiet. Those standing on the beach waited with varying levels of tension, wariness, and excitement to see what would happen next. It probably wasn't too long of a time, though it likely seemed much longer to many of them. The distorted shapes of people could be seen moving about on the boat's deck, though whether on purpose or simply due to the rough sea it was difficult to tell.

Then, just as some were likely beginning to question whether anything was going to happen... something did. The box that professor Yen Sid held began beeping loudly, the light on it glowing brightly as the barrier parted. Soon there was an opening large enough to drive a car through forming, allowing both those on the Isle and on the boat to see each other clearly for the first time. Then a familiar voice - to both those from Auradon and to some on the Isle - rang out.

"Bridge of fate
Bridge of trust
Form quick
Be first rate
Formed of stone that does not rust
grow from this ship to the shore
to remain until the barrier closes once again
A bridge to aid all who are helping King Ben!"

The Queen intoned, her green eyes bright and glowing as a white brick bridge grew while she spoke. And when Mal had finished her spell, the bridge was fully formed connecting the boat and the beach. Well, perhaps 'bridge' was too strong a word; though it seemed to be made of the same sort of material as the magical bridge that sometimes connected the Isle to the mainland, it wasn't nearly as wide. Even if they'd had one, no one could drive a car over this. However, it was still wide enough for three people to comfortably walk abreast and the weight of it once the opposite end reached solid ground served to help steady the boat, making it quite serviceable as an extra-long gangplank.

The people preparing to leave the boat were well dressed well fed, but tired looking people. They probably looked a little worse for the storms out at sea tossing their hair and soaking their clothes. But even with that... their clothes were clothes. Not scraps. Not stitched together leathers. Okay, so the Queen was in stitched together leathers, but clearly that was aesthetic choice rather than desperation. They were carrying cloth bags, boxes, and in two cases, flower pots in leather slings.


Everything about what little of the boat could seen from the Isle spoke to quality, to luxury. It was clearly well made, well kept, and expensive. It was also very... pastel.

"Be careful on the bridge," Mal said to the people behind her, as she led them across, spell book at the ready. "On this side there are crocs, gators, and sharks." Then raising her voice to be heard by those on the beach. "IF ANYONE TRIES TO RUSH THIS OPENING TO ESCAPE YOU WILL REGRET IT!" Her eyes flashed green with the threat.

But perhaps it was Professor Yen Sid, perhaps it was his small but firm nod that made clear that she could back up that threat.

Where Two Worlds Come To Meet - Both Missrecalled and Misery-called

With boat and beach thus connected, those on the boat began to disembark, most of them carrying some bit of cargo. Stitched leather bags, sturdy cardboard boxes - both of which seemed full of supplies, and two people carried flower pots in leather stitched slings.

Sylvando - the man in the jester costume - who stayed on the boat guarded the top of the gangplank until the last of the people and supplies were moved across. Once the last of everything was on the shore, the king slid his hand into his pocket and the barrier closed, the bridge vanishing as it did.

For those with magic, it felt weaker here, and as the barrier closed rapidly, the sensation increased until it closed and all the magic was gone. The beeping box stopped making sound, its light fading.

For those with fire associated magic the lack would hit extra hard, though with everyone reeling, that might not be obvious.

Mal tucked her spellbook down the front of her jacket. Her eyes scanned everything and everyone, and she didn't seem to miss anything. She looked almost natural here despite being clean and clearly not starving. The king beside her tried to give everyone a warm smile, which almost immediately made him seem out of place.

"Alright," Mal said. "Here is what is going to happen. We are here to drop off supplies. Some of you may be coming back to Auradon with us. We will be talking to the professors, and to some of you. If you agree to come to Auradon, and if you are accepted, you have to be willing and able to follow the rules of Auradon. We want to help those of you who were never meant to be here, but we can't put the people we promised to protect in Auradon in danger either. Don't like that? I'm the one to step to," she said, pushing some wet hair back off her shoulder. "For those that are staying... this isn't the only time we will be coming and not now doesn't mean never. Until then however..."

"We found supplies," Ben said. "And what we have that we can share, we are sharing. We brought food, potato plants, bottled water and juices, and some other supplies. Everything we brought can be eaten as is or cooked over a simple fire."

Mal nodded. "And for those of you who are dark hearts, who are true evil as... Well let's just say that the deal offered to the adults before this all started stands, and extends to all of you who it applies to. Even if you have been evil in your past, even if you are evil now, but are willing to change to live in Auradon, we will consider you. You will have to earn your place in Auradon. Earn your chance to come over. It won't be easy, but one thing I've learned? Good isn't. Easy. But if you can prove yourself good, even here, we will consider that and you may be welcomed in the future under probation."

Ben took over, then. "However, just because you are here does not mean you are evil," he said. He put a hand on Mal's damp but now hair free shoulder. "If you think you should be in Auradon, not here, come and talk to us. Tell us your story."

"We're planning to stick around about an hour," Mal added, her hand over Ben's her fingerless gloves a dark purple leather with a livid green dragon on the back of each. "That should give enough time to talk to everyone. And for you to ask any questions about the supplies that you may have. And one more thing, yes I see you lurking there in the shadows, Shadow man. And you as well," she said, her eyes flicking to the other side of the rusted bait shop from where the Headmaster was watching them all. "Alright. One hour, people. Let's get this going."

"And... we are truly sorry, for those of you not of this world who are trapped here. We promise, we are trying to work on how to get everyone home."

"Yes, yes, happily ever after's all around. That one hour? Starts now," Mal said. Then she rolled her shoulders back and turned to talk to Professor Yen Sid.

(OOC: Please see this post ASAP to let the mods know your plans so we can write the finale! Thank you all so much!))

Comments

[mist_the_point]

"I was once an upright citizen of Gridania," he said. "I cannot say I was respected, for no Duskwight is, especially there, but I strove to make an honest life for myself as a member of the Lancer's Guild. Though I received less thanks for it than would have many others, I took pride in helping to defend my homeland. But times were difficult, and for wont of coin to obtain even the barest of necessities, I conspired with several of my closest comrades to steal from the guild's coffers."

"The theft was soon discovered, of course. And while there were no true suspects, it was clear that the deed had been perpetrated by someone within the ranks. An air of suspicion hung heavy over the guild from that day forth, until at last, unable to bear the guilt, I convinced my accomplices to join me in confessing." His expression twisted into a scowl and his tone took on a venomous bite. "Only for them to bite their craven tongues after I had stepped forward and admitted my part in the crime, and thus it was I alone who took all the blame. 'Of course it was the Duskwight!', everyone said. 'Was there ever any doubt?' It all made perfect sense!"

"Despite my heartfelt please, my so-called friends denied any involvement, and instead called me foul names that I do not care to repeat. And I was left with naught but shock and anguish at their betrayal, and was dragged off to rot in a dungeon cell. Had I but had the strength to force the truth from their traitorous mouths...!" He trailed off into a wordless growl before taking a deep breath to try to calm himself.

"Driven by vengeance and no small amount of self-loathing I resolved to forge my courage anew. I strode into the lairs of ravenous fiends while drenched in blood. I put their helpless offspring to the spear that I might know the unbridled fury of their kin. In doing so I found what I believed to be the ultimate courage, one forged in danger and tempered by rage. And thus I returned to the Lancer's Guild, intending to forcibly see it shut down and its doors barred forever more. I thought myself the only true Lancer amid a house of cravens. Though as you have no doubt surmised, I was proved to be mistaken."

He paused there to allow they young royals to interject or ask for clarification if they wished before he continued.

[missrecalled_npcs]

"I'm sorry," Ben said, shaking his head. "I think I am lacking some context here. What is a Duskwight?"

"And what do you mean by ravenous fiends? Are you talking wild animals or sentient people, beast shaped or otherwise? Mal asked.

[mist_the_point]

He had been expecting questions, but not quite those ones in particular. "Ah... I forget sometimes that what's common knowledge in my own world may well not be so here. At the risk of stating the obvious, I am a Duskwight; a member of the less numerous of the two Elezen races. Wildwood Elezen are more numerous and viewed in a far better light than we Duskwights. Elezen are but one of a number of races who call Hydalyn- the world of my birth- their home. I can provide you with a general description of all of them if you wish, but I don't expect that most would be especially relevant at present, outside of Elezen and Hyurs."

"The two of you appear to be Hyurs to my eyes. Midlander Hyurs, to be precise; Highlanders tend to be taller and more muscular, and their features somewhat broader, especially the men. Elezen as a whole are distinguished from Hyurs by our greater height- Elezen men several ilms taller than myself are not uncommon, and Elezen women are of similar scale to Hyur women-, our pointed ears, and generally more angular features. Wildwood Elezen have skin tones and hair colors comparable to those of Hyurs, though the skin and hair colors of Duskwights range far more broadly. In general, however, we are not as... vibrant as our Wildwood cousins, our skin being in the range of blues and grays. Even those whose skin and hair are of comparable shades to those natively found in Hyurs are often pale or ashen." He scowled. "This coloration has given rise to a derogatory term that compares our appearance to that of the undead, one of many such terms meant to disparage our appearance and supposed habits that many seem to be fond of."

"As for the fiends I mentioned, I speak of beasts and monsters; I thought that calling them 'ravenous' would make that clear enough, unless the more fiendish among your world's Spoken races are wont to hunger after the flesh of their fellows. And my dealings with beast men have been largely peaceful; indeed, Goblin and Qiqurn merchants have often treated me and mine far better than races who claim to be more 'civilized'. I have fought a number of Ixal, but their conflict with Gridania is long standing, and if the choice is to slay a few birdmen or allow myself to be slain or dragged before their mad goddess as a sacrifice, then I'll do what I must to preserve my own life and sanity."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"Yeah, I'll own up to having still not followed all of that," Mal said. "But the core part of bigotry came through. Given I'm half Dark fairy Dragon" she said it in such a way to make it un clear if she was half dark fairy and half dragon or half dark-fairy-dragon. Neither was quite true, but she had a life time of not talking about her dad under her belt, and that wasn't about to stop now. "And Ben here is human, with maybe a little beast mixed in," she teased, "we're hardly going to look down on anyone else because of the species they were born to. But that's not always been the case with most people on this world."

"We've been working to change that," Ben said, firmly, but kindly. "No one should have to suffer for how they were born, or who their parents were. I think that all people should have a chance to chose who they are, and stand for that. And we're trying to make that a reality."

"Without bing too reckless," Mal asked. "Some people, for better or worse do take after their parents," she said, wrinkling her nose. "For example, if she shows up here, be carefully of Mad Maddy."

Look, they had to forgive Uma for laughing while Mal nearly drowned when they were kids, but she did not have to forgive Maddy's far more recent betrayal.

Why did all her exfriends try to drown her? Ugh, maybe the others were right and she should learn to swim...

[mist_the_point]

"Aye so I discerned from what I've been told, and from the bills I've seen posted about," he said, though oddly he didn't sound especially enthusiastic about it. "Tis quite the task you've set for yourselves, and I wonder if you quite understand the enormity of it, and how difficult it is like to truly be."

"Do not mistake me; I doubt not your intentions, nor do I disagree with what you propose. Quite the opposite in fact. But though you are King and Queen, you are both young, and largely untested. You've set yourselves to a trial by fire and I question whether your resolve is sufficient to stay the course to the end."

"But as you've been kind enough to offer me a warning of who to be cautions of, I shall respond in kind. Should anyone arrive here from a nation called Ishgard, you must say nothing to them of the fact that Queen Mal carries dragon blood in her veins, nor should you allow anyone else to speak of it. Ishgard has been fighting the Dragonsong War for nigh on a thousand years; in their eyes it is a holy war, and even were it not, it is fueled by centuries of fire an blood. Like as not, they would see it as their duty to kill you where you stand. Both of you." He turned his gaze to Mal. "You, for carrying the blood of their ancient enemy-", and then to Ben, "-and you, for lying down with a dragon, the gravest and most deadly of sins in their eyes."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"No one in Auradon should have to hide who and what they are," Ben said, firmly. "Even if we could keep it secret, which we can't, we wouldn't. We would work with these people to show them that the dragons here are not what they think of when they think of dragons. And perhaps the ones back home are not what they suspected as well."

Mal looked like she found his confidence in a peaceful solution adorable, but unrealistic. But she kept her mouth closed, for the momemt.

[mist_the_point]

Foulques, on the other hand, did not keep his mouth closed. "You think that sweet words from a stranger, however noble, would stay their hand?", he said. "Tell me, would it stay yours had you seen your home razed to the ground by dragon fire? Your friends and loved ones rent limb from limb by their talons or crushed in their jaws, for year upon year, century upon century? Words alone will never be sweet enough to dull the bitterness of such loss, nor loud enough to drown out the memory of the screams of countless battles."

"Yours is the kindest part of a kind world. By the good fortune of your birth, you have known little and less of hardship or suffering. Want, scorn, hatred, vengeance, poverty, oppression, loss, cruelty, betrayal... You know the words, aye, but you don't truly know their meaning. You do not feel the weight of them in your bones, or bear their scars on your heart. And while this has made you kind, it has also made you naive about a great many things."

"It is for this very reason that I doubt your resolve. You would seek to change the hearts of those you deem villains, but what of the hearts of your own people? Do not forget that it was they, the good people and great heroes of Auradon who created this gaol. Who for nigh on twenty summers treated their prisoners like rubbish to be cast on the midden and spared not a thought for the generation of children they abandoned here to rot for the sake of their own comfort. If you are to succeed in your aims you must stand firm, not just in the face of the obvious darkness to be found among the villains of the Isle, but in that which lurks within your own lands, and your own court. Of those to whom the status quo has given wealth, power, and privilege who feel their positions threatened by those they have long looked down upon being raised up and brought into the fold, and who would work to see that threat eliminated." That wasn't as much of a concern for the present, of course, but it still bore thinking about.

"Just as you would take my measure, I would take yours. Your intent I do not doubt, but the road between your intent and the result you hope to achieve will be long and fraught with many a pitfall. I would see how well the two of you walk it together before I place my trust in you and your plan."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"We have already faced much of the conflict you mentioned," Ben said, voice firm, shoulders straight, eyes keeping contact. He was doing his best to look kingly. "The only one who wanted me to walk this path, from the start was me. No one in Auradon wanted the villains or their children to be freed of this place to come to Auradon. Resistance started with my own parents. My then girlfriend Audrey, who I had been dating since we were small children was against the idea. She tried to accept it for my sake, to support me, but it was too hard for her. My closest friends at the time. My most trusted advisors. The members of my father's council which became my council soon after when I was coronated. No one saw then what I saw."

He took Mal's hand without looking away. "That even if the villains did deserve to be imprisoned like this... their children did not. They were innocent. It has been a hard battle so far."

A deep breath, but he kept his calm and composure, channeling his mother more than his father. Though he kept some of his father's strength in his spine.

"The compromise was to start with four. The whole thing hinged on the four I chose. And I chose children of four of the worst villains in our history, sure that if I could prove that those four children could learn to embrace good, that there was hope for all the children of the Isle."

"It... took us a while to get there," Mal said, finally speaking herself. "When he said no one wanted us to go to Auradon? Yeah, that included us. We didn't want to go. Horrible as the Isle is, and you haven't seen the half of it... it was still home. We knew who we were here. For me and Jay that who we were was top of the heap. Sure it was a trash heap, but it was our trash heap. We didn't have to worry about offending anyone, except to worry we weren't offending them enough." She smirked a bit, then shrugged. "But where we saw something horrible... Our parents saw opportunity. We weren't given a choice. Go to Auradon, pretend to play along. At least until we could steal what our parents wanted us to steal and bring down the barrier. But..." she glanced back at Ben... "Ben did everything he could. More than anyone ever expected. When people hated us, he stood with us. When people thought the worst, he stood up for us. And the one time we were stealing a boat... he saw that we had good reason and trusted us. And the thing was... we started to want to be worthy of that trust. We came to love Auradon. And the people in it. Annoying as it is, he was right."

"And it started with the four, but didn't end there. While a few came over accidentally... Enough of the VKs, the Villain Kids proved themselves that those like CJ who didn't accept good became the exceptions, not proof of the prejudice."

"We welcomed four more, after that," Mal said. "Including the sister of one of the girls who accidentally wound up in Auradon but was willing to do whatever goodness it took to stay there."

"It's been hard," Ben said.

"A lot of people still hate us," Mal added. "But we're showing time and time again that we stand for Auradon. Auradon, and the Isle."

Ben nodded. "Not terribly long before the events that led to you being here, we instituted a new program. All the children of villains, everyone born on the Isle, they were to be given a chance. They would be watched, and they would have to take the same remedial goodness classes as the other VKs, and they'd have to actually be good, not just mimic it... But if they did that, they could stay."

"A probationary period," Mal added, smiling. "None of us will be watched forever. But enough time that we can keep Auradon safe... as well as keep the VKs safe."

Ben nodded. "And we extended an olive branch to the villains as well. While staying on the Isle prove to us they've reformed. That they are willing to be good and to make reprobations to those they harmed. That they are willing to follow the laws and customs of Auradon if they are allowed to return. We had interest from a few, before all this happened."

"But you can ask the teachers here, if you want to verify with someone other than us," Mal put in. "In your shoes, I would."

[mist_the_point]

The boy did not falter at his barbed words, standing firm, if a touch stiff. As Foulques had expected, the mantle of leadership yet sat uneasily upon his young shoulders, though he made an admirable attempt to hide this fact. And one not used to sizing up an opponent for weak points to strike at may even have been fooled by it. But he stood before a trained Lancer, and if Foulques' gaze carried not true ill intent, it was both sharp and unwavering. A subtle challenge, and a look that made no secret of the fact that he was weighing Ben's every word and gesture with the scrutiny of an Ul'Dahan merchant.

And Mal's, to a lesser extent. Perhaps somewhat ironically, out of the two of them, he trusted her more, if only because she hadn't grown up knowing the kindness that her young love had. He still suspected that even the Isle could not compare to the cruelties men regularly visited upon each other in his own world, though wisely did not say so. Even at its worst, theirs was a kinder world than his own, but he found he couldn't begrudge them this fact. T'was merely how the threads of their fates had been spun, and unlike the so called teachers who resided on the Isle, he had no plans to wallow in bitterness, cursing the gods bemoaning his fate instead of attempting to improve it. Not this time.

At the suggestion that he question the other so-called teachers he gave a snort of distain. "I question whether they would have aught of value to say," he said. "The old virago in particular has made it abundantly clear that she would rather rot than turn her cloak. But if you believe it worth my while, I shall consider it."

"For the present, however, I should return to the task at hand and relate to you the rest of my tale, lest the topic of conversation drift again. Our time together is rather limted, after all."

[missrecalled_npcs]

Mal snorted. "It's not just what they say. But how they say it, what they don't say, how they react. You can get a lot of information from someone by keeping your eyes open. And I suspect you know very well how to keep your eyes open."

"We do thank you," Ben said. "And we will consider everything that has been said here today." He glanced at Mal, then added, "And what has not been said, apparently."

[mist_the_point]

Mal's observation prompted him to quirk an eyebrow and offer a smirk. "As, it seems, do you, m'lady," he said.

"Returning to my tale, as said, I had resolved to see the Lancer's guild disbanded and its doors barred forever more, thinking that I and I alone had found the secret to true courage, and thus was the only true Lancer in a house of cravens. As it happened, the day I barged into the guild hall to announce my intent, an adventurer but recently recruited into the guild also arrived, recently returned from a training exercise. Having soundly trounced the those I found practicing in the guildhall, I thought nothing of her presence at first. I issued a challenge to the Guildmaster, but he refused it. Thinking him a coward, I instead charged at this novice adventurer, lance at the ready. I halted with my spearpoint mere ilms from her face, but she didn't even flinch. I was intrigued, and chose to leave for a time, and follow her progress from afar."

"I encountered her several times after that while she was out on other training exercises, each time interfering to try and convince her of the rightness of my belief, that true courage could only be found in great danger, forged in blood and rage. I styled myself her mentor in what I believed to be the true path of the Lancer. Eventually, the Guildmaster grew tired of my meddlesome 'lessons', and issued to us both a challenge: to face the Lord of the Bramble Patch, a ferocious boar of monstrous size. The victor in the challenge would be declared the one in the right, she on the side of the guild's, and I on my own."

"We both of us faced the Lord of the Bramble Patch in all his monstrous strength and ferocity. And though we also fought fiercely, eventually he proved the mightier, and my nerve faltered. He caught me with his great tusks and sent me sprawling, knocking me senseless for a moment and causing me to lose hold of my lance in the process. He advanced on me as I lay prone, and when I came to myself, there was the adventurer standing between me and the beast, her courage unshaken, resolved to defend me."

"That proved unnecessary, however, as the Guildmaster arrived and sent the beast away. He was familiar with him it seemed. He declared the adventurer the victor of trial, and admonished me once again for my folly. I refused to accept his words however, unable- or perhaps simply unwilling- to see the truth in them, and stormed off. But his words ate at me over the coming days as I refused to budge, driving myself further into madness and twisting uncertainty into vengeful rage."

"Eventually I fell upon a group of lancers training in the forest, attacking them in a rage. One I allowed to flee, knowing he would draw her to me. The rest I left at the mercies of a pack of vicious Lindwurms that I unleashed upon them. I would be greatly surprised if all of them survived, even if she reached them in time. Some did however, because they alerted the Wood Wailers- those who enforce Gridania's law- and set them upon me, intending to have me arrested." A smile briefly curled his lips, but it contained neither warmth nor humor. "The adventurer found me in Alder Springs, among their corpses."

He quickly became serious again, however. "There I told her the same tale I told you, of my past with the guild, and the reason I desired its destruction. And then I resolved to kill her, in my madness believing that in slaying the only lancer I felt could rival me, I would prove my courage and strength. By that time, there were those who called her a hero, a Warrior of Light. There were tales that she laid even the Primal Ifrit low. I know not how much truth there is in them, but I know that her strength and skill with a lance were worthy of a slayer of gods. In the end, she trounced me so thoroughly that there could be no doubt which of us was the greater."

"Trying to deny it, I backed away from her, flailing my lance before me in panic, not realizing that my back was to a cliff's edge. She tried to warn me, but I did not hear her. I stepped back, my boot slipping over the edge, and I fell to what would have been my death had the magic not brought me here. And here I have been since. The rest you know, or can easily guess."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"And death is such a life changing experience that you now see the folly of your ways?" Mal asked, a purple brow arched. "That's why you're calling it madness?"

She was used to people who played a long con. Spun a good tale. This was... giving them a lot to potentially pick apart if it was a con. Rule one was always imply a lot, but say little of substance. The more you say the easier to find the lie. But he could mearly be a more sophisticated slide. It was an interesting puzzle and one she would allow herself to enjoy... once she was back in Auradon. She was glad he had chosen to remain here, because after what he told them she would have spoken against him coming with them at this point.

Or... had that been his intent? But why...?

Yes, this was something she wanted to give much more thought to.

"It sounds as though we all have much to think about, and reason to keep track of each other," Ben said, diplomatically. "I hope that we can all, in time, prove ourselves to each other."

CW- Suicidal ideation

[mist_the_point]

Perhaps surprisingly, he made no attempt to snap back, but rather he frowned thoughtfully. "My death- such as it was- changed nothing," he said. "Surviving it, however..." He crossed his arms over his chest, contemplating. "The dead can learn nothing. The dead cannot change. But it spite of my own actions- and perhaps, my own intentions- I am still very much among the living, and thus I have leave to reflect."

"The lesson the Guildmaster attempted to teach me at the Bramble Patch cracked the illusion that I had crafted around myself that allowed me to believe my actions were righteous and justified. But instead of taking it to heart, I allowed the wound to my pride to fester, until I lashed out like a fever-maddened beast. Then my defeat at the hand of the adventurer shattered completely what the Guildmaster had cracked, and my arrival here afforded me the time to examine the pieces."

"Stripped of the illusion of my own making, I saw myself for the fool I was. What I had called the ultimate courage was naught but a mark of how little I valued my life. From the beginning, I knew that my crusade of vengeance against the Lancer's Guild was one that would end in my victory or my death, and I have now come to realize that I did not truly care which. Yet even so, each time I faced the true possibility of my death- by the tusks of the Lord of the Bramble Patch or the hand of the adventurer- I was consumed by fear and panic. In truth, I am naught but a worthless coward, a broken man rightly left to lie among the other broken things on this Isle. The sole saving grace left to me is the knowledge that broken things can, perhaps, be mended."

"I shall not lie; even now, I am not particularly sorry for my actions. But no longer do I attempt to justify them as some sort of righteous quest either. They were naught more than an attempt at petty vengeance, and any attempts to claim them as something more would be mere excuses. A subtler man might attempt to do so, to gain sympathy and pity, deserved or not, but deception is not a hallmark of the lancer's art, nor is it a talent that I have ever possessed; I prefer to speak plainly and directly, and so I have done. This much shall not change, even should we eventually prove ourselves to each other; I'll not hold my tongue should the recipient of harsh words be deserving of them."

"What I shall do is to work to prove myself, and observe as you do the same. Words, as it is said in the far east, are no more than air. By our actions may we both judge and be judged." He nodded respectfully to Ben, indicating that this last bit was more directed to him.

Re: CW- Suicidal ideation

[missrecalled_npcs]

Ben nodded in return. "I agree, that proving ourselves will take work on all sides, more than just talking. However..." he paused, considered how to say what he wanted to say. "Growing up, my mother always taught me that one of the bravest things a person could ever do is to admit that they had been wrong. And to really examine their own faults and failings. And my father would always point out that courage wasn't the absence of fear. It is doing what you think is right, despite that fear. Wanting to live... that isn't cowardice, it is natural instinct kicking in at the last moment. Hopefully you can learn to hone those reflexes while you're here without waiting for consequences to be so dire first."

"Besides," Mal added, "I've met a whole lot of people who died and then found themselves alive on this Isle without quite knowing why. You're one of the very few who has even claimed to want to consider changing." She shrugged. Mother Gothel and the headmaster both died before waking up on the Isle. you probably won't be able to drag much of use out of Mother Gothel about her death, but the headmaster...Doc F might be willing to talk about it for the right bribe. And he at least claims he's willing to be good to get off this rock."

[mist_the_point]

"It makes no odds to me if any of those who reluctantly call this place home are too stubborn or spiteful to see which way the wind blows and act accordingly," he said to Mal. "But I shall consider it. Assuming I have anything he might want." Which was a rather big assumption at present.

When he turned his gaze to Ben, it became somewhat more thoughtful. "Had I the courage of a true lancer, I would have been able to stand firm in the face of death. That is the nature of the lancers art. A lance is many things, but it is not a shield; it affords you nowhere to hide. If one succumbs to panic, whatever the reason, they lose the the power to attack, which is a lancer's strength. Until I can face the possibility of my death with composure, I am no true lancer."

"But I do not doubt that your mother and father's words were true for them, and likely for you. Yours is, as I said, a kind world. Gods willing, neither you nor they will ever require the courage of a lancer. And for the present, I will accept your words in the spirit in which they were given." He gave a slight bow in Ben's direction to indicate his gratitude.

[missrecalled_npcs]

"Courage comes in a lot of forms," Ben said, kindly. "And we look forward to sharing your views and ours more often. And hopefully none of us will have to prove ours anytime soon. Though I do think that your choosing to stay here is already quite the demonstration."

[mist_the_point]

He snorted at that, but amusement tugged at the corners of his lips. "A demonstration of my lack of good sense, perhaps," he said. "But that's hardly anything new."

"In any case, I've said my piece. I'll not take up any more of your time." Their time on the Isle was limited, after all, and others still needed to speak to them.

[missrecalled_npcs]

Ben nodded and was about to take his leave when Mal, looking thoughtful spoke up.

"A lance is just a fancy spear when broken down to basics, right? Pointy on one end, dull on the other? Long stick between? Pretty sure that's a more versatile weapon than you give it credit for."

[mist_the_point]

He frowned slightly at her choice of words but didn't know quite how to protest without sounding overly pedantic. "A skilled lancer can wield a variety of polearms, not just the one from which we take our name," he said. "I've wielded lances, spears, harpoons, tridents, and halberds since taking up the art; each has unique considerations, but the underlying principles are much the same. I'm curious what wisdom you have regarding their use that you believe I haven't considered."

His tone was equal parts curious and condescending. He clearly didn't believe that Mal had any ideas regarding polearms that he hadn't already considered, but was curious to see if she might prove him wrong.

[missrecalled_npcs]

She nodded. "So they all have the sharp end sure, and a dull end for if you just want to knock someone out. Or down. But the haft in the middle? It can block a strike aimed at your head, can't it?"

[mist_the_point]

"It can, aye, but so can any stout stick or pole," he said. "To use a lance in such a manner, however, is a mark of desperation and panic, or at the very least a lack of skill. Holding a polearm in such a way might save you from a single blow, or perhaps two, but the shaft of a polearm- especially one made from wood- is not meant to bear such strikes and will soon bend or break, leaving you without a proper weapon. Assuming you survive, you're then at an even greater disadvantage due to the lack of a proper weapon."

"A lancer's strength is in their power to attack. Succumbing to fear or an excess of caution robs them of that power and places them at a disadvantage. That is why courage and composure when facing an opponent, no matter how fearsome, is critical, and a hallmark of the lancer's art. And the lack of it is why I cannot yet call myself a true lancer."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"Wow," Mal drawled. "Someone really drank the fruit punch, huh? So is it considered a strength to have no flexibility or imagination?"

"Mal..." Ben said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged his hand off, putting her own hands on her hips. "Look, I got a chance when I left the Isle to realize that the things I always learned limited me in all ways. If you can't figure out how to make things work in other ways... then hopefully being here will fix that."

[mist_the_point]

He stiffened at that. "I assure you, I'm quite sober," he said. "In fact if there's a drop of alcohol on this Isle that's not of the sort meant only for Professor Yen Sid's chemical concoctions, I've yet to find it."

"Tell me, girl, have you ever wielded a polearm in earnest, when it was all that stood between you and the jaws of a beast, or the blade of an enemy? Judging by your arms, I sincerely doubt it. What I know of lancework I've learned by living and breathing the art for nearly as long as you've been alive at all. I know that such things as you just described are foolish moves in combat, not merely because my instructors told me so, but because in the midst of youthful arrogance I thought that I knew better than they and did so anyway, against their advice. The result was a broken spear and nearly becoming food for a pack of hungry raptors, and being saved from such a fate only by one of my seniors intervening in time."

"Queen or no, I will not be lectured on lancework by one who is little more than a child and has no experience in the art. Just as I would not presume to lecture you on magecraft."

[missrecalled_npcs]

"That's not what it means," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "It means you're up to your pointy little ears in a single narrow way of thinking that you close your eyes and ears to any other idea. And don't you go judging me by my looks, you'll learn all the ways you're making a mistake," she snapped, her eyes starting to go green.


"Oookay," Ben said, physically picking her up around the waist. He turned and set her beside him instead of in front of him, then leaving one arm around her, turned to face Foulques again.

"Let's all calm down and take a figurative step back. You don't know how we are fight here and we don't know how you fight. And with hope, hard work, and luck, we won't have to do much if any fighting while you are all stuck here. So why don't we just agree that as different species we do not know each other's biology, and as people from different world we have different ways we have been trained. Teaching each other is fine. Wonderful even. But fighting amongst ourselves helps none of us. We need to work together, with each other. Not against each other."

[mist_the_point]

He was about to retort, but Ben's intervention cooled the brewing argument before it had a chance to become truly heated. It also proved that the boy was stronger than he looked, given the ease with which he picked Mal up like that. Something he noted alongside the faint green glow that he'd seen in her eyes. A legacy of her draconic heritage perhaps?

Once the young king had said his piece, Fouques sighed through his nose. "Very well," he said with only a hint of reluctance. "I've no desire to get into a shouting match with someone half my age in any case. Given my experiences being on the other side of such arguments, it's not likely to have the results that either side wishes." He smirked slightly, recalling when he himself had been that young and brash, so confident that he knew better than his elders. Perhaps a few more years and the weight of a crown would help settle this particular firebrand.