Power Surge

[Osato]

It was eerily quiet after so brazen an attack. The only physical reminder of the large beast was its footprints in the soft loam, and the few fallen leaves of the lower boughs. Osato knew, though, that the visions of the gore and carnage, the lingering screams, it would all stay with him for quite a while. He brushed a gloved hand over his smooth arms, rubbing warmth to rid himself of the unsightly goose flesh that had been crawling across him. His other hand was pressed gracefully against his chest, counting the rhythm of his beating heart while he tried to catch his breath. If sleep did come it would be fleeting, but the mercenary doubted he wanted to brave the world of dreams quite yet.

The hurt face of the elven woman came back to him. He turned to her, her eyes wide. He could barely make out facial features in the murky darkness, but her eyes were as bright as the full moon. “Andraea,” he muttered as he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. She turned her face blank. She seemed to be mumbling to herself, something in elven, but the sell-sword could not make it out. “Come on,” he continued, “we’re going to go back now. We need to be out of these woods before the lights return, and despite not like them, we have to check on our escort.”

~*~

The camp was a mess. It was a makeshift spot anyway, but there was blood splattered across the opening at random places. The bodies of the soldiers had been dragged away by the less injured who were not tending to the others. Thick grooves tore through the soft ground, blood mixed with the mud to form slick pools of muck. The sight was grisly, but Osato had seen battle, and so small a scene was hardly anything compared to real combat on a mass scale.

Despite himself, the mercenary wandered towards the knights. He had left them, he was hunted by them, but he still had a feeling of obligation to them. Whether they got along, he had looked at them like brothers for months, and they had taught him. Unfortunately, as he saw it, the head knight had not fallen with his troops. He was tending one of the wounded though, attempting to hold him down to the ground while the other applied a leaf and webbing to his wounds. The man was screaming fitfully, thrusting his body wildly about. But the wounds were slowing their bleeding, and amazingly starting to close up despite his thrashing.

“Osato,” the mercenary turned to see the elven woman with three vials extended towards him. “Please, collect some of these leaves. I must take them for study later, and having extra with us in case we find more trouble would be useful. I must stitch up Karuka and help dress the wounds of the soldiers too.”

“Of course,” he responded, taking the glass vials from her and turning to get the leaves. Behind him he could hear the woman mutter something. A race of chills ran across his back, but not from fear this time. It was magic, and a powerful source of it. I turned, walking sideways towards the woods, staring at the woman. Her hands began to glow a light green for a second, and then the light passed into the thread and needle in her hands.

“Do not worry,” she said as he leaned down to begin stitching the red-heads arm. “I have simply infused the thread and needle with a spell to sterilize them, and another to add a small boost to the healing cells around the area of use. The first has already worn off, the second will by the morning.”

~*~

When the morning came Osato was far from prepared for it. The sun cast its heavy light through the thick canopy, casting an emerald light across the landscape. But it was absorbed by the morning mist almost as soon as it made it down. In the light the mercenary was better able to see what had happened. Scuff marks of a foot as big as his head marred the ground everywhere. The grooves of the fallen soldiers were spotted by small pools of dried blood and loam.

Osato winced, but he had grown used to the smell over night. He rubbed at his sleepy eyes, but dared not close them for what remained of the night. Instead of waking the others he simply shook his head and rested it on his knees, they would wake on their own. He had a headache already, the bothersome noise of the armored knight’s group and his owns chatter would only add to it.

[Massacre]

As the Knight spoke his words of commendation, A'rei looked up at the taller man and smiled, "Uh, thank you."

She had run out of fear. Fear of dying, fear of seeing death, and most of all fear of the unknown. The cat was a mysterious creature and it seemed as though Karuka had shown that she was indeed the stronger individual and had an iron will. A'rei found herself feeling bad that the girl had gotten hurt on her behalf and because of her stupidity but that was something to address later, there were wounded men that needed help and the Scara Braen wanted to give as much aid to her countrymen as possible. She took a liviol leaf off the ground and walked over to where the wounded lay, running her small fingers up and down the leaf slowly, the texture was pleasant and soft.

"Hey! Someone give me some more leaves!" A Knight was holding up one hand while pushing on the chest of another with his knee to hold him down. A'rei quickly ran over to where the Knight was and hand the man a single leaf, he took it and applied it to the man's shoulder who writhed and screamed in pain. "Oh it's you, thanks by the way, without you this man would be deader than a stone."

"Oh, sure, I didn't really mean to--" A'rei stopped at a scream of pain from the man on the ground.

"Oh shit, please stop!" He screamed as he squirmed under the pressure of his comrade's knee. With that, the girl walked away to see if Karuka was all right. The red head was being stitched by Andraea who was being as gentle as could be.

"Karuka, I just wanted to say thanks..." A'rei half-whispered. Her cheeks went red and she quickly walked away. Why am I embarrassed?

The girl went walking into the woods by herself, she needed the break badly from everything. Just to escape was a gift all in itself. She didn't wander too far as to avoid encountering any more large beasts or fairies that maimed people, but just far enough so she could escape the groans, aches, and screams of the soldiers. It was a macabre scene that she wanted no part of for the moment. The azure trees about her stood invitingly, waiting to be rested against and the girl did just that. She sat on the ground with a thump and rested her back against the liviol wood. Her eyelids slowly closed and she began to feel herself drift away...

~*~

When she awoke the sun shone brightly through the leaves but was diluted by the mist that fell over the island like a blanket that morning. The girl rose slowly and raised her arms high above and got on her tip-toes in a stretch. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she began her slow trot back to the camp, admiring the beauty of the magical trees and their colorful blossoms. Remembering her blossom, her hand went absently to her head to take another look at it and surprisingly it was still there after the running she had done.

The scene didn't look quite as solemn in the daylight as it had at night, though the blood stained on the ground was still there, the sun revealed a much nicer way looking at it, no matter what had actually happened. Seeing that almost everyone was recovered was a good thing, too. There were only three of the Knights who hadn't been fully recovered, two of them were talking while the third lay resting, slightly absent-minded. The Captain approached A'rei.

"Can you tell those three to head back to the boat by my orders?" He inquired. "I'm busy getting all of our stuff together, dear."

"Oh, yeah sure." A'rei replied absently, she was still tired but she walked over the the three men anyways. "You three are supposed to head back to the ship."

"Says who?" One asked sharply.

"Your leader..."

"Damn, look, that bastard is nodding at us," the Knight looked to his companions, "all right, help me get him up, Eudo."

The two Knights stood and roused their companion, gently lifting him to see feet as his face winced in pain. A'rei turned around to find her companions, they had to be near. After a bit of walking, A'rei found that everyone was set to head out, where A'rei didn't know.

"Hey Karu, where are you headed?" A'rei walked up the small group.

"Still tuath...an' a wee bi' ear." The red-head pointed toward the center of the island.

~*~

The trees had gotten considerably thicker by the step, each trunk was thicker than the last and each time A'rei looked up, the canopy seemed to blot out the sun more and more. It was getting so dark that it began to get hard to see...

[Karuka]

Translation of Karuka's statement in the last post: "Still north, and a little bit east".

Count Uyen Barchon stood at his study window, watching as the sun started climbing higher. Even though he knew that it was unlikely the group had penetrated the forest and made it to ruins so ancient that their existence had turned to mere legend, he was already impatient for their return.

For within those ruins is the very artifact I need to snatch away Bellari's ill-gained kingdom. If they can survive and find it...then I will have the help I need to take it back. The Valeenas thought that they had subjugated my line. We even changed our name from Aneni to Barchon, symbolically giving up that which is rightfully ours. But soon...

A knock came on the door, and Count Barchon turned, smoothing down his moustache. He just had to endure a few more days, and then either send out another team, or he would have his prize in hand. Captain Strozzi was completely loyal.

~*~

When the longboat went over in the morning to relieve Selkirk and Dennis, then begin the day's work, they discovered that the watch had abandoned their post. The Quartermaster, who had gone ashore to oversee the day's work, cursed irritably. Either those oafs had abandoned their post for some incomprehensible reason, or the island had claimed them.

The trail wasn't overly hard to track. Selkirk and Dennis had been life-long sailors; traversing the forest wasn't something they were well equipped to do. The on-shore party tramped through the slightly dense forest, walking past the light blue trees and over vibrant green ferns until they reached a small clearing.

What they found in that clearing made the more superstitious of them utter an oath, and even the most stalwart and doughty of them blanched. Lying in positions contorted by agony were two fresh skeletons, picked absolutely clean. And the most jarring thing of all was that they were wearing the clothes of the lost sailors -- intact and blood-stained.

The Quartermaster looked warily at his men. "It's an ill omen, lads," he said at length. "Let's...let's get them back to the boat...and stay there. No sense in dying for more logs...never get to spend the money, anyway. Come on men...take 'em up...gently, now."

With a solemn and uneasy care, four sailors picked up the denuded corpses and carried them back to the boats, and eventually back to the ship. There would be no further expeditions to gather Liviol wood that mission.

~*~

I have lost men...good men...chasing a legend. And then I made orders to send off the three least likely to survive back to the boat. But we can't afford to be fewer when going into dangers I thought were only mythical.

Captain Revelin Strozzi looked over the procession of torches to the rag-tag group that led the party ever deeper into the cursed woods. He had orders to kill them, if they survived the trek. The treacherous Osato Lysser he would kill gladly, and would have gladly killed before they'd even touched land if only the red-head hadn't interfered. He would probably have to get rid of her, first. She was a nuisance, but nuisances didn't deserve to die just because they were annoying. Then again...she and her silly little necklace could be leading them into danger.

She started veering from the relatively stable course she'd kept, adopting a slightly westward course. A westward course wouldn't lead them to the center of the island, and where else would a castle be kept on an island such as the Liviol Sanctum? Revelin tapped the soldier in front of him, instructing him to take the rear, and went forward to correct the woman.

"We are heading to the center of the island. That is where the artifact will be."

The ragged red-head glanced at the Captain from the corner of her eye. She didn't seem too impressed with his armor and authority, which was odd in a girl of maybe sixteen. She lifted her left hand, from which swung her necklace.

"Th' pendulum says t' go this way. Sin' y' dinna ay ha' a map tha' points t' where th' wee thing we're after is, an' y' dinna ay ha' a good idea o' where th' thing is, I'm ay more inclined t' trus' this than yer thou' o' knowin' ev'rythin' in a place y' dinna know anythin'. If we're ay mean' t' fin' i', we will. An' if we arenae, then we're bein' drawn this way fer a reas'un."

The Knight's eyes narrowed. How dare an inexperienced girl lead his group of professional soldiers? What gave her the right? Due to her guidance, they'd been attacked by the little light balls and by the legendary Liviol Cat.

"Listen, you," he snapped, "I am in command of this mission, and will be assuming leadership -- " he was cut off abruptly as the red-head pointed.

"Is tha' th' place y' seek? Yonder, throu' th' trees an' t' th' niar?"

Through the dense forest, a splotch of green and gray could be seen faintly. If someone had good vision and was able to pierce through the trees, he would see part of an overgrown and sprawling structure -- the crumbled ruins of an ancient palace or metropolis.

Revelin stuttered. He didn't like being shown up in front of his men, but darn if the girl and her funny necklace hadn't been dead on when finding the most likely location of Count Barchon's artifact. The Scara Braen Knight gestured to the redhead.

"By all means, then...lead on."

Allowing the red-head to continue at the head of the expedition, the Knight dropped back, intending to take the rear again. As he did so, he noticed the beautiful A'rei, about whom he had forgotten in his irritation at the other girl. It was due to her that he and the six soldiers under him had survived the dreadful attack of the previous evening. She had almost sacrificed herself for them. It would be a sin and a violation of his Oath as a Knight of Scara Brae to allow her to be harmed.

What to do? To fulfill one oath is to break another...but wait...she was a stowaway. Barchon doesn't know of her.

This thought gave Captain Strozzi a smile. He could protect her. The other two women, likely not, but they didn't matter. Gently, he reached out and touched A'rei's arm.

"Good noon, valiant lady," he began. "May I have a word with you?" Not exactly waiting for a reply, he guided her a little back through the ranks with him and then began to speak softly to her.

"Listen...as far as everything goes...I have certain orders regarding the civilians in our group. If you can keep quiet about what happens, I can keep you safe in Scara Brae. Please...be smart, my lady...and keep safe."

That said, he released her to get back to the other civilians in the group.

~*~

As Karuka led the procession through the dense trees, she couldn't help but feel a tingle of awe and wonder travel through her body. This was a very ancient wood, and had to have been sacred to someone at some time to be so heavily guarded. The trees here, near the center of the forest, were so big around that if the eight people remaining in the group had linked hands, they might be able to just barely encircle a single tree. Her free hand went up to check the flower that was still tied into her hair. It felt as much alive as it had been in the tree, and had somehow stayed entwined in her hair. Amazing...that it had come from a younger version of these sky-high trees.

As she led them toward the ruins, the thick darkness seemed to grow deeper and deeper until suddenly it broke, and they were standing in the light. Not far before them rose the crumbling pieces of what had been a grand structure, but time and the forest had reclaimed it. Moss and ivy created a verdant blanket for the once-white stone, and a few trees grew around the area that was otherwise a clearing. But these trees weren't nearly as big as the giants growing just a few paces away. They were whip-thin, and maybe two or three feet tall -- saplings.

But now she was sure that this was the place that she was supposed to be. She could hear, faintly but steadily, the sound of a heartbeat coming from within.

"'Tis here. B'yond a dou'."

"The pendulum says to go this way. Since you don't have a map that points to where the thing we're after is, and you don't have a good idea of where the thing is, I'm way more inclined to trust this than your thought of knowing everything in a place where you don' know anything. If we're meant to find it, we will. And if we aren't, then we're being drawn this way for a reason."

"Is that the place you seek? There, through the trees and to the west?"

"It's here. Beyond a doubt."

[Osato]

Osato shifted uneasily back to camp, his footfalls heavy. He felt a burden on him that weighed more than any material possession, something deeper and more profound. It was a cliché burden, one most heard about in stories. But everyone could relate to it at one point or another; an emotion so fully ingrained within a person that it slows their thoughts, actions, and words. The sell-sword, however, had no soul with which to feel the emotion, allowing him no reprieve from a weight he could not fully understand. Instead of worrying about it, he pushed it aside, as he did all things he could not understand.

The morning light was softer the deeper the party moved, but dimmer too. The soft trees grew more stout, their branches thicker, and their crowns higher. It was a majestic sight to see, something he knew few others had ever seen. But it was one that was concerning. Many had undoubtedly ventured to the island, many had seen what he was viewing, but not many had returned… those that had were hard-pressed to speak of what they had encountered or saw. “Now I know why,” he thought as he let a gloved and gauntleted hand pass over the smooth bark. “This place is a legend for a reason, there are dangers far greater than most could imagine… it’s as if the island wants to remain away from the eyes of society.”

Whatever the reason, it mattered little to the man. He had come because… well, a pretty face had asked it of him. He was an adventurer by heart and trade, but when a pretty face asks something of him; it was far beyond him to refuse.

“Osato, are you alright?” The deep, void-like eyes of the mercenary shifted from the ground before him to the girl at his side. Andraea’s brows were knitted in a puzzled look. Her soft eyes were dull, flickering across his armored body instead of shining like they normally would. “You seem more troubled than most, you also seem to have not gained any sleep…”

“How could I sleep…” he muttered. But he knew she would hear it anyway, she was an elf after all. Sleep would not have come without nightmares, without waking in a cold sweat or a scream so loud and long that all the air would escape his lungs. It was a split-second decision, months ago, and yet it was one that had taken him out of the idiotic grasp of the fledgling government and allowed him security and safety. He had only to depend on himself. If he had stayed one more month… he would have been trapped forever as a Knight of Scara Brae, going on missions such as this with a reckless trust as his guide and hope. “Don’t worry about me; we have plenty to worry about ahead of us.”

And so the group did. Ahead of them loomed a bastion of an age long since lost. It was a castle of ruins, a broken and shattered dream of a people passed. Osato had only to search the walls to know what had done them in. It was a mixture of time, elements, and the very volatile nature of the Liviol Sanctum. But he had to wonder to himself, was the Liviol Beast and the flickering lights around so long ago? Or had the humans, or whatever it was, that had lived on the island been somehow an influence on their creation?

He sighed and shook his head; it was all too much to ponder over. Instead he allowed listened to the quiet, distant sounds of the forest’s life. They were not following the group, nor growing stronger despite the larger trees and more dense forest shrubs. Another eerie coincidence. Osato’s thoughts lingered on it only so long as it took for them to break through and find the light once again. He quickly turned his head and covered his eyes, hiding from the light that burned so bright.

Without watching the others the mercenary moved directly to the ruins. His hands passed over the worn stone, sending small falls of dust and dirt. The mortar had long since been ruined, replaced by thick vines. The stones were battered and cracked, but held in place by thin shoots of roots. If the plants died, for whatever reason, he doubted the castle would remain standing. “Here,” he turned to see his elven druid pointing at a gloomy looking archway, “This is a way in. There is a little light, what filters through the cracks…”

Osato took the lead this time, allowing Karuka a break from possible danger around every corner. At hand was his blade, the weapon probably too big for the proximity of any threat they would encounter. He kept it anyway, security. Every footfall brought a plume of dust and grime, every breath was filled with stale air. He could taste the scent of the plants that ravaged the ruins. He could hear the groans of the stones underfoot. It was not stable, but he doubted anyone of the group planned to take up residence.

“Come on,” his voice was resolute, oddly enough. “We only have a bit to go, then we’ll be off this island and back to Scara Brae. I for one am more than ready.” The voice of the mercenary doubled dully off the stone walls, the escaping air caused the dusty air to dance. It was gross, and the pristine sell-sword was not welcome to it, but he dealt with it all the same. The sooner he got whatever the hell it was they were looking for, the sooner he could be rid of the knights and be back in a bar… chasing women and drinking.

[Karuka]

Bunnying of A'rei approved as per this thread. Good luck, chick.

As Osato led the way down into the darkness of the ruins, Karuka stepped in lightly behind him, bare feet gripping the dusty stone. The pulse she'd been hearing from time to time here was so strong she could feel it reverberate through the floor, but if anyone else felt it, they hadn't mentioned it. She slid her pendulum around her neck. After all, if anything was going to lead her to the artifact, it would be the call it was making to her.

The soldiers followed the sell-sword and diviner into the dank darkness of mythic ruins for a thousand years left to the Liviol Forest and its feline guardian. The already-lit torches illuminated the dusty cobwebs of spiders long dead. One of the soldiers set the webs on fire, clearing out a path and revealing a ceiling full of cracks and sagging as if it were on the verge of collapse. If a war caused these ruins, time hadn't been any more merciful to them.

A'rei balked at the thought of going down into the tunnel, and maybe she had the right idea. As the last of the cobwebs burned away, an ominous crumbling sound came from the ceiling and it collapsed upon the group almost at once. The blonde beauty rushed out the open door while there was still a chance of escape, and just kept running and running through the thick azure woods.

Within the belly of the ancient castle, all was chaos. The bombardment seemed to be coming from every side, and it was all Karuka could do to dash away from what seemed to be the center of the collapse and throw herself forward, and cover her head with her arms. Time seemed to slow down as the heavy rocks beat mercilessly on her scrawny body, and it seemed a veritable eternity before the thundering of falling rocks fell silent.

When the dust settled, Karuka pushed herself up from under the pile of rocks that had covered her, checking to make sure that she could move all her limbs freely. Finding herself no more than bruised, scraped, and contused, she stood up and looked at the tree roots that were now the only ceiling, and then to the pile of rubble separating her from the rest of the world.

"Osato!" she called out, hoping someone would hear her. "A'rei! Andraea!"

Only her echoes responded to her, if everyone hadn't been crushed, they were too muffled to hear or they hadn't heard her. She tried again, calling louder, but again to no avail. She had to assume she was alone from now on. She didn't like the feeling. What if everyone else was dead?

A hand slipped into her dusty rune pouch, tracing over the face of one of her runes. Ing. Ing was a life rune -- granted, a beginning of life rune, but it meant that most of the party was likely alive. That, at least, was something to be grateful for, even if it meant she was going to walk alone in the utter darkness of the castle.

From somewhere to her left there came two rustles, one nearer and one further away. The grunts accompanying them were distinctly masculine, and the nearer one pulled up a torch that had miraculously escaped being smothered. It lit Captain Revelin's face, bloodied and swollen where one of the smaller rocks had hit him directly, and he looked around him, dazed, before standing up and stumbling over the rocks toward his underling, who looked shaken and as bruised as the redhead that was slowly picking her way through the rocks.

Once Revelin had checked on his man, they called for the others, but met with the same results as Karuka had met when calling for the unseen Osato and A'rei. The pile of rocks in front of the door was just too high to get out, and there was a huge slab of the once grand building that blocked the passage to the other side of the rockslide, where any survivors might be. There wasn't any point in trying to dig past or around -- it would take a team of horses to move the biggest chunks.

Turning away, Revelin looked at the redhead as she gingerly made her way over rocks. His orders were to not let her or the others leave the island alive. He could execute her now and be done with it, or he could take the brash mendicant with him and hope that three were more likely to survive the treacheries of the Liviol Sanctum than two were. If they all survived to find an escape from these catacombs, he could do his job then. And there was no denying that she had been right on track the whole time when trying to find this place -- if this was, indeed, the location of the artifact that Count Barchon wanted.

"Come on, girl," the brown-haired Knight said forcefully. "We're finding the artifact, if it's here, and then trying to find a way out." He looked over the exotic redhead with her rags and belly-button ring. How she'd survived this far into the Sanctum was astounding. Here at its heart, the dangers were much likely worse, and she was ill-prepared to defend herself. She'd just enhance his and his underling's chances of survival.

[Karuka]

I feel the frustration of this lingering thread for both of us, Os. I'm going to finish it off, just you deal with your RL issues and don't worry about this anymore.

Karuka knew that the sudden willingness of the knight to have her along didn't stem from the fact that he wanted her along, but from the fact that there was safety in numbers. She didn't know what she'd be other than a sacrifice. Underground or in buildings, she had but two spells she could call useful, and both of them took too long to cast to really be useful at all.

Whatever the reason, there it was. She was traveling through these ancient tunnels with company, as opposed to being alone. Even better, they had torches, and the flickering light made the ancient shadows dance on the long-untouched stone.

Each step left another imprint in the trail of footprints. Each motion forward stirred heretofore undisturbed centuries-old dust and insect moltings, covering feet, boots, and legs as though the decrepit fortress was already trying to claim them as fresh bodies for its crypt. Each time her foot hit the ground, Karuka could feel the reverberations of the pulse she'd been hearing, each beat drawing her closer to the inevitable destination, whatever it might be.

The minutes stretched on and on in silence, Karuka ahead of the knight and soldier if only because she had an idea of what direction to go -- and if something jumped out from in front of them, she would be the initial target. The red-head knew and accepted it, and as the minutes stretched on into an hour, Karuka led the two men through an elaborate system of catacombs.

As each twist and turn led them further and further away from fresh air and pure sunlight, everyone started getting nervous. Revelin and his man kept their free hands on their swords, and Karuka picked at the calluses on her fingers. The sound was overbearing, and she knew it would drive her mad if it lasted much longer.

BA-BUM. BA-BUM

It was a wonder it hadn't already made one of them start screaming and gibbering, but she didn't think that the other two could hear it, for some reason. Was it a malevolent call to her and her alone? Was it a great secret that only a woman could unlock? Then why hadn't A'rei or Andraea mentioned anything? What if she'd never heard anything at all? Then why had the cat turned away instead of biting her in half? What in Hel was happening on this island?

Sighing, Karuka ran a hand through her hair and was surprised to find the soft Liviol blossom still blooming amidst her curls. She'd expected it to fall out or be crushed during the night, but somehow the broad-petaled flower remained.

Without warning, a patch of floor behind the trio collapsed with a thundering CRACK! as the ceiling had earlier, and as it did, the soldier at the back lost his footing and tumbled down. Revelin whirled around, grabbing at his man's hand, but his hand grasped only air, and the soldier fell, meeting his death with a sickeningly wet crunch of bones in the cavern below.

"MILO!" Revelin dropped to his belly, trying to spot a man that he hoped against all odds had not been killed in the fall.

"MILO!!" The torch Milo had held guttered, a last attempt at piercing the darkness casting a garish light upon a broken and mangled corpse before dying.

Karuka said a soft word of prayer as the Knight whirled upon her angrily.

"YOU! You were the one that got that...that lunatic to talk, weren't you? Are you proud of what you've done? Of the men that you have killed? These men had lives...families! Brothers, sisters, parents, wives...children! Milo has a little girl, and another baby on the way. And you! YOU have taken their father from them."

Karuka shook her head. "I dinna ask fer these people t' come. I dinna e'en ask t' come misel'. I'm ay sorry they ha' t' die in this place, far from th' families tha' loved them. I'm ay sorry tha' Count Barchon thou' tha' whate'er is here, 'tis worth th' lives o' so many people t' ha'. I'm sorry fer th' bairns tha' dinna ha' athairs anymore, an' fer th' women who will ne'er again know their lover's touch. I dinna want any'un t' die," she said with a quiet earnesty.

"I dinna want any'un t' die. But this place is a sacred grove. I' ha' secrets tha' i' dinna wish t' give up, an' i' killed ay so many o' th' invaders fer 'em. Any tha' are unworthy t' th' grove will be pursued by i' an' killed by i'. Those tha' flee may be given th' chance t' escape, an' I pray tha' 'tis th' path tha' th' others took, howe'er many survived i'. We dinna ha' a choice but t' go for'ard...an' perha' 'twill kill us, too."

Turning, she sighed into the air hung thick with dust. To be honest, the thought of so many deaths unnerved her, and she knew that if she hadn't been able to make the insane man talk, maybe no one else would. Maybe Barchon wouldn't have heard, and maybe she'd be off running through the streets of Scara Brae, learning about the new world she'd found herself in, rather than chasing after an old shadow within a grove that didn't want its secrets revealed.

"Look yonder. There is a ligh'."

"I didn't ask for these people to come. I didn't even ask to come myself. I'm sorry they had to die in this place, far from the families that loved them. I'm sorry that Count Barchon thought that whatever is here, it's worth the lives of so many people to have. I'm sorry for the children that don't have fathers anymore, and for the women that will never again know their lover's touch. I didn't want anyone to die."

"I didn't want anyone to die. But his place is a sacred grove. It has secrets that it doesn't wish to give up, and it killed so many invaders for them. Any that aren't worthy to the grove will be pursued and killed by it. Those that flee may be given the chance to escape, and I pray that it's the path the others took, however many survived [the roof collapsing]. We don't have a choice but to go forward...and maybe it'll kill us, too."

"Look yonder. There is a light."

[Karuka]

Indeed there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but whether it was good fortune or ill, neither Revelin nor Karuka could say at first. Even the rune Karuka grasped between her fingers was blank, revealing nothing other than that the moment of truth was before them. Truth could be for good or for ill.

Revelin stood proudly, glaring down at Karuka with a cold rage. If he made it out of this deathtrap, killing her wouldn't be the murder of an innocent to keep her quiet. It would be an execution for murder.

No. Even if I do not make it out of this Hell alive, I will make sure that she does not. Let the grave she's sentenced so many good men to swallow her alive. How dare she look and speak like an innocent when all there is in truth is a scheming mendicant trying to make her way either out of poverty or into history?

Without another word, he marched forward, towards the light. Hopefully it was a way out. If so, he'd tell Barchon that there was nothing resembling a power source on the Liviol Sanctum, just some anomaly with the trees.

The reality made Revelin doubt his sight.

Whereas everywhere else in the crumbling ruins had been dusty, where it had held the ancient stench of death and decay, where dust had hung thick in the air and clogged the mouth and nose, where spider webs of long-dead arachnids hung thick on the wall, this was entirely different. It was an octagonal room with a large podium in the exact center, three stairs leading up to a high table on which a crystal sat. Not a speck of dust floated in the air, not a web hung from the walls or ceiling, and not a single carapace was on the floor.

"What in the name of..."

The source of light was the crystal, and it glowed brightly before dimming and glowing again in pulses.

"What the heck?"

"'Tis a heartbeat."

Revelin whirled on Karuka. "How do you know that?"

The soft blue eyes were not looking at the armor-clad captain, they were watching the crystal's glow crescendo and decrescendo, and she let the Captain wait a moment before responding.

"I can ay hear it."

Whatever this was, it was the entire reason she'd come to the Liviol Sanctum. It was what had been calling to her ever since she'd set foot in the library, and all the way across the sea. It had brought her this far, and now what?

Revelin didn't wait or wonder. This thing was what he'd been sent to get, and Thayne permitting, he could throw it in Barchon's face in exchange for financial security for the families of the men he'd lost.

Taking his hand off his sword, he climbed the trio of tall steps and set his hand on the crystal, thinking to yank it up. Instead, he doubled over as pain lanced through his skull and body. A wave of light washed through the ruins, and suddenly the Knight screamed in agony, jerking back from the crystal and falling down the stairs.

As Karuka approached him, hand extended to offer assistance, he curled up in a fetal position, hands clamped over his ears.

"No. N-NO!!"

He turned to Karuka, insanity blazing in his eyes. "They're growing!"

Suddenly it all clicked. Liviol trees required a very powerful magic source to grow. Since she was standing in the midst of a massive Liviol Grove, it made sense that in ancient times there had been a people or an artifact of great power, but massive amounts of growth had not been recorded in a long time.

Because th' thing here ha' jus' woken up.

"Ay. They're growin'."

"NO!"

The scream that tore from Revelin's throat was almost beastial in its intensity, and drawing his sword, he lunged for the slender red-head. Karuka was caught unprepared and a burning pain went through her body like a shock as the blade bit true, and she staggered backwards to try and avoid more of the attack. Revelin, in his crazed state, slashed again and again at the retreating red-head, and finally charged her, intent on impaling her.

His charge would prove to be his own demise, as Karuka stumbled and fell over the steps at the center of the room.

Flying past her, Revelin tripped. As his feet scrambled for a steady grip on the floor, his hands fumbled around the hilt of his sword as two instincts fought each other for supremacy -- the instinct to keep a grip on the sword, and the instinct to throw out one's arms to prevent a fall. Neither won out, and as he fell, the sword turned in his grip, impaling him as he landed. He lay on the floor, maddened and confused. The only things he was capable of understanding was that he was dying and that they were growing. He wasn't capable of understanding what that meant, but he did know that it was likely to change the Scara Brae he knew forever.

"N...no..."

It was his last word before he died.

"It's a heartbeat."

"I can hear it."

"Yes. Yes...they're growing.

[Karuka]

Karuka laid on the cold, smooth stone of the ancient antechamber, the scent of her blood and Revelin's fear mingling into the scent of oncoming death. Had she really been brought this far just to die at the foot of the very object that had called her here in the first place?

I knew dharma t' be a funny thing, but I dinna know i' ha' a sense o' irony.

As the blood seeped out of her wound, Karuka could feel a numbness and a sense of cold slowly spread throughout her body, and her world went very softly black.

~*~

Is she all right?

Easy, easy. Give her space to breathe. The Liviol Balm did its job well enough, she should be coming to any moment now.

Where am I?

There it is! She's waking up!

Let me see her.

Karuka opened her eyes as sensation returned to her body. The long gash that had been at her belly was simply a long, pale scar that still stung a little bit, as though she'd just been healed of the wound she thought had killed her. Maybe this was Valhalla, although that wouldn't make sense, since she hadn't died in combat. It looked fairly peaceful, though.

She was in a dome-shaped room, lying on a pile of soft cushions. Light streamed through from all around, and there were three people kneeling around the bed -- two in light blue uniforms, one with a vial in his hand, and an elderly man in rich robes. He was the nearest one, and looked at her with a lively sparkle in his dark green eyes.

Karuka Tida. I always wondered what your name would be, but how could you be anyone else?

His lips didn't move, but his voice reverberated through her head, a gentle and warm voice. It was actually rather close to what Karuka thought a grandfather would sound like, if she'd ever had one.

"Where...?"

The society that you are going to see has been dead a thousand years and forgotten for hundreds...but the place is known in your time as the Liviol Sanctum...and this is the Palace.

"Where I died?"

Died? No, my dear girl, but you were close. Your blood on the stone awakened us from our slumber. We are the spirits of the society that came before -- conquered by the Aneni clan, and that was later subverted by the Valeena dynasty. We were a people of great magic, which is why, even from the world beyond, we were able to heal you. Now stand. There is much to share, and not much time.

Karuka stood, feeling the smooth stone floors beneath her feet, and followed the old man out of the room and onto a hanging garden. There were flowers blooming in exquisite jewel-tones that the Irish lass had never seen before, and the old man offered her a seat before sitting down himself. Beyond the garden was a sprawling city and bustling people, and in the distance Karuka could see the docks.

The ferries went to the larger island. This was once the capital of a society spanning two islands, before we were eradicated and the Scara Braens forgot us. I sealed away our memories inside our greatest artifact until a dynasty could prove itself worthy of possessing it once again. I was...the last king of the Liviol Sanctum. My death was a millennium ago...but even then, I knew you'd come.

"How?"

Because someone is always at the right place at the right time to keep the wheels of fate turning. You, little one, are an agent of fate, otherwise you would have never made it here. Our cat would have stopped you, as he did some of the others you traveled with, or you would have gotten lost, instead of coming straight to us, and you wouldn't have worn the flower that saved you from the madness of the wrong person touching the crystal.

"So th' cat...? An'...an' th' flower?"

Is an ancient beast -- more a spirit. He is the guardian of the island, and of the spirits within. I think he will not bother you again, although the Heart will be leaving with you. And the Liviol Blossom is merely the sign that let you through the wards and into communion with us -- with me.

Karuka's brow furrowed at the mention of a heart, ignoring the part about the flower now that the question had been answered. "Th' heart?"

The Heart of Scara Brae. The crystal that you saw in the Octagonal Chamber. You will take it and give it to Queen Valeena...it belongs to her and her descendants now, and the madness shall not affect them. You just had to be the one to come find it. It holds the memories of our people...but beyond that, it is the Keystone of Dynasties. As long as it glows, the family that holds the stone will flourish...but when it goes dark, the line will come to an end. We were too bold, and we were punished. Tell the Queen that she must always be cautious.

"Ay...but...why me?"

Because you were the only one that would listen...health on your journey, and do not trust the Aneni, for they are traitors and will seek your destruction...

The light faded, and Karuka once more fell into darkness.

~*~

Karuka opened her eyes and sat up. The gash that had been pouring blood from her stomach was closed, in its place a long, light scar, and it still burned a bit, as though just healed by the sap of the Liviol leaf. Putting a hand to her forehead, the red-head tried making sense of what had just happened, and found none to be made. Then again...she was finding more and more that Althanas just...didn't make sense.

Standing up, she looked at the crystal, glowing yellow in pulses. She could still hear it, but the sound had faded so that it wasn't overwhelming to her senses.

"I'm...ay s'posed t' take y'?"

She looked over at Revelin's body. She knew that what had happened had happened because he had touched the crystal, but she didn't know if it would happen to her or not. Would she go insane? Or would she be all right? Her sudden healing was only explicable if she wasn't affected by the madness, so climbing the stairs, she reached out and touched the crystal gently.

Her hand recoiled back as soon as she touched it, but she didn't feel anything abnormal about herself, so she grabbed it and lifted it. Again, nothing except a feeling of warmth in her hand, so she grabbed and lit Revelin Strozzi's spare torch, saying a brief prayer and using his flask of oil to light him on fire for a makeshift funeral, before shoving the crystal into her satchel and slid her pendulum off her neck to find a way out of the ruins.

"So...the cat? And...and the flower?"

"The heart?"

"Yes...but why me?"

"So...I'm supposed to take you?"

[Karuka]

As often as Karuka's pendulum led her into danger, it had the redeeming trait of guiding her on safe paths, and she had no trouble finding her way out of the catacombs and into the sunlight. To her right was the cracked shell of a small dome that had once been seated on a tower. She was at a different part of the island, and the morning sun shone down on her face.

She wanted to see if the dome was the same one that she'd been in during the vision, so she slid her pendulum back around her neck and made her way in. The space felt familiar, but now held a distinctly animal smell, and she saw the cause of the stench as she turned into the chamber that she'd lain in a thousand years in the past -- in a dream.

The great Cat of the Liviol Sanctum was lounging against the back wall, having made the room his home, and his great golden eyes opened as the slender human entered. She was the same one from the night before the last, that he knew. He could smell her and hear the faint pulse of the object he'd been set to guard in her bag. She'd gotten past him, the little lights, the crumbling fortress, and the ward on the crystal himself, so she was the one he'd been instructed all that time ago to let pass.

Karuka stood, regarding the beast as he regarded her. She could see his steel blue fur for the first time in the light, and the beautiful lines of a beast made to hunt and guard the forest in which he lived. His face, which had so recently seemed terrible and vicious, held a sagacious wisdom in the light, and he did not reach out to attack, meaning he probably wouldn't.

"We ha' an understan'in', ay? Or more like...y' ha' an understandin' wi' some'un else, long since gone, an' I'm jus' th' wee messenger."

A soft smile graced the girl's face, and she stepped forward slowly, watching the beast as he watched her. Had he moved a muscle to attack, she'd likely have died then and there, but an ancient pact now bound the two, protecting her. Each step brought her nearer and nearer the great beast, and he didn't stir as she finally reached out to touch him, gently stroking behind his ear.

"Yer ay more real feelin' than mos' guardian spirits I've ay heard o'. I hope y' spend an ay long time more here on th' islan', protectin' it. 'Tis a beautiful grove y' ha'."

A low purr emanated from the beast's chest, as though he agreed, and he nudged her gently with his nose, urging her up his leg and onto his back, just in front of his shoulders.

"What...d' y' think yer doin'?" She was somewhat wary -- she was still much smaller than he was, and very, very edible.

If he'd ay wan'ed t' eat me, though, I think he'd nae ha' bothered t' let me touch him firs'.

Her answer wasn't long in coming, as he lifted himself from the floor and lithely made his way out of the dome, stretching out and walking over to a Liviol tree so that Karuka was directly beneath a couple of the broad leaves.

"Take 'em?"

The beast grunted, and held still as she plucked the leaves from the broad tree. As soon as she had them secured in her satchel, he took off running, each powerful stride and graceful bound sending them soaring across the island. Trees and leaves passed by in brilliant blurs, deep blue lightening into the pastels from the island near the shore.

Finally, the cat stopped just before the line of trees ended, and Karuka could see the golden sands of the beach beyond the sky blues of the trees. In the water, a rowboat sat, and in slightly deeper water was the ship, getting ready to weigh anchor and get out of the Sanctum before anyone else could die.

"Looks like I'd ay do bes' t' hurry," she said to the cat, and got a murmur of assention from him as he laid down to let her off.

Petting him again, Karuka smiled. "I dinna think I'll e'er see y' again...so may th' road rise b'fore y'."

With a snort, the beast rose and vanished back into the woods like a great blue shadow.

Nothing keeping her to the Liviol Sanctum anymore, Karuka rushed out onto the beach. She balked about getting in the boat, but since her choices were "go and live," or "stay and die," she climbed in and made quick work of rowing over, catching the ship not long before its departure.

The Captain himself helped her over the side of the ship while the men hoisted the little boat back onto the deck, looking genuinely surprised to see her.

"So, ya made it out alive, missy. We'd left you fer dead."

"Ay, but what o' th' others? Osato an' A'rei, an' Andraea? An' th' soldiers sen' back? What o' th' Mime?"

"We have three soldiers, and the others made it before our watch cast back off for the ship. The mime's been sitting in the Crow's Nest since the day the rest of you left. Are there any other survivors?"

Karuka shook her head, red curls bouncing around.

"I dinna b'lieve there t' be."

The Captain nodded, then turned to his men. "Cast off, boys!"

It was likely the last time Karuka would ever see the Liviol Sanctum, even if she lived to be a hundred.

"We have an understanding, don't we? Or more like...you have an understanding with someone else, long gone, and I'm just the little messenger."

"You feel a lot more real than most guardian spirits I've heard of. I hope you spend a lot more time here on the island, protecting it. You have a beautiful grove."

"What...do you think you're doing?"

>>>If he'd wanted to eat me, I don't think he'd have let me touch him first.<<<

"Take them?"

"Looks like I'd do best to hurry."

"I don't think I'll ever see you again...so may the road rise before you."

"Yes, but what of the others? Osato and A'rei, and Andraea? And the soldiers that were sent back? What of the Mime?"

"I don't believe there are."

[Karuka]

The trip back was much quieter and uneventful than the trip to the Liviol Sanctum had been, sailors and soldiers alike somber in the contemplation of fallen comrades, and Karuka mostly stuck to herself on a VERY secure section of the ship. When she thought about what would happen next, she drew a rune, and that rune hadn't been reassuring.

She had drawn Nied. It meant that there was someone that didn't want the Heart to go to the Valeenas...someone that would work very hard to make sure it didn't happen the way the ancient king wanted it to. Someone that wouldn't be above killing her to get what he wanted.

~*~

Count Uyen Barchon was surprised when, a mere five days after the ship had departed, he saw its sails from his study window. At first he thought he must have been mistaken, but the sails were distinctive in their salt-gray color, and he at once sent a page.

It must have been a wild success to have them back so swiftly.

~*~

When the ship docked, Karuka was more than glad to get off and onto solid land again. She almost started running through the busy streets of Scara Brae City in hopes of finding the palace, to give the Heart to Queen Valeena and be done with it, avoiding the person that wanted to do her ill, but she was halted by a pasty boy about her age.

"Count Barchon requests that you rest from your journey and come to the palace this evening to report to him your findings on the island. He also requests that you take this gold, with more to come from him personally."

The message was delivered blandly, as though the page had distaste for handing off all that money to some girl who could just run off with it, but her type were normally motivated by the promise of more money, he thought. Turning, he walked away.

Karuka frowned. So, Barchon thought he was getting the artifact that was specifically intended for Queen Valeena. She understood that money meant she could buy food and clothes and have the kind of life she'd never gotten to know back in Ireland, but she also understood that to deny fate generally meant disaster. Barchon would just have to be out of luck.

Splitting the money with A'rei and Osato, the red-head made her way once more through the busy streets. She needed a bath and something decent to wear before she could expect to approach a Queen, even if it was an important artifact she held.

Spoils Request:

For each PC (Karuka, The Mime, Osato, A'rei):

1 -- Liviol Blossom, which has no special qualities other than a basic overview of a person's character and personality, as defined by the colors the originally white blossoms adopt when held. They will bloom as long as they have constant exposure to a magic source (a spell caster or magic item) and a weekly exposure to water.

1 -- Small Liviol Item -- mod discretion.

For Karuka, Osato, and Massacre:

Gold (but not enough to harm EXP)

Osato: 2 4 oz vials Liviol Balm -- the juice from the leaf of the Liviol Tree, this sticky liquid has potent healing properties, using a few drops to heal tiny wounds and at least 4 oz to heal serious wounds.

A'rei: 1 4 oz vial Livol Balm

Karuka -- 2 Liviol Leaves -- containing some Liviol Balm, mod discretion how much.

Like Minds -- An animal empathy skill, Karuka can make her will known to various beasts if she can maintain eye contact (not always easy), and may be able to persuade one beast to act in accordance with her will. This works better the more intelligent the animal is, but worse the more willful it is.

The Heart of Scara Brae -- approved by Atzar, to be lost in the sequel, powers as defined in post 48.