You lose count of the number of days you spend getting to know each other while making your way through villages, across a frozen lake, and becoming tripped up by a torn down bridge having to backtrack. All while navigating interactions with many people and animals you’d consider unconventional, but who appear to be perfectly normal to everybody else.
It hadn’t occurred to you how extensive this journey would be.
Along the way you learn that the evil sorcerer gained his power by selling his soul to the underworld in exchange for an unholy reliquary of atrocities, containing all the necessary darkness needed to dominate his enemies.
For the most part, however, you spend the time discussing more lighthearted topics to avoid thinking about what is to come.
Days and nights blur together with each new set of woods you enter, but something about the one you’re in now has a particularly diabolical air to it. A few times you have both gotten the impression of being watched, even catching glimpses of a pair of steely human eyes peering out through the gloom.
At this point you’ve gotten used to distracting yourself from the knowledge that someone so treacherous is regaining power with each hour, day, and week that passes.
Although you aren’t sure how you’ll be of any help, aiding the royal family in finding who they’re looking for does sound like the kinda good deed that would really help put you in a holiday spirit.
With winter solstice approaching on the heels of a new year, you can’t help reminiscing about a time you had a family of your own. Even if you were too young to remember them.
Maybe this Dowager Empress has some connections that could help me, you muse. Couldn’t hurt to ask. Especially if l am able to be of some assistance.
The fateful day must be about to arrive, but with all your nerves and confusion, you haven’t been able to bring yourself to ask about it.
Hearing the hooting sounds of owls, you look up into the trees to spot a few sets of eyes looking at you, unblinking.
One of them lifts itself into the air and dives toward you. Ducking to avoid being hit, the owl soars straight over you, and you realize it has antlers coming out of the top of its head.
How strange!
This is definitely unlike any place you’ve ever been to before. You’re feeling very whimsical, but also a little uneasy.
Following a strange man deeper into a strange land, only to present yourself with uncertain ability to help an unknown family of polar bears just isn’t exactly what you were prepared for, and it’s causing you to second guess yourself and turn back around even after coming all this way.
Then another owl swoops down, and as you dodge once more, you realize that it’s eyes are shining like dimly lit flashlights on the back of Mitri’s neck, where it flickers off the necklace he’s wearing.
Suddenly it occurs to you that these funny little owls with funny little antlers aren’t just hooting. They’re saying “Looooook. Look-look-loooooook.”
As a third of the owls flies down and shines it’s eyes in the same way, you’re pretty sure you understand what they want you to do.
The locket. Of course! You had wanted to check inside this entire way, but for some reason stopped yourself every time you came close to asking for a further inspection.
“Uhm, Mitri,” you clear your throat. “Would it be alright if I took a closer look at that locket of yours?”
Shrugging, he pulls the thing off his neck, responding with an off handed “Sure,” before passing it over.
Whenever you think of a locket, the shape of a heart comes to mind. This one is more like a paw. Rounded along the bottom, with little claws poking out at the top. Textured etchings of white gold fur make it feel interesting to the touch.
Prying the locket open, there’s a message written inside. Reading the text out loud is like casting an incantation that has you feeling so cozy, as if you’re being wrapped in the warm embrace of someone oh so special.
Task:
Solve the following Fallen Letters puzzle to reveal what’s inside the locket, and Send Me Your Solution through a private message!
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Alternatively you may contribute a personal Review in 100 words or more of one of your favorite books or movies that makes you feel warm and fuzzy (of course being sure to choose something where the content is family friendly).
This task is worth 15 beans/sapphires, with an additional 15 bonus beans/sapphires for completing all Week Two tasks by end of activity. Deadline is 11:59pm (HOL time) on Thursday December 21st.
