private Deep Science 1x1 with Blitz Boom

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

10 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

"P-Please don't tell anyp- Anyone. It's h-hard knowing she tried this a-already, but it b-being brought up by others... I c-can't deal with that. N-Not now..."

The chef simply nodded and gave a kind smile. She wouldn't be telling anyone.

It wasn't long after Void took up her position behind the counter that a number of creatures began filing in, they all queued up near the chef who began to dish out food. The chef quickly turned to Void as she did so, passing her a soup ladle, "You focus on serving out the soup, I'll take care of the more special needs."

As she said that a changeling rolled in a barrel and a diamond dog brought up a cart full of gems, which they brought around the counter to the chef. Whenever a diamond dog or small dragon came by she gave them a gem from the cart in addition to their soup, and to each of the changelings that came by, as well as a few other creatures which may have just been disguised changelings, she passed a glass of the viscous liquid in the barrel, it had an amber color to it.

Many of the creatures that passed by Void seemed to have already heard of her, and praised how quickly she had integrated herself into the community, and whenever the chef mentioned that she had helped prepare the food they further complimented how it tasted a bit better than usual.

After one of the disguised changelings had their cover broken by getting too close to Null, the rest kept their distance from her, as well as a polite distance from Void, only moving their bowls after she had withdrawn her hoof from serving them.

While all the creatures seemed very sociable ad kind to Void, they seemed to have all gotten the same message: No one approached Null, nor attempted to communicate with her. While many looked her way, and whispered to the others about her missing wing, they were all in terms of concern and wonder about how she had gotten to where she was.

Just about as quickly as it had started, the line ended, and all the creatures had filled the available seating as well as returned outside to sit back in the large chamber, the chef was peering into the nearly empty pot with a satisfied nod, "Just barely, good thing we're moving out soon, I wont be able to feed them all for much longer."

She looked over at Void with an honest smile, "I really appreciate the help, would've taken me twice as long to serve them all up without you."

She leaned up against the bar to look out at the crowd as they ate, "So,  " she looked down at Void's false leg. "What's the story there? Looks like quite the tale."

 

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Void let out a huge sigh as the dinner service were done. Quite an ordeal after what went on, yet she had gotten through it without leaving the service area, and with the mixed bag things had been, she weren't always sure that'd be the case.

It had started off well. Almost everyone had been nice, and even complimented her help with the food, regardless of how little she assured them she had actually done. Having some positive feedback like this were nice though, and she had seemed quite flustered more often than not, as she were not used to outside praise such as this, from anyone else but Null. And it wasn't just the food either, as there had been some good work on her integrating into things.

It were so good that she were actually able to just look away when the changeling had arrived and not think too hard about her ordeal with their kind. It kinda helped there were a diamond dog too, as they had been some of the more fair races the sisters had run into over the years, but still, it were hard to face the insectoid ponies, and it were likely to remain that way for a while longer. Telling herself that this weren't the same ones that had once tormented her in their hive weren't as easy as it sounded.

That weren't helped either with the amount of changelings that had been around the room either. Thankfully they - and most others - had left Null alone as she sat more or less motionless over her steadily cooling bowl of mash. Void had however, still been able to somewhat compose herself, even though her weak smile faded some whenever she got too near a changeling, and her heart rate increased quite a bit when she reached the bowl towards them.

Then, a changeling in disguise sat too close to Null, and things got predictably worse...

Void would give them that they were still respectful about it. No one had started to attack or tried to force either of them out, but still, they started to be avoided.

No one sat close to Null, and the only attention she seemed to get where whispers from beings who spoke too low for Void to hear it over the sound of the utensils and the food being passed on, leaving her imagination to think the worst possible things to be spread around.

They also seemed to have gotten an inkling that perhaps it weren't just one sister who had this sort of cover-breaking ability, and as such, Void would have to put down bowls before anyone would take them. It were a small thing objectively, and again, they weren't insulting her or anything, but this first step towards exclusion still stung, and made her start to feel like an outsider again.

This were always the case with the curse they were forced to bear. Even in societies where magic weren't all that abundant, there would still be some being who would single them out for disrupting things, and they'd be shunned, attacked, exiled, you name it. If there were a punishment one could imagine, chances were that Null or Void had either tried it, or run away to avoid it, and even in the nicest situations, they still wouldn't be welcomed to hang around. Best case, they'd just be ignored constantly. Worst, they'd see a gallows be build and get the hint that it were time to leave. Something which sadly, weren't the exaggeration that one might think, nor a one time occurrence.

21 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

She looked over at Void with an honest smile, "I really appreciate the help, would've taken me twice as long to serve them all up without you."

She leaned up against the bar to look out at the crowd as they ate, "So,  " she looked down at Void's false leg. "What's the story there? Looks like quite the tale."

"Thanks f-for letting me h-help. Even t-though things got b-bad..."

Void took a small break here before answering the next one, by taking a few deep breaths again to try and get her pounding heart under control. She weren't used to having to face so many bad emotions and stories in a day, and could honestly do with some time just away from everyone. Something which likely weren't going to happen in this camp, so instead she had to resort to just trying to get herself a bit more calmed down with some simple breathing exercises.

"It's uhm... N-Not as long as you think. Y-You've seen what my s-sister did to the c-changeling, right? It's something we c-can't control. Magic just... S-Stops working near us. Only a-affects me close, but N-Null's feathers can also d-do this. So the locals where we g-grew up tried to clip her f-feathers to stop her from f-flying, I tried to s-stop them, and in the struggle, we both..."

A tear fell from her real eye, accompanied by a low whimper as certain memories started to rummage around her head again.

"I-It's been twenty years, and I've g-gotten used to things. My b-big sis can't. Not f-flying as a pegasus h-hurts her. E-Eats away at who s-she is. It.... It j-just got too much w-when everything else went w-wrong."

Void wiped the tear from her face and took another deep breath. She weren't used to speaking about this, but it weren't as if she could hide what the two could do now. Best she might be able to hope for, were that they'd get some sort of sympathy for knowing more about them, and perhaps not escalate their exclusion from the group as hastily.

"N-Null carves out my l-legs too. She's r-really good with wood, but I c-can't do the same for her. G-Glass doesn't do a-anything for wings."

To show what she meant with glass, Void took her eye out. It weren't something she did often, but it felt right now like she needed to sell it further, so within a few seconds, she stood with the well made glass eye that she had made herself, some years ago. Looked like a perfectly functional false eye, though she weren't sure if skills like these had a place in this new world. They seemed to have in Equestria, and Null and her had started to think about making something of themselves with their wood and glass specialties, but that were gone now, and now they needed to see if there were a place for them in this potentially more scavenger-based world.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

To say the chef looked surprised would be an understatement. Her eyebrows were raised as high as they could go, and may actually have been sticking partially off of her face. "Wow, that is quite the happening. When you decloaked that changeling I thought you had just been nullified like me, a bit of antimag still left on you since you got in so soon..." she idly shook her hoof which had a sickly purple band on it, "But you say that it's been since you were foals... that's before the Dead Zone, before Discord..."

A tear came to her own eye as she looked at Null with newfound interest. "When I got nulled... and couldn't fly anymore... I at least had a number of others there who where going through the same thing. I can't imagine how much harder it would have been for you two."

The chef was quiet for a moment, before a slight smile came to her face, "It speaks well of you two, to have carried on in spite of all that, and developed some pretty cool talents as well. That leg is quite the professional grade, and that eye... I didn't even notice it was fake till you popped it out." She nodded, "As unfortunate as it is, there's quite the demand for false legs and eyes right now."

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Void put her eye back in and sent a worried gaze towards her sister, who still hadn't moved out of her spot.

"Null did e-everything she c-could so that I could f-function normally. Kept f-finding new wood to w-work with, new ways to b-build them... She w-wanted it to not just b-be a lump of wood that w-would hurt, or stop me f-from running."

At first, it had just been a simple peg leg. Then later on she tried different kinds of static legs, but unfortunately, all of them made running an issue, and with them having to move away from places that turned dangerous for them somewhat often, it were not a good enough thing. So Null had worked whenever she had the time between taking care of Void and getting them supplies or shelter, and started to experiment. Adding joints, using varied kinds of thread to make it possible to move (Fishing line had proven the absolute best), softening the cups at Void's stump, finding a strap that would blend in as best as it could with her colors, etc. This current iteration had taken her 14 years to get done, and she were still looking for new ways to make it work even better.

"If she can c-come back from this, I can a-ask her to help around. And I-I wanna help too, so if I c-can I will. It's just... M-Many things to get s-sorted first. Need a l-locations and things, b-but if there's a-anyone who needs it here, I c-could do it, I t-think? The glass e-eyes I mean. It w-wouldn't be the f-first time I had to work w-without a proper forge."

Honestly, she barely ever had access to that, and when it were, it were mainly because they found an abandoned place that had one, or when they got older, would knock out a blacksmith and tie him up whilst they worked, and hoped to get done as soon as possible. She'd need some prep work to make a functional tool and a good enough fire pit if there were anyone here who needed it, but she likely could do something, if there were a need for it. Sadly, it sounded like there were, which weren't surprising, yet still a sad thing. The war must have been extensive.

"YOu uhm... T-Talk about being nullified? D-Does that stop for you, and o-others who got hit with that? And... Is it a k-kind of magic effect? N-Null and I have been able to r-remove other things before t-that seems to k-keep things down. P-Perhaps we could help with t-this?"

Honestly, the more helpful and useful the two could end up being, the bigger chance they had to be given a chance in this new land, so if they could end up somehow being a great help, it might be possible for them to carve themselves a small, niche part in the society, instead of being exiled or just shunned until they felt like they might as well leave, and hope for something else out in the ruins of the world.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

4 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

And I-I wanna help too, so if I c-can I will. It's just... M-Many things to get s-sorted first. Need a l-locations and things, b-but if there's a-anyone who needs it here, I c-could do it, I t-think? The glass e-eyes I mean. It w-wouldn't be the f-first time I had to work w-without a proper forge."

The chef looked thoughtful for a moment, "A proper forge? I think Steel Rose's wasn't too badly damaged, but she's... gone. As to materials... I think Carbon would've had some at his shop, but he's on the Æther... Hmm." She looked like she had an idea, "Quill Rose is still around here somewhere though, she could get you into Steel's forge, and help you get it started, it's a griffon forge after all."

4 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

"YOu uhm... T-Talk about being nullified? D-Does that stop for you, and o-others who got hit with that? And... Is it a k-kind of magic effect? N-Null and I have been able to r-remove other things before t-that seems to k-keep things down. P-Perhaps we could help with t-this?"

The chef looked down, "It's an effect of Antimag poisoning, it gets inside you and cuts off your connection to the magical field. The Dead Zone is full of Contagious, and that kills off most of the Tar-Spawn as they leave the gates, otherwise there'd be much more of them, but it also infects any who pass through it, and those who were unfortunate enough to be nearby when it dropped."

She shook her head sadly, "It was a great sacrifice, and we don't hate the leader at Troy for it, the science wasn't complete yet. Since then they've made better weapons that don't contaminate the area, which is what we use to fight off the few Tar-Spawn that make it here."

She sighed, "But no, the only way to cure being nullified is to have it all removed, which without magical guiding is nearly impossible." She shrugged, "At least I don't have to worry about curses anymore, even if the Grey were still around they couldn't control me anymore."

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

20 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

The chef looked thoughtful for a moment, "A proper forge? I think Steel Rose's wasn't too badly damaged, but she's... gone. As to materials... I think Carbon would've had some at his shop, but he's on the Æther... Hmm." She looked like she had an idea, "Quill Rose is still around here somewhere though, she could get you into Steel's forge, and help you get it started, it's a griffon forge after all."

"I-It should be fine to r-repair, long as I g-get a bit of time. I don't u-usually work with griffon f-forges though. The o-ones I know usually d-don't like others touching their s-stuff."

Bit of an understatement, as the griffons the two of them had run into had a tendency to be both territorial and reluctant to let go of things, even when it wasn't worth it anymore.

To be fair to them, Null and her had to... *Borrow* a few things, as there had been nothing else they could do if they were to survive after settling down near one of their settlements. It was midst of winter and they weren't happy to let the two growing fillies near their town, thinking they'd just up and leave if they ignored them, and go be someone elses problem.

Yet Null and herself had been wandering in threadbare skins and were desperately in need of supplies before they could think of moving on, so Null took a gamble and broke into one of their homes to steal some minor things. Just a bit of food and a few skins that had seemed like they were about to be tossed anyway, and went back to Void. Weren't too long before the owners came back and followed the tracks along woth some friends, but the sisters had already packed up and made a run for it at that time. Didn't stop the griffons from following them for the next fifteen miles though, and at several points the two were almost caught. Not the best experience, but Void could understand them at least, and they had been able to work with some others at times, so they could be fine. Other times, they could be trying to fly the two over a cliff, but she didn't want to talk about Whickerton. The less said about that place the better.

21 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

She sighed, "But no, the only way to cure being nullified is to have it all removed, which without magical guiding is nearly impossible." She shrugged, "At least I don't have to worry about curses anymore, even if the Grey were still around they couldn't control me anymore."

"It s-sounds complicated, but at l-least you can be h-helped. Not being h-hit with curses are good, b-but cancelling out e-everything, when so m-many places need magic... It d-doesn't make you welcome."

Void were extra nervous when talking after this, as the Grey had been brought up. Technically she should be happy to hear this, as this were another pony who made it sound like they were gone, but still, just the mention of them... Even if their parents were still alive, they had still ruined their lives, and to Void, that could never be forgiven, nor forgotten. Not when they had gone through twenty years of hell, and had memories and injuries that would never go away because of them.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

The chef shrugged, "Troy's always had a much bigger focus on science over magic, opting to use technology without magic wherever possible. Magic was still an integral part of the culture and the world." She looked up at Void, "Now the world just has to adapt to us being here."

The chef yawned and stretched a bit, "Well, I've been up all night, so I better get to bed. You two have a place to sleep yet?"

All things considered, when was the last time they had slept? Back in the facility when they were woken up by Pen and Panic?

A thought occured to the chef, "Oh! come back here in a few hours, right around sunset, and I'll have Quill take you to her sister's forge so you can see what you can do with it."

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

3 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

The chef yawned and stretched a bit, "Well, I've been up all night, so I better get to bed. You two have a place to sleep yet?"

"Y-Yes, we know s-someone who offered us a p-place to rest. Just... N-Not been all that s-sleepy."

Honestly, the two of them likely could use some sleep eventually. It had been a long day for them, but that were sorta why she didn't feel tired too right now. There had constantly been something to do, and other things to focus on. There hadn't been much time to listen to her own body amidst all the horror and hardships, and really... She didn't really feel too tired right now, even when she gave herself some time to take a breather.

Null had exerted herself far more than Void had, and the two of them weren't exactly strangers to days of having to run themselves thin, so all things considered, Void at least could still go on for a bit. Null though... It was anyone's guess. Void honestly didn't know right now.

It might also be some adrenaline and the jolts of shock from seeing their father that affected her somehow right now, and she'd eventually have an unexpected crash, but she could at least wait to try and sleep until she had a chance to check on that forge, if that could be done tonight.

4 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

A thought occured to the chef, "Oh! come back here in a few hours, right around sunset, and I'll have Quill take you to her sister's forge so you can see what you can do with it."

"A-Alright, I'll b-be back then, and we can c-check on the forge. We'll uh... G-Go for a bit until t-then."

Saying goodnight, Void would go over and eat the last of her now cold stew, as well as getting some more into Null over the next five minutes, then clean up, and lead them outside, making sure not to go on the stairs when there were others there if she could avoid it. She had a goal in mind for Null and herself right now: The father's address. If they had a few hours, she could think of nowhere better for them to go.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

The directions they were given lined up fairly nicely with the remaining road signs, the roads running around the oasis were numbered, the numbers getting bigger the further they got from the oasis, and the roads leading to and from the oasis were named, the principal roads with the same name as the residential district they bisected. The directions started at the medical tents and directed them just a bit counterclockwise around the central oasis, bringing them closer to the base of the collapsed tower. Passing the tents that had been erected on the clay covered area, they came to an area of relatively undamaged stone structures which seemed to have been built before whatever happened here.

It didn't take long to find the house that the directions pointed to, less than five minutes from the medical tents which made sense given he was a doctor. The house used to have a second floor with a balcony, but that had been destroyed and the ruins of the old balcony were piled to one side of the porch. The windows that weren't intact were covered with a light cloth that obscured sight, but let the cooling wind flow freely through the house.

There was the sound of someone muttering inside, it sounded like their father. 

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

The trip there were rather uneventful. A few looks were sent their way from other beings who had heard a snippet or two from down below of the newcomers, though mostly there weren't an exchange of words that Void could hear. Perhaps they were just talking about how unusual they seemed, potentially how one managed to make it to here from Harrowmark, or the state of Null, and they wished to be polite about things. Yet Void never felt safe when there were uncertainty. Small bits of distaste for herself and her big sister had started like this several times, before, and though she wanted to hope that in this time, when others could be nullified and the two of them could then somewhat blend in under that story until someone told otherwise, it would be simpler for the two of them to fit in and not be excluded too much, experience were a hard one to ignore, and that told her that they needed to be alert. It wasn't many voices now, and others had seemed mighty friendly, but keeping an eye out and an ear up were never going to be a bad idea.

They'd make it to their fathers house soon, following the directions they had been given, with neither of them paying much attention to what else were going on elsewhere. Yet, as Void stood at the entrance, hoof raised to knock, she found herself pausing. What if this would all end up being a trap of some kind? If their father couldn't remember them, he wouldn't have the emotional affection to not try something, and he might-

Void shook her head violently from side to side, amking it impossible for her to hear what were being said on the other side of the door, even if she wanted to.

She had to believe that their father of all ponies wouldn't do something like that. He had seen the picture too, why would they make this up twenty four years ago, just to scam them in some way? That wouldn't make sense, and their father was a logical stallion. He wouldn't... Just no.

Taking a deep breath, Void knocked three times at the door with her heart nearly pounding through her chest with a thunderous roar. Null stood behind her, quiet and still lost for the world around her. Hopefully when their mother showed tomorrow, she'd be able to get her out of this somehow. If not her, than Void had no idea what to do anymore, other than wait for the programs in that town they were going to, and hope that somehow, they could get through to her.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

The creature inside shouted "Coming!" when Void knocked, before the face of their father appeared behind the intact window, he smiled at them before ducking out of sight to open the door. His smile was familiar as he motioned for them to enter, he looked out past them as they passed before closing the door behind them.

The interior space was lit with candles, as well as the magical crystals that they had seen in the stairway, the candles had been lit fairly recently. To their left was a sitting area with a pair of couches that seemed in decent enough repair considering the state of everything outside, as well as a sitting chair that sat in the corner next to a ruined bookcase under the collapsed stairs that had previously led up to the second floor, the hole in the ceiling having been covered by a thick canvas.

To their right was a small cooking area, their father was preparing something (I imagine that here you could mention whether he was the cook of the family or not, whether it's a dish they remembered him making before.)

In the back left corner of the house was another room, presumably where their father slept, and a door on the far wall that led out the back of the house.

Their father moved to sit in the dilapidated chair as he gestured towards the sofas, "Go on, take a seat, you two look like you could use the rest."

(If they don't initiate conversation)

"So," he asked, looking at them thoughtfully, "How was I? Back then, was I a good father to you two?"

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

The house seemed nice, considering the surrounding area that were. Null and her had certainly stayed in far worse places than this, which had been patched up nicely annd given a homely sort of vibe through a bit of elbow grease. Nothing that would fly in a normal town though, like Ponyville.

Sadness fell over Void as she remembered that place. Even with the high reliance on magic in that town, the locals had been pretty welcoming to them, and they had started to actually like the somewhat quiet town. Well, if you ignored Pinkie Pie, which were pretty hard, especially with how clingy she could be. She had also weirded them out by being able to do some rather unusual things near them without their aura affecting the pink mare, like pulling things out of seemingly thin air, or some strange kind of teleportation, but she had seemed friendly enough. To think that she, and everyone else in Equestria were now gone... Void hoped that they had at least gone quickly, and hadn't been hauled off to Tartarus. All except Discord that were, who did not deserve her pity for what he had apparently done, though she could not understand it. He had seemed so friendly, if a little annoying.

*sigh* A mystery for another day, if it even had answers they could get. Might be it had died with Discord, though she could hardly imagine what it would take to actually kill him. Demigods did not perish that easily. Now, getting sealed away were another story, but that that had happened before and as they had also seen in other parts of the world, it were an ultimately imperfect thing. Eventually, whoever, or whatever, would manage to wriggle free, and sadly, Discord now seemingly belonged to the majority group there that had only ill will in mind.

20 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Their father moved to sit in the dilapidated chair as he gestured towards the sofas, "Go on, take a seat, you two look like you could use the rest."

(If they don't initiate conversation)

"So," he asked, looking at them thoughtfully, "How was I? Back then, was I a good father to you two?"

"Yes. You were tough in it, but only when we got out of line, and since we couldn't go to school you made sure to teach us stuff like reading, writing, and math at home.

Mom thought you were trying to push it too early on us, but it became really useful after we uhm... Got separated. Helped us a bit to make it here and there.

You couldn't teach us anything about cooking though. Every time it were something warm, mom made sure to tell us not to eat it, or we'd get sick, but the smell usually kept us away anyway. Heh, you were a terrible cook dad, just like Null. Sometimes she still tries that eldenroot mash you kept claiming were an old family recipe, and it ends up just as inedible."

Void laughed a little and shook her head, as an image of their father in his younger years trying to cook something up that were making him gag just being near came to mind. She really hoped he were better at it now, because otherwise, whatever he were cooking now, would end up being more suitable for poisoning a lake of fish than equine consumption. And apt description their mother had used quite a few times, and from personal experience with Null's attempts at this sort of food, Void could comfortably say that it were exaggerated, but not without a grain of truth. Only poisoned those who actually tried to eat it.

"You weren't just a teacher though. You were kind, and encouraged us to learn some skills to use later on in life. When Null started to cut small figurines out of wood, mom wanted to take the knife away, but instead you put her in a small room and taught her carefully on how to safely do things, and really supported her trying to push her artistic side. The same when I wanted to try and blow glass. You spent a month with me making a small pit to use and teach me everything I needed to know to try it myself, and then you stayed there every time after that until you knew it was safe. You always wanted us to be all that we could be, and just wanted to make sure that we did it right so that we didn't end up hurting ourselves.

You always wanted to protect us dad. Null took after you on that, just mixed with mom's sneaky way of dealing with things. *sigh* For a while anyway."

Void tried to look over at Null again, who still seemed almost in a trance. She hadn't even sat down. She just... Stood there, and looked at nothing with her head hung low.

"...We were just fillies. Six years old, on the run from the Grey and hurting badly from my leg and Null's wing. Seeing you and mom apparently die were too much. I couldn't keep going without you, and just collapsed, but Null made us go on. She toughened up and did what you always did dad, even when she were suffering just as much as I were. She took over nurturing the both of us, and shouldered the weight of everything without showing her own pain..

I didn't understand that she just tried to be strong for me. Perhaps if I did, it wouldn't have gotten this far. I could've taken some of that from her, and given her a shoulder to cry on too. I just... I didn't know, and now she tried to... *sob* What am I going to do daddy?"

Void lounged forward and embraced her smaller father around the shoulders, and wept down on the familiar, short fur of his neck. She thought that she could try and do the same here that Null had done for so long, and just muscle through this, head held high, but she weren't as strong as her sister. She couldn't just shoulder this and keep it hidden for years on end like Null had, and it made her feel worthless that she couldn't even handle a day of keeping up the facade for her elder sister.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Their father seemed relieved as Void spoke of his positive qualities, and chuckled at the comments on his cooking.

When Void lunged forward to embrace him though, he was initially surprised, than slightly confused as his forehooves seemed to move of their own accord in a comforting gesture, one very similar to how he had done it so long ago.

He shook the confusion from his face as he leaned in to nuzzle Void's neck with his own, "It'll be alright, the world seems bleak now, bleaker than ever before, but now I have returned to me two things I never knew I had lost. We're together now, we'll face what's coming together."

He then looked over at Null with deep concern etched in his muzzle, he extended a hoof from the shoulder that Void wasn't crying on in her direction, inviting her to join in the hug, he looked momentarily confused as Void nuzzled in closer, then spoke: [He'll say something that he used to say to Null when she was down, something she'd recognize.]

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

20 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

He shook the confusion from his face as he leaned in to nuzzle Void's neck with his own, "It'll be alright, the world seems bleak now, bleaker than ever before, but now I have returned to me two things I never knew I had lost. We're together now, we'll face what's coming together."

The hoof on the back of her neck, slowly going up and down the lower part of her mane, were a gesture that Void didn't think she'd ever feel again, yet as it were happening, she could barely focus on that beyond just crying into her father's neck. The comforting motion he had made were certainly helping her on some level though, as she weren't holding back her emotions anymore when embraced in this way, which were honestly more helpful than his attempts at reassuring words. They were a kind gesture, and were helpful in their own way, but what she needed right now were a familiar shoulder to cry on, and to just let her tears flow over everything that had happened in the last three years.

20 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

He then looked over at Null with deep concern etched in his muzzle, he extended a hoof from the shoulder that Void wasn't crying on in her direction, inviting her to join in the hug, he looked momentarily confused as Void nuzzled in closer, then spoke: "How can you feel down, when you're born to fly high?"

It were a silly phrase really, but it had always caused Null to laugh, and made her feel good whenever she had been down. A cruel thing to think off now perhaps, considering her lack of a wing would make it far less fun to make a pun on her being a pegasus, but it would get a reaction from her at least.

Null would raise her head and turn it slowly to face him. There were not much of a glimmer of recognition in her lifeless eyes though. Whilst the words had resonated, it were just not enough to break through to her right now. He had gotten her attention though, if nothing else, and her gaze did not leave him even if he moved, though in this situation it were probably for the best that he couldn't remember either of them. Seeing someone looking at you like they were little more than an animated husk could be a hard thing to swallow when there were an emotional attachment.

It seemed they truly did need Septicity to be able to break through to her, though how the mare would take being told she had two adult children were going to drive a lot of how things went going forward.

If the hoof were still extender after a few minutes, Null would slowly move in and could be grasped for a hug if he so wished, though if he lowered his hoof again, Null would simply keep starring.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Their father kept his hoof extended long enough for Null to come in, then mirrored the calming gesture he was still performing on Null.

He would keep doing that until they tried to pull away, at which point he would suggest they all get some rest, and go to retrieve some blankets from the back room so they could sleep comfortably on the couches.

If however they fell asleep where they were, he had no objections to that, the stove wasn't on anyway, food could wait till tomorrow.

 

It would be dark out when they would wake up, their father having extricated himself from the pile and put blankets on them if they had slept on top of him. The candles were still burning from when they had arrived, though a bit dimmer now, and he was doing his hardest not to burn toast, though the smell in the room would indicate that he had failed at least once in that regard.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

21 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

If however they fell asleep where they were, he had no objections to that, the stove wasn't on anyway, food could wait till tomorrow.

Null wouldn't show any emotional attachment during this hug, just stand there and accept it like a rigid doll. Void on the other hoof, wouldn't let go until she had cried out, which would take several minutes, and the only chance in her stance would be that one leg went around Null too, so that she could have her sister in this hug too. A rather peculiar sight they must be really, with Void being the largest, then their father a head lower, and Null at around a foal's size. The elder sister would complain about getting crushed under other circumstances for sure.

Once Void were done, she more or less collapsed on the spot. Much as she had thought that today hadn't really hit her, she were suddenly feeling drained and used up. So as they were offered a couch spot and some blankets, she'd accept it on behalf of them both with tear streaks down her face and a smile on her muzzle.

They'd go to sleep - or well, Void would pull Null in and hold her like a mother cat held her kitten and they'd eventually both conk out - and rest soundly until the morning, where Void would star to stir when a familiar smell wafted by.

"Zzz... Don't torch the bread Null, we're low on rations..."

it took her a bit to wake fully up, and realize that it wasn't the smell of her sister trying to cook that wafted around the place. Often times it were the culprit if she woke up to the smell of something burning, as her sister stubbornly tried to provide and though that something simple like roasting bread wouldn't be too hard. Something which then turned out to be, and they'd end up losing a bit of rations from that. Thankfully something she only tended to try when they were in areas where they could replenish, but still.

Deciding that it were best to let Null rest and hope that when she eventually woke up, their mother would arrive, Void let go off her and walked as silently as she could towards the kitchen, where their father stood and miraculously, actually had managed to almost make some food, even though it were pretty clear from the smells that this weren't his first attempt.

"24 years and it still smells the same when you cook dad. Can I please help you before you burn the rest too?"

She'd say this with a somewhat happy, teasing tone, and a tired smile on her sleepy face. To think that she were actually able to joke around with her dad again, after all these years... It were a possibility that she had never thought would be true, and a dream which she would prefer to never wake up from. And everything considered, if Calligraphy did not let her take over the cooking for a bit here, it might be that none of them would wake up again, as he'd end up setting the house on fire somehow.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

Their father looked a bit chagrined, but smiled as he backed away from the counter, "Please! I've had enough of my own cooking to know that it isn't great, no need to make you two suffer it too... again..."

He sighed as he took a seat to watch her cook, "I've been thinking, it's nice to know I did well the first time, that in the short time I apparently had you two that you learned so much, were able to survive despite it all." he laughed, "Folks been saying you were even up at Harrowmark? That's quite the feat from what I've heard about it. But anyway..." he looked a bit more serious, "About the whole mind wiping, the Grey were never too thorough, they left enough that you'd know you were in the Grey, but not enough to get them in trouble, Chick's like that, you know the chef in the caverns right? Anyway, it seems that whoever wiped my wife and I were much more thurough, I remember working for TrUST, then... some sort of special project, then nothing until after you two had left."

He shook his head sadly, "It's just like when Celestia did it to us back in the school."

He seemed to get an idea, "You know, maybe He could do it? Maybe the leader at Troy could help us,"

He was starting to look excited, "Oh that would be great, he's supposed to be good with this sort of thing, having dismantled the Grey and all, maybe he could break whatever's holding our memories."

He seemed to be talking more to himself than Void, but it was fairly clear who he was talking about.

"Oh!" he turned his attention back to Void, "My wife should be here with the transports in a few hours, how do you think we should break the news to her about, you know, you two?"

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

17 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

"Please! I've had enough of my own cooking to know that it isn't great, no need to make you two suffer it too... again..."

Void took over immediately and began by removing the break her father had just been trying to roast, and flip it around to see if it were okay. It seemed good as it were, but a few seconds more and it would have started to go quite charred. Knowing her dad, he would have given it another minute or two.

Taking that off and starting to roast some new bread, she'd make due with what else she could see that were here. Thankfully nothing that really needed a roast, but there were a small bundle of hay and some gnashberries in a bowl, so with a bit of finesse and a good pummeling, she'd soon have a bunch of berry-covered straws, sectioned into small pieces and rolled into balls similar to the size of a regular blueberry. A few turns on a skillet or whatever else she could find as a hot plate - no more than fifteen seconds for each side - and the aroma of a couple dozen bitter-smelling, slightly crispy balls would waft through the room. It were just adding a little sweet to shake or shave over the top, and these should be a good pick-me up with a fair deal of vitamins in them. An old recipe that their mom had taught them, but good to have around, and pretty adaptable to varied kinds of berries and other ingredients.

Actually, a lot of the cooking that Void had learned were adaptable to other places without Trojan ingredients. It were as if their mother had known that the day might come when something would happen that would lead them out of the country... No, that were just silly. She couldn't have known, right? It were just a coincidence.

Whilst cooking, she'd try her best to answer Calligraphy's talk, starting with one that almost made her drop some of the hay, considering the subject matter had to include her going over something pretty unpleasant.

"Life haven't been easy dad. With what Null and I can do, and how many places values either magic, their artifacts, or are just hostile to outsiders, we have spent most of the last twenty years running from country to country and try to find someplace willing to take us in. It always ended badly, from Neighpon to Germane, to as you said, Harrowmark. You'd think we'd be welcome in a place where they wanted to be protected from dark magic, but... No. They chased us out of the country within three weeks, with torches and pitchforks raised high. Other countries did far worse, but we lived, and we ran on. Longest we've ever been in one country were a year and a half, and that were mostly because we spent a year of that time hiding far away from civilization, and didn't show up before we started to get sick and needed to find some medicine. Didn't take many visits before we got exposed, and things escalated...

We've been around most of the world through the twenty years we've been on the run. When we finally ended up in Equestria, we had perhaps two or three countries left that we could try and seek shelter in, but thankfully, we were allowed to stay there. We had a few good weeks before... Troy kidnapped us.

I still don't know how they did it, but they got us through a portal, put us in this barren room and started to prod at us and take samples. They even pulled out one of Null's flight feathers, and laughed at her... We were just things to them. Just another pair of monsters with a number tag on them. We were trying to escape when they pushed us into some strange boxes, and then... Nothing. We thought it had just been a few days when we woke up, but it'd been three years, and the world have gotten worse. Troy's infected with Tartarus spawns, Discord suddenly turned traitor and razed the lands, and Equestria... Equestria is gone, and Celestia with it."

She kept working on the food, but shed a tear as she recalled the warmth of the princess of the sun, when she had welcomed them into Equestria with a hug, even though she knew what they could do. She hadn't cared. She had just been such a warm being, in more way than just physical, and it were hard to accept that she were gone.

"I know we speak badly about her in Troy, and that you say she's taken some memories of you, but she were nothing but kind to us. Twenty years running, with no place to call home, or find peace, and then in the country where magic flows like water, we were welcomed with open hooves. It was the first time since you and mom did- I-I mean, since we Thought you died, where we felt that someone cared about us. She made us official citizens, gave us shelter and made sure to tell Ponyville that we were to be valued just as much as anyone else. You don't know what it were like to finally hear we were worth something to someone. What she did... It mattered a lot to us, but that's gone now, and we've ended up back where it all started. It's... I don't know how to deal with that yet, yet I know that I will always miss Celestia, even if she wasn't flawless. She were the first spot of light in our lives since you and mom. She were even talking about helping us with all the cursed artifacts we had collected on our trips."

She decided against saying what those things were, as he'd likely then deduct that they had used one to try and escape the facility. That would then go into the death toll the two of them had left behind and... Just no. Void would like there to be a bit of idyllic life for them before their father had to evaluate if the daughters he had forgotten all about were worth it, once it got forth that they were technically mass murderers.

"*sigh* I know you didn't think much of her, but she were important to us, and I don't think she would have anything to do with wiping your memory of Null and I. She seemed really surprised to find out what we could do. The Grey I wouldn't put anything past. They were horrible, horrible ponies. I guess that means the chef were too, but... New memory, new life I guess. Probably best to give her a chance."

19 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

He seemed to get an idea, "You know, maybe He could do it? Maybe the leader at Troy could help us,"

He was starting to look excited, "Oh that would be great, he's supposed to be good with this sort of thing, having dismantled the Grey and all, maybe he could break whatever's holding our memories."

Void were putting the food on the table when the mention of the leader came up. Another subject that made her visibly cringe unfortunately.

"We've... Met him. He were there, at the lab. I curled up in fear and Null... I know she shouted something at him, but I don't know what. She uhm... She got mom's temper when there someone she doesn't like."

Their mom were a graceful mare who had a heart of gold, but gods have mercy upon anyone she didn't like. She could give them a verbal lashing that would make them squirm on the floor, and talk about a mean left hook. It were rare that they'd seen their mom angry, but the times it had happened really stuck out in their minds.

"I don't know what he did there, but we ran away soon as we could. A leader of Troy looking for us seemed like nothing but bad news. I guess... Perhaps it's not as bad as we thought, with what others are saying, and if he could get your memories back it would be amazing, but I don't know... It just feels wrong to even think about him."

The last of the bread and some water hit the table, but before Void had a chance to go in and get Null, there were a small matter more that needed to be addressed here at the end. A pleasant one for once. Kind of.

20 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

"Oh!" he turned his attention back to Void, "My wife should be here with the transports in a few hours, how do you think we should break the news to her about, you know, you two?"

"I don't like to say this, but... I think you should do it alone. I badly want to see her again, but mom seeing two strangers in her home, claiming to be her long forgotten foals? It might be hard to swallow for her if she have to look at us too. I think you'll need this though."

Void pulled the amulet out of her false leg, and hesitantly handed it towards their father. She were sure it'd be safe with him, but they had already lost this once, and it were the only memory they had left of a simpler, relatively nice time in their lives. If this got lost, and something happened to their parents that they wouldn't come back from this time, Null and her would have nothing left to remember them by.

Still, he were going to need it to prove the point. Mom had always liked evidence and facts, and could really get analytical towards things, so the more proof the better, and this were the only one the two of them had. Hopefully it would be enough.

For the time being though, as she put this down, she'd go and drag Null back to where they were eating. She didn't seem to have gotten better since yesterday, but at least she were still possible to lead around and make do some things, like trying to eat. That compliance were helpful to at least avoid having to force-feed Null with something that she might choke on.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Their father looked contemplative, it was quite a bit to take in after all, "Hmm..." he shrugged and looked sympathetic, "It is clear that you two haven't had it easy out in the world, and it saddens me to hear that so much of the world out there was so unaccepting of you two. Since the Leader at Troy ordered the bombs in the Consul's absence most have come to be more accepting of those in similar situations to yours, it's become a fact of life now."

He sighed, staring at the amulet, "I think she'll be happy to know about you two, that you're doing so well, plus getting a hint on what we had removed all those years ago. Maybe she'll be able to remember something more."

He stowed the amulet carefully so that he'd have it with him later, and thanked Void for the food she had prepared. "Anyway, it surprises me to hear that he was at the lab, most of the research centers that TrUST had outside the city were fairly remote, and the leader doesn't leave Troy very often on account of his age. Regardless, we'll talk to him and see if he can get us in touch with the one who can help."

After enjoying his portion of the meal he got up, "Sorry to leave so quickly, but I need to help get all the patients in order for when the transports arrive so they can all get moved safely." He looked over at Null, then back at Void, "Do you two want to come too? It'd be easier to get her help in Troy, and it doesn't look like she'd survive the trek in her state if you were to come with the rest next week."

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

17 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

"Hmm..." he shrugged and looked sympathetic, "It is clear that you two haven't had it easy out in the world, and it saddens me to hear that so much of the world out there was so unaccepting of you two. Since the Leader at Troy ordered the bombs in the Consul's absence most have come to be more accepting of those in similar situations to yours, it's become a fact of life now."

"The chef said that they could be helped though. We can't. We're stuck in a nightmare we can't wake up from."

It were a depressing way of looking on it, but the amount of times where their abilities had brought something good with it, were barely a fraction of all the times it had caused real harm to them, and it weren't just something that went away. Null and her had even tried to walk into a nullification zone set above a dormant demigod. A field powerful enough to keep down something like that would surely have been able to remove their issue, but what had happened? The two had interrupted the flow, and let loose the one below. She seemed to be pretty thankful, but considering the warnings carved into the nearby stone slabs, they got the feeling that being on the good side of that one might not be the best thing in the world, and they promptly left. Hopefully the creature hadn't exacted her revenge on several nearby towns just out of the principle of it.

17 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

He sighed, staring at the amulet, "I think she'll be happy to know about you two, that you're doing so well, plus getting a hint on what we had removed all those years ago. Maybe she'll be able to remember something more."

Void said nothing to this, but she truly hoped that he were right. If their parents could have their memories jolted somehow and remember what it were once like, they might end up having a chance at being happy again. if not, this were going to be an uphill battle, and that were not what any of them needed right now. Especially not Null.

17 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

"Anyway, it surprises me to hear that he was at the lab, most of the research centers that TrUST had outside the city were fairly remote, and the leader doesn't leave Troy very often on account of his age. Regardless, we'll talk to him and see if he can get us in touch with the one who can help."

Void were gnawing on one of the bitter spheres that she had made when their dad spoke his mind again, though it'd take a little before she answered him, as she were pondering over that name that their father had put on the facility that took them. TrUST. Apparently somewhere both him and mom had once worked at? Is that how they knew of Null and her, instead of what happened when they escaped the country? And why would their parents have worked for such a horrible, horrible place? Hay, when would that had even been? Their father had always claimed he were a writer, and sure, their mom went away on business sometimes, but she said that she were just a biologist. None of them ever mentioned being part of some facility where they imprisoned horrible things, as well as ponies who had done nothing to deserve the imprisonment. Not in there at least.

"It were a horrible place full of monsters. And not just the ones they had imprisoned dad. The ones working there... They were treating us like objects. One of their experiments almost took my real eye out, and they didn't care. They just kept numbering us and passing us off to the next experiment. We understand and want horrible things to be captured and kept away from the world. Null and I did that for a long time too, with the cursed objects we stole, but we're not monsters. We're just cursed, and yet they treated us like dangerous things anyway. It's a line that shouldn't have been crossed..."

She kept eating and feeding Null in silence after that. Their dad would likely not be too happy about how she spoke about his old boss and colleagues apparently, but she couldn't find sympathy for them after what they had done. The only decent being there were Silver, and she had taken that small bit of light from the place when she decided to help Panic. That were a life taken she'd always regret, and there weren't any way to rectify it, as that alicorn now had the gem that might be able to help Silver somehow.

20 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

After enjoying his portion of the meal he got up, "Sorry to leave so quickly, but I need to help get all the patients in order for when the transports arrive so they can all get moved safely." He looked over at Null, then back at Void, "Do you two want to come too? It'd be easier to get her help in Troy, and it doesn't look like she'd survive the trek in her state if you were to come with the rest next week."

Void looked over at Null for about ten-fifteen seconds after the suggestion were raised that they'd get her away from here now, rather than risk the desert in the coming week. It were tempting really. Get Null away, find her some help and hopefully start to get her out of her trance sooner, so that she could find some light in Troy with the reveal that their parents were alive. Things would likely get murky when it came to the things about their work that had surfaced through what Calligraphy had said, but no one said that she had to tell Null anytime soon after all. Her sister could try and get a brighter view on things for a little while, before reality started to make them ask some pretty big questions.

"...Are you and mom going too? I want to help big sis get better, but I can't leave her alone like this, and I don't trust someone else to look out after her.

And I won't leave you and mom behind again. You could get attacked here, or hurt on the trip, and we'd never see you again. Null would never be able to forgive me for that, and I don't think I could either. Not when we just got you back.

So... Please dad, say you're going too, and that mom's coming with us? Otherwise, we' have to stay here too, because I'm not going to leave either of you - nor big sis - behind."

Hopefully both their parents would be going too, and the four of them could make their way to the town, see if they could help Null, and then deal with whatever horrendous things would happen once the consul would track them down in the main city. A bad outcome likely, yet one horrible thing to deal with at a time here.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Their father gave a slight smile, "Of course we're going too, we've got to keep the patients stabilized during the trip. Even with the transports it's still a few hours to get from here to Troy. Deltrot will be fine with the other medics for anything that comes up after we leave."

He nodded, "I should be able to make a space for you to come as well, despite not being injured, but it could be a bit cramped for you two."

He looked as if he were thinking about something, then shook his head, "No matter, if you two are coming with, be at the entrance in an hour, otherwise... be there anyway so I can introduce your mother to you."

With that he left the house, heading back to the medical tents they had first found him in.

Which left them with what to do for the next hour, the chef was likely waiting for Void to come back anyway.

 

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

22 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

He nodded, "I should be able to make a space for you to come as well, despite not being injured, but it could be a bit cramped for you two."

"I can carry Null and some other things if it helps saving space? I usually have saddlebags with ... I don't even know how heavy they got anymore. Fifty kilos or something with cursed items? I think Null's were around twenty'ish? We hadn't weighed them in a long, long time, but it weren't too bad to carry around and run with at the same time after we got used to it. Sometimes when big sis got ill or something else happened, I'd have to carry her and her own saddlebags too. So I guess I'm saying I'm kinda strong? If that helps?"

Though her talking were getting somewhat awkward at the end, the fact still remained that they were used to carrying around good chunk of things, so if they could fit better by having Null carry some of the things they likely needed to bring along, she'd be fine with it. Honestly she were feeling a little weird not having a lot of things to carry anymore, but she'd gotten some training after Ponyville allowed them some degree of safety to store the items in, so they had gotten adapted a bit to wander without the heavy stuff. They'd see how long this would be before she found something else they may have to lumber around though. War-torn or not, there'd always be cursed items and those who wanted to make them, so eventually, it wasn't inconceivable that the two would need to be caretakers of such things again.

22 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

"No matter, if you two are coming with, be at the entrance in an hour, otherwise... be there anyway so I can introduce your mother to you."

Hopefully their dad would think about this, but for now, as he left, Void waved him goodbye and looked at him longingly. *sigh* But they would soon enough meet him again, along with their mother. They likely had a great deal to speak of by then, at least if Calligraphy managed to convince her of the truth.

In due time, everything would hopefully be answered. For now though, she had an hour to spare, and with no other idea what to do, she suited up with her weapons again and lead Null on their way back to the underground space where the chef were the last time they saw her. Knowing that she were once one of the Grey were going to make this a little awkward, but hopefully she could move past it, as most of that time had been taken from her memory apparently.

This time, they didn't care whatever or not they got seen by others passing the lights. When others were nullified, it were hardly something that made them stand out more than those, right? They'd be fine, at least for now.

When they found her, Void would clear her throat and try to get the attention of the chef, so that she may offer her help in some way for the next fifty minutes or so.

"Uhm... H-Hello? Is there a-anything I can help w-with today?"

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

No one they passed paid any particular attention to them. 

The chef was in the same spot they had found her the day before, this time she was leaning over the counter to talk to an adolescent griffon. The chef looked up at them as they entered and pointed them out to the griffon, "That's the mare I was telling you about."

The griffon was somewhere between Null and Void's size, clearly on the younger side. She got up to approach them with a slightly sad smile, "Hey there, Mrs. Jerk said you wanted to see my..." she sighed, "my sister's forge? Said you could help creatures with it?"

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

15 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

The griffon was somewhere between Null and Void's size, clearly on the younger side. She got up to approach them with a slightly sad smile, "Hey there, Mrs. Jerk said you wanted to see my..." she sighed, "my sister's forge? Said you could help creatures with it?"

The... Oh dear Celestia, Void had completely forgotten about this. This were going to be a tough one to get through, considering the lack of time she now had, but... She could try to explain herself, and then see if it'd be okay.

"Y-Yes, of course, b-but I'm leaving s-soon. My s-sister is not doing w-well, and she needs a p-proper head doctor, so w-we're leaving on the transport in 55 m-minutes or so.

But uhm... P-Perhaps there are some t-things there I can u-use to get some m-measurements and a r-rough form made with? T-Then I could g-get to work o-once I found a place in t-the main city? P-Prepare for the ones w-who'd come our way?

And uhm... I... I-I'm sorry about your s-sister. I can't i-imagine how m-much it must hurt to l-lose her."

Much as she had experienced loss many times, it tended to be different from being to being, and as such, even though she could share in the crushing grip around ones heart it were to experience loss of a family member, or close friend, she could not claim that she knew exactly the pain that this griffon was in. Yet, regardless of what way the grief manifested in her, Void were still genuinely sorry for her loss. She hoped that the griffon would believe that.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

The griffon looked somewhat relieved at the news that they wouldn't be staying long, "Just as well, perhaps it'd be best if you just got some tools and materials instead of trying to fire the forge back up..."

The chef waved goodbye as the griffon led them back the way they'd come to the surface area, then back to the same building area they had spent the night, but down a different street. She stopped at a corner house where a sign denoting a blacksmith lay on the ground, she picked it up to lean it against the house, then pulled a rather intricate looking key out from under her wing, which she used to open the door.

Inside the shop was dark and dusty, the little light entering through the closed windows illuminating the dust they disturbed by entering. The griffon passed into the house soundlessly, and moments later illuminated the area with a torch.

The interior was a bit of a mess, tools and materials as well as half finished weapons lay strewn about the area, with only small paths to walk through. It seemed whatever they could want to find in a blacksmith shop, they could find here.

The griffon looked around, then retrieved a pair of griffon forge gauntlets, they seemed heavily used, and set them carefully on her own back. "Go ahead and take what you need, she... she used to do some intricate and decorative work before all this, so she should have the tools you need somewhere, if not out here then maybe in the back."

She sat by the door, now holding the gauntlets close to her chest, "When you've got what you need, I'll take you to Carbon's for materials."