Of Dreams and of Legends

[Relairah]

Aelariah hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath, though released it as soon as Gjelu made his exclamation. She dipped a paw to confirm the truth and was also shocked. "It must be the artifact's magic," she murmured. She frowned as her ears swiveled in Navlos' direction, but she decided to focus on the task at hand. Would there be some sort of test? Some creature residing in the water, waiting to devour them? Or would they simply be able to take it?

Once more, the tortoise's words of warning drifted across her mind. She brushed it aside, and stepped forward. Her eyes took on a soft glow, though it was hardly noticeable amidst the brilliant light coming from the artifact. The water gathered at her demand, and she began moving across it. So far... so good. It swirled, separating behind her so that their deranged companion could not follow her.
The mist enveloped her. She felt as though it were somehow alive. It swirled around her, almost as if it were attempting to do something. How curious she was, yet all of her questions remained unspoken.

She glanced around, and only then realized she couldn't see anyone else; the mist had thickened so. "Gjelu," she called, listening for his response.

She continued forward toward the artifact, the one thing she could still distinguish. And finally, she felt stone beneath her paws once more. The light itself shifted, gathering together into a shapeless form before her. A voice spoke after, ambiguous in nature and with a silvery quality. It reached into her mind, as the tortoise had. Was this the spirit of the artifact? 'Who seeks the light of all life and restoration?'

If Gjelu had followed, and had arrived, he would hear the same voice and see the same form. Yet if he had not, he would feel a slight tug, as if something were summoning him forth.

"Gjelu and Aelariah Coldbane," Aelariah responded, her voice softer than she anticipated as it flowed from her lips. "We seek to restore peace and balance to our lands which are troubled. The spiritual realm and its connection to ours is disrupted." The form's glow was like a gentle wave, growing and shrinking, brightening then dimming slightly. 'Your hearts have been tested by the mist. But one among you is not to be trusted.' The voice paused. 'Will you guard this sacred gift with your lives?'

Aelariah nodded, trembling slightly. "We will not let harm come to you," she said.

'Very well...' and with that, the light dispersed, exploding around the cavern brilliantly and then fading as both the mist and the light gathered into the artifact, leaving only its form on the dais and the cavern went dark. Aelariah gasped softly and moved forward once more. It was a mineral or stone of some kind... though one she had never seen before. It was dark in quality, though there were embers of light glowing all around it as if its very core were light trying to burst out. Was this even from their world?

"Gjelu... perhaps you should carry it," she said, shifting. If he agreed, she would grasp it in her mouth and place it between his shoulder blades where it would be safe. If he felt she should instead, so he could guard her from Navlos attempting to steal it, she would suggest he place it on her own back.

OoC: Hope you don't mind the brief power-play DX I wasn't sure how to go about that lol

[Mokobo]

This all seems so... familiar.
Gjelu hesitated only for a moment as Aelariah set forth to cross the mist-enshrouded lake. The young warrior continued to grapple with long forgotten memories, but was quickly broken from his reverie as his sibling called out. Remembering the importance of their task, which at last seemed to be on the cusp of completion, the white wolf set off to follow Aelariah across the water's surface. Focusing energy into each step so as to freeze the water beneath his paws, Gjelu was immediately amazed at how easily the feat was achieved. He could not say for certain whether it was the gift the turtle had bestowed upon them or the power this place seemed to pulse with, but he was certain he would not have been able to achieve such magic so effortlessly before today. Feeling exhilaration at this newfound sense of power and their goal being before them, Gjelu practically dashed across the dark waters to catch up to his sister.
When he next felt solid ground beneath his paws, Gjelu almost tripped over himself at the sudden change. After managing to catch himself before such an embarrassing act, the warrior wolf eagerly surveyed the object of their quest. However, it proved difficult to discern exactly what the only source of light within the cave exactly was.  Just as the wolf made to make such an observation to Aelariah, a voice rang out within his mind for the second time that day. This new voice rang with power, just as the turtles had, but unlike the turtle's tones this new voice seemed timeless, gender-less, and defied any words Gjelu attempted to describe it with. The voice simply was, and probably would be long after their time was passed. Chills ran down the warrior wolf's spine as his sibling answered the voice's questions, his own tongue having become tied within the overpowering sense of insignificance which emanated from the brilliant glow.
It was only when that light was suddenly extinguished, and a curious crystal was left in its wake, that Gjelu realized he had been holding his breath and exhaled deeply in a sigh of relief. For a few heartbeats he stared in awe at the odd mineral before them, which seemed to still hold a spark of its previous magnificence within. When Aelariah suggested he should be the one to carry it, Gjelu softly murmured his agreement before allowing her to place it on his back. They had at last achieved what they had set out to do, and now all that laid before them was the journey home. Despite this literal weight upon his shoulders, the white wolf could not suppress the broad grin that broke across his lips which he directed to his sister.
"We did it Aelariah. We actually found it!"
"Great, because you two really should come out here!"
When the siblings had entered the cave, Navlos had instead chose to bask in the sun at it's entrance. The whole march to the mysterious cavern he had been consumed with the task of trying to remember exactly what it was they were after. Yet his mind was filled with confusing thoughts and broken memories. He saw a war upon the Mountain in which their comrades had fallen, a ferocious battle with a dragon during which he had been swallowed whole, and the most  ravishing she-wolf he had ever seen. The latter seemed somehow familiar, even though he was sure he would remember making introductions with such a beauty. That smile was so captivating, so compelling, that Navlos was sure he would slay a thousand foes just to see it once more. Part of him wondered if he had, while another wondered if she even existed.
It was all entirely too confusing, and it was giving him a headache. The more Navlos dwelt on these thoughts, the more intense the pounding within his skull began to grow until blood began to run from his snout. A violent fit of coughing took hold of him, racking his entire frame in a shocking pain which brought an even more startling sensation; fear. The old foe which he was convinced he had conquered reared its head like an ugly beast and threatened to ruin what promised to be a lovely moment of relaxation. Just what he was afraid of he could not say, but Navlos knew he did not like being subject to the emotion. So he closed his blood red eyes tightly shut and began to repeatedly whisper the mantra he had taught himself during their training as pups.
"Pain, fear, sorrow, these are all memories. Memories can be forgotten. Pain, fear, sorrow, these are all memories. Memories can be forgot-"
Suddenly the fur at the back of Navlos' neck stood on edge. Someone, or something, was watching him. Quickly he perked his ears in the hopes of gaining some clue, but all the battle scarred wolf heard was the wind playing through the otherwise eerily silent forest. Next his snout flared in an attempt to catch a foreign scent upon said breeze, and while the earthy aroma of soil seemed unusually strong this did not seem enough cause for alarm. Deciding the earlier sensation was nothing but some unusual wave of paranoia, the wolf began his chant once more. However, he only uttered a few syllables before the distinct sound of a nearby twig breaking under-paw caused him to snap his eyes open and leap to all fours.
There before him were dozens, no, hundreds of the most hideous, curious looking creatures he had ever seen. Their verdant, scaly flesh peeked from beneath woven mats of palm ferns which covered small, bipedal frames. Each clutched elegantly carved spears of wood within their four-fingered hands. Somehow the entire platoon had crept up on the veteran warrior during his relaxation, and now were completely blockading the entrance to the cavern in a semi-circle. A snarl issued from Navlos before he heard his fearless leader's triumphant call, which in turn heralded his earlier words. As he waited for his companions to join him, Navlos braced himself for an attack, one which did not come. Instead, the curious-looking creatures stood completely still, an unsettling act which was only complemented by their grim, patient expressions. Even when the others joined Navlos, the beasts would remain still in their blockade, almost as if they were waiting for something or someone.