Kingdom of Barath *Advanced* discussion

This is everything outside the main town. There are some houses, not many. Mostly it is just a few snow covered trees and snowy land.

Echo passed the few houses and freely walked through the snow. She loved the snow despite how many ailments it caused. She had always been drawn to how many different things one could do with just snow. It was getting dark, but there was still low light. The temperatures had already starting dropping. As Echo trekked on, she gathered what she could find for a fire. She already knew her destination for it was where she always went.

She arrived just as the light was almost gone. It was a small cave. Inside looked like home. There were no rugs or paintings, but it kept most of Echo's stuff. There was already a stack of wood. There were tons of bottles containing herbs. One could see where she slept and always had a fire. Echo built the fire and was glad she already had a rabbit in her knapsack to eat that night. Her emotions were drained from the meeting with Arcadia. So she didn't feel like hunting in the dark that night. Echo also put a pot on the fire too and began putting in herbs along with water from her skin. (she was making herbal tea) While she tended the fire, food, and tea....she reflected back on her encounter with Arcadia.

She hoped to see Arcadia again. She was excited that she would have the chance to see Arcadia on her path from the very beginning....when that happens. She wished her dreams would have a clock and calender in them. On a more personal level, she liked Arcadia very much. She thought she had grace and beauty but had brains too. She envied her. She would love to have her as a friend, but knew serving her was priority.

Echo had been taught why she had dreams. They were like a compass for her. Her dream showed how she was to help Arcadia on her path. Which meant she was to not let selfish wants like friendship get in the way from the big picture. Echo sighed and began looking around for her pet. Her pet was a mouse that lived in the same cave. Only recently Echo was able to get him to eat out of her hand. He didn't talk much, but he seemed to listen to Echo. So Echo was thankful and called him Cheese, which she had brought some for him and it was in her knapsack.

Once Arcadia was in the woods, she started walking faster, hurrying to get home. Her house wasn't that far from the edge if town, but it was deep enough that they rarely got visitors. Her fathers and her two story cabin was small and cosy, nothing fancy about it at all. There were three small stairs that led up to the crooked wooden door. Inside, a coat rack made up the entrance. Arcadia hung her fur pull over on the makeshift hook and wiped off her muddy animal skin boots. Two steps into the house it opened up into a wide space. Arcadia's fathers bed was downstairs and hers was up in the loft.

"Father!" She called when she entered the house. "I'm home!" The mouthwatering aroma of stew hit her and she hurried to check it out. Setting the wood aside carefully. "Oh" she exclaimed when she saw that the stew was over flowing over the pot an onto the wood stove. She quickly grabbed a cloth and set the put in the floor. "Father?" She called again. Usually he would never let the food boil over like that.

After a quick glance over the house she discovered he was not inside. Without putting on her jacket, she ran out the door. "Father!" She yelled again. No answer. She ran around the house toward the wood pile. And there, laying on the ground was a dark figure. "Papa!" She screamed, calling him by her childhood nickname.

He was laying face down in the dirt. Before Arcadia had even gotten to him, she could hear his ragged breaths. She knelt down beside him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Pushing him over so he was face up, she saw blood dribble from his mouth. "Papa!" She gasped.

((Sorry I'm writing more but I got busy all of a sudden))

((thats cool, i get really busy in the middle of most of my long posts, lol.....sounds really good))

She took in everything with wide eyes. Her father in the ground, and the fact that he was not well. Arcadia had never known anything in the field of healing, but thinking back on it now it was a silly thing not to learn. "Papa, what happened?" She asked him, but knew it was next to pointless. Then all of a sudden her father took in a loud raspy breath and started shaking in a fit on the ground. The only thing that came to Arcadia's was to scream. "Help! Someone!" After a few times though, she forced her head to clear in this panicky moment, something she had been good at a few times, and thought through what to do. So she lifted up her father upper body to lean it against a stump, so he would choke on the blood in his throat.

(a seizure?)

((Idk, he's going to die. I'm thinking that mixed with a heart attack lol))

(oh ok, lol. when do u want my charrie back in and how....she could feel something is wrong and ends up on the doorstep or something like that or any other way or one of her dreams or whatever....ur choice)

((A dream would be good, because hasnt she had dreams about Arcadia before? And then when she gets close, she could like hear Arcadia yelling. Thats what i intended all the screams for lol so she could come in any time))

((oh ok))

Echo finished her meal while deep in her own thoughts. She drank her herbal tea before putting a big log on the fire and laying down for the night. She fell asleep quickly despite all of her thoughts whirling in her head. It wasn't too long before Echo woke up with a start.

Echo sat up and looked around, to get a feel for her surroundings again. She just had another dream and needed to think clearly, and out of the dreamworld. The way her dreams were, is at first nothing makes sense, but it all comes together. Echo couldn't remember her dream...yet. But she was left with this feeling that she needed to start walking. As she grabbed her knapsack, she thought it would be a good idea to take her herbs for her tea. (she couldn't understand why, but this had all been in the dream. oh the tea is calming.)

Echo began to walk. At first she had no idea which direction to go, then she just began to follow the moon, going away from town. She breathed the cold night air and pieces of the dream started to come back. While walking, she remembered that someone needed her help....not just someone, Arcadia....but where was Arcadia. Echo walked quicker when she realized she was needed but her direction of walking kept changing. Echo would change directions whenever she felt it was the wrong way.

In a few minutes, seeemed like hours to Echo, she heard screams further away. Echo instantly knew this was her destination. She began to run towards the screams. She stopped at a small two story cabin. It would have looked cozy except for the screams. Echo recognized that the screams were coming from Arcadia herself. A small part of her was relieved that Arcadia herself was still alive. Then she rushed up to the door and knocked with a medium amount of urgency.

"Arcadia...its me, Echo. I'm here to help" she had no idea how to say it. Echo only hoped that Arcadia would just let her in and ask questions later. Her dream did leave her with a big sense that this was urgent.

As she stared at her father, thinking of something that would help him, she heard a pounding around the front of her house and then a small voice. "Hello?" Arcadia called. She got up, dusting the snow off the knees of her stockings and then ran to the front of her house. She didnt want to leave her dad but if their was someone who could help she had to get them.

She rounded the house and when she saw it was Echo she stopped in her tracks and stared. How was Echo here? She had only met the girl once in the street. Had she followed her back to her house? Arcadia stared at her, wide eyed and blonde hair dirty blonde hair in a wild mess around her head. "Echo?"

Echo whipped her head around to see Arcadia. She was a mess and confused at that. Echo had expected her to be in confusion, but what caused the pain that was written across her face? "Yes," she confirmed while quickly rushing to her, hoping she wouldn't frighten her. But, she couldn't contain herself, things seemed to dire to bother with being clam and collected. "What is the matter?! What's happened?"

Shoving all other questions about Echo's appearance aside, Arcadia focused on the present. "I-it's my father!" She almost couldn't get the words out. Rushing forward, grabbing Echoes hand and pulling her back around the house she tried to explain. "I got home and found him out here. I don't know what happened. Please, do you know any way to help him?"

Even through all the confusion and panic, Arcadia still found her head clear and able to think. There was no information in her mind that could help her in this situation but still, she found her head clear. It was a strange feeling.

Echo allowed herself to be drug behind the home where she saw her friend's father on the ground in the snow. Flakes had began to cover his frame and even if he was saved, frostbit wasn't out of the question. 

Rushing around Arcadia and to her father, Echo collapsed to her knees and examined the man. His convulsions had slowed to mere tremors. He was dying. Echo had seen this before. The name of it was foreign to her, but the only cases she had heard of and the one she saw had resulted in death. Perhaps their medicine hadn't advances far enough yet. "I...I don't know if I can do anything," she admitted distantly as she searched her small bag for anything that may help. She pulled a small array of berries and other herbs that may help. But, she was losing hope to it actually helping. Echo forced the herb/berry mixture into the man's mouth and held his noise to make him swallow. 

Arcadia's lips were forming the word 'please' per and over. She never believed in the so called gods, her father never either. Maybe that's where she got it from. So she only said the words please, hopping that her pleading and wanting was enough to help heal him. She didn't know what she would do if he died.

She watched as her father swallowed the berry. Trusting her fathers life with this stranger was odd enough, but the fact that she had saw this girl only hours before added to that. Arcadia knelt beside her fathers head, cupping her pale slender hands around his cheeks to stop some on his trembling in his head bAll Arcadia could do was stare and hope something worked.

He's not taking to them... Echo thought, her heart dropping a bit. Her eyes went to Arcadia. Echo couldn't do anything else to help. But, maybe this was supposed to happen. Maybe Arcadia's father was the push that she needs to reach her greatness. But, even so, Echo couldn't stand watching the pain across one of the future savoys of their world. Pain can bring out the best in people though...sometimes. Or the worst. 

Arcadia stared at her father. "Nothing is happening" she said in a shrill voice. "Why isn't he waking up? Papa?" She shacked his shoulder, but got no response. She knew that he was probably gone but refused to believe it. There was no way here papa... "Wake up" her voice not capable of going above a whisper.

Echo slumped more, her shoulders losing posture and her eyes going soft as she stared at the dying man...or dead man. She wasnt sure just yet. The snow hugged around her knees that pressed so deeply into it's top layer. Should she speak? What would she even say? There weren't words for a thing lime this, was there? 

He's dead. There was no more doubt in Arcadia's mind that her free was gone. She didn't know how she knew but something just clicked. Gently, she wiped the little bit of blood from his face with her soft hide sleeve and then stood up. There was nothing more she, or Echo could do.

When Arcadia looked down at her fathers lifeless pale body, she realized something big. No one is here forever, and many people lave before their time. And it wasn't right in her mind. No one should leave before their old and have lived a good life. Of course she had seen killings before, she lived in the North city but none of them had affected her like this. At that moment, without really realizing it yet, she knew she was going to never let this happen again, to anyone.

Still watching her father, she spoke in a whispered but strong voice, "I'm going to burry him by mother, in the grove behind the house." She was quiet for a moment, then, her voice thick, she said "thank you for trying to help. I... appreciate it."

Echo remained beside the body, mind still distant until Arcadia spoke. Echo looked up to the kind hearted woman. A tear escaped Echo's eye and she swallowed a lump in her throat. "Of course...I'd do anything to help..." Slowly, Echo stood. She looked to the sky then back to Arcadia. "It is late, though, and blistering cold...I realize this is an outlandish thing to say in ways, but you should wait until the morning to burry him. It would be to cold and to risky..."

Arcadia started shaking her head before Echo even finished. "I, it should be done now. I have to do it now," her voice cracked a little. "You don't have to stay..." she trailed off. Then, bent down on her knees again, shivering, wishing she had grabbed her coat. As soon as she looked she wondered how she was going to move her father? He was heavy and she didnt think it would be right to drag him. These questions ran through her head like they were normal questions. She knew she was going to crack eventually, but now it was still to unreal.

Echo understood completely. She understood it was a long shot. "Go get a coat," she told her. "I'll stay and help you. It'll be a little easier with two of us working on it..." It would still be next to impossible. The ground was frozen solid. The best thing to do would be to cremate him. One, it would give warmth for the girls, two less work and less chance of getting ill from the weather, and three it freed the soul in a way--Echo believed. Burying them caused their body to be trapped forever. While, cremating them allowed their bodies to flutter into the world as ash and their souls drift away. She would suggest it to Arcadia, but didn't expect a yes considering she wished to bury him near her mother.

Arcadia nodded and hurried inside to grab her pull over. Her mother had made it for her, nut it smelled like her father. Tears stung her eyes. Walking back out, she realized that the snow was comming down more and more heavy, and came to the same conclusion Echo had. There was no way they were going to be able to bury him. She rushed to where Echo was standing with her father.

"Something I was told by a gipsy I crossed paths with was those cremated escape into the world and are more free than those buried deep within the ground. The ground asks as a prison for their soul and takes them awhile to become free..." it sounded dark, but that's what this dark headed gipsy had told. "I believe he would want you to not suffer in the snow for him..."

Arcadia sniffled without meaning to. What Echo said moved soemthing deep inside her, something about the freedom of burning... maybe she had finally gone crazy. But no matter, she had decided that that is waht they will do. Cremate him, thats what Echo called it. "Alright. I-I think he would like that." Without an answer, she walked over to the make-shift shed they build for some of her fathers tools and grabbed the extra flint rocks. "Will these do?" Arcadia handed them to Echo, not really knowing what to do.

((I actually had a brilliant idea. That when they burn her father, the fire would completely awake the dragon side to her and then send her off to find her egg. I think it would be really fun :)

Maybe if someone else makes another character the three of them could go off, Arcadia and Echo could meet the third along the way and tag along, to give it more variety? Idk, im just shootin ideas lol))

Echo was glad to hear her friend was alright with this manner of funeral. It would be best. Echo knew that. She nodded to Arcadia as she handed her the flint rocks. "This should work," she assured. "We will need some hay to help lit the fire as well as some small sticks...should we move him anywhere or is here fine?" she asked somewhat unsure. 


((sounds good! I vote Arcadia not know she's a dragon master yet still but being awakened is fine of course :). I would go with her just following a strong pull. I still like the idea of her tripping off a snowy mountain and falling to a ledge that has an iced over cave she can't enter but her dragon hatches from Arcadias almost death and busts outta that bitch all badass like!))

((and yeah, I'm sure someone will have a character that can tag soon. If not, I can make someone. A male probs that can run into them))

((hahaha alright! i like that idea to lol and no i wasnt going to have her know about the dragon, just a pull like you said. And ill make a Message board or something for people to post if they want a character to RP with. if no one answers then you can make him :P))


Arcadia shook her head, defeated. "No, he is fine here. His spirit will be free with my mothers either way." Quietly, Arcadia walked around the house and hurried back with an arm full of hay that they used to feed the few sheep they had. A couple more armfuls later, Arcadia judged that they had enough.

With a mild be of haste in her motions, Echo began to set the hay how she thought may be best. Then there was the flint rocks...they were little devious things, Echo had learned. It took a good number of tries before finally a small flame caught and began. It started small, but slowly took over the hay and then the father's clothes...it very slowly went on. 

Arcadia watched as the flames grew high. Once they were at their largest, tears began to slow down Arcadias pink cheeks. She knew her father was free now, but that still didnt take away the injustice of it all. As she stared into the flame, that earlier feeling she had, the one where she almost knew what she was meant to do, that feeling came back. But stronger.

The flames danced, mesmerizing to her light blue eyes. The flames engulfed her, her mind and maybe her body to, she couldnt tell. All she could see was that orange flame. What she felt growing inside her could almost be described as physical, as well as mental. Arcadia gasped when it got to much and involuntarily fell to her knees. But her eyes never left the fire.

Face wet from tears and warmed by the fire, she stayed like that, unmoving until the fire died down. Arcadia didnt know what happened but she knew she wasnt afraid. Somewhere deep inside her she might have known her father was going to die, that something like this was going to happen. But in no way was she prepared for it. Since there were no Gods in her eyes, there was no one to blame but bad luck.

A distant thought in the back of her mind whisper, "The Red Tree wood" but it never made it past the rest of the hurricane going on in her mind.

"I love you papa" she finally whispered as the flamed were down to only red hot embers.

((No the fire didnt like touch her or anything, that was all in her mind :P just clarifying))

Echo knew the death of Arcadia's father must have been what would awaken Arcadia. It was all parts of her scattered dreams that she hadn't placed together. This particular scene was an old dream, but she had never seen the face of the girl engulfed by flames. To Echo, the dream had just been the rare one that meant nothing. Until now. Now she knew it was one of the most important ones. 

Echo said nothing and only watched the fire as well, knowing that this was the time Arcadia would change forever. Echo wouldn't interrupt this if her life depended on it. So she stood still and quietly soaked in the warmth of the flames. 

Without meaning to, Arcadia's eyes started to flutter and before she knew it, her whole body relaxed and she was falling to the ground. She was passed out before her head hit the cold snowy ground.

Arcadia was dreaming, she knew that much. In her dream she was standing on the edge of a cliff, snow was falling down in thick, slicing blades. She could hardly see in front of her.

Alone, she called out, but only her echo sounded without a responce. That reminded her, where was that girl she met at the market? What did they talk about again? Her memories were fuzzy and it hurt her head to think about them so she focused on the blizzard in front of her and pressed forward.

Even though it was snowing more than she had ever seen, she felt no cold. There wasnt a temperature. Her skin boots disappeared in the deep snow as she stepped forward. On the second step, her whole knee disappeared.

Then she was falling. Falling and falling, there wasnt an end. Arcadia screamed, her throat ripping apart from the noise. But somewhere inside her she felt safe falling, felt like there was something going to catch her and not let anything happen. She still screamed. Screamed and screamed...

And screamed.

Echo didn't know what to do when her friend simply collapsed. She tried to wake her at first, but that failed, so she managed to half drag half carry Arcadia into Arcadia's home. The time passed slowly, but it still passed. Echo had covered up her friend and simply waited. She knew that this had to be related to Arcadia's "true" self. So, she didn't mind waiting and didn't worry. Until Arcadia screamed. Echo rushed to the girl. "Are you alright?"

Arcadia bolted upright, panting. Her eyes darted around, taking in the interior of her little cabin. Then her eyes focused on Echo. Did she scream out loud? Her whole dream, at least she thought it was a dream, was still vivid in her mind. "I-I was...." She couldn't finish the sentence. There wasn't a clear feeling about how she felt because she felt safe, but she was falling and screaming. "I don't know" she finally confessed. There was no way she could explain this to Echo.

Echo shook her head, smiling the smallest amount. "You do not need to explain to me, miss," she said in a vaguely knowing voice. "You should eat something." Echo had removed the boiling over pot of stew and put it aside. She stood to her feet and went to retreat a small wooden bowl and looped a few spoons into the bowl, bringing it to the girl. "Eat," she insisted.

Arcadia did not feel hungry, and she certainly didn't want to eat the meal that was meant for her and her father alone, but she was to dazed to say other wise. Obediently she ate. About half way through she looked up at echo. "Do you know this land well?" Arcadia had lived here her whole life but still her father had never let her go out of their hunting area her father had set up when she was small. And Arcadia was not one to disobey.

((Are we still going to add another character to these two? Cause no one has seemed to answer the request I put up.)

((We can have another character come along when they start travels. Ya know, like one they pick up lol. And, does Echo know it well? I don't know. I can say she does...))

((Well I was going to have Arcadia ask her about any cliffs around, you know cause of her dreAm. But you can say that echo knows rumors? So then they actually have to go looking. Ooo I have a good plan if you use that one lol if you say there some cliffs farther north and then they find this like hidden city and there they can meet the person? Idk why but I'm feeling creative today lol we can do that? I can put a thread in for the hidden city))

((sounds good to me! I like hidden things. We can both make a few characters for it when the times come :D. The hidden city characters, I mean :D. Sorry if I seem disconnected from Echo, btw, kinda hard to write her since I wasn't her creator. I might have her go away later and replace her with another girl and the guy they meet. Though, that's very, very debatable.))


Echo let a soft sigh escape her. She sat on the floor now, looking down at the dust and stray pieces of hay. "I'm afraid to say I have not traveled much," she admitted. There was a pause in her words as she racked her mind for more--or anything even that would be of help. "But..." she looked up to Arcadia. "I've heard rumors of the lands. What is it you wished to know of?"

((Ya I know what you mean, it doesn't matter to me, we can kill her off to give it some more drama. I'm totally fine with that :) you can always change echo a little bit here and there if its easier, I don't mind))

Arcadia thought over what she was going to say before she spoke. "I was wondering if you knew of any... Cliffs. Somewhere north, with snow." She took a deep breath before explaining in a rush. "I know that sounds a bit crazy, all the jagged mountain are farther north than the City, and the rest is just hills but I really need to know if there are cliffs around here. I feel like..." She trailed off. What did she feel like? It was so strange, like she was being pulled by a string. "Do you know of anything like that?" She finished finally. Arcadia didn't know when it happened, but from the time they met of the street to now, somewhere a lot the way Arcadia began to trust Echo. She didn't know if that was a good or bad thing yet.

((I don't feel like I can change her though, if that makes sense? She seems set the way she is when Jessica had written her. I'll probably just have her die somehow))

"Big and angry, flying around with a flap of those giant wings and a puff of smoke from it's nostrils!. It went to the cliffs."

"You speak of legends and myths!"

"Legends and myths? Legends and myths you say?! I'll have you know that they existed. They did."

"Oh, and is that something that old man from that hidden kingdom you keep ranting about said to you?"

It was a dream she had once upon a time. A conversation taken ages upon ages ago that she had dreamed about. The cliff the mythical dragon flew towards not too far from a hidden city that didn't exist. That was all she knew. But, knew it true she did. "I know of a cliff. It's far in the north and coated in snow."

Arcadia sat up, food forgotten. "Do you think you could find the way there?" Her heart was racing. She had to find this cliff she fell off in her dreams, even though she didn't she much, she knew she would know it when she got there.

Echo smiled shyly to Arcadia. "I can try..." She trailed off, though. "Im not sure how well I could lead since I've never been though. I've got only a few shaky stories."

((so sorry for the shortness. Mg phone sucks))

Arcadia jumped to her feet. "We'll at least we have a direction." She walked over to one of the wooden chests and pulled out some blankets. "We can rest here and go to town in the morning and see if anyone at the Saloon knows anything. If not we can start headig North. I know a few roads that haven't been walked on in ages but they should do." It surprised Arcadia how quickly she had gone numb from her fathers death. But she had more recent things to think about right now. She turned slowly to Echo, realizing that she hasn't even asked yet. "That is, if you are willing to come."

Echo simply nodded to Arcadia. These was the journey that Arcadia needed to become awakened fully as a dragon rider. Well, awakened she was, but the fully part wasn't done. Echo had dreamt of it many of times, their journey. She knew many details...including the one where she stopped traveling with Arcadia. But, that wasn't something she feared. Echo pulled a blanket snug to her and drifted into sleep, hoping for a dream this night. Hoping for a perfect direction rather than the very vague one she had now.

Arcadia left echo after checking the fire blowing out the lantern. She crawled into the familiar bed,but she knew sleep wouldn't come easily, and it didn't. Finally the full force of her dad being gone hit her. She cried into the pillow way into the night, not caring about her eyes that were going to be red and puffy in the morning, or about their upcoming journey. Only that she missed her father and he was here Anymore. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

The morning had come much quicker than wished in ways. The sun was welcoming, though--very welcoming. Echo awoke with a bit of excitement, though she knew it wasn't exactly something she should have after what had happened the night before. She couldn't exactly help it since she knew what was ahead of them. It would be an adventure to say the least. "Shall we head to the salon to seek information?" She asked Arcadia after the two had been awake for a bit.

Arcadia rubbed her eyes, red and puffy from crying. She mentally told herself to get it together, that this little adventure they were going on was going to get her mind off her father. She nodded at Echo, silently thanking her for getting them together. "Yes, of course." Arcadia put on her traveling clothes; a pair of skin pants, hide boots and a knit shirt that was her mother. It was blue to match Arcadia's eyes, her father always said. She grabbed her fathers fur coat, knowing she was going to need the warmth. She packed a bag for both of them, filling it with all the money she had left and food. And as she walked out the door, she instantly felt better, knowing that both her parents were with her somehow.

They were just down the stepps of the house when Arcadia remembered soemthing. "Oh wait!" She whipped around and ran back to the house. Coming back outside she had in her hand a little bundle, the one containing the Redwood. "Okay, now i'm ready."