Fight or Flight

[Kryos]

Kryos nodded in agreement. The number one priority here was to ensure that the survivors were protected. Everything else could wait. Besides, they were only a day’s walk from the Twilight Peaks. Once there, they could just stick to the mountains until they reached the pass that bridged Raiaera and Alerar. Hopefully, they wouldn’t run into any stray undead from Valinatal, since they would pass rather close to it.

“Very well. I suggest we travel west until we run into the mountains, then turn north and escape into Alerar. We should probably find a small village to take refuge in, since most of Alerar hates anything to do with Raiaera.” Kryos stretched. “You should probably get some sleep. I’ll keep watch for now, and wake someone up after a couple of hours to replace me.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Sleep huh? There's a comfort...I doubt it'll come. I haven't slept comfortably in a long time since I started on this path. Thoughts raced through my troubled mind. I listened to Kryos suggestions. Infiltrating Alerar sounded good but there were flaws to the plan. We had Elves in our party and they would probably be attacked on sight, if not, they would certainly experience hostilities towards with the Dunmer. I wanted to sleep but the plan wasn't well established yet. Protecting the survivors was the priority for all of us.

"Heading into Alerar is a bad idea. The Dunmer show hostilities towards the Altmer. We have Altmer in our party right now. Alerar is a no go. We'll have to come up with a better plan. I was going to head to the nearest port city and get a ship for them to go to Corone or Scara Brae. Anne will stay with me."

I turned my attention towards the little form of Anne who was sleeping in the tent along with the rest of the group. Tired sounds filled the air as they slept with exhaustion. The Altmer in our group meditated in silence. They needed to meditate for at least two hours. I felt my powerful tail swishing back and forth as I sat on the rock. Yawning greatly, I began to feel my exhaustion but I fought sleep for a little while longer. I longed for the sandy dunes of my homeland, Fallien. Shaking my head for a moment, I closed my glowing red eyes for a brief moment and reopened them a minute later.

"We'll probably meet resistance along the way. We should get as much rest as we can while we're here. I heard a rumor that there are more Commanders about besides Netha'Tu. Xem'Zund gathered himself a grand army and there is fighting all over Raiaera. I am surprised you managed to stay alive so long without an escort."

[Kryos]

“I may still be alive, but I’ve seen my share of zombies so far. I ran into a small contingent of about twenty on my way out of Eluriand. They chased me into the forest, where I got them caught up with some of the shape-shifting wolves. That mostly took care of the problem.”

He let the rest go unfinished as he pondered the beast’s words. Yes, Alerar was probably a poor choice. These people need a more permanent sanctuary. Their best bet was probably Scara Brae. Kryos groaned internally. That would mean going back the way he had just come, as well as passing right by the Obsidian Spire. They would either have to go deep into the forest, dangerous, but more likely to avoid detection by the undead, or pass by the ruins of Carnelost. Both choices didn’t appeal to Kryos that much, but he would leave that matter until later.

“Heading to Anebrilith on the east coast would probably be the best choice. Once there, I suggest we get to Scara Brae. The island nation will most likely remain free of such horrors of war the longest, which is what these people need.” He paused, eying the lizard’s great form. It was visible that he was approaching his limit. An idea sparked in Kryos’ mind. He rose and approached Lexxum.

“We should set out a little after sunrise. That should give be plenty of time for everyone to rest.” He reached out his hand to help Lexxum up, summoning subtle, white flames around his hand and fingers. The Charity spell would hopefully help Lexxum rest, and gain back his strength, besides the guaranteed effect of calming his mind and soul. “I’ll take the first watch.”

[Lexxum_Vordic]

((All bunnies approved))

For a moment, I felt discomfort as the shorter lad's hands came up touch my scaly hide. I pulled away from him, jerking at my powerful neck for a brief moment but then allowing myself to relax. I knew that if he wanted to harm us, he would have done so already. So I allowed him to place his magics upon my person. Immediately, fresh memories of the recent battle at Valinatal came to the surface of my thoughts.

I remembered the huge saurian creature that Netha'Tu had summoned up during the middle of the battle. The beast made me remember my saurian nature and I pondered helping the creature level Valinatal for a moment. It was a guilty thought, but it was part of what fractured my psyche and made me who I was. Images of Typheus quickly appeared in my thoughts as we both fought together and shed blood together. I developed a profound respect for the alien. My thoughts lashed forward like a rabid beast from some ancient ocean. Pulling the tide forward was like releasing the floodgates from within.

No creatures stirred in the area of the Red Forest we were in. We'd chosen a spot that was ideal for hiding. The fire danced about in its pit casting shadows that moved hauntingly about the clearing. The folds of material in our tents rippled like water reminding me of the dune sea back home. The battle of Valinatal made me immediately think of wanting to take vengeance against Netha'Tu. Pushing those troubling thoughts aside, I made a movement to gently push Kryos' hands away. The thoughts surfaced quickly like a storm and raged like the fires that kept us warm.

I pulled my cloak tighter about myself feeling a cold chill in my blood. It was likely produced by the sudden thoughts of the battle I'd just endured. I nodded towards Kyros as he suggested taking first watch. At that moment, I realized how exhausted I felt. Standing up off the rock, I moved towards Anne silently. Curling up towards her, I kept her warm with my hot saurian blood. I curled up much like a pet my curl up against his master. Closing my eyes softly, I went to sleep without saying another word.

[Kryos]

Kryos moved his position. The place he was earlier was too comfortable. He selected a spot next to a big oak tree, with three, uneven rocks at the base, that was to the left of the tents. He dropped to the ground, landing squarely on the rocks, and leaned against the rough bark. Sure, it was uncomfortable, close even to painful, but at least it would keep him awake through the night. He was tired, but in comparison to the others, he was bursting with energy. He’d gotten good sleep the previous night, and would do fine until the next evening, as long as they didn’t get involved with a full-scale assault on the way.

Crossing his legs, and folding his scarred arms around him, he prepared to become the eyes and ears of the group, and nothing more. He sat still, resting his tired legs and arms. His breathing came deep and regularly. The dark clothes that covered his body were motionless, ready to become part of the night when the fire died. His eyes, though, reflected the orange and yellow light the flames gave off. They bounced around the camp, slowly taking in every detail so as to notice any odd changes that might signal danger. They were tireless in their rounds, knowing that failing this duty could very well end up in death. He wished that he could sustain Moon Gaze for longer, that way he could sense the presence of others coming close all night long. Instead, he had to keep watch with only his normal senses. Time measured out itself with the height of the dying fire.

~ / | \ ~

A small strand of smoke lazily rose from the ashes of the fire, through the red trees, and into the light of the morning sun. Here and there, birds whistled, safe in the closeness of the border of the forest. The leaves that filled the trees and littered the ground were cast in shadows and brilliant light, becoming pleasant gemstones of garnets and rubies. Their own reflected light danced throughout the woods, placing small glimmers of light on the trunks of trees and the dulled rocks and stones. They even cast light into the twin pools of blood beneath a great oak that gazed at the hidden sky.

Kryos took a deep breath, and let it out while he rose from his vigil. The night had been quiet and cool, with no signs of danger. Rising to his toes in a stretch, he could feel his limbs unwinding and gaining strength. He walked over to his pack, and took a large swig from one of his water skins. The cool fluid raced down his throat, reviving the muscles that had become dry during the moon’s reign. Then, he took out the food ration kit that Lexxum had given him the night before. He opened it, and retrieved an apple half, and a piece of jerky. He bit into the apple, surprised when juices burst into his mouth. He loved the taste of apples, especially in the fall. The trees of the red forest were a close imitation of autumn, but there couldn’t simulate the real thing. But, the apple did taste a little better than one usually did.

He made his way to a softer spot on the ground to finish his meal, and wait for the others to wake. They should be rising anytime now, since they had all slept soundly and restfully for the entire night. His heart went out to them. Especially the girl that Lexxum was curled up against. Her face was that of innocence. But not pure innocence. It was the kind of innocence that found itself in a vast and alien world, its survival dependent on how quickly it could learn the ways of the world and adapt. It reminded him of how he was when he left his home after the incident with his friend, Lorin. He wished the girl didn’t have to go through such a change as this. It could destroy her, as it almost destroyed himself. He hoped that the girl would survive.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Wisps of smoke rose from the fire pit like dragons chasing hawks. The trees of the Red Forest danced ever so subtly with the strong breeze that developed.

Animals that were brave enough to come near the destruction site at Valinatal came close and stirred with the sun rising in the East. A great disc in the autumn sky, colors of fire decorated the atmosphere. Adding a distinct orange glow as the sun rose, signaling a triumphant end to the realm of the dark mother. The shadows receded to their hiding places, and angled themselves at different positions than normal with the rising sun.

Beasts of the wild poked out of their nocturnal hiding spots and instinctively followed their dance anew. Morning dew dripped down blades of leaves and grass. Insects stirred buzzing about the camp. The two Altmer in the group, Allaria and Ellers were related to one another as distant cousins. They soon stirred from their meditative state. They were both women and sat within relatively close proximity to one another. They meditated outside of the tent preferring to be within close proximity of nature itself.

Even through their meditative state, expressions of worry touched both of their faces. Ellers was the younger of the two, a woman in her mid twenties, at least the Altmer equivalent of aging. Altmers aged much slower than humans did and were able to live longer lives. With the sun shining brightly on their faces, a mysterious glow seemed to surround the two beautiful women creating a halo effect about them. As the two meditated, they chanted below their breaths in their natural High Elven tongue. It flowed like a song of bubbly water cascading within a stream. As the two women woke up, the sun was beginning to rise. They'd gone into their deep meditation last in the group deciding to converse amongst themselves. From the Altmer perspective, the loss of Valinatal was a huge blow to the social consciousness of the Elves.

Ellers was a tall woman with long legs, a shapely, muscular figure, and deep amber colored eyes. Her hair was long, braided, and ended at the region of her lower back. She had many rune-like symbols etched upon various portions of her body, many visible but many more hidden by her Vlince attire. She wore a green Elven cloak with a dress that covered her bodice and was colored in a light blue color. She was dressed in the traditional attire of the Altmer. A brilliantly shining amulet heirloom necklace rested upon her chest. Earrings dangled from their positions and danced in the breeze ever so gently. She yawned as she stirred keeping a sharp gaze on her companion, Allaria.

In contract to Ellers, Allaria was a shorter Altmer. She stood in the average height for an Elf woman. Her hair was blond in color, almost to the point of being platinum in nature. Her hair was wild and ended at her shoulders, there were braided locks in various positions of her hairdo. Contrasting the amber colors of her cousin, Ellers had sky blue eyes that matched her blond hair well. It made her round features seem that much more attractive. She wore gold jewelry all over her person and had the same strange eldritch symbols upon her person, but there were considerably less non Ellers. It was clear that Ellers was a much younger Altmer than her cousin.

"Did you see?" Ellers asked.

"I saw it. The forgotten Thayne amongst us once more. The moon of Althanas no more. Fallen upon Valinatal's former glory it has."

"So then you shared the same vision I had. Interesting. We must tell this information to the others for the Dark Mother, N'Jal is amongst us once more. There has been much death and suffering already, but I fear it will only get worse and worse. The second age of darkness is upon us."

"As the prophecy has foreseen."

"What will happen to us now?"

"Now we must rise and now we must face the challenging times ahead of us. Xem'Zund isn't our only enemy we face."

"Sadly, that is the truth."

************************************************** ****

"Search over there, we got more bodies!"

Soldiers at Valinatal worked to recover the bodies of fallen citizens. By now if there were any survivors, they were already accounted for. As the hours passed by, it looked less and less likely that any more survivors would be accounted for. They'd managed to find dozens more that somehow survived the terrible attack from that villain, Netha'Tu. A huge hole lurked in the center of former Valinatal where Althanas' moon struck the earth. Used as a meteor, Netha'Tu's spell back fired and caused wanton destruction in its stead. But the job was done. Valinatal fell.

Smoke and the mysterious glowing energy still radiated from the crash site as soldiers worked to recover the scorched bodies. It was a gory task, but one that needed closure. Nobody dared to come close to the crash site because it gave off intense heat. The heat of a thousand furnaces. The energy that flowed from the impact zone scorched the earth dry. And somewhere within the crash site, lurked N'Jal in her hibernation state...

The soldiers worked while N'Jal slept. A harbinger from the sky...

************************************************** ***************

I had a dream that night. I'm not sure if its what you would call any normal dream, the Elders of my tribe called these dreams spirit visions in the tongue of the lizards. They say that the house of your ancestors talked to you in your sleep when you weren't aware of it. Was it true? I didn't know, I didn't have much faith in the old ways. All I had faith in was my strength and the will of Lord Mitra. I had something else to believe in and it was Anne and the rest of the group. Yawning in my sleep, I felt her hands curling upon my fingers as she played with them. I felt the familiar feeling of the sun on the sails on my back and this made me rise from my position. I stirred, and finally awoke. Sitting up in a relatively comfortable stance, I rubbed Anne's head gently so she could awaken. She yawned and stretched before me giving me a brilliant smile. I couldn't help but to smile back, a toothy grin.

I looked over to Kryos' person. The rest of the team was waking up casually. I looked over to the tent and saw James and Lucas, two humans from Valinatal, rising from their slumber. They were preparing themselves for a hearty breakfast. I nodded to them and turned my attention back to Kryos.

"We'll take over from here. Your turn at sleeping."

[Kryos]

“That’s unnecessary Lexxum. The safety of this company is priority, and the longer that we terry here, the greater the chance we’ll be discovered.”

Kryos paused as the camp fell silent. The humans and elves, and even the dog, paused in their morning activities to gaze at him. He felt unease ripple through his heart, and he thought that he may have broken the mood. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“What I mean is, it would be best to head out soon, no later than an hour from now. I’ll be fine until this evening, and then I’ll take a turn at sleep. But, these woods can often turn into our enemies, so it would be wise to change our location frequently.”

Kryos stopped talking. He didn’t feel the need to continue. He just focused on finishing up his jerky. The tough meat worked his jaw, but lit up his tongue with the spices that were buried in the jerky’s rough folds. Finished, he retrieved his water for another drink. The meat had left his mouth hot, but the water soon soothed the feeling. He approached Lexxum, and gazed into the lizards red eyes.

“I’ve just come from the way that we’re headed,” Kryos began, keeping his voice low. “So I should be able to lead us through the forest well. However, on the way to Anebrilith, there is the Obsidian Spire. We’ll need to pass that cursed place, hopefully without running into a large group of enemies. So, you are the leader of these people. Do we go deep into the forest, and pass south of the Spire, or do we go north of it, and pass by what’s left of Carnelost? I don’t really care, but the choice needs to be made now. It’s up to you.”

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Kryos presented me with a unique problem. I narrowed my eyes in deep thought for a moment. Rumor had it that the Obsidian Spire was perpetually abandoned, but with Xem'Zund's activities its possible that he left a garrison of warriors near the Obsidian Spire. It was possible. Rumors spread through the front front lines that a fierce battle was being waged somewhere near Carnelost. Or at the Carnelost site. I didn't want to expose Anne to any further destruction, but she was a capable child on her own. I folded my arms across my chest staring back into Kryos' dark eyes. I matched his gaze with my own glowing red eyes for a long moment without breaking away. I thought about the safest pass towards Anebrilith. The Obsidian Spire was a huge risk, but it was an eventuality that we needed to prepare for. Plus there were rewards with potentially venturing back into the Obsidian Spire once we ensure that the company was well underway to Scara Brae. I had my answer.

"We shall head near the Obsidian Spire. I have a favor to ask of you, by the way, Kryos. Regardless of what challenges we might face in the near future, I want an opportunity to go back to the Obsidian Spire with you and explore the interior a bit. I've heard great treasures are there for the taking. We can leave Anne in a safe place, or with these people. I am trying to figure out what's in her best interest she lost her parents. "

As a soldier, I was deeply concerned with the safety of the child. I could keep Alk if the need arose, but I doubted that Anne would part with her. She slept a little while longer for I didn't want to wake her. I looked at the trees around me for a long moment breaking the intense stare. Low branches hung from the bark to snag at stranger's clothing. Some of the lower branches came near to the tent that we'd erected. A part of me wanted to stay here in this temporary sanctuary, but the warrior within me knew that a battle could break out at any moment. Raiaera was no longer a safe place for these people. One by one its grand cities were falling...

"We're being exterminated." I said out loud to nobody in particular.

[Kryos]

Kryos was taken aback with the request that Lexxum asked of him. The Obsidian Spire was a place of death, with the undead once billowing from its belly. Sure, there was probably treasure, but what else lurked in its dead and evil halls. There was most likely a reason why the High Bard Council restricted access to it, but then again, there could be some clues still resting there about why Xem’zund vanished after the Second Alerian Assault. Such information could help them defeat Xem’zund this time as well. The danger was high, but the possibility was even greater as well.

“Exterminated.” The word bounced around his mind like an echo would bounce around a deep canyon. He reached forward and placed his hand on the Lexxum’s shoulder.

“Have hope, friend. Sure, we have suffered many losses, but things will turn out all right. Our races will survive this. It’s instinct.” He dropped his hand, standing up. “As for your request, there is much danger in it, but I’ll come with you. There is much buried there that could aid us.”

He walked a little way from camp, and did a quick check around the border, looking for any signs of intelligent life that could have passed by earlier. He came upon nothing. Satisfied, he returned to the others, got his things together, and waited for the others to get ready to set out.

[Lexxum_Vordic]

Putting down the tent was a chore of a process. James and Lucas woke up an hour after Allaria and Ellers did. It took approximately that long for Kryos to finish his quick scouting of that area. Once the tents were rolled up and everybody had breakfast, I decided that it was high time we were all well on our way. Once Kryos returned I nodded towards him. With the exception of Allaria and Ellers, everyone was in a quiet and somber mood. I woke up Anne a short time later as she slept near Alk's position. The dog was a loyal companion and eternal friend. I was quickly developing rapport with the canine. I hoped to get to know the beautiful animal much more since the canine was quite similar to us Saurians in many respects.

Preparing myself for the long road ahead, I knew that the trip to Anebrilith would be very dangerous indeed. I looked up. The sun was reaching a zenith in the sky as the morning hours reached a peak. It was a somewhat chilly afternoon with a breeze coming in from the south. The wind flowed at about ten miles per hour. I checked the direction of the wind casually and smelled it to see if death was coming our way. From the general direction of the South, Carnelost and the Obsidian Spire. With Kryos in agreement of the side mission, I knew that I needed to be mentally prepared to face the challenges at the Obsidian Spire. Allaria and Ellers confronted me.

"Mister Vordic, we have some information for you that I think will be interesting for you to hear." Allaria was speaking. The other one simply nodded calmly with respect to her Elders. "Speak." I responded casually. "We've had a shared vision. A dream of our ancestors while we were meditating. The Red Forest warned us that a new threat is upon Althanas. We noticed on the prior eves that darkness filled the night sky. No moon shines brightly to guide people through the night anymore. We believe that it is the moon itself that has crashed into Valinatal thanks to that bastard Necromancer Netha'Tu. Legend has it that the dark mother, N'Jal, was banished upon the moon many aeons ago by the other Thaynes in the Thaynehood. We believe that N'Jal has returned to Althanas. Eventually someone will have to go back to Valinatal and confront N'Jal before things get out of hand. Without a moon to guide us, I fear what will happen to our world's natural patterns and cycles."

So my feelings were right. N'Jal had indeed returned. I nodded towards Allaria with profound respect for being able to commune with the earth mother. It was an important trait that would come in useful later on. As I listened to her story, I knew the obviousness of the truth. I'd shared a vision from Lord Mitra himself! I thought carefully about this revelation and looked towards Kryos' position with a serious expression on my face. "Kryos we have a serious problem on our hands. As if things couldn't get any worse, we have a new threat that eventually must be dealt with. N'Jal. I know little about the Thaynes except for Khal'jaren the Sage of the Black Desert. And I only know of him from my time in Valinatal. My fellow soldiers spoke fondly of him. They say that N'Jal was banished to the moon for unspeakable atrocities against men. But the Altmer would know more than I would."

"The Thaynes are a buggard lot if you ask me." James suddenly spoke, and walked towards the group whilst he ate a fair sized apple. "I did some studying on them when I was much younger and a bit of a rebel. There was a cult of N'Jal in Valinatal recruiting. Lord knows what happened to them, maybe they done survived the crash and fled. Who knows. Anyways, that's besides the point. Khal'Jaren is some sort of Sage. There's a library in the black desert if you would care to find it with all kinds of mysterious books to be found there. I believe you could obtain more knowledge about the Thayne there. Insofar as N'Jal goes...if she is back, we're screwed. The old legends stated that she would bring about a Second Age of Darkness."

"That term feels familiar to me. I believe I've heard it before."