World Tree MUSH

     Diantha has been doing a lot of wandering around the multiverse as of late. The last few places she's been to have also been cities, which are not exactly her favorite place to be, though the one on Serrah's blossom was a bit more bearable. Now she wants to get out into the wilds, relax, and take care of herself a bit. As luck would have it, the next vine takes her to such a place, almost as if it listened to her desires. 

     She finds herself in a moderately sparse forest, with a river running through it. Shortly up ahead, she notes that there is a gentle waterfall that dumps into a small pond. So she promptly walks up to the pond, pulls her pack from her waist and sets it down by a tree, and heads under the waterfall for a nice refreshing natural shower. "Ahh, that feels incredible..." She utters with a contented sigh, feeling the worries of her day just ebb away.

    Prince Adam of Eternia. Cringer, his faithful friend. Together, these two are spending the day out and about /not/ doing what they are supposed to be doing. They /should/ be off and trying to make some diplomatic decisions and finding more allies for the Kingdom of Eternia. Or at least just shaking hands and making nice. To keep communications open. Instead, they are doing something so much more, well, not-worky.

    "3... 2... 1." Adam lifts his head off the tree that he's been using to cover his eyes. "Ready or not! Here I come!"

    Prince Adam is wearing a huge smile as he turns away from the tree to see if he can't spot some hint of his friends. He's pretty sure Orko's around here too.

    Adam pretends not to see Cringer's tail sticking up out of the water. He always gives that cat a second (or third) chance to hide.

    Does Orko think that Prince Adam is too old for hide-and-seek? Hah! No one's ever too old for that game! Does Orko think for a moment that perhaps Prince Adam should be seeing to more pressing, important activities that actually have to do with being a prince? Hey, even a prince needs a break from all the stress, and what better way to do that than to play a game or two?

    At least that's what the loyal court magician's been convinced, and as he knows it's difficult dissuading Adam from anything he's set his mind to, he can still keep an eye on him -and- have fun at the same time.

    While the prince has been counting down, Orko's drifted about looking for the perfect place to hide. It sounds like there's a waterfall nearby, nearly drowning out the prince's shout. "Uh-oh..!" Glancing around, Orko dives into some bushes, chuckling to himself. "Prince Adam'll never find me here..!"

     Diantha tenses a bit as she hears voices nearby. She quickly and quietly moves to grab her staff, which she had also set down by her bag and does her best to hide behind a few trees as she watches her new company for a moment. It's not long before she realizes there is what looks like a human, a small figure in a red robe outfit and a wizards hat whom she couldn't quite make out, but looked about the size of a gnome from her world, and of course there was the feline tail sticking out of the water, which looked to belong to a fairly large feline. "Are they playing some sort of game? Or trying to ambush someone?" She quietly wonders to herself.

    Cringer's tail is still in the water and eventually the poor cat is going to have to come up for air. But as it stands, right now, he's just kind of splashing (quietly) around as he keeps trying to stay hidden.

    Adam strolls through the trees like he owns the place. He's not even sure where they are. They've been traversing all these various worlds for so long now it's not even a good idea to keep track. That's somebody else's job anyway. This whole 'traveling the lands' should be someone else's job too but... whatever.

    Adam scoops up a large tree branch and gives it a twirl as he idly heads in the direction of the waterfall. "Orko! If you're using magic again... that's cheating and I've got a stick here with your name on it!" Adam teases. "Cringer! Same goes for you! No using cat like reflexes to climb into the trees where I couldn't possibly get to you!"

    That last part may be a bit of a hint to his feline friend. Thus why the green and orange tiger peeks his eyes out of the water. Hmmmmm.

    Upon hearing Adam shouting his name, Orko covers his mouth with his hands, eyes darting about as his pointed ears perk, listening for the prince's approach. It's hard to tell just where he is, but he -thinks- the prince is coming closer. 

    And so he stays absolutely still, completely unaware that they're hardly the only ones in the area. Cringer's a wildcard at this game so Orko's not quick to judge just how well or terrible the green-furred cat can be at hiding, but one thing's for sure, he does -not- want to be found first! 

    ...so just pay no attention to that bit of red sticking out of the bush. It's probably nothing!

     Diantha continues to watch, though now her tense grip on her staff has loosened since it was clear that this was a game unless this human male was trying to trick her. She didn't think any of them knew she was here though as of yet. Noting the hilt of a sword visible at the man's back, she is wary of startling them and hopes this doesn't end up being a bad idea, but she decides to join in this game. 

     Wading into the lake as quietly as she can, she soon does a shapeshift, her body enveloped in a white mist for a moment as it rapidly streamlines and rearranges her various limbs as she becomes a tideskipper dolphin. She takes a breath and then allows herself to sink to the bottom of the lake, offering Cringer a wink.

    The screeching yowl of Cringer is enough to let all of Eternia know where he is. Which is even worse since they aren't even in Eternia! The giant tiger is up and splashing free of the water, taking out in a full out run towards Adam!

    "Cringer! Wait, buddy! No, you're supposed to /hide/-- oof!"

    Adam gets bowled right over by the giant cat that leaps at him. Adam hits the ground, his stick sailing through the air towards the only red in the bushes nearby! Cringer takes up residence behind some small bushes of his own and starts shaking like crazy.

    Adam sits up and runs a hand through his hair, his facial expression is only slightly annoyed. This happens to him all the time.

    "Cringer..." Though, Adam's eyes are on the lake since that's the direction Cringer came from. Something in there must've spooked him. Hrm. "I'll check it out, buddy. Try to relax." Adam gets to his feet and takes some slightly more cautious steps towards the lake.

    That sound is enough to nearly startle Orko out of his own hiding place! Fortunately (or is it unfortunately?), bushes are kind of grabby at material, effectively keeping him from popping out at Cringer's cry. The yelp from the bushes however would be a dead giveaway if the red hadn't been-- granted anyone were paying attention. 

    "Oh no, what's happening? Are we under attack? Prince Ada-- ow..!"

    *Thok!* the stick knocks him squarely on the noggin, indenting his hat. For a moment Orko sees stars, his recovery swift as he shakes his head out and then attempts to extract himself from the bushes. "Prince Adam! Hey, what's- oh c'mon, leggo!" he grunts, tugging at the end of his robe as it's stubbornly caught on a branch. He floats there, giving a few more forceful tugs before the branch finally snaps and he goes flying-- directly towards Adam.

     Diantha feels bad that she frightened the feline that was hiding in the water, though she doesn't yet know what else has transpired. She'd certainly feel a lot worse if she knew she had pretty much ruined the game of hide and seek. However eventually a dolphin must come up for air, and so she kicks her tail and rises to the surface, breaching to take a breath, she also looks and sees the man heading toward the lake and the smaller figure in red running toward him. She tries to talk, momentarily forgetting she's shifted, and all that comes out are some dolphin-like clicks and whistles. 

     She takes a moment to weigh her options and decides to shift back. If he was coming for her, at least this way she'd be able to run away. As a dolphin in a lake, with only a shallow stream flowing away from it, she'd be quite trapped. Once she's back to her normal form, if Adam hasn't tried to kill her yet, she'll give an apology. "I'm sorry if I frightened anyone, it was not what I intended. I was trying to join in your game."

    "I'm sure it's fine! No big dea--" WHAM! Adam takes an Orko to the back and goes down again. When he hits the ground, he just kind of stays there for a little while. Just laying there as if there's no point in getting up since he's going to get run over by one of his friends again.

    "We've got to find some safer games to play."

    Adam's getting back up to his feet in time to see the dolphin changing into a not-dolphin. An eyebrow raises but he's already wiping the dirt from his various falls from his stylish outfit. "Hey, uh, no problem. We never really make it /this/ far into the game. So we'll count this as a small miracle, huh?" Adam plasters on his Princely Smile.

    "I'm Adam. Prince of Eternia." He immediately motions towards his pals. "This is Orko and the scaredy cat over there? That's Cringer. We're sorry if we interrupted anything. We were just taking a break from uh... important mission things!" Taking a break from being lazy!

    Head spinning, Orko might be a little thankful that Adam doesn't decide to get up just yet. All the same, the little sorcerer just kind of slides off once the prince -does- start to get to his feet, a pool of red robes and hat that sits up and shakes his head and the rest of himself out before taking to the air again. He looks around, quickly taking in the situation and the- oh! So they're not alone out here after all!

    "Er, hi!" Orko greets cheerfully, waving blue fingers at Diantha. "Yeah, it's probably better you interrupted the game. Who knew hide-and-seek could be so painful?"

     The way Adam casually affords that even if she hadn't been there this was further than they usually get in that game gets a small giggle out of the dryad. "So now I broke what could have been a new record for your game. I am truly sorry. Though to the issue of getting hurt while playing, I could have helped with that, I'm a healer. My name is Diantha Windsong, a dryad of Azeroth. I was taking a shower under the waterfall when I heard your voice, but now I guess I've had a bath too." She says as her hair and fur are still dripping wet. "Nice to meet you all though, sorry if I frightened you." She offers the latter to Cringer.

    Adam is in the middle of dragging Cringer out by the tail. There's some scraping of the ground and sharp claws that should be used for anything else finally loosen enough for Adam to get the big tiger out.

    "See? It's fine. She's fine. You're fine. Orko's fine. We're all fine." There's some scritching of the big cat to keep him calm as Adam looks back to Diantha.

    "That won't be necessary. Orko here has some of the finest healing magic this side of Snake Mountain. Show her, Orko." Here we go, Adam trying to big up his friends.

    "Nice to meet you, Diantha. I don't think I've ever met a dryad before!" Orko says, hovering closer while Adam deals with Cringer. He rubs his hat where the stick had bounced off of, waving his other hand at that. "Aw, it's fine. I've had worse!" 

    Hearing that she's a healer does perk his interest, although with Adam boasting his skills for him, the red-robed sorcerer can't help but puff his chest out with pride. "Well, I can do a whole lot of magic, really. Um, let's see." He thinks for a moment before snapping his fingers, and then he begins to sweep his arms up and about with the beginnings of a spell.

    "Here's a quick cure for our pain, spitter-spatter, healing rain..!" 

    His fingers wiggle about, and for a moment nothing happens. And then there's a *paf!* and floating there just below the foliage of the trees above them is...a small rain cloud. It spits a drop on Cringer's nose.

     Diantha will attempt to approach Cringer, using her knowledge of wildlife body language to move in a manner that hopefully would put him more at ease. "I am truly sorry. I love all creatures large and small, and would never intentionally frighten one. It was a lapse of judgment." She says in a calm tone as she slowly reaches out with one hand, and will gently pet Cringer if allowed. As Orko speaks of his magic after Adam's boasting, she smiles and laughs lightly, looking back at him. "Ah, a healing mage then? How interesting. For some reason mages, where I come from, tend not to study any healing magic. I'm a druid, so my magic is based in nature."

    Cringer can forgive and forget with the quickness. Maybe it's the combination of being next to Adam and the healing rain droplet and the fact that Diantha is looking a lot less threatening that makes him calmer again. There's even some purring while he's being petted. It's all good.

    "Orko can do it all. He makes up the magic portion of our little band of adventurers here. The Eternian Three, they call us." Adam puffs up his own chest. "Cringer, our ferocious feline! Orko, our majestic mage! And me, Adam, the wild warrior." The big grin is given.

    "And yes, the tales of our greatness are both legendary and true. Even in our downtime, we have slain the darkest of evils!" Oh god. Here we go.

    Orko meanwhile scowls a little at the tiny cloud and its lackluster performance. Not quiiite what he had in mind. He floats up towards it and pokes at it with a finger, and when it does nothing he shrugs and folds his arms, turning to glance back down at the others. As Adam offers his own rundown of Orko's abilities (as to which Orko sees no problem with anything said), the little mage nods, tilting his head up proudly. 

    ...until his little cloud zaps him and sends him shooting up through the canopy of greenery with a "-yow!!"

     Diantha nods as Adam boasts of his group and their adventures, smiling warmly. "Sounds like quite the team. I try my best to avoid violence, but I'm still a protector of nature first, so sometimes fighting is needed..." She trails off and blinks once as Orko is zapped and goes flying, otherwise quickly moving to catch him if she's able to get beneath him in time.

    "Ahahahahah....aha. Ha. Orko! Always kidding around!"

    Adam's words are clearly not matching up with the actions of the other Eternian Two. But he's pretty sure he can continue to sell them as a heroic warrior group!

    "Ah, you are correct! Violence is never truly the answer. But some vile forces simply refuse to hear anything but!" Adam turns to lean up against the nearest tree. "We all have to do our part to protect the innocent. Nature, included."

    What goes up must come down, and indeed Orko for all his floating still must obey gravity to some extent. Thankfully he has a dryad waiting below as he plunges through another overshadowing of leaves and twigs, leaving an Orko-shaped hole in his wake. Yet he finds himself safely cradled in Diantha's arms rather than meeting the ground.

    He slooowly cracks an eye open, and then the other as no fresh wave of pain comes. Then he looks down, and then up, and while no blush can be seen for the shadows obscuring his face, Orko still manages a sheepish but shy look at the dryad.

    "O-oh, nice catch! Thanks Diantha!" 

    It seems he's come back in time for another of the prince's hero-speeches, as to which he can only nod dutifully.

     Diantha smiles after she catches Orko, gently setting him back on the ground. "You're welcome, didn't want to see you make a little crater in the ground." She offers with a nod, then turns to Adam. 

     "Of course, I also protect my friends. Just because I don't like violence doesn't mean that I'm not aware that as you said, some evils refuse to listen to any sort of reason, like The Burning Legion for example, they are a scourge on my world's universe, seeming to be trying to wipe out all life that isn't a demon like their own forces. Fortunately, through combined efforts of heroes on my world, the legion was recently dealt a major defeat."

    "Well, if you guys ever need a hand... feel free to give a call to the Eternian Three! We travel these vast lands to help others! Ally with Kingdoms great and small in the name of my father, King Randor and for all of Eternia. We pride ourselves on bringing peace to all lands we come across. It is our duty and our way." Adam doesn't even realize he's actually doing the job he's been tasked with right now. He's just trying to gloat!

    Cringer curls up next to Adam's feet to get some rest. He's had enough of a fright today!

    Dipping his head with another word of thanks, Orko dusts himself off, plucking a few leaves from his robes before he floats back up again to the height he's most used to. 

    "The Burning Legion? Just the name sounds scary," he opines, cringing a little at the deeds Diantha tells them such a legion is responsible for. That they were defeated recently is at least reassuring, and the mage sags with a sigh in relief as he hovers beside Adam.

    The prince's words sink in then, and naturally Orko can't help but look a little worriedly at him with the offer given. Them against something like this Burning Legion? Oh, but surely that wouldn't be necessary if the people back in Diantha's world were able to handle things. Back-up. They can be excellent back-up. And yes, Orko can't argue against the whole greeting and allying with other kingdoms, so despite how unsure he looks, he still manages to at least nod emphatically in agreement.

     Diantha smiles at Adam, appreciating the offer of support. "Well, my Kaldorei neighbors could probably use any help they can get right now. Peace doesn't ever seem to last on my world, and through all the races of the world worked together to defeat the legion, how quickly they return to fighting each other..." She pauses and shakes her head grimly. 

     "Last I heard I heard before I was sucked through a vine that the Kaldorei capital city was burned, and this city was built into the boughs of an enormous tree, so..., pretty bad. My heart still hearts thinking about the loss of such a beautiful place. But I've since been stuck among the World Tree here, unable to find a way to return to my own world. I suppose in the meantime, if you have need of me, I could help you. It would only be fair."

    Adam pushes off the tree he was leaning against and claps his hands together. "Then it is settled! We shall return to Eternia and I shall introduce you to my father, the King and we will further discuss the details of this alliance! And, perhaps, even manage to get in a game of hide-and-seek or two!"

    Adam is just happy he's /finally/ found someone that is willing to join the alliance that he continuously offers to almost everyone he comes across.

    "Mighty Orko! A portal, if you please!"

    He has no idea if Orko can even do that but here's to hoping!

    "Aw gee, sorry to hear that, Diantha," Orko says as he looks sadly towards the dryad. To cities burned and being lost both. It seemed like the latter especially was not an unusual occurence when it came to the World Tree. He can't even keep straight the places they -have- visited that it's a wonder they ever find Eternia.

    Although speaking of...

    "Huh? Wha-?" He stiffens at Adam's abrupt direction, looking about to go through the motions out of pure reflex when he pauses again, scratching his head as he turns towards the prince.

    "Um... a portal, your highness?" If portals were that easy then he wouldn't have been stuck on Eternia for as long as he'd been, after all..!

     Diantha nods and is happy for the change of subject when Adam asks about a portal back to Eternia, and Orko makes it clear it's not something he is capable of. "Can't we just take the vines back? I admit I haven't really gotten the hang of it all yet, but it seems some people are able to go where they want."

    "Yes, yes. You're right. We shouldn't show off our amazing abilities in excess, Orko!" Adam reaches down to pat Cringer back awake with a few pets. "Come. Let us journey towards the nearest vine and make our way back to Eternia. Who knows, perhaps there will be adventure along the way."

    Adam looks almost thankful for the opportunity to save face. Uh, kind of.