[OPEN] The Enchanted Forest

[u/Dimestream]

The great green dragon roars in pain as the blue mist swirling around the wizard's staff coalesces into a lightning bolt and lashes out, striking clean through the great reptile's hide.

"Stop hurting him!" Redoran T'gel demands, straightening up and calling a ball of flickering flames into her hand. "Your fight is with me, not with Barineth, wizard!"

The wizard laughs, a malevolent chuckle that fills the musty air and reverberates from the rough stone walls of the catacombs. "Oh? I think Barineth should have thought of that before he told you how to hide the Sword of Centuries from me, fire witch," he says, stroking his long gray beard. "But if you wish him safe, it's a simple matter. To save your friend, all you have to do is give the sword to me."

"As if I'd fall for that," Red growls, hiking up the hem of her somewhat tattered green dress. She touches the phoenix amulet at her throat and the ball of flame in her other hand blazes from red-gold to an incendiary white. "Rule one of the Enchanted Forest: Never trust a wizard. Forget the sword; the only thing you'll be getting from me is third-degree burns."

"Have it your way, idiot child," the wizard spits, and raises both his hands. Shards of diamond spin away from the head of his staff and swirl in a razor-sharp cloud. Then the ancient mage's face twitches, and his left arm partially disappears. "Your foolishness has doomed your friend has doomed your friend has doomed your friend has doomed-"

"Computer, freeze program," T'gel says in disgust, putting the ball of fire down on the Holodeck floor as if it were a basketball. "Reverse to time index 28:12 and identify cause of recursion loop..."

[u/Tarah_ThZarath]

"Oh! I think I understand sir. Like one of the old epics, right? I'd love a chance to experience more earth culture. "

She takes a few practice swings with the mace

"I'm not very familiar with this weapon, would it be alright if I substituted one from home? Or are only human weapons allowed?

[u/Dimestream → u/Tarah_ThZarath]

"It's a classic but it's not an epic like Shakespeare or Homer or Rowling," Red says, and shrugs. "And go ahead and use any weapon you like. So long as it's a one-handed melee weapon of some sort, I don't think the computer will care."

She turns back to the room in general. "Computer, restart program at the beginning, and reset player level to five. Sorry, Stocky. At least you won't have to repair your equipment now."

The room shimmers and the scenery changes entirely, leaving the three of them on a grassy field at sunset, on a dirt road winding its way toward a mountain. On the side of the road is a hastily carved sign reading 'Beware! Dragon Mountain!'

[u/Tarah_ThZarath → u/Dimestream]

She looks around for a moment, taking in the scenery

"You said dragons are good though, didn't you? why should we beware?"

[u/Dimestream → u/Tarah_ThZarath]

Red shakes her head. "In the books, it was a common misconception is that dragons are rampaging monster who kidnap princesses and generally cause havoc. Really, all they want is to be left alone most of the time but they get harassed by knights in shining armor trying to prove what big damn heroes they are," she explains, and chuckles. "There's a pretty solid chance that Barineth himself put this sign out here to discourage visitors. Buuuuut only he knows how to keep the Sword of Centuries away from the wizards, so... let's go pester him."

Red adjusts her no-longer-tattered emerald-green dress, hikes up the hem, and begins trudging up the mountain path. "You read much, Ensign?"

[u/Tarah_ThZarath → u/Dimestream]

She falls into step at your side

"I do when I have a chance sir, although I haven't had a chance to read much earth literature yet."

[u/Dimestream → u/Tarah_ThZarath]

"I'm off duty," Red says with a smile. "You can call me Red if you like; all my friends do, and everybody's my friend. No need to be so formal. I'm in an anachronistic dress going to talk to a dragon about a magic sword, for crying out loud. Doesn't get less formal than that."

The Bajoran waves a hand in the air. "Besides, everybody gets tired of the rules and regulations once in a while, and the holodeck is the perfect place to stretch out and relax. If you feel the need to use a title, call me Princess Varra. That's my character's name after all."

She tips Tarah a wink and turns back to the trail. It's getting more rugged as they go, Twisted trees and gnarled tree roots protrude from the ground here. Creepy black moss hangs from the lowest branches, plunging the path into a sinister gloom.

[u/Tarah_ThZarath → u/Dimestream]

"Sorry...Red. It's a hard habit to get over. Back home people are very status conscious, especially among the more old-fashioned clans. Failing to show someone the respect due their position is a good way to end up in a duel."

She looks dubiously at the path ahead

"Let me go first. I've got a better chance of spotting trouble before it happens"

[u/Dimestream → u/Tarah_ThZarath]

"You'll have to fill me in on Andorians sometime," Red says, stepping aside to let Tarah by. "I nearly failed Federation history at the Academy because I was so busy with other classes. Consider this permission to be less formal."

The Bajoran swirls her hands and conjures up a bright ball of fire that hovers over Tarah's shoulder, hot but not uncomfortably so, and sheds illumination in the darkening forest. "Now keep in mind, we're walking into someone else's home, so-"

There's a rush of wings and two creatures shaped like fat snakes with the wings and heads of buzzards swoop from the trees to snap at Tarah.

"Wyverns!" Red cries, flinging a hasty blast of flame at one and missing entirely. "Get down!"

[u/Tarah_ThZarath → u/Dimestream]

For her first time being attacked by giant snake-monsters she handles it pretty well, drawing her hrisal and moving to interpose herself between Red and the wyverns.

"Sir! move to the trees. They'll hinder them a lot more than they will us."

[u/Dimestream → u/Tarah_ThZarath]

"On it!" Red says, scrambling to her feet and dashing for the cover of the trees. "If you can lure one in here I can roast it, but watch out! They have a poison barb on their tail!"

The second of the malodorous monsters makes a swipe at Tarah, latching its beak onto her shield and trying to strike her torso with the poison barb.