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Mission 2: Mysterious Sound in the Forest
Basic Prompt
---> The Shrinking Forest
The forest has been... shrinking! The roar of machinery can be heard through the quiet din of the forest to the east of the Observatory. Put a stop to the loggers before Maru looses it and brings Durem's lawyers and lawsuits here!
Custom Prompt
---> From the window of the Observatory, it's hard to imagine that the lush forest that thrives in the valley below the Observatory (and, from this vantage point, appears to be a thick green carpet) could be in any danger at all.
It wasn't until the vast, green sea of leaves suddenly was riddled with holes like a swiss cheese did anyone notice anything was amiss. Only those who stayed up late at night could see that the darkness seemed thicker than it usually was, and that the crisp, cool night air was unusally extra crispy and warm with a hint of pine.
There have been no reports of any giant, mythical creatures within the area, however. Could this be the work of machines, or perhaps a vile race of unknown enemies that strive for the world's end? Then again, it could just be some mage or Akh'faerin practicing their fire/destruction spells.
Whatever the case is, it's best that if the threat was stopped... And the forest restored. Or, at least restored partically. Or even a little bit -- heck, you could plant one seed and let someone more inclined to the ways and element of Earth to deal with it!
Zyta pounded through the forest, her veiling sleeves dimming her rapid movements and making her appear to be flowing across the ground. She had grown accustomed to the forest's presence after her run in with the pheonix - the general experience had left her with a new inner flame, so to speak. She had always felt as the fire types did, but now she felt a need to act, rather than maintain her distant apathy.
She had started this journey upon overhearing Marushii's concerns for the woods. That had been some hours ago now. Zyta had opted to travel on paw rather than flight, fearing she might miss the culprit under the canopy of the forest. She didn't like the sound of something looming near the Sarnin home...
her home. Whatever it was, it was going to either explain itself and leave or fry. It was just that simple, really. Or so she thought.
Zyta came upon the situation all at once, skidding to a halt on the freshly disturbed dirt. The empty land she stood on now was a stark contrast to thick brush a mere few feet behind her. The sight shook Zyta somewhat, but the shock quickly turned to confusion when she caught sight of the thing causing the disturbance.
It was... a mechanical bunny rabbit?
What in the large world of Gaia was
this?! It's silver frame was a stocky build, but no taller in height than perhaps seven feet. The warrior shook her head and wondered for a moment if this could really be her target. Surely a creature designed like this could not have any malicious intent towards - CRASH! Zyta's thoughts were halted as she saw what she almost didn't want to believe: the rabbit demolishing another grove of trees with its bare hands. ("Hands" being a loose term in this case, as the appendages were really hedgeclippers and an ax.) Now hings made a little sense! Her confusion quickly turned to anger as she took up a pulsating charge, the loose dirt churning under her paws. Making a grand leap, Zyta came down hard on the machine's side. While the assault left a nice sized dent, the rabbit didn't seem very concerned with the pest... which only served to further infuriate the tiger-striped sarnin.
"Don't treat me like a nuiscence you pile of junk!" she exclaimed, fluttering to the air. It responded merely with a few beeps, whirrs, and something about 'trimming the hedges'.
"Tch. Dumb creature." Her lip rolled upward snidely, while on her other cheek the markings under her eye began to glow slightly. However, Zyta was only aware of the fire energy that coursed through her veins - flames licked her leg fur and sparks snapped from her now extended claws. She went in on a diving run, this time causing much more and considerable damage. Her fire easily melted through the metal beast, cutting it into several chunks under her paws.
Zyta paused, letting the moment cool. Something was tugging at her brain, something... she couldn't quite place. She nudged through the remaining parts, soon coming upon one intact square with an inscription in it. She read the lines carefully:
Patented Durem
Mechanical Rab-bot
- Does Everything But Live -
For Thinking: Wind No. 1 Under Left Arm
For Speaking: Wind No. 2 Under Right Arm
For Walking & Action Wind No. 3 Middle of Back
Guaranteed to Work Perfectly
for a Thousand Years
Then, as if on cue, a few fist sized somethings tumbled from beneath another nearby slab - various bags of plants. Trees, bushes, shrubs with laurels, and many other things. "Perfect!" Zyta said smugly, "You might be able to fix what you have destroyed, Rab-bot. Hopefully this dirt can do most of the work on its own."
The fire sarnin took to the air with the bags, one by one, spreading them out across the naked earth. Once she found her work satisfactory, she began home towards the Observatory in the now clearer skies.
"
He must have been a gardening robot, judging by his hands and intent. His thinking must have run down... Durem should keep a better eye on their robots. I wouldn't want to wake up to something like this on Easter morning."
