66: Of the Forest

Let’s head back to Sophie’s tavern now that I’ve had a cup of… I-dunno-what at Cucuvea’s tree. Of course, Mr Stag is still there, drinking his worries away… What IS worrying him?

Oh. So the vampires are polluting the earth? Damn. Have y’all seen the city I grew up in? It’s an industrial city. Heat and smog. Yup, we breathe smog there… but we’re not there, are we. We are in Transylvania where the strigoi are trouble-makers who disregard your Laws. OK, I imagine Sonnac be like, “Smite the evil law-breakers!” and we don’t want him burning these farmlands like he did with London once, so best I deal with it.

I picked up some acorns by the tree outside of Sophie’s place. The faun guarding there didn’t mind. Still is weird to see a faun. I don’t think we have that in Midgard. Anyway, Sophie said to plant these acorns to help. Now, I need to travel a bit further from here. Golly, lots of toxic waste some distance away from the town area. Ghouly Ghouls be lovin’ this stink. x_x No problem, nothing Shotgun Sal can’t handle. Ha, Shotgun Sal has a nice ring to it, but I’m a pistol gal.

I have made… a tree. A MAGIC tree upon the dirt mounds of toxic waste that I have cleaned up.

Pretty tree.

Now, time to hunt those bozos down– WHOA. What the heck is this?! Giant scarecrow?? Last time I saw them was back in… Solomon Island… Well, I guess with farmlands, this should be expected… though this guy is huge like the Hate Machines in Blue Ridge Mine.

Time to go, big guy.

Hold up… this isn’t a scarecrow… It looks like some weird… thingy… with a big ball chained to its arm. Is that a tube going to its face? Yo… I know this. I know science experiments when I see one. I’m from the Schwartzwald Rebellion and we fight those bad researchers who unethically experiment on people!

OK, let’s put this aside for now. I gotta focus on the task at hand. I hear the polluting strigois got prisoners. Although I’ve never really seen or fought any strigois yet, I’m sure they’re manageable. No strigoi will be safe from my guns.

Found him. Litovoi Vintila, you are under arrest for polluting Mr Stag’s property, taking prisoners, and giving Ghouls places to party at.

This prisoner is also a sacrifice for some ritual…

So, that’s done with.

I return to the tavern, thinking about that giant, tubed strigoi and how Mr Stag did say they have some machine… Man, the Orochi better not be at the bottom of this.

Hmm, hold on a minute… what’s going on there? A band of midgets at a caravan… so cute!

65: An ‘Owl’ Named Cucuvea

Right… so I followed the owl. I asked Sven if he wanted to come along and he said nah, he gonna meet up with ‘granny’. I’m like, OK then. See ya around. (How come this guy has family everywhere? Previously it was Uncle Yu at the Blue Mountain, then his dad in Egypt… OK the last one was just suspicions.)

That’s the owl, can you see it?

It led me to memorable places, like the Lover’s Lake. Quite a nifty shortcut to… I dunno where because I’m new and I haven’t looked at the map of this place yet. 😂 The owl kept flying and flying and finally it entered a tree. A very big tree… Not as big as Agartha, but still of noticeable size. Speakin’a which, I have yet to find the portal to Agartha from this region…

Huh… what is this tree… looks like someone lives here–

OK… busted.

Turns out the owl is an old lady named Cucuvea. She’s a spirit that has been around these parts for a very long time. So, I asked her–

Uh, sorry… I’m kinda new to them as well, ma’am. 😅 Anyway, can I just ask what’s goin’ on around here? Some talk of vampires, of ghouls, of machinery…? //gets ready to take in a lotta words//

But ya gave me a lotta info anyway, so it’s all good.

OK, so there is a dude named Vlad Drac– Hold up. Vlad Dracula? Is that Dracula’s full name? Hmm, maybe if I ever get back to Midgard, I should yell it out to the Drac I know and ask if his first name is Vlad, too. Anyway yeah, he defeated a chick named Mara… Vlad is dead, but he left behind his own army called the Drăculești. Seems like Mara is a dangerous chick and she’s gonna come back to life soon, wanting the powers within the mountains. Is this the “fearful machinery” that Mr Stag was referring to…? Golly, I forgot about my next chat with him! Dang, I better get back to him after this.

This granny has a nice home.

My best bet to knowing what’s up with that is to ask the Drăculești. Cucuvea tells me to find a girl with looking-glass, a vamp spy, no wait, that’s not right. A person who spies on the vampires. And also a “strapping circus boy”? Another one comes up after that: Milosh, their “king”. So.. that’s three people I have to find.

For now, I gotta get back to Sophie’s tavern and talk some more with Mr Stag.

By the way, the ‘granny’ Sven referred to… was Cucuvea. 😏

64: First Day in Transylvania

Sonnac told me to send his regards to a ‘Carmen’ once I arrive. Well, it would have taken a few hours by flight, but hey — we have the Agarthan Express exclusive for bees! Just head back to Agartha and hop over to the Transylvania platform.

My first destination in Transylvania is the Besieged Farmlands. OK, we’re here.

[OOC: This is actually a good thing to do. After plenty of chat, you want the person to remember their objectives, so a brief recap like this is just right.

I heard you the first time, boss. Not too far from the Agartha portal, I saw a symbol of a fist in red, painted on the wall. Hmm, wonder what’s that about… And lookie who we have here, waiting for me at the gates: Sven! Man, I haven’t seen this lone wolf in ages! Thought he was the Apothecary, what with him all dressed up like a Council of Venice member… geez. xD

See the red fist behind us?

Anyway, I walked on and I saw a woman with a horse. She’s all strapped and ready to fight. Lost her left eye, but she still looks as formidable. This is Carmen. Carmen Preda, of the Council of Venice. Man, the Council sure has some badass chicks among them.

So, what’s up, ma’am?

No, but Sonnac says hi.

Carmen says that over here, what we call a secret world is what they call their normal world. Spirits, demons, fairies, vampires… they’re all here, openly coexisting with the humans, the townsfolk. However, there’s been a lot of Ghouls around here… “This valley was a refuge for all creatures. The forbidden, the lost, the forgotten,” she says. “…It’s a very convenient crisis, if something needed to be buried out here… or unearthed.”

After our chat, I went down the road, took care ‘a some Ghouls for her (and got whacked by a road sign, definitely), and they got a few fellas on standby. We fought some Ghouls together. There were even some badass fauns guarding nearby.

Soon, I arrived at a tavern. It is managed by Sophie, a sweet young girl who dreams to see the world outside this town. Hmm, looks like the actual Apothecary is in here, along with some townsfolk… and a stag.

Uhm…forces of darkness… OK… we’re weakened…bitterness… grave… uhm…

This bee is confused.

Sophie then explains things to me. What’s goin’ down is that once upon a time, there was a Law. The forest people (the supernaturals like fairies) would protect the townsfolk as long as the folks leave their land alone. Basically, mind your own business and don’t hurt the other. However, the strigoi (what they call their vampires) is wreaking havoc, hurting people. “They don’t respect the Law,” says Sophie.

Mr Stag says this was all just to distract us from some “fearful machinery”.

Vampires… with machinery? Hold up, how technologically-advanced ARE these vamps? I’ve been imagining capes and black suits… Wait, have they been hangin’ out with Orochi and got some tech? ///scratches head//

Sven said he’s seen them, these strigoi… and that they’re nothing like Dracula back in Midgard. Ah yes, Sven’s from the same realm as me and is a fellow Rebel, but even before that, he was from another world. A soldier, nonetheless.

As I lingered at Sophie’s, I noticed an owl. Somethin’ about this owl… Hmm… I dunno but I think I wanna follow it… I’ll get right back to ya, Soph.

But before I go, look a doge! xD

63: Virgula Divina (Pt. 2)

Now, what… is… this…? I’m inside the… Amity House…? Hmm.

Lookin’ around, I see doodles on chalkboards, toys… I mean geez, look at the wallpaper. Blue with white clouds? The place is real like a nursery than an Orochi place– oh, there it is. A glass ceiling and a camera. Even the door has a keypad. I gotta get outta here. There’s no info here. After playing with the spirit in this room (I confess, it is spooky), I managed to get the passcode and exit it.

Now it looks nothing like a nursery and it’s very laboratory-ish, complete with dead Orochis.

Upstairs are some offices. I’ma go check those out. Hmm… they seem to be taking in some girls with powers… and conducting tests on them so they could help them, give them a purpose… but there was one problematic ‘Subject 3433’. They want her records wiped out… Need more info.

Found the hidden lab, yay– uh, and Subject 3433.

It seems that she’s outta control, but she summons this weird magical circle. I’m hopping in it… Whoa. Anima view. I see 3433 in sane form, strapped to a chair. I think I get it now. I’ll try free the Anima-form 3433 and it should end the Crazy 3433.

Whoa, she faded away. I also got me some files from this lab. Ha, fancy that. Carter‘s name is here, too. She’s the girl from Innsmouth Academy back at Solomon Island– Wait. They got a file on her? Hmm. Ah well, better that she’s in the Illuminati’s hands now… Golly, can’t believe I just used the words ‘better’ and ‘Illuminati’ in one sentence.

So, Subject 3433 is Callie James. Hmm… where I have heard of that name… Thinking back on random people… can’t recall… oh hey! I went to the park during my days off, and I think there was a girl there…

“They said they would make the voices stop, make my episodes stop…”

Gaia…? So those girls Valí took in were bee-infused people like me? (I think the term was anima-touched, Gaia’s chosen, or something.) Whatever it is, I can head back to Sonnac and report my findings.

What.

Sonnac says I gotta head down to Transylvania. He says vampires have outlived Vlad Dracula and threatening lives of the townspeople there. There’s also lotsa mobs– uh, monsters, beasts… all at the Carpathian foothills. “An army unafraid of sun”, he says. He then talks about some Orochi project in the mountains there…

I don’t know what a Tran…syl…vania is, but I do know of vampires and a Dracula. Can’t believe this Tenth World has ’em too. Man, back in Midgard we got a Dracula and he’s a pain in the ass to defeat. I see him, I run. x’D

Anyway, guess I got me a flight to catch. Off to… sorry, what’s the name again.. Transylvania!

62: Virgula Divina (Pt. 1)

(Separating this into two posts to keep it short.)

Heyyy, what’s up everyone~ I’m back after a nice 3-week vacation, mm-hmm! What did I do? I sat at home ALL DAY and did NOTHING — cuz DAMN I’ve been on the go and under the sun for too long! Cool air and some London rain sure fixed me up quick. In fact, I didn’t really stay in all day long. Later on I went to the cafe, park, and of course, Crusades club!

Now, back to work. Report to Mr Sonnac, representative of the Templar faction. He seems to be worried about the Orochi Group. Hoo boy, what did they do now… or should ask if they went close to exposing the Secret World with their bodycount?

A bit of what Sonnac thinks of the Orochi Group.

Orochi did something, but Sonnac is (as always) not being straightforward, which I kinda think is un-Templar-ish… but very typical of big wigs… Anyway, as for what Orochi is up to, he wasn’t saying it out, but he went ahead and said, “I couldn’t possibly ask you to rummage around in their affairs.” And then said maybe I should get a drink at the Horned God, a pub down the street. Hmm… OK, Mr Sonnac… I just drank, but I can go grab a drink again…

I had a little trouble getting the bartender’s attention, but I effortlessly attracted that of a familiar face. It’s the chick who saw me faint at the Fallen King’s speech area. Boy, was that embarrassing! Nah, I bet she remembered me for my silky pink hair instead of that incident. Yeah.

Zamira‘s a Templar, like me; but unlike me, she’s whole-heartedly dedicated to the Templars. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loyal, not the kind to switch sides easily… but my true loyalty is with the Rebellion at the Schwartvald Republic, all the way back home in Midgard. I’m with the Templar faction while I’m stuck in this ‘tenth world’ because we seem to share the same concepts (in comparison with the Illuminati and Dragon).

Aha, like me, she’s in between assignments; so she chills here with her buddy, Konrad. Konrad’s a representative of the old guard. I think he’s kinda jaded with Templar. He knows Amparo Osorio, the Council’s representative in Egypt. Is he part of the Council of Venice?

Zamira ordered me a drink (yay!) and we got to talking. Seems like they were in the middle of a conversation about the Orochi. Ha, this must be why Sonnac sent me here.

From left: me, Konrad Engel, and Zamira Vata.

He mentions one of Orochi’s subsidiaries, Váli/Valí (the spelling changes). On the surface, it’s a bioengineering and genetics company (or division?). Under that, they’re no different from their parent company. They do occult research. I wonder, all these Orochis that died… were they perhaps, more accurately, Valí employees? Konrad says Valí is creating some secret world soldiers, but “you were never supposed to speak of the Orochi Group.”

Of course, he muttered one last thing to me, that there is an office, a Valí institution “in the very shadows of the Temple Hall.”

I rode my bike and searched, found an indicator on where it is, but it had metal bars all over it. Well, as a proud Rebel, I shall look for… uhh… a way to… uhh… aha, crowbar! Nuthin’ this fella can’t handle.

OK, I’m in.

(to be continued…)