Journey to Scara Brae: Part 2 To the Livol Sanctum

[Séreméla]

Séreméla had stopped rowing some time along the boat ride. She was feeling the pain of having all of the water around her and having none to drink. At once point she tried to gulp the salty water, but it only caused her to vomit with dehydration. She knew her strength was going, but she needed to get to the Sanctum.

Séreméla picked herself off of the bed and walked out of the small cabin. She had drifted in the right direction, which was very lucky for her. She looked in the direction of Liviol Sanctum and saw nothing. She quickly looked behind her hoping she hadn’t passed it. There was no land behind her either.

A sudden loud noise from behind her made her jump and stumble over, nearly falling overboard. She looked in the direction of the noise and saw hundreds of ships lined along rows of docks. The inland seemed almost engulfed in the movement of people of all races running about.

She quickly picked up one of the oars and began making her way towards land. Séreméla knew it was Scara Brae, but nevertheless it was a place to rest and get some new supplies.

As she reached the shore, she quickly tied off and jumped onto land. Her body now felt a thousand times better betting on steady ground. The crowds around the docks were thick with men, women, and children moving about in the midday. It almost made her wonder just how long she had been at sea.

Séreméla found a large building in the middle of the town with the sign of supplies on it.

------------------------------------
((Bazaar Thread showing she lost her bow and set of arrows, and her chipped ruby and gain the two Cho-Ko-Nus and six magazines filled with 8 ulder bolts each))

Séreméla walked in to the Scara Brae’s main weapon shop. A few young warriors were scattered about the large room searching for their first battle weapons. She knew most of the items here would be beginner weapons, but she hoped she’d find a gem somewhere in here. She casually browsed by the swords and shields on the wall then came to the archery section.


Her fingers brushed over the strings of the many bows, feeling each pluck and grading the bows as she went along. She stopped at a small wall of cross bows. She had always wanted one, but her father being such a great archer always called them stupid because they required little skill. But father isn’t here now is he? She thought laughing to herself. She found two small cross bows with arm straps made of basic leather. Séreméla’s curiosity got the best of her as she placed them on both of her arms and strapped them on. She placed her pointer fingers on the small ring-shaped triggers under both of the mini cross bows and pulled them forward. A small chamber on the top rotated and the string released allowing a single wooden arrow from both of the bows to shoot out like lightning and stick into a nearby wall.

“Cool…” Were the only words from her mouth as she pulled the trigger again watching the chamber rotate and release another pair of arrows into the wall. She walked up to the wall and pulled out the four bolts then tinkered around with the chambers and found a button that popped them up revealing eight slots to load in the bolts. She replaced the four bolts then pushed the chambers back down and looked back at the counter where she found them. On the counter beside the now vacant spots were four more chambers that each held eight bolts. She picked them up and quickly went to the front desk placing the chambers and mini crossbows down.

She hoped the ulder wooden weapons wouldn’t cost too much for her. But she knew she still had a few things she knew might help her get her price.

"Excuse me sir, how much for these?" She asked in a sweet and innocent voice.


((two mini ulder cross bows with basic leather straps that wrap around allowing the user to have free hands if needed. each chamber moves sort of like a revolver. Once the string is released it automatically resets allowing for a semi-automatic single-handed crossbow. Wooden bolts are still considered mini arrows as they still have a sharpened point and small feathers allowing them to stay on a somewhat straight path. They are made of yew. All of the chambers are made of iron, there are 6 chambers in all (including the two on the guns already) each are already filled with eight bolts/arrows.))

Ugh... I hate it when they do that...

Malachi groaned as he witnessed the wall of his shop turn into a pin cushion as the dark-hair lady started firing the miniature crossbows, the bodkin-tipped bolts punching into the store's oak walls. He was seriously considering on adding a testing range for these projectile weapons now more than ever.

The gruff store owner glanced over the two scaled-down mechanical bows, mumbling to himself about the make and the price. It was not of great quality, fairly average in design and durability.

He quickly noted it down on paper and turned to his customer who tried her best to look "sweet."

"The mini Cho-Ko-Nus costs 3,500 gold pieces each, miss. As for the magazines, they cost 20 pieces each. If you plan on getting all of those, they cost 7,120 total. Mind you, these are not the best quality Cho-Ko-Nus we have, but the heavy price is for the wood quality and the mechanical parts. Besides, we don't get these everyday ever since the conflict over in Alerar."

7,120 gold pieces! She thought to herself. She knew they were going to be high, but hoped they would have been lower than that. She felt the somewhat heavy money sack she carried and knew she only had a little over 500 gold pieces.

She pulled out the small ruby and placed it on the counter, hoping this would sway the cost even for just one of them.

She gazed into the shop keeps eyes with her own bright blue eyes and fluttered her lashes a little. "Maybe this little gem could help bring the price down to a more affordable one for a lonely, single girl like myself?"

Malachi nodded calmly as he inspected the chipped ruby, trying to come up with a good price for the gem while also keeping a good margin for some profit. Times were hard now that war was rumored to break out in Alerar and Raiaera. And with Corone in turmoil over the two assassinated big wigs in the Capital, things were bound to get expensive.

"Alright, lass. I'll take that gem of yours for 400 pieces." He muttered nonchalantly, thumbing the shard of ruby. "But that still leaves you with 6,720 pieces, girl."

"Malachi!"

An ear-splitting scream blasted from behind the deary-eyed merchant, startling him clear out of his seat from where he was behind the counter. The man meekly turned around to meet a red-faced lady with wavy brown hair reaching all the way down to the middle of her back.

"Did I hear you're charging this young lady over 7 thousand pieces for those two mini Cho-Ko-Nus?" The cross-eyed lady glared at her husband as if she was about to eat him alive, getting only a frightened nod in response.

"That's it! No more clerk duty for you, Mister!" She hollered and sent the man running to the back room, shouting after him that he can only take care of stocking the wares from now on.

"I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, miss." Elaina apologized to her customer who was probably frightened out of her wits by the harsh display only a second ago. "My husband is a money hog and I never should have let him tend the cashier. Now, about those Cho-Ko-Nus..."

She glanced over them quickly and tallied up the prices, making sure to double check them before announcing the price to her customer.

"OK, these Ulder Cho-Ko-Nus are both worth 900 gold pieces each. The bolt magazines are only 20 for each and they all cost 1,920 pieces for the full set. Or you can go with only one of these and five magazines for a total of 40 bolts. That will come to only 1,000 pieces total. As for that small ruby, I will gladly take it for 500 gold pieces max. Is that fine with you, miss?"


Séreméla was startled at the loud voice of the clerk's wife. She felt sort of bad for getting the man in trouble, but was very glad that this lady knew more so how to run a shop.

"You say 1,000 pieces total eh?" She thought long and hard and then figured she would try one more thing.

She pulled off her own bow and quiver of thirty steel-tip arrows and placed them on the counter. "Would it be possible to take both Cho-Ko-Nus and six magazines for my elven yew bow and arrows with steel tips and 500 gold, and the ruby?" She was afraid she might be pressing her luck with the helpful lady, but she knew that whatever she would be facing in the Liviol Sanctum, she would need a quicker weapon than her own bow.

"Elven yew bow, you say?"

Elaina eyed the rather plain-looking bow intently, making sure it was truly an Elven bow and not just some human-crafted look-alike Sure enough, the flexible and elegant, yet surprisingly powerful bow was Elven-made. The steel broad heads were alright for the most parts but she doubted there will be enough to cover most of the cost for the self-loading crossbows.

"Alright, I'll take the bow and arrows for a total of 120 pieces. Along with the ruby, that comes to 620 gold pieces in store credits. That leaves you with 1,300 gold pieces to pay, dear. So I'm afraid 500 pieces just won't be enough to cover it."

Elaina shook her head in disdain at her customer, realizing that the pricing may have been a bit too high for her to afford. Paying for everything at once was always taxing on the buyer's pockets, but there existed another way to pay...

"How about you take them for now and come back here to pay them off regularly, miss?" The store owner smiled as a thought popped into her mind. "You can pay them off in intervals of 400 pieces each time you visit my store for a total of 4 intervals? You have to understand the need to charge you extra, dear."

That was certainly one way for both parties to benefit. The customer would receive her crossbows while Elaina would keep her business running clear above the Red Zone. Either that or the customer could go with the offer she mentioned earlier to which the current request would be more than enough to cover the price.

Séreméla looked at the lady then smiled and nodded. "I'd like that very much, thank you for this. Just for your trust in me, I will bring you back a few pieces of liviol wood when I come back from my journey." She picked up her new weapons and walked out of the door with a smile on her face.

"Thanks for coming. Do visit us again." Elaina smiled warmly at her departing customer, placing the gem, the Elven bow and its arrows in a safe place behind the counter. The girl had only 1,300 pieces more to pay and with the possibility of obtaining liviol as well, the merchant may find more generosity within her heart to lower the price just a bit more.

She seems like a good lass. I don't think she would skip out on her payment anytime soon. After all... There's always that "Recall" enchantment we have on those items...

Elaina shrugged light-heartedly and returned to checking on the store front, knowing well in her heart that she could call back the items anytime that she suspected the customer was not being honest. It was one way of keeping dishonest hands well away from her wares.

[The Barbarian]

There was something about air that always caught Tyrael’s attention. Although it was generally all the same and every living thing on Althanas breathed it in and out, it was so different from region to region that he made mental notes of his favorites.

The open sea air of Scara Brae proved to be among this list. The light saltiness with the crisp bite was enough to invigorate him from his long travel and remind him of his purpose. Tiny splashes of moisture kissed his cheeks as the boat tore a path through the mildly choppy waves. His large glowing eyes studied the ever growing land mass in the near distance. His eyes a deeper blue than that of the sea, they were enough to either entice the fancies of women from all over or to intimidate even the hardiest foe. Now, as the pupil void spheres watched with tenderness rarely exuberated, he leaned against the rail of the ferry, letting all that rich ocean air fill his lungs.

Find her. Stop her. Or we all die.

The words played through his mind suddenly, as if the ghost were aware of his small moment of euphoria and was determined to rain all over his parade with this ominous message. As if by coincidence, and he hardly believed anything were these days, off to the right of the vessel, a smaller rowboat struggled towards the shore, apparently giving as much of the power left in the rower, slightly energized by the thrill of being on a still surface.

Find her.

Although he couldn’t make out the gender, race, or even general height of the owner of the now discarded paddles, he knew his destiny was tied to them and their mission. Albeit to stop it, but tied nonetheless.

Stop her.

The ferry began to slow to a drift, nearing the dock and awaiting passengers. Shifting his weight off the rail and adjusting his weaponry so that movement would be a bit easier, he made his way to the exit, eager to be the first off and hope his intuition led him towards his quarry. Dread soon began to fill in his heart, since something small felt out of place. Something about the message…or the messenger…or both…just didn’t feel right at times. And at others, it seemed like the only logical conclusion that could be derived from such a tale or tragedy.

Or we all die.

Die. He had a very strong view point on that subject, but was still perplexed as to how the specter had found him from nearly the complete opposite end of the world to send him on this quest. Summarizing the conversation in his mind quickly as the ferry edged closer still towards the impatient soon to be passengers, he played over key words and expressions that stuck out but made no sense as to why they would in the first place.

Maybe paranoia had just settled in. The entire ordeal was drenched in danger, so his being nervous was probably normal. Only an insane man would be calm at a time like this…

“We’ve arrived at Scara Brae!” The captain bellowed.

Jolting him out of his trance, he stepped by the various life forms that crowded the dock and made his way towards the town. He’d lost his target, but not his appetite. Can’t save the world on an empty stomach right?

[Séreméla]

Séreméla placed the Cho-Ko-Nus on her wrists and sat at the doorway for a moment enjoying the cool breeze coming off of the water. Even though she was probably thirty yards from the water it seemed the breeze swept through the entire town. She could see in the distance that one of the ferries were about to leave port. She smiled as the sound of ‘goodbyes’ and ‘I’ll see you soon’ found her ears. The sincerity made her think of home and her parents. She wished more than anything they were here with her now to help her somehow.

Séreméla’s eyes grazed over the crowds and caught the smell of food somewhere near by. Her stomach growled at her as she realized she hadn’t eaten since she left the tavern in Salvar a few days ago. With all that she had learned lately and with what she had done on the river made her forget about eating. She closed her eyes and said an elven prayer for her guide that she had killed with her own hands under the control of the ancient drow.

His orders were still clear in her mind. She had to find the books before the year and the poison from his snakes killed her. Séreméla ran her fingers over the bite marks and opened her eyes.

To the sanctum I must go…

…but first, food.

She laughed to herself as the last comment came to her mind. She had to find some humor in her situation.

Séreméla walked towards a nearby tavern and pushed open the oak doors. The warmth of body heat, and a nice fire in the middle of the room made her remember the feeling she felt when she first found her way in the tunnels at Ahyark Mountains. She found her way up to the bar and looked at the young lady behind the counter with a dreary smile.

“What’s good to eat here?” Séreméla asked.

“Well that depends on what you’re hungry for dear. We have a nice half chicken with roasted red potatoes, and some turkey legs that are a nice size for the price. We also have a lovely roast…hmmm what else…well I can’t think of it all right now but whatever you want I am sure we can cook it up. So what will it be dear?”

Séreméla wondered how long she would be at the sanctum and wondered if it would be wise to just get a few of the legs to take with her and have the chicken now. She felt her money bag and was glad that the shop keep had allowed her to keep her gold and just used her store credit.

She placed about twenty gold pieces down and asked how many chicken legs it would get her with one of the chickens. The girl counted it out and then told her it would get her four legs with the chicken. Séreméla nodded and smiled then laid her head down as the girl went to get her food. She was exhausted from her trip across the waters and needed some time to rest. Her eyes got heavy as the comfort of her arms as a pillow made her drift into a small nap.





Séreméla stood at the edge of a steep cliff in an elegant white dress. The waters below her crashed against the rocks violently. Mist and wind pushed passed her body as the dress and her hair danced with each rush of air and water. Her arms were spread out allowing every inch of her body to feel the touch of the world around her. She glimpsed once more down at the rocks and closed her eyes. Her body pushed itself forward.

She opened her eyes as the water and rocks rushed towards her. Then they transformed into the ancient drow’s face. His eyes were an evil neon green and his mouth open just as her body broke the surface.

Séreméla jumped up from her nap and nearly scared the girl placed her food down half to death.

“Are you alright there?” The girl asked.

Séreméla’s breathing was heavy and she felt sweat begin to form on her forehead. “I’m fine…thank you.” The girl walked away to help a few more customers as Séreméla relived the dream in her head.

The smell of the food almost made her forget what just happened. She felt the warmth coming from the plates and grabbed the legs, and wrapped them up then placed them in her bag and began to eat the chicken and potatoes.

[The Barbarian]

The ferry had already begun to set back for the mainland by the time Tyrael had rested his gaze on a small but spunky looking tavern. The oak doors showed the signs of harsh neglect with the exception of a quick wipe down every few years. Pushing it open, the light spilled into the room much more effectively than it had been when making the same attempt at the grime covered windows.

The waitress at bar squinted quickly as she tried to adjust her vision and make a decent shape out of the massive silhouette. Lumbering over wearily, but most likely giving the impression to the girl and the rest of the patrons that he thought his own crap wouldn’t stink. Setting down his battle axe next to a stool that separated him and a young elf looking girl, he let out a long breath and eyed what she was eating.

Jeez…she got enough for a few days there…. He thought as he saw her wrapping pieces of food, obviously storing them for a later time. Shrugging off the curiosity, he turned to his waitress and smiled, “Hiya. I’m lookin’ for some grub.”

“Well you sure came to the right place honey!” She replied with a warm smile of her own. “What do you feel like ‘grubbing’ on today?”

“Beef. Pork. Anything but turkey jerky. All I’ve had for a week now.” He grimaced as the taste of the terrible rations rose back onto his tongue, either from memory or still reluctant to be digested strips that he’d forced down yesterday morning. “And something green. I need to eat my greens too.”

She grinned the knowing “I hear ya” grin and quickly wrote some items on a paper. “I’ll be back in a bit! You just sit tight!” Tyrael nodded slowly and leaned back a bit on his stool, letting the stale air of the tavern settle into his nostrils. Apart from a few looks that he’d received since walking in, nothing seemed to be out of place. And yet he felt like he’d walked right towards his destiny.

By eating some meat? I don’t think so…

The sounds of chewing from the girl next to him were suddenly louder than cannon fire on a soundless night. Although she had no way of knowing if he was looking straight or to either side of him, he had his main focus trained on her from the left side of his range. Was she the one he’d seen on the small boat right before he docked? She couldn’t be. Life was never that easy and especially not for him.

Destiny…

Was his destiny steering him once again? Taking control of his life like a puppet master?

Stop her…

How could he? He was an excellent profiler and as he watched her scarf down potatoes and chicken, he couldn’t see how she’d be the cause of the end of the world. From what the ghost had told him, she’d be smothered in evil magic and delirious with power beyond control. He’d played her up to this forty foot tall behemoth that ate babies and used the bones of clergy men to pick her teeth.

But he had to be wary. At this point, he had no reason to be loyal to the specter that had charged him with this mission or to this woman. He did however feel something…something dark. Some malignant presence in her that she had no control over.

Goddamn ghosts….wish they’d just leave me the f*ck alone.

At that moment the waitress reappeared with a wooden cup and a pitcher of cool water. “Here you go, hun. A little something to wet your whistle while the food finishes up.”

Thanking her and taking a drink, he played with the idea of following the girl to see what she’d eventually be up too…or just tag along and get the real scoop. He’d been had once before by ghosts and it almost got him killed.

Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice…can't get fooled again. Wait...no...is that how it goes?

Blaming fatigue and deadly turkey jerky on his faulty thought process, his thoughts faded back to when he'd been sitting on a tree stump by a rapid river. After taking a break from his destiny of being a savoir of the barbarians all over Althanas (he'd just risked his life twice in a single day trying to save people whose last names eluded him), he'd felt a little "me time" was in order.

Destiny was a fickle mistress however, and as soon as she noticed that Tyrael was actually enjoying himself, things obviously had to be changed.

A ghost, who remained nameless to the warrior, appeared before him; he knew of his past, his barbarian quest, and even what he’d been doing just the other day. So after establishing a little credibility, he’d gone off on a long tangent about his previous life and what he regretted. Tyrael was quickly thinking of merging with him just to send him off to the other side when he made his point apparent.

A girl was going to destroy the world. A girl of unimaginable power and cruelty was awakening ancient beings in an attempt to control them for her own sick pleasure. If Tyrael didn’t find her and stop her by whatever means possible, he could say goodbye to his quest and the barbarians and even Althanas for that matter. After mulling over the idea of going on a wild goose chase, he’d decided that keeping an open ear might be beneficial in the end. His destiny might pick up again through this or maybe he’ll just risk his life for nothing…but it was far more productive than sitting by a river.

Seeing these ghosts is either a gift or curse…I’m leaning towards cur-

“There ya go! Now you enjoy sweetie! I’ll bring you the bill once yer all nice and full.” The waitress said with a smile as she placed down two large plates. One was steaming with large beef ribs smothered in a dark hickory sauce and coupled with a buttery baked potato while the second was packed with chunks of pork loin in a rich tomato and pepper blend that also came with a baked potato.

“Oh yea…no lame ass turkey here…” Tyrael muttered softly as he licked his lips.

Getting ready to dig in, he instinctively took a look at the girl once more, a little more openly this time and caught a glimpse of her eyes. Normally, as the manly man that he was, the first thing he looked at was the woman’s chest size and waist line. With this girl however, he’d been drawn to her eyes since they held a property that were unique like his own, albeit different. A quick flash of emerald screened over her amazing sapphire eyes and he was slightly puzzled by the fact that her entire expression had changed in that same instant as well.

Knowing that just falling into her train of thought wasn’t going to be easy if he just sat there and ate ribs, so clearing his throat a little he said, “Hey there. Noticed you took some of those legs for later. Going somewhere for an extended time that might be…dangerous?” Still talking casually, he lied, “I’m a sword for hire. I usually ask for a payment up front when I go on jobs, but right now I just want some adventure!” He grinned boldly, adding some flare to his made up persona, “If you got something interesting at all, even a little bit, I’d like to come for free. I just need to get off this damn island…”

[Séreméla]

Séreméla didn’t notice the large man walk in the tavern; much less did she notice him sit down beside her. She just wanted to be left alone at the moment. He began asking her questions about what she might be doing. The thought of going to the sanctum flashed in her mind. She wondered why he was even talking to her in the first place.

His question settled in her ears and she looked over her shoulder at him. “Sword for hire you say?” He could distract the guardian of the book. Then you can get them all faster and be rid of my curse. The voice of the drow whispered in her ear.

“If you’re interested I am heading out to the Liviol Sanctum, to collect some…umm…liviol wood. Care to join me?” She didn’t want to let anyone else know what her true purpose was. Not after what happened to the last person she told. She thought about her guide’s body floating through the water.

She finished eating her meal and turned around fully to look at the man. Séreméla felt her eyes glow a slight blue then dim back down to her natural shade.

“In fact, I my boat is at the dock. I need to get back there and prepare for my trip. Company would be very nice actually. So if you decide to join me, you’ll find me. You might want to stock up on food and other items too. I don’t plan on it being a short trip.” And I don’t expect you to come back. The voice said again in her mind.

Séreméla smiled and ignored the voice then got up and began to walk out. She looked back once more at the man then walked out of the doors.

The outside air met her face and a shiver immediately went down her spine. The smell of salt water tickled her noise as she walked back towards the docks. She was ready to leave and get this over with.

Séreméla reached her boat and got on board. She went to the small cabin and opened the door, then unpacked her bag and took off her Cho-Ku-Nus and placed them on the bed. She wasn’t going to wait long for the man; one hour, then she would be leaving for the sanctum.

[The Barbarian]

Get wood? Tyrael thought as he watched the girl leave the tavern. The shifty look in her eyes said she was after more than some really dense lumber, but he decided he’d go with it. He’d find out sooner or later what was going on.

Enthusiastically wolfing down his large meal, he asked if the waitress could prepare some beef jerky enough for a week. He’d find some fresh fruit to supply him with valuable nutrients for the first couple days. After that he’d have to rely on fish around the coast of the Sanctum for fresh protein. Thinking about the turkey legs in the girls pack made him cringe. If he died on this trip without ever seeing anything related to a turkey, he’d die happy.

After paying her the bill and giving a flirtatious wink, he headed out the door and stopped at a nearby fruit vendor. Lucky for him, the man was familiar with fruit chips and gave the barbarian a nice deal for a few pounds of banana, apple, and peach chips. Apparently he reminded the vendor of a son or something…Tyrael had been too busy eyeing the plump watermelons to really be paying attention. From there it was easy. He had all the necessary items for an extended camping trip in a volcano. Sitting around some trees would be a walk in the park.

Haha…I crack myself up.

Rechecking his supplies and the durability of his blades, he made his way through throngs of busy tourists and natives. The docks weren’t far off, but for some reason the whole stroll seemed to take forever. It was as if he were walking to his imminent doom and he was nothing more than cattle following an extremely long line and wondering what was at the end of it. Shaking off the sudden claustrophobic dread, he clenched his jaw and tightened his fist around his green sack of food supplies. He was just nervous. That’s all. Everyone had the jitters before going into battle…and somehow, he knew that’s just where his next stepping stone to destiny was…an epic battle.

After a thousand lifetimes of walking through nothing but people, he reached the docks and saw the girl at her boat, preparing to set sail for the Sanctum. She wasn’t kidding when she said an hour. He had but a few minutes to spare and even a hunky mass of amazing muscle wasn’t enough to delay her from…her wood collecting trip. “Heya,” he said as he stepped aboard. “Nice boat.” He looked around the thirty foot brown hunk of wood floating in the ruthless ocean. “She’ll hold to the Sanctum right?” He said with a joking grin.

[Séreméla]

((OOC: sorry its soo short hun, I couldn't come up with alot at 4am lol))

“Made it from Salvar.” Séreméla said as she squeezed pass the man and untied her boat. She pushed the little ship off of the dock and stood at the front of the boat, allowing it to float slowly away from land. She was still tired from all of the rowing she had done earlier that day. An idea suddenly flew through her head. As she looked at the dock and seeing that it was far enough now that they were at the mercy of the ocean then turned to the man.

“Here,” she said as she handed him an oar, “make yourself useful and start rowing. I need to get some rest. I’ve been rowing all day. Thanks a lot!” She finished smiling at the man with her bright blue eyes and sweetest smile. She was glad she had the ability to use her looks to her advantage.

Séreméla turned around and headed into the small cabin at the front of the boat and looked over her shoulder one last time at the man as her hair gracefully went with her turn. “Thanks again.” She said without letting him get one word in. She walked in and closed the door behind her and lay on the bed.

Even if it were only for a few hours, she would appreciate the rest.

[Séreméla]

((Double posting so Ruben can get back into this since I’m not sure if 1) he still wants to and 2) I don’t know what account he checks most. Sorry hun my bad taking so long))

Séreméla tossed and turned on the small bed, there was a burning sensation lingering in her arms from the snake bites. Her forehead accumulated drips of sweat as she slept. Images of ancient wars and innocent blood being splattered across once luscious fields flashed back and forth in her mind. The pain in her arms grew as the realm between dream and reality seemed to mold together in her mind.

She stood in the middle of a grassy field. She was surrounded by thousands of bodies laid out in piles everywhere. The smell of death and burning flesh invaded her nasal passages. The feeling of vomit grew slowly in Séreméla’s stomach. Overhead, dragons flew through the air scanning the grounds for survivors. Occasionally, Séreméla could see someone running in the distance and then a burst of flames from above disintegrate the figures where they stood. Her heart ached at the sound of screams all around her. She fell to her knees and began to cry.

“This war was created because man was weak. They decided to fight me rather than bow to me which was their place. If you fail at this mission, not only will you die from the poison, but I will find another to bring me what I want and this will happen once more.” The ancient drow stood behind Séreméla as she stayed to her knees.

“Why would you do this to so many people?”

“It’s simple, because power is mine and there is nothing anyone can do about it. They once thought they had destroyed me along with my brethren. Now you are the proof that I will never be erased from this planet.”

“I won’t do it.” Séreméla said between tears.

“My dear, have you not figured out that if I wanted I could control your body to the end of the world.”

“Then why don’t you just find them yourself?”

“Because I choose not to. You will do as I demand of you, or you won’t just die, it will be a miserable death that awaits you. And if you feel you can choose other wise, here is a small taste of what will come.”

Séreméla could feel the poison grow in her veins, as if each drop became a shard of glass imbedding itself into her body. She awoke screaming due to the pain and tried to claw at her arms in an attempt to rid her body of the substance. Her nails penetrated the skin, but to no avail. The pain slowly subsided as she looked down at her arms. The blood that dripped from her arms shimmered in the small light that was in the room. They truly were small blades of glass that had been mixed in with her blood. Then just as soon as they were there, they disappeared.

[The Barbarian]

This…blows. Tyrael thought miserably as he powered through the lapping waves. The spray of the ocean had gotten old a couple of hours ago and now it was just plain annoying. He had been using his Break ability every so often to speed things up, but it seemed almost as if the waters were trying to slow him down. On such a clear day, he’d never seen such angry currents.

A noise from the cabin alerted him to his partners presence and he wondered if the small cry he had heard was anything to worry about. Grunting with disapproval for the idea of getting up and checking on her, he continued rowing, alternating between each side to keep a smooth and steady, albeit slow, pace. He hoped with great passion that whatever lay at shore was more interesting than being a lumberjack.

A seagull cried out overhead, bringing a small smile to his lips. His slightly darkened sapphire eyes glowed brightly with adrenaline. Birds above meant land was near. Squinting, he could barely make out the tips of the forests, bringing his heart rate up. Soon they would be having fun killing (because he knew something was up) or getting killed, but as a barbarian, either was an excellent choice.

With a sudden twinge of fear, a cold sweat broke over his brow. His sixth sense was going off the charts and he could feel an evil seething from the cabin. The girl was in there, but was something else hiding inside as well? Was it the reason she cried out? He dropped the oar on the deck and made a few quick strides to the door and yanked it open roughly, spilling light onto her petite form. Blood lined her arm and bits spotted the floor, bringing a barrage of questions to his mind, but only one came out, concerned and a bit wary.

“What the hell happened?”

[Séreméla]

The light invaded the room causing Séreméla's eyes to squint and look up at the image of her shipmate outlined in daylight. Her eyes adjusted to the light then looked down at her arms. The large slashes in her arms from her own nails slowly disappeared as if they had never happened at all. The only trace of the incident was the bloodstain on the boat’s floor. She wiped the tears from her eyes and quickly covered her arms with her sleeves then stood up. Without looking or acknowledging the man she pushed passed him and looked out over the water.

Remember what it felt like, and remember I can do worse. The voice whispered in her ear.

Séreméla could see the shoreline inching closer to her. She was ready to finish what she never wanted started.

The boat slowed as the water got shallow, she pulled out one of the oars and used the head to push the boat closer to the shore. A small flock of birds circled the trees just off the beach. Séreméla realized she still hadn’t said more than a few words to the man, but she wasn’t in much of a chatty mood. The boat scrapped slowly into the sandy beach and came to a stop. She immediately jumped off shore and adjusted the tightness of her Cho-Ko-Nus. She felt a sort of eerie calm on the sanctum and could feel the mystical power pulsating from the heart of the island. But something else was in the air, something alive, and something powerful moving through the woods.

She looked deep into the trees to see if she could spot what it was. Her body was hesitant to move into the brush as the light from the day was slowly moving down into the water. She knew she only had a few hours before night fall and had no idea what kinds of creatures lived on the island.

“Let’s gather some wood before the night comes. Tomorrow we will venture into the woods.” Séreméla said as she turned and looked square into the barbarian’s eyes.