Pel." Melody came up from behind. She surprised them, not because she made a sudden appearance, but because of the way she flowed out of the environment and into their notice. It was as if she'd always been there and they were the ones intruding upon her. "That's not the Orb of Skzd, Pel. If you'd been Awakened last cycle like you were supposed to, you would've known that… I'm just saying." Pellonia glared at her.
"Then, what orb is that?" Arthur asked, pointing at the orb in Moog's hands.
"I'm not sure. Moog, dear, would you be so kind as to let me hold it for a bit?"
"Moog," Moog agreed, an enormous smile upon his face. He handed her the orb, nearly fainting as his skin touched hers while handing over the orb.
Melody turned the orb over in her hands, examining it. She held it in one hand and waved her other hand over it in an intricate pattern. The orb rose from her hand, hovering in the air and glowing with a blue light.
"It's a radiant orb, an orb of light. It's nothing special, one of the five basic types." She waved her hand at it dismissively and it turned dark and fell into her other hand. "Elves learning to craft orbs practice by first building one of these. It can emit and redirect light. Sorry that it's not something more valuable. Since the priests don't seem to want it, though, its yours."
She tossed the orb towards Moog, who stepped out of the way and turned his nose up at it. The orb hit the ground and rolled to a stop just in front of Arthur.
Arthur picked it up. "Moog, if you don't mind terribly, I'd like to hold onto this orb," he said, staring at it and wiggling his fingers over it. Moog shrugged, indifferent towards his once beloved orb.
Melody smiled and removed a necklace from her neck. The necklace was a brown leather cord with a triangle pendant cut from a burgundy colored stone. "Here, Moog. I'm sorry that I took the pleasure of that treasure away from you. Let me restore that feeling with a gift." She hung the necklace around Moog's neck. He beamed with satisfaction.
"Thank you!" Moog said.
Melody nodded, turning to the rest of the group. "Well, if you don't mind too terribly, I would accompany you on the rest of your quest. If Pel does end up staying here, I may never see her again, and I'd like to spend some time with her."
"I'll give you a ride," Arthur said. "Hop on!" Pellonia looked at Arthur, mouth open wide in shock. Her face turned red and she looked positively livid.
"Pellonia," Arthur said, "can I talk to you for a minute?" He started trotted away from the group. Pellonia hurried over and caught up.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Pellonia's scowl gave way to a frown and a tear slowly rolled down from each eye. "It's nothing," she sniffled. Arthur stopped and looked at her. "It's just… it's Melody. She's always been better at everything than I. She's prettier, she's smarter, she gets all of the attention. I mean, I love her, it's just… hard."
Arthur nodded.
"I mean, what if I go through the Awakening and I'm still not as pretty as she is, and I'm still not as smart? Look at her. How could I ever move like she does? How does she smile so much without her cheeks getting all crampy?"
"Well," Arthur said, "the ways of the elves are mysterious to me, but there is no way she is smarter or prettier than you. After the Awakening, oh boy, she'd better watch out. Her little sister might just outshine her."
"You think so?" Pellonia asked.
"I know so." Arthur nodded. "You'll just have to trust me on this; I'm half-unicorn. We know such things."
"Oh, very well." Pellonia smiled weakly.
"Also, you may want to consider being nicer to Melody. She's leaving this world, possibly forever. You won't know what you're missing out on until you've lost her, and if you don't go with her, it will be too late."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Pellonia said begrudgingly.
"Tell you what… hop on." He gestured with a thumb towards his back.
Pellonia's eyes grew wide in excitement. A big smile
"Then, what orb is that?" Arthur asked, pointing at the orb in Moog's hands.
"I'm not sure. Moog, dear, would you be so kind as to let me hold it for a bit?"
"Moog," Moog agreed, an enormous smile upon his face. He handed her the orb, nearly fainting as his skin touched hers while handing over the orb.
Melody turned the orb over in her hands, examining it. She held it in one hand and waved her other hand over it in an intricate pattern. The orb rose from her hand, hovering in the air and glowing with a blue light.
"It's a radiant orb, an orb of light. It's nothing special, one of the five basic types." She waved her hand at it dismissively and it turned dark and fell into her other hand. "Elves learning to craft orbs practice by first building one of these. It can emit and redirect light. Sorry that it's not something more valuable. Since the priests don't seem to want it, though, its yours."
She tossed the orb towards Moog, who stepped out of the way and turned his nose up at it. The orb hit the ground and rolled to a stop just in front of Arthur.
Arthur picked it up. "Moog, if you don't mind terribly, I'd like to hold onto this orb," he said, staring at it and wiggling his fingers over it. Moog shrugged, indifferent towards his once beloved orb.
Melody smiled and removed a necklace from her neck. The necklace was a brown leather cord with a triangle pendant cut from a burgundy colored stone. "Here, Moog. I'm sorry that I took the pleasure of that treasure away from you. Let me restore that feeling with a gift." She hung the necklace around Moog's neck. He beamed with satisfaction.
"Thank you!" Moog said.
Melody nodded, turning to the rest of the group. "Well, if you don't mind too terribly, I would accompany you on the rest of your quest. If Pel does end up staying here, I may never see her again, and I'd like to spend some time with her."
"I'll give you a ride," Arthur said. "Hop on!" Pellonia looked at Arthur, mouth open wide in shock. Her face turned red and she looked positively livid.
"Pellonia," Arthur said, "can I talk to you for a minute?" He started trotted away from the group. Pellonia hurried over and caught up.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Pellonia's scowl gave way to a frown and a tear slowly rolled down from each eye. "It's nothing," she sniffled. Arthur stopped and looked at her. "It's just… it's Melody. She's always been better at everything than I. She's prettier, she's smarter, she gets all of the attention. I mean, I love her, it's just… hard."
Arthur nodded.
"I mean, what if I go through the Awakening and I'm still not as pretty as she is, and I'm still not as smart? Look at her. How could I ever move like she does? How does she smile so much without her cheeks getting all crampy?"
"Well," Arthur said, "the ways of the elves are mysterious to me, but there is no way she is smarter or prettier than you. After the Awakening, oh boy, she'd better watch out. Her little sister might just outshine her."
"You think so?" Pellonia asked.
"I know so." Arthur nodded. "You'll just have to trust me on this; I'm half-unicorn. We know such things."
"Oh, very well." Pellonia smiled weakly.
"Also, you may want to consider being nicer to Melody. She's leaving this world, possibly forever. You won't know what you're missing out on until you've lost her, and if you don't go with her, it will be too late."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Pellonia said begrudgingly.
"Tell you what… hop on." He gestured with a thumb towards his back.
Pellonia's eyes grew wide in excitement. A big smile
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