Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=51293&page=75#750 Author: Creativity Time Posted: 11/26/2017 at 8:07 PM (Omg xD. Poor guy though!) Your companions looked at you in confusion at first, but then Aylen whispered something in Ruk's ear and his eyes went wide. He strode up next you and patted your shoulder a bit, giving a small sort of awkward grunt. Meanwhile, Aylen crossed from Ruk's shoulder to yours and hugged her tiny glass arms around your neck as best as she could. In your mini-investigation, you found no sign of life other than a small, semi-burnt piece of paper. What do you wish to do? a) Pick up the paper b) Ignore it c) Say something d) Leave e) Other

a) Pick up the paper

Stumbling into the wreckage, Julien knelt down and picked up the scrap. He gently wiped ashes off of the page and tears from his eyes, and squinted at it to see what it said.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=51293&page=76#754 Author: Creativity Time Posted: 11/26/2017 at 9:16 PM Scribbled on the burnt scrap of paper, in hasty, panicked letters, 24 7 59 Help What do you wish to do? a) Scream b) Consult your companions c) Tear up the note d) Leave e) Other

b) Consult your companions

Julien read the note over and over, trying to make sense of the numbers. "What is this?" he whispered. "What is this?" He was dimly aware of Aylen's arms hugging him and Ruk's attempts at comforting pats as he moved the note into their view, his hands trembling.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=51293&page=76#756 Author: Creativity Time Posted: 11/26/2017 at 9:23 PM (Doll doesn't know what a goblin is, but yeah, she knows sign language :P.) You show the note to your companions, who consider it deeply. Ruk begins to move his hands through a strange pattern, and you noticed that he was signing something to Aylen. She pulled back a bit, but kept a cold hand on your cheek. "Ruk thinks it's a riddle," she told you.

(Ooh, that's interesting. I want them to teach it to Julien when they're in a less terrifying situation. Will make communication with Ruk so much easier :P)

Julien watched their strange, silent exchange. When Aylen revealed Ruk's thoughts, he clutched the paper tighter, partially crumpling it in his shaking grasp. "What kind of a..." He stood unsteadily, and before he even realized what he was doing, he kicked a nearby wall, sending pain throbbing through his foot and nearly knocking him off balance.

Link: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=51293&page=76#758 Author: Creativity Time Posted: 11/26/2017 at 9:30 PM Aylen squeaked as she almost slid off of your shoulder at your wobbling. She clutched onto the cloth there and pulled herself back up once you were straightened, though. She sat down, though, and kept her hands tight around the cloth on your shoulder. "That note probably means at least some of them are still alive, right?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Julien took a few deep breaths, trying to regain his composure. "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't... I'm not..." He sat back down in the rubble, knowing he was getting ash all over his clothing but unable to care. "Somebody's alive. Somebody is still alive." He clung desperately to the thought, mentally running a list of all the people he was close to. His adopted mother, the girl Aylen definitely wasn't almost named after, the boys he played and hunted with... So many people, and yet he only had proof that one person was still alive. Maybe not even that. Maybe they were too late. He just kept breathing, trying to stabilize himself as he tried to figure out what they should do.