Complete 18+ Private Zakaden (Wintersday) Mine Sweets, Mine Precious Sweets

[Ayna Nietzsche]

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Adventurers Guild

Ratan Mines, Zakaden

Well, that was...anticlimactic. Ayna felt a little disappointed, but at the same time, she was more than relieved. Maybe it was unfair to call the lack of a final battle anticlimactic, all things considered, but the magia was built for war and battle. Then again, this expedition wasn't meant for such things. This was simply to find @Chrys' weird-ass mine thing and they just did. Maybe it was a good thing, this respite from the formulaic violent final act.

"Well... I guess you're welcome, Chrys."

Ayna crossed her arms, shrugging, as she put her spear away. She turned to @Kamala Graham and found herself unintentionally grinning. At least she's safe. The battle with the crystallized wolf was something, and although the elf had put up a good fight, Ayna was pretty concerned regarding her safety and overall well-being. The fact of the matter was, Kamala wasn't built for war and battle. She was born to campaign for peace and show people the light. If it was anyone else, the magia would have abandoned them long ago.

As the boys began to do their thing, Ayna had her drones assist them in whatever way they could. From providing mobile light to actually carrying the bags of edible ores they mined, the magia's constructs were proving themselves pretty efficient in the menial tasks. Maybe I should sell some to these guys, see if they'd bite. Yet the thought of parting with, well, a part of herself and surrendering such to Chrys made her shudder. He was probably just gonna use them as target practice.

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Ratan Mines, Zakaden

Kamala followed @Chrys, walking in between their party members to have a better range and control of the field should her healing become required. She hoped it wouldn't, that the rest of their expedition inside the tunnels was much safer than outside, and was extremely glad that no monsters tried to ambush them, or hurt her friends. When Chrys exclaimed that they had reached their destination, and found what they were looking for, Kamala cheered, making tiny claps with her tiny hands as she skipped up and down where she stood.

"Congratulations, everyone! Good work, guys!"

With the warmest of smiles on her face, she gave everyone else she could the tightest of hugs and handshakes. It was weird, calling them handshakes when all she did was hold their hands and press them firmly as a misguided attempt to acknowledge their hard work, but it was the closest word she could think of. Kamala felt a deep sense of pride and achievement, her chest swollen with positive feelings. When Chrys came to hug her, she hugged him tighter. Even @Ayna Nietzsche was not spared from all the physical contact.

But the work was not yet done. As the boys did most of the heavy lifting, Kamala joined Ayna in providing them some semblance of support. The elf was not entirely well-versed in the field of mining, so all she could do was use her mending magic to heal and refresh them, even inspire them when necessary. The nature spirits she's bonded with, which only she, and anyone with Spirit Magic of course, could see, delighted in all the activity, enhancing the overall feeling of positivity throughout the otherwise arduous task involving the edible ores. This was fun! Apart from getting attacked by the crystal wolf, this has been such a great experience for me!

 

[Chrys]

《⋯《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》⋯》

Adventurers Guild

Ratan Mines → Shining Outpost → unnamed Crystal Nomads camp, Zakaden

Chrys and the boys from the Golden God Mining Company invited the adventurers @Ayna Nietzsche and @Kamala Graham on this expedition inspired by stories from the Crystal Nomads, stories that tell of a mysterious mine filled with edible red and white ores. They were told that the edible ores' minty taste was the nomad children's favorite, so they pushed the furthest they could into Zakaden to find if there was any truth to the story.

A part of Chrys believed it was just an old wives' tale. Or in this case, a tiny old wives' tale. But it had been a while since Chrys and the boys had an expedition together, since he and his old friends from Team ACK! had an adventure together, and since he let his childlike wonder take the wheel. Besides, twas the season for holiday miracles, so what was he to lose?

Apparently nothing. Chrys had nothing to lose—Chrys, in fact, lost nothing but a few blows to his ego from the crystallized wolf they had encountered a while back—but everything to gain. Chrys and the boys and the girls struck gold, gold in the form of the rare red and white ores that were edible and beloved by the nomad children. More than the wealth, Chrys was about to gain some Schrodinger goodwill with the Crystal Nomads. All's well that ends well, eh?

"Pack it up, kids! We're way past our carrying limit!"

The journey back to the Shining Outpost was as uneventful as he had hoped. No crystallized wolves, or any crystallized predators, ambushed them. Chrys thanked his lucky stars for that. As soon as they reached the outpost, the merchants that had helped them earlier greeted the crew with wide smiles. It didn't take long for his fellow capitalists to notice that they had in fact succeeded and brought back the mythical ores, and a bidding war soon followed.

Chrys sold half of their entire haul for a lot of money, enough for both Ishmael and Gio to celebrate their new fortunes, while he kept half for something else. He told himself it was because of the girls, probably Kamala, who insisted that they track down a nearby Crystal Nomads camp to share their blessings. In truth, Chrys wanted to do the same, if only to see how the storytellers would react when their story became a reality.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's give those kids a holiday they'll never forget!"

He felt himself cringe at the entire spiel, though the smile on his face betrayed that feeling. He chalked it up to his cynical side being beaten to a pulp by the season. It did not matter. In the end, he was paying back the people that had inspired the fruitful expedition. In its essence, it was just the most logical thing to do. One cannot move forward without taking time to care for one's legs. Or some shit like that.

 

[Ayna Nietzsche]

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Adventurers Guild

Ratan Mines, Zakaden

Once they were ready to move on, Ayna assisted their movements with her Storm Drones (Small Constructs). The bat-like magitech constructs unlatched from the Lightning Lancer of the Lament's armor to help carry their wares, making their makeshift wagons hover a few inches above the ground or just flat-out boosting their speed as if they were portable exhaust engines. As much as @Chrys and his men were able-bodied miners, their bodies built for the field, Ayna's technology made the journey back to the outpost much more efficient. Science is just so swell!

"We're back."

Her dry reaction to having returned to the safer embrace of mercantile civilization was mostly due to the merchants' fake celebration of their return. These strangers wouldn't have batted an eye if they didn't return, wouldn't have cared for the deaths of foreign miners and company, but since their party made a triumphant comeback with the mythical ores in tow, they all put on excited faces, wide grins, and warm handshakes. Disgusting.

Or was it really? Such was the way of the world, wasn't it? If Ayna was in their shoes, would she have cared for the capitalists from distant lands that were only visiting to make a profit from a place that was never theirs, that was not their home, to ever begin with? Fair enough.

With arms crossed, she watched keenly as Chrys and the traders made their deals, disinterested in their exchange. If she was given some of that gold for her purpose, however, she would not mind, but she would never beg them for a coin or two. That would just be too much.

"We ready to leave?"

Ayna heaved a sigh of relief once they were ready to move on, again, this time to the unnamed Crystal Nomads camp. She was getting pretty bored. She was a little surprised when Chrys agreed to it, though she expected the journey because of @Kamala Graham. As much as the magia didn't care for such trivial matters, at least to her they were trivial, she could never say no to Kamala. Besides, what was she going to lose? More time with the elf was always a good thing. The opposite can be said for Chrys.

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

unnamed Crystal Nomads camp, Zakaden

What's the point of having so much when you don't share some of them with those that helped you get all of them in the first place? That was Kamala's entire argument, confusing as her entire spiel was.

If the Crystal Nomads hadn't shared with @Chrys and his company their stories of the mythical mine, then would they have found it, most of all started an entire expedition filled with danger and uncertainty to seek the unverified ores? The elf posed the question to the men without providing her own take for an answer. She wanted them to look inside them, deep within, for the answer she hoped they knew themselves.

When Chrys didn't provide a passionate counterargument, Kamala couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. The elf was no debater. She spoke mostly of emotions, ideals, and was not technically sound enough to defend her position. A teacher once called her a guilt-tripper, someone who relied too heavily on morality to win arguments, despite the fact that she barely won her fair share of debates back in high school. Or maybe that was why she often lost.

"Thank you, Chrys! Thank you, everyone! Onward and forward, friends!"

It took them some time, and a whole lot of effort, to find the supposed camp of the Crystal Nomads. The journey had been long and not without a few troubles along the way. The sight of the children, however, made it all worthwhile for Kamala. With her friends in tow, she greeted the bite-sized campers warmly, explaining why they were there. Kamala let Chrys and his miners thank the faerin while she and @Ayna Nietzsche, whom she dragged with her, went to find the children.

The adults were more hesitant to meet with them, which of course Kamala understood. They were strangers, outsiders, who walked into their homes without warning. When they found out about the truth of their journey, however, they slowly welcomed them. The children were more enthusiastic, as children often were. Kamala ended up performing for the camp as her own kind of thanks on behalf of the miners.

As a member of the Starlit Troupe, it was no big deal for her. As someone who liked making people, friends and strangers alike, feel warm and good and comfortable, it was the least she could do.

"Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm, figures dancing gracefully, across my memory!"

It was a far, far better thing that they have done than they have ever done. It was a far, far better rest that they went to than they had ever known. The murmuring of many delighted voices, the upturning of many friendly faces, the pressing on of many footsteps as they began to dance in the middle of the crowd, so that it swelled forward in a mass, like one great heave of water, all flashed away.

‧͙⁺˚･ Happy Wintersday to all! And to all a great night! ･˚⁺͙‧