johntheadventurer

[johntheadventurer]

Reasons why my love life is and always will be a total disaster:

1. I can’t flirt worth a darn.

2. I fall head-over-heels in love way too hard and way too fast.

3. I’m fairly certain it’s easier to climb Mount Everest than it is for me to actually tell someone that I have feelings for them.

4. I am socially blind and have literally no understanding of how to tell if someone has feelings for me.

Do you see the problem here?

[johntheadventurer]

I’m going to be busy this weekend, driving up to Utah to go to the new Evermore Park and do some other stuff, so I likely won’t have time to work on my replies. I will get back to them on Sunday/Monday.

[johntheadventurer]

“I’d be careful down there ifI were you,” Arelan told Varian. “We don’t know what sort of traps Demanitus might have left down there.” He found a spot on the nearby wall to lean against and looked at Pergos, speaking softly. “So, knowing you, you already searched this entire place long before we got here.”

“Of course,” the Elemental Spirit replied with a smirk.

“So, what did you learn?”

“We were right,” Pergos answered. “Demanitus used this device to open rifts in the universe, most often to that pocket dimension he used as a prison, but not just to there, and he used it a lot. The most recent usage of the device by the Princess tore open another rift, and that’s what allowed the ghostly witch lady to escape.”

“So now this entire place is a web of barely sealed tears in the fabric of space just waiting to be torn open,” Arelan surmised.

“Pretty much. Hopefully your crazy plan works. You know that this machine isn’t exactly built for stealth, right?”

Arelan glanced down into the bowels of the machine where Varian was working. “That’s why we brought the kid.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

Arelan scowled slightly at the abrupt shift. Varian’s reaction only made him want to know the young alchemist’s theory even more, but as tempted as he was, he could sense that it was dangerous to push.

Arelan whistled in appreciation as the wall gave way, revealing the Demanitus Device. He had heard plenty about it of course, but seeing it in person was something else. Even dormant, the massive construct of magic and machinery was truly a sight to behold. The amount of time, intellect, and magical power required to make such a marvel was staggering to imagine.

And of course, Pergos was already there. “Took you two long enough,” the Elemental Spirit chided as he leaned against the mechanism. Well, sort of leaned. As real as he appeared, Pergos was incorporeal. Looking carefully, Arelan could make out the small sliver of space between his SoulAlly and the object he was supposedly leaning against. For a reason Arelan had yet to decipher, Pergos liked to act as human as possible despite his ethereal nature.

“Well, we’re here now,” Arelan replied. “So let’s get started.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

wanting to interact with other blogs but getting anxiety because they’re Cool™ and you’re a piece of lettuce is a very interesting thing to go through every day

[johntheadventurer]

Gotta love Sue.

The best T. rex is nonbinary, guys!!!

[johntheadventurer]

“I know about the Sun Drop,” Arelan answered. “And I know that there is some scroll that says something about the Sun Drop’s opposite, some sort of great darkness that the rocks are connected to. But last I heard, the Princess was in possession of that scroll, and she left Corona some time ago, so I haven’t exactly had the chance to read the scroll myself.”

He wasn’t sure what to think of Varian. His pride was obvious, but he hardly seemed capable of the acts Arelan had heard he had committed. That was, of course, until he remembered the look he had taken at the boy’s soul. Sometimes he wished things were as simple as his instructors at Edelia liked to claim. Good, evil, corrupt, pure. But it was never that simple.

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

Arelan raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Suspicions?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. “What kind of suspicions?”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

“Alright,” Arelan replied, striding down the suggested tunnel. He looked Varian over, careful to look just at his face this time. He didn’t need to see the boy’s soul again. “So, while we have a little time on our hands, why don’t we satisfy a bit of my famous curiosity? I’m interested with your hair. Back where I’m from, blue is a perfectly normal color,” he gestured at his own mop of blue hair, “but it doesn’t seem to be that way here. So why the blue streak?”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

My dude, my friend, my bro, please cut your posts. :)

Ah, good idea... How does one do that exactly?

[johntheadventurer]

“No need for a jury on the subject of souls,” Arelan said with a short laugh. “They’re very much real. In fact, I’m looking at yours right now.” It was interesting, looking at people’s souls. He didn’t know what most people expected them to look like, but from a distance they mostly just looked like glowing orbs at the center of one’s chest.

Varian’s soul was bright, the electric yellow light coming from it revealing a natural connection to the element of Energy. It made sense, with a creative mind like his. The element of Energy has always been connected with creativity and invention. But what concerned him was the darkness he saw there. So much corruption had already found a place there. Anger, pain, fear, betrayal, revenge. Too much of it for someone his age.

At the question he smiled humorlessly, glad for something to focus on other than the boy’s wounded soul despite the painful subject. “Because some things are more important than tradition, no matter how old or firmly held those traditions may be. Those at Edelia may judge me, but I’m out here doing something while they are cooped up making scarfs and petticoats.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

Arelan grinned, recognizing the curiosity in Varian’s voice. It was the same curiosity he heard in his own voice whenever he learned about the new worlds he visited.

“I’m a Soulweaver,” he answered. “Soulweavers get their power by binding themselves to an Elemental Spirit, who becomes their SoulAlly. We can weave with soulthreads, the material that makes up souls, to create temporary constructs like my SoulClaws or magical clothing like the kind I’m wearing.” He gestured with the still active SoulClaw at his long coat. “Through our connection with our SoulAlly we are also connected to the Plane of Elemental Spirits, which grants us some... other abilities.” He closed his eyes for a moment and he vanished, reappearing less than a second later several feet away.

A thought crossed his mind and he frowned. “I’m a bit of a rebel among Soulweavers though. Soulweaving is an ancient art, and Soulweavers are supposed to be artisans, not warriors. Using Soulweaving to fight is... frowned upon back home.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

“Sure thing kid.” Arelan pulled at Pergos’s soulthreads once more, the bright violet blade of one of his SoulClaws materializing around the gauntlet on his right hand. He expertly sliced through both manacles with one slash, the heavy metal giving no resistance against the unnaturally sharp soulwoven blade.

“None of what I said is exactly a secret,” Arelan replied. “The princess is famous, I’m looking at your hair right now, the rocks cover half this kingdom, and practically every important individual in the city was involved in the fight against your robots. Besides, I’m a curious guy. I did my research.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

Arelan sighed. “Pergos, this is Varian. Varian, this is Pergos, the Elemental Spirit of Curiosity and my SoulAlly. Pergos, do try to keep at least a little control over yourself. I won’t pretend I’m not curious; about the rocks, about the blue streak in the kid’s hair, about that princess and her hair, about how a child in a medieval kingdom learned how to create an army of robots, about...” he caught himself, realizing he had started to ramble. “Anyways, I’m curious about a lot of things too, but we have to focus on the mission at hand.”

Pergos chuckled but said nothing, pantomiming locking his mouth with a key before vanishing. Despite the disappearing act, Arelan knew the spirit wasn’t far. “Sorry about that,” he told Varian. “I have a tendency to get sidetracked at times, and Pergos has a knack for bringing it out.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

“You ever heard of something called the Demanitus Device?” Arelan asked back. “Supposedly it was created to change the weather, but based on the dark spirit that escaped it, the machine appears to be able to do much more than that. You need to figure out how it works.”

“So this is the kid?” Pergos questioned suddenly, the bright violet spirit appearing from nowhere.

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

Arelan smiled despite himself. This Varian kid was smart, that was for sure. Then again, one didn’t need to be a genius to see that there were strings attached here. Or, more accurately in Arelan’s case, threads.

“Good? I like to think so,” Arelan replied. “No clue what a Samaritan is though. But yes, I have reasons to help you. Think of it as a favor for a favor. I get out of here, and you help me with a problem of mine. We don’t really have the time to discuss the details here, but suffice to say it requires a man of your skills.”

Arelan heard the sound of heavy boots approaching. Time was up. “If you want to stay here, that’s fine by me. However, if you want a chance to free that dad of yours, you‘ll follow me down this hole and help me out.” With that Arelan jumped back down the hole, landing out of sight.

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”

[johntheadventurer]

Arelan raised an eyebrow. The kid certainly had some steel in him, that was certain. It was a good thing too. A broken man was no use to him. Well, broken boy really. But he wasn’t here to argue semantics with himself. “My name is Arelan.” He answered. “And let’s just say I’m not from around here. Now, do you want to get out of here or not?”

Arelan knew they didn’t have much time. The opening provided by the information he had gained from spying on the guards and using the tunnels beneath Corona was swiftly closing. Guards would be arriving in moments. “I hear you’ve got a pretty good reason to want to be out there instead of locked up in here.”

The Alchemist and the Soulweaver

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

“And why exactly are we here again?” Pergos asked, the ethereal spirit hovering alongside Arelan as he crawled through the cramped tunnels.

“The magic of this world is a little different than what we are used to,” Arelan answered with a grunt as he pulled himself into a chamber that he could finally stand upright in. “To complete our mission, we need something a little… bigger than usual. The Order doesn’t like it when we make our presence known to the general populace of unsuspecting worlds. So, we are going to need some help. From what I could discover from digging around, there is no one better for the job we have in mind than this kid.”

Finally they found themselves in the right place, at least according to his map. “Alright,” he muttered, running a gauntlet-covered hand through his bright blue hair. “Here goes nothing.”

Pulling at Pergos’s soulthreads, Arelan wove a hooked chain, violet energy coalescing into physical form. He hurled the chain upwards, breaking through the ceiling and hooking the chain into the floor above. He pulled hard, throwing himself up and letting the chain dissolve. Before his momentum could fade he soulblinked, vanishing and reappearing in the air above the hole he had made, landing lightly on the stone floor of the prison cell.

“Hey there kid,” Arelan told the boy in the cell. “You want to get out of here?”