auroraexpress | The First Trial

Who: All Brave Heroes
When: Day 4, morning
Where: The Witch's House

[ Something is amiss.

The jungle goes still, unsettling in its silence. Not a leaf shudders and not a beast makes a sound, as if everything alive outside is holding its breath in dead… or anticipation?

All of the lights on the Aurora begin to flicker. And while at first it may seem as though it is simply the beginnings of another power outage, the notion is quickly chased by the entire train abruptly swaying and shuddering-- as if something seized hold of it and started shaking it from the outside.

Come hither, Heroes. Prove thy worth.

If you step outside you will see it. There, sitting just in sight of the train, is a place that most certainly had never been there before. Or had it always been there?

Based on the outside, it seems like a place that no one has lived in for quite some time. The wooden shutters on the windows are barely hanging, rotting from age. The stones that make up the house look weathered and are covered in moss. The roof is missing shingles, any plantlife around the building appears to be dead . . . and yet the chimney has smoke coming out of it.

The air around the house seems to waver and the darkness of the world seems to be drawn, to gather around its worn silhouette.

Likewise, whether by compulsion or sheer curiosity, you are also drawn towards the house.

Entering is simple enough. You need only go through the front door to enter your first Trial. As you enter a voice greets you from nowhere, ]

“Welcome, children. This is the real beginning of your journey. Let’s see how strong you truly are. Oh, but do be careful, and . . . “

[ There is a chuckle. ]

“Don’t die. ♥”

[ The house that you entered is no longer a house. Rather, it is a moonlit clearing, with vegetation surrounding reminiscent to the jungle you just left. Around you, you may hear the familiar sounds of the beasts. They wait for you. They wait for you to fall so that they may feast.

But the beasts are the least of your concerns. As soon as you enter this clearing you feel it-- a burning hot sensation, the world spinning around you, and a sick twisting feeling in your gut.

You know immediately. You are sick. You’ve been poisoned.

Lining the edges of the clearing are seven cauldrons, and around each of them a circle of flowers growing in seven different colors. At the center of the clearing is a similar circle, in the middle of which lies a book full of blank pages, a collection of feathered pens, and a knife of which the handle is inlaid with a beautiful earthy gemstone.

To each cauldron is pinned a piece of parchment that reads “antidote” before a list of ingredients scrawled in a muddled mess of handwritings.

You may want to read these parchments carefully. Your time is already running out. ]

Instructions and Rules ☆ Q&A ☆ Ingredients and Turn-In ☆ Winners and Consequences ☆ Endgame

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ There's a moment or so where she's obviously taken aback, staggering, hand reaching to clutch at the fabric nearest her stomach, but -

this. at least it isn't the absolute first time she's ever felt like this, so she manages to paste a good-natured smile on top as she flags you - yes you! - down. ]

Good morning. If I may be so forward as to ask - is there anything within this place that you happen to consider as "valuable?"

Good morning.

[it's a bad bad morning but, manners!]

Oh, um, my phone? Or my Chain, technically, but it's a lot like my phone.

It's required for my antidote, so I'd prefer to refrain from using your cellphone, if at all possible...

Oh right... I could give you a chunk of my hair? I've put a lot of work into my hair.

- I couldn't...

[ well, if it was just her she couldn't, but the rest of her team... there's a short pause, ]

If it would not inconvenience you to do so, I suppose...

It wouldn't be valuable if it didn't affect me to lose it. I'll go get the knife.

That's... I suppose that is true -

[ but it's so pretty?? ]

Is there anything that you'd like in return...?

[fetches the knife and starts putting her hair up and out of the way with a green ribbon, leaving one lock loose]

We have "an uncredited author" on ours. Could you write us down something for that? If Saber, Smile, and I don't know what the quote's from, it should count.

I'm certain I could think of something...

[ grabbing one of the pens and. pausing. the things she'd think to write are things someone would prooobably know, but what could she use instead- something that she can be sure no one'd recognize -

in the end, she jots down a couple of lines: "And so fierce was the fire that the greatest of men withered to pale ash and embraced the firmament, such was the sin of the lands beneath the firmament. The beloved of the night constructed around her great bone-white marble and ashen stone, called by those of the sixth realm as 'Shalott.' And thus the maiden became the lady Shalott." ]

[claps her hands, still holding the knife]

Perfect! I have no idea what or who that's from.

[ PHEW ]

Ah, I'm glad to hear. I hope it's helpful.

I hope so too! My group has just about everything we need now.

[tying a second ribbon around her spare lock of hair to keep it tidy and, welp. starting on sawing that off.]