PlaneShift
Fan Area => Roleplaying (Communitive Storywriting) => Topic started by: zorbels on June 27, 2006, 07:57:03 pm
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Eolius came up with an idea and we are currently trying it out on the Protectors site. I asked permission if maybe I could try it here on the main PS forums, as I think with the server down this would be the perfect opportunity. I have posted the link to the story on the Protectors site for all to view.
http://ugo.sinet.it/protectors/index.php/Forum/AJourneyThroughTheStoneLabyrinth
Location and setting: There has been an annoucment posted in the Hydlaa tavern for all citizens of Yliakum to join in on a public camping trip. During that time we shall do many things, like hunt together and treasure hunt. Really anything goes.
Rules:
(1) Use your imagination. Anything goes really.
(2) Please don't make super huge long posts. Remember you are a character in the story, not the story itself. This forum "Game" is not for people who like to hog the spot light.
(3) Do NOT make a post that only you can carry on with. People must be able to respond and react. If this indeed does happen I will ask for the post to be deleted. This is meant for all of us to have fun.
(4) This is all IC, PLEASE no OOC comments in this thread. If we need to discuss the story and where it is going, another thread can be made for the OOC suggestions and comments.
OOC thread: http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=23936.0
Parchment on the tavern wall reads: To all citizens of Yliakum, I want to invite you on a camping trip to explore the wilds, treasure hunt and hunt wild beasts you normally wouldn't on your own. This trip will be most exciting and dangerous. It is a chance to meet new people and get to know the land and what wonders and secrets that it holds. I shall be standing at the front gates of Hydlaa with my supply cart on the seveth setting of the crystal, early morn. All are welcome to join.
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Zorbels stands ready and excited at the thought of adventure and danger. "I truly hope many will show up for this adventure!" She goes over her supplies for the fifth time making sure she hasn't over looked anything. She pulls the string on the bag shut and sighs satisfied she has all she needs for this trip. "Well now all there is to do is wait and see who show's up." She settles down by the wagons wheel and uses it to support her back. Zorbels pulls out her sketch book and begins to sketch the front gates of Hydlaa while waiting for others who maybe interested in joining in on the trip. She hears a faint shuffling of foot steps and looks up to see who it is but is blinded by the brightness of the day. "Who goes there?"
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Satayne approaches Zorbels and the wagon with a pack slung over his back. He grins at Zorbels. "You didn't think I was going to let you go without me did you?"
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Zorbels jumps up and hugs Satayne happily. "Oh I am glad you could join! I know it is going to be fun. Just waiting for others to show up. Come and sit with me, I have some ale in my back pack and fresh pie! I plan on waiting about an hour for others to show before we continue on this adventure."
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Easton reads the sign posted on a tree in the plaza. He thinks to himself I could go for some adventure right about now. After heading to his guildhouse to relay the message to all of his members, he heads towards the wagon where he sees two familiar figures.
"Well, if it isn't the two lovliest Enkis in all of Yliakum! Anyone else coming along that you know? A few of the Survivors should be joining us soon." Easton then throws his pack in the back of the wagon and sits next to his enki friends waiting for his friends to come.
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Hokinon walks purposefully towards the wagon and the Enkidukai couple and Ylian waiting by the gate, he bows deeply "Lady Zorbels I will join you if that is alright?" and turning to Satayne and Easton nods "Gentlemen" he then moves to stand a little apart a smile on his face that doesn't quite reach the coldness of his eyes......
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[ooc]hmm. let's bring out one of my alt chars for this. i think, little miss tovera should have some fun.
[ic]
a young fenki walks up, probably not much more then thirteen. her clothes are clean, but worn. her arms up to her elbows are a light grey in contrast to the darker shades of her fur. she has a bundle slung on her back. she places it on the ground near the wagon.
"umm. this is where the campers are gathering? i'm tovera. i'm looking to sign up."
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Karyuu makes her way down from the second story of the tavern, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stops by the bar, pondering for a few seconds over the prospect of getting a drink, then decides against it and steps out into the air. The air already has enough liquid. She turns back to survey the tavern, feeling unusually slow and lazy and undecided about the day, when the pinned parchment catches her eye. Karyuu steps closer and skims through the words, until the world seems to rush and roar away upon seeing three words: "...hunt wild beasts..."
She rubs her chin as the world rushes back into her awareness. The prospect of hunting with a group again... An endeavor worth pursuing, especially with nothing else to claim the day. A brisk nod and a run back into the tavern reunites her with her hunting spear, and she is off, her body already yearning for the run. She needs nothing else. As Karyuu approaches the gates and notices the steadily growing group, she pauses. Never good at making conversations... Nevertheless, she then picks up her pace and raises an arm in greeting.
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"Easton! Hokinon! So glad you could join!" Zorbels offers some ale and pie to the two gentlemen. "Please dig in, I made the pie myself." Zorbels turns to see a young fenki walking up to the group. "Hello my name is Zorbels and it is a pleasure to meet you Tovera. Yes this is the group you are looking for. Welcome aboard. Just throw your supplies in the supply cart if you do not wish to carry them." she smiles humbly at the fenki. Zorbels notices movement at the front gate and see's another familiar face. "Well, well, look what lannx dragged in ... a Karyuu! Welcome. I am so glad you could join!." Zorbels grins from ear to ear.
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Farren strolls by when he sees the notice at the tavern and says to himself, "Hmmm, now this could be interesting." Having his supplies with him at all times and therefore not needing to pack, he hurries to Zorbels' wagon. "Well met all!" he exclaims as he approaches, his perpetual warm smile on his face, the ever-showing look of thought on his face. Right now his thoughts are of adventure.
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"Hi everyone," Siteri says as she joins the group. "I saw your poster and I knew there was no way I was going to miss this! Never!"
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Easton takes a small sliver of pie from Zorbels, "Thanks Zorbels! So when do we get a move on anyways?". Before Zorbels can answer Easton looks around to see many familiar faces and some new ones as well. "Greetings everone!" He says as he smiles and waves...
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Karyuu grins back at Zorbels, "Had Laanx dragged me here, I doubt I would be in as fine a condition. Nice to see you," she turns to the rest of the group, "all of you." Her gaze travels from face to face as her awareness tunes in to their heartbeats, marking their distinct patterns in her memory should something happen in the wild - such as lost party members.
Her eyes then turn to the supply wagon, and she idly scratches an ear. "Are we going to be taking turns as pack animals?" she asks with another grin.
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tovera looks around at the assembling yliaki. she chews on a thin slice of pie thoughtfully. "all of these yliaki are heros, ones that stories are told about," she thinks to her self. "i'm here to learn what i need to." she swallows the mouthfull of pie. "but, perhaps i could have chosen a less famous group to do it with."
she waves back. "hi, i'm tovera."
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Farren leans back against the wagon, arms crossed, looking around at all the people coming to join the trip. This will be possibly the biggest group of people Farren has been out with since the time he had taken all of the available Guild Knights out on a hunt. Perhaps it is time for the reclusive ranger to get a bit more social. But he'll let others start the conversation, for now at least.
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Hokinon declines the offer of the pie "perhaps I'll try the pie later ma'am but thanks for the ale" he says softly as he takes a small sip, and nodding a welcome to Karyuu as she arrives spear in hand, checks his pack for the dozenth time that morning and watches from his position on the edge as the group slowly grows in number....
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"We will be leaving soon Sir Easton," Zorbels replies with a half mouthful of pie. "I am just gonna give it abit more to see if anyone else wants to join, some people may not be able to make it right on time. Seeing as we will be leaving soon, which direction do you think we should start off? She looks curiously around at the faces."
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Easton points west and says, "i think we should head east.." Everyone smiles and a few can't keep in their laughs as Easton has yet to realize his mistake. "What?!"
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Farren stifles a laugh as he walks over to Easton and whispers, "That's west, my friend." And goes back to the wagon to continue stifling his laugh.
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tovera tries to hide her giggle behind her hand. "heros," she thinks.
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"Pretty", Zhai says to herself as she looks at the azure light through the leaves above. The old tree moves gently and she's already lost track of the time she's spent lying under it. "You've been here quite a while" she says, both to the tree and herself. "Where would you go if you could walk?". She laughs a bit. "Me too". She stands up and stretches her legs and back, getting ready to wander, maybe hunt a little. The tree is far behind after walking for a few minutes and as she reaches the top of a hill she turns to the oja road and then to Hydlaa wondering what may be happening there now that a certain peace dwells within its walls.
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*grins*
A ruckus draws everyones attention to two identical and heavily muscled Ynnwns rounding the corner from the stairs. Between and in front of them they are pushing and prodding a rather disheavaled -and very fat- man in a nice, though tight, buisiness suit.
Roth [one of the Ynnwns]< "See Arn! I told ya they was doins up here!"
Toth [the other] "Ya dinit! I was tha one that said! Yur a nit and a liar."
Roth. "I'll break yur head, pitpile!"
Haddiarican, the huge Kran poet, rounds the corner after them and pushes them both aside. "Now you two leave Master Arnigus be! He has not even had his pastries as of yet." Had stops and looks at the gathering, then the cart, then back at the stairs. "Do tell, fine ladies and sirs....how did you get that cart up here?"
Arnigus -seeing the cart, people, and parchment- has but one thing to say... "Oh dear....not again..."
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Karyuu arches a brow and turns her ears to the direction of the squabble, then muffles a chuckle as her head follows to see its origins. She nods her head in acknowledgment to the rather large, she thinks gently, man in the middle, and the Kran, as the group draws nearer. "The cart was rolled - I presume that's what the wheels attached to it are for. Of course I'm rather fond of the theory that it was lifted by several dozen Groffels - and that those same Groffels will offer to pull it for us when we set out." She then cannot help herself and bursts into a wide toothy grin, just barely able to contain laughter. "Unless we find a more appropriate... larger animal, of course."
For a split section her grin faulters as she thinks the joke was too much, but the idea is much too comical for her to sink into immediate worry, and so she gives into a laugh.
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Farren chuckles slightly at Karyuu and says, "I say we hitch ourselves a couple tefusangs or trepors..." And walks out to join the others away from the wagon.
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Easton puts his arm down and blushes the slightest bit. "Well... you.. er.. you know what i meant!" He then sits back down on a rock near the wagon. "Bah! You navigate then!" he says as he pulls an apple from his pack an begins to eat it.
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Roth and Toth laugh in a great uproar at Karyuu's jest, then look to each other in the same confused expression. "What?" they say together.
Arnigus shakes his head. Had closes his eyes in a put-upon way.
Roth scratches his head. "It was a joke, right? Tah cart rolled?"
Toth smacks Roth on the back of the head. "It was tah Groffels, nit! It was the...dozen...um... I donut think it was a joke..."
Arnigus waves his hands in exasperation. "That is it! YOU two will pull the cart!"
Roth and Toth, "So we -is- going?!"
[[you may assume Roth and Toth as your pack animals now. Treat them according. ;)]]
*edit* Have to go. My characters are following along (save for the Twins, whom are leading), and I will write when I come back. Feel free to write as the twins. :)
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On His return from an exploration trek, Laragorn sees a group gathering. He immediately stops and crouches behind a bush. “This is a strange place for a gathering.” He says to himself. Studying the forming crowd, he recognizes few. Thinking aloud he says “I think those two where the one who just married”. Staying hidden from the group he decides to wait and see what they are doing. Removing his pack, he uses it for a back rest a waits.
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Satayne sits with Zorbels eating pie and chatting with some members of the growing party while others check their supplies and gear or just contemplate the coming journey. Upon hearing Karyuu's words he pictures a team of groffels pulling the wagon behind them a couple meters in the air off the ground and almost spits out his mouthful of pie laughing but instead is able to get a hand up over his mouth and somehow overcomes inhaling the pie altogether. After Zorbels mercifully gives him some water to wash it down with he stands and brushes the remaining crumbs off of himself and thanks her with a smile and looks around him a bit embarrased and thinks to himself "hm, could almost being struck down by a pie be an omen?"
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Zorbels chuckles to herself at karyuu' joke while handing Satayne some water. "Careful, we wouldn't want to lose a good warrior to a pie choking. *Zorbels pauses and looks thoughtful* "Well I think we have waited long enough, if others want to join they can follow our tracks. I have a couple of tame tefusang to pull the cart."
Zorbels checks over the equipment that tie the tefusangs to the cart. When convinced all is well she hops up onto the cart and pats the seat beside her. "Want to ride with me Satayne?" She smiles at him and then turns to the crowd.
"Ok everyone time to move out. We will head east, as Sir Easton suggested. If anyone feels tired let me know so we can stop. I think after a couple of hours of travel we might want to look for a good spot to camp as it will be night fall soon. Anyone who wants to ride in the cart is more than welcome." Zorbels says with excitement threaded through out her voice. "Lets move out!" she makes a hand motion above her head pointing east.
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Karyuu raises her spear above her head and utters a yelp of enthusiasm as the group begins moving, then maneuvers herself to walk beside the Tefusang, enjoying their rhythmic gait. After a few minutes, she turns back to Zorbels:
"Did you have them from birth, or retrained their behavior much later? They feel like healthy animals."
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Xylaal rubs the dirt off her long caloused hands as she emerges yet again from the mine in Laanx Dungeon to begin her daily trek back home to her cave in the woods outside Hydlaa. Pick slung lazily over her shoulder she notices the posted message and stops to read it. Tired and dirty as she is, she decides she could use some hunting and the company of friends right now. She thinks to herself, "I will go, or at least try to..." Hermited away in the hills, she often misses events like this and hopes that she is not too late this time.
After refreshing herself in a nearby fountain she walks quickly to the Hydlaa gate. She steps outside it and looks around. They are gone. Xylaal thinks, "Oh well, I tried" and as she rearranges her mind she begins to walk down the road toward her home. She notices below her the tracks of a cart and Tefusang tracks that show prominently amid the other more common tracks for this road. On a hunch and with the need for adventure in her greenish skin, she begins to follow them.
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"Actually, the story is a little sad." Zorbels looks at Karyuu with sorrow in her eyes. "These tefusang where adopted by a very sweet old fenki. She rescued them from a mining camp. The animals were heavily over worked and not fed enough. This old fenki, bless her heart, paid to have a group of strong warriors to invade the mining camp and take all of the animals to safety. She spent her life savings on this mission." zorbels pauses taking in a deep breath.
"She loved animals so much, and thought them to have rights like any other being to roam these lands. She was a good friend of my mothers. After the mission was complete the old fenki took the two tefusangs as she had no one who would adopt them. She did however find homes for the others. Because of spending her lifes saving, she had to beg for trias as she was to old to work. My family tried to help her but she was too proud. One day she was out begging for trias near the tavern when the two Ylian that had owned the mining camp stumbled out drunk. One told her if she told a good story he would pay her well for it. So she decided to tell the one of this mining camp and her mission. As soon as the Ylian had found out it was her who had ruined their business, they dragged her off into the wilds and tortured her to death." Zorbel swollows a sob climbing up in the back of her throat.
"Later after her death was annouced, and body found .... I had come to learn that one of her deaths wishes was to give the tefusang to me. She felt that I was the best suited to take care of them. I would go over to her house as a child and help feed and exercise them, in return she would let me ride them." Zorbels smiles a little at the memories. "I do miss her but these two are an every lasting memory of her kindness to this world. I am still hunting down the Ylians who did this to her." Zorbels reaches down and scratches one of the Tefusang on the head. "That is how they came to be in my possession."
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Siteri overhears Zorbels' story. "You know, that story reminds me of someone I used to know... in fact it might even be the same person! She was also an old fenki and my mother used to take me to see her and her pets... She always said that that old fenki inspired her to become a great animal trainer. And she did!" Siteri turns and looks in the direction of Ojaveda. "...You know... it seems like they might be about to open up those doors in Oja," she says. "After all this time I'll be able to see my family again."
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Karyuu listens silently as Zorbels explains, running her eyes over the moving mass of the Tefusang, hearing their whuffs and thumps interweave with Zorbels' voice, and then Siteri's.
"Your family is in one of the quaranteed Dsars?"
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[ACK!!! Sorry guys, I had to help my brother move a bunch of stuff today and missed out on the RPing, so assume Farren was just silent and such the whole time ;-)]
Farren listens to the conversation around him hoping for something he can join in on, but not yet finding a topic that he could put a word into. Deciding he'll try again later, he moves up far ahead of the wagon to do a little scouting. It'd be nice if he had another ranger beside him. Or anyone, for that matter. He is reclusive, yes, but not totally anti-social.
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Zorbels smiles and nods at Siteri, "Yes it could very well be the same old fenki. She was well known by the neighboring kids. Her hut always had some sort of animal roaming about for the children to play with."
Zorbels ears perk slightly towards karyuu as she hears her question. "Actually, I was adopted. I left my family at a very early age. I wandered off and got lost in a forest, blind with curiosity. After days trying to stay warm and living off of tree bark, a couple of Ylians found me cold and half dead from hunger. They took me in as one of their own and brought me up. Akezka and Boethius are my parents names, have you ever met them before Karyuu?" Zorbels looks at her curiously.
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Karyuu shakes her head with a bit of a hint of regret, "I've been in this land for but a few years - my knowledge of people is quite limited. But it is good to hear of them taking care of each other. My closest friend, Nilaya, she was adopted by Dermorians. Where I come from, those found outside your tribe are eliminated, as they would otherwise be an extra burden the tribe has not agreed to carry and give precious resources to. Teaches you not to stray too far away." A few seconds of silence pass before she raises her eyes to the figure steadily fading into the landscape. "I think I'll join our scout."
She grins to Zorbels and the others before moving ahead to catch Farren, taking comfort in the firm earth beneath her toes as she glides over it. A moment later, she breaks into a chuckle at her incongruent actions, and last words.
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Zhai arrives at the ruins while still eating her apple. "Now, this is odd" she thinks to herself as she finds no sign of any ulbernauts nearby. She sighs with disappointment tossing the half-eaten apple. "Kergen! He must've been here...". She wanders for few minutes through the ruins sensing no particular activity. Suddenly a familiar voice gives her a simple explanation: "They left". Zhai turns to find Nyshyn chewing on some dried meat tucked in her favorite nook. Nyshyn just stares at her with no intetion of uttering any other sound. Her big eyes bare only indiference yet Zhai nods politely and resumes her search with half a smile.. Soon after that she finds some ulber footprints. "They're grouped. Ten of them, at least, fully grown...", she warns herself as she starts tracking them. "I just hope they don't go on the Oja road..."
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...following along at the rear everyone except the Ranger and spear carrying fenki in sight, old habits take over and soon Hokinon is juggling with some apples from his pack, turning to check behind them every now and then he scans the familiar countryside that slowly changes as they get further from Hydlaa...
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Easton had been walking behind Zorbels and Karyuu as they chatted on the journey. His focus remained fixed on the hills above. He knew this road well to forget that anything can happen at any time. His belly was full from pie and he was eager to find some adventure, and so his eyes remained on the horizon as his mind wandered as to what might be found beyond it.
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"They're moving fast. They'll be on the road soon". Hoping for an ear who'd recognize it, Zhai whistles a ranger warning...
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Farren's face grows concerned as his ears pick up the sound of a whistle he had taught some of his Rangers. He moves back to the main group and approaches Zorbels. "Lady Zorbels, it seems we may have a problem here. I've just picked up a warning from one of my rangers. I don't know what about, but it must be something urgent that they wanted another ranger to hear. I ask that we proceed with caution, and I will continue to scout out ahead if you wish." he says, his smile gone, replaced by a serious look, his face showing that he is deep in thought as he waits for Zorbels to reply.
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Xylaal follows the tracks left by the cart and tefusangs. She is relieved to find the group is easy to track and enjoys the air in her lungs and stiff breeze moving her long greasy hair. As the Nolthrir lifts her head toward the Crystal she thinks she sees a circus up ahead. As she gets closer she realizes that it is no circus but a person juggling and sees the cart further in the distance. Xylaal calls out, "Ho! Yon juggler!" as she runs to catch up.
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Dwarfmelon is wandering in the woods when he hears a whistle. "Hmmm, sounds like a ranger to me." He hurries along to check it out. As he comes to a road he sees a few people along with a cart and tefustang as well. He greets the strangers with a shout.
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Easton overhears what Farren reports to Zorbels and then promptly finds his way right next to Farren. "Can you tell how far away the call came from? or what direction?" Easton's eyes continue to scan the horizon, but the Crystal dropping in the sky makes it very difficult to percieve anything except blinding light in the direction they are heading. Turning to Farren and Zorbels, Easton promptly says, "If you need anything, im here to help." He then places his hands over his sabres and waits for further direction...
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As the group leaves, Laragorn stays out of site. He wonders were they are headed. Once they are far enough away, he grabs his pack, throws it on his shoulders and makes his way through the woods. Staying of the main road, he travels a parallel path to that of the group. Enjoying the landscape since he has not yet traveled this exact path, he stops dead in his tracks. “What is that?” He whispers to himself, in response to a faint whistle.
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Farren turns to Easton. "All I can tell is that it is a short while away. I'm not sure, but as I said, we should be cautious. I'll resume my scouting, and will report if anything is out of place." he replies and then jogs off again to continue his scouting.
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..the apples vanish to be replaced with a trio of knives and Hokinons ears prick up as the figure he has been watching trailing the group calls out. Turning he faces the Nolthrir as she approaches and as he realises the lack of threat the knives are replaced with coloured balls. "Well Met" he exclaims when she gets close enough to hear...
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Zhai speeds up her pace. She catches a glimpse of the last ulber disappearing on the other side of the hill, the side of the road. She runs even faster now. As she reaches the top of the hill she whistles once more. This time the message is different: "Danger".
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Xylaal gets a bit closer ... on this stretch of long country road the distance is further than it appears to be. As she continues toward the juggler, she sees a figure come out of the woods up ahead near the people by the cart. "Hello Sir juggler, I am Xylaal and have read the posting in town. I have come to add my prescence to this joyous camping trip. Who might you be?" She says with a dirty but inviting smile.
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Farren picks up another whistle, and keeps his eyes on the lookout, looking for any signs of movement.
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Myrthe [dwarfmelon] hails the travelers and their cart. "What might you fine people be doing on this venture?" he asks, "What are all these whistles about?"
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the apples disappear into his pack as Hokinon bows to Xylaal "Hokinon is my name and you're welcome to join us" he gestures towards the cart and the white furred fenki "Lady Zorbels is in charge, if you care to let her know"
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[I'm going to bed, might be a bit busy tomorrow, Zhai, if I cannot reply, I give you permission to control farren as you think he would be, that way the RP can go on]
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"Whoa." Zorbels calls out gently to the tefusangs and feels the wagon jerk to a stop. "Farren, is it just my imagination or do I hear whistling?" Zorbels scans the hillside with careful eyes. "Just call it instinct, but I have a feeling something isn't right. Maybe we should look to setting up camp close to here. There must be a clearing some where around here where we can build a fire and settle in for the night." Zorbels takes a moment to think and then adds, " I think, maybe some of us should set up camp while others scout the area to see if it is safe. We need someone to gather fire wood, and others to set up the tents. Who would like to volunteer for what task?" Zorbels looks around at the group. "I volunteer to scout. After all I really need to stretch my legs after traveling in this wagon for the last three hours."
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catching up to the cart just in time to hear Lady Z ask for volunteers, Hoki shrugs his pack from his back and soundlessly goes about scraping out a fire pit, lining it with a few stones that were scattered about.
Rummaging in his pack he pulls out a kettle and a small metal box containing some tinder and a flint and steel looking around as one of the others drops some wood beside him he quickly starts a fire going and filling the kettle from his canteen sets it to boil.
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Easton tells Zorbels that he knows of a small lake about 5 minutes ahead that lies off the main road. "It's crystal clear, and cold all year-round, so if anyone would like to come, you can fill your water pouches, or just give them to me and i'll fill them up for you." Walking ahead to Farren, Easton says, "I'm going up to Iyfer Lake, i'll scout as i go, but if you'd like to come, i could use a pair of Ranger eyes to slice through the hills..."
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Xylaal thanks Hokinon for his gratiousness and as the group ahead comes to a stop meets them all there at that point.
She stands before the group, pick still crossed over her backpack, as they are busily talking about their plans.
"Pardon my intrusion." and bows, "Hello Lady Zorbels," she greets with a white toothed smile on her dirty green face, "I have seen your posting in town and tracked your party for the last three hours...
... may I join your camp?"
Xylaal sees Hokinon setting up the firepit and, never shying from good hard work adds, "If you are in need of firewood, I am willing to collect it."
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" I am sure you may, although Lady Zorbels has the last word on that." Myrthe answers with a grin.
"Lady Zorbels, may i lie down and rest? I have been travelling hard for the last week hunting and foraging and i am quite tired."
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"Of course you can join us Xylaal." Zorbels says as she unhooks the tefusang from the wagon. She then turns to Myrthe after finishing her task with the tefusang's and nods "Yes take a rest, just make sure you stay close to us as you rest. The area still needs to be scouted to make sure we are safe." Zorbels takes out her water pouch and hands it to Easton, "Would you fill my water pouch for me? I was thinking of going in the opposite direction to scout out those parts, and maybe gather fire wood while I was at it." Zorbel smiles at Easton then dashes off in silence slipping through the trees to begin her scouting.
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tovera rumages around in her pack. she pulls out an empty canteen,and hands it to easton. she then pulls out an oiled sack, and a small bowl from that she takes a smaller sack. she places it on the wagon floor raising a small white cloud.
"with a bit of water, i could mix up some trail bread," she says
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"Trail bread would...be...wonderfulllll......." Myrthe says as he nods off...
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No reply and no one seems to be on the ulbers' immediate path. Zhai moves ahead, staying on top of the hills. It's getting late but the pack hasn't stopped, a strange behaviour indeed. "Where are they going?" she thinks, but then a light not far catches her attention. "Fire... a camp! Hopefully it'll be just a bunch of rogues", she thinks as her eyes draw an imaginary line between the camp and the pack moving straight into it. She starts running now, the ulber pack will reach it in a few minutes but the night hides them well. "That would be an awful surprise... I hope the campers have scouts or at least a couple of keen elven eyes or an enki nose to pick up the scent, despite the lack of wind". With no time to warn the campers, Zhai hastes towards the pack to create a diversion in case her fears were confirmed.
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Farren, still out scouting, though he has seen the others stop for rest, catches a scent that is foul to his senses. Unable to remember what it is he smelled, he follows the scent as best as he can. As he goes, he starts feeling a slight pounding, like something heavy moving his way... No, many heavy things. Thinking of the giant creatures that Yliakum has seen, and adding in the scent, he has his answer. Ulbernauts. At least three or four of them. Farren runs back to the encampment to warn the others, hoping he can make it back before the ulbernauts catch him. He yells a warning when he gets close enough, to, but he hears the pounding of the ulbernauts getting louder.
-
"Farren!". His voice is clear in her head. The ulbers are speeding up now. Time's up. She jumps on top of a tree and aims at one of them, one in the center of the pack. An arrow is cast upon the creature and then others for the surrounding ulbers. She jumps from tree to tree trying to catch the ulbers' attention and spread them in different directions. However, they're too many and some of them have already started chasing Farren. She whistles once more, this time to let Farren know she's attacking. One of the ulbers has spotted her and as she dodges his first attack she manages to unsheathe her blades in a quick step. "My turn" she says coldly, charging against the creature.
-
Xylaal crouches low in the grass, firewood forgotten at her feet, her sword now clutched tightly in her webbed hands...she is still. Having heard commotion in the distance she waits. She sees motion in the treeline ahead.
-
Hoki glances looks up at Xylaal "thanks that'd be good, we'll need a fair bit to last all night"
Hearing a yell he turns to see a pack of Ulbers chasing down towards the camp adding his voice to the alarm call he shouts "ULBERS GROUP BY THE CART" his dagger appears in his left hand as he draws a sword with his right and makes ready to take action
-
Farren reaches the camp and turns when he hears another whistle. One of the rangers saw the fire and is attacking the Ulbernauts. Unless it is a group, whoever it is will not be able to take all of them down themselves most likely. "Everyone, prepare to defend, I'm going back to help hold them off. Any who wish to come, feel free. And good luck." he says, his smile flashing at the thought of battle, and he rushes off to join the other ranger.
-
Satayne had heard the whistles and though he was no Ranger, he knew what they meant and had taken a perch in a high tree.
He knew (or hoped) Zorbels was safe as she was off scouting. Fearing the ulbers would get too close to the cart and spook the teffies into running he jumped to a tree that was over one of the ulbernauts and from there let himself fall on top of one jabbing a dagger into each side of it's thick neck upon impact. Satayne , sitting on the confused Ulbernaut's shoulders, repeatedly plunged his daggers in and out of the crazed Ulber's neck several times before withdrawing his daggers for the last time and dismounted the poor beast as it fell to the ground. Seeing the ulbernaut was wounded and most likely on it's way to death he steps over the pool of blood forming next to it's neck and looks up to find his next target.
-
Xylaal, crouched in high alert, backs herself up toward the cart. She hears a whistle in front of her and sees Farren fly by her. She turns to warn Hoki but he already has his dagger drawn. She sniffs the air. She listens. She waits.
-
Farren finds that the ulbernauts have gotten closer. He sees one taken care of by Satayne, and he rushes past, dual short swords ready, and leaps at the closest beast. He parries and incoming claw and uses the momentum to spin to the side of the large creature, and lunge forward, planting both shortswords deep into the things side. The ulbernaut, enraged, hits Farren with the backswing of its arm, knocking the ranger flying, breath taken out of him by the force of the blow. He lands in a side roll to release the momentum softly and keep from having the breath knocked from him again. He rises to his feet and studies his adversary carefully as it approaches him. He leaps high into a roll over the ulbernaut right as it reaches him, its claws hitting air as they swing to shred the ranger, and the dermorian stabs downwards mid-roll and pierces the beast's skull, straight into it's brain, killing it. he lands softly on the other side of the ulbernaut, breathing heavily, knowing that many bones in his body are broken. The adrenaline of the battle gone, he collapses to the ground, still conscious, but injured badly.
-
with a bound the old enkidukai jumps onto the cart and throws his long bladed dagger directly at the closest Ulber leaping off the other side while the knife flies to its target embedding itself between the vertebrae and instantly paralysing the enormous creature, continuing his leap into a roll he comes to rest by the Ulbers head and cuts it's throat "sorry" he whispers as it slowly bleeds to death.
Rising to his feet he draws another dagger and returns to the cart keeping himself between the Ulbers the young fenki tovera..
-
Zorbels hacks her way through the bushes with her swords, then stops as she see's a huge pile of waste from an unknown creature. "Hmmm ... that is to large for any trepor or tefusang." She goes back to hacking at the bushes to clear room to move when she hears a distress call.
"It sounds like it is coming from the camp," Zorbels whispers to herself and turns to head back. She glides over the rocks and bushes at a fast speed praying that no one is hurt. As she nears the camp she see's a grouping of ulber's. "Oh no." She swears under her breath and pulls out her long bow. Zorbels takes aim at one of the ulbers that had snuck up and was about to attack Farren. She releases hoping all of her practice this last months will come in handy. She see's it strike the ulber on the side of the head, enough to hurt him but not kill. It turns toward her with an angry, wild look upon it's face and begins to rush her. "Ok. plan number two." Zorbels pulls out her long swords and readies herself for the battle. As the ulber barrels down on her, Zorbels runs at the ulber at full speed. When almost in front of the ulber she drops to the ground and slides through its legs while holding her long swords out like wings. The ulber screams out in pain as her swords cut deep and as she slides to a stop she feels the thud of the ulber falling to the ground. Keeping in mind the ulbers deadly claws she approaches just close enough to take a head shot with her long bow. "Well, one down and three more to go...." she turns to take in the action happening around her and thinking upon her next move.
-
"The dancing blades both silk and thunder, frailty and rage, flame and water". Zhai keeps repeating this in her mind as a mantra as she crouches and jumps, dodging the ulbers attacks and counterattacking swiftly. Two are down by her blades but the third is much stronger... and faster. She's hit. Her dance interrupted abrutly as she hits a tree, knockedbacked by a blunt strike. She stands up as fast as she can just in time to evade another blow. She turns her head quickly to spot the other ulbers but they are already heading to the camp. The ulber charges again. Zhai can't dodge so she covers. Her blades stop the attack but again, the knockback is too strong so she's launched several feet away. She cracks her neck and back and resumes her concentration, gaining momentum for her attack. She goes for the ankles, making the creature kneel down. As she slides under the ulber she's surprised by another deadly claw coming her way. She pulls her legs back, beding her knees to stop the inertia but it's not enough so she uses her blades again, sticking them on the ground and pushing herself to the side, she barely makes it out of the way of the moving claw but her blades are hit away from her hands. She rolls and jumps to safety, a few good feet away. Two ulbers in front of her, one badly hurt but too close to her weapons and the one standing running towards her.
-
"Heads up people! Three more ulbers have entered the camp!" Zorbels cries out with warning.
-
Satayne looks up to see Farren writhing in pain on the ground and looks back in the distance behind him to see Hokinon standing before one. He looks back to Farren then to Hokinon deciding which way to go when he notices the one in front of Hokinon is not moving at all and decides to go help Farren. He sheathes his daggers as he closes the gap between them and kneels to Farren trying to assess his injuries.
Hearing something he looks up to his right and sees yet another barreling down on them when out of nowhere an arrow pierces the side of it's head. The ulber turns it's attention behind him now and from seemingly nowhere Zorbels comes flying out of the brush on wings of steel sliding between it's legs and slashing it down.
Satayne stands there looking at Zorbels in awe.
-
Xylaal rushes to aid Satayne taking Farren's side as he lay injured steeped in ulber blood. The ruddy Nolthrir, still clutching her sword mumbles a spell under her breath. She calls on the Crystal for it's healing power as a whirl of light engulfs Farren and herself. She concentrates hard on this and does not notice as a particularly mean ulbernaught approaches from behind and is dispatched by Zorbels.
"Nice work Zorbel's" she exclaims. And has her eye on Hokinon who has an ulber breathing down on him.
-
Zorbels see's Satayne looking at her and smiles. She jogs towards him after putting an arrow into the ulbers head. Out of no where an ulber claw strikes Zorbels knocking her down. Her head spins as she tries to remember what just happened and feels the claw dig into her leg. She cries out with fear and pain riding her voice "Help! I am down and cannot move!" She curls into a ball trying to protect whatever she can on her body as the ulber attacks her aggressively.
-
Farren, healed sufficiently enough to stand with small amount of trouble, instantly gets another adrenaline rush as he sees his long-time friend Zorbels go down. Despite his still numerous, but now minor injuries, he rushes forward, short swords ready, and tackles the back of the ulbernaut, thrusting both blades forward into the creature, then uses the planted blades to pull himself onto the top of it. He grabs his two short swords from its back, keeping his balance as the beats thrashes, and after retrieving his blades, slams them down as hard as he can into the top of the creature's head, killing it in much the same way as he had the last one.
-
Hokinon stands breathing deeply as he gestures to Tovera to get under the cart a bellow from the tefusang alerts him just in time and he throws himself sidewards as a massive claw hits the cart, grunting as a splinter of wood hits his side he rolls frantically away as the ulber pounds the earth with his heavy fists, rolling under the tef he regains his feet and jumps up onto the tefs hump swinging his sword across the ulbers eyes piercing them both, ducking and running behind as the ulber blindly swings about he hamstrings the beast bringing it to it's knees, carefully avoiding its claws he rams his sword up into it's tiny brain once more apologising under his breath.
Turning heart pounding he hears Zorbels scream and as his eyes pick her out knows he can't get there in time...
-
Xylaal, having healed Farren a little bit and seeing the injured Zorbels curled on the ground leaps up high onto the back of the ulber, burying her pick into it's neck and riding the hairy beast as she slashes and digs into it's back. The beast shakes her off just as Farren jumps up, slashing and slashing valiantly until he kills it.
-
Zhai lures the standing ulber away from the other one. She dodges his attacks until his claws get stuck on a tree. He breaks it in half, hitting Zhai with one of the pieces. She falls and then notices the fire and the cart nearby and the ulber towards it. She hears then Zorbel's cry for help. Zhai's injuries are not very serious. She hastes back for her blades. The fallen ulber welcomes her with his claws, crawling surprisingly fast towards her. Crouch, slide, run, stop, jump. Almost there. She grabs them but gets slashed on the back at the same time. The wound is deep now. "Let's get this over with". She roars ignoring her pain, slashing the ulber's neck half way through. She removes her blades from the shaking body to feel the piercing pain on her back. She breathes deeply trying to control herself. "The camp... Farren!". She's on the move again.
[so far: 8 ulbers dead, 3 more to go \\o//]
-
Satayne, seeing Zorbels down instantly crouches low and springs on the ulber drawing his daggers in mid-air. He lands in front of the ulber and with a dagger in each hand, rams one into each of the beast's foot, pinning him to the ground just as Farren leaps onto it.
He looks over at Zorbels and rushes to her side, the Ulbernaut, now immobile, struggles in Farren's attack.
-
Farren hops off the ulbernaut as its body slams to the ground. "Is Lady Zorbels okay?" he asks, his voice wavering.
-
tovera hears the crashing as she is working the flour and a bit of water together. she looks in the direction of the noise in time to see the ubers crashing out of the undergrowth. she screams. she drops the bowl. she dashes for her pack. she trips on a stone and rolls. she stops against the wagon. she see hokinon's gesture. she grabs the pair of daggers out of her pack. she slips under the wagon. she looks through a wheel at the approaching ubers.
"this is nuts," she says. "why i am here? i can't fight these things. i can barely handle the rats back at the bakery." a buried memory floats to the surface. "but i can't do anything about them if i'm dead. but, i have to be worthy of his help."
-
Zorbels moans as she gains consciousness after passing out for a couple of moments. She rolls over and has a clear veiw of the wagon and Tovera shivering with fear under it. Zorbels chokes out "Someone help her. Those ulbers are to close and she is not skilled enough to fight them. We as a group must protect her. I know Hokinon was ...but...but...." she passes out again from the blood loss due to her damaged leg.
-
Farren looks quickly towards the camp, looks back to the others, and then dashes off back towards the camp, adrenaline still pumping through him. He sprints towards Tovera and stands infront of her, his short swords ready. Focusing deeply, the same way he had when he fought Angadu, Farren leaps over the first ulbernaut, rolling and slamming a single blade into its brain, finding this strategy to be the most efficient, and twists it before pulling it back out and landing the rolling jump on the ulbersnaut's back, using it to push himself off and to the next beast.
-
Laragorn Knows the whistle is a warning of some kind. He slices through the woods like an arrow through the air. Heading across the hills on the left side of Oja road, he hears the second whistle. The adrenaline rushes in his veins as he incredibly increases his pace. Atop one of the hills he sees a pack of large strange beasts attacking the party. Helplessly he watches the deadly ballet go on below him on the road. He tries to cast an arrow spell, but his powers are too limited to reach such distance. Yelling as load as he can, out comes his cry of warning, “More are coming! Look out! “. Not knowing if he is heard, he runs swiftly down the hillside in an attempt to reach the beasts before the reach the party.
-
Zhai shoots arrow after arrow at the ulbers, trying to catch their attention again. She sees her friends running towards them as well. Zorbel's on the ground. Zhai gasps. Her wounds are burning but there's still much to do. She runs towards the ulbers now, roaring...
-
Hoki sees Tovera crouched under the cart with her knives out and smiles admiring her bravery, moving stiffly he crouches down beside her "just stay here little one" he says softly and adds "there'll be plenty for you to hunt later" and slowly turns in a circle keeping all his senses alert for any threat to the child...
-
Satayne decides Zorbels is alright for the moment and bolts for the wagon sheathing one dagger and drawing a shortsword, as soon as he is in range he flicks his wrist and sends the dagger flying into the ulbernaut's neck in the back hoping to paralyze the beast but it doesn't. The ulbernaut turns around feeling the pain in it's neck and Satayne whistles two short then one long sharp whistle to try and let the Rangers know of the situation. He then yells at the ulber to gain it full attention.
"Heeey, over here you ugly!" Satayne waves his hands trying to draw the beast away from the wagon and the vulnerable teffies as the twins try to keep control of the reigns. Seeing Tovera under the cart he calls to Roth and Toth." Doon't let them ruuuun!"
-
Farren engages the next ulbernaut, thinking to use again the same tactic. As he leaps forward though, the large beast effortlessly swipes him aside with a backhand. This time, Farren is knocked unconscious, unable to roll, and already weakened bones snap as he slams to the ground.
-
Xylaal kneels next to Zorbels. She tries to begin a healing spell but cannot muster the great concentration needed and wanted to drag the unconscious fenki toward the safety of the cart but does not. It is no longer safe; she sees an ulber approach the cart and hearing all sorts of yelling she pulls Zorbels behind a dead ulber and continues her healing spell.
-
As she sees Farren's body hit the ground, Zhai's eyes widen and she grips her swords tightly. She throws her blades with all her strength, piercing the ulber's back. She climbs on him using the handles and removes them once she's up. The ulber grabs her leg as she was about to hit again and tosses her on the ground. Something broke this time but she stands up. The ulber approaches Farren but she stands in the middle, blocking his way: "I'm not done with you yet", she says.
-
before the beast can give a killing blow Hokinon slashes with his sword removing the claw in one hit and reversing his grip steps into the ulbers arms like a lover as he slides his blade deep into the ulbers chest piercing its heart and with a mighty heave of his legs falls away from the cart and Tovera dragging the ulber down ontop of him
-
Luring the beast away from the wagon was the easy part. Seeing Farren's unconscious form prone on the ground he position's himself as to draw the Ulber away from Farren as well as the cart. Crouching low he draws his other shortsword and slowly closes in on the ulber. He circles around to it's back but it matches his movements quickly so he circles around to the side once more and casts a few magic arrows at it, still leading it away from the cart trying to stall for time and assistance. It was about this time that Hokinon snuk up on the beast and in a lover's embrace ended it's life before it even knew what hit him. Satayne looks around and dashes over to Zorbels and Xylaal.
-
Easton had finally caught up with Farren in time to catch a glimpse of Hokinon dealing the finishing blow to the Ulbernaut. Relieved, he thought about sheathing his blades until he saw that down one side of the hill was another Ulbernaut. Running to the other side of the hill he sees a second Ulbernaut coming up. Easton was trapped. His mind races as his heart pounds. "What to do? What to do?" He thinks.. Too late.. both of the Ulbernauts had converged on him. The Ulbernaut in front of him takes a swipe and Easton backs off just enough to avoid a full blow, but his Sabres are knocked away from him. Easton swiftly rises to his feet, and sensing the Ulbernaut behind him he comes up with a plan.. He turns around and just as swiftly, the second Ulbernaut thrusts his claw forward to put a hole in Easton. But just at the last second, Easton ducks and the claw goes straight through into the Ulbernaut that was behind Easton and killing it instantly. The force from the blow through both Ulbernauts off of the hill and down they tumbled to their death. Easton lay on the ground for several minutes panting..
After a few minutes of catching his breath, and collecting his thoughts, Easton runs towards the camp to see how everyone is doing...
-
Behind a dead ulbernaught, Xylaal surrounds Zorbels with a whirls of light as she mumbles an incantation. She hopes to at least bring Zorbels to conscousness again.
-
Running down the hill Laragorn knows no one heard his warning. He continues yelling “more are coming, more are coming, two more beasts!” Going as fast as his legs will carry him he heads straight for the last 2 beasts. Never have been in battle with a beast of this size Laragorn is overwhelmed. Trying his beast to avoid the mighty claw, he fails. The beast with one mighty swing of his arm, impales Laragorn through his chest. Carrying the body as a trophy the beast continues to the group.
-
That second seemed endless. The ulber's deadly claw flying towards her. She crouched, bent forward and jumped above it, reaching the ulber's head with both her blades. The beast hit her one last time, sending her back to the ground. Farren's still unconscious. Zhai crawls near him with little strength... she can't fight anymore.
-
Myrthe awakens with a start. "Wow, wow, calm down, just a bad dream. I'm sure my friends are safe. Or i hope." He gathers his things and starts off in search of his friends, hoping they are not long gone. In the distance, he can hear a faint clash of swords. "Sounds like trouble." He hurries along the path.
A few minutes later he rounds the bend to see the horrific sight before him. Blood everywhere, Zorbels laying still with a few at her side. Farren is lying there, hopifully unconcious. "What in...?" he whispers. "My friends, i am so sorry i slept too long. What has happened here?" He faces zhai," i have some herbs in my pack for anymone who has injuries. You see, you must know how to heal yourself to survive out here."
-
Xylaal sees a stir in Zorbels. She looks like she'll be okay. Zhai and Farren on the other hand are in dire need. Xylaal leaps over the dead ulbernaught bounding toward the injured duo. She leaps over another dead ulber to find Zhai in excruciating pain and Farren close to death. The Nolthrir drinks a potion of mana and then another from her sack. She lifts her eyes to the great Crystal and chants in a monotone but velvety voice. Zhai, Farren and herself are enveloped in a swirling cloud of light. Xylaal raises her arms over them.
After a while she sees Zhai's face calm, but Farren takes more effort. Xylaal takes another sip of mana potion and continues concerntating on Farren as Myrthe gives Zhai herbs.
-
Easton returns to the camp winded and sore. Trying to assess the situation he asks Xylaal, "Farren and Zhai.. Potions! We need more potions, herbs, anything!" he says.
-
Zorbels awakens hearing a male voice yelling "There are more coming!" She looks to see it is Laragorn shouting the warning. She then see's a couple of more ulbers heading towards the camp from behind Laragorn. Zorbels swears under her breath and thinks "Well we sure picked a good place to camp." She pulls out her long bow again seeing her leg is to damaged to walk, the long bow she realises is her only defence. She begins to shoot at the two ulbers heading into camp hoping to hit with killing blows. Zorbels shouts angered from being hurt and frightened 'Would you hair balls DIE already!"
-
Zorbels' scream brings consciousness back to Zhai. She opens her eyes to see Xylaal helping Farren. Two other people are near her, one of them offering healing herbs. She thanks him with a nod and then addresses Xylaal: "Hey, we need to regroup. How many are you? ...Was that Zorbels?".
-
from his position trapped under the ulber Hoki sees Roth and Toth finally realise what is going on and they spring into action, slow of mind they may be but once they get moving...
Double teaming they take the first down easily and turning to the second are momentarily distracted by Laragorns body but soon make short work of that one too carefully removing the body and returning it to the cart and Xylaal's help
-
Easton helps carry the body of Laragorn back to camp and places it under a tree. "Xylaal! We need some of those potions!"
-
as zhai wakes up, myrthe puts away his exess herbs into his pack. zhai thanks him and he nods in welcome. He looks around to see a two figures finishing off the last of the ulbers. "We need to get everyone accounted for. Ummm, pardon me asking but what shall we do with our...errr...dead?"
-
Xylaal acknowledges Easton with a yelp and tosses him a healing potion. She turns to Zhai, "Glad to see you alive friend...look at Zorbels!" Xylaal smiles,"She's back with a vengence!" Xylaal is almost finished with Farren as he stirs a bit. He is stable. She moves to see if others need help.
-
His lifeless body lies under a large beautiful tree. Flashes of childhood run through his head. Laragorn sees his parents for the time in many years. His life is revealed year by year, and his soul saddens from its emptiness.
-
The camp is a bloody mess as Xylaal walks across it, dodging around two very agitated tefusangs to the treeside where Easton tends to Laragorn.
"The wounds are deep. To heal him I will need help...in fact, as many who can call upon the Crystal with me the better, the life infusion will be increased in strength...Easton can we do this?"
-
Recovered and more focused, Zhai offers a hand now to attend those injured. She approaches Xylaal and with a grin, starts casting the life infusion spell along with her buddy. In the back of her head she still wonders what brought so many ulbers together...
-
Easton makes eye contact with Zhai. "Thank you for helping, Milady." Easton then proceeds to cast life infusion several times. After a moment, Laragorn begins to stir and Easton tells Xylaal, "As soon as he is able to be moved, we need to get everyone together by the camp."
-
Xylaal nods to Easton as she mumbles the incantation with Zhai. The swirling halo circles the group and the tree as the massive hole in Laragorns torso grows smaller and smaller.
And as it disappears Xylaal slumps over him in exhaustion and catchs her breath. She winks at Zhai, "Whew"
-
Feeling a radiant warmth flooding his body, the scenes of Laragorn's past fade into blackness. A deep heat fills his chest, and he takes a deep breath. Strenuously he opens his, adjusting to his surroundings, he sees three figures above him. The weary but friendly faces look down on him. “What has happened?” he mutters weakly. Laragorn is told by one of the healers “there is no time for that; we must go to the others”
-
As they finish casting the spell upon Laragorn, Zhai turns over to Farren, to see how he's doing. She returns Xylaal's wink with a "thank you" smile. She then turns to Easton and Myrthe and nods politely at them: "Please, call me Zhai".
-
"Of course." Myrthe says. "I have never seen so many of these beasts group together like this. This is not natural, but why would someone want to kill an innocent band of travellers? What have we done? And who whould go about the trouble to do so anyway?" So many questions not enough answers, he thinks to himself.
-
Once Zorbels is convinced the ulbers coming toward the camp are dead she sets down her long bow and looks around the camp. "Oh to all lannx! Look at the camp site! It is trashed." She shakes her head and gets up slowly limping toward her supply bag. Pulling out a healing glyph she mutters a few words and begins to heal her leg. She notices a white peice of claw sticking out of her fur near the wound and pulls it out. Once the wound is closed and the bleeding stopped she looks around again. She see's her travel companions scattered through out the camp, some hurt, others tending to the hurt. She doesn't see Satayne and fear grips at her heart. "Satayne! Where are you?" she listens for his response and begins to panic after her calls to him are not answered. "Has anyone see Satayne? Or karyuu for that matter? How many are hurt?" she asks the remaining group members. She whispers under her breath a little prayer and moves towards those who are injured to help them heal and find out where the others might be.
-
Satayne's ears perk at hearing Zorbels voice. He was not totally convinced the ulbernaut attacks were over and went to scout the outlying area once he was sure the camp was out of immediate danger. He was unaware of the extent of Zorbels injuries but was sure that checking for more ulbernauts was a priority. At hearing her voice he started the run back and as he entered the area from behind the brush and was able to see Zorbels up and brushing herself off. As he runs to her he looks around and sees that noone is dead and mutters a "Thank Talad" under his breath. As he passes by the ulbernaut that Zorbels had put the arrow into, he stopped to pull them out. "Are you alright love?" he asked as he hands her the arrows. But what was really on his mind was "Where did they all come from?"
-
Myrthe sees Satayne enter the woods then come back out a few moments later. He calls out very loudly, "Anyone who wishes to go on meet me at the cart, bring wounded if there are any. We must regroup and see who or if anyone is missing!"
He goes over to the cart and starts meddling with the broken pieces. 'My, what a day. And what a week for that matter.' he thinks. People start to gather around him.
-
[[Backtrack a few posts, thanks for remembering Roth and Toth. :)]]
The battle did not seem to be going well for the band of battered travelers. Roth and Toth stood valiantly at the tamed teffs, intent on protecting them as ordered. The two last ulbers suddenly appeared over the hill. Looking at the weary fighters, Roth glanced to Toth.
"They ain't gunna make it, Boma [Ynnwn for brother], we gots tah help."
Toth glanced back, seeing the same outcome. "But we was tah watch the dunderbeasts..."
They both heard a whisper from under a blanket on the cart. "You two addleheads are the dunderbeasts! Go help them NOW!"
Roth and Toth instantly reacted to Arnigus's order, fear and thought washed away in a dual battlehaze. When Arn says attack...that is what they do. Dropping the leads, the twins rushed headlong into the final creatures, daggers appearing in their hands, only to seem to sprout from the ulbers a moment latter at the quick flick of the wrist. Before ten running steps were taken, ten identical daggers adorned the soft parts of the beasts. Toth slowed slightly and pulled a small hand ax as Roth dashed ahead, though with no weapon at all. The first ulber's eyes blazed with anger at the inconvenience of the dagers protruding from its body as it raised its claws high to strike at the unarmed Roth. At the last moment, Roth dived under the swing, folding his arms across his chest and tipping heas head to the side to form a compact battering ram of solid, living Ynnwn. Toth already had his ax raised over his head and was swinging down before Roth even collided with the beast's knee to the sound of a loud pop. Toth's preemptive downswing slammed into the back of the howling creature's head as the thing tumbled forward over Roth, cutting the creatures bellow of pain short. Leaving the ax buried in the dead ulber's head, Toth continued at a full run without a moment's pause to the second creature, this one still with the body of Laragorn decorating its claw. Roth rolled to one side the instant he broke the first ulber's knee, his arm flashing behind his back to grab one of the multiple weapons harnessed there. Just as he drew a hand-sized, compact crossbow, Toth ducked low to avoid a swing from the ulber, then leaped up to drive his palm into the beast's nose and driving the head back. Anyone would have laughed at the futility of such a blow, if not for the fletchings that suddenly jutted from under the ulber's chin, the bolt from Roth's crossbow going straight to its braincase. The ulber took two more steps before it fell ponderously forward, finally admitting to its death. Laragorn's limp body was flung from the falling creature's claw to rest under a tree.
[[that brings us back to now]]
Roth sunders over to Toth with his brother's ax in hand. Roth hands Toth his ax back with a grin. "Ulbers is so stupid."
-
Rising slowly to his feet Laragorn looks around, and sees corpses of the beasts. There is blood every where. Everyone is gathering around the disheveled cart. Laragorn reaches in his bag for a flask containing mana. He takes a large gulp. Closing his eyes he lowers his head and mutters a few words. Feeling anew, Laragorn joins the others at the cart.
Approaching the three faces he saw when awakening, in a sincere voice spoke to them “I am Laragorn. I owe you my life, and I shall forever be in your debt.”
-
"It is so nice to meet you," says the very large lump under the blanket, "I am known as Arnigus. Arnigus Faymore" A hand extends from the blanket.
-
"Your welcome Laragorn," she extends her caloused webbed hand, "I am Xylaal, this is Zhai and I think you know Easton don't you?" Xylaal smiles. "Let's get back to the cart. And then, after we regroup, we have a lot of skinning to do. It would be a shame to let these proud beasts' hides and claws go to waist."
They all start moving toward the cart.
-
Easton limps up to the crowd growing around Myrthe, "Easton here! Bruised up but ready for any task that is needed. Just let me know how i can help." He then sits down and tends to a swelling ankle.
-
Farren shifts very slightly on the ground where he was left, still unconscious and injured.
-
seeing the end of the battle tovera carefully places her daggers on the ground. she pulls her self into a tigh ball. her tail wrapped around her. her shoulders start shaking. "i couldn't do anything," she says muffled.
-
“Is there anyone else who is hurt?” Laragorn asks as he looks around. He sees a body on the ground, and rushes over to it. When he gets there he knows the injuries are severe. He kneels beside the body, closes his eyes, lowers his head and mutters to himself. A whirlwind of glowing light envelopes the two bodies. The body stirs as the light subsides.
-
As the group gathers again, Zhai takes some minutes to check up on Farren. She starts casting the life infusion spell on him again, making sure all his wounds heal properly. "That ulber almost bit your ear, huh?"...
-
Farren snaps out of unconsciousness instantly at the sound of anything biting or eating his ear and snaps into a sitting position, despite still weakened bones and muscles. "NO!!!! Not my ears!!!" he yells quite loudly before falling back from the pain in his body.
-
"..a camping trip to explore the wilds, treasure hunt and hunt wild beasts," sounded like fun at the time. But now Spetyco is limping around in the dark stubbing his toes trying to find his way out of a pit.
He was late for the party, but decided he could catch up anyway. But before he could he heard some whistling, he knew it meant trouble, so he became cautious, sneaking through the shrubbery trying to see what was going on, before whatever it was could see him. Then he saw the campfire and came closer. When he got closer he saw a great battle of heroes against an unusually large pack of ulbernauts. Across the hill he sees someone new joining the fray only to end up at the end of one of the beasts claws.
Spetyco pulls out his long sword and begins his charge to help these might heroes.
But alas, he was too focused on the beasts ahead to notice the pit and down he falls, twenty feet to some sharp rocks and lands with a crack. Then blackness...
When he comes to all is queit and dark.. then someone yells, "NO!!!! Not my ears!!!"
Someone must be close, "HELLO! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!?"
-
Zorbels looks at Satayne for a moment and then rushes to hug him flooded with emotion and thankful he was ok. "Oh thank the gods you are ok, I was worried when you didn't answer my calling out to you." She pause for a moment sensing movement and hearing a soft rustling sound.
"Wow, am am still pretty jumpy. I am hearing things."
Satayne nods eyes still darting from different directions searching for some clue to danger. Zorbels smiles and puts her hand on his shoulder " To answer your question .... I am alright, I managed to heal my leg enough to stop the bleeding. With the aid of my healing glyph, and knowledge of magic ... I think I can heal it completely in five days time. Till then, I will have to take it easy." She is suddenly startled by a loud yell and hears Farren shrieking "NO!!!! Not my ears!!!" Following that a moment later, "HELLO! IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!?"
Zorbels looks at Satayne with wide eyes. "Did you hear that?" Not waiting for the answer she limps towards Farren and the strange voice she heard. "Hello?" Who and where are you?" Zorbels calls out. "We were just under attack by ulber's, are you ok? Hurt in anyway .....?." She stops short of where Farren lays and listens intently for the unfamiliar voice and it's location.
-
thumping wriggling and pushing at the dead ulber Hoki finally manages to free himself unaided and staggers to the cart to slump down against the wheel beside the fur covered ball that is Tovera.
Sighing deeply he reaches out to lay a comforting paw on the little fenkis quivering shoulders "There, there little one, it doesn't matter that you couldn't help" and with a groan he pulls the foot long splinter out of his side using his free paw, glancing at the ball of fur asks "are you injured?"
-
"HELLO?!? I'm over here! My name is Spetyco and I've come to join the party. I've fallen into a hole of some kind. I think I may have broken my leg... What was that?!?"
Spetyco whirls around. There was a rustling noise coming from somewhere nearby. He keeps looking and realizes there is actually an underground cave of some kind down here. He tries to penetrate the darkness to see where the noise is coming from, but fifty feet into the cave it takes a sharp turn East.
The sound is getting closer.
"HELLO! I think something is down here! Do you think you could help me out?"
"By Talad! Where's my sword?"
-
People start to gather around the cart. "Easton, you could definately be of service. Would you mind counting up everyone that is present? I'm going to try to salvage what i can of this cart."
-
Easton wanders around counting and recounting the party. Returning to Myrthe he says, "It looks as though we have twelve members as of now, and one stuck in a hole, not sure of his name though. So thats a total of thirteen."
Easton spots a long, thick rope near the cart and then calls for Roth and Toth. "You two, you're strong right? Come with me, i have a job for you.."
The twins look at each other, shrug and then start following Easton, "Otay, we's follow"
-
Zorbels follows the voice "Keep calling out to me .... I can hear you are close ...." she stops and looks back at the group. "Could someone help me find this Spetyco? I think he maybe in some trouble. We will need ropes and a couple of pieces of wood to make a sling. Sounds like he maybe in trouble so we will have to work fast."
Zorbels finds the hole that Spetyco fell down and calls down to him "Here, take my short swords for now. Becareful I am going to throw them down to you." She tosses the swords lightly down to the stranger. "We will have you out of there in no time, just don't panic...."
-
"Thank you Easton!" Myrthe calls out as Easton walks away. "Anyone who would like a staff or club may get one from me. The cart is too broken to repair. So, i took the handles and made them into different sized staffs. It may not be much but it is something." He takes one of the longer staffs and heads over to the pit to see what he can do to help.
-
Spetyco grabs hold of Zorbels swords finding comfort in the weight of them in his hands, but having trouble trying to balance on one leg he stumbles and falls giving his other leg a nasty gash.
"Just what I needed" he mutters to himself.
"Thanks for the help," he calls back, "If you need me for anything I'll be right here."
He looks at the gash in his right leg and feels the broken bone in the left. He remembers what he saw of the fight. How bravely and skillfully these warriors were, he thinks to himself, "I always was good at first impressions!"
-
Easton arrives at the pit with Roth and Toth. Looking to Zorbels he says, "I found a nice strong rope and two strong bodies to help with pulling up our stuck friend." Easton then began to tie the rope around a nearby rock. "Now that that is done, i can begin asking people for help" he says to himself. Then he begins appealing for some help to lift the stuck Ylian.
-
"I will help." Myrthe says as he appears on the scene. I brought a firm pole if it can be of any help. We could tie it to the end of the rope and it will help when we pull up our friend in the hole.
-
As Laragorn stands, Zhai tends to Farren. Knowing Farren is in good hands, Laragorn Looks around to see what he may do to help. He heard the cries of someone who had fell into a hole. Laragorn sees a few people with a rope and heads over to lend a hand. “How can I help?”
-
Zorbels nods "Very good idea Myrthe , but one thing ..... someone will have to go down there to help him. He has a broken leg, so that will need to be tended to before we bring him up. Otherwise I imagine it will hurt like hell trying to move him. I can go but my leg is still pretty damaged from the ulber's. What do you think Sir Easton, Myrthe, Laragorn?" Zorbels calls down to Spetyco "I am throwing you down some water now. Is there anything else that might be broken or damaged from your fall?" Zorbels tosses the water bottle down to the stranger and waits for a reply.
-
"No, nothing else from the fall." Spetyco finds the water and takes a sip.
He can hear something in the darkness and it's getting closer. "What could be down here?"
"Hey guys, thank for the help. Don't worry about hurrying or anything. I think I might be making a new friend down here. Maybe he's going to have me to lunch."
"Or for lunch..." he mutters.
"Oh yeah, I did cut my leg with your swords, but it's not too bad."
-
Easton thinks for a moment, "I'll go. We don't know whats down there, and im probably the least injured out of most. But i'll need a healer to accompany me so we work on his leg before we pull him up." Easton looks to Zorbels with a slight concern showing on his face, "I'll get ready for the drop.." He then finishes wrapping his ankle, and prepares his sabres for what things lie below...
-
“I’ll go” Laragorn replies. “I can mend his leg enough to raise him, when he is up we can heal him further.” Laragorn reaches in his pack and takes out a small staff with a clear crystal on it. “I will use my Armuutriik, to cut the darkness” He says, then mumbles a few short words and the crystal on the staff starts to glow.
-
"Did anyone lose a sword?" Siteri calls out. "Because I just found one over here..."
-
"Well I guess you can both go. I think I have enough people here to help me pull you all up one at a time. This way one of you can tend to Spetyco, and the other can watch out for whatever maybe down there." Zorbels looks worried and touches Eastons shoulder "Please be careful, I would really hate to lose anyone in this group." Zorbels prepares to lower the two gentlemen into the cave.
-
reaching out to grab his pack he pulls out his field dressings and with a herbal poultice straps the gaping wound the splinter left in his side, looking deeper in his bag he pulls out an apple and offers it to the ball of fur "here little one, you need to eat as the battle rush will wear off soon" waving it in front of where her nose should be.
With a wistful look he adds "my daughter would be about your age now" slowly slicing another apple as he eats Hoki freezes "a daughter, I had a daughter" he repeats over and over to himself.....
-
Easton sheathes his blades and is finally prepared for the decent. Looking to Roth and Toth he simply gives them a nod. He walks over to Laragorn, "It's Laragorn right? I saw what happened earlier, you sure you're up to this? Well.. if you are, then you have earned yourself a good nights rest when this is all over.." Grabbing the rope, Easton begins to tie it around his waist. "Here, tie this around your waist, we should be able to get the both of us down there in one trip. Coming back up might be a different story.." Easton then looks to Zorbels and gives her a nod, "As soon as Laragorn ties himself securely [sp?] we're ready.."
-
Putting his pack down, Laragorn takes his flask of mana and puts it in his vest pocket. He adjusts his belt and sees one of his swords is missing. It must have fallen of while the beast had there way with him. “One should do for now” he says to himself. Grabbing the rope he prepares for the decent. Looking to Easton he replies “yes it is Laragorn, sir Easton, and i shall be fine, the healers have worked a miracle on me.” He knew it was Easton from the lady’s conversation with him. Tying himself around the waist, he looks around and smiles “everything will be fine down there, we will be up in no time” he says to the people around him.
-
"Laragorn, if anything starts to go wrong, tug the rope twice and we will pull you up as fast as we can." Myrthe adds just as Laragorn disappears down the hole. He ties the end of the rope to the pole. "Grab it here." he says. He walks over to the edge of the hole and starts listening. "There's something else down there..."
-
While Myrthe lowers Laragorn down into the dark pit of black, Zorbels does the same with Easton. "Let us know if there is anything you need. We will be sure to toss it down to you both. Take this Easton so that you can see." Zorbels hands him a lantern before she continues to lower him.
-
As the others are helping the newcomer, Farren slowly comes back form being unconscious, and rises to his feet. His wounds are healed for the most part, but his body still aches badly. despite the pain of doing so, he gets up and limps over to the others, short swords still gripped tightly in his hands, as they had been since he was slammed to the ground.
-
Meanwhile, Spetyco has been sitting idly by watching as his new found friends begin their rescue efforts.
He's so eager to get out he hasn't been paying attention and a gobble sneaks up on him and grabs him with its claws. He struggles with it calling out for help.
He wrestles with the gobble rolling on the floor. He can see Sir Easton and Laragorn decsending and the his hand finds the hilt of zorbels sword. With one quick move he decapitates the gobbles.
Sir Easton and Laragorn reach him just as he's struggling to get the gobble's body off himself.
"So what's up guys? My name is Spetyco and this is my friend Gobby. Sorry he's kinda shy. I think he bit me..." Then he passes out from loss of blood.
-
On there decent to the bottom Easton and Laragorn hear something in the abyss. They watch helplessly as the Gobble atacks. Once they reach the cave floor Laragorn immediately casts a healing spell, and Easton’s ankle feels better. “Sir Easton, take this” Laragorn says as he hands him the Armuutriik. “I’ll get to work on Spetyco right away”.
-
Easton sees the gobble's body at Spetyco's feet and it's head rolling away and coming to rest next to the wall in the cave, "Well, i see you've found yourself a nice Gobble cave to fall into." His smile quickly disappears as he raises his lantern to see Spetyco's leg. Looking to Laragorn, Easton says, "Well, i'll let you get to work, im just going to check this hole first." Easton begins walking to the right where the previous Gobble had come from. "I'll be back in two minutes."
-
As Easton leaves to explore, Laragorn gets to work on Spetyco. In the back of his mind he is still thinking of the pack of beasts that attacked for no reason. Looking up he yells “lady Zorbels, is everything still ok up there? There aren’t any more beasts coming are there?”
-
Myrthe sighs in relief as the gobble dies. "I thought it as going to be something bigger. It sure sounded like it. In fact...." he pauses listening "...the sound is still there. I dont think that theres only a couple of gobbles down there. I would like to go down myself to check it out." He ties his rope to another staff and wedges the staff between two rocks. He slowly rappels down into the hole. As he reaches the bottom, he greets Laragorn, Easton, and the newly found friend, Spetyco. Easton walks off to explore one way. Myrthe walks off in the other direction, following what he believes to be sounds of something large.
-
Farren collapses as he reaches the pit where everyone is helping the new arrival, nearly falling in, but catching himself right before the edge. "What happened?" he asks in a groggy, exhausted, and pained voice as he sits back, legs stretched out a little, supporting his body with his arms behind him, leaning back.
-
Zorbels shakes her head and then realises Laragorn can't see her and shouts softly down the dark hole "Yes, everything is fine. I still am wondering how it came to be that we were attacked by so many. This puzzles me, Ulbers don't travel in packs. They also don't attack people unless aggravated. She pauses looking thoughful and then shouts down to Laragorn "How is Spetyco doing? Are his injure's bad?"
-
“He is one strong fellow; a lesser man would have died from the fall.” Laragorn says as he looks over Spetyco. “He has a broken leg, a nasty gash from the gobble and a nice big lump growing on his head. He should be ok to move in a couple of minutes.” As he says this Laragorn hears some noises from deeper into the cavern.
-
"i'm sorry about you daughter." her tail unwraps from around her body. "is it always like this," tovera says to hokinon, muffled through her arms. "does it get any easier?"
-
Spetyco wakes up deleriously and looks at Laragorn,
"Hey there fella, nice to meetcha. My name is Stetokyo... How did you grow three heads?"
Then he passes out again.
-
After casting two spells of healing, Laragorn feels Spetyco can be moved. He makes a harness of sorts from the rope and puts it on the wounded man. As he ties the rope around his waist, he calls to the top “Ok we are ready to be lifted out, be gentle Spetyco is still fragile”. Laragorn is wondering what the sounds are from within the cavern. Are Easton and Myrthe ok, have they come across some trouble? “I don’t know where the others are, but we must get this man out of here” Laragorn says as the rope tightens.
-
Easton comes running back into the main area of the cave to see Laragorn tying Spetyco to the rope. His heart is just about beating out of his chest as he finally gathers enough air to say, "Hurry...*pant*..get him up... you too." Laragorn looks at Easton with a puzzled look. Knowing there is no time for hesitation Easton begins tying Laragorn to the rope that Spetyco is already attatched to. "Tell Zorbels she has to throw the rope down as soon as possible, i need to get Myrthe. Hurry.." Easton then runs off into the darkness that swallowed Myrthe minutes ago...
-
Zorbels hears Eastons paniced voice and request and throws down the ropes. "Ok all clear, let me know when you want us to start pulling." Zorbels turns to Farren and replies to his question "While you were passed out we found a taverler that wanted to join the group. Unfortantly before he could join us he ran into a bit of trouble. That is why we are here at this cave hole." Zorbels says to Farren in an exhausted voice form the days events. "I just can't wait to get him out of there and have us all settle down to a camp fire and some much needed rest. I think we all have had enough adventure for one day."
-
“Ok pull!” Laragorn shouts. He wonders what Easton has found, and feels something is wrong. “Quickly, get us out of here! I think they need help down here! Get some good sword wielders over here now!” Laragorn says in a panic.
-
Farren gets off the ground, gaining strength back every minute, as is his way. Normally he'd have been down there in an instant to help fight, but this time he doesn't have the strength to fight. He grabs the rope with Zorbels and starts helping pull the rope.
-
@Farren: Thanks Farren :) we appreciate it. *hugs*
Zorbels pulls as hard and fast as she can managing to pull Spetyco with Farrens help. She shouts down "Ok Laragorn your next!" She feels his weight on the rope and begins to pull growing weaker by the minute. She is glad to have farrens help as she couldn't do this on her own. She watches Roth and Toth pull up both Easton and Myrthe. Not a moment later the cave is crawling with gobbels, you can't see them through the dark but you can hear their claws scapping along the cave stones.
-
snapping out of his reverie Hoki turns to tovera "I am sorry little one but it never gets easier" and slowly mopping the ulber blood off his chest continues "and pray that it never does for when that day comes you'll be lost forever" slowly raising himself first kneeling then standing he holds out a paw and smiles "shall we get on with rebuilding the fire and making your bread, while the others rescue the hole faller?"
-
Myrthe is silently creeping along the underground path when Easton is beside him. "You have to come quick!" he tells Myrthe. They both start running as fast as they can to the opening. "What is going on?" he queries. "Quick, no time to talk, just get out of here." Easton tells him. They are both pulled out of the hole. Myrthe thanks his companions then lays down relatively far away from the fire, exausted from the days' exitement.
-
Easton grabs Myrthe before he can finish talking and grabs on to the rope giving it two firm tugs. Zorbels feels the signal and shouts, "Pull!!!". Everyone responds to the command and begins to pull. Toth and Roth provide most of the force, but everyone is needed to lift the two friends in the cave up tot he surface. Just as Easton and Myrthe reach the top a huge Gobble, about three or four times the average Gobble rushes into the main area of the cave. Dust goes everywhere. In the heat of the moment Myrthe accidentally knocks the lantern out of Easton's hand and it drops down into the cave illuminating the massive Gobble.
Easton lets out a gasp as they finally are pulled to the surface.
-
While being raised to the top Laragorn sees Myrthe almost fly up the rope. He is relieved all are making it to safety as the cavern floor floods with gobbles. At the top He thanks Zorbels and Farren for there strength and fast reflexes. “It seems, my life again has been spared by the kindness of this group” He bows graciously. The strain has left him weak, a simple drink of mana and a spell of healling will not restore him to full health. “I must rest” He says as he finds a patch of grass to spread out on. “Thank you all again” He says as he falls into a deep sleep.
-
Farren goes back to the ground, tired once more, having expended so much energy after being wounded as badly as he was, even with the healing he had recieved.
-
Zorbels helps Farren up and takes him close to the camp fire. "Well everyone that was enough adventure for one day. I say we eat pie, drink some ale and tell some stories over the camp fire ... and rest. Lannx knows ... we all need it. You are a great bunch of warriors and I have never seen a better group." Zorbels collapses beside Farren and the fire and breaths deeply finally relaxing after the days events.
-
Spetyco wakes up again, this time not quite so delirious. He looks around and sees that his new friends have indeed rescured him.
"Thank you so much for your help. I am in your debt. I am pleased to meet all of you... Did I hear someone mention ale? I could use a drink about now."
-
After returning to the cart Xylaal checks on Farren, Tovera and Hoki - they are shaken but okay. She looks over to the others of our party who are attemptimg to extract the newcomer from his nasty pitfall and thinks. Xylaal decides someone must take up a position on the perimeter of the camp as a lookout. She found a rockcluster at the head of a hill that gave a good view of the camp and the surrounding area. All seemed clear. She keeps an active eye out for Karyuu whom she hopes has found shelter for the night.
The hills seem to twitch in the twilight. Xylaal listens as the grasses hit together in waves and the cool air rushes over them. She turns back to the camp...a fire is made, people are gathering. She waves at Hokinon, Tovera and the others.
-
"Remember Zorbs, I don't drink ale..." says Farren, a weak but warm smile on his exhausted face. He leans up against a large stone and crosses his arms, stretching his legs out.
-
Easton lies down next to the fire and settles his head on his pack. The warm glow of the fire lighting the faces of his tired friends put him at ease. He knew everyone was going to be okay at least for tonight. As he began to drift off he was hoping someone could tell a nice story to end the day on a good note. Looking around he remains silent while he snacks on some berries he brought with him.
-
Myrthe suddenly opens his eyes. Zorbels is awake but her back is to him. He scans the site to make sure no-one is awake or watching. Silently, he gathers his possesions. Then, without a single word, drifts off into the darkness.
-
Zorbels laughs "Well neither do I, remember?" Zorbels passes Farren a hot cup of ulber milk warmed on the fire. She see's Xylaal perched keeping a look out on the camp and waves happily to her. Zorbels mouths the words "Thank you." Zorbels attention is caught by Myrthe's suddenly strange behavior and calls out to him "Hey! where are you going?"
-
Myrthe continues through the woods when he comes to a clearing. There is a small hill here with a large boulder at the top. He walks up to the top of the hill and walks around the boulder. When he is almost all the way around he seemingly vanishes.
-
"Indeed." he replies, taking the ulbermilk and drinking a bit of it before setting it down next to him.
-
"Hey! Where are you going?" Wakes Laragorn, he propped up his head and sees the fire, and the circle of friend around it. Rising to his feet he spots his pack and heads to the fire. Finding a nice spot in the circle he Sets his pack down and uses it as a backrest. Feeling the warmth of the fire and his new found friends is relaxed and comfy. “Amazing how such a beautiful night comes after a day like this” He says as he looks around at the faces lit with the soft glowing amber of the firelight.
-
Xylaal raises her dagger toward Zorbels and drinks the ale she had stowed as a refreshment in her backpack. She looks at dagger and canister of ale and thinks to herself, 'One for the demon's outside, and one for the demons inside.' Mid-gulp she spies a lone figure leaving camp. She can't make out who it is in the near darkness but thinks that whoever it is; had better be careful in their journey.
-
Instead of sitting around the fire, as the others all seem to be doing, Roth and Toth sit one on each side of Cheif Gobba's (as they started calling it) hole. Idly, they toss pebbles, stones, and branches into the deep pit, chuckling at the occassional bellow of anger from below.
Toth turns to Roth. "Had shoulda come 'long. He would have some right words to say 'bout this."
Roth grins. "Ya, like 'Cheif Gobba down a hole, hit it high, an hit it low. Cheif Gobba hollr' an shout all you wan' but never come out."
Toth, stunned, "Tha' was buetaful, Boma." He turns to the rest of the campers. "Hey! You fella's hear dat? My Boma's a pote! Ana'one else gots words to add ta the pome?"
-
After the healing from his friends and a few rounds of ale Spetyco is feeling rather cheery...
"Let's have a story! Surely someone around here has done something interesting in their life?"
"You!" Spetyco point at Laragorn, "Where did you get that glowing staff thing?"
-
Zorbels fights to keep her eyes open but loses the battle and drifts off to sleep still sitting up feeling to exhausted to move.
-
“I’ll make this short as I would like to hear from the rest of my new friends” Laragorn says as he looks around at his new friends. With a slight smile of embarrassment he begins “The staff you refer to is called an “Armuutriik”, it was given to me by an old Klyron by the name of Eptar Pletarvyen. I was on an exploration trek, as I often am. I found myself in what the folks around here call Consumer Valley. It was late at night and I was having trouble finding my way, while avoiding the consumers there. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a glimmer of light.” Laragorn leans forward and wraps his arms around his knees as he continues. “I made my way to the light, and saw a Klyron Perched on a rock, giggling to himself. I thought this was a little strange but approached him anyways. “What are you laughing at?” I asked him. “You” he said with a snicker. “In what way do I amuse you old-timer?” I asked him. “You are as clumsy as a drunken Ulber, Greenhorn” was his reply as he threw a short stick at me. I managed to catch the stick despite the darkness. He then said “Repeat these words, you clumsy fool” as he told me the phrase to utter. Then in an instant he was gone.” Looking around the circle of faces he could see some with disbelief, and others of amazement. “That is how I got the Armuutriik. It may be a tall tail, but the truth I do speak. When we have more time, I can tell the rest to those interested”
-
"Well, I was expecting a little something more. Maybe I can get the rest later. Anyone else have a good tale to tell?"
-
Zhai's attention was caught by the surrounding dead ulbers. She left the camp area right after Farren woke up. She starsts studying the scattered bodies, trying to figure out where is it they were heading and why were they travelling together, being all males and fully grown. As she examines one of them a strange smoke starts coming out of his mouth. She steps back surprised at first but it doesn't take her long to recognize a lesser spirit leaving ulber's body. She growls as the defeated creature leaves the living realm. She turns around looking for the ulbers' bodies just in time to catch a glimpse of other spirits leaving the scene. "The bodies in the camp...", she remembers. She runs back to find the group closed in a circle. They haven't noticed the spirits... or maybe they can't see them. It wouldn't be wise to talk about this now. There are unfamiliar faces and whatever conjured those spirits obviously didn't anticipate our presence. But where were they headed? For now they are all recovering. There'll be time to talk about this in the morning. She smiles at the group as she gets closer finally saying "I'll take some of that ale, if you got some to share".
-
Siteri comes closer to the others. "I said, did anyone lose a sword?!"
-
"I think I did. I had one before I... err... stumbled."
-
tovera pulls the flat bread off of the stone, placing it on the oiled skin that had protected the flour. she rumages around in the fire for a few coals and drags them to the stone. she takes another portion of dough and pats it out. she places it on the stone and spreads it out more.
she sits back and watches the dough. it is though a fire that was there before has gone out of her. "i don't know if it will be worth it," she thinks. she runs a finger along a scar hidden under her shirt. "when, if, i am ready, they will mostly likely all be dead." she lifts up the edge of the cooking dough with the tip of her dagger. "almost," she says. she watches the dough for a bit more. with the daggers she flips the dough. "but," she thinks, "there will be others like them. there will always be more like them." she watches the nearly finished flat bread. "for them i will be ready," she thinks. she pulls the bread off the stone placing it with the others. she readies the next peice of dough.
-
Siteri makes her way to Spetyco and shows him the sword she found. "Then this wouldn't happen to be it, would it?"
-
"Um.. yeah, I think it is. Thank you, I forgot about it in all the comotion. By the way, did anyone manage to get Zorbel's swords out? She threw them down to me and I must have dropped them when I passed out."
-
Easton jumps up, "Oh, yes! I almost forgot.." Easton pulls out an elegant looking sword from one of his sheathes. "I grabbed it when we made our...er.. departure from the cave." Easton lays the sword by Zorbels as she sleeps alongside Satayne. "Heart of Fear back where she belongs.." he says with a smile.
-
Hokinon takes a portion of bread from Tovera and picking up his pack moves a little way away from the fire settling down with his back to a tree, slowly munching on the delicious warm bread he contemplates the memory the young fenki evoked.
-
Farren falls silently to sleep, arms still crossed, feet still forward, one crossed over on top of the other, his feet meeting each other, a look of deep thought still on his face.
-
Spetyco had another ale, then tried to get up to stretch. His wounds are mostly healed, but the broken leg still needs some mending. He manages to get up and leans against a tree. He looks around at the now quiet peaceful camp surrounded by dead ulgers. Then over at Roth and Toth, who are having a grand time making poetry and tossing things at "Cheif Gobba." He then looks around and realizes he no longer has his pack.
"Great! It must still be down there with 'Cheif Gobba.' At least there's food and ale here. I've got my sword. Guess I don't need much of anything else. Didn't have much else to begin with anyway."
His leg is throbbing and the effect of the ale is kicking in, so he lies down next to the tree and quickly falls asleep.
...
Several times in the night Spetyco wakes up with a start, feeling like he's fallling down a bottomless pit. And then there was the Darkness, like before. He tries to shrug it off, "I'm just a little jumpy from my fall earlier," he keeps telling himself. But deep down he knows there's something else. He asks himself the same question everyone else keeps thinking. "Why were so many ulgernaughts travelling together? Why did they attack? There is somebody, or something in the darkness watching."
It was another long restless night for Spetyco, but at least he was surrounded by friends.
-
Meanwhile, back at the Tavern:
Bengala Kyouran slowly makes his way down the stairs after another of his multiday napings. [He is old afterall] The bartender sees his old friend approach and welcomes him to the land of the awakened again.
Barkeep, sarcastically: "Morning Ben, only a 3 day nap I see."
Ben: "Yer darn der right, woulda been nice if it was a good one too, but no, some darn infernal party had to be going on down here, keeping me from resting."
Barkeep: "Ah, you're talking about the gathering of many of the greatest hunters and explorers these lands have to offer. They set out on some great hunt or something." Hands Ben the flyer still floating around the bar.
Ben: "Humpf, why in my day, that was commonplace, to travel these roads you needed a great group of people. These new times, all the danger is gone. A young kid could travel these lands with ease. And do you know know why sonny? Tis the hard work of the old timers like me, thats why. With out us making the roads safe, why ........." Continues on in one of his 'back in my day rants while the barkeep just puts a smile on his face and nods
Barkeep, after Ben finishes, sarcastically: "My my, what would the world ever do with out the likes of you? Guess we would still be running around throwing rocks at the wild animals and sleeping in caves."
Ben, after a short pause to refect on the keeps words: "I know when I'm not appreciated son, and I don't have to take this from a no good no mannered youngen without the respect for his elders he desserves. I'm going back to bed." Ben turns and leaves, stammering up the stairs as he goes.
Barkeep: "Well, goodnight, yeah old coot. Pleasent dreams" And then returns to his duties as the barkeep.
Ben, under his breath, to himself as he enters his room: "Blasted kids and thier travels, never even thinking to invite an old timer out for a bit of fun." Looks around carefully before muttering "Have a great time all, maybe next time I'll join yeah." Ben closes the door to his room, and goes back to sleep.
Returning to the travelling party...
-
pulling his cloak around himself Hoki begins to doze as he watches the mismatched group of fellow advenurers gathered around the flickering fire.
Keeping a dagger in his paw and reminding himself to retrieve his weapons from the corpses in the morning he wonders if he was wise to join the group. Indescriminate slaughter even in self defense was not his reason for coming and with that thought drifts into a sleep filled with dreams of a search for a pretty fenki in a backless dress, his real reason for the journey...
-
The wind wafting up from the campsite during the night carries with it a pujent odor of dead ulber mixed with smoldering fire. All has been quiet this night as Xylaal, after a day at work and the afternoon's hunting adventure, fights to stay awake; once again she sips on a potion given to her by her friend, potion master Aleena Alarvin. It wakes her up and she is now bright eyed and alert as she stands guard at the top of a nearby hill.
Periodically she walks around a bit, seeing a few clackers in the distance and the occasional Pterosaur fly by overhead. She walks closer to the camp. the smell of the ulbernaughts is unbearable so, putting her webbed hand over a glyph hidden under her armour, she mouths an incantation. The air around each ulber begins to freeze, the massive amount of blood on the ground with a crackling sound solidifies and a frosty white glaze appear on top. After a while, when the cold clouds are gone, the ulbernaughts and their entrails all are frozen solid. The valiant troup of hunters lay undisturbed...a miracle, thinks Xylaal, because Roth and Toth snore very loudly!
"That will keep them til we can skin them," the Nolthrir says to herself proudly at which time she leaves the sleeping camp to once again take her post as lookout for the remainder of the evening.
-
Zorbels starts awake and looks around her soaked in sweat from a bad dream. She realizes she has been sleeping sitting up the whole time and begins to feel how much of a mistake that was. Her back throbs with aches and her neck she moves stiffly.
Xylaal is still still perched being a camp look out. "By the gods, she must be tired." She approaches Xylaal after getting up ever so slowly and taps her on the shoulder. "You need some sleep. I have been sleeping for hours now, and I am refreshed. I will take camp look out and you my friend should get some rest." Zorbels smiles at her with warmth in her eyes and nods toward the camp. "I have some herbs in my bag that will make you sleep well if you need them. You are more than welcome to help yourself."
Zorbels see's the wagon by the looks out spot and gets an idea. She claps her hands and rubs them them together. "I am gonna fix you up before everyone awakes." she looks down at the mess that was once a sturdy wagon and begins to work at putting it back together.
-
"Thanks my friend. And good timing," Xylaal whispers. "Aleena's potion is just about wearing off now and I DO need some sleep." She pats the paw on her shoulder and walks down to the campsite leaving Zorbels up the rise at the lookout post fixing the cart. Xylaal smiles to herself a tired smile and finds a comfortable old tree, it's base covered in soft moss, and in seconds falls asleep cradled in its mangled roots.
-
After a few hours of sleep, Zhai wakes up a bit startled. She gets up with a jump and with her hands on her blades, ready to unsheathe. She finds no danger, only Zorbels preparing the wagon. Zhai sighs and walks up to her and starts giving her a hand. After a few minutes she finally looks at her and hoping not to scare her friend too much, she says: "It was a conjurer". Zorbels looks at her surprised and before she could ask, Zhai whispers quickly what she saw. The two fenkis fall into a thoughtful silence afterwards, looking at each other every once in a while as they load the wagon. The first signs of dawn arrive and with the light, the bodies of the ulbers seem a little smaller than they were last night. The camp fire is dead. Zhai looks at the smoke and ashes as if they kept secret the explanation she so much wants to hear.
-
As dawn approaches Spetyco stirs. "Wow! That was a long night! So how about some breakfast?"
He gets up quickly, forgetting about the broken leg from the day before and finds himself instantly on the ground again. He then crawls around on the ground a few moments until he finds a dead branch fallen from the tree he slept under that would be suitable for a crutch. Hobbling on his crutch he asks again, "So who's up for some breakfast?"
-
"Well good morning Spetyco. Zhai and I are just about done fixing this mess of a wagon. I have some food supplies in my bag back there if you would like to have something to eat. There is fresh apple pie I baked for the trip. Go ahead and help yourself."
Zorbels see's Xylaal stur from the voices and turns to Spetyco and puts her finger to her lip "We should try to be a little quiet, Xylaal was up all night keeping watch over the camp. I think we will wait until she has her rest before moving out to continue our trip."
Zorbels then goes into a deep thought thinking about the talk her and Zhai just had not even moments ealier. "Yes, I do wonder .... are we being followed and hunted? Or was it just us stumbling on someones magic's gone wrong?"
Zorbels then perks up and announces in a soft voice to all those who have woken in the early hours "When everyone is awake and well fed Zhai has brought some news to my attention that I think we as a group should discuss. I will let her tell you all of her findings, then we will have to make a decision if we want to carry on with this trip or not."
Zorbels approaches her two tefusang and checks them over for any injuries and talks to them in a soothing voice while feeding them there breakfast. Happy that she had fixed the wagon with Zhai and her tefusang are safe and well, she starts digging in her supply bag to eat some pie for breakfast. "By the way, thank you Hokinon for looking out for the little one. I much appreciate you taking the responsibility. I knew she was in good hands with you." Zorbels smiles at him proud to have him along with the group.
-
Easton stirs every few minutes to crack his eyelids open to see more and more people rising and beginning the second day of their journey. Everytime he opens his eyelids however, he closes them and drifts off again after only a few seconds. He'd love to help fix the wagon, or to hunt for some food for breakfast, but his eyelids are so heavy he just can't resist the temptation of a few minutes more sleep.
Spetyco takes a branch off of the tree above Easton, and a few strange berries fall on to Easton. Grumbling at this disturbance Easton rolls over and puts one of the strange berries in his mouth. "mmm... its sweet but tingly at the same time" he thinks as the berry squishes around in his mouth. In seconds the tingling feeling turns into a burning sensation. Easton's eyes begin to water as his face turns bright red. He jumps up and half screams, half gasps, "Water!! Water!!"
-
Farren, his muscles and bones even more sore than the day before, cannot even sit up for more than a few seconds. "I hate being helpless." he says, annoyed at his predicament.
-
Spetyco rushes to get the water for Easton, or at least he tries to while hobbling on his makeshift crutch, but in the rush he fails to look where he's going and trips over Farren who is propped up against a large boulder with his feet sticking out. He falls right on his crutch and breaks it in two.
"Ouch! I think I got a splinter!" Then to Farren, "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there."
Then Spetyco remembers he had his own water pouch still and calls out, "Easton, I have some water here!"
-
listening to the sounds of Lady Z and Zhai repairing the cart, his eyes barely open Hokinon recounts the previous days events then as the rest of the group begins to stir slides his dagger back into it's sheathe and eases himself stiffly to his feet to run through the exercises taught him long ago...
...slowly bringing his paws together and coming to a stop, Hoki shakes his head and pauses for a second before walking over to retrieve his dagger and sword from the ulber corpses, having to chip away at the frozen flesh to free them, then picking up his pack he rejoins the others.
"Good Morning Lady Zorbels" he says and nods to the unfamiliar fenki beside her before helping himself to a coffee from the kettle on the fire, then he turns to reply to Zorbels thanks with a glance at Tovera "I just happened to be closest ma'am I'm sure any of the others would have done the same"
-
Zorbels tries to not fall over laughing at the events taking place at the moment with Sir Easton and Spetyco. Instead she races over to Spetycp, quickly grabs the water and hands it to Easton. With a tone of laughter she says to Easton "You silly Ylian, you should have known better than to just pop something unknown into your mouth! I will go get some of my ulber milk to help coat your tongue." Zorbels wanders over to her bag and takes out a canister of ulber milk and walks back to Easton. "Here drink this, and please let me know if you have any side effect," Zorbels says in a serious tone.
Zorbels turns to Hokinon and smiles softly at him "Well regaurdless Hokinon I thank you. I was worried about her and when I looked over and saw you protecting her I was able to not think about that but keep my mind on the battle. This group is shaping up to be a great team of people. I looks forward to the next couple of days."
Zorbels then looks to Zhai "Seeing as everyone is almost awake could you maybe explain to them what you have told me about the ulbers and what you saw? I am worried something might not be quite right, the more heads we have thinking about it the better chance of figuring out this ..... situation."
-
Zhai nods at Zorbels and takes a few seconds to choose her words wisely. Not everyone has had the same experience with spirits she's had after all... She turns to Farren, who looks at her calmly and then back to the group. "As you know... ulbers don't travel in packs, especially adult, male ulbers. That is something they just don't do... I noticed their footprints near the ruins. I tracked them over here and saw as they approached your camp. As I said, all this is strange by itself but I couldn't make much sense out of it until they were all dead... I... I saw something... felt something... something familiar. It was coming out of their bodies... I felt how some spirits were leaving them, but they were not theirs... they were... minions of the underdark, lesser creatures. That only means there's a conjurer out there waiting for them with a very specific purpose in mind..."
-
"Not more possession stuff I hope..." Siteri said blearily. "I've..." She paused to stretch a bit. "...had quite enough of that."
-
Zhai smiles at Siteri: "Tell me about it... But these spirits were weak. Ulbernauts have strong bodies but not strong minds". Zhai then starts drawing small circles and lines on the ground using a twig, as she analizes the events. "Here's the camp. And over here the ruins... They were following a rect line, so if the camp hadn't been here... they would've continued to... the magic shop".
-
"Ouch! I think I got a splinter!","Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there." Is the first thing Laragorn hears. Slowly opening his eyes, he watches as the rest of the party gets up and has their breakfast. As he sits up he feels the strain in his chest, and decides not to rush anything today. Reaching into his pack, Laragorn pulls out some bread, and offers some to all. He hears Zorbels addressing the group, then Zhai. An inquisitive look comes over his face as he learns of Zhai’s thoughts. Without a sound he waits for any of the others thoughts, as he has none.
-
Zorbels looks grim and says in a low tone "I suspect that someone had cast a spell to control the beasts. They were moving to a purpose. Now, I am not sure if it was aimed at us but I think we should all be on the look out and keep out eyes sharp."
Zorbels turns and puts her hand on Zhai's shoulder "I believe you friend. I don't think that you made this up, and I also don't think you to be crazy. I have seen some very .... odd and frightening spirit's and horrible image's in my minds eye, that would make you sleep with the light's on."
Zorbels looks at the ground and sighs. "Alll I wanted from this trip was a little adventure, not to have everyone I traveled with including myself slaughtered ....." Zorbels clears her throat and in a quiet tone states "The question is where do we go from here? Are we or aren't we in trouble and if so why? What are we up against?"
-
A face of darkness is close, so close she can feel it's warm putrid breath. It watches Xylaal... it watches us all! Xylaal cannot move, she is frozen. What is this, a beast? No, far worse...she hopes it will pass her by but the darkness does not. It knows she sees it! It knows! It gets closer, its deep cold eyes staring and right up on her when all at once she is pushed and falls backward screaming...falling...down...and down...further into an abyss...when suddenly...l
...she awakens to the happy sounds of scattered conversation and the warm smell of a wood fire from the camp. Her heavy head is followed by a trail of drool as it lifts from the moss covered tree. Xylaal bats the bugs out of her greasy hair and wipes her face as she turns and releases a groggy smile to her friends. She widens her crusted eyes and focuses to see some of them caught up in conversation. Her comrade Zhai seems to be drawing on the ground. Like a rag doll Xylaal flops back down, her head hitting the tree with a thump as she nods off to sleep again...dreaming this time of her grandparents seaweed farm and happy memories.
-
Spetyco is uncertain if he should say anything. He has his own troubles to worry about, and doesn't think he should include his new friends. He doesn't have any reason to think any of this has anything to do with him, but the darkness...
"Did anyone else have... err... unusual dreams last night? Did you see the Darkness?"
-
Hokinon plays with the blueish stone bangle on his wrist as he listens to Zhai and Zorbels describe their worries, his long held distrust of magic tugging at his thoughts "should I stay with these people?" he ponders, looking at each member in turn.
-
The ominous implications of the ideas put forth to the group, leaves them all in deep thought. Laragorn fills his cup from the kettle on the fire, trying to rid himself of the chill that has come over him. He drinks the black bitter liquid and slowly rises to his feet. While getting his pack together, he watches the different expressions on the faces of his new found companions. He notices that Spetyco seems more agitated then the rest. Having just met most everyone here, he is not sure how to take this mans behavior. “Seems like an odd fellow to me” he says to himself. He also notices all of the beasts are frozen. “Excuse me but how and why are these creatures frozen?” he asks the group.
-
"I don't think they were meant for us, Zorbels... they probably had been ordered to attack anything in their path. I cannot help being curious about this whole thing but it seems unrelated to us. The question now should be: 'do we get involved, investigating a bit more or do we stay away from this, letting others deal with the conjurer?' Personally, I would like to investigate... but you should decide first if you wish to continue your journey. Maybe some of us can go to the magic shop and take a look while the others return to Hydlaa or keep going wherever you were heading. It's up to you."
-
Spetyco listens to all that is said and decides what he must do. "My destiny lies here," he thinks, then to the crowd:
"My friends! The wise Zhai is right. There is something dark and evil behind yesterday's events, but they were not meant for us. However, the Darkness is close by and whatever it's intent is, we can be certain it will not be for the good of Yliakum. And there is something... familiar to these events. We are a good sized company, might and brave. Whatever evil lies ahead we will be victorious against it if we work together. But let us not be unaware that there is danger, and some of us may not survive this quest. So each of us must choose for himself or herself. As for me I would be honored to fight and die along such fine people."
"I just have one question. Who are all of you? I did not really get properly introduced to most of you last night. And, this may sound odd, but do any of you know me?"
-
[ACK!!! So much reading!]
Farren, slightly laughing as Spetyco trips over him, smiles and says, "It's fine, didn't hurt me." He is still annoyed at not being able to get up the first time and this time launches his upperbody forward, slightly bending his knees, and puts his feet under him and stands to his feet. He pulls on his cloak and pulls the hood over his head, feeling a bit cold. He walks slowly towards the others, his legs still weak. "I say we check it out. And you, new person who fell into the cave. Sorry, I don't know you, but I am Farren Kutter, a ranger, former Master Ranger. That position is now carried by the wise and powerful Zhai here, who saved all of our lives. If she'd not seen those beasts and made her whistle, we'd have been caught almost by surprise." Farren smiles weakly, pain still streaking through his body with each movement.
-
"I must agree with Zhai, I will stay. Any threat to Yliakum and the peace it holds is mine and others reponsibility to defend." Zorbels looks off into the distance "If you feel you don't want to be apart of this group due to us investigating these strange ulber attacks, then I completely understand. I do not want anyone harmed. I suggest if this is the case that packing up and going home today would be a good idea. As for those of you who want to stay and help aid this investigation, I shall be honored to work with you in putting a stop to whatever evil will rein down upon us."
Zorbels looks to Spetyco "Sorry friend, your face doesn't seem familiar to me. In case you didn't catch my name .. I am Zorbels, and I reside with the guild The Protectors. *Zorbels bows with grace*
-
"Farren and Zorbels, I am pleased to meet both of you," Spetyco bows in greeting. "I know my question regarding whether I am familiar with any of you may seem odd, but I have no memories more than four days old. So I am looking for someone who might recognize me to give me a clue to my past. And I cannot explain why, but I am compelled to discover the force behind these events, as if my destiny depends on it. The kind, and somewhat unsocial elf who found me four days ago believes there is some powerful magic behind my loss of memory. And I cannot help but think finding the source of yesterday's ulber attacks might lead me to the source of my memory loss. I feel as if someone, or something, has a dark secret and will go do whatever is necessary to keep it secret whether it be erasing memories, or summoning a pack of ulbers."
"Then again, I have no idea what has happened to me and that has made me somewhat paranoid. It is all the more likely that I am an arragont fool and try to make every event about myself, but I have no memories to tell whether I normally behave this way or not."
-
Zhai studies Spetyco with a piercing look, sensing dark magic around him. Not being a wizard keeps her from the certainty of whether to trust him or not but recent events in her life have turned her rather sensitive to the powers of the shadow and their haunting. Zhai finally concludes it's better to keep him near, both safe and surveiled: "Well, Spetyco, I'd say a trip to the magic shop might help you too. The shopkeeper should have something to help uncloud your memory..."
-
tovera removes the ash cake from the ashes near the fire. she has been listening to the conversation of the others. she unwraps it, gingerly, from the course fabric. she tosses the hot buscuit from hand to hand while it cools. she crews it slowly as she considers her direction. she looks into the fire as she swallows the last bite. she remembers a night a few years earlier also filled with blood.
"miss zorbels," she says. "where ever it may lead. i shall go with you."
-
Zorbels smiles warmly at Tovera "We couldn't have a good adventure without your baking. You keep us all well fed with tasty treats. I saw Hokinon eating some of your baked goods earlier. The only thing I ask of you is .... if battled becomes our fate, do not try to fight along side with us. I don't think you are ready and we would all mourn your loss. You are still a child in many ways, I only wish to protect you. Do you understand?" Zorbels looks at Tovera with a hopeful look and awaits her answer.
-
Hokinon turns to the young Ylian and holds out a paw "Hokinon Korere and I'm sorry son but I've never met you before" he gives a little grimace "but I have some experience with memory loss so I know how hard it can be"
Watching Tovera juggle with the hot cake then express her desire to continue, Hokinon makes his mind up to continue at least until the little one is safe "Lady Zorbels, I offer my limited abilities in assistance" and looking down at himself says "I'm going over to the stream to wash some of this gore off"
Stopping to pick up his pack he jogs off towards the water.
-
"I am pleased to meet you, Hokinon Korere, and I would like to hear of your experience sometime."
Then turning to Zhai, "I think a trip to the magic shop is just what is called for. So when do we leave? We're not getting anywhere by sitting around here."
Spetyco gets up and remembers once again his broken leg. "Um... Is there anyone here who can do anything about this leg of mine? I'd hate to make Farren carry me all the way to the magic shop."
-
"You're assuming I'd accept a request to carry you." says Farren with a smile and a wink towards Spetyco.
-
"Who said anything about requesting?" asks Spetyco with a chuckle and a wink at Zorbels.
-
The frozen beasts seem to be the last thing on everyone’s mind, as Laragorns question goes unanswered. Not pressing the matter, he goes to take a closer look at the beasts. With the morning temperature rising, the fur seems to be softening. Laragorn takes his skinning knife from its sheath on his belt, and starts skinning the beast that lies beside the now fixed wagon. He is listening to the conversations around him. Spetyco seems to be really playing up his so called memory loss. Laragorn tries to replay yesterday’s events in his head. He thinks that certain things just don’t add up. The fall into the gobble infested cave, should have killed him. But yet Spetyco lived, and managed to kill two gobbles with ease. Laragorn starts to second guess whether he should have aided in his rescue at all. As the rest of the group starts to introduce themselves, Laragorn ignores them, and continues to skin.
-
With a great stretch of her greenish arms and a soundless yawn, Xylaal awakens and peruses the campsite. Laragorn is skinning an ulber to the far side of the camp. The rest are milling around the fire, as far as she can see at least. She slowly stands, straightens her armor and reachs into her pack near the tree. She pulls out a cloth and carries it to where Tovera and some others are gathered. She squats next to the fire and on a nearby rock opens up the cloth to reveal a mound of dried salted fish.
"Good morning all," Xylaal sniffs and closes her eyes with pleasure. "Ahh, Tovera! Those rolls smell wonderful." Motioning toward the dried fish, "This is for everyone, dig in if you like. I usually have a bit of this every day when I work in the mines. It's good for the brain." As she says this she looks across the fire and sees an unfamiliar face. She guesses it is the traveller from yesterday and introduces herself to him offering some fish to him as well.
"Nice to meet you too Spet..Spetyco," she juggles her early morning words and continues. Looking around she sees some pretty serious faces for such a glorious morning.
"So... um... what's going on?" Xylaal had sensed correctly. Zhai retold what she had seen and where they thought they should go to investigate it. Xylaal shoves a piece of fish in her mouth and listens as they continue to discuss it. She calmly holds her questions and comments for a while in order that she may discern where she is needed most.
-
Hokinon returns from the stream with damp but finally clean fur and helping himself to another coffee, settles down next to the fire, to dry the also now clean weapons he used the previous day, he then proceeds to sharpen and oil them before restoring them to their sheathes and scabbard
-
"I think it's better if we send a scout ahead. We wouldn't want another ambush just now. I can go, I'm not that sore from the battle last night. Farren you should stay so can whistle back and forth but I another pair of eyes would come in handy. Anyone?"
-
Laragorn knows he has the power to heal Spetyco fully, but says nothing. For some reason, he has a very bad feeling about the man without a past. Being an extremely fast runner, he normally would have jumped at the request for another scout. Since the only reason to go to the magic shop is Spetyco, Laragorn remains silent. He feels the rest of the group, are honest good characters, and wonders if he should share his feelings with them. Finishing the first beast, he hurriedly moves on to the next.
-
Somehow Spetyco senses distrust in the group. "Surely they can not expect me to be behind any of this," he thinks to himeslf. "Then again, who can blame them? They only met me last night, after an attack of ulbers, and I didn't actually join in the battle. It is only natural that I have to earn their trust."
"If there is anyone here who could help with my leg," looking directly at Laragorn, "I would be most appreciative. Then perhaps I could join Zhai and allow those of you who suffered the worst from yesterday's attacks to rest. So far I have only been a burden to this company and I would like to earn your trust and friendship."
-
"Well, I'd say those who are not too badly injured would be better for it", says Zhai. Then she turn to Xylaal wondering if she would be up for it.
-
Yesterdays events keep flashing through his mind. Laragorn then remembers something odd he saw before stumbling upon the group. While exploring ho saw two figures leaving the large face burial chute. He thought nothing of it at the time, as he has seen many dispose of the dead there. But now he remembers that one of the figures was in a dark hooded cloak, and the other was a man. The cloaked figure seemed to float along while the man followed behind. They left the face heading towards the ruins at a somewhat fast pace. “Could this be that man?” Laragorn asks himself. “And who or what was the dark figure?”
With all this running through his mind a scowl comes over his face, as he skins the beast faster and faster. “Who should I talk to? Will they listen? Or will they think I am insane? Am I letting my imagination run away?” All these questions running though his head, is making Laragorn sweat. He finishes the second beast, and immediately moves to the next. He feels he is being watched now. He lifts his head and his eyes meet spetycos as the questions come "If there is anyone here who could help with my leg," "I would be most appreciative. Then perhaps I could join Zhai and allow those of you who suffered the worst from yesterday's attacks to rest. So far I have only been a burden to this company and I would like to earn your trust and friendship."
The words sound sincere but the eyes are not. “I have no mana left, and I am too busy to help you.” Laragorn snaps, and continues skinning.
-
Two figures left the large face burial chute. One of the figures was in a dark hooded cloak, and the other was a man. The cloaked figure seemed to float along while the man followed behind. They left the face heading towards the ruins at a somewhat fast pace.
The images came to Spetyco as if through another man's eyes, but as he goes through the images he is able to stop them and focus more intently on the details. He then turns the image around in his mind to get a clearer picture of who these two might be. The man was ugly and disfigured. He was large for an Ylian and muscular. But the face of the hooded one was dark. Time had stood still and he moved in closer to the hooded figure to get a better picture of his face. As he approached he felt something familiar, but dark. He then gasped as he saw beneath the cloak his own face smiling back at him...
What could this mean? How long ago was this? He then tries to move the figures back in time and see what they were doing. They are talking but he can't hear anything. They go backwards to the burial chute and Spetyco is able to see who they have dropped in. Again he gasps! It was Rehaus! The elf who found him injured on the road four days ago.
Spetyco is then back at the campsite surrounded by his new friends. He appearantly had been unconscious through this whole ordeal. Everyone is looking at him! Some look concerned, but most look at him with obvious distrust. What could this all mean? Were these real events? That figure couldn't have been him. He had seen Rehaus just yesterday so it had to be recent, and he remembers everything that has happened since he woke up four days ago. Zorbels is nearby, terrified at something.
"What's going on," he asks as he tries to sit up.
-
"Spetyco, I will heal your leg if you would like." Zorbels smiles at him as she pulls out her healing glyph. "Make sure your leg is straight as I put this spell on you, we wouldn't want your leg to heal funny." She mumbles ancient words under her breath softly and closes her eyes to fully concentrate on what she is doing. Zorbels moves her hands lightly over Spetyco's leg hovering just above, the magic glowing a light blue. She loses her balance, as one of the tefusang nudge her for their daily treat and accidently she touches Spetyco's leg. The image she recieve's makes her tremble and freeze in mid motion. She see's a face of a man that looks horrible and disfigured. Then a loud screaming starts in her head to the point where she feels if this doesn't stop soon, her head will explode. She drops the glyph and covers her ears "STOP IT!" she shouts to no one in particular while backing away from Spetyco. The screaming comes to a slow agonizing stop. She looks around at all the members in her party and then turns to stare at Spetyco with wide fearful eyes. "He....I....saw....I.... saw something....." Zorbels sits for a moment to collect her thoughts.
-
Squatting next to the fire, Xylaal stares at Spetyco trying to size him up. She senses something strange and so, without moving her eyes from him, she slowly moves herself over to be just in between Tovera and the mysterious traveller. Her hand is non-chalantly on her waist, just above her Freeze Glyph as Zobrels heals the man.
"He...I...saw something..." said Zorbels in a cryptic tone.
"What did you see?" asks the Nolthrir as she remembers a part of her own dream last night. Awaiting Zorbels answer, she looks over to Zhai who also has her hand over her weapon, their eyes meet. Xylaal nods to her and closes her eyes in affirmation. Zhai slowly, nods back and knows; Xylaal will accompany her to the magic shop.
-
"I'm going with you to the magic shop, Lady Zhai." says Farren as he walks over to the Lady of the Rangers. "And don't you say 'no', I'm going. Don't you be forgetting who defeated Angadu." he adds, lowering his hood off of his head, and stretches, to make the aches less sore. Farren shakes his head furiously for a second, his shoulder-length black hair whipping out as he clears the last remnants of sleep off. "I'm ready." he says with a wink and a smile, as usual.
-
“STOP IT!” The words cut threw Laragorns thoughts. He looks over to see Zorbels over Spetyco, a look of torment comes over her face. As she sits down, Laragorn decides he cannot keep silent any longer. He heads directly for Spetyco, “Who are you? And don’t give me this I don’t remember crap!” A shocked Spetyco looks up at Laragorn. “Why were you at the burial chute yesterday? That’s right, I saw you” Forgetting he still holds his skinning knife, he shakes it at the wounded man. “Who was that with you? And where are they now?” Spetyco tries to speak, but Laragorn continues with the questions in a stern voice. “How did you survive that fall? what magic protects you? What do you want with us? Looking around he notices the eyes of the group fixed on him. Laragorn realizes he has the knife. He wipes it on his pants and sheaths it. “Answer my questions Spetyco, if that is your name.” Laragorn says softly.
[ Edited for language. --Karyuu ]
-
Zhai helps Zorbels up holding her by the shoulders. She glances at Laragorn as Spetyco still dwells in confusion. "Now, now... we're all a bit jumpy. We don't need this right now. I don't think Spetyco will give us any straight answers nor find a reason for him to do so. The best thing is to let him go, he is no prisioner. We have no proof of him doing anything evil and I'm sure he will be uncomfortable staying with us given the circumstances". Zhai gives Laragorn a cold piercing look as she hopes following Spetyco will let them know more than what he might be willing to tell.
-
Spetyco is taken back by Laragorn's outlash. "I am sorry I have upset you, Laragorn, but I honestly do not remember a thing more than four days ago. An elf name Rehaus found me injured in the wilderness. Before he came I remember nothing but darkness. He healed me and walked with me to Hydlaa, where I found Zorbels' notice and felt compelled to join your company."
He can see that Laragorn does not believe anything he is saying, but he continues, "I found you just as Laragorn entered the battle and began my charge when I stumbled and fell into the gobble cave. I suppose I was too focused on Laragorn getting attacked to look where I was going. The rest you know."
He pauses and wonders if he should mention his vision. Laragorn must have been at the burial chute and seen what took place there already. He has nothing to hide, that he knows of, so he concludes full honesty would be the best approach to earn these fine people's trust.
"A moment ago, when Zorbels was healing me, I had a vision. I was not at the burial chute as you say Laragorn. I was in the tarern at Hydlaa drinking and making conversation with the friendly folk around. If you wish to investigate this it should be easy enough. Speak with the barkeep. But in my vision, I saw these events as you describe them. I also saw that these two figures were disposing of the body of the same Rehaus who found me and healed me days ago. And when I looked at the hooded figure I saw..."
He can see the distrust growing around him. Many have there hands at their swords, or glyphs, as if waiting to strike him down.
"I saw my own face beneatht he hood smiling back at me. I swear by Talad I do not know what has happened to me, where I came from or what is going on."
"I do not wish to leave this group, nor do I have a place to go. And you can check with the barkeep in Hydlaa to verify my story at least in part. The only other person I have seen would be Rehaus who is dead. However, if Lady Zorbels so wishes it, I will leave and find the answers to my past on my own."
He looks towards Zorbels. He can tell she is torn by her natural good will and the counsel of her friends. And he wonders what it is she saw. Did she share in his vision? If so, does she believe it was not him?
-
Farren quickly and smoothly steps around the others stand in front of Spetyco, facing the others, an effort to guard him should any of the others decide he is dangerous and attack. "I'm compelled by my instinct to believe Spetyco. And you can ask Zhai, my instinct is not something to take lightly." he says, his hands resting lightly on his blades, but ready to pull them out in an instant.
-
Zorbels shakes her head "No, Spetyco I do not want you to leave. Whatever screamed at me didn't want me to see into your head. You must have been having this vision while I was healing you. The magic must have intensified it. I saw a face of a man that looked horrible and disfigured. I was about to see more when that horrible scream in my head started. I don't know what is going on but we need to find out. Spetyco, you could be in danger." she looks at him with a worried look. "I think someone should be with Spetyco at all times. I also think a trip to the magic shop might help. Maybe the shop keeper can tell us of what is happening to our friend."
-
Farren smiles to Zorbels and says, "I'll keep an eye on him." He steps back to stand next to Spetyco.
-
"I thank you, Farren. But perhaps I should go. I have done nothing to help this group. So far I have only risked your lives as you rescued me, and stirred up dissention in your group."
"Lady Zorbels, thank you for healing my leg. And to all who risked their lives to save me from the gobble cave yesterday I thank you as well."
Spetyco gets up and starts to gather his things before realizing everything but his sword was lost in the gobble cave.
"I owe you all a debt, and hope to repay it someday, but for now, I must take my leave."
With a bow he turns and starts back towards Hydlaa. Then Zorbels insists he stays, so he stops.
"Are you certain, Lady Zorbels? I do not know what is going on, but I have no wish to put any of you in danger."
-
"Any danger you put us in, we can get ourselves back out of I'm sure... Just remind me not to charge anymore ulbernauts head-on again." says Farren, an amused smile in his face as he remembers his foolishness.
-
"Again I thank you all for your kindness. Perhaps we should finish breakfast and get ready to go. It seems a trip to the magic shop is in order, but perhaps we should just all go together."
-
Zhai’s look pierces Laragorn; the powerful look is something even a stranger would understand. He stops speaking, for a moment there is silence. Spetyco starts to talk, struggling with his words trying to explain himself again. As Farren brings himself between Spetyco and the rest of the group, Laragorns distrust grows. He does not share Farrens views on the man. Silence now, is the best way to act he figures, until he knows who shares his views.
-
Farren gives Laragorn a warning glare, intended to tell him to not try anything against his charge. "I'll personally protect Spetyco here. I like being a bodyguard." he says, tossing a wink to Spetyco.
-
"Spetyco stays then and we shall investigate the magic shop. Yet, I believe sending scouts ahead is best. Xylaal and I will go. Farren: it's better that you stay so we can whistle back and forth as necessary. That way we'll make sure the road is safe."
-
"Indeed. And I shall watch over Spetyco as well." he replies to Zhai, nodding his agreement.
-
“I still have many beasts to skin, so must stay” Laragorn Informs the group as he gets back to skinning.
-
sitting quietly, listening to the minor bickering already evident within the group. Hokinon reconsiders his decision to join.
-
"Agreed." Nods Xylaal with an even tempered grin. Her green eyes survey the crowd one by one; Laragorn, Roth and Toth, Easton, Siteri, Hokinon, Tovera, Farren, Spetyco, Zhai, Satayne and Zorbels. She hasn't made her mind up about Spetyco as yet, was he being sincere? But her mind is open and curious.
Xylaal retrieves her pack and pick from the tree and throws it over her back. She crinkles her nose after getting a whiff of her own smell, the armor is a bit ripe and so is she.
"I'll need to fill my canteen and wash up down at the river before we set out Zhai." Zhai nods and Xylaal disappears into the woods.
Xylaal returns, her green skin dripping, the gills on her neck turned plum red from an underwater swim, her long black hair soaked and flopping against her armor which had the odor of broken leaves and rubbed herbs. Everyone was finishing up breakfast and still talking.
She is ready and squats down honing her daggerblade on her thigh leather..
-
The vision has noticeably changed Spetyco. Up to this point he has been cheery and optimistic, but everything has changed now. He continues to see his own face beneath the hood over and over. It was his face... but it wasn't. The man behind that face was vile and full of hatred. He hated all who live in Yliakum, but most of all he hated Spetyco. Spetyco could not say how he knew these things, but he knew them still. It all was as real as the tree he now sat against.
He looked over at Laragorn who continued to skin the beasts. "I bet he wishes he was skinning me," he says to himself. He looks around at the rest of the company. Xylaal and Zhai prepare to leave, Farren is making certain he is always between Spetyco and Laragorn. The others are scattered about the camp finishing up breakfast and preparing for departure.
"If only I could remember," he mutters.
-
Farren, his sharp ears catching Spetyco's mutter, replies softly with a warm and friendly tone, "We'll find your answers and past. Perhaps after this trip is over, if we haven't found anything about you, the other Rangers and I can help you search." He smiles and gives a wink, as always.
-
"Thank you my friend," Spetyco returns. Then finding himself in a slightly better mood, "By the way, is there something wrong with your eye?"
-
"Nope. I just tend to wink a lot." he replies with a smile, and yet another wink.
-
Hokinon wanders over to Tovera and with a concerned expression asks her "are you sure you wish to go with them, as there is bound to be more killing" and shrugging his pack onto his shoulder adds "I will escort you wherever you wish to go if you change your mind"
While he waits for a reply he considers his search for Shayla "hmmm she'll understand that I have to protect this young one, and as soon as she's safe I can continue" nodding to himself he completes his preparations to depart
-
"no, i'll continue on," tovera says. "i started down this road. i'll finish it."
she looks over at zorbels and spetyco. "whatever lays along it."
she looks at hokinon. "besides. i don't want to take you away from why you decided to come."
-
Hokinon nods slowly "as you wish miss" and with a quick look around the camp slips away towards the last sighting
-
Spetyco begins thinking about his bag that he lost in the gobble cave. There really was nothing important in it... or was there. Since his first vision, other images have been flashing in his mind. None so clear as the first, but now he remembers something in his bag. Something that had meaning, though he could not remember what or why.
Everyone is busy preparing for the days adventure, "I think I will go wash up a bit before we go." He gets up to head towards the stream when Farren offers to come along. "There is no need, Farren. I'll be alright." But Farren insists. He takes his new post as Spetyco's bodyguard very seriously, so Spetyco concedes. There is enough suspicion already.
Once they are out of sight of the rest of the group, Spetyco pulls Farren aside. "My friend, yesterday when I fell into the gobble cave, I had a backpack with me. In it was some money, extra food, and... something else. What that something else is I cannot say. But I am quite certain I must get that pack back. But I do not wish to put anyone else in danger again. Since you refuse to leave my side I suppose I must ask you to accompany me. But I would have you stay up top while I went into the cave alone."
"So will you accompany me my friend?"
-
"So we're going to the magic shop right?" Siteri asks nobody in particular. "I wonder if we'll have time to dig for gold while we're there..."
-
Keeping a close eye on Spetyco while skinning, Laragorn cannot stop yesterday’s event from flooding his head. The group is getting ready for the journey to the magic shop; As Spetyco and Farren disappear in the woods. Laragorn looks back to the hole where the man fell in. He sees that the rope is still there. Sheathing his knife he runs to the hole, and slides down the rope without looking to see what awaits him below. He sees a glimmer of light deeper in the cavern, but nothing below. As he lands he can hear the grunts and movement of the gobbles that inhabit the cave. They are getting closer. The large king gobble has Laragorns Armuutriik in his mouth. As they get closer the cave gets brighter, and Laragorn looks around and spots a pack. He rushes over to the pack, grabs it and gets back to the rope before the gobbles can get him. He flies up the rope as if he was weightless. When he reaches the top, he runs to where his pack was and grabs it without stopping. Running like the wind, Laragorn heads out of camp, straight into the hills.
-
Though he is a good distance away talking with Farren, Spetyco has been eyeing the gobble cave, intent on getting in and out without anyone noticing. But then something catches his eye. Laragorn comes out of the mouth of the cave as if he was flying. And he has Spetyco's pack!
"Hey! That's mine! Come back!" He yells at Laragorn. But Laragorn is gone before Spetyco even realizes what is happening.
"After him! He stole my pack!"
-
Farren looks to Laragorn and instantly sets into motion, his ranger honed muscles letting him run swiftly and with ease, though with a little ache from his injuries, the cape of his cloak flowing out behind him as he runs.
-
Spetyco joins the chase, but not quite so graceful as Farren. He comes to close to the mouth of the gobble cave and slips and falls in again. The rope is still there and he manages to catch hold of it as he was falling, burning his hands and scraping his knuckles on the side of the cave. Appearantly the gobbles had heard the comotion and had come to see what was going on, and Spetyco found himself hanging over the horde. The chief gobble within arms reach.
"Oh Talad! What have I gotten myself into this time! He grabs his sword and strikes the chief gobble as it reaches for him, cutting off its arm. It yells in pain and the others begin jumping and reaching for poor Spetyco. He the sheathes his sword and begins his ascent.
"Don't worry about me! Just catch that thief!" He yells as he hears his friends approaching.
-
Sensing he is being chased, Laragorn Drives forward at an incredible pace. In just a few moments he is though Consumer valley and beyond.
-
Zorbels watches this action not sure what to do. She sucks in a breath and thinks to herself "This is crazy! All of this, why am I cursed? There is always some sort of delay or evil force to reckon with." She thinks of her days with Alhana and then the recent shadows incident. She whispers to herself "Maybe I should just stay away, grab Tovera and get out of this mess." She thinks upon this and feels at this point she can not just turn away without feeling guilty, though she wishes she could. She says out loud and not meaning to as her own voice startles her "I am a protector and I must do my job." Zorbels watches Hokinon slip away and envies him.
Zorbels shouts out "Laragorn STOP! don't make this worse than it has to be!" Zorbels follows pursuit behind Farren at a steady pace. She draws her weapons just in case as she draws closer to him.
-
Farren, quick on foot, notices the other's change in pace and smiles as he easily matches and surpasses the speed, being a ranger and Dermorian. And running is one of his favorite things to do, and he is good at doing it. He eases in up next to Laragorn, slowing his pace slightly to match the other's. "You don't have to run. Just give me the bag, and all will be well." he says easily, his breathing pattern perfect, allowing him to breath and speak easily.
-
Zhai and Xylaal are or their way to the magic shop when the sudden events near the camp take place. They hear some screaming and stop their sprint to look at each other. "Whatever it is, we do need to see what is up in the magic shop. Zorbels, Satayne and Farren can handle that, I'm sure". Xylaal nods in agreement and they resume their pace, hasting now to find answers.
-
as he searches for signs that Shayla had been this way Hokinon hears faint shouting coming from far behind. He stops and listens but can only make out Zorbels shouting "STOP", shaking his head he almost smiles at the drama a little camping trip could cause. Hoki continues his search and slowly gets closer to where Ikrok said he saw her last...
-
Still running, He searches through the pack. Laragorn feels a strangely smooth material. He pulls it out and slides it in his vest. He slows his pace and allows Farren to catch up. Farren matches Laragorns pace, and asks for the pack. Without a word, he hands it over and changes direction and heads straight for Oja. Without the extra weight, he can move much faster than before.
-
Farren takes the pack and instantly speeds back the other way, not caring where Laragorn runs. He passes Zorbels as he runs and tosses the pack to her as he sprints full speed back to the gobble pit. As he reaches it, he slows down and then slides quickly a little ways down the rope and stretches his arm out to reach for Spetyco's hand. "Sorry 'bout that, Zorbels should have your pack if she caught it when I tossed it." he says, with a smile.
-
"Thanks again!" say Spetyco. "It has turned out to be very handy to have a former Master Ranger on my side. How many times will I be in your debt before this is all done?"
He grabs Farren's hand, and the two quickly get out of the cave.
"What happened to Laragorn?"
-
"You're welcome, and I don't collect debt. As Laragorn, I don't much know or care. He is gone now, one less person I have to worry about killing you... Now all I have to worry about is you killing yourself." he replies, smiling and winking at that last statement.
[Yes, Farren winks a lot, ask Zhai :P]
-
Zorbels see's Farren running towards her but doesn't see Laragorn and this makes her worry. As Farren speeds past her she gets hit with something heavy and hard. She falls to the ground holding Spetyco back pack. "Wow that was quick!" she shouts after Farren. "Where did Laragorn go?"
-
Through the hills run the duo and on to Ojaveda Road. Passing the occasional traveller they do not stop for they sense that there is an urgency in the information that they seek. They run and run more...an hour has passed when they reach the crossroads and the magic shop path. Xylaal sees mushrooms growing on the side of the road but does not stop to pick them. Finally they stop just outside the magic shop, Levrus can be heard singing a nonsensical song inside.
Xylaal sips her canteen, looks at Zhai and asks out of breath, "Okay ... what ...now," Hand on hip, chest heaving her breaths, she looks around and sees a few folks pecking at nearby rocks with picks and thinks about her own work and how she had hoped this little camping trip would be a relaxing diversion. She laughs to herself letting out a tired flow of air and Zhai sees the smile. As if she read her mind Zhai says with compassion,"We help...we help,"
Zhai scrunches up her furry face and says,"Let's talk to Levrus!"
-
The cloaked figure on the Pterosaur flies quickly to the mouth of a cave after having attacked Laragorn.. He takes the book and puts it in his pack along with his glyphs and other treasures. The figure then enters the cave to be greeted by an army of gobbles and his lone henchmen. "Good! All is prepared. Everything has come together even better than I could have planned. It seems that fate is playing into our hands." He laughs wildly then enters the cave. He moves quickly, knowing that time is of the essence. He finds the spot prepared for him and lies down. He pulls out the glyphs prepared especially for this purpose. Then to his henchmen he says, "Once I am unconscious take these and put them in my pack along with the book and give it to my Pterosaur. He knows what to do from there." Then the figure begins to utter something...
As Farren and Spetyco walk back towards the campsite, Spetyco cries out, then falls to the ground uncounscious. At first he appears dead to his companions but he is still breathing and has a pulse; however, he is completely unresponsive to their efforts to revive him...
As the dark figure becomes uncounscious his follower gathers everything in the pack and takes it to the Pterosaur. It then flies off, circling the campsite high enough not to be noticed.
Spetyco finds himself in a dark place. There was a foul stench in his nostrils, but as far as he looked in every direction there was nothing but darkness.
"Hello, Spetyco!" an other-worldly voice calls behind him. Startled he whirls around to see the hooded figure with his face.
"I had hoped we would not meet again. To see my face on someone such as yourself disgusts me," and the vile creature spits onto the ground. "But here you are!"
"Wh... Who are you!" Spetyco demands. Then memories come flooding back. As they do Spetyco stands taller and a grim look comes over his face.
"You! You thought you could get rid of me so easily!"
-
Xylaal and Zhai enter the magic shop. Levrus is busy as usual, mixing potions and putting his glyphs in obsessive order. "Hail, ladies. What can I do for you?". Xylaal and Zhai look at each other. Zhai finally breaks the silence:
- We were just passing by and decided to see if you had anything new for sale. A rare glyph maybe...- Levrus looks at them with a small frown but then replaces it with a smile.
- No new items, I'm afraid...
Zhai nods and then turns to the giant serpent hangin from the ceiling.
- I've always wondered where is it that you keep the summon ring with this creature's soul.
- And you'll never get the answer. I keep all my treasures hidden- Levrus replies.
- You mean locked behind that little door in your basement?- quickly asks Xylaal. Levrus' face turns pale as he tries to utter an answer.
- C'mon, old man, it's pretty obvious... - Xylaal adds.
Zhai smiles and then comforts the shopkeeper:
- Worry not, we are not thieves nor evil doers - to which Levrus replies:
- Ha! You couldn't open that little door no matter what. It'd be easier to tear down the entire building!
Sevrus joke meets no laughter as Xylaal and Zhai look at each other. Zhai leans forward and whispers:
- Whatever it is you keep there, somebody wants it...-
Xylaal starts telling the magician about the recent events as Zhai adds details every now and then. Levrus listens carefully as he draws smoke from his pipe with a serious expression in his face. Zhai watches the miners come and go as the conversation unfolds once Sevrus has heard it all. He and Xylaal are now talking about memory potions and spells. Outside, the miners and their picks, the gold in their sacks, coming and going, trapped between greed and need, unaware of the danger they would have faced had the ulbers reached this place. "Picks are no weapons agains ulbers", Zhai thinks as she studies the miners out there.
-
Finding a hard to reach perch, atop the hillside, Laragorn stops. From this vantage point he can see for miles. A protruding rock from the hill makes a perfect seat. He removes the object from his vest as he sits. It is a brilliant red, soft, smooth pouch. The look and feel is nothing he had seen before, almost hypnotic. There is a crimson red tassel holding the pouch closed. Laragorn slowly unfastens the tassel and opens the pouch.
Before he looks into it, Laragorn feels he is being watched. He jumps up looking around and sees nothing. As he tries to settle himself; a Pterosaurs With a rider descend from the crystal above. Slowly Laragorn reaches in the pouch and removes its contents. A cloth bound book, covered with the same material as the pouch is revealed. The book is covered with patterns and letters foreign to him. Just as he is about to open the book, the Pterosaurs sweeps down and grabs it from his hand. Atop of the creature is a cloaked figure. The cloak flowing in the wind is made of the same material as the book and pouch.
“You have no right to posses this book” The figure shouts as the Pterosaurs hovers in front of Laragorn. The thunderous voice shakes the hillside. “This is meant for my minion, He and He alone can wield its power”. With a wave of the figures hand, Laragorn is thrown down the hills side, to the valley below. “Do not interfere again, or I shall send you to a much worse fait than that of the Death Realm itself”. Laragorns motionless body comes to a rest on the valley floor, as the Pterosaurs and its master fly toward the campsite.
-
Just a short distance outside Levrus's magic shop the raised voice of a female diaboli can be heard...
"Look, I told you already I dont know where he his let alone WHO he is so back off or your'll know and feel the scorn of this diaboli!".
-
"Ah it is gone!" cries Levrus. " All gone! Where, where, where, oh, where upon has it gone! Oh Talad save us this is a disaster!"
Zhai and Xylaal peer into the room Levrus opened and see the aging magician, head in his hands, eyes bulging with worry, pacing the room like a frightened animal. Zhai gently takes him to a chair and asks him what is missing.
"The book, the book ..such a crook, a crook! .. look, look ...no red book in my nook!"
Xylaal rolls her eyes at his ramblings but she is used to Levrus and his nonsensical rhymes. "Why is it dangerous?"
Levrus grabs Zhai by the collar and pulls her close as, shaking and afraid, he speaks to the duo (and to himself) crypticly,
"It is a very special book (look,look) ... bright and glowing red (flight and growing dred) with an engraving of a Carcarass on the cover (of her...of her)! It is a book I found (albeit on the ground) years ago near the face in the stone (I was there all alone) Saying the words written inside can summon beasts of monstrous size! (and cause the conjuror toward blatant lies) The conjuror must be special indeed for only One can unlock its seed."
And with that Levrus collapsed the arms of the Enkiduki. Xylaal looked to Zhai, green eyes wide with wonder and amazement, and spake an explicative far too graphic to retell but one that expresses her shock at his words and her worry for the fate of the campers they left in the woods.
-
The Diaboli turns on her heel and walks towards the Magic Shop ignoring the ranting of the figure behind her.
Figure: Mark my words young lady!... you haven't heard the last from me!.
The diaboli rolls her eyes as she enters the Magic Shop. She notices the room is unattended and approaches the counter in which she drums her fingers upon impatiently.
Diaboli: Huh, I see nothing changes around here apart from the sloppy management as per usall.
After waiting for a few mins and listening to the ever growing and annoying sound of the many pickaxes of miners near by and seeing that no one will be coming any time soon she simply turns and walks back out the door in annoyance.
Diaboli: Well, I guess I could always go pick them growing wild in the usall spot... if its still there. And besides, they always did taste funny from Levrus.
Feeling hopeful and looking fowards to streching her legs she sets off towards the wooded hills in the distance, a secluded area known only to herself where the very best wild mushrooms grow.
-
Zorbels drags herself back to the camp already exhausted form the days drama. She resists the urge to open Spetyco bag and wonders if she should go look for Laragorn. "What if Farren hurt him? I couldn't just leave him." Zorbels casts a glance over her shoulder and see's Tovera humming to herself while making more baked goods for tonights supper. "Tovera after supper if Laragon still has not returned, would you accompany me for a walk to see if we can find him? I do not wish to leave you alone, and I could teach you how to track people." Zorbels smiles at the child with a fondness. She thinks to herself how much Tovera reminds her of herself as a young fenki. Never giving up not matter how afraid.
Zorbels hears Farren dragging Spetyco up as close to the fire as he can. "What happened to him?" she looks at Farren with a confused expression and awaits him to answer.
-
Siteri stares at the unconscious Spetyco. "I have a feeling this trip just turned into something serious," she says. "I don't know why, but I feel like this could affect the whole world... And I'm here for it! FANTASTIC!" She pumps her fist with excitement.
-
Lying in a pool of his own blood, Laragorn is still motionless. His mind however is racing wildly. He has visions of being attacked by the flying creature, the out stretched claws ripping him open. He has visions of Spetyco laughing at him while the red cloaked figure floats behind him. The thunderous voice echoing in his head, “The Death Realm, The Death Realm”.
-
Farren catches Spetyco as he falls. "Spetyco? Oh dear..." he says, concern on his face. He heaves the other into his arms, barely being able to hold the weight and still move properly, and heads towards the camp. Halfway there his aching arms fail and he places Spetyco on the ground. After a short break, he picks Spetyco up under the arms and drags him the rest of the way. Hearing Zorbels, he replies, "I haven't a clue."
-
"The book!" Spetyco cries. "Laragorn stole the book!"
"I have taken care of that," the cloaked mirrored version of himself says.
"What did you do to him?" Spetyco yells outraged at the being.
"He managed to discover the book for me, so I relieved him of it. And if he survives, he will blame you! He is rather easy to deceive. But no matter, I will make certain he dies with the rest of your friends very soon."
"They did nothing wrong! They were only defending themselves."
"It is no longer your problem!"
Spetyco storms at the being only to find it is made of nothing but mist.
"Now now, Spetyco! What did you think you could do to me here? You're body is lying unconscious back at the campsite with your so-called 'friends'. You have no substance here. I brought you here so that you can suffer knowing what has happened."
"What have you done?"
"As you know, I cannot have you killed because of the... err, link between us. So I took your memories, but it was only temporary while I prepared a stronger spell to put you in this state. Your body is asleep and your soul will dwell forever here, in the darkness. Meanwhile, I will take over your body."
"What about the book?" Spetyco demands.
"I had no idea you had stolen it, Spetyco. You are more devious than I gave you credit for. I went through all the trouble to summon a pack of ulbers to retrieve it for me, and you had it all along. You could have saved me a lot of trouble if you would only have cooperated."
"I will not let you succeed!"
"You have no choice in the matter anymore! Only you know of my plans, and you will not be going anywhere! Now the Book is in my possession! And since you are the only one who can wield its power, when I am in your body, I will be the most powerful being in Yliakum! Goodbye, Spetyco!" And with that the figure dissapears, and Spetyco is left alone in the darkness.
-
Zhai helps Levrus to a chair. He puts his head on his knees sobbing helplessly. Zhai remains in silence as her thoughts cross her mind quickly. "So, the ulbers weren't here to steal Levrus' treasure but to kill him... whoever conjured them used Levrus' book, and not only that but he also has all he kept in that small vault. If they wanted Levrus dead they'll send something far stronger than a pack of ulbers... but wait, Levrus said the book would help summon powerful creatures and the ulbers were possessed by lesser spirits. Why not wake that big snake Levrus likes so much? That would've done the job! That means there is another conjurer around, one who attempted to steal Levrus' vault with the ulbers not knowing someone else had already done it, and this person is far more powerful... maybe a master and his apprentice". Xylaal touches Zhai's shoulder noticing she's deep in her thoughts. Zhai turns to her with half a smile. "Let's go. I don't think Levrus is in danger now. We should head back and inform the others". Levrus looks at them sadly but then a hint of rage bleeds through his words: "Worry not, friends of mine. I am resourceful and I'll be fine... oh! and my apologies againg for I have not no potion or spell for one's memory to be well."
Zhai and Xylaal head outside the shop in silence. As they step out Zhai turns to Xylaal and tells her her theory of the two conjurers. Xylaal's green eyes turn wider as she hears Zhai's conclusions. She finally nods in agreement and they start running back to the camp.
-
Spetyco sits alone in the darkness. "What have I done? I let this conjurer come into this world! And thought\ I tried to thwart his plans I ended up playing into his hands. If I had not stolen the book, it would still be safe. Zorbels and her company defeated the ulbers, they certainly could have defeated this false-Spetyco. But now because of my actions, he has the book, and all is lost!"
He has failed! He has failed his new friends. He failed himself. And he has failed all of Yliakum.
"Wh... What happened?" Spetyco's body stirs. "Where am I? Who are you people and how did I get here?"
Some of Spetyco's new friends are gathered around looking at him. Farren and Zorbels are right by his side with a look of true concern on their faces, but then he looks them in the eyes. Something has changed...
-
Hokinon enters a small clearing and discovers an old campsite, as he looks around the abandoned equipment his movements become slower, more mechanical and he starts picking up random items, a brush, a knife all of which he'd seen before. Widening his search around the site he spots some damaged trees and drifts towards them to find bones impaled on the broken branches, small delicate Enkidukai bones, picked clean of flesh and unclothed.
Hokinon falls to his knees and imagines what must have happened, an attack at night, no time to dress and slung across the clearing to die in these branches "ahhhhhhh Shayla my love" he exhales slowly and rises to his feet to begin collecting all her belongings.
Finding an unfamiliar bag he starts packing the bits and pieces inside it. He pauses for a second as he puts another brush in the bag and mutters to himself “why didn't you just wait”, completely forgetting the month he spent trapped underground, continuing the bag now almost full he finishes and stands to walk back to the bones “farewell my love, I shall never forget you” and sighs.
He turns to trudge back towards Zorbels and the others wondering how to rebuild his life for a second time, halfway back to the camp Hoki catches a glimpse of a Pterosaur flying past in the distance...
-
Gag sits alone, dreaming, on the edge of the fountain, and wonders where everyone went. Somehow he missed an important event while he was away in the forest, looking for herbs...
-
She sits on small flat rock in the middle of a forest looking about without the faintest notion of where she is.
"Damn it, I knew I should have taken the left at that turn off"
She says with annoyance and frustration. Then it suddenly dawns on her.
"Hang on a moment... how did I get here in the first place any how?".
She stops and thinks back to the annoying dwarf near Levrus's, his ranting words and manner as if he knew her.
Feeling a little upset and confused she sighs and listens to the sounds of the forest.
-
tovera nods. "yes, thank you."
she looks up at zorbels. she's about to ask a question when Farren and Spetyco crash back into the camp.
-
Siteri chuckles a bit. "This guy... he has bad luck with memory, doesn't he? I guess it's time to introduce ourselves again. And this time, take notes, sir!"
-
Ominous clouds gather overhead as Zhai and Xylaal race from the magic shop back to the camp. As they run down Ojaveda Road and out into the hilly countryside Xylaal tries to connect the what they discoverred at the magic shop to the happenings at the camp. Could it be that the dark mist that Zhai saw leaving the bodies of the ulbernaughts were indeed lesser spirits conjured by the person who had this book? Zhai reasoned there are two folks at the core of this...if she is right, then which one has possesion of this book?
"If it can control beasts, and beasts as strong willed as ulbernaughts, I fiegn to think of what bigger creature could be summoned!"
Zhai and Xylaal did not find out the history of this powerful spell book, only that Levrus found it and discovered how to use it...did it's owner want it back she wondered? Who was its owner? And moreover, how powerful of a magus must this owner be as to control a dangerous book like this crimson tome! Who and what else may he control? These questions she left unanswered as they ran.
In a knoll near Tefusang Hill there sat a lone Diaboli upon a flat rock with her chin on her fist looking rather confounded. Zhai and Xylaal stopped nearby to have a swig each from their canteens.
Xylaal called to the confounded one,"Ho traveller. Are you lost? Can we point you to a way?"
-
Pulled from her thoughts and to her surprise upon hearing a voice call from behind she stands, spins on her heel and draws her two short swords all in one motion and in a defensive stance. "I didn't know I could do that" she thought.
Seeing the two figures were obversely not an immediate threat and at a comfortable distance she relaxes a little with a sigh of relief and sheaths her swords.
"Greetings. Lost? Me... well I would be lost if I knew where I was going" she laughs lightly amused.
"Where is here?" she asks with a friendly smile but all the time ready for the slightest threatening gesture.
-
The false Spetyco in Spetyo's body stirs. "I'm sorry. I do remember you. In fact, I remember everything now." He looks at his companions with an odd smile that made them all feel a little uncomfortable. "It was Laragorn. It was him all along. He summoned the ulbers to retrieve a certain book from the magic shop. I discovered his plans and tried to stop him, so he took my memories. I don't know why he didn't kill me. I suppose he wanted to torture me instead," he says again with his smile. "What he didn't know was that I had already stolen the book to keep it from him. It was in my pack all along." The group looks at him astonished. He can tell they do not believe everything he is saying, but he doesn't care. "They will all be dead soon anyway, or will bow to me," he thinks.
"He finally figured it out and that is why he stole my bag. Farren managed to retrieve it, but I have a feeling Laragorn had already taken the book. We must find him before he unleashed its power."
Meanwhile, in the darkness, Spetyco is thinking through the recent events. "If my copy is now in my body, where could my soul be? This cannot be the Death Realm. There is nothing here. He would not be able to inhabit my body such without severing his link to his own. If so, how could his body survive without a soul? I imagine he trapped my soul in his own body. But he must know I would be able to revive his body, unless he has set something in place to protect his body. So I am in his body," Spetyco mutters again with disgust, "put to sleep by some magic that would prevent me from waking up on my own. I am certain I am also physically out of the way, most likely with bodyguards. He would pick someplace dark and hard to get to... The Gobble Cave! He has proven he could control ulbers, how dificult would a group of gobbles be. How will I ever get out of this?"
Spetyco despairs of any hope. But against hope he tries to reach out to his friends. Reaching out with his mind he calls out, "Farren! Zorbels! Can you hear me?"
Perhaps the little one, "Tovera? Are you there?"
"Zhai? Anyone?"
"Things are not as they seem!"
-
Zorbels ears perk at attention after hearing Spetyco's haunting words and she gets a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. "Something is wrong isn't it? What do you know Spetyco?" She looks Spetyco directly in the eyes hoping he can shed new light on what maybe taking place. "Why do you say ... something has changed...?"
As Zorbels waits for an answer her thoughts keep going back to Laragorn. He has been gone for quite sometime and she would like to check on him but with her hands fulll trying to help Spetyco she is only losing time. Zorbels hopes that Zhai and Xylaal return soon so that she can go find him.
-
A wayward traveler steps from the covering of woods that are his home, he appraches the small creek that borders them, the creek he afectionatly calls "Loreth". The lone Demorian is dressed in a shirt of white with brown pants, his trusty bastard swords rest easily at his side. Pulling a bota bag off of his belt, he begins filling it while looking around at his surroundings. As he stands to leave, a low moan can be heard on the wind. As he listens closely, he hears it again and follows it until he finds Laragorn.
Bending down, the Demorian checks for a pulse as he lifts the mans head and places a pillow of grass and leaves under it. The Demorian calls softly to the man while dabbing his mouth with a water soaked rag "Can you hear me stranger? I am called Anduin, do you know your name, or where you are at?"
-
Hokinon slowly re-enters the camp head down and slings his pack and the bag down next to the cart, looking around he sees Zorbels and Farren with the rescuee from the night and before and Tovera by the Lady's side. As he walks towards them Zorbels seems pre-occupied with something.....
-
Laragorns eyes open, a look of terror comes over his face. He yells as if he is being killed by a mighty force “Nooooo!” and passes out.
-
"Hokinon you have returned!" Zorbels says with relief. She gives him a brief hug seeing a look of pain in his eyes and whispers into his ear "If you need to talk, I am here." she pulls back from the hug and smiles softly at him. She turns back to Spetyco still waiting for an answer and growing more concerned about Laragorn by the minute. "PLease Spetyco, time is running short. Tell us what has changed?"
-
Anduin, startled by trhe scream, rubs the ringing from his ears and walks into the woods, returning moments later with a medium sized pack. Rumaging throught the pack, Anduin pulls out several small plants as well as two stones. One is rounded slightly in the middle, somewhat resembling a shallow bowl. Tering several of the hearbs into small pieces, Anduin places them into the "round bottom stone" and begins grinding them into an orange-green paste.
"I can heal your body friend, but it is you that must fight for your soul. Whatever it is that assails you, you must combat...you must win." Anduin says as he begins patting the paste into Laragorn's wounds, and wrapping them with strips of clocth.
-
Laragorn stirs again, as Anduin tries to heal him. “Their in danger, I must warn them” Laragorn says in a daze, “Warn Who, of what danger?” Anduin asks.
“At the campsite, they will all be killed” He points the direction, “Tell Zorbels, but you mustn’t let Farren or Spetyco hear you, Spetyco is the one, it is he that will kill them all. You must go, now, you must warn them, Tell Zorbels the message is from Laragorn. I will be fine, hurry go now” He managed to get the message out before he passed out again.
-
Upon hearing this, Anduin carefully drags Laragorn to the edge of the woods where he can hide him from anyone wanting to cause him harm. After placing a small dagger into his palm, Anduin says his goodbyes, lugs his pack onto his back, and sets off towards the campsite Laragorn indicated calling softly over his shoulder "We will meet again my friend, but for now you must rest and regain your strength, i ahve a feeling you may need it"
-
Spetyco remains in the darkness calling out!
"Zorbels! Farren! Zhai! Hokinon! Xylaal! Anyone! The man before you know is not really Spetyco! He stole my body! Can you hear me! Be careful! He is dangerous! We have switched bodies. I think I am in his body somewhere in the gobble cave. The only way for you to defeat him is to find me and kill me! Our souls are linked and we will go to the Death Realm together. It is the only way to defeat him. He is too powerful now. Please do not confront him! It's too dangerous!"
"CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!?"
The false Spetyco looks at Zorbels, "We must find Laragorn! He holds the key to all of this. He must be stopped." Then to Farren with a sneer, "How could you let him slip out of your grasp, you fool!"
He gets up and looks around, "Come on you simple-minded fools! Let's stop Laragorn before he kills us all!"
The real Spetyco is still crying out:
"Look in his eyes! They are not the same. The person now before you is pure evil. He must be stopped!"
-
Zorbels is shocked at how different Spetyco appears to be. "This is not the same timid, happy, joking around Spetyco." she thinks to herself. "He was always thankful for us helping him .... especailly Farren .... to call him a fool....." Zorbels holds up her hand and says in a steady but low tone "I will look for Laragorn. You all stay here. I will bring him back to camp, unless he is to hurt. If I do not return in while, you can assume he is to hurt to move. PLease tell Zhai and Xylaal where I have gone when they return return. Tell one of them that I have requested thier help and send them in the direction I have gone. I will leave a trail of markings on the trees for them to follow where I have gone."
Zorbels grabs her bag, preparing anything she might need. She starts her journy in the direction Laragorn was last seen. Zorbels turns back "Farren keep Spetyco in your care and sight, and make sure he stays here. Use whatever force you think necessary." Zorbels gives Farren a look and Farren nods understanding, reading the look as danger. She continues on her way with hurried steps.
Zorbels comes to the clearing that both her and Farren chased Laragorn through before getting back the bag. She marks a tree, carving in the letter Z with her dagger. She hears footsteps close to her and readies her daggers while standing straight against the tree. As the footsteps are almost upon her she jumps out with daggers ready "Who are you! What is your business here in these parts?"
-
Zhai looks at the diaboli in front of them with certain indifference. "I am Zhai and this is Xylaal. I'm afraid we cannot linger much but say, are you in need of assistance?"
-
What ever Anduin used, it was working. Laragorn awoke surrounded buy shrubs at the forests edge. He slowly and painfully, got to his knees. Bowing his head, he uttered the words to commence a healing spell on himself. Reaching into his pack, he grabbed the flask of mana, and took a big drink. Repeating the spell on himself three times, the wounds were gone. Looking around he could not remember the area. He headed one way, but it wasn’t familiar. Back the other way, still nothing looked right. Laragorn decides to go to the top of the closest hill to see if anything will give him an indication of where he is. At the top of the hill he looks around. He is lost.
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i10/LARAGORN/ALONE2.jpg)
-
As the woamn jumps around the corner, Anduin is suprised and knows that he would be unable to ready a weapon before becoming like Laragorn so he holds up his hands saying "My name is Anduin, i am a ranger and am looking for someone named Zorbels, do you know who that is?"
Slowly moving his hands towards his swords, "or are you the one known as Sptyco?" anduin says with a clear tone of spite in his voice.
[sorry zorbels, im a male demorian theres a description about me in my first post]
-
The false Spetyco looks over to Farren and grins, "My good friend, Farren. I apologize for snapping at you." The words seem sincere, but the eyes scream of hate. He grins even wider at Farren, then gives him a wink, and points up. They both look up and flying overhead is a riderless Pterosaur carrying something in its claws. It drops its package which seems to float down directly into the false Spetyco's hands. "Oh my," he says with more than a hint of sarcasm, "look what has dropped from the sky. It's my book! And I think this is my pouch of glyphs."
At that moment a huge fireball comes down heading directly towards Farren.
Just before it hits, the false Spetyco disappears!
-
Zorbels looks shocked at the mention of her name. "Yes, I am Zorbels ... a pleasure to meet you Anduin. How do you know my name?" Zorbels lowers her daggers slightly and looks at the demorian with curiousity.
-
"Things are getting really weird..." Siteri said. She looked up at the pterosaur that was flying away. "Someone should follow that pterosaur to see where its home is! Someone must have sent it here."
-
"To be perectly honest, Im not sure what Im doing here. The land appears different in some ways... but please forgive me, my manners have left as well as my memory, I am... Odessa... yes,that sounds right."
Odessa face appears to be one of confussion and conflict. Shaking her head as through it would remove the haze she continues...
"Anyway, please dont let me keep you. Im sure I will remember what I was doing eventualy. Thankyou for your concern."
-
Still somewhat wary, but relaxing quickly to the lowering of the daggers, Anduin moves his own hand away from his swords and says "When i awoke this afternoon and went to take a drink from my creek, i found a man bleeding and injured nearby, i healed him the best i could, and admist his cries of pain and fits of unconcousness, he told me of you and one other whose name fails me. He said to tell you and this other that a man named Spetyco was going to attempt to kill you all. I believe this Spetyco tried to kill him...i left him him at the edge of the woods that are my home, he is well concealed and should recover soon, if you wish, i can take you to him."
-
Zorbels turns a light shade of white and looks worried "Oh no! Farren and the others! Anduin, I must get back to camp! I just knew something wasn't right. Could you bring Laragorn back to the camp site? I will pay you a worthy amount of trias to do so." Zorbels looks at the stranger with a hopeful look and tries to keep her composure knowing that her friends are in danger.
-
"I have no need of trias, but please be careful, and take this with you" Anduin says giving a small vial of thick red liquid to her "use this carefully...and dont drink it"
Running down the hill, Anduin approaches the place he had hidden Laragorn and pulls back the covering he had placed there. As he pulls back the cover, Anduin finds nothing but the bandages and an empty glass vial. Anduin picks up the empty vial and begins tracking Laragorn.
-
Xylaal inspects the seemingly able young diaboli and decides that in her current state, left to sit here in the woods, she would soon become a meal for a trepor.
"Odessa. It would not be right to leave you here alone. But we are in a great hurry, attending to a matter of the utmost urgency. Can you...are you able to come with us, to keep up with us? We are heading to a campsite, and once there, we can help you...our friend Zorbels has a great knowledge of herbs and can mix you a concotion to ease your confused mind and help regain memory."
"Will you come?"
-
Zorbels runs back to the camp at full speed. She thinks to herself and speaks softly into the wind blowing against her face "What did Anduin mean by use this carefully and dont drink it" Zorbels looks at the small vial of thick red liquid in her hand. "I just pray to the gods that everyone is ok. Almost there ..... " Zorbels see's the smoke from the fire in the sky and knows she is close. As she approaches nearer to the camp a red mist floats in the air surrounding the area. Zorbels heart speeds up "Oh no, I hope it isn't to late."
[edit] No problem Xylaal, I will put in the request.
-
"Zorbels... where have I heard that name from before?" She ponders.
Odessa turns to look at Xylaal & Zhai with a suspicious expression.
"Memory loss? me?." Odessa laughs loudly. "You had better run on if you are in an urgency. I am in no immediate danger. And besides, how far off course can I be." She says with a smile.
-
Anduin finally tracks Laragorn to a large hill, the air is very humid at this altitude, and Anduin struggles to catch his breath as he speaks "I....them...Zorbels...find you.." Finally catching his breath, Anduin says "I'm glad to see that you're ok, if you donn't mind my asking, what is you're name?" After hearing the name, anduin recounts his encounter with Zorbels and he guides Laragorn back towards the correct path as they rush towards the camp.
-
Zhai looks at Xylaal and then nods at Odessa. "Very well then. We must hurry now... I have a bad feeling". Zhai starts running, leaving Xylaal a few steps behind still in the middle of her bow. Xylaal turns to her friend and starts her sprint. She grins and mutters as she tries to catch the fenki ahead: "I'd like to see you swimming..."
-
Elsewhere, the false Spetyco in a seculded area near the magic shop begins to summon the spirit of the great searpent Zhai whose hung in the magic shop.
The real Spetyco grows tired but continues to try to contact someone, "Is there anyone out there? Can you hear me?"
-
Odessa watches the two run off and smiles. She talks to herself a great deal recently.
"Damn stones in my boots make travelling anywhere impossible"
Followed seconds later by a distant thudding sound which seems to approach the unaware Odessa from beyond her field of vision.
"Hmm... must be a storm approaching." she says absent mindedly looking to the skies which are free from clouds.
The thudding stops suddenly, only to be replaced by the sounds of loud and deep growling very close by. Odessa drops both her boots and turns slowly, her jaw drops and two words escape.
"Ah crap!"
In an instance she springs to her feet and races in the direction of the two strangers and away from the small group Tefusangs who are only too happy and curious of a pair of tefusang skin boots left behind.
-
Hokinon returns Zorbels hug and nods his appreciation of her offer before saying " I'll look after the little one and these two if you need to get away ma'am" he watches as she jogs off in search of Laragorn then turns to the fire and puts another kettle of water on the fire before settling down where he can see them all and slowly going through the items he collected.
Out of the corner of his eye Hoki catches sight of a Pterosaur high overhead, the one he saw earlier? possibly before he could stand for a better look something falls from its grasp landing with a thump by Spetyco and Farren and the aforementioned Spetyco exclaims "thats my book". Hokinon now on his feet gives a start and looks around as his bracelet goes cold and a huge fireball falls from above to obliterate Spetyco and Hoki dives infront of Tovera
-
Laragorn is still confused as they head back to the camp, and the evil that awaits. Not yet half way there He stops. Dropping to his knees he yells “STOP, STOP IT, I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT” As quickly as he stopped, he got up and started running again.
As they continue Laragorn starts to speak “I fear we will be too late Anduin. Blackness fills my heart. The poor souls will never see it coming.” Anduin Looks at him with a confused look on his face. “I know you have no part in this, but I must ask you to do one last thing. You must vow to me that you will do as I say, no matter what awaits us when we reach the others” His serious solemn voice cuts through Anduin confusion. Still running Laragorn explains his wishes.
-
As the huge serpent rises from the magic shop the false Spetyco laughs wildly! "No one can stand in my way now!" He climbs onto the serpent and they head towards the campsite. "First we shall take care of those meddlesome 'campers'. Then I'll make all of Yliakum bow to me, or die!"
On the way he sees a lone diablo heading towards the campsite. He considers killing her, just for his own amusement, but decides he must stay focued. "Onward!" he cries.
-
Zhai and Xylaal run at top speed up hills and though valleys. They splash through a familliar stream. Xylaal remembers how refreshing its waters felt this morning and in a second they are climbing the muddy bank on the other side heading up toward the camp. Pushing bushes aside making a path as they go they reach the edge of the clearing where the camp lay. Laragorn and Spetyco are no where to be seen. They see Lady Zorbels and Hokinon among the others by the fire. They rush over to deliver their findings.
Xylaal speaks of the mysterious red book and relays all the information learned from Levrus.
-
Odessa runs after Zhai and Xylaal trying to call out for them to wait. Minutes later she passes through a stream but with no time quench her thirst, the smell of burning wood heavy in the air
"They must be near now" she pants and runs onwards soon reaching a muddy bank and noticing tracks smeared in the mud.
"At least I know they passed this way." she says. Then seeing something out of the corner of her eye she turns to see a huge winged serpent flying in her direction, she slips and falls harshly into the muddy floor.
"In the name of the gods!" she says in horror and awe, with mud sliding off her face.
Picking herself up she runs beyond exhaustion towards the every growing smell of burning.
Seeing a camp fire ahead & movement she screams a warning at the top of her lungs.
"Danger! Were all in Danger! Move!"
-
Hokinon springs to his feet knife in hand and goes to look at where Spetyco stood "you OK Farren?" he asks as he plays with the blue stone bracelet and turns back to check on the others
-
Anduin gives Laragorn his word and as they travel, Anduin parts ways with him close to the camp, and continues on his way to the gobble cave, poositioning himself in the shadows nearby, he watches the cave entrance looking for any fiends that may be guarding it.
-
Right behind the you diaboli, the serpent comes flying over the campsite with the false Spetyco on its back. "You fools! You thought you could stop me?!? You will pay with your lives!" As he hovers over the adventurers another pack of thirty ulbernaughts gather around them. "Let us see if you are ready for round two with the ulbers. After all, I would hate for you to die too quickly!" His eyes are ablaze with uncontrolled rage as he laughs wildly. "Then if there is anything left of you, I will let you play with my snake!"
At that moment all thirty ulbers charge at the group.
Inside the cave dozens of gobbles patrol, eager to kill. Spetyco, in his new body, lies in a chamber deep within the cave. The false Spetyco's loyal servant guards the body, but being so deep underground, and since no one even knows where they are, he decides now would be a good time for a drink. As he has more and more to drink, his control over the gobbles slips away and they begin to lose interest in their current duties. After some time, he difts to sleep...
-
Siteri stares into the sky, then at the Ulbernauts. "So it was him, huh? Time to... what's that?" Out of the corner of her eye, Siteri notices some activity in the distance. It looked like some of the Gobbles were leaving the cave. They can't fight the Gobbles, the Ulbers, and Spetyco all at once. If I take out the little guys it'll save the others some annoyance... Siteri thought, and rushed off to the cave to fight Gobbles. As an Enkidukai, she knew she'd be able to climb out easily.
It didn't take too long before she ran into an unexpected sight... "Who are these guys?!"
-
Zhai looks at the incoming ulbers coldly. Without saying anything she unsheathes her blades and charges. "No more games..."
-
Odessa still dripping with mud, stares at the enormous creatures and grits her teeth with determination.
"I believe introductions can wait" she says acknowledging those who apear to be the intended targets.
Drawing both her short swords she takes a defensive stance, her eyes flash as they were fire. She whispers incantations which cause the blades to burn and glow.
"Who first then?" she asks causally.
-
With a piercing war hoop Xylaal rushes toward the Ulbernaughts alongside Zhai, her silverweave daggers flying through the air. Slashing and lunging at the first ulbernaught she sees. He happens to be a particularly intelligent one, as ulbernaughts go, and dodges her attacks like a beast half his weight. Xylaal instantly adjusts, almost flying around the back of the ulber, but the ulber turns on its heal and a humongous claw pierces through Xylaal's chest. She drops her daggers on the ground as the beast lifts her into the air toward the other ulbers. She shouts with her last breath, head raised to the crystal, "Talad, Talad!" In a frenzy they tear her up, limb from limb, pieces of the Nolthrir falling to the forest floor in a curtain of crimson and green.
The Death Realm awaits her.
-
As she sees her friend fall. Zhai roars and turns to a state of berserk. Her blades, faster than ever, go at the ulber who dared attack Xylaal, not stopping until his head is chopped off and rolling. There's no magic she can cast to help Xylaal now... only hope her prayers will aid her in finding the way out of the death realm. But now is not the time to pray but to kill and she is just getting started...
-
Zorbels see's Xylaal get struck down and cries out softly "Xylaal......" She looks down at her palm still holding the red liquid that Anduin had given her. She flies out towards the Ulbers with an idea forming in her head with each step taken. She yells at the top of her lungs "EVERYONE! DOWN!"
Zorbels reaches Zhai and tackles her, diving her into the ground. She throws the red liquid at the ulbers hoping she threw it far and hard enough. A huge boom could be heard for miles away. As the ground shakes violently, Zorbels watches orange flames fly high into the sky and feels wet body parts of ulbers falling on to her as she lays beside Zhai shocked. Snapping out of her shocked state she looks around the camp "Is everyone alright?"
While waiting for answers she turns herself towards Spetyco and stares at him a cold darkness clouding her eyes. She grips her swords and begins to whisper ancient words to enchant her swords with the gift of weakness. A powerful spell her father taught her once she was ready. As she encants her swords she takes Zhai hand and thrusts the power into her. Once she hears the camp members one by one reply their well being she speaks softly to Zhai "Just touch your swords and they will become enchanted with the power of weakness. Pass on the spell to others, a simple touch is all that is needed. But hurry the spell won't last long. They will help us defeat Spetyco. She looks up at the hooded figure and smiles with lips drawn thin, speaking to him with a strong well steadied voice. "You will pay for killing Xylaal."
-
Laragorn approaches the campsite as the last of the ulbers head for the group.
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i10/LARAGORN/ulbers.jpg)
As returns to head down the hillside, a mighty blast shakes the ground under his feet. At the bottom there is a mess of ulber parts everywhere.
Rushing into the camp as the others are preparing their attack, he yells out “Aphtarin, Yes I know your name” he signals Zorbels to come to him. “You think you have the power? You think everything you could want is in that book? Read from it now, if you will” There is a brown book tucked in the belt of Laragorns back. Laragorn raises his hand and a large boulder comes to him. (http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i10/LARAGORN/floationgrock.jpg)
“Where is your power?” Laragorn asks.
With a wave of his hand it crashes into the false Spetyco “Aphtarin” The boulder does not kill him, but he is seriously injured.
-
Aphtarin is injured, but his injuries quickly heal. Dark clouds begin to stir overhead and fire rains down on the campsite.
"You fools! Did you really think you could defeat ME?!? There is much more to me than you know. If you kill this body, you will only kill the real Spetyco, then I will return to my body and his soul will go to the Death Realm. The only way to truly destroy me is to kill my body which is safe away from here!" The false Spetyco looks down at the campers. "Attack them," he commands the serpent, "Kill Laragorn and then get that little kitty, Zorbels! You will all pay!"
Surounding the real Spetyco's body were glyphs set there to keep him unconscious. As the henchman dosed off and his control over the gobbles began to slip, some of them wondered into the inner chamber. One of them saw the glyphs and grabbed them, then carried them away. Moments later, the real Spetyco began to stir. "Wha... what happened?" He gets up a little groggy, then looks around. "I'm awake!" Then without a moment to spare he jumps up and quickly makes his way out of the cave.
As he stumbles out he runs into Anduin.
"Who are you? Nevermind, it doesn't matter! Do you have a sword? Good! Please, kill me! It's the only way to stop him. If you won't give me your sword and I will do it myself. There is no other way now! Please, kill me!"
-
“I knew the book had too much power to let slip into the wrong hands. I had just enough time to put my journal in the red cover before it was ripped from my hands.” Laragorn explains. “You have no more power, than you had before. Now that shall be taken from you.” His eyes full of hatred as he speaks to Aphtarin. As soon as your body is killed, the real Spetyco will return to us.” Laragorn turns to Zorbels, “Do we have someone here that knows the ways of magic? We only have a little time once the body is empty to bring Spetyco back” He asks her as he keeps an eye on the villain.
Without warning Aphtarin gets to his feet……..
-
"You will all pay!" The voice booms causing the ground to shake. Anduin is still a little shocked by Spetyco's sudden appearance, so Spetyco, in Aphtarin's body, just takes his sword and runs himself through. As he starts to fall he tells Anduin, "Now cut off my head!" Anduin quickly understands and obeys.
As the serpent begins to charge the group it stops suddenly, then looks around dazed as if coming out of a dream. Everyone stands and looks mouths dropped as they see Aphtarin suddenly drop to the ground.
The serpent quickly recovers and resumes its attack, though now without a conjurer as its guide it attacks randomly.
-
Anduin, appalled by Spetyco's request, and saddened by the loss of any life, stares down at the limp form at his feet. The blood still drips from his blades as he stickes them into the ground at his sides. Anduin drags the body to a secluded area nearby and crosess Spetyco's arms over his chest and gives him the last rights as is customary of his family. His family knows nothing of the underworld, or what happens there, only that respect is given to the dead.
Placing a leaf over each eye, and a fern in his crossed arms, Anduin begins speaking in his native tongue saying "May the afterlife bee green and vibrant, may your paths be long and easily tread, and you adventures joyous."
Hoping to help in some way, Anduin begins making his way back towards the campsite.
-
Zhai overhears Laragorn's request to Zorbels and hastes to them. "I may know how... cover me". Zhai runs to the fallen Aphtarin. Using what she learned while her own spirit was trapped in drakness by an evil entity, Zhai closes her eyes and starts chanting strange words. In a thunder, soul leaves her own body. Darkness is dispelled as her prayers turn her into a beacon Spetyco's soul can use to find his way. "Come Spetyco, come... Let me show you the way... Do not fear the darkness... Listen to my voice... Come"
-
Spetyco finds himself in the darkness again. He had expected to find himself in the Death Realm, hopefully with Aphtarin, but instead he finds himself here again. He looks around expecting to see nothing, but off in the distance is a light. Then he hears someone calling his name. "Zhai, is that you?" This could be another trick.
"Nooooooo! What have you done!?!" Spetyco turns around and behind him is Aphtarin. His soul is being pulled away, but he is desperately reaching for Spetyco, determined to take him with him. "If I die, you die! You fool!"
Spetyco hesitates no longer and moves as fast as he can towards Zhai's beacon.
"I'm coming," he yells.
....
The serpent sees the warriors gathered around the campsite with weapons drawn and then he spots little Tovera. She's hardly a mouthful, but an easy target, so it heads directly towards her mouth open ready to swallow her whole!
Hokinon sees the child's eminent danger and rushes over to save her.
-
The beacon turns brighter as Spetyco approaches. Zhai can see him now. She reaches for him with her arms open. "Take my hands, Spetyco". She smiles as all darkness around them pull away. Beneath them, the real world starts appearing as if in the center of a maelstrom. Down there, Spetyco's body lies dead. "You will feel a strong pull, the shadows won't let you go but fear not. I'll take you back." As they start leaving the darkness, a thousand hands reach to grab Spetyco. "Don't let go of my hands. We're almost there. Do not look back...".
-
Hokinon races across the site towards Tovera throwing a knife at the rapidly descending serpent closely followed by a second and then draws his short sword. As he closes the first knife bounces off the tough hide but the following blade finds a chink between the scales sinking into soft flesh.
Reachin the little fenki at the same time as the serpent he barges her out of it's path slashing at it's snout as the jaws close on him...
-
Spetyco reaches Zhai and grabs hold as tight as he can. He feels a thousand hands pull at him, but he does not let go. Then he feels someone's hot breath breathing down his neck and he hears Aptharin's voice in his ear, "Do you really think death will stop me? Did it stop me before? You know I have been to the Death Realm, and I know its secrets. You have only postponed the inevitable. I will come back and when I do I will be even more powerful! No one will be able to stop me!"
At that moment Spetyo makes it into his body. He gasps for air, choking. Then rolls over and looks at Zhai.
"Thank you my friend," he says still gasping. "But I don't think it is over yet. We have only delayed Aphtarin's plans. He and I have both been to the Death Realm, and we know the way out. I found him there, imprisoned by Talad, but I freed him with the help of his servant, Andruis, the big ugly guy that is always following him around. He promised to help me out of the Death Realm if I freed him." Spetcyo looks down in shame. "This is all my fault. I must go after him! He must be put back into his prison! It is the only way!"
Spetyco is relieved to find his own sword in his hands. He looks up at the crystal overhead, "Don't try to follow me, Zhai. I must finish this myself. Talad has decreed it!" And with that, Spetcyo kills himself with his own sword. "Good luck, my friends," he says with his final breath. And then with a wink to Farren, "We will meet again."
-
tovera turns towards the snake as it approaches. she screams. she stumbles as hokinon pushes her out of the way. she scrambles backwards. she trips over he pack. she lands hard on the ground. her daggers spill out of the pack. her hand closes around the hilt of one of them. she watches in horror as the jaws begin to close on hokinon. convulsively she throws the dagger. it nicks hokinon as it flies. somehow it manages to bury itself in the back of the mouth of the snake. the hilt seems to glow slightly in the shadow of the snake's mouth. the snake paues in surprise.
-
As she is back in her body and Spetyco leaves for the death realm, Zhai turns to Zorbels with an idea: "Levrus! Levrus can trap the snake again! Where's the book? Who has it?"
-
Siteri makes her way back to the campsite. "What am I, chopped Clacker?!" she asks, then she realizes what's going on. "Oh. Um... now what?"
-
Zorbels takes a moment to think and then answers Zhai "I do believe Laragorn has the book, he stole it from Spetyco bag while you traveled to the magic shop."
Zorbels hears Tovera scream and turns to see if she is in trouble. The moment her gaze fixes on the child she see Hokinon push her out of the way while she is throwing a dagger. The dagger flies by Hokinon nicking him a bit and then Zorbels see's as the dagger hits it's target why Tovera screamed. "Oh no!" She rushes toward the snake her swords charged with the spell weakness. She thrusts her sword into the snakes side. "Zhai hurry! I can hold off this snake with the others till you can put this evil creature to rest." With a battle cry Zorbels goes back to slashing at the snake in a full out fury.
-
Nodding at Zorbels, Zhai starts looking for Laragorn, who's not so far from her. "Give me the book, quick!". Laragorn, hands over the red book and without an explanation Zhai starts running back to the magic shop. She leaves her friends behind as she runs as fast as she can. She reaches tefusang hill just in time to see a small explotion ahead. Tefusang parts flying all over. As the smoke disipates, she sees Levrus running towards her. She waves at him with the book in her hand, making him gasp and run faster. "This way, Levrus, the serpent is by the camp". Zhai grabs the magician by the hand and starts dragging him down to the battle.
As they get closer, Levrus pulls back. "This is close enough. Tis better if the snake sees me not". Zhai nods and gives him the book and as he start flipping through the pages nervously she tells him: "Stay hidden. I'll go help Zorbels. Hurry!". She unsheathes her blades and runs towards the snake...
-
Spetyco finds himself in a dark cavern. There is a large being nearby watching him.
"Hey there, Guardian. It's been awhile. How have you been?"
"Better than you mortal," is the Guardian's response.
"Still the same cheerful guy I see. Have you seen Aphterin come by here? Nevermind, of course you have."
Spetyco starts to take the path Aphterin had shown him so long ago. The way back to the mortal world. As he starts his journey he hears someone call his name, he turns around and finds Aphterin in front of him.
"Welcome back, Spetyco. I am afraid you will not be returning that way."
"You! Thank you for sparing me the trouble of finding you. Now I will take care of you once and for all!"
"I don't think so," says Aphterin who then jumps off the path and lands on a nearby ledge then darts off along a hidden path. Spetyco quickly follows.
"Come back here, you coward!"
-
Hokinon flinches as a dagger seems to appear from nowhere to leave a cut across his shoulder before embedding itself in the snakes mouth, taking advantage of the serpents surprise Hoki leaps back away from the jaws as a small pale fenki furiously starts to attack the snake her swords a whirling blaze of light.
Nodding grimly to Zorbels as she slashes, Hokinon has a quick glance around to see Tovera sprawled on the ground her pack with it's spilled daggers beside her and smiles in thanks as he realises she saved his life and turning back to the snake calmly and surely cuts and stabs alongside Lady Zorbels.
-
Zhai joins Zorbels and Hokinon attacking the serpent from behind. First she tries to slash its tail but the scales are too strong. Noticing the newcomer, the snake swings its tail at her, hitting her back. She falls a bit confused but with no more determination, so Zhai charges again. This time she jumps as high as she can, aiming her blades at the snake again in a piercing attack. This time she manages to hurt the beast. She is sitting on top of the snake as it shakes around wildly. Not being able to turn around given the furious attacks of Zorbels, Hokinon and Tovera, the snake can only twirl in order to get Zhai off its back. However, a nearby tree favors the creature, as the snake charges against it with its back, crushing Zhai in the process. She can't move and everything circles around her. Even the ground is moving now. Not far away, she can see Zorbels still fighting. "Hurry up Levrus..."
In the meantime, well hidden, Levrus has found the spell to trap the creature again and has started casting it. His voice starts to thunder across the wilderness, catching the serpent's attention. The creature looks around for the magician as she'd heard the exact same voice before. Not being able to find him and knowing what is about to happen, the snake starts to flee, but it's futile for the spell is over and Levrus has released a wave of energy that reaches the creature before it can get far. Trapping it in mid air, the brilliant energy surrounds the snake in a glimmering bubble that starts shrinking quickly, despite the desperation of the beast. A final flash and all there is now is another summon ring on the ground, to which Levrus hastes to pick up. As he puts it in his pocket, looking around at the raided camp, he can't help to wonder so he turns instinctively to Zorbels, now kneeled down by Zhai casting a healing spell: "Erm... say m'lady... what exactly were you doing here?". The campers look at each other sharing a smile.
-
Spetyco chases Aphtarin down a narrow spiral slope in the darkness. He knows this is not the way out of the Death Realm, so Aphtarin must have something else in mind for him. Though he is wary he continues the chase. He refuses to let Aphtarin get away. He notices some symbols carved into the wall of the cavern as he continues his chase. "I've seen these before," he thinks to himself. "I have a good idea where we are headed."
The chase seems to last for hours, or was it days, or did they just get here. It was difficult to measure time in this place.
Then the path stops. Aphtarin is no where to be seen, and directly in front of Spetyco is the prison. This is the place Spetyco first met Aphtarin all those years ago. This was where Aphtarin had been imprisoned by Talad himself, only to have Spetyco come by and let him out. He feels the pangs of guilt deep in his gut.
"You were so naive!" Spetyco turns quickly to find Aphtarin staring back at him. "You never even questioned why I was in there. Somehow you wandered down here, I told you I knew the way back to Yliakum and so you released me. You never even asked!" Aphtarin laughs wildly. "For centuries I was trapped in that cage. Many came by, but no one would come near because they new I was caged for a reason, even if they did not know why. But you didn't even question me." The guilt overcomes Spetyco so fiercly he grows weak and almost collapses. "Now we are here again, and this time it is you who will be caged!" Aphtarin grabs Spetyco and starts to push him into the cage. Spetyco is so overcome with grief and guilt he doesn't resist. "I deserve this fate," he whispers to himself.
At that moment Xlaal appears out of the shadows. In an instant before either Spetyco or Aphtarin have realized what has happened Spetyco finds himself lying on the cavern floor while Aphtarin is trapped in his cage once again.
"No! You fools! I will get you for this!" He struggles with the bars, but to no avail.
Spetyco looks up at Xlaal. "Xlaal, is that you? How did you get here?" Spetyco is still struck with guilt though he is much relieved to see the vile Aphtarin back in his prison.
"I died, of course." Xlaal replies.
"Me too," returns Spetyco, his spirits lifting lightly.
There was a sound like thunder, and an other-worldly voice calls out, "Spetyco! It is finished! Now I will return you and Xlaal to the rest of your friends!" The voice booms in the cavern, though there is no body to go with it. A portal opens before them.
"What was that," asks Xlaal.
"That was Talad," Spetyco replies with tears of joy. "He gave me the task of stopping Aphtarin after I was the one to set him free. Now that task is finished!" A shadow lifts from Spetyco. "Now I am free! Come, my friend, let's return."
They walk through the portal and find themselves in the middle of the campsite. There is destruction all around them, ulber flesh surrounding the campsite which is riddled with smoking craters. Zorbels is tending to Zhai, and everyone has a smile on there face.
"Hey guys," Spetyco says with a smile. "Looks like I missed all the fun!" He walks over to shake Farren's hand, but trips and they both end up falling to the ground.
The whole campsite bursts into laughter.
-
Zorbels looks around at her friends and smiles warmly "Well we came out looking for adventure, and we found it. Just so happens we saved our friend Spetyco. I am honored to have fought along side all of you. You are all a bunch of fine warriors. I shall call this camping trip to an end now and if I ever decide to go again you will all be the first people on my mind to have you join with me. Zorbels jumps on one of her tefusang and grabs the other by the reins. "Take care my friends, and until we meet again." Zorbels heads of to Hydlaa with a smile apon her face and a warmth in her heart knowing she has just made life long friendships.