With no carriage to speak of, and only a vague sense of direction,\u00a0 the only real choice left was to walk.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike, Simon, and a stowaway,\u00a0 decide to head down the forested path on foot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While the forest itself was beautiful, the lack of animals and animal noises was off putting.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Dood,\u00a0 do you think The Greenecks mean Nyx and Lalandra?<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame puffs:\u00a0 would explain the skeletal animals and @#$%.<\/p>\n
Spike: \u00a0So the Metallicorps…<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame simmers as he sighs:\u00a0 Angel and Balreth.<\/p>\n
Skye:\u00a0 Excuse me…!<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 They’re fighting over Skycoast, and neither can get in.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why are they fighting?<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame reignites: \u00a0Who knows dood,\u00a0 we’ve been gone forever – and this is a new mists.<\/p>\n
Skye, yelling: EXCUSE ME!<\/p>\n
Spike frowns with sadness:\u00a0 We’ve always been a team.<\/p>\n
Simon frowns too, although it’s hard to tell:\u00a0 We’ll get everyone on the same page.<\/p>\n
Skye screams, which echoes through the empty forest: EXCUSE ME!!!<\/p>\n
Spike, having little interest:\u00a0 What?<\/p>\n
Skye,\u00a0 alone and scared:\u00a0 Could you fill me in on what’s going on?<\/p>\n
Spike, irritated:\u00a0 Fine, but only since this is likely a long walk…<\/p>\n
-some time later-<\/p>\n
Skye:\u00a0 So you were a henchman?<\/p>\n
Spike raises his hand in frustration, and Skye cowers in her flying contraption:\u00a0 Eee!\u00a0 No!\u00a0 Don’t slap me again!\u00a0 I’m just trying to understand everything.\u00a0\u00a0 There’s so much going on here.<\/p>\n
Simon looks at the camera:\u00a0 Just kinda had to be there, no?<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Again, no.\u00a0\u00a0 There were henchmen, which I’m not even sure YOU’d qualify for –<\/p>\n
Skye pouts.<\/p>\n
Spike continues, strained: -then there were Heroes which were essentially elite henchmen.\u00a0 We had instructors,\u00a0 fully fledged Hoolequin,\u00a0 then the best of the best – the Officers, and finally Crysania the Guild Leader.<\/p>\n
Skye nods:\u00a0 you were an officer?<\/p>\n
Spike shakes his head:\u00a0 nope, just a Quin.\u00a0 Crysania was my officer.\u00a0 I didn’t have to worry about any of the hard stuff, but to enjoy lots of the hard stuff if you know what I mean.<\/p>\n
Spike grins and highfives Simon.<\/p>\n
Skye hmms:\u00a0 So that fierce green lady.\u00a0 She’s an officer?<\/p>\n
Spike’s smile fades:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Lalandra is the oldest officer, other than Crysania.\u00a0\u00a0 I really want to find out this whole Greeneck v Metallicorps thing.\u00a0\u00a0 Plus, Skycoast is here!\u00a0 Whatever is going down, is huge, dood!<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame flickers and dances with thought.<\/p>\n
Skye, almost afraid to ask:\u00a0\u00a0 …and what is Skycoast, again?<\/p>\n
Simon’s shoulders slump:\u00a0 Did we learn how to forcechoke yet?<\/p>\n
Spike shrugs helplessly:\u00a0 You can try?<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame intensifies with effort, illuminating the surrounding forest,\u00a0 but Skye floats along unaffected.<\/p>\n
Skye,\u00a0 starting to feel uncomfortable under the intense stare of the pair, attempts to answer her own question with sincerity but zero confidence:\u00a0 That’s where green lady went back to?<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame reduces to a pathetic version of itself and he just resumes walking, silently.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 No, puppy. \u00a0Skycoast is our guild hall.<\/p>\n
Simon:\u00a0 I hear you helped destroy the first one.<\/p>\n
Skye is immediately startled, but also excited:\u00a0 WAIT WHAT?!<\/p>\n
Spike, chuckling nervously, kicks a rock:\u00a0 Oh yeah, about that… Skycoast was not the first.\u00a0\u00a0 We had a Quinhalla,\u00a0 that The Officers and some of us members kinda destroyed.\u00a0\u00a0 Crysania saw it coming though and everything worked out in the end.\u00a0 We eventually set up a new Quinland in the Mists and life became much more user friendly.<\/p>\n
Skye:\u00a0 So Crysania is in Skycoast?\u00a0\u00a0 …and wait?!\u00a0 IN the mists?<\/p>\n
Spike, offers a weak smile:\u00a0 We hope so.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s the last place we saw her,\u00a0 and let’s just say Crysania is of pivotal importance to ol’ Simon and I here.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, IN the mists.\u00a0\u00a0 The QUIN decided that would be best,\u00a0 for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n
Skye nods:\u00a0 You two are quite strange, so I’d really like to meet this person,\u00a0 and could we go to Quinland?<\/p>\n
Spike nods:\u00a0 Well we aren’t your typical people, so I understand,\u00a0 and Quinland was the large overarching interconnected area that encompassed everyone.\u00a0 Skycoast is just essentially what’s left, Crysania’s tower and surrounding grounds.<\/p>\n
Skye, her Asuran curiosity in full swing: \u00a0Other than dimensional travel, apparently, what are you?\u00a0\u00a0 Why is it so important for everyone to go to Skycoast if they still have their parts of Quinland?<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Those questions will likely best be answered in person.<\/p>\n
Skye pouts:\u00a0 but I wanna know now!!!<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Easy there puppy,\u00a0 there’s so much you don’t know – you can’t even remember Lalandra’s name let alone anything else.<\/p>\n
Skye mutters to herself:\u00a0 I don’t like green lady<\/p>\n
Spike pulls out his pipe and questionable substances,\u00a0 gets a light from Simon and takes a long puff:\u00a0 Next time, we’ll let her kill you.<\/p>\n
Skye is immediately alarmed:\u00a0 WHAT?! NO!<\/p>\n
Simon offers:\u00a0 What if,\u00a0 in the Anchorwind absence they want to reunite Quinland and are wrestling for control?<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 That would be kinda neat, but still sad in the sense they’re fighting each other.<\/p>\n
Skye things she’s starting to get it:\u00a0 You two are Anchorwind, I guess?<\/p>\n
Spike almost chokes on his pipe: Holy @#$%, she can be taught!<\/p>\n
Skye, offended:\u00a0 Hey! I’ll have you know I graduated from-<\/p>\n
Spike exhales in her face, forcing her to cough uncontrollably:\u00a0 Yeah, that’s nice pups.<\/p>\n
Skye, looking shocked:\u00a0 That wasn’t very nice!<\/p>\n
Simon can’t help but laugh.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 When you’re “Advanced” like me,\u00a0 then let’s talk.<\/p>\n
Skye pouts: \u00a0Stop being so mean to me.<\/p>\n
The pair glance at each other and shrug.<\/p>\n
Spike gestures with his pipe:\u00a0 Home is back that way.<\/p>\n
Skye, looking shocked again, whines: WHAT? Noooooo…<\/p>\n
The history lesson continued.\u00a0 Tales of old friends and grand adventures continued until the forest thinned and cleared.\u00a0\u00a0 What lay before them now was a beautiful blue sky and rolling fields of grass and farmland blowing in the breeze.\u00a0\u00a0 Off on a peninsula of a cliff was a heavily fortified fortress with several long banners, also blowing in the breeze.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon point at the fortress in unison:\u00a0 Balreth…<\/p>\n
Skye giggles:\u00a0 Sometimes you two are so cute.<\/p>\n
Spike shrugs:\u00a0 When you meet him,\u00a0 you’ll understand.<\/p>\n
They head away from the forest, and towards the fortress and when they do – it becomes clear.<\/p>\n
Simon grasps Spike’s shoulder firmly: Dood! Look…<\/p>\n
Out in the sea, beyond both the forest and the fortress,\u00a0 was Skycoast.<\/p>\n
Skye gasped:\u00a0 It’s, It’s, TALL!<\/p>\n
Skye, studying further:\u00a0 …and floating?<\/p>\n
Spike sheds a tear:\u00a0 We’re so close now, dood.<\/p>\n
Skye, all excited: Well what are we waiting for?\u00a0 Let’s Go!<\/p>\n
Ignoring Skycoast itself was floating, it was still down a tall cliff and a large body of water away.\u00a0\u00a0 That didn’t matter,\u00a0 Spike and Simon had found it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They ignored the fortress and moved in its direction,\u00a0 and soon after stumbled across a roving patrol of armored soldiers.\u00a0 These soldiers all bore the same uniform, but most of them had a bronze color scheme; a couple of the soldiers bore a silver color and the clear leader wore gold.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon hit the dirt immediately, clearly this was the Metallicorps.\u00a0 They did not wish to get into any trouble.\u00a0 Skye however, saw an opportunity to get help.\u00a0 The little Asura stood atop her flying contraption and waved her staff around and shouted for help.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike went to grab her but it was too late.\u00a0\u00a0 The squad’s attention was drawn and they moved to surround the group with haste.\u00a0 Spike muttered further dislike for Skye as he and Simon highfived to merge.<\/p>\n
Spike stood with a roar with rattled a couple of the bronze soldiers and summoned in his hand the spiritual bow of Vixoria.\u00a0\u00a0 Angry at having to do this at all,\u00a0 Spike let loose some barrages of Simon-Infused arrows.\u00a0\u00a0 The rattled bronze-rank soldiers were struck by several and set alight in blue flame and collapsed immediately.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The rest of the squad either raised shields or dodged and closed the distance.<\/p>\n
Skye shrieked in sheer terror for she did not like Angry Spike. \u00a0\u00a0The flashing of steel and the barking of orders from a trained squad was also new to this tiny Asura, and she just cowered and cried.\u00a0 She was quickly caught by a Silver-rank and could clearly hear the brief conversation on what was to happen to her.\u00a0 She could hear Spike yell he didn’t care, and she knew she was about to die.\u00a0 Fortunately for her the Metallicorps seemed more keen on taking prisoners than field executions and she was bound by a bronze-rank instead.\u00a0\u00a0 All she could do now was watch this seven on one fight.<\/p>\n
The gold-rank soldier was clearly the most formidable as both his swordsmanship and his barking of orders kept Spike on his toes the most.\u00a0 It did not take long for Spike to abandon Vixoria’s Bow and summon a new weapon –\u00a0 A Spiritual Version of a Flaming Dragon Sword,\u00a0 courtesy of Token Tank Death.\u00a0\u00a0 Undeterred,\u00a0 the Metallicorps squad surrounded and tried to overwhelm Spike,\u00a0 but the Aura of Simon combined with Hundred Blades and Spike’s blinding speed proved too much for the slower, bunched-up squad.<\/p>\n
The Metallicorps discipline was admirable, however,\u00a0 and the Gold-rank soldier would not yield.\u00a0\u00a0 Battered, singed, and wobbly on his feet he would fend off intruders.\u00a0 Fortunately for him, a carriage raced towards him at speed from the fortress.\u00a0 Spike had no intent to kill anyone, as evidenced by the groaning men who lay all around him, and this gold-rank was in no real condition to attack so there was a long moment of swords being pointed at one another before a voice broke the noise of the breeze.<\/p>\n
“HALT!”<\/p>\n
Spike smiled.<\/p>\n
From out of the carriage emerged a more heavily armored man bearing a platinum-rank.<\/p>\n
Platinum Solder:\u00a0 Lords Anchorwind,\u00a0 I apologize my men need more training-<\/p>\n
The platinum-rank looks around and clears his throat: -in more ways than one.\u00a0 Please come with me.\u00a0\u00a0 My Lord and Lady wish to speak with you, urgently.<\/p>\n
The gold-rank soldier, previously looking at his superior, turns back to Spike and grows pale:\u00a0 A-A-Anchorwind?<\/p>\n
Spike calmly walks up to him and jump-scares him to his face:\u00a0 Boo!<\/p>\n
The gold-rank falls backward in a panic, dropping his sword!<\/p>\n
The platinum-rank scowls audibly, and issues a loud proclamation about at what time people need to be outside his office.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Simon reconstitutes himself as Skye is released,\u00a0 and Spike makes a comment about how it sucks to be them.\u00a0 The stoic platinum-rank soldier chooses not to respond as everyone boards the carriage and it departs swiftly.<\/p>\n
They barely sat down when Skye bursts with exuberance:\u00a0 Are we going to Skycoast?!<\/p>\n
The platinum-rank soldier briefly glances at her, before returning his gaze to Spike and Simon:\u00a0 I was informed there were only two Anchorwind Lords?<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon quickly and enthusiastically agree, speaking over one another.<\/p>\n
Skye folds her arms and pouts.<\/p>\n
The platinum-rank soldier goes to speak, but Spike interrupts:\u00a0 If you could arrange safe transport for her back to…Rata Sum? I’m guessing?\u00a0 That’d be great.<\/p>\n
Skye pleads no, with her face, and tries to argue but is silenced quickly.<\/p>\n
The soldier nods and offers to see what can be done.<\/p>\n
Skye wants to ask about Skycoast again, but the conversation has become hushed.\u00a0\u00a0 The fortress approaches and it is hard to do anything but appreciate it on approach:\u00a0 the different flags of rank,\u00a0 and banners of what can only be assumed as Lord Silverlock and Lady Neveah themselves,\u00a0 the symmetry and order of the fortress combined with the elegant notes of flowers and color,\u00a0 the presence of guards of different rank mixed with hooded figures weaving to and fro, and the everyday folk bustling about.<\/p>\n
The carriage comes to a halt at the main gate, and the platinum-rank soldier exits first.\u00a0 \u00a0Immediately,\u00a0 every other soldier comes to attention.\u00a0 Looking around,\u00a0 there are no other platinum-rank people visible.\u00a0 There are multiple gold-rank,\u00a0 quite a few silver, and a plethora of bronze-rank.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There are even some people with no colored rank all.\u00a0 Spike points out a couple and ponders aloud what they did and giggles.\u00a0 The platinum-rank soldier clears his throat loudly and wishes to hurry along.<\/p>\n
The group approaches the main gate of the fortress.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No one moves on the side of The Metallicorps.\u00a0 \u00a0The platinum-rank soldier draws a dagger, and glides it into the gate of the fortress where he twists the pommel of the dagger.\u00a0\u00a0 There are some audible clicking noises followed by some intense red glowing lines that spread from the lock of the gate throughout the rest of the gate itself.\u00a0\u00a0 The fortress rumbles into life and the gate slowly opens, revealing two long lines of soldiers at attention.\u00a0 At the end of the parallel lines stand a hooded lady adorned in beautiful embroidery and an armored figure with long silver hair, and a thick beard cleaning his glasses.<\/p>\n
The hooded lady swiftly elbows the man cleaning his glasses.\u00a0 He puts them on and smiles.\u00a0\u00a0 He can see again just in time to see Spike arguing with guards who didn’t like his too-swift-for-comfort approach.\u00a0 The sound of “@#$%^ I’ll @#$% you up!” echoes through the entrance space to some restrained chuckles from other guards.<\/p>\n
Balreth holds a hand up and the guards return their weapons.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike gets in the face of the guard “Yeah! What?!” before hurrying down the line in glee.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Skye looks at the 4 of them standing there, and can’t help but think of how stark the contrast is.\u00a0\u00a0 Two of them are: dazzling, radiant, well-kept, and live in this grand place;\u00a0 two of them dress in this old mismatched attire and are: trail worn,\u00a0 kind of dirty,\u00a0 and out of place in any scenario.\u00a0 Two of them look wonderful together.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One of them has a ball of fire for a head and the other still hasn’t fully learned how to wash off makeup from adventures long since passed.\u00a0 Two of them make sense they would be sought out, but these other two?\u00a0 Skye knows they can fight but what else is going on?\u00a0 She realizes she’s already missed the goings on because of her inner monologue.<\/p>\n
Spike: -and Lalandra says Hi.<\/p>\n
Balreth strokes his beard:\u00a0\u00a0 Skycoast continues to elude us.<\/p>\n
Spike is visibly excited:\u00a0 So I’m assuming you have some ship that can help us get there?<\/p>\n
Balreth shakes his head:\u00a0 No,\u00a0 and to make matters worse they have blocked most access to all wood.<\/p>\n
Skye, forgetting herself:\u00a0 What?! Impossible.<\/p>\n
Spike sighs:\u00a0 Please pay no mind to the puppy other than helping her get home.<\/p>\n
Lady Neveah speaks quietly:\u00a0 I’m afraid that’s unlikely.\u00a0\u00a0 ‘Home’ is across the forest, and, well, you’ve seen how well that works.<\/p>\n
Skye makes a taunting gesture at Spike.<\/p>\n
Lady Neveah, flatly:\u00a0 I’m sure we can place her in a labor camp or something useful.<\/p>\n
Spike grins at Skye.<\/p>\n
Skye recoils in horror.<\/p>\n
Balreth and Lady Neveah explain the dynamic of Tyria.\u00a0\u00a0 They explain how Balreth’s troops patrol the roads and routes, and the Neveah spies and merchants handle business in the cities.\u00a0 They also explain how Nyx and Lalandra control the wilderness, including: forests, caves,\u00a0 shallow water areas, etc.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There is currently an uneasy balance as intermediaries from both sides interact with each other in somewhat neutral ways, and plenty of ‘border skirmishes’ happen but nothing decisive.\u00a0 Nyx’s ability to influence animals and Lalandra’s necro powers make for a self-sustaining where as the Metallicorps is fine as long as it stays on the defensive.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon glance at each other and nod.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Why not work together to get into Skycoast though?\u00a0 We’ve always been a team.<\/p>\n
Lady Neveah coughs softly and excuses herself,\u00a0 taking Skye with her despite immediate complaint to the contrary.<\/p>\n
Balreth sighs heavily:\u00a0 Without You, or Crysania, around…<\/p>\n
Balreth looks around and makes dismissive hand gestures.\u00a0 The platinum-rank barks some orders and the place begins to clear out with haste, but organization.<\/p>\n
Balreth:\u00a0 We’ve all grown apart.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m not great at maintaining relationships, the missus is busy building her empire.\u00a0 Lalandra seems to have grown into quite a force of her own,\u00a0 and Nyx is a shadowy figure but her influence can’t be denied.\u00a0 There isn’t a unifying force anymore, no one big banner.<\/p>\n
Spike and Simon both slump and sigh: Quin or Quit has resolved?\u00a0 The answer is quit?<\/p>\n
Balreth strokes his beard:\u00a0 Well, you’re here.\u00a0 I would surmise it isn’t quite over yet, eh?<\/p>\n
Spike grins, a sly grin.\u00a0 Simon’s flame puffs into action.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 So I just need to convince everyone to be Quin again.<\/p>\n
Simon sighs with hope:\u00a0 To be a Quindicate again.<\/p>\n
Balreth:\u00a0 I would appreciate it if you could convince them to cease hostilities and help us build a ship, and help us link The Fortress to Skycoast.<\/p>\n
Spike frowns:\u00a0 Hold on dood, I was cool with you up until the link part.\u00a0 Why would she go with that?<\/p>\n
Balreth strokes his beard:\u00a0 We have all the facilities here already,\u00a0 with you here – why not?<\/p>\n
Simon looks back at the gate:\u00a0 How many people can open that?<\/p>\n
Balreth folds his hands behind his back calmly:\u00a0 That’s Metallicorps information.\u00a0 Not even for you two.<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame flickers thoughtfully:\u00a0 So at any time you can control the flow of everything to said facilities, to potentially include access to Skycoast.<\/p>\n
At this point Lady Neveah re-emerges and whispers something to Balreth.<\/p>\n
Balreth hastily excuses himself, but not before requesting the pair again secure the assistance of Nyx and Lalandra – The Greenecks.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 You think she was listening the whole time?<\/p>\n
Simon:\u00a0 Without a doubt, dood.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 That was great timing on her part.<\/p>\n
Simon’s flame flickers in thought.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 Shall we look around?<\/p>\n
As if on cue,\u00a0 the platinum-rank soldier appears and escorts Spike and Simon back towards the gate.<\/p>\n
The platinum-rank soldier, who is quite tall, look down on the pair:\u00a0 I was doing some quick reading in the archives.\u00a0 I gather that you are a drunk and a thief?<\/p>\n
Spike doesn’t bother to look back up at him:\u00a0 I believe the term you’re looking for is ‘adventurer.’<\/p>\n
The soldier scoffs:\u00a0 Being a bit lucky and nimble isn’t going to get you out of everything.<\/p>\n
Spike jumps out in front of the soldier and waggles a finger in front of the soldier:\u00a0 Now you listen here!\u00a0 I’m not really all that lucky.\u00a0 If you had ACTUALLY done any REAL reading, you’d know about this little thing called the silverluck.<\/p>\n
Spike makes several motions with his hands demonstrating how little loot the Anchorwind get, and how much the Silverlock get.\u00a0\u00a0 He then imitates big money bags hanging off his belt when talking about the Neveah and examines, quickly,\u00a0 the soldier’s belts.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spike points out he doesn’t see big money bags and asks Simon to back him up.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The platinum-rank soldier doesn’t have time for this irritation and pushes Spike along,\u00a0 back to the gate.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At the gate he offers a brief but barely courteous farewell and reminds them of what their mission is.<\/p>\n
At a gesture of a hand the gate closes, and the pair walk off.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Several paces away from the fortress, Spike can’t help but play with the key-dagger a bit.<\/p>\n
Spike, grinning at Simon:\u00a0 I hope he doesn’t get demoted for this.<\/p>\n
Simon grins back, although it’s hard to tell.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 So Balreth will be the easiest to convince, but the other 3 I think will be tougher.\u00a0 Convincing Balreth without Angel is meaningless because Angel will re-convince him otherwise.<\/p>\n
Simon:\u00a0 We should probably also worry about the little one.<\/p>\n
Spike:\u00a0 The puppy?\u00a0 They won’t hurt her.\u00a0 They’re not like that.<\/p>\n
Simon:\u00a0 Both of them?<\/p>\n
Spike smiles a bit:\u00a0 Well, HE won’t.<\/p>\n
Simon giggles, his flame dancing in the breeze:\u00a0 Any ideas on where to begin?<\/p>\n
Spike’s gaze turns back to Skycoast:\u00a0 I guess we go deeper into the forest and see what Lalandra wants.\u00a0 I feel we’re just missing something.\u00a0\u00a0 There’s one big thing preventing everyone from being The Quindicate again.<\/p>\n
Simon stops and stands with his friend, gazing at Skycoast as well.\u00a0\u00a0 They’re so close but still so far away.\u00a0\u00a0 Several powerful figures stand in their way,\u00a0 friends who have drifted apart and don’t understand each other as much anymore.<\/p>\n
Spike shakes his head, as if to clear his thoughts:\u00a0 Come on dood,\u00a0 we won’t get there by standing here staring.<\/p>\n
Simon nods, and they begin again, back to where they just were.\u00a0 However, now they have more information and a new bargaining chip:\u00a0 The key-dagger to The Metallicorps Fortress.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
References:
\nGuild and Life History
\nNot a whole lot else this time \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With no carriage to speak of, and only a vague sense of direction,\u00a0 the only real choice left was to walk.\u00a0\u00a0 Spike, Simon, and a stowaway,\u00a0 decide to head down the forested path on foot.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While the forest itself was beautiful, the lack of animals and animal noises was off putting. Spike:\u00a0 Dood,\u00a0 do you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[278],"class_list":["post-26989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quin","tag-278"],"yoast_head":"\n