The Blacksmith listened to them in solemn silence. There were too few, really. They'd need more, and he was worried now, fretting that they wouldn't be enough.

The large reptile offered his help, and the Blacksmith dipped his head. He was grateful for it. The familiar--the swan; he studied it for a moment, thinking. "I do not know... that such a creature will be suitable. It will be at risk, but... if it wishes to join." It would need to be willing; could it understand their task-? Would it not panic, in the cold dark? They'd just have to see, he supposed.

As for Carja--"I do not know," he admitted. "There are so many things, down there... so many of them large... But perhaps she is... trying to break in. Perhaps... some of the creatures have broken free." Certainly the waters of the cave had been chaotic, of late: riptides and surges, floods and storms.

The Blacksmith thought this over. "Go... now, and bring back... others, to Fornax, who are... willing. And there is... something else. A key... missing. A stone... perhaps this large..." (his hands moved a little over a foot apart, palms facing one another) "It is... missing. Perhaps someone... has found it. It is a stone... with the glyphs of the City. It opens... the way. We will need it. Bring others... and find the key," he requested, quietly. "And for those who will... help, I thank you."

__________

The Blacksmith is requesting that those interested rejoin him in Fornax, and bring the "key," a stone with glyphs on its surface. It's possible that this Key was retrieved in another thread...

The Black City - Part II is now complete, and will soon be followed by Part III. Characters may exit at their leisure.

@Talys (Leviathan, Tahi-shei) @Kaimana (Madhukar) @Pelt (Whale) @Dragon (Blight) @Forgraves @James (Carja) @Terror @Fahl @Beast @Comet

Whale closed her eyes as the Blacksmith began to tell Farina and Artio's story, envisioning the scenes. The tale of Farina's fate horrified and infuriated her--how could anyone be capable of such cruelty? How did Farina survive like that for so long? The fish she'd met when she'd hatched had retreated into a rock after just brushing against a flashing jellyfish. How could anyone boil for... years, however long that was, and not die?

And there were words she did not understand: what was a nest, for example? And why had there been a rebellion? Her tragically-ended encounter with the pro-tag-on-ist Wolf Splishy Splashy Fishbeard had also been full of words she hadn't understood. Still didn't, for that matter. Momentarily distracted by her ponderings on the meaning of baka, kyu, protagonist, and intro sequence, Whale missed the chorus of voices pledging themselves to the quest until the Blacksmith spoke again. "I'm coming, too!" she blurted. No way was she bailing on this mission!

But now that she thought about the pro-tag-on-ist fish, Whale began to wonder if this was really a good idea at all. Look what happened the last time she went into something without knowing what all those complicated words meant, after all.

No, she thought fiercely. This is completely different. The Blacksmith, with all due respect to Wolf Splishy Splashy Fishbeard, seemed a lot more thoughtful and prepared than the frogfish had been. He would not send them to their deaths. And while acting out Wolf Splishy Splashy Fishbeard's intro sequence had been a bit morally questionable, what with the whole villain taking over the lake thing... this was real. And there could be no question that it was for a good cause. Whale did not know why the 'nest' had rebelled, but betrayal was something only bad guys did. And the Blacksmith's story had painted a picture of a peaceful world, with close friends working together to create... beautiful things, she assumed.

What did they create? she wondered, her imagination getting loose again. Things made of metal, like the Blacksmith's creations? But more intricate, because they were so powerful... Or maybe they created entire rooms! Built cities like the black one the Blacksmith was talking about? Not that she was entirely sure what a city was, either, but the general idea was there. Whale pictured metal fish with filigreed scales and glittering gems, sprawling reefs carved from a piece of precious stone the size of the one she'd hatched from, underwater mountains carved with strange, molten gold markings...

And the rebels would have destroyed all that. Killed Farina's Leaf, and sentenced Farina herself to years of unending pain. Anger burned like a lit gaslight in Whale's belly. There has to be justice. Artio would be freed, the pair reunited, and then--

"Where is Nemean now?" she demanded, then winced. That had come out harsher than she'd meant to. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so--" angry? But she was. "--rude. But what did end up happening to her? She can't just get away with something like that, can she?"

Pelt watched as one by one, the Gembound pledged themselves to the Blacksmith's quest. Apart from the horse, that was; he only offered his familiar. Was that his 'hidden depths'? Well, she supposed those teeth were quite impressive. If only he could get one of those sea monsters the Blacksmith had talked about on their side with whatever magic he'd used on the swan...

The whale, in particular (is her name Whale? Hilarious.), seemed very angry about Nemean's betrayal of Farina and Artio. Which, all right, it was a terrible fate Pelt would be sure to avoid crossing Nemean for. But the way the whale was talking, it was almost as if she wanted to seek out Nemean and deliver justice herself, which was quite possibly the stupidest thing anyone could do after hearing that story. But it was none of Pelt's concern if Whale got herself killed.

The leopard seal cast an impatient glance at the rest of the gathering. Were they not going to leave--? She'd given up on the idea of a reward from Farina, but she still had hope for something from the Blacksmith himself. Surely that's within his power, if he's so grateful to us. But she wasn't about to ask bluntly in front of so many Gembound. Pelt didn't need a bunch of high-and-mighty altruistic idiots judging her for wanting fair payment for a dangerous quest, thank you very much. It didn't matter, she supposed grudgingly. She could always come back afterward to talk the Blacksmith into giving her something.

"I will help," Pelt declared. He doesn't even know where the stone is?! Does he know how big the world is--? "We should split up to look for the key. Perhaps each of us could search a room or two." She couldn't even imagine how long it would take. There really were too few of them. "Horse. Can you get more animals--swans, deers, rats, or whatever you can find--to help us search?"

@James for interaction

The water-beast had fire. The Blacksmith smiled gently, though it could not be seen; the irony in her dichotomy was strong, but he rather liked her righteousness. These creatures... were good, at times.

"I do not know," he admitted. "And... I am not certain... I wish to know."

There was a faint tone of warning, in this--of finality. Not an attempt to shut Whale down, but rather a faint sense that even the Blacksmith might fear the repercussions. No: he'd stick to his work, and Farina's wishes, and not get between the rending claws and chaotic fury, and the Master of Light's inevitable "wrath."

@Whale

Whale looked somewhat distressed, to anyone well-versed in whale facial expressions. "But... she can't just get away with that," she repeated blankly. He is not certain he wishes to know? What does that mean?

But clearly, the Blacksmith didn't want to talk about it anymore. Even if she couldn't understand why. "All right," Whale sighed, sinking back into deeper waters. "See you in... uh, Fornax?" She hadn't been there before. But there were only so many water-places she could fit into, so Whale was sure she'd figure it out eventually. "I'll try to get other people, too. And I'll keep an eye out for the key. I can dive deep!" This was said with a swell of pride.

--exit