ROLEPLAY HQ - carved-in-stone

A storm was blowing through a small little town one dark evening. A young woman was running through the woods; Lyra. Her eyes were wide with panic as she panted, her bare feet slapping the wet dirt path as she ran. One of the village priests was hot on her trail, shouting at her and calling her a witch. He had caught her feeding a family of ravens in the grave yard once more, and when she stood up to him, he chased her. This was nothing new, but this priest seemed more aggressive. Something about how she had become such a 'lewd' woman, and how he should teach her how a proper woman should act. Lyra's village was run by a small church with several priests and one main bishop. They had come long before Lyra was born, but if they deemed a villager an 'out cast' like Lyra, they made that villager's life a living nightmare; and unfortunately, Lyra was the 'lucky' villager. Lyra ran to the only safe place she knew of. Behind the village was an old church that had long since crumbled to ruin. Large stone creatures sat in the courtyard of the church. Most of the villagers, and the church, had no idea this little ruin was even around. But Lyra knew. And she had favored one statue in particular. She was unsure why exactly, but the statue had called to her, and from the age of six, up to now, age twenty, she had come to visit the statue every single day. Some days she would lay in the statues lap. She would nap, or put flower crowns on it. She would sing to the statue and talk to it as if it were real. But, this statue was her only safe space now. Lyra panted as she found her statue. She crawled into the statue's arms, trembling as she hugged it tightly. Tears ran down her cheeks as she hid from the priest. Sharp bits from the statue scratched her fingers, causing them to bleed slightly. A single drop of blood landed onto the statue's hand. "Come out come out where ever you are, you little witch!" The priest screamed, scanning the courtyard for the red headed woman.

Gareth had grown up in a wealthy family, and he had been raised with the best of everything: the best horses, the best education, the best clothes, - and one day - the best mates. Unfortunately, he hadn't been taught not to let that kind of thing get to his head, and ended up with quite the temper and an attitude that reeked of a superiority complex. One day Gareth was walking around his village and passed through the courtyard of a church. In the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by stone gargoyles, sat a very small, strange looking woman. She was covered in layers even though the day was hot, and she more a very baggy hat. Her head was so obscured by her clothing that you could only make out her eyes. Feebly, she asked Gareth for spare silver or a bite to eat. Gareth was disgusted by this woman - he worked hard to afford his lifestyle, or at least his parents did! He became angry at the beggar and kicked some dirt in her face as he walked off. Well, what Gareth didn't know was that the woman was not just a woman - no, she was a guardian spirit, watching over the village. As Gareth walked away, he heard a croaky old voice behind him. "The one who loves none other than himself. May you learn to love, or be cast in stone, trapped with ones own thoughts for eternity!" Gareth spun around at the strange words. "What did yo-" He was interrupted mid-sentence by the spirit, whose eyes had begun to glow blue. He went to walk towards her, but his legs wouldnt move; when he looked down, he was agast to discover himself turning to stone. He yelled, but quickly the spell took him and he was frozen in time. Until he learned to love, he would be forced into this grotesque stone form.

18:42

Centuries past with Gareth feeling only fury, not understanding what had happened to him or if he could do anything about it. People passed the gargoyles day in and day out, and all Gareth could do was look at them with jealousy. Time passed and the priests built a new center of worship. Gareth's rage turned to bitter loneliness - even when he couldn't talk to them, he still preferred seeing people scurry through the courtyard. Now there was nothing, other than the occasional rat. One day, a little girl happened past the courtyard, stopping at Gareth's stone form. He didn't know why she stopped, but it had been so long since he'd seen someone pass through, much less stop to pay him attention. Somehow, he must have been able to show the girl those emotions, becuase she stopped to stay that day. And the next. And the next. The girl brought things for Gareth, hanging them around his neck or leaving them in his lap. It had been so long that Gareth no longer experienced the anger he once felt, seeing a living human cross his path - now, he looked forward to seeing the girl come, wondering what she'd bring every day. The years passed and Gareth watched Lyra become a young woman. Occasionally, she would come with scars or bruises, and Gareth wondered to himself who would hurt such a kind soul. Of course, he was stuck in stone, unable to ask or find out. All he could do was watch over Lyra and offer his stony comfort.

18:42

That day, Gareth heard Lyra's footfalls in the forest - they sounded very fast, like she was running, and this wasnt the time she usually came by. Another set of footsteps could be heard trailing her. She ran up to Gareth, trying to squeeze her body between his folded arms. The man came up, clearly looking for her. Gareth burned with rage - so THIS is the one who would hurt his friend! Never before had he wanted to escape this form so badly, to defend someone else. Something he had never felt before as a human... A drop of blood from Lyra's hand touched Gareth's stone palm. He was so furious over the intrusion that he almost didn't realize his hand could....move. He felt the sensation, like a warm tingling, start to move over his body as the priest came closer to them.

"Found you, you little harlet." The priest snarled, his wrinkly fingers locking onto the back of Lyra's hair. Lyra gasped, desperately trying to push her way out of the priest's grasp. "Let me go! Let me go!!" She screamed, fear and terror dripping through her voice like a song. The priest scoffed bitterly and yanked the back of her dress and pulled her down onto the ground. Turning onto her stomach, Lyra scrambled to crawl away from the priest. He stomped hard on her back and then reached down and grabbed her hair, twisting his gnarled fingers through her red locks. He tugged her head back, laughing curelly. "Easy now, witch." He smirked. He looked down at Lyra's bright eyes, his own dull ones flashing with cruel misery. "I wonder how good you are..." He said softly. Lyra's eyes widened as the priest yanked her up and turned her over. His hands began to grab at her dress. Lyra screamed loudly, tears running down her cheeks. "Someone!! Anyone! Please! Please help me!!!" She screamed.

It had been so long since Gareth had last moved that he did not quite understand what was happening, as his stone arm left its normal resting place, folded across his chest. The priest was bent over Lyra in front of him, trying to violate her as she screamed in resistance. The priest was so focused on Lyra that he didn't notice the gargoyle's movement, its hand lifting high behind it and coming down for a swing. Gareth's stone fist made contact with the priest's temple. Unlike a normal fist, Gareths was not soft and meaty but cold and hard like the stone it was composed of. The priest lost consciousness instantly, the force of the blow making his head jerk. He tilted to one side and fell off Lyra and onto the ground. As quickly as the life had entered Gareth it began to leave him. He felt his body returning to its rigid form, his arm still outstretched to where it connected with the priests skull. He wanted to say something, wanted to let Lyra know he was there - but for now, all he could do was move his eyes to meet with hers before he again froze in this new position.

Lyra felt hot wet blood splatter onto her face from the sudden stone fist that crashed into the priest's temple. The priest's body collapsed onto its side and Lyra panted, her body shaking. She looked up at the stone gargoyle that she had grown so fond of over the years. It...It had moved. It had.... saved her. Lyra looked at the priest, his skull heavily impacted and crushed by the force of the hit. He was clearly... dead. Swallowing hard, Lyra slowly climbed to her feet. She brushed her tears, and the blood of the priest, off of her face with her sleeves. Hesitantly, she walked forward towards the statue. It didn't move. "H-Hello?" Lyra whispered. This felt...so unreal! Reaching up, Lyra touched the gargoyle's face. It was stone. It felt like stone. "Can....Can you move again?" She asked softly. She waited to see if the stone statue would move once more. She had to be certain. Did she imagine the statue moving? No, she didn't recall the statue being in this position with its arm extended. But... perhaps she was wrong. Maybe it had been like that always?

Gareth's spirit was still there as it had always been, looking out onto the courtyard before him. Lyra there, trying to figure out what had happened. For one precious moment he had been alive again, able to leave this wretched place, and yet in that instant all he'd wanted to do was to protect Lyra, to protect this girl who he had watched grow into a young woman in front of him. At least he had been there for her when she needed it most, even if he did not understand what had happened. Lyra was talking to Gareth, trying to come to terms with what she had just witnessed. Gareth wanted to reply so badly, but whatever magic had brought him life had taken it back just as quickly. Lyra brought a hand up to Gareth's face, and as she brushed his cheek he felt a tingle travels across his jawline, spreading through his head and moving down to the rest of his body. Within a few seconds, Gareth movement had fully returned. He looked down at his hands, turning them over and looking at his stony palms. Then he turned to Lyra, standing in front of him. He didn't understand what was happening, and perhaps neither did she, but her touch proved to him that she was responsible for bringing him back to life. His eyes met hers, still the texture and color of stone. "You...you've lifted the curse." Gareth stared at Lyra, still in disbelief at what had happened.

Lyra gasped as she felt the statue beneath her twitch, and soon, he moved. A voice spoke, saying that she 'lifted the curse'. Lyra stared in confusion at the stone statue that was now... talking. "I-I....I didn't do anything." She whispered in disbelief. What curse? He was just a statue! Right? RIGHT? Lyra looked at the statue, her eyes roaming the beast's large form. For some reason, despite all logic, she didn't feel afraid. She had come to this statue for nearly fifteen years. How could she be afraid of it? Slowly, Lyra's hand moved out to touch the statue's arm. It was still stone, but, now it had life behind it. "A-Are you....Real?" She asked. "I'm not dreaming, am I?" Her voice was soft, unsure if she spoke the wrong words that this dream would end. Her friend for so many years would vanish. Tears pricked Lyra's eyes and her fingers curled around one of the beast's massive stone fingers. "Please, be real." She whimpered. "Please don't let me be alone again." She whispered, looking at the ground and squeezing her eyes shut tightly.

A flood of emotions washed over Gareth as he attempted to process the events that had taken place. Confusion. Anger. His attention turned to Lyra, standing in front of him, her hand curled around one of his stone fingers, larger than life. The emotions changed. Protectiveness. Happiness. Something else? The more he felt for Lyra, the more Gareth came to life. The rest of his body became mobile, and he took a step towards Lyra, turning his hand so that it held hers. "Don't worry, I'm real. I-" Gareth thought back to how he had come to take his stone form. If rocks could blush, Gareth would have been caught pink-cheeked in that moment. "-I was cursed. Turned into stone by a witch. But you've freed me Lyra." To be honest, Gareth didn't know what had brought him back to life, or if it were permanent, but in this moment he was trying to be the optimist. "My name is Gareth." The statue sunk into a bow, showing the horns atop his head and fully extending his stone wings. "What is your name?" He looked to their side - a pool of blood was collecting around the head of the dead priest. "And do you have any ideas for how we dispose of our friend here?"

Lyra was stunned as the statue explained how it had actually come to be a statue in the first place. His cold stony hand held hers as he said that he had been cursed, but she had freed him! With a bow, he introduced himself, and then brought up the elephant in the room, or rather, the body at their feet. Lyra looked over at the body. She bit her lip and frowned. “Well, honestly… I don’t know what to do about this. P-Perhaps we could bury him… at least so he isn’t found soon?” She tilted her head, curious if the beast had ever committed an act like this. “My name is Lyra, by the way. It’s nice to… meet you. I guess this is the first time we have ever truly met!” She laughed softly, surprised at that fact. She had never officially met her statue friend! She went over to the corpse of the priest and frowned. “He…he was going to hurt me.”

After hundreds of years of being trapped in his stone prison, his interpersonal skills could use a little brushing up. Gareth stared at the girl, who introduced herself as Lyra. He had watched her in the courtyard for so long. When she originally became fond of him, he thought it so strange - he could not interact with her at the time, after all. Why would this child take an interest in a statue? Whatever the answer, it was now a miracle that he would be able to find out as a living, breathing being again. He suddenly became aware of the awkward silence between the two of them, standing in the cold courtyard. Lyra was bent over the priest, frowning. She needed comfort, but Gareth was bad enough at that when he was a normal human, much less after hundreds of years of being a gargoyle. He lifted the priest up in his arms, noting that the task seemed easier than it would have been as a human. He looked at Lyra, eyes cold, determined - but also confused. Confused about the things he felt when he looked at her. "Let's find a place to bury him. We can't just leave him out here."

"Okay, that...that's a good idea." When Gareth lifted the priest's body, blood and viscera dropped to the ground and Lyra covered her mouth, bile quickly rising to her throat. She managed to hold it back, but she shuddered as she walked with the large statue to a secluded area in the woods. Lyra had taken an abandoned shovel from the church ruins and used it to dig a hole. Without a word, the two individuals buried the priest. Lyra stared at the mound of freshly turned dirt. Her hands ached and were raw and red from the digging. Tears stung her eyes. She frowned and turned away. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks and quiet sobs shook Lyra's shoulders. She didn't feel sorry for the man. She was angry. Hurt. Suddenly, Lyra remembered she had someone with her. Someone close. She turned and saw Gareth in the moonlight. He was illuminated in the brightness of the moon. Lyra reached for him and took his massive hand. "Let's go... Please." She whispered, tugging him to walk with her. "I don't want to be around this monster any more." She gestured towards the mound of dirt with a glare.

Gareth had been, picking up great handfuls of earth in his stone hands and tossing it to the side. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, so much had happened within such a small amount of time. It was overwhelming, and Gareth was so used to being trapped within his thoughts, that was the first place he came back to. How did this happen? Will it stay? Has the curse been lifted? No...I would be fully human again if that were the case. Am I immortal? So many questions, they just kept coming to him like rapids on a rushing river. Suddenly, a sound broke the silence. Lyra's sobs pierced the veil of Gareth's cluttered mind, and the torrent of thoughts was immediately extinguished, leaving only the sounds of the girl he had watched for so long. This was not the first time Gareth had seen her cry, but it was the first time he'd beein in a place to do something about it. He froze - it had been so long since he'd interacted with a human, he'd forgotten what to do. Not to mention, when he had been human, he wasn't exactly the nicest person. Gareth was about to become lost in a torrent of thoughts again when he felt a tugging on his hand, felt the warmth of Lyra's palms against his cold stone exterior. He finished covering the makeshift grave with dirt, stomped on it to level the ground, and then placed some grass and stone on top to obscure it. Gareth let go of Lyra's hand, placing one hand behind her back and another under her legs, lifting her into his arms as he had held her for so many years. "I've got you." he said softly to her, walking off into the forest.

09:52

His thoughts began to turn to what would happen next. Would they find the body? Notice his disappearance? Surely this was a strange scenario. Would they think he was a witch and crush him into pebbles?He scowled. Life had been far easier as a statue, despite the obvious drawbacks. He looked down at Lyra and the scowl softened a bit. "Where should we go? Do you know anywhere abandoned that we can rest in? We should keep a low profile for a little bit."

Lyra blushed and let out a surprised gasp as she felt Gareth lift her into his arms. His words washed over her, and she felt more tears prick her eyes. She nodded and leaned into him. He was still broad and the texture of his skin was stony, but she found it comforting. She had been in this position so many times, resting against the stone that it no longer felt uncomfortable for her. "I think the church ruins, or there is a cave with an underground pond we could rest in. The cave isn't far from the church ruins." She said softly. With that in mind, the two went to the cave instead, just to ensure no one followed them to the ruins. Lyra was still tucked in Gareth's grasp, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping herself steady. The pond glistened in the darkness, but a hollow opening in the top of the cave illuminated the cave, making the water sparkle. "I...should probably wash the blood off of me." She whispered, touching the flecks of dried blood. She shuddered in disgust. "I want to get that monster's blood off of me..." She looked up at Gareth.

Carrying Lyra, Gareth followed her directions until they reached a dark cave. He walked around a corner which revealed the hidden pool, an opening in the ceiling allowing sunlight to pour through and reflect on the water. Gareth approached the rocky shore and placed Lyra on her feet to allow her to clean herself in the water. He walked to the edge of the shore, letting the water wash over his foot. The water was not as cold as it felt, probably because Gareth himself was not very warm. He leaned forward and glanced down into the pool at his reflection in the still water. He scowled as he studied himself, his skin brownish grey and, literally, rough as stone. How many years had he been trapped in that courtyard? Was the witch who put this spell on him even still alive? Could he ever become human again? The sound of water dripping from Lyra's hands distracted him from his downward spiral. The water was mixing with the blood from her hands, pink translucent drops dripping off and mixing into the pool below. She had definitely been the one to free him. But why now? He had watched Lyra for years. What was certain was that she was the key to freeing him from this form. Gareth peered around the cave while waiting for Lyra to finish up, waiting to see what she thought their next move should be.

Lyra felt the cool water of the pond splash against her skin, washing away the caked on dirt and blood. She could taste the faintest bits of metal from the priest's blood and it sickened her. She shuddered lightly, scrubbing against her face harder. She looked over towards Gareth and met his gaze. She blushed a bit and looked down, drying her hands on her skirt. "S-So...Perhaps we should rest here for a little bit. In the mean time... Tell me about yourself?" She asked, walking over to him. Lyra sat on a rock across from Gareth, her arms resting on her knees as she pulled her knees to her chest. Her eyes met his. "You said you had been cursed... What...happened? How come you only became alive now? I've been around you since I was a kid..." She was so confused and question after question kept jumping out at her!

Gareth sat in the cave as he listened to Lyra talk, slightly amused at the thought of being a hunk of stone "sitting" atop more stone. She was still shaken by the days events, but their perceived safety and the fresh water from the pond appeared to be putting Lyra at ease. She asked Gareth about himself and what had happened, and the gargoyle chuckled as he looked at her with eyes bristling with anger. "That witch...decades ago, I was rude to a witch in that courtyard. She said something about love and before I knew it, I was frozen in stone. As to why I was revived, in this form...I'm not sure." Gareth looked down at his hands and arms, noticing the red smudge of Lyra's blood. It stood out, in sharp contrast to the greyscale tones of his stony skin, "Maybe your blood had to do with it. Maybe something about your being in trouble. I wanted to help you so badly." Gareth reached out and took Lyra's small hands into his own. "This place looks safe and hidden, but we'll need to get you some supplies if we're going to be out here for a while. Do you have any idea where we can get some food and linens? Considering the situation, perhaps it'd be best if we acquire those things as discreetly as possible."

Lyra blushed as Gareth took her hand. He had wanted to help her so badly that...that his curse had broken just for her? The thought of such a gesture made Lyra's heart skip. She smiled softly up at Gareth, unafraid of his monstrous form. "I agree. I think it's possible to sneak back to the village in the morning. My... home... has some supplies we could use to survive out here for a while." Lyra gently squeezed Gareth's hand. "I don't want to go back to that village to live. Ever. I want to get my belongings... and leave. Forever." She bit her lip to hold her tears in. "I don't want to be there anymore. They would never let you stay, and I can't bear that thought." She shook her head quickly. She moved so that she was sitting in Gareth's lap. "I want to stay here for tonight. We can go in the morning, during mass. All the villagers will be at the church. We can sneak in and sneak out." Lyra leaned into Gareth's chest, the smooth stone comforting to her. "Do you remember when I used to lay in your lap like this?" She chuckled softly.

If it were possible for Gareth's cold stony exterior to melt, Lyra would have turned Gareth into a pile of lava at that moment. Not only the girl who had kept him company all those years, but now the woman who had freed him from his long silence. "You don't ever have to go back. We will figure out...another plan." Lyra curled up in Gareth's chest and he put his hand on her shoulder. "Of course I remember. All those years alone, Lyra. You can't imagine. And then there you were, always spending time with me. At first you came with friends, then all by yourself." Gareth started to ask a question and then stopped - if he could blush, he would be doing so at that moment. He got up and started to collect wood for a fire to keep Lyra warm during the night. After a long silence between the two of them, he turned back to look at her. "Why did you stay with me, all those years? I was trapped in this form, but you were never obligated to spend time with me."

Lyra smiled as Gareth said that they never had to go back. Good. She just wanted to stay here with him. Gareth suddenly asked why she stayed with him. Lyra looked down at her lap and thought about it. Why had she hung around a lifeless statute for almost two decades? Lyra's voice sounded soft as she spoke. "Because I was lonely. And... you were always there. You never judged me. I knew... somehow... you never would judge me." She laughed softly. "I was so desperate for someone to want me around that I clung to anything I could. You just happened to be what I bonded with." She looked up at Gareth and reached for his hand. "Now that you're alive... I'm glad I stuck around." She smiled, tears pricking her eyes.

Gareth smiled at Lyra. "I'm glad too. I thought I'd never be free of thi-" Gareth froze midsentence, his hands mid-gesture. For a moment, it appeared he had reverted back to his inanimate form, until a voice spoke - the voice of the witch who had imprisoned him. "He must learn to love....before the next full moon. Do not tell him this, for his intents must be pure. Let us see if time can allow a cold heart to become warm again." As quickly as he had frozen, Gareth became animated again and returned to what he'd been saying, seeming to have no recollection of what had just happened. "-this curse. But I fear the effects are not permanent." Gareth was glancing down at his stone arm. He looked back up at Lyra, sensing something was off. "Is everything ok?"

Lyra's eyes widened as she heard the mysterious voice speak from... well from the beyond! She had no idea who had spoken, or why. It seemed strange, and Lyra almost winced from it. The voice only spoke for a moment before it vanished completely, and Gareth resumed speaking, as if he hadn't even heard the voice. "I-I'm fine." She said, shaking her head slightly. What the hell had just happened?! He must learn to love by the next full moon? Why? What would happen. Lyra went to ask Gareth, but stopped when she recalled what the voice had said after. Do not tell him this, for his intents must be pure. So... this was something only she could know... Lyra took a deep breath and gave Gareth a small smile. "I'm alright. I promise." She reached for his hand and held her hand between her own. She brushed her fingers over his stony skin, becoming familiar with it once more, as if for the first time. Lyra looked out at the sky, seeing the large moon. It was a full moon now. This meant she didn't have much time left until the next full moon. How could she even begin to get him to love her?! This was the first time they had ever truly met!! The confusion and anxiety of the deadline started to bubble in Lyra's stomach and she bit her lip in worry. What was she going to do now....?

Gareth's shoulders relaxed and a smile crossed his face when Lyra told him that all was well. Still...something in her face suggested otherwise, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt and continued on. "Let's setup here for now. I can sneak into town at night for supplies. It's too dangerous for you to go into the village, you could be recognized." Gareth's mind turned back to the matter at hand. He peeked his head out the cave. A soft breeze blew through the pine trees, their needles making a soft sound as they brushed against each other. The sound of a songbird cut through the silence of the scene. He turned back into the cave and looked at Lyra. "You stay here. Clear out space for a fire, I'll be back shortly." Gareth stepped out of the cave and started collecting firewood. His mind was still buzzing with thoughs. Why now? Why her? Why was he still made of stone? He could not interact in society like this - he'd be cast out as a witch and crushed into dust. There must be more to it, but he felt like he didn't even know where to start. And Lyra - she had shown her loyalty to him, but this was no life for her. He needed to find out more, and fast. Gareth finished gathering as much dry wood as he could carry and made his way back to the Cave. He ducked in and dropped the wood on a piece of dry ground, turning to Lyra as he piled the sticks against each other. "We've got the whole day ahead, what do you think? Perhaps a farm in the area could use your help with the harvest. We need to get you some food, I can collect some blankets and make this place feel a bit more like home tonight."

Lyra nodded as Gareth told her to stay here and make space for a fire. They would stay here for a while, and that was good. Lyra didn't really want to move from this cave quite yet. As Gareth left the cave, Lyra was left with her thoughts. Thoughts on the mysterious voice... thoughts on Gareth. How could she make him love by the next full moon? What happened if she didn't? She began to make space in the cave for a fire, as Gareth had told her. When the cave floor was cleared of debris, Lyra thought the cave felt large and spacious. She wondered if she should try to decorate it. She tapped her chin lightly, wondering just how she would even be able to decorate this place. Would Gareth even like decorations? She chuckled softly at the thought of Gareth, this massive stone gargoyle, snuggled up with her in a cave filled with flowers and shells. The thought made her heart race faster... Lyra blushed hard, embarrassed. Why had she imagined that? Gareth wouldn't want that... would he? She startled as Gareth's voice sounded behind her, wood clattering to the ground. "Y-Yes. A farm could use my help. There is a small village not too far from here. Perhaps a few hours walk. They should have some farms." She said softly, thinking of the lay out. She had only heard of this other village, and her old village had gathered supplies from it a few years ago. Perhaps it was still a safe location to go to? "We could always try to find a hunting shack. The woods have them here. It may be better than the cave." She said, looking at Gareth. "What do you think?"

Gareth considered the points Lyra had made about moving their accomodations. True, the cave wasn't exactly the best place for a long term stay, however it was close to the town. A town which neither of them could set foot in. "Hmm, yes, the hunting shacks...my worry is that someone will come across the shack looking for lodging and have to deal with me. I don't want to stray too far from town - we'll need to figure out a way to get into the library. Hopefully I can find out more about my condition there. Let's look for something nearby where we're not going to run into trouble." Gareth scowled when Lyra told him about the farms, which were much further than anticipated. "No. I don't want you going that far." Why not? This girl was an adult, no reason she couldn't help support herself. Something about their relationship though, after watching over her all these years...he was fiercely protective of Lyra, despite hardly knowing her. Perhaps it was just the shock of having a friend after so many years alone. "Maybe it's best if you stay here and help straight up what we have for now. You must be hungry though - how can we find you a meal?" Gareth had been fiddling with some sticks, and smoke began to float up from the pile of kindling, rising up to the opening in the top of the cave.

Lyra frowned a little as Gareth told her that he didn't want her going that far. "I....I may have to. I need money, and people will look for me if I just vanish..." She knew it was risky going to the farms, but, his scowl made her feel like she had disappointed him... "If we want to go to the library, during mass or at night is our best option." Those times would be when the town was less occupied, and she'd be less likely to be caught! Gareth asked about a meal for her and her stomach rumbled in agreement. She tapped her chin. "I think there are some wild berry bushes, or I could try to go catch some fish." She said softly.

Gareth's frown deepened when Lyra defended looking for work on the farms. He raised a finger in protest, but lowered it again once he'd heard her opinion further. She was right, she would need money if they were to be able to have any type of civilized life together. However, he disagreed when she brought up people looking for her if she vanished. "No. That's exactly what we need to do is just vanish - if anyone knows we're together they'll kill us both. At least until I can figure out how to undo the curse. No one who knows you must find out you are still alive." Perhaps it was because he'd been trapped for so long, but Lyra seemed to take her chances far further than Gareth did. Gareth looked down at the pile of kindling and twigs. Lyra had distracted him, and the smoke had dissipated, leaving a bunch of shredded, crushed fiber in his hands. He put down the fire implements and stood up. "Just as well. Yes, lets see if we can catch some fish or something substantial for you. I can try the fire again when we get back. Be sure to keep an eye out - we cannot be seen, understood?" Gareth offered his hand to Lyra, hoping they'd be able to find her some food - and maybe get to know the girl a bit better - before they snuck back into the town after dark.

Lyra was relieved when Gareth didn't press her to reconsider wanting to go to the farms. She really wasn't in the mood to argue about it, so she reached up and held his hand, standing with him. "Yeah. Let's go get some food." She beamed. "I'll keep an eye out." She tugged the hood of her cloak up over her head and she followed Gareth out of the cave. The day was quiet. The only sound that could be heard were bird songs and the gentle rustling of the trees. "Do you really think the library will contain information on your curse? I don't recall ever seeing any books about curses..." She said softly. "Do....Do you remember how you were cursed?" She asked, tilting her head.

Gareth walked through the forest with Lyra, trudging through wet leaves and pine needles. His stone feet made a deep boom when they hit the floor, the sound of granite impacting on earth. "I'm not sure where else to look. Do you happen to know of a witch in the area?" Gareth shot a sarcastic grin at Lyra. "I remember that I passed a witch on the road, she yelled at me, and when I turned around a bolt of energy was headed my way. Next thing I know, I'm trapped in stone and the witch is nowhere to be found." Gareth kicked at the ground in frustration, sending soppy leaves flying into the air. "Hopefully something in the library will be able to at least get us headed in the right direction." Ahead of them, Gareth heard a twig snap and shot his hand up to stop Lyra. The two crept up to the clearing in front of them, peering through some brush in the hopes of finding an easy dinner in front of them.

Lyra let out a soft laugh as Gareth asked if she knew of a witch in the area. "No. Unfortunately." She did feel a twinge of guilt. Poor Gareth... He had been cursed by a witch that he had stumbled upon. How rude of that witch!! From what she had seen, Gareth wasn't a bad person! So....why had he been cursed? The strange voice's words continued to play in her head. He has to learn to love... Did that have something to do with it? Lyra was pulled from her thoughts when Gareth shot his hand up to her. "What-" She stopped when she heard rustling behind the bushes. She followed Gareth through the clearing and into the brush. What was in front of them was a large deer, grazing the fresh grass below. "Wow... It's huge." Lyra whispered. She had seen deer before, but not this close! The deer would make a great dinner, but... she had no weapons! "What are we going to do?" She whispered to Gareth. "Maybe we should wait for something smaller, or we could make a trap?"

Gareth and Lyra stood absolutely still, watching the animal in front of them. The deer's sharp, heavy breaths pierced the silence of the forest. It was cool and damp, and the only other sound in the forest was that of water droplets falling off the branches and hitting the moist earth. Gareth stared at the animal, debating the best plan of attack. The deer had the speed advantage, so he would have to take it by surprise. Gareth crept around to the rear side of the deer, keeping his eye on it. When he was in place, he rushed at the deer, trying to come at it from it's blind spot. The deer jerked its head to the side at the last minute, spotting Gareth. It began to flee, but Gareth grabbed hold of its leg and pulled sharply, causing it to tumble to the ground. Gareth did not want the animal to suffer - a well placed hit of his stone fist and the animal slumped over, dead. He looked for Lyra, motioning for her to come out of the brush and help him with the deer. Instead, his eyes locked onto three figures on the horizon - hunters. They wore orangish-yellow leather jackets and carried hunting rifles. Gareth ducked behind smoe brush - did not want to test his strength against bullets. The hunters spotted Lyra, however, and began to wave her down as they approached. They had to act, and fast. "They can't discover me. Think of something." The last bit came out as a terse command, and Gareth broke eye contact with Lyra to gaze downward, embarrassed. "I'll be right here." Gareth assumed his best "classic gargoyle" pose, and froze in place as the hunters approached. Surely the scene would be hard to explain: in the middle of the forest - a gargoyle, a girl with no weapons, and a freshly dead deer, killed without bullet wounds.

Ly: Lyra gasped as Gareth grabbed the deer. Thankfully, it's death was swift. She wasn't sure she could stomach watching an animal be killed, but, thankfully Gareth didn't draw the process out. She went to him, but stopped when he noticed three figures. He quickly informed her that he could not be seen! "Okay! I understand." She said, nodding quickly. The men drew closer, and Lyra turned, grabbing a heavy stone. She rubbed it quickly in some blood from the deer and then stood. "Good morning, gentleman!" She smiled nervously. One of the men came over, smiling. "Good morning. That's a mighty impressive deer there. But....I don't see a weapon." He said, his brow raising in confusion. Lyra quickly showed him the rock. "I-I hit it with this!" The man stared at her, his eyes narrowing. "And...you just happened to kill it." "Y-Yup! Exactly!" She laughed nervously. The other hunter stepped forward. "Something ain't right here...." The first man raised his hand, stopping the other man from advancing. "Easy now, Jeremy. She could be right. Relax. It ain't the first time you've ever seen a deer be killed in strange ways." The first man bowed his head. "My name is Gerald. Nice to meet you...." "Crystal." Lyra said quickly. "Crystal." Gerald nodded. "You alone here...?" "No....my husband went to grab our belongings. We live close by. He should be right back." She said, trying to stay calm. Gerald nodded, the other two hunters nodding too. "Well, you best be careful now, Ms. Crystal." Gerald said, smirking. "Not many nice men out here. You could find yourself in the hands of some very unkind people." He chuckled. Lyra shivered a bit. "R-Right...." Jeremy scoffed. "Boss, we gotta get going." Gerald nodded to Jeremy. "Alright. Well, be careful out here, Ms. Crystal. Hopefully your husband comes back soon." He smirked, walking past her and patting her head. "And next time... perhaps you should get a heavier rock." He whispered, walking past Lyra. As the men disappeared into woods, Lyra collapsed to her knees, shaking. What. The. FUCK?! "G....Gareth?" Lyra whispered.

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Gareth watched the scene unfold between Lyra and the hunters, furious but unable to stand up for her. To do so would mean for someone to die that day, and Gareth was the only one who could prevent bloodshed in that moment. He watched them approach Lyra, praying that they would not force his hand. The men left, and Lyra collapsed at Gareth's feet. His body stayed still, but his eyes tracked the hunters, watching their figures shrink into the distance until they were out of sight. It was only then that he moved, bending down to scoop up Lyra and nestle her head into the crook of his shoulder. "Shh, shh...I'm here. You did well, Lyra. We're alright, thanks to you." Gareth placed Lyra on her feet and bent down to scoop up the dead deer. "Let's bring this back to the cave and deal with it there." It was then that the sound of a twig snapping alerted them to the presence of someone very close. Gerald poked his head out from the brush. "Oh Ms. Crystal, did you you need some help with that dee-WHAT IN TARNATION" Gerald froze, eyes locked on Gareth. Gareth dropped the deer to give Gerald chase, but it was too late - the man had torn off into the forest in fear, and there was no way Gareth would catch up to him. He turned to Lyra. "Hurry, we need to get to the cave. It's not safe here anymore." The trip back to the cave was not a pleasant one - the rain had started to come down and the two were constantly looking over their shoulder, worried that Gerald and Jeremy would give chase. Although he did not tire like a normal person, the weight of the deer caused Gareth's stone joints to grind against each other, causing him discomfort.

19:37

Gareth and Lyra made it back to the cave, dragging a large boulder in front of the entrance to obscure any evidence of their path. Inside the cave, greyish white light poured in from the opening in the roof, sunlight diffused by the thick cloud cover. Gareth began to prepare the deer as best he could, given no tools. "We'll get some food in you and then head into town once night falls. That was a close call - they'll be looking for us now. We might need to leave the area - what do you think?" His look was stoic and emotionless as he ripped into the flesh of the animal.

Lyra gasped as Gerald turned back to speak to her. He had seen Gareth. There was no denying it, and no way to explain. Before Lyra could fumble for an explanation, Gerald had run off, and Gareth attempted to give chase. Unfortunately, the chase did not work, and Gareth returned to Lyra, lifting the deer and instructing her to return to the cave. The rain poured down on Lyra and Gareth, getting them both soaking wet. Lyra's heart was racing with anxiety. This had gone so poorly!!! She ran into the cave, and once Gareth essentially sealed them into it, she began to wring out the skirt of her dress. Her fingers were shaking. She could hear the blood in her ears... they had been found. This was not good... Gareth returned to her and his claws began to tear the flesh of the deer. Lyra turned her head, holding her fingers over her lips. She had seen an animal butchered before, but this...this was a lot. "Yes...Once night fall hits. I don't recognize those two, so perhaps they are not from my village. They may look for us, but perhaps we can evade them for a bit." She said, swallowing hard as the scent of iron and hot flesh filled the cave. "We should make a fire..." Lyra looked around the floor of the cave, trying to find some sticks and debris. She grabbed two rocks and a few bundle of twigs and sticks that had been blown into the cave by a previous storm. She knelt down and set the sticks into a little pyramid and then cracked the stones together a few times. Sparks erupted from the stones and thankfully, the sticks caught flame. Slowly, an orange glow filled the cave. Lyra raised her hands to the flames, warming up her freezing finger tips.

Gareth and Lyra made the best of their circumstances, with Gareth preparing the meat and Lyra working on the fire. The cave was hot and stuffy, and even for Gareth preparing the deer was an arduous task. Blood spattered onto his face and torso, and dripped down the stone floor of the cavern, draining into an undiscovered basin. Gareth was lost in his thoughts as his hands tore at the deer, ripping out chunks of deer meat and tossing the remains in a pile in the corner. His mind still raced after being freed from what seemed like an eternal prison. Unless they were able to discover how to reverse the spell, Gareth would be stuck living in the shadows, on the run from society just as they were at that moment. It was a life he did not deserve, and it was a life Lyra especially did not deserve. His thoughts were interrupted by the flickering crackle of a flame. He turned to look behind him at Lyra, who was coaxing a fire out of some sticks and kindling he had found in the cave. He was deeply appreciately after his failed efforts earlier - the task was not one he had excelled at in his former life. Gareth walked over with a few of the pieces of meat, looking for rocks or sticks in the cave to use as cooking implements. He gazed up at the roof of the cave, looking at the small opening which let in light from above - the daylight had begun to grow warmer, a sign that sunset was on its way. They needed to prepare this food, and then make their way into town after dark - Gareth wanted as much time as possible, as he only wanted to risk sneaking in one if they could help it.

20:22

The fire began to swell, smoke drifting up to the ceiling and out the opening in the cave. Gareth stacked some sticks on top of the fire and rested the meat on top, sizzling as it came into contact with the yellow-orange flames. He turned to Lyra. "Thank you for the help. I hope we can find something in the library tonight and then leave town. Constantly in hiding is no life for a girl such as yourself." He peered at Lyra. Yes, he had watched over Lyra her entire life, but he did not really know this girl who had freed him from his prison. "What would you do? What kind of life would you live, if we were free?" The crackle of the fire and the wind outside the cave were the only sounds that filled the space as they figured their path forward.

The flames danced around the logs. The sound of cracking wood and the crackle of the fire made Lyra smile. She always loved the way made her feel. Warm, safe, and comforted. Gareth spoke and he told her that a life of hiding was no life for a girl like her. Lyra chuckled softly. "No, I suppose it isn't." She said, turning to him as well. His question resonated with her. If they were free? Lyra looked up at the top of the cave, watching the way the smoke vanished into the air. If they were free... "I would find a home in the woods, away from everyone. I would live off the land. I'd want to live by a pond so I could swim every day..." She crawled over to Gareth and sat beside him, laying her head on his arm. "I would want you there too. I...I would always want you to be with me, Gareth." She said softly, hugging his arm like she had when she was younger. Lyra looked up at Gareth, her eyes meeting his. "I hope we can find a way to break your curse, Gareth. It would be nice to meet you again." She laughed softly. She reached for one of the chunks of meat. With a shiver, she lifted the bloody flesh and set it on an exposed log, essentially cooking the meat on the wood. "What kind of life would you want to live, Gareth?" She asked, looking up at him.

The fat of the meat sizzled and popped as Lyra put the meat onto the fire. She'd said that she wanted him there too. It made Gareth feel strange. He did not feel like this is how someone would have reacted to him when he was still human. Then again, when he had been human he hadn't cared much for anyone else. All that time along with his thoughts had taught Gareth that a life alone was a lonely one. Maybe this time things could be different... "I hope we can find a way to turn me back as well." He wanted to meet her gaze but, embarrassed, turned to look at the opening in the ceiling instead, grey smoke from the fire wafting out. Up above, the blue of the sky was turning sunset hues. "What kind of life would I want? I'm not sure anymore. I thought life was all about continuing my lineage - keeping up the family business, expanding the estate. But my curse taught me that no one even cared once I was gone. Life continued without me. Now...I'm not sure what life I want. Yours sounds like a very nice life, Lyra." This time their eyes locked, but just for a moment. Gareth's first thought was to his stone form, how dead his eyes must have looked to her. He quickly turned his face downwards. "The first step is reversing this curse. Without that, it doesnt matter what life I want," he said gruffly. He glanced at the meat, which was beginning to turn brown. "Eat. We should head into town once night falls. "

Watching Gareth turn his head away made a strange pain form in Lyra's chest. She frowned as he told her that it wouldn't matter what life he wanted if the curse wasn't broken. That... was a possibility. But, what about now? Being here with her, wasn't that something good? Then again, Lyra had no idea what it was like to be locked in stone for so long like he was. Perhaps she was just ignorant in that regard. Lyra took a sharp stick and poked the pieces of meat from the log. She began to bite into them, humming. The deer tasted delicious! "This is really good." She looked over at him, blushing a little in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to brag." God, how stupid was she?! Lyra quietly continued to eat until she was full. As she finished eating, she looked up, seeing the sky slowly growing darker. Night was coming, and it was coming quickly. Lyra scooted over towards Gareth and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I am going to rest. Please wake me once it becomes night time." She said softly, curling up against the large stone gargoyle. Lyra had always found comfort against Gareth's stone form. It never felt uncomfortable or painful for her. She quite enjoyed it! He was her comfort. It didn't bother her that he was made of stone. He was still her friend. 'My friend...' She thought, wondering if Gareth thought of her as a friend?

Lyra finished dinner and told Gareth she wanted to rest for a bit before they headed into town, and to awaken her when night had fallen. She laid down and curled up against the side of Gareth. How strange, he thought, that she should take comfort from such a cold stone form. What must her life be like for that to be the case. He gazed down at Lyra, who had already fallen asleep. It must have been an exhausting day for her, one she would never had expected from the outset. Nor he. He sat in the cave, listening to the rustling of the wind above and the crackle of the dying fire, when a realization came upon him. This was the first time since he had come back to life, that he had been alone with his thoughts again. Lyra had been with him this whole time, up until now. A sense of pure dread overcame him as he sat there, a reminder of the years and decades he'd spent trapped. He did not want to go back to this. Gareth began to panic, but was snapped out of when a soft sigh escaped Lyra's lips. He gazed upon her small body curled up against him. Yes, she had freed him somehow, but she could have gone her own way after that - instead she had stayed by his side. Certainly not something Gareth would have done in his past life. He pondered on that thought as dusk turned to twilight. Having been trapped alone in silence for so long, Gareth was used to letting the time pass, lost in thought. Several hours later, he jerked upright, realizing that it had been dark for several hours. He placed a hand on Lyra's shoulder and shook her gently. "Come now Lyra, time to make our way into town. I uh...I got distracted. We'll need to make the most of the time we have left."

Lyra whined softly as she felt Gareth's rough hand on her shoulder. "Five more minutes...." As Gareth continued to shake her shoulder, Lyra finally got up. "I'm awake. I'm awake." She mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. The darkness of the cave was barely illuminated by the dying embers of the fire she had made hours before. "Shoot. Yeah. We gotta go." She stood up and kicked some dirt onto the embers, efficiently smothering them so they didn't burn anything. Once the two were awake and ready, they headed out into the darkness. The forest was quiet and still, only the light of the moon illuminating the sky. Lyra tugged her hood up and over her head, hiding her face. She took the lead of bringing Gareth to the village. She was familiar with the path, and she knew where the church was located, and the library. Hopefully the patrols hadn't started yet. How late was it? As they approached the village, Lyra saw the library. It was dark and quiet. The village was too. She turned to Gareth and beckoned him to follow. Sliding behind house after house, Lyra guided them through the village. It was almost...eerily quiet. Lyra swallowed hard, but they arrived at the library. "Alright. We just need to pick the lock." She whispered. She looked around for something small to press the lock with. A rock? No. A stick? "Shit. I don't have any tools."

They left the cave, Gareth following Lyra through the darkness. Some of the paths looked vaguely familiar to him - after all, he had grown up in this village as well. However, it had been many years and he did not remember the routes as Lyra did. They trudged through the dark forest for what seemed like a long while, the only sound their footfalls sinking into the leaves, a web of branches on either side of them illuminated by the moonlight. After what seemed like a long while, the warm glow of firelight appeared in the distance, the marker of human civilization. Lyra guided them to the library unnoticed, but they reached their first hurdle at the door. While she was stressing out about how to pick the lock, Gareth leaned against the door. The knob was, indeed, locked, and would not turn - but when Gareth pressed against it, they heard the click sound of the lock and the door swung open - as if it had been left slightly ajar intentionally. It was either a stroke of luck, or someone was working behind the scenes to ensure their success. They crept into the library and closed the door behind them. The library was a small building, the same size as one of the houses in the village, but every wall was covered in books. The strong smell of aged paper saturated the space. Gareth and Lyra tread softly down the halls, looking at the wooden boards which hung from the ceiling to mark the sections. FICTION HISTORY GEOGRAPHY ALCHEMY They stopped for a while at alchemy, looking at the titles on the bindings and flipping through some tomes that looked like they might have something - but no luck, these books only discussed the medical findings of the day, nothing supernatural like what had happened to Gareth.

09:20

Gareth sighed, frustrated that they had not found anything and their time that evening was running short. It was then that he noticed a trap door on the floor at the back of the alchemy section. He walked over and flipped it open to reveal a dark staircase. A glow at the bottom of the stairs suggested the path at the bottom was lit. On the underside of the trap door was a wooden plank similar to the titles that hung from the ceiling: MAGICS: SEE LIBRARIAN FOR ACCESS Gareth whispered to Lyra, beckoning her towards the trap door.

Lyra followed Gareth into the library, their search proving unfruitful unfortunately. Lyra felt her stomach twist into knots with each book that held no answers. Would they ever find out what happened to Gareth? Would they get caught?! The scenarios continued to play in Lyra's mind, making her feel sick. Suddenly, she heard Gareth whisper for her. A trap door with a glowing light at the bottom indicated that someone was probably here, and if so, they would know some books about Magics! Lyra climbed down the staircase with Gareth. The wet stones smelled of mold and moisture. Cobwebs hung lowly on the steps and Lyra was sure a rat had scurried by. Lyra got to the bottom of the stair case and saw a doorway with an orange glow illuminating it. Lyra slowly crept towards it. She glanced back to Gareth. "Stay here." She whispered. If this was a trap, she'd face it alone... Lyra slowly walked into the door way. "Hello?" The room that Lyra had stepped into was similar to the upstairs library, each wall lined with books, but this room was a bit bigger and held a desk, a fire place, and a bed. Sitting at the desk was a little old man with a wrinkled face and thick heavy glasses. "Hello?" He called, standing from his seat. "Well, hello there! My, is it morning already? Strange, I could have sworn it was still night time." "I-I'm sorry for disturbing you, sir! I...I was wondering if you could help me find a book about....magic. Curses, more specifically..." The old man stopped, but raised a brow and smirked. "Oh? Curses, eh?" He chuckled softly. "Right this way, dearie."

06:34

The librarian led Lyra to a wall across the room, and he began to grab several books. "Here. These are the most important ones. The others are more for... entertainment." He laughed. He turned and placed the books into Lyra's hands. Before he released her, he leaned in. "Best be careful with these curses, dearie. One false move, and you could find yourself being cursed." He smirked. He then backed up quickly. "Well, so long!" "S-So long..." Lyra said quickly. She turned and scurried out of the room. She grabbed Gareth's hand, whispering. "Let's go. Now!"

Gareth stood in the hallway that waited at the bottom of the steps. The only sound that interrupted the sound of water dripping into the damp space was that of the crackling fire from the torches that lined the corridor. Looking down to the end of the hall Gareth could see the open door, the glowing light behind the threshold casting a silhouette of Lyra's figure. She had insisted on going alone, and while the last thing he wanted was to allow Lyra to be in any danger, his presence would certainly threaten their success more than anything else. Gareth heard Lyra and another voice talking back and forth, their words too muffled for Gareth to hear in the hallway. After some time, Lyra came out of the room carrying a stack of books, walking very quickly with a look of concern on her face. She took Gareth's hand and urged him out of the dungeon as quickly as possible. Gareth grabbed a torch from the dungeon and headed upstairs with Lyra, guiding her over to a corner of the library. There were booths with high walls, setup for people to study in private. They shuffled into the booth, placing the books on the table within and placing the torch on a post in the wall. "There's no one here, we may as well take advantage of the privacy. Let's see what we've got here. You don't think the librarian downstairs will come looking, do you?" Gareth and Lyra began flipping through the books, looking for anything that could help them. Several of them were in different languages, and they had to try and discern their contents from the illustrations. They sat in silence for some time as they struggled to find anything that would point them in the right direction. Finally, nearly at the same time, they both came across relevant information.

21:03

Lyra's page was in a book titled Expert Level Dark Magics - the book described a spell which would turn the body of a man as cold as their heart, with only the blood of a virgin able to reanimate them, and the pure love of another to keep them in that form past the full moon. At the end of the article, the same warning was presented - the victim of the curse must not know of the cure, or risk their feelings not being pure and the curse never being broken. Gareth, on the other hand, had been flipping through a book titled Notable Magicians, Witches, and Warlocks of the Eastern Lands. The page he was on described a merchant named Otto von Lycan who lived in the village of Greenlyn, just to the west. The article noted that the von Lycan family had resided in the area for over 500 years - during and past the period when Gareth had been alive. Gareth looked up from his tome. "I think I might have something here. This merchant in Greenlyn, their family has resided in the area for hundreds of years. Maybe they'd have some record of who afflicted me with this curse based on the time period." Realizing that Lyra had her book opened to a section as well, he asked, "Oh, did you find something as well?"

Lyra frowned at the page in her book. So, she had found why she had been able to wake Gareth from his curse, but not how to cure him exactly, other than he had to learn to love her. He, of course, could not know. How could she keep this from him? Gareth started speaking and Lyra shut the book quickly. "No. Nothing. So, I'm sorry, what did you say? A merchant in Greenlyn? That's not far from here. We could travel there to see if perhaps they know anything." She kept a hold of her book. Her stomach was in so many knots that she felt sick. How was she able to know if Gareth loved her? Love wasn't instant, and the full moon would arrive soon. The thought of this just... scared Lyra. "Gareth... have... have you ever felt... strongly, for someone?" She asked. She couldn't talk about it directly, but, she had to know. Was he even capable of loving?! The night sky was still dark, and thankfully no one had decided to come use the library. It also appeared that the librarian was silent too and had decided to stay downstairs. Lyra felt anxious. How long until the next full moon? She glanced around a little to see if perhaps a moon calendar was near by.

The question caught Gareth off guard - he was so focused on searching the books that he hadn't really been paying attention to how Lyra was doing that evening. After all, it was only that morning that both of their fates had been intertwined and forever changed. "I...well yes. I mean no. I-I mean...." The gargoyle fumbled nervously with his hands, a funny action to watch a stone creature perform. "Certainly my parents, and my family growing up, I loved them. And there were many help that I felt fondly for. I expected that one day I would become a patron of the royal courts like my parents and be courted by another family." Gareth looked down at his grey, brushed stone hands. "Obviously that didn't go as planned." He lifted his eyes to meet Lyra's gaze, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" Just then, a board creaked loudly behind them. "Find what you were looking for?" Gareth recognized the voice as that of the librarian that Lyra had been speaking with earlier. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach - he was hoping that they would have been able to escapt that night undetected. His eyes met the librarians, waiting for his next move, ready to do whatever it took for he and Lyra to stay safe. What happened next took Gareth by surprise. The old man's eyebrows raised when he saw Gareth, but he didn't seem nearly as alarmed as Gareth expected. "Oh. Oh I see." The man looked beyond the two towards the windows at the front of the library. "Yes, I thought it wasn't morning yet." His gaze returned to Gareth, then to Lyra. "Well, the full moon is still a week away, so you've got some time. If you need anything I'll be downstairs." And with that, the old man shuffled off into the darkness. Gareth turned to Lyra, a look of surprised satisfaction on his face. "That was...really weird. Do you know what he was talking about? And he didn't seem surprised to see me...maybe he was sleepwalking."

When the old librarian appeared and spoke, Lyra’s heart stopped. No. Oh Gods, No. This could not be happening!!! We’re they going to be found out already?! Lyra’s breathing quickened a bit as she watched the old man. But, what he said shocked her so badly that she just stared, mouth agape until the man toddled off into the darkness. Lyra looked at Gareth, her wide eyes meeting his. “That was insanely weird.” She said in agreement. He was definitely right. “Yeah, maybe he was sleep walking. Either way. We should take these books and go.” The old mans final words kept ringing in her ears. The full moon was a week away. She only had one week to help Gareth learn to love her. It seemed that he had loved before. But, that was probably a different type of love. Lyra wasn’t sure what kind of love would break Gareth’s curse. But, she had a heavy suspicion that it had to do with her. Perhaps, it was true love. He had to learn to love her. It wouldn’t matter if she loved him. He needed to love her. Could that even be possible? Loving someone within a week? Lyra scooped up the books on the table and stood from the table. “Let’s go. It’ll be light soon, and we should be long gone from this place when it is.” She said softly.

Gareth turned to Lyra. "I agree. I think we've learned as much as this library can teach us at this time. Let's head back to the cave. In the morning we can travel towards Greenlyn - perhaps there will be a farm on the way for you to inquire about work." Gareth paused. He could help but notice that his stone edifice had taken on a curved frown when he said these words. He looked at Lyra, their eyes meeting - this time Gareth held his gaze for longer than before, his greys meeting her blues. Gareth realized that he felt something for Lyra, though he could not figure out what. However, one thing was certain - he wanted to make sure she was protected at all costs. That was what had awoken him, and it was what continued to drive him at that moment. Gareth realized he had become lost in his thoughts for Lyra and realized there had been a long silence between them. Coming back to reality, he turned his gaze away from her, looking back to the book he had open. Immediately a part of him wished he hadn't ended that moment with her. "We should take these with us, we may need to consult the information again later." They took a couple of what seemed like the most pertinent books and headed towards the door. At the threshold, they were stopped by the sound of a small cough that squeaked behind them and echoed down the halls of the empty library. They could make out the silhouette of the old man in the shadows. "Ahem, apologies but the books from that section are not available for checkout."

21:42

Gareth blinked at the man again, as amused and confused as he had been after their last encounter. "Y-yes, of course." He placed the books back on the table in front of them. "Come Lyra, I think we found what we needed. We can come back if necessary." He walked back to the threshold and opened the door, the crisp night air rushing into the lobby. As he left, he heard the old man murmur something. "...council notified...maybe I could help a little...no no, not my place..." Gareth thought to turn and ask the strange old man what he was talking about, but considering nothing he'd said previously had made sense he thought better and continued out the door with Lyra, interested to her her thoughts on the encounter.

"O-Oh! Sorry!" Lyra blushed with embarrassment as the librarian told them that the books from the magic section were not available to be checked out. Shit! How would they return back to these books if someone else had them? Unfortunately, Gareth agreed, and Lyra set the books down. Lyra and Gareth hurried out of the library, and as they left, Gareth stopped, listening to something from the library. "Gareth? Is everything okay?" She asked, frowning a little. The two left the library, falling under the veil of darkness once more. Lyra used the same pathways that she had guided them through to bring them to the library to help them return to the cave. Thankfully it wasn't morning yet, and with the short rest they had taken earlier, she felt rested enough to continue. "Alright, do you know the way to Greenlyn?" She asked, turning to Gareth. "We should be all set to continue on, as long as you feel rested enough?"

Lyra and Gareth left the library, the door closing behind them. Nikolei - that was the diminuitive librarian's name - shuffled back down to his underground quarters, pulling out some blank paper along with a quill and some ink. On it, he wrote: To those on the council to whom it may be of concern: A victim of Callista's curse has been awoken. A form of stone, they appeared unaware of their fare but traveled with a companion. I will report back if I learn more. Nikolei Swiftcastor Nikolei folded the paper and stuffed it into an envelope, sealing it with a bead of red wax. On the front of the envelope, he simple wrote: To: Magical Council, Everdell District. He then headed upstairs, to the corner of the 2nd floor of the library, where he opened a small door made of rough wood boards. Behind the door was a staircase which led to a belltower above the library; here, Nikolai handed the envelope to a waiting raven. Immediately, the raven took off, seemingly headed to deliver the letter to it's destination.

18:07

Once they were out of the library, Lyra turned to Gareth and checked on his wellbeing. Gareth sighed. "I...I just hope we find something in Greenlyn. Though if I'm being honest, being on the run with you is turning out to be quite an adventure." He smiled at Lyra, but then a thought came to him and half his face drooped into a frown. "Of course, I'm sure this has been traumatic for you, Lyra - you probably want your life back, don't you?" The two made it back to the cave to regroup before heading to Greenlyn. "I..I used to know the way. It's been so long though, perhaps you should lead us there. Considering this is one of the oldest families in the area, I would think it shouldn't be that difficult to find their estate." Gareth realized he hadn't become tired or hungry since Lyra had awoken him - an unexpected benefit to his current form. However, he wanted to be sensitive to Lyras needs. "I'm fine - if you need to rest more, I can carry you while you enjoy the scenery." Gareth smiled at Lyra, his rough stone cheeks turning a darker grey as he blushed slightly.

"I mean... at first I was kind of nervous. But, honestly, Gareth?" She reached for his hand and gently took the big stone hand in her own. Lyra looked up into Gareth's eyes. She gave him a soft smile, wanting him to know that she wasn't upset or afraid. "I don't want to go home. I want to see this through to the end. I want to help you lift your curse fully." Gareth had offered to carry her, and as soon as he said it, she felt the exhaustion from the recent events hit her like a freight train. "You know... I honestly wouldn't mind being carried." She laughed. The day had been so unusual! But, Lyra didn't regret coming with Gareth. She was happy that she had broken his curse at least a little enough to be able to talk to him and move with him. If she could help him become... human? Then she was going to see this through. Looking off to the trail that lead out of the village, Lyra said softly, "So, Greenlyn. Is it this way?"

Gareth looked down the path, which suddenly seemed more ominous, dust blowing in the wind and shadow casting darkness on sections of the road ahead. He gulped. "Yes....yes I do believe this is the way. You just relax and enjoy." Gareth held Lyra in his arms in the same way he had when she'd awoken him at the graveyard, and the spot where she had scraped her hand to awaken him fit into his like pieces of a puzzle. The road to Greenlyn was not lit, and only a sliver of the moon was visible to light the way. Luckily, the path was not frequented, especially at night, and Gareth made his way swiftly in the dark, the shadows of the tree branches blowing in the wind and making for a nervewracking journey. After several hours, Gareth reached an etched wooden sign that read ENTERING GREENLYN, EVERDELL DISTRICT. The path was still surrounded by thick forest on both sides, but the road ahead twisted down into a valley where flickering fires could be seen. He gently shook Lyra to awaken her. "We've reached Greenlyn. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm out of time for tonight." Gareth looked to the horizon, whose inky blacks were giving way to a lighter shade of blue. Sunrise was upon them. With the scene slowly growing lighter, Gareth now saw a rough walking path that went out behind the sign, leading to a small hiker's cabin in the distance. "Perfect opportunity to make camp." The cabin was a rough wooden shack, with no door and built in benches for sitting and sleeping. Not somewhere they'd want to stay, but it would keep Gareth concealed until they were able to venture out the next night. "My life is in your hands again, Lyra. See what you can find in town. Do some recon and we can set out in the evening together."

Ly: Lyra hugged Gareth's arm as he held her. She had fallen asleep, and once she woke, she yawned and stretched her arms over her head. She had slept rather well, so her exhaustion was definitely gone! Unfortunately, Gareth was going to become a stone statue once more, and they stopped at a hiker cabin so that he could be secure when it happened. Lyra gave him a smile and nodded as he explained that he couldn’t be seen, and his life was in her hands once more. "Okay. I'll be right back, Gareth." She smiled. She slid her hand out of his. She felt... empty when she did it. She missed him even more now that she knew he was alive. Being separate from him definitely made her feel… lonely. Even more so than when he was a statute. She realized just how much she needed him in her life. Lyra gave Gareth a quick hug before she headed towards Greenlyn. Keeping her hooded cloak up to hide her face, Lyra went about the market, purchasing food and a few canteens of water. She wasn't sure if Gareth needed to eat or not, but she wanted to make sure he was fed if he could. When she had acquired enough items, she returned to the hiker cabin. There was Gareth. She smiled and walked over to him. “I’m back!! Did you miss me?” She giggled. "So! Can you eat? If so, I can make us both a delicious soup. If not.. we’ll, I can make it still!” She blushed a bit, feeling a little silly! (edited)

While Lyra was gone, Gareth tried to concentrate on doing what he could at the cabin. Thinking about how they would track down the von Lycan estate, and what their next steps should be once they'd done that. However, his mind inevitably kept drifting back to Lyra. Was it right to send her into town alone? Was she safe? Of course, he scoffed. She's no little girl. She can fend for herself. These feelings of concern were new to Gareth, and they only increased as the sun began to grow low in the sky and Lyra had not yet returned. Gareth was pacing the small room when Lyra returned. His mood instantly lightened as he made a beeline to the door to embrace her. She was smiling, seemingly as happy to see him as he was to have her back in the cabin with him. "I did miss you. What have you brought home with you?" Gareth let Lyra unload and show him the results of her day in the town. He made a puzzled face when she asked about eating, taking out the vegetables and supplies for the soup. "You know, it's funny - I haven't been hungry since this started, so I dont think I need to eat. Whether I can or not is another story. We'll give it a try!" Gareth helped prepare the hearth for a fire while Lyra chopped the soup ingredients. He was eager to try and explore the town that evening after being trapped in the cabin all day, but Lyra would need to rest after spending all day out. "You'll nap after this, and then we'll go into town. Did you find anything of interest while you were there today?" Gareth hoped that Lyra had found something to set them off on the right foot, since their current trail had gone cold when they'd reached Greenlyn.

Lyra blushed as Gareth embraced her. While his body was stone and colder than a human body, Lyra felt just as comfortable hugging him as she would hugging another person. They separated and Lyra began to make dinner. Soon, the small cabin smelled of cooking vegetables and roasting meat. "Hmm, I didn't get much from the towns folk, but I did notice that the library was almost twice the size of the one in town. Perhaps we could try there first, tonight?" She asked. While Lyra hadn't seen much from the town of Greenlyn, she had kept an eye out for any locations that she or Gareth could try to investigate. One place that she hadn't thought of much came to mind the more she thought about it. "On second thought... There was an old tavern there. It looked rather run down and pretty dingy, but, maybe some of the people that go there would know something?" She looked over at Gareth, wondering what his thoughts were. The soup was finished and Lyra grabbed a spare ladle and two bowls and spoons she found in the cupboards. She ladled two large helpings and handed a bowl to Gareth. She grinned up at him. "Here you go! I hope you like it." She sat down beside him, nearly glued to his side as she did. Taking a spoonful of the soup into her mouth, she hummed with delight. "Oh my Gods, this is delicious!"

Gareth listened to Lyra tell him about her day while the two of them bustled around the small cabin preparing dinner. "So, we've got the library and we've got the tavern. Nothing too specific, but I'm sure we'll find more there." Gareth furrowed his brow. He wasn't quite sure why, but since the beginning he'd felt an urgency to return to his fully human form, even with the benefits that a stone avatar provided. Lyra brought the soup over as he continued to air his frustrations over what he perceived as their lack of progress. "I just don't know what we'll do if these leads turn up dry, they're all we've got..." Gareth raised the soup spoon to his mouth without even thinking about it and took a spoonfull before he continued speaking. He had mentioned earlier that he wasnt sure if he could eat or not, and now the answer was revealed to them as the soup poured out of his mouth in a narrow stream of liquid splashing onto the floor. Gareth looked up at Lyra, horrified in that moment. However a smile soon broke across his face, and the smile turned into hearty laughter. The whole thing was so absurd! A living gargoyle trying to become human again. He had to remember to laugh and Lyra helped him to do that. "Well, I guess that answers that question," he said with a smile. "Eat up and get some rest, and then we'll check out those locations." Gareth had fashioned a cowl out that he brought over his head, covering his stone features. "Perhaps we can even go undercover at the tavern," he said, stone teeth grinning at Lyra from beneath the hood.

Lyra yelped as the soup immediately fell from Gareth’s mouth, splattering onto the ground. After a moment of horror, Gareth burst out laughing, and Lyra couldn’t help but do the same. She laughed, shaking her head at the absolutely absurdity of the situation. She went about cleaning the soup up and then she came to sit in Gareth’s lap, holding her bowl of soup in her lap. She began to spoon some more into her mouth. “Going undercover would be great.” She looked up at his cowl and nodded, smiling back at him. “That’ll cover you perfectly! Great idea, Gareth!” She beamed. Being able to go undercover would be extremely helpful, and thankfully the tavern would be dark, especially at night! Lyra finished her soup and when she was done she set the bowl down. She grabbed a discarded cloak and turned into Gareth’s lap. She leaned against his chest, much like she did years ago when he was a complete statue. “I’m going to nap, okay?” She said softly. “Would you… tell me a story of when you were human?”

Lyra curled up in Gareth's lap and it felt just like old times; it was curious how he had these memories of Lyra being there, even when he was frozen in stone. She was one of the only highlights that had broken up the loneliness of his days in the forest. Lyra asked him to tell her a story and he looked to the sky, seemingly lost in thought. "A story...it's been so long since I had stories to tell..." His hand came up to meet his chin, rigid and literally chiseled. Suddenly a look of recognition dawned on his face. "Ahh..." He turned his gaze down to Lyra, who was getting comfortable in his secure embrace. "When I was a boy, my father would take me to the highlands to go backpacking. I'll never forget the way the fog drifted across the landscape, like you were living in a cloud." Gareth became lost in thought as his mind drifted into the past. "Why did you-" As Gareth turned to face Lyra, he realized that she had nearly fallen asleep already. He chuckled to himself. "You just get some rest, and I'll be here when you wake up." He looked out the window of the cabin at the skies above. Biding his time wasn't so bad anymore, now that he had things to look forward to again.

Lyra smiled softly as she listened to Gareth’s tale. He described this area in the highlands that looked like you were on a cloud from the way the fog covered the land below. “I bet that was beautiful.” She said softly. Lyra snuggled against Gareth, her cheek pressed against the cool stone of his chest and arm. She was so tired. The traveling was getting to her finally! Lyra slept peacefully, coincidentally having dreams about being up in the clouds! When she woke, it was dark out again. She yawned and stretched her arms up and above her head. Her red hair was rustled and messy from having been rubbed along the stone. “Mmm. How long was I out for?” She yawned.

Gareth sat perfectly still, holding Lyra in his embrace as the moon rose and cast its pale glow over the cabin, beams of twinkling starlight making its way into the small cabin. Gareth that, thinking about the events that had taken them to where they were now - how unlikely it was that Lyra had found him and freed him. Was it fate? Or something else? Lost in his thoughts about Lyra and the situation at hand, Gareth hardly noticed the time passing by. When Lyra began to stir again, breaking him from his musings, the moon had already risen high into the sky - the night was already a third over again. For a moment, Gareth was perturbed, but his annoyance quickly faded to happiness as Lyra began to wake up and join him again. "Oh, from the look of the moon, probably a few hours. I hope you're well rested, it sounds like we have a lot of exploring to do tonight." Gareth grinned at Lyra - could it be that he was enjoying this journey? The thrill of the quest almost made Gareth forget that it was his life that was at stake. He fidgeted nervously with the cowl he'd made as they prepared to leave. "Let's take a look at the library first - maybe we can find out a bit more about the von Lycans there. That way it'll be less busy by the time we head over to the tavern." The fire in the hearth was dying down to embers, and Gareth had tidied up their surroundings and prepared to leave. A cold gust of air blew in through the window, giving the fire one last burst before dying away into the night. Gareth looked to Lyra, waiting to see what the shadows of Greenlyn had in store for them.

Lyra stretched her arms above her head and nodded at Gareth’s plan. “That’s a perfect idea! The library of Greenlyn is said to hold thousands of books on magic and folklore. Perhaps we’ll find something there!” She said happily. Lyra gathered her cloak and slipped it up and over her shoulders, tugging the hood up. She noticed that the cabin looked far tidier than when they entered and she smiled. That was very sweet of Gareth. She felt honored and thrilled to be here with him. “Come on.” She said with eagerness. Lyra’s small hand took Gareth’s large one and she pulled him out the front door, ready to explore!! Lyra and Gareth traveled into the village of Greenlyn to the library. The town was quiet and still, as it was well into the night. The trip to the library was uneventful, and as they approached the large building, Lyra cracked one of the windows open and slipped inside. She went to the front door and unlocked it, letting Gareth inside. “Alright. Let’s go find some books!” She whispered.

Gareth and Lyra crept into the library, covered in shadow during the dark of night. The lamp posts in the street cast light that hit the paper shades, lighting them up in brown and yellow tones. The last library was old and sprawling, with twists and turns that led to hidden alcoves of books. By contrast, this library was meticulously laid out in perfectly aligned grids of shelves, and the building was a perfect symmetrical rectangle. Giant floor-to-ceiling windows, even with the shades pulled down, illuminated the edges of the cavernous space. The center aisles, on the other hand, were dark and cast in shadow. Lyra and Gareth wandered through the rows of books, looking for some title or category that might guide their search in the right direction. Whereas the library in their village seemed full of mystery and magic, this one seemed very sterile and clerical. Would they really find something here, wondered Gareth? The two came to the end of a section, where a large research table was setup. In the middle of the table laid a giant tome, much larger than your average library book. Gareth approached the volume and peered down at its contents. It appeared to be a record of land titles in Greenlyn, with detailed ownership records. "Let's see here..." Gareth said to Lyra, as he flipped through the book. "Von Lycan - this says the estate is located on the western end of town, on Wolfshedge Road. If nothing else, at least we've got another breadcrumb to follow." Gareth peered around the library. He felt like they were missing something. The colors and patterns in the library, the decorations - Gareth felt like there was a hidden message that they were missing because they didn't know to look for it. Libraries were usually hubs for magic and alchemy, yet he saw no such section here. He turned to Lyra. "Do you get a strange feeling about this place?"

Stepping into Greenlyn's library was like stepping into the rich part of town after spending the previous day in the poverty stricken side. This library was far nicer and had far more books, so much so that Lyra felt much more confident in here than she did in the last library. Gareth and Lyra searched through several sections until they finally stopped upon one specific tome. "Perfect! A location is always a good clue to follow!" She nodded. She took a mental note of where the house was that Von Lycan lived so that she wouldn't forget it. "Now that you mention it..." Lyra tapped her chin, looking around the library. Gareth was right. This library felt almost... too rich, which was strange for a library. Most libraries were open areas for all individuals, especially those in the arcane arts. It felt weird that the library seemed so quiet and without anything that involved around the arcane. "It feels pretty... weird. Almost fake, if I had to guess." She frowned. "What are you feeling?"