View Full Version : Fight or Flight
((Closed to Lexxum Vordic))
Trees rushed past him as he ran. The red leaves surrounding him melted into a crimson blur, staining his world in blood. Sweat fell from his face, his hair, as he pushed onward, deeper and deeper into the forest. His right hand clenched around his sword, muscles straining with effort as he fought to keep going. His breath was deep as his lungs sucked in precious air that fueled his body as it plunged onward. At the sounds of the bloodthirsty howls of the undead behind him, he glanced over his shoulder, eyes catching a brief glint of the afternoon sun. He urged his legs to run faster.
Flying over a fallen tree, his eyes, mirroring the color of the surrounding forest, searched for something that could aid him. Suddenly, he slowed, then veered his course. He came to a halt in front of a large rowan tree. However, he didn’t get closer than eight feet. For it was the teeth that erupted from it’s base that caught his attention in the first place. Careful not to get any nearer, he jogged around the tree once, before taking off into the forest once again, away from his previous trail. His scent should be enough to guide the undead to his trap. He just hoped that it would be enough.
Kryos grinned a minute later, when the undead flew past the trunk of the Dur’Taigen. The tree appeared to burst apart into at least fifteen wolves, each intent on killing their unlucky victims. Sounds of fighting and roars of pain issued from behind him, yet he did not slow. It would be wise for Kryos to put as much distance between himself, and the fighting monsters.
~ / | \ ~
Dropping his muandrian to the ground, Kryos leaned against a tree, utterly spent. His fingers shook from fatigue, and he dropped to his knees. He had run at least five kilometers from the place where he had first seen the Dur’Taigen, and he hoped it would be enough for a brief pause. He blindly reached for his waterskin, and uncapped the container. Drinking deeply, he paused to take a breath of air, then continued drinking, feeling strength slow flow back into his limbs. He let out his breath, and returned his waterskin to his small pack. He closed his eyes, trying to recover from his arduous trek.
Movement. Something was clumsily moving about twenty feet to his right. Kryos’ head snapped up, surprised that the sun had set, and the moon well on its journey. Time had passed. Quickly, summoning some energy, he activated his Lumneye. Checking the area near him, he confirmed that there was only one presence near. And it was growling. Letting his eyes readjust to their normal appearance, Kryos rose slowly, grabbing his sword. His muscles were stiff and sore from his flight, and he winced as they protested. Slowly, he moved into some shadows. The creature was approaching.
Stumbling into view, the undead raised its head, picking up on his scent. It appeared to be a human male. Or at least, that’s what it was. Its clothes were dirty and bloodstained from combat, and his limbs bore many fresh wound from its encounter with the wolves. Kryos’ eyes narrowed. It looked like at least one undead escaped. Hopefully it was the only one, since the rowan was sizable. The creature snarled, and took a step forward. Kryos noticed that it walked with a limp. The Dur’Taigen must have done a good job. Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Kryos prepared to take the only option that was left to him. He slowly stepped into the moonlight that filtered to the ground.
The undead, upon seeing its target, roared. It rushed forward, intent on killing. Kryos, meanwhile, held his ground, sword raised, ready. As the zombie got closer, it leaped to his left with incredible speed. Kryos tried to dodge the incoming blow, but being as tired as he was, received a powerful strike to his shoulder. He fell back, spinning, landing on his hands and knees. Remarkably, his blade was still clenched in his hand. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the monster rushing forward for the kill. Gritting his teeth, Kryos rose to his feet, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The blade, loaded with centripetal force, whistled through the air, and connected with the creature’s neck. The corpse bulled into him, nonetheless, forcing his breath from his lungs. Throwing the body off him, he rose. But the threat was gone. Separated from its command center, the lifeless body was just that, lifeless. The head, meanwhile, was face down on the leafy ground. It would die, or rather, return to being dead, after a few minutes of an energy devoid system. Kryos wiped his muandrian on some leaves, sheathed it, then turned and left the grotesque scene.
Kryos’ vision was growing dim as he stumbled through the dark forest. Trees became shadows, and the little light there was soon blended into grey. He was aware of dropping to the ground by the trunk of an oak tree, and settling into a giant fold of its roots. Bark obscured him from view, except that of directly in front of him, but he didn’t care. He closed his eyes, and slipped into oblivion.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-19-07, 11:26 PM
Meanwhile--
After what happened not too long ago (http://althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9041), I found myself standing alone at Fort Valinatal. It was a quaint fortress hugging the Red Forest near the outskirts of the area. Somewhere nearby, screams of pedestrians being torn apart by an army of ravaging zombies was carried across the wind to my ears. I decided it was best to part ways with my companion, a man named Typheus who fought alongside me and my men. Scattering into the wind, my former soldiers abandoned me to my own devices. It was probably for the best anyway. I stood up from the site of my enemy's attack against my person.
I have no idea how much time had passed since I was hit by the Atma Fire maneuver. Netha'Tu, an enemy commander working under Xem'Zund's himself, called forth the power of the Eternal Tap. I became as one with the Tap energies even after I ate several powerful Arta warriors. That might not have been the smartest idea ever on my part, but it was an effective method of getting rid of any Arta foolish enough to get in my way. In the process of fighting against the Arta warriors, I lost my buster sword but gained something else, courage and determination. I faced down my enemy, but he proved to be my superior in combat.
I don't know how many hours passed between Netha'Tu's final attack on the city of Valinatal and his attack upon my person. Netha'Tu's attack was meant for Typheus, but I took the maneuver in Typheus' place. It burned me to my very core and essence. Scars were freshly placed upon my body and I could still feel the pain. One more scream into the early evening air wouldn't make much of a different anyway. By now, Netha'Tu's forced had invaded Valinatal and took it over. Then they moved on to Eluriand. They were going to reinforce whatever one of Xem'Zunds' Commanders were present at Eluriand and reaking all sorts of chaos there.
I was tired and defeated. Despite the pain coursing through my body from the archaic scars, I managed to stand. It was a weak stance, but a stand nonetheless. I took a look at the carnage my men and I had caused. Seeing the body of a nearby soldier of Valinatal, I decided it was best to arm myself before heading out. I grabbed one of the Valinatal broadswords, the scabbard, and a shield. The more I fought alongside the humans, the more I lost many of the old ways of my people back home. I would have many stories to tell them. The immediate situation was Valinatal itself. I would have to go and investigate it to ensure that I could rescue any survivors. I also wanted revenge against Netha'Tu.
But revenge would wait. At my current level of power, I stood no chance versus Netha'Tu. Taking up the mantle of a soldier of Valinatal, I prepared myself to face the disaster at hand. I could still see the smoke rising from the impact point where Netha'Tu's meteor spell struck the city and leveled it. Thousands were instantly killed and more left to suffer from the after effects of the impact point. I gathered up my wits, and walked towards the Valinatal Site.
Nothing existed. There was no sound, no feeling, no smell in the place that Kryos existed. The void completely covered anything that might have been there, smothering everything into emptiness. No emotion could be felt. The terror that might have risen in a man was swept away before it could even be recognized.
Slowly, very slowly, Kryos became more alert. His soul lit up the surrounding nether, pushing back the void. Yet he was alone. There was nothing in his sphere of reality. He set off, searching for others, as well as answers. Kryos constantly looked about him, vainly hoping for some clue. There was none to find. Wandering for hours, Kryos walked, not being able to tell if he was walking in circles, or even moving at all.
Kryos suddenly became aware of a light to his left. Its oncoming was so subtle, he barely noticed it. He paused, hesitating, uncertain of what was to come.
“Well, it has to be better than this eternity of nothing.”
He strode forward, dark clothes rustling against him. As he approached the light, it grew brighter, until he could make out people, walking towards him. The quantity of them astounded him. He approached a man, who was walking with a glazed look to him.
“What is going on here? Who are all of you?”
The man ignored him, pushing onward, softly talking to himself.
“The skies grew dark. . .everything was so peaceful. . .the clouds became rent with fire. . .the terrible meteor descended with might. . .the Second Age of Darkness. . .there was no hope. . .no time. . .
Second Age of Darkness. . .
My Nia. . .
Age of Darkness. . .”
All around him, the people were muttering accounts of the same story. Death, fire, and destruction. And constantly, the shiver of the Second Age of Darkness prevailed. Kryos pushed through the crowds of people, mostly elves, trying to obtain as much information as possible. Then he heard something that chilled his bones.
“Valinatal is no more. . .no more. . .no more. . .”
Kryos swung around to its speaker. The elf was in battle armor. A captain. All at once, the information came together. These were the souls of those who had died at Valinatal. Killed by the impact of a meteor, summoned down from the heavens. Kryos stood there in shock, unbelief in his eyes. If Valinatal had fallen, then the next target was Eluriand. But what could Kryos do.
Slowly, he slipped away from the others, returning to the void. He hopelessly though of a solution to the awful terror that gripped Althanas. Just as he disappeared he wondered.
“What can I do?”
Lexxum_Vordic
12-20-07, 12:01 PM
What can I do? An oppressive feeling filled my heart turning the Blood Lizard's emotion into despair. The moment I felt the terrible devil creeping up inside of me I turned on an emotional front. There were people who needed my help, whatever I could offer them. My walk lasted an eternity but it was a walk that I had made many hundreds of times before. It had become instinctual now so I barely even looked up as I moved towards the former city of Valinatal. It was as terrible as I could have imagined it was. My people were born from strife and conflict, but we had a code of honor. We had a sense of justice and of right and wrong. Netha'Tu and his ilk were evil incarnate to their very core.
Frustration soon came. These demons haunted me as I walked and saw the corpses of the dead. Up ahead, battles were taking place with survivors and elements of Netha'Tu's forces that were too stupid to follow orders. All around, the archaic residue that was my enemy tainted the air with the horrible powers of the Tap. All at once, I came to loathe the Tap and admire its efficient nature. Instinctively, I understood the power of the Tap as I'd come in contact with it for the briefest of moments. It was unnatural power, but it promised to make me stronger. So, another day, I would pursue its secrets and seek to control its power. Then, I would have enough power on hand to take on my enemy, Netha'Tu, and best him in battle.
There, at the center of former Valinatal was a giant crater. Digging into the earth like a gash upon Althanas' surface, the meteor site gave off a distinct and strangely glowing energy. The color of radioactive force was a mysterious green hue that subtly affected everything in its immediate environment. That included people. I felt intrigue when it came to that strange source of energy, but I ignored it for the time being. There were more battles to be fought and a different feeling touched my heart when I saw the destruction of Valinatal. This feeling was all too familiar to me, it was anger and hatred. I allowed those emotions to engulf me, filling me with a newfound purpose. The people of Valinatal needed my help! I could do something!
Marching towards Hell's maw, I started the process of investigating the nearby buildings. There were dead everywhere. Fires from the impact site scorched everything with a thick layer of burnt matter. The entire grounds at Valinatal were inexplicably hot. They reminded me of the sands back home at Fallien, only a hundred fold worse. I unsheathed my swords and started to pick off the bodies of those that were too injured to be helped. There were many who were burnt to a crisp, literally. These were beyond the aide of even the most powerful song-spells of healing. I finished the few off that still clung to life and were an unfit meal even for a zombie. The whole affair made me angry and I embraced it. As I explored the first structure that was once a family home, I marveled at the devastation that Netha'Tu had caused.
It was nearly completely. Charred documents and furniture floated in the air as a breeze created a small twister of objects and debris. Hellfire scorched the wind. Everything was hot to the touch. A part of me rejoiced this matter because Valinatal felt like Fallien felt. For a moment, I allowed myself to reminisce of home. I could see desert dunes and this brought a smile to lips. After that brief moment of thought, I put myself back to the task at hands. Suddenly, something stirred in the building I inspected and I prepared myself for imminent combat...
I knew what I could do. I could fight.
A cool breeze startled Kryos from his slumber. His silver eyes jerked open, alert for any danger, then relaxed, seeing no threat. The moon was directly above him, disappearing now and again as clouds drifted by. He had slept for three, maybe four hours, during which he had seen that strange scene. He didn’t doubt its truth either, no matter how hard it was to accept that Valinatal was destroyed. The grief and fear that radiated from the souls that he had encountered made him clench his fists in anger. He would ensure that they would not be forgotten. But what could he do by himself?
Another cool breeze wafted past him, and he shed his midnight cloak, and wrapped it around his body. He could feel his sore muscles as they stretched, and knew that it would be at least a day before he could get back to normal movement. Adjusting himself against the giant tree, he tried to obtain a more comfortable position. All around him, the trees of the Red Forest swayed, leaves softly rustling in the night, hiding the dangers that lurked within. As Kryos closed his eyes, he tried to remain alert for any danger that might sneak up on him while he slept. After all, Dur’Taigen wasn’t the worst thing out there. He hoped that he could sleep undisturbed, and be ready to move the following morning. He would head west, closer to Valinatal, to see for himself, the horrible battlefield where so many perished.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-20-07, 02:51 PM
Indeed there were many dead and many who suffered. Everyone had lost someone during Netha'Tu's horrible attack. I, Lexxum Vordic, touched death myself. But my Lord Mitra intervened on my behalf and petitioned for my revival. The blood of my people was powerful, well structured, capable of surviving many traumas. I adjusted the grip of my clockwork hand around the handle of my newly acquired sword.
Blood already dripped from the weapon thanks to the suffering that I dispatched. The shield felt heavy against my own body weight, but I lifted it with ease. I'd stolen a sword and a shield from the warriors of Valinatal, as well as a cloak. It bore the embroidered markings of the Soldiers of Valinatal. Shattered glass from broken windows littered the floor around me. Everything was scorched. I saw a metal table and heard the source of the noise.
It was a whimpering sound. I sighed as I prepared myself for the inevitable task that I needed to complete. Moving the table, I saw something that shocked me! A survivor! She was a young Elf wearing a tattered pink dress. She was dirty, but otherwise in good form. She was clearly under an incredible sense of trauma. Looking up at me, she let out another loud shriek that could potentially draw enemy units to our position. I shook my head at the little girl and reached out with a hand.
"Don't hurt me! Momma and poppa are gone! Brother and Sister too! Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me!" She started to cry. I extended my hand towards her, unsure what to do. "Come with me if you want to live." I suddenly found myself saying without realizing why I said the ancient phrase. Traumatized, the little girl could sense that I meant her no harm. She took my hand and I easily lifted her up on top of my powerful trapezius muscle. "The bad men ate my family." She said in a strangely calm voice. "Were there many bad men? These things are called Arta in the tongues of my people." I responded to the little girl acting as her caretaker. "There were a lot. At least twenty of them." Lord Mitra be blessed. A survivor. The little girl was strong and I could teach her the ways of my people. "We shall have to be careful then. Let's go." As I prepared to leave the house, I heard a barking sound nearby. "It's Alk! Alk is still alive. Please, scaley Mr. Can you save Alk also?" I could tell that this was going to be a very long day.
"I shall try to."
Dawn.
A red sun rose over the great trees of the forest, casting amber light on the already crimson leaves. Yet no bird chirped its greeting to the sun. No wildlife stirred within the forest’s depths. Silence endured.
Rising from his resting place, grimacing due to his sore body, Kryos put on his sword and pack, readjusted his cloak, and set off at a brisk pace through the radiant glow of the branches about him. If he was lucky, he would be able to get to Valinatal tomorrow by sundown. That is, if he didn’t run into any inconveniences.
As he wove between trunks, he wondered why everything was happening like this. Why did Xem'Zund want Raiaera in the first place? Especially if he killed its entire population. Fury at the destruction of Valinatal slowly bloomed in his heart. He needed to do something to help. But what exactly that was, Kryos was at a loss.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-21-07, 03:07 PM
Right now, Valinatal was the situation at hand. I heard no field reports from any other Commanders currently fighting Xem'Zund's forces elsewhere in Raiaera. I feared the worse. If Valinatal had suffered such a fate what about the rest of Raiaera's ancient cities? Were they fairing any better or simply much, much worse? I didn't want to think about such a dread outcome
Instead, I focused on the situation at hand. Survivors. Anybody I could rescue and get hell out of dodge was in immediate need of assistance by my scale covered form. I kicked open a door that held the barking noise and was surprised to see a single golden retriever fending off four unarmed Arta. It didn't look like the dog was bitten anywhere on its form. So I took the opportunity to prepare my sword and dive into combat, making sure that the little girl was safe the whole time.
The safest place for her to be was on my person. She shrieked out Alk's name catching the attention of the Arta. With the Arta's vessel still floating in my blood stream, I knew biting them was out of the question unless absolutely necessary. I remembered what happened the last time. I didn't want to put any of the survivors at risk in case I transformed into the black scale form once more.
Evading to the side, one of the nearest zombies went straight for me seeing a much larger meal approaching the room. I brought my sword up at the slow moving creature. Even though they knew that they stood no chance against me, the Arta warriors fought anyway. Without fear, without remorse of any sort. I respected the strength that the Arta possessed. As it moved, I swung my weapon to counter its movement on instinct. My killer instincts were sharp and I moved with purpose. A moment later, I heard the satisfying sound as the head of the creature was severed from its body. It was rolling on the floor a moment later. The other Arta warriors moved upon me, but one stayed attempting to attack Alk. The fearless canine warrior roared as it instinctively knew that its strong maw was out of the question for this battle. It took deadly swipes at the nearest Arta, keeping it at bay. He growled and revealed his sharp fangs whilst he fought to keep the Arta at arm's bay. I respected the courage of the dog. A moment later I took down another zombie by severing its upper body.
I was already used to the tactics of these savage creatures. I saw them battle first hand in the Fortress at Valinatal. So I knew what to do, I knew that their weak spot was their head from experience. So I went to work on this small group of Arta warriors with swift tactics and strategy. Soon, they were all dead. I removed the little girl from my shoulders and placed her on the back of the powerful golden retriever named Alk. The dog licked my hand in gratitude for saving him. I nodded to the fellow predator and continued to go on my way.
"My name is Anne Mr. Thank you for saving Alk."
"All right Anne. I'm trying to see if there are anymore people needing rescue. Then we can get the hell out of here understand? Raiaera is not safe anymore."
"The bad men are everywhere. I didn't see many other people."
"Me either, but it doesn't hurt to look. You Elves are a clever lot indeed."
After I said that, I heard a loud explosion erupt outside. Immediately, I moved with a mission outside and saw the fire bursting upward from the explosion. Several Elves were fending off a large group of Arta that gathered around a smaller group of pedestrians. There were screams. But apparently there were some people who could be saved as well. I moved forward and Alk followed me keeping a swift pace. It was a wise choice on my part to put Anne on the back of the huge dog, it was an ideal riding beast for someone so small.
"Hang on tight, Anne!"
Several burnt corpses of the dead rested upon the ground near where the explosion took place. I heard shouts in Elven as they saw my approach against the Arta warriors. My sword dripped with Arta blood and they immediately saw me as an ally. I wore the cloak of a Valinatal Warrior and a few of them recognized me from earlier encounters. I went to quickly dispatch this group of Arta warriors and rescue any survivors that were present at this battle site. There were ten all together. But with the support of the Elves on the rooftops, I was able to take the Arta warriors down much faster. Arrows backed up with Elven skill hit some of the Arta and within moments, the slaughter was over. Four more people were there fending off the Arta, but one of them had an injury on his arm. Once I was done getting rid of the Arta I walked over to the four survivors. The Elves on the rooftop descended to the street level, ten of them all together. They walked over to me and the rest of the survivors. The Captain of the Elves was a man I recognized from earlier encounters with the Valinatal military.
"Report Soldier."
"Hail Captain. Fort Valinatal has fallen. There are few survivors from the brigade, most of them managed to escape. Commander Typheus and I parted ways when we realized it was too dangerous to for us to stick together. I don't know where he is. The name of the enemy Commander was a Necromancer calling himself Netha'Tu. He commanded the powers of the Eternal Tap. It was he who leveled Valinatal with the meteor spell. I've been looking for survivors ever since and found you all. He is injured."
I pointed to the one with the injury on his arm. "He could be infected with Arta blood. Do you have the cure?" The Elves had long ago developed a cure for the Arta's bite. I didn't bother stating that I was infected because the Arta's infection affected my people in a slightly more positive way. I didn't want the cure. The Arta's blood would be my curse. I would carry it as an unwanted guest. It turned out that they did have the cure on them and implemented it immediately. The lad who was bitten was saved.
"Commander Vordic. Take them to a safe location outside of Valinatal. Our field reports suggests that Eluriand still stands. But your Netha'Tu may be heading there next. Take them outside, to Corone or Alerar. You've earned the mantle of a hero of Raiaera and are always welcome here Lexxum Vordic, son of Vexxum Vordic."
"What about the crash site?"
"It's too dangerous right now. There's an energy substance it's giving off. We are calling it Reiko energy for the time being. We have no idea how it interacts with the living and have ordered everyone to keep away from the site. Its a quarantined zone."
"And what will you be doing?"
"There are Arta warriors left in the city. We're going to pick off the remaining zombies and clean up this mess. Try to rebuild. Netha'Tu didn't completely wipe us off the map. Many buildings still stand. We can move Valinatal to a secondary site. We're also going to ask the House of Sora for help." I nodded to him. I heard that the House of Sora was famous for being able to help with humanitarian causes.
"May Lady Suravani bless your endeavors and watch over you. May Lord Mitra give you the strength to strike your enemies down with all the hate of the Elves."
"Be safe brother Vordic. Tell people what happened here."
By the time we parted ways, I was a Soldier First Class of Valinatal's militia. I was given a spare sword as a reward for high heroics against a formidable enemy and a ring with a sigillium of my rankings. It was close to Midnight by the time I left to head towards the Red Forest once more. I was heading away from Valinatal. I'd gotten together a size able group of survivors and lead them as if they were an army. There were two women and two men. They'd immediately developed a fond respect for me. I walked with my sword drawn and kept my eyes on the road. Who knows what dangers lay ahead.
Little did I know I was walking in the the general direction of another survivor...
It had already been a day since Valinatal had been destroyed.
As Kryos walked through the never-ending trees of the Red Forest, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would be too late. By now, any survivors would most likely be evacuated, or the remains of the undead army would have taken control of the ruins. There seemed like no hope was left concerning one of the great elfin cities. Nonetheless, he pushed onward. He had to see for himself the great devastation that had scarred the earth. He needed to see it, because it could hold a clue to why everything was happening. If he had something in which he might act upon, he would do so, and gain all the more power along the way. The power that defied the evil and corrupt. It was with this reasoning, that Kryos wove through the forest.
His legs and arms were almost back to their normal movement. A full day of walking had seen to that. During the day, he had passed several streams, but all of them unfit to drink from, until an hour ago. Pure, cool water bubbled up from the ground, and Kryos replenished his water supplies. But the forest, overall, was different from all other forests. The silence that enveloped its depths was unnerving. No birds flittered about. No wild animals were ever seen or heard. It was just like the vision Kryos had. The emptiness was absolute.
When the sun began nearing the tops of the Mountains of Dusk, Kryos began angling his course more northward, and out of the forest. He wouldn’t get out for another few hours, due to the angle of his approach, and the distance that he had gone into the forest, but by the time he emerged, he would be more-or-less south of Valinatal. He hoped that something had survived.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-22-07, 01:42 PM
I knew a resupply despot. So I headed over there first, before leaving the great city of Valinatal. Currently a site of mass destruction. Survivors existed here and there. I'd managed to rescue a few of them. A little girl named Anne who was a Half-Elf, her dog, Alk. Alk was a brave golden retriever. There were two others, a man named James Stormdusk, and a woman named Allaria who was an Elf. There were Ellers and Lucas were the two others. At the supply despot, I kicked the door open. There was no sign of life anywhere in the area and so I was hoping to get to the supplies before there could be any looters to these holy grounds.
Stepping into the dark room, I saw that the glow balls, still held up. I grabbed one of the nearest ones and used them as a makeshift lantern. My compatriots walked silently behind me only speaking every so often. I explained to them that we were gathering supplies. They agreed it was for the best. Moving into the despot, I saw many crates and no guards. With such a heavily fortified area, one would think that the area was heavily fortified. There were several bodies near the entrance. I dispatched three more zombies on the way in without incident. Getting over to the supplies, I ordered Ellers and Allaria to procure foodstuffs and fresh water. I procured a fresh tent made of thick hide and other supplies to ready us for the trip ahead. There was an area marked "Spares." This happened to be a convenient weapon storage area. I made sure to grab an extra sword, some repairing equipment, and other necessary supplies for the journey ahead. I gave Anne a sturdy looking dagger made of iron with a scabbard. She happily took the weapon and gave a few practice swings with it.
When everyone gathered their supplies and was ready for the trip ahead, I nodded to them. "Good. Well done. Let's get out of here now, I don't want to stay longer than necessary." They nodded in agreement. "Agreed." James said for the rest of the group. I started the trip out of the warehouse and was well on my way. Leaving Valinatal, they started their trip forward to the Red Forest. Everyone had gathered themselves suitable weapons, fresh water, food, and other crucial supplies for the trip ahead. I knew how to repair damaged equipment so I made sure to grab the proper tools for the job. We walked. It was already becoming late by the time we left Valinatal and started on our way towards the Red Forest. We walked forward and encountered several more zombies on the way to the Red Forest. After several hours of walking, it was close to Midnight. By that time, we'd covered a great deal of distance from the site at Valinatal to the Red Forest. We were heading in the general direction that another was approaching us in...
Through the gloom, Kryos began to notice that the trees were beginning to be more spread out. He was nearing the border of the Red Forest, and he would be glad to get out into the open plains of Raiaera. Hopefully, he would be able to clearly look upon the moon within the hour. However, he couldn’t allow that small comfort to lower his guard. He could end up in a fight at any moment, and slow reactions would be fatal.
Yet his journey to the border was smooth. He paused about a hundred feet from the end of the trees, giving his muscles a quick rest. While he did so, he studied what he could of the plains beyond the trees. The ground rose and fell in gentle rises, clustered here and there by an occasional tree, whose leaves were still red, but not at vibrant. He took a drink of spring water to quench his slight thirst, and gazed through the light canopy at the stars. Some shone brightly, yet spaces of black moved across them, clouds stealing their light. His own silver eyes mirrored them, and he wondered again what lay ahead of him at Valinatal.
Suddenly, a cool breeze whispered from the direction of the plains. It wasn’t the wind that startled Kryos, but the quick words that it carried. He snapped his head toward the source, eyes narrowing in concentration. But he could make out nothing. Quickly, he activated Moon Gaze, and widened his field of vision to its extreme. There, at the end of his vision, moved a small group, heading his way. He couldn’t pick up any words at that range, but the group was most likely silent anyway. They were coming at a good pace, and, if their path remained the same once they entered the forest, would pass right by him. He strode to a spot that would intercept them, and waited in the shadows to see if they were friend or foe. He slid his muandrian from its sheath, wincing as it rasped against it. He did, however, leave his eyes stained with silver, incase others joined the small group, as well as to monitor the current group’s approach. His eyes glowed softly as he prayed that they were allies.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-23-07, 08:23 PM
Not certain if the Red Forest was the safest place to get at, I kept my weapon at the ready in case we encountered more zombies within. I saw that the Forest was many yards ahead of us. Alk and Anne walked alongside me as I took the lead position of the group. My tail swished back and forth lazily rubbing the ground beneath me as I walked. My muscles were powerful and knotted, and I was ready to leap at a moment's notice like a spring. With my sword pointed down, I let it occasionally scrape dirt up so I could hear some noise.
The world had grown quiet. My nerves were extremely tensed as I walked forward. From time to time, I stole a glance back at the site of Valinatal trying to see where the center of destruction was located. I kept my senses attuned to the area around me so that I might detect it should a group of Arta warriors attempt to catch me off guard. By now I'd grown weary of combat from all of the recent fighting. I wanted to get some rest but the very notion was out of the question.
"What's wrong Mr. Lizard? Are you all right?"
She'd taken to calling me "Mr. Lizard". That was Anne's voice. I'd grown used to her strange line of questioning. She was unusually intelligent for a girl that age. She talked to me a lot about various concepts that were rather mature for such a child. It seemed that Elves had an incredible education system and were at the top of the world in that department. Anne had many questions about Fallien, my homeland, and my people. I tried to answer what I was at liberty to answer. The others remained quiet. Mostly they were still extremely traumatized from the ordeals they'd just faced.
"I'm just tired Anne, that's all. We've been going at this for a while now. We should find a place to rest soon."
"Yeah I think Alk is tired too."
The beautiful dog barked in agreement. It put a smile on my lips to have such companions with me. Everybody proved useful in their own right. By now, Ellers had her injuries covered by thick layers of bandaging. The Arta's infections was contagious but they'd managed to catch it before it could completely incubate within her. We walked forward, not following any particular path, but heading in the general direction of Kryos. Seeing a suitable site for setting up an encampment up ahead, I decided that it was time for some rest.
"We'll rest when we get to that spot over there."
And little did I realize in my exhausted state that Kryos was hiding in the trees in that area. We would soon be upon him...
“We’ll rest when we get to that spot over there.”
Kryos caught his breath when he saw that the group of seven intended to rest in a clearing not five feet from his hiding spot. His eyes narrowed that fate would play out like this, that they would be forced to meet. He wasn’t too worried, though. They certainly weren’t part of Xem'Zund’s army, so he was sure that he could get by without fighting. But, it was no guarantee of safety. The leader, even in the dim light, would be a tough opponent. He appeared to be an enormous lizard, standing about eight feet tall, and bearing a sword before him. The others though, looked fairly harmless. A girl, a canine, and four other adults, either human or elf. He tightened his grip on his weapon as they got closer. Not wanting to scare them, he inhaled, and took a half step forward, out of the shadows that he had hidden himself in. The moonlight filtered through the trees, and reflected off his blade. It faintly gleamed silver, complimenting his eyes. He stood, and waited for the response of the lizard-man.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-24-07, 07:09 PM
I expected many things but a bandit was not one of them. There were many ways to react, but in my tired and weary state I did what I knew best to do. I readied my weapon and moved into a combat stance. I raised my fist for my companions to halt and I addressed the bandit before he attempted to waylay us. My cloak flapped in the wind and he would immediately recognized the cloak of a Soldier of Valinatal. I kept myself on a guarded position, with my weapon in a defensive stance in case the would-be bandit attempted to accost us. My team ceased walking and drew weapons instinctively. I addressed the bandit before us.
"You'll get nothing from us if you're a bandit. We'll defend our wares! State your business hoodlum."
“Stand down, soldier. I am no bandit, nor a hoodlum for that matter. I’m making my way to Valinatal, to see the destruction for myself, as well as try to pick up any clues that might help us.”
To try to reassure the group, Kryos sheathed his sword. Maybe they knew something that could help him, so it would be wise for them to join forces.
“I’m Kryos. I think it would be best to join forces for the meantime. But where have you come from? Do you have any news from one of the other cities?”
Lexxum_Vordic
12-26-07, 04:10 PM
Wind came in from the southwest at approximately 20MPH. i felt a chill in the breeze that made me think of Salvar. Bringing my cloak up a little tighter to myself, I petted Anne's head momentarily. A moment later, I lowered my weapon to show that I wasn't in an aggressive state any longer. Hearing the man's words convinced me that he wasn't a threat. I decided on sheathing my sword a minute later to show the youth that I'd heard him. Joining forces? Where did I come from? Wasn't it obvious?
I looked back towards Valinatal and could still see the smoke rising from the terrible gash that the meteor spell caused in that once noble city. Looking back towards Kryos I narrowed my eyes to thin reptilian slits. I kept my fists clenched as I looked upon the youth for a moment.
"It won't serve Valinatal any good to go back there. right now we must move forward. To Eluriand or off this continent. Xem'Zund's forces are about and can attack again at any moment. I fought one of his commanders, a Necromancer calling himself Netha'Tu. A small brigade of Valinatal's soldiers are still looking for survivors of the attack. I think it would be all right to join up forces since we're on our ways out of Raiaera anyway. We could combine resources."
The youth looked hungry and thirsty. Taking out a spare waterskin and ration pack from his own travel packs, i removed one of each. I tossed the rations towards Kryos so he could catch them on his own. The food pack contained fresh jerky and fresh fruits, not a hearty meal...but better than nothing.
"Some extra food and water in case you're hungry and thirsty."
I explained. After all, my training at Valinatal made me a soldier first. It was my duty to help civilians...
Kryos deftly caught the water and food rations as they sailed through the air. A quick scan of the contents revealed jerky and fruit, which was a definite improvement. He slid his pack off, and placed the new rations inside, after taking a quick drink of newly obtained water.
He analyzed the information presented to him, and concluded that it would indeed be wise to skip his visit to Valinatal. At most, he would be able to help a few survivors, but if others were already there doing just that, it wouldn’t really help in the overall picture.
Suddenly, a wave of fatigue flowed through his body. He hadn’t realized that his eyes were still activated, softly glowing silver. He concentrated, and they slowly returned to normal. He really needed to build up his endurance when it came to Fargazing.
“Is this all in your party?” Kryos wanted to make sure that everyone was accounted for. However, the girl suddenly slumped to the ground by the lizard. Upon further examination, he could see exhaustion radiating from the entire group. Kryos shook his head to stall an answer to the previous question.
“Never mind. You are most certainly tired. Let’s move farther in about fifty more feet. There’s a clearing there that I saw before we ran into each other. We’ll talk there.”
Not waiting for a response, he shouldered his pack, turned, and made his way toward a possible sanctuary.
Lexxum_Vordic
12-27-07, 03:01 PM
Seeing my reflection in Alk's eyes, I could see a cloud of exhaustion within the dog. I too, was tired but could hold out for a while longer if needed. I picked up Anne's form and placed her in my arms after sheathing my weapon with a quick flick of the wrist. Walking forward I signaled to my companions that it was okay to move forward. We kept a few paces behind the rogue as he guided us to the clearing. Soon, we arrived at the clearing.
It was indeed a short walk but it felt like an eternity in exhaustion. My red scales burned with the feeling of being tired, over pushed and overworked. All of my muscles ached with the recent traumas that Valinatal had endured. I was still angry and bitter about the failure against Netha'Tu. It seemed that my early soldiering career was still wrought with defeats. It was all right though, I'd learned from my mistakes and vowed not to make them again.
Entering the clearing, I immediately saw that Kryos was right. I took out supplies from the recent trip to the supply despot and prepared to set up a well sized tent. Going immediately to work, I was helped by the others as they figured it was more important to keep busy. I dug fire pit for the whole group. Once the tent was ready, I proceeded to hunt for some fire wood since I wanted to keep myself busy. I let the others stay with Kyros, he seemed like a good enough lad. I kept Anne with me, not wanting to loose sight of the innocent child. She'd already seen much already.
Finding some firewood relatively nearby to the camp, my senses caught something stirring in the far distance. My hand went to the hilt of my weapon almost immediately. When it was clear that they were just forest critters stirring, I relaxed my stance a little bit and grabbed the fire wood that I needed for the pit. Returning to the camp I saw that the other had already set up their supplies and a secondary tent. The gang was already relaxing. I walked over to Kryos and nodded to him sitting down upon a rock.
"We can talk here. The others will be resting. Everybody is tired." I put Anne down in the tent and went back to Kryos' position. "My name is Lexxum Vordic. We just finished coming from Valinatal like I said earlier. I'm a soldier from Valinatal but I hail from Fallien." [i]I extended my well built arm towards Kryos so that he might shake my hand in greeting.
Kryos extended his right hand to accept the gesture. The creature’s grip was strong, muscles tight under his scarred flesh.
“Well met, Lexxum. It’s good to be surrounded by allies.”
As Lexxum stepped back, Kryos rose from his seat, and went to his pack. Digging through the contents, he quickly found what he was looking for. A worn, wooden box, about four inches in length, two inches wide, and one inch deep. Opening it, he took out his flint and steel, and approached the fire pit. The wood that Lexxum had gathered was dry, excellent for burning. Ripping some bark off a branch, he twisted it until it resembled a ball of brown wires. Setting that into the heart of fire, he placed the other branches around the nest. Positioning the flint so that sparks would travel directly into the kindling, Kryos struck. It took three times until it caught, and within a minute, the wood was burning merrily. Kryos sighed with satisfaction, and returned to the smooth stone that served as his chair.
“So, nothing is left of Valinatal then?” Kryos meant the question to go unanswered. “I can’t believe it.” The flames of the fire cast light throughout the camp, and into his eyes. He felt sadness at such a loss, and his gaze reflected that sorrow. Shadows from his hair danced across his face. “Well, I guess all that matters now is, what will you do now?”
Lexxum_Vordic
12-27-07, 09:43 PM
I nodded in an attempt to confirm his question. Valinatal was in a state of utter ruin and destruction thanks to Netha'Tu. It hurt to think about it but it was all I could think about. I had a chance to possibly prevent the destruction at hand, but I couldn't! I wasn't strong enough to. But I vowed to Lord Mitra that I would one day have revenge on Netha'Tu and properly avenge those that were killed on that day. I was silent for a long time as I pondered the situation at hand. Many good things had come out of such loss and devastation. I'd met Anne and the other survivors. I'd met Alk, and now I met Kyros. The rogue seemed like a good enough lad. I turned to look at the fire and I could almost see the ruined city of Valinatal.
"My last orders were to take these survivors to a safe place. The Valinatal Guard is taking care of the rest. I don't know what I'm going to do afterwards. I haven't planned that far ahead. I just want to get these people to a safe location."
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
12-28-07, 01:30 PM
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."
“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
12-29-07, 03:57 PM
((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 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
12-29-07, 10:56 PM
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."
“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
12-31-07, 02:24 PM
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 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
01-02-08, 01:21 PM
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."
Kryos rose and walked forward, arm outstretched to forestall any more discussion. His eyes, as red as freshly spilt blood, gleamed.
“Friends. It is time we leave. The problem with this N’Jal must be dealt with later, for she seems like a formidable enemy. However, we can do nothing by ourselves. We must get word out to the High Bard Council, and then something may be done. But first, we need to get you all to safety.”
He paused, and reached down to grab his sword. He swung it over his shoulder to its normal position, then donned his pack over that. With a little adjusting, he got it situated just right so he could grab his blade at an instant’s notice.
“Lexxum and I can get word out once your safety has been secured. But for now, we need to head out. Lexxum, as the leader of your group, has chosen to stick to the forest, rather than brave the open plains. As it is, I will take lead, for I have traveled these woods just recently, and am more familiar with them. We’ll travel in a loose formation, with everyone insight at all times. Be on the lookout for any shape-shifting wolves, soul blossoms, and other such horrors. It will take several days to travel the entire width of Raiaera. Hopefully, we’ll pass through without incident.”
He stopped there, and waited for the others to get ready for travel. Striding across the clearing, he passed Lexxum and gave a quick nod. At the edge of their camp, he stopped again, and looked over his shoulder. The two humans were just finishing getting ready. Kryos gave a quick smile.
“Let’s go.”
He strode out into the ever-crimson woods, the others falling in place behind him. He angled his course so that they would gradually go deeper into the Red Forest, so as to pass south of the Obsidian Spire, and the road that lead to it from the plains. His gaze was constantly scanning the foliage, alert for any danger that might make itself known to them. He would be ready.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-03-08, 06:36 PM
I nodded back towards Kryos after his words of encouragement. Though I secretly felt disheartened by the news of this...N'Jal. The word somehow sounded very familiar to me despite the fact that I was from Fallien. I didn't understand the North man's deities just as they equally didn't understand my own. The Thaynehood was just one of many cults that lurked in the lands of the North. I began to miss my simpler days as a lizard pup back home not forced to face armies of Necromancers or the terrors of the dark.
The grass crunched underneath me. Already, we'd put away our supplies and other things. Sealing the fire pit was a chore that took a bit of time, but within moments all evidence of our stay there was removed. Carefully did we back track and remove our footsteps from the ground to ensure that we were not being followed by any agents of evil. These were the ways of the Rangers and the Altmer were common with them.
My boots crunched against the grass beneath me. I tried to move as quietly as I could, but my bulky form snapped twigs and crunched blades of grass, as well as gravely earth. I sighed at all the noise that my huge form was making, it was a dead give away to any stalkers in the dark. The breeze carried with it a distinct scent of war on other battlefronts to the South, East, and North of our positions. Raiaera was not safe. Suddenly, it became clear that the entire continent itself had become our enemy. I stood alongside Kryos with Alk and Anne not far behind me. My tail swished about, providing me with a sense of balance as I walked completely upright. The dog occasionally sniffed at the air providing us with an extra asset. He could sense danger in ways that the rest of us might not be able to. Allaria and Ellers were busy with their Altmer meditation techniques. They were prepared to cast their spell songs at a moment's notice. James and Lucas had weapons drawn and at the ready.
Lucas was a short stout human with gray hair that ended at his trapezius muscle. He wore the fashion of the Altmer tailored with some human motifs for a rather strange sense of fashion. Both humans wore cloaks, the Altmer did not preferring the feel of the wind against bare flesh. I'd come to know my companions well. Lucas carried a crossbow and a short sword with him, whilst James carried a longsword and several daggers on his person. He even had a longbow. The entire outfit was as prepared as they could be, despite the fact that they appeared like a motley crew to me. The company of strangers wasn't an ideal fighting force, but it would hopefully be enough to secure passage to Anebrilith. Which was several days traveling on foot.
"Approximately where did you say you encountered those Arta warriors, Kryos? How far off is their position?"
I remembered Kryos saying he encountered some of the zombies on his way to a chance meeting with us. If there were Arta ready and waiting, not too far off from our position, I wanted to know about it.
“I ran into them out in the plains. They chased me into the forest a kilometer or so. Then, I got them stuck with a whole bunch of those shape-shifting wolves. I only met one after that, so I presumed that the wolves took care of the rest. But don’t worry. The course that I’m taking now will have us pass at least ten kilometers south of there, so we shouldn’t run into any lucky survivors.”
He kept his pace strong as he led the way through the forest. They were far from the edge of the trees, and no sound was made this deep in the scarlet woods, except for them. The night was fast approaching, the sun nearing the tops of the Twilight Peaks. Yet Kryos had no intention of stopping with nightfall. He could journey at least a few hours into the night before he would become too tired to continue on safely.
Glancing over his shoulder, he checked on the rest of the group. The two elves glided through the forest, silent as the trees around them. Their eyes were half shut, apparently on the ready to use offensive and defensive spells at any moment. The humans weren’t as stealthy. Their well-used boots snapped twigs and rustled bushes on their way past. It was clear that they didn’t have the same sense of awareness as the elves did. But they too, were ready for action, one with a sword and crossbow drawn, and the other with a longbow ready.
Immediately behind Kryos, followed the girl, Anne, and her dog, Alk. Anne did her best to keep up, though sometimes she had to jog to make up any lost distance. But Kryos didn’t slow down his course because of that. The slower they went, the longer they would be in danger. They could rest all they wanted once they got into Scara Brae.
Lastly, was Lexxum, walking a little to Kryos’ left, and a little back a bit. The tall beast wasn’t the best companion to travel around with when stealth was important, but Kryos was sure that he could hold his own and more in battle. The creature’s scales were deep red and black, letting him blend into the surrounding forest perfectly. Indeed, one of the only clues that he was there was the constant rusting of leaves that his tail made, as it swished across the ground.
Soon, the forest was cast in the shadow of the mountains. The sun was quickly disappearing. But there was still light in the forest, reflected from the clouds that filled the evening sky. But as time passed, Kryos knew when the sun did set. His vision lessened as his eyes began to change. Bringing up his arm, he stopped and turned around to face the group.
“We’ll take a brief pause here before continuing on. It would be great if we could travel for two or three more hours tonight, before setting up camp. Be warned though. I do not think a fire would be wise tonight. We’ll have to make due.”
One of the humans began muttering to his companion. Growing angry, his voice started to carry across the trees.
“How can he see in the dark pitch that the night now brings? It’s folly to continue on blind. I wont budge from this spot.” To emphasize that, he swung off his supplies and dropped heavily to the ground. Kryos narrowed his grey eyes in annoyance.
“I am able to see better than you in the dark. It is part of what separates me from humans. I will be able to guide us through the forest, but your concerns do bring up a problem. It is all well and good that I can see, but that might be a problem for you all. We’ll need a way to keep us together in the darkness. If anyone has rope, we could use that, and link ourselves together. Or, if anyone has glowing material, we could place marks on ourselves.” He paused, thinking of other solutions. “Lexxum, what do you think?”
Lexxum_Vordic
01-04-08, 02:21 PM
I grew greatly displeased with James as he attempted to usurp command of the group. I shook my head immediately as the journey was put to an abrupt pause. I took out the rope in my possession after listening to what Kryos and James said. I decided to intervene.
"It will not be easy but we have to continue forward until we find a safer place to camp. James, there are enemies about this entire area this is not a safe location. We should continue onwards until we find a safer place to rest. I have a rope, we can use the rope as a guide. It won't give away our location except for the noise that we make."
I was upset that we had to stop moving, any precious time we wasted put Anne and the rest of the group in danger. Alk constantly sniffed at the air and was prepared to face the dangers of the fores. The Altmer in our company were better suited to the harsh conditions of the Red Forest than the rest of us were with the exception of myself and Kryos. I was trained for harsh survival conditions in the deep bosom of Lady Suravani. Ellers suddenly stopped her state of concentration and walked over to James, placing a hand upon his shoulder.
"Sir Vordic is right. This is not a safe place. Even Kryos said earlier we're not more than a few Kilometers from those shape shifting wolves. Wouldn't that be a nightmare if the wolves caught is in our sleep?"
[i]Allaria chimed in just then.
"The trees are not friendly in this neck of the woods. I hear Xem'Zund's forces commands the trees as their allies. They are horrible monsters that can snatch up the living into their roots, never to be heard from again."
Lucas checked his crossbow to make sure a bolt was firmly secured into its position. A moment later, he quickly aimed off somewhere in the dark and let the bolt fly off towards a hidden target. There was the sound of a moan in the distance and something heavy fell to the ground. Their position was no longer secret as the woods started to come alive to attempt to consume the travelers. Xem'Zund's forces were about.
"Bugger. All this lingering attracted more monsters. Thanks, James. We need to be ready for a fight. If there was one zombie, there will be legions more of them. Kryos, we should get a move on, leave James if you have to. He can guard himself."
"L-leave me? You fellows put up a good argument. Fine, I'll keep going with you until we find a safe location to put up camp." James quipped finally giving in to the argument. I shook my head at this as I personally assisted James with picking his things back up. James nodded. "I apologize for my apparent mutiny I did not mean any harm."
I heard a click as Lucas was reloading his crossbow. His eyes were darting into the darkness as they searched for hidden foes in the shadows. Ready to leap out at a moment's notice. Once I set up the rope, we were all holding on to it in a single line. I took up position behind Kryos and we were ready to start again.
"Let's go everyone."
I began to walk once more. My sharp senses aware, with accuracy, withing my sensory globe.
"Stay close and keep up with Kryos and myself. Anne, ride on Alk."
She nodded and quickly mounted on top of the big dog. Her smaller form was easily able to ride upon the majestic beast. The dog barked once and seemed to be studying something just beyond their sensory range. He kept sniffing at the darkness and growling on occasion. I drew my weapon and prepared myself for battle.
Kryos’ now silver eyes glimmered as they finished making their appearance. Suddenly, trees jumped out of the gloom, and he could make out the individual shapes that resided in the forest. Now that he could safely pick out his path, he picked up his pace a little, legs reaching out to their fullest extent. The length of rope that he held in his left hand pulled tight as he placed more distance between himself and Lexxum. Nevertheless, he didn’t slow down. He didn’t expect that they would run into enemies at this point, but it didn’t help them to worry about it. If the trees were even against them, then the priority now was to find a safe haven where they could rest for the night. Kryos wouldn’t be picky either. He’d take what he was given, even if it was just ten feet in front of him.
His eyes were fully open as he led the way through the dark forest. After going between two great trees, he slowed abruptly. A figure was crouched in the shadows to his right. It was quivering, and then it turned its head to look right at Kryos. The pasty skin clung to the creature’s face, threatening to fall off at any time. The eyes were sunken in, and from its throat, an eerie sound softly flew. Kryos dropped the rope and leapt forward, drawing his muandrian from his back. Hoping to stop it from calling others, he quickly closed the distance, and thrust his blade through its head. The creature wildly clawed at its face, as if it could draw the blade out and restore the damage. But soon the zombie quit its efforts. It returned to being a corpse.
Turning back, he returned to where the others were. He grabbed the rope and continued on, not bothering to sheath his sword. He picked up the pace.
Time blurred into a simple pattern. Making their way through the forest, to the occasional incidents with zombies, and an occasional undead animal. Then, back to walking. Sometimes they ran, but Kryos couldn’t really tell the difference. All that mattered was keeping the company together, and alive. Alk was extremely helpful. He alerted them several times before an opponent came. And each time, they emerged victorious, before resuming their flight. By now, Kryos was exhausted. His arm that carried his muandrian shook with fatigue, and his breathing came in large gulps. They needed to find a safe place to rest, and soon.
He pulled up short. In front of him, several large, thick blood vines blocked his path. They traveled across several trees, their red, thorny skin draping across the gaps like blankets. Each vine was about twenty feet in length, but at the end of a specific vine, another was taking its place. It appeared to be a wall of blood vines. He changed course to attempt to skirt the wall.
“Careful. Don’t touch the vines.” Kryos managed to get out. As they walked, he saw that the wall was actually curving. He continued onward, until he was at the other side. As he was about to continue west, he paused. He dropped the rope he was holding.
“Wait here.”
He continued around the wall of vines, hoping that he was correct. After two minutes, he found himself back at where they first encountered the wall. It was a complete circle, which spanned at least fifty meters across, and was at least twenty feet high. Now, if only the inside of the circle was free of blood vines, and they could get into it, they would have a sanctuary. Kryos dropped to his knees, and closed his eyes. He activated Moon Gaze, and searched for anything that dwelt in the circle. Plants had faint souls, even though most didn’t believe it. It’s true that they aren’t as vibrant as his own soul, but he was able to see them.
“Yes!” Kryos exclaimed. The blood vines appeared to him as faint smudges of light. But beyond the barrier, there was nothing but bushes here and there. The blood vines that were in front of Kryos must have killed anything in the circle. It was a clearing, with no trees in it. The vines must be working their way outward, destroying everything in their path. If Lexxum could cut a way through the barrier, a small way of passage, then they would be protected.
He stood, and warily, but quickly, made his way to the others. They were still there where he left them, on guard for anything that could prove threatening.
“Lexxum, I need you to cut a way through these blood vines.” He said. “Make it small, and almost unpassable. We just need it wide and tall enough so that we can get through it. On the other side is a clearing that these vines completely encase. So if we can get in, we’ll be protected.”
Lexxum_Vordic
01-05-08, 05:20 PM
The journey remained difficult. We ran into several more zombies, and both James and Lucas shot off missiles from their longbow and crossbow. These, in turn, hit deadly targets in the darkness with impressive amounts of accuracy. I admired their skill with their weapon. When zombies came too close for comfort, I hacked at them with my sword, easily mauling the zombies that came well within range. I was already an experienced zombie fighter coming from the site at Valinatal. Valinatal was oft in my thoughts now. I was grateful that I was able to assemble the company of survivors.
The trees loomed around us in every direction. Twisted barks and gnarled branches reached out like giant, deformed hands. We left a wake of corpses where we traveled, satiating the need for violence. The darkness made the forms appear like bizarre monsters instead of locale plant life. As I gazed in the general direction of the trees and foliage, I got the feeling that they were watching us with ancient, angry eyes. A hint of a whisper touched the wind which was foreign to my knowledge of tongues. I immediately theorized that it might be the trees themselves talking to one another, scheming our demise.
Locale legends suggested that the trees would sometimes come alive to snatch up unsuspecting traveler to a pitiful end. Crunched in carnivorous roots, they would suffer intensely for their final moments and be put to a forgotten fate. Casualties of the Red Forest. Already blood stained with Arta blood, my sword dripped with sanguine sustenance. Blood from my weapon stained the grass underneath me as I walked and suddenly, Kryos proceeded to drop the rope and journey on his own, scouting ahead of the party. He often did that. I admired the lad's skills as a survivor.
When Kryos finally returned he gave me the next set of instructions. I could see the blood vines ahead, even in the darkness, and they appeared as a blight upon the natural trees of the Red Forest. They had an archaic glow about them suggesting that their original was magical in nature. I made sure to take my weapon in my hand, tie the rope to my belt, and continue forward until I was well within hacking range of the blood vines. The sentient organism throbbed and thrived with movement. Pulsing organically and giving off a palpable heat. I could see spikes jutting out from pores equipped with natural suction cups. The trees that the blood vines were attached to bled with sap as the creature sucked upon the natural life fluids. A different scent of death touched my nostrils. This was the death of plant life. Smelling like burned leaves from some wild fire inferno, the smell was repulsive. I wanted to hack the blood vine to pieces. However, tonight, the blood vines would inadvertently serve a different purpose. I nodded towards Kryos and proceeded to go to work.
Almost as soon as I walked over to the creature, the thing writhed in a hungry fashion. It sensed a powerful source of blood ahead of it which was me! I wasn't about to become the predator's next meal. Coming dangerous close to the blood vine, I started to hack at the pulsing beast. A red, rancid smelling substance flowed out of the pieces of vine that I sliced up. I didn't want to even fathom touching that stuff. It smelled like rotten avocados and made me want to throw up. Suddenly, something stung my right leg and I felt an intense burning sensation creep up my thigh. I instinctively hacked at the piece of vine that struck my leg. Thorns buried themselves deeply into the fresh injury and I tried to pull them out with my claws. I only managed to pull out two pieces. I felt a painful substance entering my body and bore its way into my flesh. I grimaced with agony. I clutched the wound at my leg for a long moment. The pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but a deep purple bruise developed around the injury site. I was able to adjust to the throbbing pain and go back to the task at hand.
Hacking away at the plant devil, I was able to cut a path into the clearing just beyond the position of the beast. Almost all at once, the creature suddenly moved with wild, erratic movement patterns and started to flay about with its many tentacle like tendrils. I looked over at Kryos, then to Anne as I saw what was happening.
"Run!"
I suddenly commanded to the rest of the group and hauled ass into the newly discovered clearing...the whole while my infection began to grow worse as my bloodstream reacted to the poison.
Every muscle, every fiber, screamed at Kryos not to follow Lexxum’s order. But he had no choice. The blood vines were withering in retaliation to their assault. He gritted his teeth and growled, face made up in a mask of determination. He willed his legs to move. Fire raced through his veins, burning his limbs till they were nothing but pain. Nonetheless, he pushed on. The rest of the group had already gotten through safely, so he just had to worry about himself making it. Concentrating on not falling, he rushed toward the quickly receding gap. Every step seemed to last forever, an eternity of pain. Two more steps. One more. The opening was almost gone. In desperation, he lunged forward, flinging himself through the gateway. Just as he passed, a vine bulged, managing to get a thorn in his arm. However, the momentum of his leap carried him past the deadly plant. The thorn came free with a piece of his skin. He landed with a thud on the hard, forest floor.
He lay there a moment, trying to get a grip on himself. Then, slowly, he raised his head to check on the others. They stood in a semicircle about him. Then, Allaria came forward, and helped him to his feet. Grabbing him around the shoulders, she helped him walk farther into the clearing. He was surprised at her strength, but then again, she was an elf.
Once they were in the center of the clearing, they stopped. No trees blocked the night sky, and the stars gave them what light they had.
“Thank you.” Kryos murmured to Allaria, as he dropped to the ground. He opened his pack, and grabbed a spare piece of cloth. He proceeded to wrap it around his arm, to stop his wound from bleeding. That done, he looked in his bag once more, and pulled out a furry leaf. It was native to his home, called the Lorinith Plant. It was commonly used as a small help to antidotes for poison, as well as numbing pain. He tore the leaf in half, and place one of the pieces back in his bag. He gave the other half to Allaria.
“Lexxum should eat this. It will help with the wound he received from the blood vine.”
He pulled his sheath from his back, replaced his sword, swung his cloak around so it covered his front, and lay down to recover with much needed rest. He was asleep before his eyes had fully closed.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-07-08, 04:01 PM
Ellers took the strange plant life and prepared it so that it might be made a proper medicinal substance. She handed it over to me. I could see that the plant had an archaic glow about it, sending its residue into the night. It seemed to pulse with some hidden heartbeat. My eyes narrowed and I grimaced with pain as I felt a fever rush quickly through my system. Pain throbbed intensely from where the blood vine bit me. I looked down and saw an infection growing from the wound. Perhaps it was fate that we should have two fully trained Elves in our company. I closed my eyes as Ellers treated the wound. The poison worked fast.
My body shook intensely. Muscles bulged with the tension from the fever and I thought of my blood mixing with the Arta's vessel as well as this poison. I was developing quite the collection of infections. For a moment, I pondered going back to the blood vine and hacking it to pieces so that it wouldn't cause anymore adventurers trouble again. But I couldn't, at least not until the Elves healed my injuries.
Bonding with the poison, my blood started to feel like it was on fire. As an antidote, the solvent contained a powerful counteractive materials that worked just as quickly to assist my powerful white blood cells. Red scales seemed to change to a slightly darker color as the taint of the poison forced my immune system to go into hyper drive mode. My eyes narrowed and I let out moans of agony. Tasting horrid, I quickly consumed the solvent. I didn't want to spend any second longer than necessary chewing on that horrible substance.
"Look at me." Ellerz said calmly. Her voice sounded unusually loud in the current state of suffering I found myself in. My muzzle was clenched tightly as I swallowed the solvent and tried to stare at her. They say that my people rarely cried. The desert dried our tear ducts out. But at that moment stinging tears of fire streaked down my face, and I felt sweat pouring down my forehead, back, and chest. It felt cold. I wanted to just go to sleep and let the antidote run its course, but Ellers placed a strong, steel cord like hand underneath my maxilla. I felt her fingers squeeze ever so tightly so that my attention could be focused upon her. I felt the liquid fires of the antidote course through my system and then I finally passed out.
When Kryos awoke, he found himself in a brightly lit clearing. Sunlight poured through the treeless place, and he had to squint his eyes against the rising sun. Yet he let the warmth dance across his face. It had been a long time since he had been able to see the sun without the constant obstruction of leaves and branches in the way.
He sat up, taking check of his current status. He had slept restfully and dreamlessly, and overall, felt rather well. Checking the bandage that he had placed on his left forearm, he saw that the wound had begun to heal. It wasn’t a major wound, but it had apparently bled quite a bit. The piece of cloth was deeply stained with blood. Digging into his bag, he replaced the soiled bandage with a new one. He winced as he tightened it over the wound.
He took a closer look at the rest of the group. Anne and her dog were sleeping on the forest floor to his right, curled next to each other for warmth in the cold night. Apparently, no one had the energy to set up the tent. But that didn’t concern most of them. The two humans, Lucas and James, had used their belongings as pillows and blankets, just as Kryos had, and were deep in slumber about ten feet in front of him. Actually, it seemed that the only ones who were awake were himself and the two elves, who were quietly conversing amongst themselves to his left. He slowly rose and readjusted his cloak. Turning to the elves, he approached them.
“. . . safe for the time being. The blood vines will be a good protection, but I think that we should move on soon.” Allaria was saying.
“But how much time do you think it will take Sir Vordic to recover? I’ve heard of the blood vines killing people through draining their blood, but I was unaware that they were so poisonous.” Ellers replied.
Kryos interrupted then. “How’s he fairing. I didn’t think the wound was too bad.”
“Only time will tell.” Answered Allaria. “The poison seems to be incredibly strong. However, his is a strong race, but unfamiliar to me. He could already be healed and ready to go, or it might take a few days. But I hope that it is the first. These woods are not safe anymore.”
“True. But, the others are most surly tired. It may be wise to remain here for the rest of the day, and leave tomorrow morning.” He suggested. “I estimate that we’re about due south of the Obsidian Spire. So, we have about two or three more days of hard journeying ahead of us before we reach Anebrilith. We’ll need all the strength we can get.”
Suddenly, he remembered the promise he had made to Lexxum, that they would return to the Obsidian Spire after they had seen the others to safety. Now would be a perfect opportunity to get familiar with the area around the Spire.
“Allaria, what do you know about the Obsidian Spire?”
“Not much. Only that it was the Necromancer's home, and that after the war it became deserted. Not even the undead go there.”
He smiled. He shouldn’t run into any problems then. He would wait a bit to see if Lexxum was up to the hike, and then set out, with Lexxum or alone. He didn’t plan on staying long, just long enough to get a feel for the place. He should be back well before the sun set, so he wouldn’t be in too much danger. He thanked the elves, advised them to get some rest, and returned to his bag to eat the other half of his apple.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-08-08, 01:50 PM
Allaria nodded towards Kryos' as he gave his instructions. The two Elves already meditated more than once, for several hours. Their refreshing rate was different than those of humans and thusly, required less sleep. Or more adequately stated, lest time resting. They sat near Lexxum's person generally conversing amongst themselves about the berserker's condition. At some point earlier in the evening, the saurian passed out clearly deeply affected by the poison. From time to time, the women worked their archaic healing arts upon the saurian warrior. They laid glowing hands upon Lexxum's body to assist him in the natural healing process. It took sometime, but it became clearly evidenced that his body was rejecting the poison.
Saurian DNA was extremely advanced. They worked their archaic powers easily upon the blood lizard as his body worked to reject the poisons. He slept with a restless sleep, moving about constantly the entire night. They kept their distance when the saurian started to thrash about too violently, for they didn't want to suffer any injuries of their own. Whenever the saurian
thrashed about too violently, they leaped backwards to avoid his sharp claws.
Crimson trees surrounded them the entire time provided them with their only companions. The trees gave off a mournful sound. Althanas was dying. The earth mother was suffering greatly at the hands of her children. Disaster was already happening. The trees seemed to lean towards the group of would be heroes as they ventured deeply into the fold of the Red Forest. The trees in this neck of the woods had a slightly darker colour of crimson to their barks. These tones seemed to be mourning the loss of their brethren at the hands of the blood vine.
Allaria and Ellers rested whilst they allowed Lexxum to recover from his injuries. All they could do was pray to the Goddess that the Saurian could recover on his own at this point on. Now it was up to the Fates...
******************************************
((Note: This is a dream Lexxum is having and it takes place in The Wild, a place that the Saurian subconscious mind can access from time to time))
I am dreaming.
Was I dead? It felt like I was dead. I can no longer tell the difference between life and death anymore. All I know is I've been running from myself for a long time. What was the last thing I remembered? Oh yeah. Traveling from my homeland in Fallien and ending up in Raiaera. I barely remember all of it now. The war in Valinatal, the destruction of that fair city at the hands of Netha'Tu, and now, leaving the city with the survivors. It was all coming back to me. I'd found the survivors at the site in Valinatal and we're supposed to travel through the Red Forest towards Anebrilith. I remember the Blood Vine. Yes. That bastard creation...that's why I was here after all staring at the wild lands of my people. I'd come to this place a few times in my life before but never as strongly as this. Before, they were quick trips into the wild, like a human addicted to heavy narcotics. There one moment, gone the next. This must be what a bad trip felt like. All around me, the sense of pain bombarded my body. It was an intense sort of pain that made me think less of the blood vine and more about survival.
Surrounding me was an oasis. I looked about and saw that the sands around me bore fruit of the earth mother. I looked up and saw the familiar sun above Fallien. Our own little world isolated away from the rest of the cruel world that was Althanas. Lord Mitra. His beauty shone upon the land adding light to the world beneath him for all eternity. Several desert trees grew around the single nourishing lake. I looked upon the crystal clear blue waters and drank of its comforting substance. I felt refreshed. Symbols floated in the water that were archaic nature, the symbols of my ancestors in the ancient tongue. It was a dialect of blood lizards I was unfamiliar with in my studies so far. The symbols floated about like fish, dancing amongst one another and sometimes combining together to form more complex symbols.
I looked up and saw that the clouds were pink. Within the clouds were faces that wore eternal smiles. A similar such face was upon the physical manifestation of Lord Mitra. And wouldn't you know it? I could've sworn that those eyes winked at me just now. A girl appeared before him, scale clad and beautiful. She was a woman from my tribe, one I had never seen before and she called for me to give chase with predatory pheromones. And so I find myself running through the sands after her.
She was a pretty girl. A complicated series of horns on the back of her head formed an almost dread lock hair style. The horns were long and proud. I followed her person through the dune sea, chasing her for an eternity it seemed. He scales were orange coloured and her eyes shone a bright red just like my own. Her tail was long and well muscled. There were many tribal markings upon her. Finally, after ages of running after her, she stopped and I leaped upon her person, pinning her to the ground. She wore a grin.
"Son of Vexxum Vordic. We meet at last."
"Who are you?"
"I am whoever you want me to be. Let us make love."
"Is that what you want?"
"It is my decree."
And so I took her. The dune sea had similar symbols to the symbols that appeared in the water, but of a different syntax. I was too busy to notice that the earth beneath me moved with the wind. Suddenly, as I made love to the girl the sands all around erupted upwards. A large, titan form appeared from beneath the earth. It was a creature made out of solidified sand. It wore an eternal scowl on his face. I noticed even more archaic markings that were giving me a headache. I picked up the woman beneath me and held her tightly to my arms, still penetrating her sexuality. Drawing Tap Reaver, I prepared myself to do battle against this new monstrosity. The creature stared at me and I stared at it, until everything became a blur...
It was mid afternoon three days after the initial time that the blood vine struck me. I felt fever passing through my body as I woke up, my strength recovering. I had no idea how long I was out, it was just instinct that estimated the three day time period. Ellers and Allaria confirmed the rest of the details for me, they'd taken care of me the entire time. With my injury dressed, I looked down upon it and knew that my scales would regenerate slowly on their own. I sat up bringing my knees close to my chest.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Red Forest in Raiaera. Welcome back to us Lexxum Vordic. You have some strength in you lad. The poisons of the blood vine are very dangerous."
Two Days Previously
Kryos took a large drink from his water supply, preparing for the quick journey ahead. He wiped his mouth to clean up any stray droplets, and replaced his water back in his pack. He then grabbed his sword, and swung it over his shoulder. Looking around camp, he studied the rest of the group.
Anne was sitting by the elves, taking a silent vigil over Lexxum. Her dog, Alk, was curled up next to her, watching their wounded companion with sorrow-filled eyes. The elves themselves were kneeling next to Lexxum, carefully watching him and keeping his symptoms in check. Occasionally, they would lay their hands on him, and try to help the healing process. Then there was Lexxum himself, currently lying motionless on the ground. Often though, he would thrash about, threatening to injure anyone too close. Then, there were the two humans. Once they woke, they had just been relaxing. They had eaten a quick meal, then got to setting up the tents. Now, they were lying on their backs, watching the occasional cloud float by. Kryos wished he could have their carefree attitude once in a while.
He approached the elves slowly, not wanting to break their concentration. Yet somehow, when he stooped down next to them, studying the wounded lizard, Ellers looked up.
“How’s he fairing?” He asked.
“Not well. The fever has gone up slightly. The poison is a treacherous one, and seems to possess a mind of its own. But Sir Lexxum will make it though this. With your antidote, and our constant healing, he’ll recover. But what takes time is the actual destruction of the alien substance that flows in his veins.”
“I understand.” He said. He had hoped that Lexxum would have been recovered by now. But since when did things like this turn out the way you wanted them to? “Ellers, can you summon fire by any chance? I heard once that Blood Vines will flee from fire. I was too exhausted last night to remember.”
“Yes, but not for very long. I haven’t gotten very far in dealing with fire in my studies.”
“Great. Come with me for a moment.”
He and Ellers rose, and he led her near the northern edge of their clearing. The Blood Vines could sense their approach, and began moving slightly. “I need you to scare the vines away so I can get through. I’ve some business to see to, and I’ll be back around sunset.” He glanced at the sun. It was just approaching its zenith for the day. “Be alert for me shouting at you to reopen the vines at that time.”
She nodded, and walked forward, Kryos following right behind her. She held her hands in front of her, palms facing each other, about a foot apart. The blood vines were now moving this way and that, eager for an easy catch. But when Ellers started murmuring words of power under her breath, and an orb of fire appeared between her hands, the vines thrashed about, racing to get away from the small inferno. Still uttering words under her breath, the ball of fire enlarged, chasing the vines away. By now, a good opening had appeared in the way. Kryos rushed through it, and out into the rest of the Red Forest. Once he had cleared the danger area, he turned. Ellers was standing there, flames gone, watching him. The vines were hastily reclaiming their positions around the clearing, closing the gap with astonishing speed. Kryos nodded to Ellers, and waved a farewell for the time being.
~ / | \ ~
He had been walking northward at a good clip for about two hours. He had run into no signs of intelligence, living or dead. He had, however, passed by two corpses. One belonged to a deer, and the other to an elf. They looked to be dead for a while now, the decomposition process well under way. He held his breath and passed on though the forest. The trees were still evenly spread out through the surrounding area, masking the rest of the forest from his eyes. He must be getting close. If it was too much farther, he would need to turn around and set out earlier the next day. Still, distance was always hard to tell in the red gloom of the forest.
Suddenly, he stepped out of the forest. He hadn’t noticed the edge of trees because he was watching his footsteps, in between of watching the surroundings. And there before him, loomed the Obsidian Spire. Its black walls and towers could only be described as mountainous. The spire rose to an enormous height. Even from where Kryos was standing, a good two hundred yards from the base, Kryos felt like he was falling backwards when he gazed at the top. This ebony structure rose from the earth, a terrible monument to Xem’Zund's power. The dark windows that were embedded in its sides seemed to glare down at him, as if he were an intruder. He shuddered to think that later, he would have to enter those desolate halls.
Not wanting to waste time, he stuck to the perimeter that the forest made around the jet-black monument. His eyes scanned the surface of the tower, getting familiar with its structure and layout. Yet it was so big, that after a half an hour of walking around it, he had only gotten to the east side of the giant clearing which housed the Spire. The darkness of the eastern side, cast in shadow by the slowly setting sun, made it extremely difficult to make out any details. But there, in the middle of the eastern facing side, were two large, onyx doors. That would be how they would penetrate the structure. Still, they would have to be careful not to get lost once inside. The Spire must be a maze of corridors and rooms from its size.
The sun was getting dangerously close to the horizon by now. He needed to leave immediately to get back to the safety of their clearing before sunset. He jogged back around the perimeter to make sure not to get off course, and then started making his way due south, back to camp. On his journey back, he ran into no trouble. He did, however, run into something that worried him. When he passed by the place where the two corpses were, he found that there was nothing there. There wasn’t even a sign of the bodies being dragged away. It just seemed like they had vanished off the earth. He looked over his shoulder, and around the clearing, looking for anything unusual. There was nothing but endless trees. Cautiously, he continued on.
He reached the camp just as the sun began to disappear. Ellers was waiting near the vines, watching for his return. He called out to her, and like before, the vines raced away from the magical fire. Kryos walked through the portal, and immediately went to Lexxum’s side. The entire company was gathered about him. He was thrashing violently, as if engaged in a terrible battle. Lucas was whispering to James, wishing there was something he could do to help. Anne sat next to Allaria, tears leaking out of her eyes to see the saurian in such pain. Alk was worriedly looking up at her, whimpering now and again. Lexxum’s tail beat the ground in a loud thud. Something needs to be done. He thought.
Kryos let his eyes blossom with crimson color. In the twilight, they softly glowed, and Kryos dived into the Fluenta, the realm of souls. He was shocked to see what was happening with Lexxum’s soul. It was a soft red color. But an angry shade of purple was flowing through it, fighting to survive. Kryos had never seen anything like it in his years traveling the land. It was as if the poison in the saurian’s blood had a soul of its own, and it was acting as a plague would.
Kryos pulled back into the normal realm, and rushed around Lexxum’s body. He summoned the white flames that belonged to the Charity Spell to his hands, and increased its potency to maximum. Waiting for the right moment where he could get past his claws, he rushed forward when it was clear. He laid his flaming hands on Lexxum’s head and neck, sending soul power into him, aiding the battle. He was surprised by Lexxum’s strength, as he jerked on the ground. But after a moment, he slowly settled. When he was motionless, Kryos took his hands off him. Too much aid to the soul from an external source was sometimes a cause of more damage, and that was always a terrible thing.
Kryos took a deep breath and stood, watching the now calm rest of the lizard. He still had a fever, his red scales radiated the heat, but hopefully he would be on the rise. He turned away as his eyes started to change to silver, and went to grab some water and a quick rest.
Present Time
Kryos walked over to Lexxum as he awoke. It had taken him three days to regain consciousness, and he was a little irritated that they had been delayed that long. But nothing could be done about it. He was just glad that Lexxum was awake, and would soon be ready to head out. He grabbed his water skin on his way over.
“It’s good to have you back, friend.” He said, handing him the water. “Drink. Your battle with the poison has left you weakened.” A slight grin played about his lips as relief washed through him as he beheld his friend finally come back.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-10-08, 10:12 AM
My whole body ached. I felt as if I were far away for a very long time. My eyes blinked several times as the harsh gaze of Lord Mitra greeted them with an almost warm smile. The sun seemed to glow particularly brighter and fill me with a certain warmth. Three days. Anne wrapped her arms tightly about my person and I felt the strength within the Elfling. I held her in my arms and nodded towards Kryos extending a shaky hand towards the water skin. I wouldn't admit that my throat felt extremely parched, as if I were traveling Suravani's bosom for many moons without the comfort of water. I unscrewed the cork gaining access to the contents within the water skin.
The texture of the hide felt rough against my hands. I could feel the various manufactured imperfections of the water skin as my fingers touched the surface of the object. Even through the epidermis of the object, I could feel the cool, fresh water awaiting my consumption. I took my parched lips to the opening in the water skin and let the refreshing substance flow down my throat like a river unbound. Cooling liquid substance touched the parched insides of my body and I swallowed a handsome share of the liquid in one gulp. I felt my tail itching as it moved about against the underbrush beneath me. Various flowers and plants jutted out from the ground struggling for some equal shares of sunlight. Lord Mitra's warmth filtering down to the planet below it and offering its energy to the natural process of photosynthesis. I could feel the warmth that flowed from the earth as Lord Mitra touched it with his natural glare. The whole natural cycle of life was poetic and seemed much more vivid to me after my near case of death. A part of me was well aware that I'd touched death for a moment there.
A mask of concern suddenly shadowed the visage of my facial features. I let the water skin touch the ground beneath me. My body felt heavy and still felt as if I was someplace very far away. I looked at the crimson stained bark surfaces of the sea of trees about me. By now, the red blur seemed so familiar to me but at the same time felt foreign. I knew I was a stranger to these lands. But for whatever reason, Raiaera herself welcomed me into its embrace. This was the right place for the strength of righteous might.
Lucas and James both walked up towards me and placed hands of comfort upon my shoulder. Allaria and Ellers nodded in my general direction as they kept looking upon me. I smiled back, weakly, knowing now that I needed to rest at least a full night more. This would slow our journey down considerably, but when all was said and done, I would be able to come back to the journey at full strength. And they needed my might, not me at a weakened state. I looked towards everyone and nodded.
"I'm sorry. I got careless back there. My size has its advantages in most things, but in some things, I'm actually rather clumsy."
"Don't worry about it mate, it's just good that you're back with us. You gave us quite a scare for a moment there. I doubt we'll be able to complete this quest without you." That was James talking. The man wore a lopsided grin and Lucas seemed to be nodding in agreement. I turned my attention back to Kryos.
"Thank you all for your kidness. But I need to rest now in order to recover my strength quicker. I'm sorry that the set back is my fault this time. Once I have regained my strength we can continue on our way again. Hopefully it shouldn't take more than extra night's rest and we can be off."
Allaria stood up and walked over to me.
"Take all the rest you need to, we are safe here. For the moment at least."
She placed a moistened bandage on my forehead to keep my head cool, apparently I was running fever not too long ago. This greatly concerned me but I allowed the healers to work their magics upon me. I looked down upon Anne and kissed the little girl on the forehead. Afterwards, I laid down upon the soft earth and let myself fall fast asleep. I managed to close the water skin before that...
He grabbed the waterskin from the forest floor, and uncapped it, taking a drink himself. He only took one swallow though. They were running a little low on supplies, and if they didn’t find a pure water source in the next three days, they would be in trouble.
He was still unnerved by Lexxum’s strange symptoms. He had not shared to the two elves what he had seen in Lexxum’s soul, and had no intention to. But he had never heard that blood vines were so poisonous. Suddenly, he had an idea. He approached Allaria to see what she thought.
Looking across the saurian’s body and into Allaria’s blue eyes. “What is the possibility that the blood vines around us could have become a hybrid with the Fealotë, the Soul Blossom? I’ve never known of a blood vine to be this poisonous, but if it were a cross, then we could be in trouble if any more of us get injured like Lexxum.”
Allaria’s reaction was one of surprise, then thoughtful meditation. At last, she broke out of her reverie. “Normally, that should be impossible. The genes of the plants are too aggressive to be paired. However, I suppose it could happen if something of dark magic were to force the two together when they are immature, or seeds. And I agree that these vines are more deadly than they normally should be.” She paused. “The forest holds many dark secrets, and this could be one. But right now, it is of little importance to others.” She said, returning to looking after Lexxum.
He nodded and stood. As he made his way across the clearing to put away his water, he noticed that Anne was still hugging Lexxum. He reached down and patted Anne on the head. She looked up at him with wide eyes.
“Come on, Anne. Let’s let him rest. He’ll be up and about tomorrow.”
“But, Kryos, he’ll get lonely in his sleep.”
He couldn’t help but smiling at that. Even after she had gone through all this, she was still just a child at heart. He gave her a quick nod and left to his pack. After replacing the water, he stretched, arms above his head, feeling his vertebrae cracking, then relaxed in an exhale of breath. Truth be told, he was restless. Hanging around in a clearing for three days wasn’t much fun. But now that they would be leaving tomorrow, he was energized. An idea came to him, and he grabbed his sword. He pulled the blade from the sheath, and walked over to where James and Lucas were. He grinned at them.
“Anyone up for a light workout while the sun’s still shining?”
His smile broadened as they went to fetch their weapons.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-12-08, 03:30 PM
The time to move was upon us now. I recovered my strength and gathered my supplies. Anne followed me about the entire time watching and learning from everything I did. I made sure that I could provide an effective role model for her young eyes. My soldier's training assisted in that department. Gathering up what supplies remained and leaving behind what was no longer useful, I made sure we dusted our tracks. I doubted we were being followed but my soldier's training demanded a certain degree of caution with every move that I made.
I awoke to the sounds of Kryos', James, and Lucas sparring amongst themselves. This pleased me; Kryos was forcing everyone to spend their time constructively and not grow complacent. Even Anne was busy helping out with minor chores such as gathering wood for the fire and other supplies. I was grateful that we'd obtained enough foodstuffs for the long journey ahead. But I was concerned about our fresh water supply. There were many ponds in the Red Forest but we hadn't come across a fresh supply in a while it seemed. We would need to restock at least once more before we reached Anebrilith.
I could see the Obsidian Spire in the distance and knew that we were close now. No more than a day or two away from our destination. I walked over to Kryos when we were done packing and nodded to him.
"I apologize for that scene earlier. I got a bit careless and it cost us precious time. Also resources. We'll need to restock on our water supply as soon as our path takes us across the sit at Carnelost. We're very near to the Obsidian Spire right now aren't we? I can tell. There aren't many animals making their calls around these parts. We should be very cautious once we leave the clearing." I took a couple of sniffs at the air and the scent of death touched my nostrils. We were close now. Deep in the realm of the enemy. We weren't that far off from Anebrilith either. Another hard day's ride towards the East. But the path would lead us through Amon Lungan. The enemy would have the advantage of the higher grounds over us. I looked at Kryos for a long moment.
"This path will lead us across the Escaldor River where we can resupply our water. I think that if we travel hard we should make it to Anebrilith without incident. "
I said to Kryos. But I was worried. As we started off on our journey again, I took my position next to Kryos. Anne was mounted upon her great dog, Alk, Lucas and James took up the center of our party, and Allaria and Ellers took up the rear portion of the entourage. I carefully studied the road ahead thinking about my battle with the strange sand golem. I didn't remember much about it, but I had a feeling that it would become an issue later on. My ancestors often spoke of a place of our people called The Wild. They said that there it was possible to come across Gradins. Vengeful spirits that often had an affect on the natural world. It was also possible to obtain great power for a blood lizard that learned to unlock the great mystery. I started to march forward without saying another word and simply drawing my weapon so that the tip of the blade was pointed towards the ground. The glowing sword vibrated with the power of the Eternal Tap. I could feel the hunger within the weapon as it developed its own sentience with every kill I manged to obtain with it. It was a bloodied sword, but a beautiful weapon of destruction nonetheless.
We were half a day out...and everything seemed to be going well...but there was a strange feeling in my gut of imminent danger.
His breath came evenly and deeply, as he gazed at his two partners. They all had their swords out, waiting. Waiting for the first move of the morning’s sparring match while they waited for Lexxum to awake. Apparently, the two humans had learned much from the previous day’s workout. Today, they had suggested that they continue on. He had most willingly obliged. Now, as he faced his two opponents, his eyes watched their every move, saw every shift in balance. He saw Lucas plant his dominant foot, before lunging forward with his short sword.
He easily deflected the blow with a sidestep, and brought his muandrian up to ensure that the opposing blade missed its mark. A harsh scraping sound rent the air as the blades rubbed against each other. Then, the noise ceased, as he darted past Lucas and at James, who had waited to enter the battle until he could get a clear shot. Kryos’ blade came down toward James before clashing to a stop, blocked by James’ long sword. Turning with reflexes slightly faster than the two humans’, he blocked a strike from Lucas. Spinning his sword, his forced the short sword away from himself, leaving Lucas open. Rather than taking the opening, he raised his leg, and pushed Lucas back. He swung his attention back to James, who had just drawn a dagger. Faced with two blades, Kryos readied himself. He needed to get out of the middle. He brought his blade down again at James, to be blocked just as before. Only this time, James sung the dagger at Kryos’ nearest side. In response, the Dwiilar shifted his sword to block the dagger as well, then grabbed the hilt of James’ sword with his free left hand. Taking control of that sword, he pulled it toward him a little, causing James to stumble forward, off balance. Keeping the dagger caught in between his blade and hilt, Kryos readjusted the angle of his sword, and brought the end up to James’ throat. He paused for just a second, letting James know that he was eliminated from the round. Then he turned, to face the oncoming Lucas. Ten seconds later, Kryos found himself frozen in submission to Lucas’ sword. A smile flashed across his face. They had improved.
“Excellent work, both of you.” He said, grinning and lowing his sword. “You’ve both improved, as well as gotten better at working together. And you’ve shown me some things as well. Thank you.”
“No problem, Kryos. Man, I don’t know how you can switch opponents so fast. It’s like you aren’t human.” James replied, breathing heavily.
Kryos grinned at that. He stepped back, and took up his ready position once more. The morning sun cast a long shadow in front of him. Just as he prepared to attack, another shadow approached. This one was tall and powerful. It belonged to Lexxum. He turned then, and nodded greeting to him.
After hearing his comments about the past few days, as well as the plans to finish their trek, he shook his head. “No apology is necessary, Lexxum. Ill things can happen to the best of us. However, I wasn’t planning on going to Carnelost. From our current position, that would take us directly past the Obsidian Spire. Also, I had heard before I left the capital, that a host of enemies was approaching Carnelost. In our current situation, venturing there wouldn’t be the best course of action.” He paused to gather his thoughts. Then he remembered. “Oh, I did visit the Spire while you were under, just to get a feel for it. I’ll tell you about it when we are on the move though. For now, we need to get going. I was planning on just heading slightly northeast from here on out. That will be the quickest way to get to Anebrilith. We’ll cross the Escaldor River, as well as the Elleduin River, so we should have plenty of water once we reach them. If we keep a good pace, then hopefully we can see the port city tomorrow at dusk.” He turned to Lucas and James, sheathing his muandrian. “Let’s pack up. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get to Anebrilith.” The humans grinned with enthusiasm, and turned to help the others pack up. Everyone was anxious to get out of this crimson forest, and Kryos didn’t blame them.
Once they were all assembled at the eastern edge of the clearing, he nodded to Ellers. She strode forward, and, flames dancing between her hands, banished the vines. Beyond, was the gloom of the Red Forest. The group hesitated, wishing they could bring the safety of their clearing with them. But then, Lexxum strode forward, and back into the Lindequalmë.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-15-08, 11:11 AM
The sky above seemed to possess the only comfort for me. Anne was positioned on top of Alk carefully handling the big dog's hide. She kept looking in my general direction strangely with an expression of longing. I couldn't blame her really. I knew what would happen at the end of the journey ahead, we would all part ways. It was a painful thought to have to abandon the child at such a juncture, but she'd be in better care with the Altmer than with myself or Kryos. I knew a little about human culture and the child needed a sense of stability and a home to belong to. A part of me didn't want the journey to end, I had grown complacent to having my companions around. They'd become more than friends, they'd become a fellowship. We'd bled together, we'd shared battles together, suffered together, cried together, and nearly faced death together. I knew deep down that the chance to face death again as a unit would come soon enough. To my right, I could see the flowing waters of the Escaldor River. Our path would eventually take us past the Elleduin River a few hours later. I was grateful that we'd completely bypassed the site at Carnelost, all rumors suggested a major battle was taking place there.
I looked at Anne's general direction as we walked. Keeping track of the time, I was glad that we were given ample opportunity for rest. Looking at the flowing waters ahead, I could see the environment around us take a sudden transformation. I knew there was a bridge that crossed the rivers further ahead, with any luck we could make it by the hour. I walked over to the bank of the river's edge seeing that, at least so far, our party was safe from encounter. It was now or never. I looked at Kryos and raised my fist to motion the other to stop for the time being.
"Now is a good time. We probably won't get another opportunity to refill our water supplies."
After that, I moved forward towards the river banks. Sedimentary rocks and other earthbound stones jutted out from the rough ground. I could see rocks jutting upward from the bottom of the river. By this time, I was weary of battle and knew that every part of the Red Forest held its dangers, especially the watery depths of the rivers famous in Raiaera. Fortunately, I didn't try to go too far into the flowing water. I just went close enough that my feet could stay on dry land. With my extensive reach, I was able to take my water skins and fill them to the brim with fresh, flowing water. I capped all of my water skins and made sure I had a steady supply. Not realizing until that moment that my sickness had drained so much of our available water supply. I never quite completely healed from the poisons either, they simply just passed through my system and altered it ever so slightly. I still didn't understand the vision with the sand golem, I had no idea what it meant. And that girl? Who was she? I knew every member of my tribe and I'd never seen a girl like that before...most peculiar.
Taking my cue, the rest of the bunch went up to the waters edge to refill their water supplies as well. The process took less than half an hour. I looked at Kryos and nodded. Once the process was completed, I took a sip of fresh water to clear my throat, refilled my water skin once more and prepared for the long road ahead. It was time to go.
"We should be going. Let's stay by the river bank until we have to cross the bridge."
I said simply enough and we were on our way again with fresh water supplies. I decided that staying along the river's edge was probably the best course of action to follow. Walking forward, our path continued onward steadily Eastward.
As we walked something strange happened. I started to see blood and other human remains upon the earth near the position of the river. Looking at these remains, I became curious. I motioned for the group to stop again, assuming that Kryos would have noticed these changes as well. By now, we were more than half a day out, we were almost a full day's out from the clearing with the blood vines. A part of me longed for the clearing. I drew my weapon and that's when I noticed it. There were objects floating in the river that I hadn't been able to identify up until this point in the journey. Then, one of the object floated closer towards the river bank and I could immediately see what it was. My face went wide with disgust. Alk started barking with alarm as the bodies moved downstream. I recognized some of the corpses, they were the people of Valinatal, and a few other places as well. The ones I didn't recognize were from other cities of Raiaera that fell to Xem'Zund's forces. A horrible smell touched my nostrils. I chastised myself for exposing Anne to such a horrible sight. She closed her eyes after screaming for a moment.
"Bloody hell, we're lucky we got out of there alive." It was Lucas speaking I turned towards him and nodded.
"It's not the old, it hasn't started decomposing." That was James speaking now and he was examining the body that washed ashore. The body was a young male elf. I felt an extreme amount of anger for seeing such a waste of life. I walked over to their position. "These bodies must be from Carnelost. I few of them are from the site at Valinatal. I'm surprised, this would be fodder for a Necromancer's army." I said casually. But then it hit me all at once. What if these weren't meant for Netha'Tu, but for another Necromancer yet hidden in the Red Forest? I immediately drew my weapon and prepared for imminent battle. I turned to Kryos.
"Curse the Gods! These are fresh supplies heading towards another Necromancer! We've been tricked...this is not a safe passage at all."
And as if to confirm our worst fears, sounds from the South of a group of Arta warriors approaching could be heard. The sudden scent touched my nostrils and I turned towards that general direction. A group of Arta were heading towards us, at least twenty of them. I prepared for imminent battle spitting on the ground.
"More zombies!" Alleria suddenly yelled.
I gave the command.
"Prepare for battle!"
And the group of zombies came towards us whilst we prepared for battle...
The horrid stench of the undead grew stronger as the zombies approached. Their eyes were filled with evil, and they came in an unorganized pattern. His eyes narrowed as he swung his pack off his back. He grabbed his muandrian, and pulled it from his sheath, the metal scraping sound issuing through the immediate area. Anne had taken out a dagger, and gotten off of Alk. The canine was growling savagely, ears flat against his head. Suddenly, two arrows flew past Kryos, and sunk into the rotting flesh of the leading zombies. One hit a zombie in between the eyes, while the other sank into the chest. But still they came. Kryos cursed. They would have to totally incapacitate every one of the monsters. Behind him, Lucas and James were getting ready to fire another set of arrows. The two elves were singing their songs of magic. From the sound of it, Ellers was working on defensive magic from the School of Ost’Dagorlin, while Allaria was singing the soft, eerie sound of Turlin magic. A white orb of light appeared between the two groups, which then exploded. He covered his eyes with his arm, and then saw that the creatures were picking themselves from the ground, flesh burned. After that, there was no time for thinking.
Kryos threw himself at the nearest zombie, sword swinging through the air. It struck the creature on the upper arm, cutting though flesh, bone, and stopping when it hit the rotten torso. The arm fell to the ground, but still it moved, under the influence of the Necromancer that controlled it. He jumped back, putting space between himself and the howling beast. It charged him then, joined by another zombie. Retreating rapidly, he suddenly ran into a tree. He braced himself for the zombie attack, when a fire blast collided with the lead zombie. The force was so powerful, that it knocked the creature to the ground, where it lay writhing in pain. Making use of the distraction, Kryos beheaded the other zombie, and then lobbed of a leg and an arm from the body. That should be enough to keep it from being an immediate threat. Blood streaked down his blade, and he looked around for his next enemy.
Around him, chaos reigned as the battle continued. Lucas and James were fighting back-to-back, keeping each other covered. They by far, had the most opponents. The elves had swords in their grasp, fighting two zombies, while trying to use spells as often as they could. Alk was defending Anne, who was murmuring under her breath. Suddenly, the creature that Alk was engaged with suddenly sunk up to his chest in the ground. Kryos was surprised that Anne could do such a thing. And then there was Lexxum. He was a magnificent fighter, using his claws as often as his sword. His red scales seemed to glow with the excitement of battle. Kryos dove back into the fray, intent that everyone would make it through this.
The world changed. Nothing existed except for himself and his opponent. Kryos moved with instinct, keeping his distance from the defiled until he could strike a damaging blow. Blood flew through the air, only to fall back to the earth, and soak into the soil. The enemy numbers were thinning. There were only a few more left. Then, a scream rent the air. A scream that belonged to a child.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-18-08, 03:53 PM
"No!"
I heard the cry almost at exactly the same time that Kryos did. I was busy with my own battles, but I relatively close to Anne's position. A single zombie managed to crawl past everybody's defenses and make its way towards Anne's position even whilst she chanted more song magic. I took the head off the nearest zombie I was engaging and immediately moved towards Anne's position, throwing all other objectives aside. The rotting creature moved towards Anne's position with the intent of making a meal out of her. It had grabbed Anne with a decayed hand attempting to quickly bite the child. But I would not allow such a fate for my young companion. The dog, Alk, saw the threat immediately and acted.
I decapitated another zombie that decided to risk its second life and come at me. The afternoon sun taunted my vision with promises of Lord Mitra's embrace. I moved quickly and swung my weapon to keep the undead at bay, any that attempted to come too close. Song magics flew through the impromptu battlefield as Alleria and Ellers released their knowledge of the archaic arts onto the environment. Subtle changes occurred upon the area around me as the air became alive under the Elves' command of those mysterious arts. Strange words filled the air causing it to vibrate underneath the weight of power. But none of that could protect my Anne.
Lucas released a skilled arrow that felled another zombie. James launched a bolt from his crossbow. The shoulder of a zombie was struck as it fell backwards and was stapled to the ground. They quickly reloaded their weapons, but the zombie broke through the main line of defense we were able to conjure up. Lucas and James were forced to abandon their long ranged weapons and drew their melee weapons. But none of that could protect my Anne.
I felt rage pouring through my system as I converged upon the zombie, but the Alk beat me to it. The powerful canine ripped a chunk out of the creature's shoulder and spit it out to the ground tasting the rot of flesh. The zombie did not turn its attention from the girl. It came in for a quick bite and I could see Anne screaming in terror. I suddenly reached forward with my sword, Tap Buster, and did the only thing I could think of. I was still too far away to reach with my weapon and the dog wasn't going to bite more than just enough flesh to slow the creature down. The dog reached for another bite, but the zombie quickly took a swipe at the dog's position. A moment later I heard a yelp and the zombie continued on its inevitable path towards my Anne.
I yelled a prayer out loud towards Lord Mitra. Remembering the ancient words of my people. I called upon the strength of the God I believed in to give me the chance to save my Anne. Tears of anger and despair flowed down the scales of my face as I desperately called upon the powers of the Eternal Tap. I chanted the tongue of my people hoping it would be enough to call upon the sword's power. (Translated roughly from Blood Lizard's speak) "O Lord Mitra, I beg of thee! Give thy servant the strength to protect the innocent. Give thy servant the guiding hand to conjure up the forces within the Eternal Tap. Honour bound contracts from the ancestors of mine people! I beg of thee Lord Mitra! Aide thy servant in battle! Let me protect the one they call Anne from harm at the cost of mien own life! I call upon they help! Tap Buster to the aide of Anne!"
The prayer was heard by all. More powerful than any of Raiaera's turlin magics. The blade of my plynt masterwork sword glowed with the angry energies of the Tap. A living vessel of power. From within the blade, symbols of archaic energies came to life in order to honour bound contracts between master and servant. The sword was bound to me. I could feel the powers of the Eternal Tap flowing through my blade and used as a medium in the physical world of Althanas. The air around my weapon suddenly became vaporized as steam as the potent energies were called. I released the powers of my weapon, and within a moment, a sudden burst of Tap Fire licked from the molecular substance of the plynt weapon in my hand. The fires streamed forward in a burst of wizard's power, singing the air as it rippled through it towards my target. In an instant, my world slowed down as my weapon, Tap Buster, released the archaic fires from its focal point. The burst of elemental fire flowed towards its target, heeding my call and more. A moment flowed by like an eternity. I could feel my heart beating in my throat. All I could think about was Anne's safety, and I'd released my magics unto the world hoping for the best possible outcome. I watched as the zombie lunged for my Anne...
...But would that be enough to protect her?
Kryos whipped around to look at Anne. A zombie, decaying hand reached out to grab her, was stumbling toward her. Alk, sensing the danger, attempted to stop the creature, only to be hurled back by a strike from the undead. The zombie opened its mouth wide and prepared to sink its corrupted teeth into the little girl. Kryos’ eyes widened, and he rushed to intervene. But the distance was too great to make in such a short amount of time. He turned, to see if anyone else was aware of this new development, but everyone was in the midst of battle. Only Lexxum had seemed to have heard the girl scream. He was fighting his way to her, but was being delayed by zombies.
“No!” he yelled. “Anne!”
Then, time seemed to slow down. Turning his head, he saw Lexxum shouting in a strange tongue. The words reverberated around the battle site, louder than the song magic of the elves. The chanting didn’t stop the progress of the zombies, though. They kept coming. A white orb of Turlin shot past Lexxum, crashing through the chest of an undead that had been preparing to attack Lexxum’s back. He saw the creature fall, grasping at its chest, before hitting the ground where it lay unmoving. Kryos kept running toward Anne while all this happened. Then, as Lexxum’s chant faded away, he felt the arrival of an incredible power. He stopped and turned toward Lexxum, and the source of the new energy.
The saurian’s dark scales were glowing a scarlet light. But his sword, blood running down its length, was shining emerald. Arcane runes, burning orange, raced down the length of the blade, etched in with a power greater than Kryos had ever seen. The air around the sword suddenly hissed and became steam as the heat of the sword grew. Flames began to dance along its edge, shifting from red, to green, to the deepest black, and even to violet. Lexxum pointed the sword at the zombie attacking Anne. The energies seemed to condense for a moment at the hilt of the sword, the light from Lexxum’s body dimming. Then, the focused power burst from the sword, ripping through the air. The sound was incredible as the archaic flames raced to the zombie. The core of the blast exploded as it collided with the living corpse, throwing it off Anne, burning the skin, muscles, and bones to cinder. The flames danced as they charred the body, emitting a heat so strong that Kryos could feel it from twenty feet away. The flames suddenly seemed to race in circles around the zombie, as they descended to the ground. When they met at the bottom, they exploded yet again, and raced outward on the forest floor, where they quickly dissipated.
The grass and leaves around the remains of the zombie were burned black. Anne lay on the ground, shaking. The zombie hadn’t had a chance to bite her. Kryos rushed toward her, as the rest of the company finished of the last two or three zombies. The zombies that had been around Lexxum when the blast had left his sword lay motionless on the ground. He was amazed at the devastation that Lexxum had controlled.
Arriving at Anne’s side, Kryos felt his stomach clench in horror. Lexxum’s attack had prevented the zombie from biting her, but with a terrible price. The entire right side of the young girl’s body was scarred from the powerful flames. Her clothes were missing on that side, exposed to such intense heat that they disintegrated. The red and tender flesh wrapped around her body and across her face and neck. She was unconscious, probably due to the amount of damage she had recieved. Yet her body moved on its own, shaking against the ground. Kryos turned his terrified expression to the two elves.
“Allaria! Ellers!”
Lexxum_Vordic
01-20-08, 10:38 PM
I heard a scream, and then silence. The scream tore at my heart and made tears swell in my eyes. I wasn't fast enough. I'd learned a harsh lesson in humility. My Lord Mitra came to assist me, but I wasn't able to react quickly enough to prevent Anne from getting hurt. Grass from underneath the area of impact was badly scorched and a horrendous scent of burnt skin flowed up into the wind. I looked upon the two bodies on the ground, one was a fallen zombie sent to a second death with the power I was able to conjure forth. The other was the writhing body of Anne. My Anne. My child. I felt anger swelling up in my well scaled bosom as I looked upon the burnt flesh of the young one. She would forever be scarred and it was all my fault.
Tears flowed freely from my eye ducts. I walked over towards Anne's position and let my sword drop to the scalded earth. My large sized boots crushed the ground beneath me. I crawled on all fours and quickly covered the distance between my last position and Anne's current position. I could see Ellers and Allaria currently working on the girl's injuries. She was badly burnt and scarred from the attack to the point of disfigurement. The tears continued to flow down my eyes as I came in close to Anne's person. Ellers suddenly paused what she was doing and looked towards me.
"It's bad." I nodded in silence. Unable to speak at this point. I was in complete shock as to what I'd just witnessed. In a moment of complete carelessness, Anne was the one who paid the price. I swore that Xem'Zund's forces and their allies would pay for what had occurred. I swore to Lord Mitra that I would make Xem'Zund pay. But first, there was the threat of Netha'Tu and whatever other lieutenants that Xem'Zund had in his command. The army of Necromancers would fall to my rage. "I couldn't get to her in time. I was unable to protect her." I cursed lowly not speaking to anybody in particular. I could feel a hand upon my shoulder, and I turned quickly to meet another potential zombie. Naye. It was Lucas. James had gone off to scout to see if there were anymore terrors from the pack that needed to be destroyed. I wanted to be with James, but my heart wouldn't let me part ways with Anne. A part of me felt like I belonged at her side, her eternal protector. "Anne. You have to pull through. I can't let it end this way."
"It won't lad. Just make yourself useful for her sakes. We still got zombies to pick off. There maybe more of them out there." [i]Lucas said casually. "Please, Sir Vordic, you have to pull yourself together. Anne would want you to be strong and we need you to be strong."
I reached out for the child with shaking hands. But deep down I knew that Lucas was right, I just couldn't express it with the recent near death experience, and now, the potential loss of Anne. It was all too much to deal with and I let out a mighty roar. I looked up at Lord Mitra, shining bright, and allowed the warmth to fill me with a rage. I wanted something to destroy, to allow my warrior's righteous wrath full exposure upon a victim. I wanted revenge for Anne. For Valinatal. For all those innocents that were dead because of Netha'Tu and my inability to stop him. My simple days as a lizard pup living on the fields of Fallien were over. I walked over to my sword and picked it up off the ground where I'd dropped it. I felt the familiar weight of my Tap Buster and looked at Lucas with a dangerous expression on my face. I was angry, I was vengeful. Anger was more useful than despair.
"You're right Lucas. Allaria and Ellers will take care of Anne, we are useless to her without the battle." I turned towards Anne one more time to memorize the appearance of her injured person upon the ground, suffering in silence. Every now and again she uttered words of gibberish from her lips. This made me even angrier as I observed such a sight. My people were bred for warfare and destruction. But we had a code of honor, no innocents could fall by our hands. After all, we came from the Lady Suravani herself and eventually evolved into followers of Lord Mitra. I kept my weapon in my hand and prepared to sulk off into the wilderness in pursuit of James. I looked over at Kryos.
"My friend, we're no good to Anne like this. Let's move on and see if we can't find the source of these bastard creations someplace nearby."
"I found something!" [i]It was James. He returned with a satchel in his hands that obviously contained items of some interest. I looked at Kryos and then looked at James. "Bring it here James, let's see if you found anything useful." [i]I waited to see Kryos reaction to James, Lucas, and ultimately Anne.
Kryos raised his eyes when James brought over the small container. He left Anne’s trembling body, and after sheathing his blade, took it from James’ hands. It was light, so there wasn’t a very big chance that it was dangerous. Still, he held it away from the others as he undid the tie at the top, and opened the bag. Nothing happened. Relaxing, he brought his arm toward him, and peered inside. The sun, now directly overhead, pierced the canopy and lit up the contents. Inside was a beautiful gem. Kryos reached in and pulled it out to examine it in the light. The others leaned in to see it as well. The dark surface seemed to swirl, as if vapor was trapped on the inside.
“Hey, what’s this?” Lucas reached into the previously thought empty satchel, and pulled out a small piece of paper. The human scanned the message. Suddenly, his eyes widened and his face drained of color. He passed the note to Kryos, who grabbed it with his fourth and fifth fingers, since he was still holding the stone and the bag. He looked at the elegant words and read.
Scourge,
The creature has been completed. Now awaiting your orders as to where to attack. Please send instructions via these minions. Also, the Corruption Stone, which is included with this message, has been finished. The owner of the gem will be able to turn living beings into the minions easily. It is a gift from Morian.
Always ready to serve,
Rashilan Penna’ak
Kryos’ eyes widened like Lucus’ had and stepped back, holding the gem away from him. “The power to turn a living person into a zombie.” He turned to Lexxum. “This stone is dangerous. It must not fall into the wrong hands.” He paused, thinking of other options. “Actually, it would be best to destroy it, though by the looks of it, that won’t be easily done.” He replaced it back in the bag and tied the top shut. He turned and approached Allaria. She was softly singing healing songs, while her hands carefully looked over the burnt flesh. He knelt down next to her and placed the bag by her side.
“Take a look at that when you have time. Find out what you can. It’s a Corruption Stone, so be careful.” She nodded once and then redirected her attention back to the wounded girl. Kryos stood and looked at the two men and Lexxum. “Well, Lexxum. We lucked out. Apparently this Rashilian Penna’ak is the one behind this. Judging from the direction that the zombies were coming from, she’s to the southeast. But we need to be careful. I’m a little worried about what this ‘creature’ is.” He walked over to the group of warriors and faced the southeast. He pulled his weapon out, preparing himself for the danger ahead. They were out to get a necromancer. He shook his head and grinned, surprised that things would turn out this way.
“Well, then. Let’s go.” He began making his way through the trees yet again. Only this time, he and the others were the hunters, instead of the hunted.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-25-08, 11:45 AM
I took a look at Anne, tears still flowing down my eyes. I wiped them from my face, tossing them to the ground a moment later. In my eyes I was the one responsible for Anne's injuries, which in many ways I was. The Tap Buster was reluctantly picked up and placed back in my possession. My scaly face, along with powerful maxilla reflected itself in the glow of my sword. I looked at myself for a long moment. I wasn't the young Lexxum that first got off the boat and showed up at Anebrilith so many ages ago. I'd become a man of amongst my people now and would have stories to tell them when I returned home as a great lizard warrior. My saurian physique rippled with rage as I pondered the next course of events. We had to hunt a Necromancer now, sure it wasn't Netha'Tu, but it was a Necromancer nonetheless. One of Xem'Zund's loyal servants. I walked over to Kryos for a moment and decided to share my experiences with Netha'Tu. We'd spoken quite a bit already during the journey, but I hadn't yet had a chance to reveal much about my encounter with Netha'Tu himself.
"The Necromancer will be extremely powerful. He is a trusted servant of Xem'Zund we should watch out for his tricks. When Typheus and I fought Netha'Tu, that Necromancer was able to conjure up infinite armaments made of plynt. Terrible wizard's lightning, and other powers too foul to mention. We best be on our guard. I doubt that we will have enough on hand power to defeat him by ourselves. But we have to give it a try, for Anne's sake. For Valinatal's sakes."
There was more that I wanted to say, but time was of the essence. We needed to make sure that the Necromancer faced justice. I kept Tap Buster in my hand in a loose grip. I was aching to do some damage on more zombies, the recent battle was dreadfully short. I wanted to satiate my anger and rage. Walking in the general direction that Kryos suggested, I felt my heart heavy. My tail swung gently from side to side as it moved the foliage beneath me. I felt like I was forcing my legs to move with the weight of the guilt I felt for Anne's plight. I took one last look at her small form. I knew that Alk would stay behind and guard her. The area was dangerous with all of the zombies walking about, the living dead. I took the front of the group feeling my rage building up in my heart. I could hear the vessels of the arta speaking to me, commanding me forward. It wanted me to submit to my hate. Submit to my saurian rage. I would allow such a thing to occur when my enemy was upon us. I had a few cards I could play after all. As I walked I kept clenching my free hand, which happened to be the clockwork one, open and closed.
The metallic hand still felt like a strange addition to my body. It weighed much differently than my organic hand once weighed. It felt more like a blunt object attached to my arm than anything else. Somehow, a natural, archaically induced feeling made the hand feel like a normal hand might. I was eager to slam the metallic fist against the skull of some foe. I wanted to break limbs. I wanted to tear flesh. I wanted those responsible for the fall of Valinatal to suffer greatly. I could feel the wind blowing, and the ground beneath my boots. Occasionally, my heavy boots crunched thick foliage beneath me, broke tree branches and bits of roots from red wood trees. I was making a lot of noise, but I wasn't trying to be stealthy. The heavy armor that I wore from Valinatal's outfit. It took a bit to get used to wearing the heavy armor, but the extra protection came in handy where my scales might not be able to protect me. As in when enemies used magics. I thought about the battle with Netha'Tu. It ended in a severe loss, I was forced to take a hit for Typheus that would've killed my friend.
Walking several feet forward, I noticed that the terrain was decorated with something else. The flesh of the dead. There were corpses everywhere, and some of them were in various states of mutilation. It seemed that a few of the corpses had injuries consistent to a drowning death. Some of the bodies were removed from the nearby river and recently dragged by something or someone. I could see some undead creatures pulling bodies nearby with their rotting limbs. Immediately, I dived forward to take these creatures out as I saw them as my enemy. I skillfully swung my weapon towards the creatures and decapitated the nearest one. A rotting skull was severed from an equally decomposed body. A burst of black blood shot up from the stump of a neck. The permanently dead figure slumped down to the ground as a fallen memory. The nearest zombie was several feet away and suddenly broke into a run away from our group. I gave chase. Soon, I found myself upon a low built valley and wasn't concerned with the simple fact if the group was following me or not. At this point I didn't care. Vengeance was on my mind.
I saw the zombie heading towards a structure. Stopping my mad sprint, I noticed that the structure was a fair sized tent. Narrowing my eyes into thin slits, I studied the situation unfolding before me. An area of the camp was set aside for the construction of a forbidden beast. Many bodies were resting in the center of the camp. These bodies, in turn, were combined together using the knowledges of Necromancy. I observed the zombies working and then I saw a power source attached to a device used to generate fuel for the monster. The whole thing resembled a clockwork mechanism. I'd seen a few of these in Fallien. I looked down at my metallic hand for a moment, and it dawned on me that I might be alone. Suddenly, a form emerged from the tent. I studied this form and saw that it was the undeniable form of a woman. This revelation made me even angrier. Her eyes had a mystical green glow about them and I noticed that she was staring directly at me. The zombie I'd chased so blindly into the hand of the enemy was communicating with her in some sort of fell tongue. The Necromancer pointed at me. And with that one accursed moment, the beast of flesh and bone awoke. Horrible, glowing emerald eyes flowed with energy from the beast. It was a good two stories tall, and made of rippling muscle. I looked upon the horrible contraption as it stood up, pulling chains up from the earth with it. It roared mightily and broke several chains that held it down. I prepared myself for battle...
As Kryos crested the hill and looked down into the defiled camp, his eyes widened in horror and disgust. The whole place was a production line to create the “creature.” It was adeptly named. Slowly, the corpses that were drawn from the river were lifted up by an unseen force to be pressed to the monstrosity. Gradually then, the corpse was absorbed into the being. Then, by the woman’s command, it rose up. The eyes were glowing green, mirroring the eyes of the necromancer in control of it. It bellowed and began to walk toward the Kryos and the others.
“Well, any idea on how to kill this monster?” James asked.
“Yeah, damage it as much as possible without dying.” Lucas responded.
Then, there was no more time for discussion. The creature loomed before them. It reached back its colossal fist and made to slam it into the ground.
“Move!” Kryos yelled, taking off to the side of the monster to avoid being hit. The fist crashed into the earth with an earsplitting explosion. Kryos stumbled, losing his balance, fighting to keep his hold on his sword. The mutant zombie looked around for its prey. Kryos didn’t hesitate, and rushed forward to the leg of the beast. He brought his sword down as hard as he could, feeling the sharp edge hit the flesh and tear through it about half a foot. The creature roared as it lifted its leg, tearing the blade from Kryos’ grip. A giant, eroded hand swept by, crashing into Kryos, sending him back into the forest. He landed thirty feet away, gasping for air. Rising from the ground, he stumbled back toward the fighting ground. He could see Lucas and James both shooting arrows into the beast, before discarding them to go to short ranged combat. His muandrian stuck out of the creatures’ left leg. He made for that, trying to stay out of the creature’s way. When he finally made it, he grabbed the hilt and pulled it free, only to recoil in horror a moment later. There, beneath the flesh of the monster, Kryos could see what remained of the corpses that were used to create it. The body parts of the dead were fused with the golem, used for its vile purposes.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past Kryos. The other zombies down in the camp were still active. It looked as if these were more skilled than normal zombies. He swung around.
“Lucas! Take care of the five zombies in the camp! We’ll try to handle things here!” he shouted.
Lucas, who had just dodged a giant fist, nodded and took off to make the undead return to being dead. Kryos, meanwhile, readjusted his grip and prepared to make another assault.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-27-08, 02:21 PM
I could hear frantic yelling. My allies had caught up with my sudden sprint into the enemy camp. All had gone horribly wrong. My thoughts were on killing the nearest zombies when the creature suddenly got up from its containment unit and all hell broke loose. Since I was busy taking down some of the nearby zombies, I looked in the general direction of Kryos to see how he was faring. The lad was busy taking the mutant dead on. Lucas and James ran past me and for a moment, I felt confusion. I was torn between trying to make a direct assault on the Necromancer and helping Kryos out. Turning towards the Necromancer, I noticed that she kept staring at me with an amused, lustful expression on her face. I decided that I would take on the Necromancer so that I could avenge Valinatal. She was a representative of Xem'Zund's forces and so, I wanted to make certain that I could take her down. Kryos and the others would keep the monster occupied. As I ran towards the woman, I took down several more Arta warriors that didn't stand a chance because of my rapidly increasing rage level. I could already feel the need for violence.
I pushed my powerful body forward with a direct objective in mind; kill the Necromancer that stood before me. She radiated energies as I quickly stomped across the ground between my former position and my current position. The afternoon sun seemed to make the Red Forest appear as a sanguine substance. I noticed the blood stained trees around this particular area of the Red Forest and I was glad that Anne wasn't here to see this terrible monster. With Tap Buster at the ready, I swung my weapon and cleanly severed the neck of another arta warrior. Some of these warriors were armed but it wasn't enough to get past the current rage I felt. It was steadily increasing. And before I made it to the Necromancer's position I let out a mighty, unearthly howl. A burst of energy suddenly erupted from my body. I could feel the arta cells taking my person over. Within an instant of time, my red scales grew into a black color. I could see the look of shock on the Necromancer's face. My muscles became even more knotted as this occurred making my visage that much more intimidating. The Necromancer looked upon me with a scowl and prepared her powers.
"I know that sword. You took it from one of the Commanders in Netha'Tu's army. I personally, had it constructed for Netha'Tu."
"Then it shall be your undoing."
"It glows with the powers of the Tap. How did you get it enchanted in such a manner? I must know! Speak Saurian!"
"These are secrets I take to the grave witch! There shall be no further discussion. I am taking you in for crimes against Valinatal and against all of life!"
"My, my. You're such a brave little lizard. But I want you not to--"
And it was already too late. Blood poured down her pretty, pouting, crimson stained lips. She wore an expression of shock as I'd moved to run her through. There would be no games. No pretty speeches, no hesitation. My form was flawless as I moved on the Necromancer and caught her almost completely off guard. A part of me wanted to know more about the servant of Xem'Zund, but we could always ransack her camp after we defeated her creation. "You're a fool lizard. My time wasn't nigh. You serve those bastards at Valinatal but I serve Lord Morian. Xem'Zund commands a massive army. I am but one commander. What hope do you have against us?" And then she did something strange. She grabbed the blade of my sword and pulled herself out of the deadly attack. Blood poured from her injury. She walked off the blade, and moved a few paces back. Dizzy as she was, she managed to move anyway. Her eyes looked upon me with mischief in them, hostility, and something else that I couldn't quite place. She had raven black hair and an athletic physique.
"I'll make you regret that Lexxum Vordic!"
"How do you know my name!?"
"I will show you the power Xem'Zund commands. I will show you the powers of Morian!"
Morian was a name that she kept repeating. It was mentioned in that letter that was found earlier too. Who was Morian? What was Morian? Was he another Necromancer like Xem'Zund? I pondered these matters. And then suddenly, I felt the air around my body grow heavy. I had a full minute to act upon her, but so captivated by her beauty was I, that I opted to hesitate instead. So many mysterious were unfolding all at once, that my head hurt from the information I was receiving in my current state. And then, something happened. As the air grew heavy around me, I felt a sensation of weightlessness and my body started floating. She raised her hand to gain control of my physical vessel. "You come to me with the taint of Netha'Tu's warriors! I will make you regret that decision as you are forced to take on your own friends! You will know terrible pain Lexxum Vordic!" A moment later, I was slammed against a tree, hard. Pain coursed through my body but the pain did something quite unexpected. The arta vessel within me began to completely overtake me. I felt trapped within my own body as the transformation into my black form was complete.
"Destroy your allies."
Was all she said. And I obeyed her command...I began to move upon Lucas, James, and ultimately, Kryos.
The terrible beast slammed his fist into the ground yet again, missing Kryos by a few feet. He rushed forward, swinging his blade through the air and leapt up upon the closed fist of the mutant. He started to run up the length of the giant arm, slashing with his sword, until the other fist made a wild grab, pushing Kryos off his perch and to the ground below. The air was pushed out of him and he struggled to rise, gasping.
“Lexxum!” he managed. But no reply came. Frantically retreating to the trees, he searched for his friends. Lucas was attacking zombie minions close to the giant tent, while James was dodging the mutant. Then, he finally found Lexxum. What he saw, though, made his eyes widen in horror. The great saurian had turned into a menacing shadow. The normally bright, scarlet scales appeared to be stained with ink. His eyes, though, were filled with an uncontrollable fury. He stood in front of the necromancer, but then, he turned and started towards Lucas. Kryos’ breath caught as he saw what was happening, then turned and frantically ran out toward James.
“James! Back Lucas up now! Try to help!” James turned and immediately made his way to Lucas’ position, but when he saw the new development with Lexxum, he started shouting to Lucas to let him know that their friend was somehow being controlled. Just as Kryos turned back to the monster, he heard the sound of metal clash together.
The defiled creature was turning, intending to follow James. It was then that Kryos hesitated. What chance could he have of taking down such a thing? Rather, how long could he fend off attacks until he was smashed into the forest floor? He thought of running. He could easily leave and go about his way, safe from such a monstrosity. The beast was getting farther away. How easy it would be. He would die if he stayed. He started to turn and leave, when Anne’s face suddenly filled his mind. He stood still, as the image which he saw began weeping, then turn and disappear into darkness. Fury rose in Kryos’ mind as he thought of the guilt he would have if he deserted his friends. He wanted to become someone, and that would never happen if he acted like a coward. He turned raced toward the menace, swiftly gaining on it, while activating his Blood Gaze. His Shrodeye glowed crimson, analyzing the movements of the beast, as well as those within his sight.
As he neared his opponent, he shouted at it to turn its attention to him and away from his allies. It roared and lifted its right foot and smashed the ground. Dirt shot up the hillside and flew across Kryos’ face as he raised his arm as a shield. The monster, now about thirty feet down the hill from him, began to run, barreling its way up the hill, earth rumbling with every footfall, intent on killing the minuscule annoyance that kept distracting it.
Lexxum_Vordic
01-28-08, 06:25 PM
Pain. It coursed through my system like a tornado. No. Like an earthquake that ravaged my insides. It felt as if lightning was traveling across my epidermis burning me with the power of a million volcanoes. One terrible thought coursed through my predator's mind. The pain was mixed with a supernatural desire to cause violence. The arta vessel choked out my blood and made me want to tear out my own insides. My eyes were hazed over with a blood red, crimson cloud as I looked at the world. I kept blanking out of consciousness and my brain struggled with the fact that I was about to hurt my friends. And I couldn't control my body! My black scales made me a devastating of shadow of my former self. I was a creature of destruction now and I wanted to destroy anything that came too close. Friend or foe. A zombie got in my way as it was heading towards Lucas and James. I grabbed at the zombie with all of my fury and quickly tore it to shreds. The last piece I removed from the body was the head, and this, I tossed in the general direction of James with all the force I could throw with.
"Look out James!" They were hesitating. I was a threat to them now and they were still hesitating because I was a friend. Thoughts of madness coursed through my brain now, and after a moment, everything faded to darkness. I felt myself traveling to some far away place, this sensation happened to me before and felt somehow familiar to me. The battle before me became a distant echoes in my head. They sounded farther and farther away until they were but memories. I found myself traveling across the dune sea, Suravani's bosom. Suravani. The mother of people in Fallien who was responsible for our creation, and yet we worshiped Lord Mitra. Therein lay the irony of my existence. We were creatures bred for warfare and yet, I found myself hesitating to attack my friends. I found myself hesitating because I hadn't been granted a choice in this matter. My eyes were flowing with a fury that reflected the agony I was feeling in my very atma. When I looked around again, I found myself on the dune sea running. Running from a beast that was superior to myself.
I was crying to my people for help, but nobody would come. I found myself alone in the wild lands. A place of deserts and oasis, a place where my ancestors once thrived. Now, the deserts created its own natural glass that made it difficult to walk on in certain parts of the bosom. The specter chased me and I turned around to find out I was running from...myself. I suddenly stopped my run through the wild and turned to face my pursuer. My tormentor. I turned to face the demons within my own blood. Staring at my opponent, I lunged forward, and, in turn, the dark version of myself ran towards me. There was an impact of two great forces that sent a reverberating shock across the air. The two titans fought one another for dominance of the vessel. And in the physical world, I was busy fighting against the warriors before me. When something new happened within me. Visions of Anne started to fill my head and I cried out in agony as I was resisting the commands that Rash had given me. In my state of madness I needed to destroy something. Lucas and James backed off from my roaring person. A nearby zombie came at me, and I grabbed it and easily tore that second zombie to shreds like the first.
My muscles were screaming for violence. I looked at James and Lucas, but turned around for there was a greater enemy to destroy. My arta blood was drawn to the archaic energies of the Necromancer. Destroy my friends. She had commanded. But they weren't friends. I had found a way to usurp her commands. In my insanity, I managed to convince myself that they weren't friends. No. They were enemies. But I had a greater enemy to defeat and it was that pretty faced girl that haunted my dreams. I turned around and stopped my pursuit of the my former companions and ran towards Rash. The girl looked at me with utter shock. "What are you doing Lexxum!? I told you to destroy your friends!" And through my pain, I found a way to gain control of the arta's vessel in my body. I found a way around the powerful magics in my blood. The fury that lurked within. I took Tap Buster into my hand and prepared for combat. As a Necromancer, she seemed to hesitate which was something that Netha'Tu never did. Maybe she was more of a sweet talker? Or a bed rider?
I didn't know which was the case. As I lunged at her she conjured up a weapon made of plynt, a longsword, and our two great blades collided. Her eyes were looking at me with her inner fury and she met my sword with every amount of skill I lunged at her. "I'll make you regret you were ever born, Lexxum Vordic!" I grinned at her comments. Sharp teeth were visible through the grin. "Spare me your words little girl. You will soon meet those that judge you. You will soon feel the fury of your Ancestors in the Halls of Suravani and Lord Mitra. You will know the pain and anguish you have caused others." I made the promise to her. I had experience fighting the Necromancer Netha'Tu. I was used to dirty tricks and tactics. She met my sword strikes blow for blow. Suddenly, I felt the air gravitate beneath me, and I was tossed aside like a rag doll. I grunted when I landed, some ten feet away from her position. I stood up and stared at the Necromancer for a moment and continued my charge against her. That's when she launched her terrible powers of Necromancy against me. From her hand, a powerful bolt of horrible green energies swelled through the air and crackled against me. I felt a burning sensation strike my chest, and I looked down and a strange sensation filled my body. I had a gaping hole through my chest. The light armor I wore from Valinatal's guard hadn't protected me from such an intense blast.
"All your words for nothing."
Tears swelled down my eyes as I looked upon the girl for a moment. But in the midst of it something else happened. I managed to take Tap Buster and shove it through her shoulder, injuring her further. My task was completed after that. Steam flowed from my body where the powerful energy had touched me. I was dead...I fell down to the ground and released Tap Buster even as she threw it to my side.
"Pity. You would have made a better servant to me in your state of undeath."
******************************************
Lucas looked at James after their mighty companion fell in battle. A look of stunned disbelief crossed both of the companions' faces. Lucas and James both simultaneously turned towards Kryos. "Kryos! Lexxum fell!" Lucas yelled even as he continued to fight nearby zombies. Rash looked upon the warriors. "We will meet again." She said and began to walk away, a portal opening up in front of her. James saw the shot, and allowed an arrow to fly, and at the same time...she walked into the portal. The arrow followed her into the portal. James would never know if his arrow actually met its mark or not, but now, they had the monster to deal with. Worrying about Lexxum for later, James and Lucas rallied together around Kryos in order to defeat the fell beast. They ran into close combat range in order to engage the giant warrior effectively. They were hacking at the various mutilated pieces of the beast in order to inflict some sort of damage to the titan...all in a hope to protect friends from the ravaging terror they now faced. And the loss of their greatest companion was fresh in their hearts...
The End.
****Spoils****
001-Full suit of Valinatal Armor made of Steel, Masterwork in quality and a Vlince cloak with the insignia of Valinatal's army.
002-The Wild-A place that Blood Lizards sometimes go to during times of great stress and physical torment. This place is a pocket dimension of Althanas and during their stay in this place, they are better able to deal with times of great physical stress. In some cases, stronger Blood Lizards are able to project their soul into The Wild and leave their body in a zen like robotic state. During visits to The Wild, Blood Lizards can interact with higher powers like Lady Suravani or Lord Mitra. These are blood visions that often tell of various incomplete futures that are yet to pass. In Lexxum's case he was able to send his soul into The Wild in order to surpass the clutches of death at the hands of the Necromancer Rashilan Penna’ak. Lexxum experienced a physical death, but his powerful spirit lives on in Phantom form.
The monster rushed toward him, dragging its chains the whole time. Kryos prepared to dodge to the side to avoid the attack, his crimson stained eyes watching for the shift in weight that would signal the attack. There! He leapt to his right, diving on the ground and rolling out of the dodge easily. His attacker slowed to a stop, giant form turning. The thing bellowed at Kryos, infuriated that it had been foiled. It grabbed one of the chains connected to it with a horrible hand and whipped it through the air. The deadly chain sliced through the air toward him, who in turn dropped to the ground to avoid it. The metal links missed him and connected with the trunks of trees behind him, snapping the wood with earsplitting explosions. He scrambled out of the way of the falling objects, racing down the hill to a safer location. He was able to see how the rest of the battle was going.
Lexxum, a terrible image of what he once had been, was engaged with Lucas and James. The great beast was fast, incredibly fast for one so large, with moves precise and wild at the same time. Kryos skidded to a halt down from his opponent, about to turn and face it, when Kryos’ eyes, now fully activated in the Blood Gaze, enhanced even further. Time seemed to slow for a moment, as they narrowed in on Lexxum’s dark form, analyzing the movements, watching every shift in weight, every step in his footwork, everything about how he was currently fighting. As he watched, his advanced eyes took that information and stored it in his brain, ready to be summoned forth at his bidding.
Time rushed back to normal speed and Kryos gasped, shocked at the phenomenon. Then the giant, mutant undead was upon him yet again. He turned and tightened his grip on his sword, wishing that Allaria was here with her Turlin magic. The monster rushed Kryos, but this time, he waited where he was, not dodging out of the way of the immediate attack. Instead, he raced forward, sword cutting through the air and into the inner thigh of the creature. The undead bellowed in pain and stumbled past him, its legs passing on either side of the Dwiilar. Turning, he followed it, intent on keeping it away from the others. For a brief moment, he saw Lexxum destroy an undead minion, ripping it to shreds with his powerful claws and sword, before the monster obstructed his view. Running forward, breath becoming heavy from the intense battle, he switched his grip on his weapon so that the blade pointed down. He reached back, yelling, and thrust the blade into the knee joint of the monster with as much force as he could muster. The blade sank deep into the flesh of the beast, ripping through whatever material it was that allowed the monster to stand. The blade went half way in, before it stopped. Roaring in agony, the mutant fell its hands and knees. Leaping up on its leg, he ripped his sword free and prepared to strike again. However, the leg beneath him jerked violently and sent him a little way into the air.
As he flew, gravity regaining its hold on him, he beheld Rashilan Penna’ak, the necromancer of Morian, release a shot of emerald magic from her hand, which proceeded to rip through Lexxum’s chest. Landing once again on the ground, Kryos saw Lexxum silently roar and swing his weapon through the woman’s shoulder, before he too, fell to the ground, smoke issuing from his gaping wound.
“No!” Kryos gasped, unwilling to accept that such a great warrior and companion had been defeated. Distantly, as if in a dream, he heard the two humans shouting something, before the necromancer turned and left the battle site through a portal that she had conjured. An arrow, fired from James’ longbow, raced after her, before the portal disappeared. But that didn’t matter to Kryos. Rage filled his being as he gazed upon the still form of Luxxum’s body. Then, something happened. His eyes summoned back the memories of the fights he had analyzed, replaying the exact movement for him. He witnessed the fight that had happened moments ago between Lexxum and the human warriors. His crimson eyes suddenly became lit with greater luminescence and they clearly shone in the gloom of the forest. He rose to his feet, muandrain clenched in his fist, anger brimming in his eyes. He raced to the titan, now in the camp once again, and began to fight with the style of the great saurians, a gift given to him unknowingly by Lexxum.
He moved like the blood lizards, working in unison with James and Lucas, as they sought to bring down the terrible creature. He leapt from one place to the next, hacking at the rotting flesh before him, trying to cover Lucas and James as they fought on. The creature growled as it was dealt more wounds without it able to give back any damage of its own. Kryos darted past the creature’s legs to the front side of the golem. Reaching to the ground, he grabbed one of the chains and pulled, getting the monsters attention. The thing reared back, launching Kryos directly at the mutilated face. He swung his sword, blade digging deep into the side of the creature’s head, powered by his momentum toward the great defiled. But that momentum was too great for Kryos to stop. As a result, his weapon was wrenched from his hand, imbedded in the giant skull. The monster fell back, clawing at his face and the wound that he had inflicted, while Kryos flew into the trees yet again, before slamming into a tree. He felt something crack in the right side of his body. He coughed, tasting blood in his mouth as he fought back the pain.
Meanwhile, the monster fell into one of the lines that branched off of the main power source that had been used to create the terror. Green flames erupted from the broken line, burning the dead flesh. Bellowing in pain, the creature tried to escape. Then an arrow pierced the air and the center of the power conduit, racing from Lucas’ crossbow. The following explosion burst from the source like a volcano’s wrath. The tent, as well as any structure in the camp, was flattened under the wall of wind that was pushed outward. An inferno belched up from the earth, quickly consuming the giant, greedily eating up the dead flesh. Lucas and James were thrown back, landing on their backsides as the magical flames began to deteriorate. Kryos was pushed against the trunk of the tree that had stopped him, black hair whipping in the wind. The last thing he saw, before surrendering to unconsciousness, was the beautiful green flames that licked the air, so similar to the ones that had chewed through his friend’s chest.
~ / | \ ~
James rose to his feet, gazing at the dying flames. The explosion that Lucas had created had totally demolished the camp as well as the creature. He turned and helped Lucas up.
“Nice shot there.”
“Thanks. It seemed like the only chance we had.”
“Agreed. Come on. Let’s go see if anything is left.”
Lucas nodded and they both began striding toward the decimated camp. Nothing was left of the tent, the flames had consumed that as well. They started picking their way through the wreckage, salvaging any spare arrows they could find. But there was a strange occurrence there. Lexxum’s body, as well as his mighty sword, were no where to be found. They looked all over camp to be sure, but they could find no trace of the great warrior. They were puzzling over this when a faint light gleamed at them. Lucas crossed over to it and pulled the object out from under burnt remains. The weapon that he held belonged to Kryos, the strong material having resisted the intense heat.
“Kryos.” he said, turning and rushing toward the trees where the youth had been launched into, James right on his heels. They came up short when they saw him lying against a tree trunk, apparently unconscious. James rushed to his side and gently shook his shoulder, urging him to wake in a low voice. Suddenly, Kryos’ face grimaced in pain. He groaned, moving his left hand to clutch his right side. He coughed and spat out blood.
“Sorry,” he murmured.
“Nonsense,” James replied. “That move was brilliant, though a bit more planning might help next time.”
Kryos chuckled at this, though every breath hurt. “I think two or three ribs are broken.”
Lucas came in then. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you back. Come on, James. Let’s get to work.”
They left Kryos’ form and started looking for two straight pieces of wood that would get Kryos to the care of the elves.
~ / | \ ~
Allaria and Ellers kneeled close to Anne’s side. They were softly singing the ancient songs of healing, slowly repairing the burnt flesh. Alk lay on the ground a few feet away, whimpering now and again. The seared skin had recently been oozing a strange fluid until they had been able to close the wounds. They had stopped the progressive damage that had been implanted in the burns and now they worked to toughen the sensitive skin. As they had worked, Anne’s body had relaxed and stopped shaking. It was a good sign. If they continued to treat her over the next few days, there should be no permanent damage. But she would carry the scars with her forever.
Allaria opened her eyes and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“Let’s take a small break and get something to drink, or we’ll become exhausted.” Ellers nodded and pulled her hands off the skin of the young girl. She turned and grabbed a water skin from her pack and unscrewed the cap. Once she began to drink, she realized that she was parched from their exercises. Allaria also had gotten some water, drinking quickly. She then lowered the water, replacing the lid, and looked to her right. On the ground was the bag that Kryos had left her with, with the Corruption Stone. She had heard of them in her studies while in the School of Turlin, but had never thought that someone was so powerful as to create it. It wasn't that difficult to do, except that it was hard to get so much dark energy into such a small object. Otherwise, Allaria herself could make one, though she would never dream of doing such a thing. Her hand reached out and grabbed the bag, turning it over to dump the stone on her palm.
The swirling mist created intricate patterns beneath the surface of the stone, tempting her to lose herself to it. Ellers gasped beside her. Allaria looked at her, closing her fist over the stone to shield it from her view.
“Careful. The stone is meant to be alluring. It can destroy the weak minded easily.”
Ellers, who looked like she had come out of a trance, blushed and turned away, rolling on her back. Allaria turned back to the stone, closing her eyes. She softly hummed a simple Turlin spell, trying to reverse the effects. After a few minutes, she stopped and checked to see if anything had happened. There was no difference to the shape of the stone, but the dark mist seemed to be a little lighter. She smiled to herself and placed the gem back in the bag. Rising, she stretched her body out, inhaling deeply. She then relaxed, air rushing out of her lungs, and then proceeded to get some food from her pack. She was just pulling out a dried fruit when she heard a voice sound throughout the clearing. She looked over and saw Lucas emerge from the trees, carrying the leading end of a makeshift stretcher. James carried the other end, and lying wounded between them was Kryos. Ellers rose and rushed to them as they gently lay the stretcher down, followed quickly by Allaria.
“What happened?” Ellers asked.
“He’s got two or three broken ribs, that’s what happened.” James said. “We met the one responsible, as well as a mutant giant of an undead. Took out the entire camp just to take it down.”
As Allaria began to heal Kryos, he clenched his teeth in pain. “Geez, Kryos. What did you do?” Ellers asked as she cataloged his injuries. “This will take time to heal.”
It was then, as a white light was emitting from her hands, that Allaria asked the question. “Where’s Sir Lexxum?”
She was answered by silence. Looking up, she saw Lucas and James exchange sorrowful looks. James then sighed. Quietly, he whispered, “He’s dead.” Alk’s howl of anguish spoke for the two elves as they kneeled there, magic pouring from their hands, as they tried to understand what James was telling them.
One Week Later
The majestic city, Anebrilith, was relatively calm compared to the state that Eluriand was when Kryos had left it. As he walked toward the docks that lay in the eastern side of the city, elves and humans alike moved with purpose and not panic. Order had been established and everyone in the city were doing their best to help escapees.
A human boy brushed past Kryos, making him wince in pain. His broken ribs, four in all, were still healing after the battle a week ago. Needless to say, when their group had gotten into the city four days ago, it was a relief to all of them to be able to relax from the constant threat that dwelt in the Red Forest.
His eyes gleamed in the morning light as a light mist struggled to remain in the city. He rounded the corner to the docks and passed through the main gate and onto the wooden planks of the harbor. Four magnificent ships lay peacefully in the water; the rest had departed for Scara Brae earlier. He approached one of the ship’s gangplank and looked at his comrades, already assembled. The two elves were in fine, white robes, quietly conversing with Anne, Lucas and James. Anne. The poor girl was sitting astride Alk, her constant support. The scars that ran along her right arm and face were clearly visible. They would grow less pronounced with time, but they were a horrible testament to her adventures, as well as what connected her with Lexxum. His heart felt heavy when he thought about him. When Anne was told, she had cried for a long time, and Kryos didn’t blame her. The usually glittering, blue eyes that she had were now sorrowful whenever one looked into them. He adverted his gaze when she looked up at his approach.
“Well, I guess this is it then.” Lucas said. He turned to Kryos. “Thanks for all your help. We wouldn’t have made it without you.” Kryos just nodded his head to him in response.
James then spoke. “Uh, I wanted to apologize, Kryos.” He rocked back and forth, clearly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry that I held us up in the forest, and I don’t know . . . ”
That incident had apparently been eating at him since Lexxum died. “It’s all right, James.” Kryos reassured him. “We were all under a lot of stress. Don’t worry about it.”
Allaria turned to Lucas and began to give him instructions about how to care for Anne’s injuries on the trip, since they had decided to stay in Anebrilith and help any survivors that came in. Anne, meanwhile, slid off Alk and went up to Kryos. He dropped down to a knee to speak to her.
“Kryos, aren’t you coming with us?” She asked, hope bright in her eyes.
“No. I will stay here, keeping an ear out for any news of Lexxum. After all, no one can explain his body vanishing like that.”
Anne jumped at Kryos then, hugging him tight. Kryos clenched his teeth as his ribs protested, but he hugged her back.
“I don’t want to leave you!” She said. “Come with us!”
“Shhh. I’ll be all right.” Kryos was a little uncomfortable. He wasn’t use to being near a child. “You need to go with Lucas and James to Scara Brae, where it’s safe.” He pulled her off of him and looked into her eyes. They were filled with worry and fear. “Please. You must go with them. I’ll keep in touch.”
Anne just shook her head. “No! If you won’t come, then I won’t go! I’ll help you find Lexxum, then we can all leave together!”
Kryos rose and backed slowly away. “No. You can’t. It could be dangerous.”
“I don’t care. I was with you in the forest. I’m staying.”
Kryos breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he should do. It was Ellers who made up his mind for him.
“It will be all right, Kryos. She’ll be safe with you, wherever you go.” Opening his eyes, he saw the two elves standing in front of him. “She really is strong. Besides, she may be more able to find Lexxum than any of us, since it was he that she connected to most.” Kryos sighed and gave in. He nodded.
“Then I take it that just James and I are sailing? Man, maybe we should stay too.” Lucas said.
“Don’t be stupid, Lucas.” Ellers responded. “There really isn’t anything that you can do here that’s useful. The best thing for you to do is to leave. Just let us know what’s going on once in a while.”
“She’s right, mate. We aren’t needed here.” James patted his shoulder. “Well, I guess this is goodbye, isn’t it?” He then went up to Kryos. “Thanks a lot. I wish you well on your journeys. And make sure to look after Anne for us, ‘kay?”
Kryos nodded. “Thank you. May you have safety on you trip across the seas. It has been quite an adventure.”
So it went, the two humans making their farewells to Anne, Allaria, Ellers and Kryos. James even said goodbye to Alk. They moved up the gangplank and into the other people making their way up to the deck. Once aboard, they waited at the rail. After ten minutes, the finishing preparations were made and the ship cast off. James and Lucas wove to them as they sailed farther and farther away. Then they grew so small that they disappeared into the rest of the ship.
“Will we be seeing you and Anne around, Kryos?” Allaria asked.
“Probably. We’ll stay in town for a while, listening for news. Maybe in a month, we’ll sail around to Alerar and visit my home to see if anything has come up there.”
“Well, goodbye then, for now. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to drop by.”
Kryos nodded, then motioned for Anne to follow. She rushed to Alk and led him along.
“Oh, wait a moment, Kryos.” He turned back to Allaria, who was reaching into one of her pockets. She pulled out a beautiful white gem. “This was the Corruption Stone,” she said, seeing the question in his eyes. “Some of the more powerful mages here purified it.” Kryos took the stone and marveled at its color and glimmering shape.
“Hmm,” murmured Allaria. “There’s an idea. Kryos, let me see your sword.” Confused, he slowly pulled out his muandrian, still a little dull from the fight with the creature and the resulting fire. He gave it to the elf, who in turn placed it on the ground at their feet. Taking the Purification Stone from Kryos, she laid that on the hilt of the weapon. She started to sing. Then, as the ancient magic took hold, the stone began to merge with the weapon. The magic in the stone spread along the length of the blade and hilt, vaporizing the dark smears from its surface. When she finished, the blade glowed a soft white and appeared to have vapors running through it, just like the stone had. The light dimmed to nothing until the sword looked ordinary. Kryos bent down to pick it up, noticing no change. However, when grasped the hilt, the glow returned.
Amazed, he asked, “What did you do?”
“I fused the two substances together. Your blade now has a holy attribute to it. Needless to say, the undead shouldn’t prove as much trouble as before. Also, only you can summon that glow. It will respond to none other.”
Mystified, he gazed at his new sword. He then reached up and sheathed it. The scabbard too, glowed softly for a moment before dimming. “Thank you,” he said. Allaria bowed. She then turned and left with Ellers. They turned a corner and out of sight.
“Well, come on, Anne. Let’s go.”
“Ok.” She said happily.
They both turned, away from the way the two elves had gone and away from the sea that held their friends. They turned to what they both hoped, was the direction where Lexxum Vordic, the warrior, the saurian, their friend, lay waiting (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=11967).
Fin.
****Spoils****
01 – Learned Ability: Blood Lizard fighting style. Learned with Kryos’ Blood Gaze just before Lexxum died. He is only able to use it when his Shrodeye (Blood Gaze) is activated.
02 – Purification Stone. This was merged with Kryos’ muandrian (sword), giving it a holy attribute. It is effective against the undead, or anything that has been tinted with dark magic. Due to this, Kryos’ sword glows white when he wields it. The effect has also spread to the scabbard of the sword. This is also the weak magical item of choice.
All right, I'm sorry this took so long to judge, but here we are at last! Kryos, since this is your first time being judged, I'm going to go over the categories and what they mean.
Continuity: 5
Continuity is basically asking where you came from, why you're here now, and what you're doing after.
I don't know anything about Kryos, why he was in the Red Forest, where he came from, anything, and you didn't go over it at all in the thread. It was like you were dropped out of nowhere into the story. A key thing to remember is that no matter what, your story begins before the thread does. I'd like to see some backstory. I do know what you're going to try to do in the future, though, and that's a good start.
Lexxum, I got a good sense of where you were, although you kept shoving in clips of the past erratically without tying them in enough that I knew what you meant by them. I'm also not entirely sure where you're going from there, since you died. Though there are several possibilities.
Setting: 4
Setting is the environment you travel through and act on. It isn't just the flowers and trees and buildings and air, it's the apple you grab at the stand and the coin you throw the vendor.
You both tended to ignore the setting for the most part, and then put in excess detail when you thought it needed it. Keep the environment and how you act on it in mind, and make sure the reader has a solid idea of it, too.
Pacing: 3
Pacing is how the thread flowed, if it dragged or rushed, etc.
This had numerous pacing issues. First of all, for the plot that I saw, the thread was way too long for its plot. Thus, it had a tendency to start, then stop, then kinda drag its heels, then rush, then stop, then false start, then start again. It made the thread a pretty hard read.
Try going for a simple plot and making it flow smoothly, and then work your way up in complexity. Also, when your partner charges forward, don't lurch back. When he had everyone ready to head out the door in the clearing, you had half of the team sparring.
Persona: 3
Persona is how well each character (NPCs included) showed their true selves.
For Kryos, I didn't feel like I knew anything about him and who he really was until almost the end. I know that this is his first quest and you're just getting a feel for him, but I'd like you to come forward with who he is, be sure and assertive about it, instead of following behind and taking someone else's lead.
Lexxum, despite the fact that you write in first person for this character, you sound really detached from the character, as though you're telling it from his perspective, but not from his head. He also seems more refined than your other characters, despite the fact that you try and show him as bestial.
Also, the NPCs pretty much fell flat. A good rule of thumb is: if you name a character, give him/her character.
Action: 3
Action is what happens, whether it's logical that it happens, and whether it was within your ability to have it happen.
Most of my comments here are for Lexxum.
First of all, the moon hitting the planet, which was a meteor in the last thread, and which you wanted to tell me was now an asteroid, was illogical. If a meteor big enough to cause that much destruction hit Althanas, we'd be experiencing global cooling, crop failure, perhaps mass extinction, and absolutely no survivors at the site. And if the entire MOON, as it said in the thread, were to impact Althanas, I think the planet might break. And the atmosphere would all go away. Xem'zund and his minions would be pretty much the least of everyone's problems.
Anyone who saw any of this was tricked by N'Jal's magic.
Also, when you described the attack that was meant to save Anne, you said it was "more powerful than any Turlin magic." This is powergaming, you are a Level 1, please remember that.
For the rest of the action, it was about as sporadic as the pacing. Nothing for long stretches, and then lots, almost at random, within a very short space of time.
Dialogue: 4
Dialogue is what you say, how you say it, and whether or not it fits.
Kryos, your dialogue was okay. Nothing was particularly special, but he did talk when he had something to say and stayed silent when he didn't.
Lexxum...when you're going to beat the crap out of someone, you don't have the character talk about it. He's a big lizard man, for crying out loud. He shouldn't be all "I'm taking you in for crimes against humanity," that's Alberdyne's schtick. I'd see Lexxum as more the type to roar and try and bite someone's throat out. I also don't see him as the type to make grand speeches.
Mechanics: 6
This is the stuff that takes such things as spelling, punctuation, and completeness of sentences into account.
Kryos, you had a few typos here and there, but otherwise, you're pretty good here.
Lexxum...most of the comments I've made in other threads still apply. You still have fragments, run-ons, and word groupings that just don't make sense. Also, you kept using "trapezius muscle." Honestly, it's simpler and clearer to say "shoulder." Remember what I said a while back? No jargon when there's a plain English word.
Techinque: 3
Technique is the use of aspects of formal writing.
I didn't see much from Kryos, but from Lexxum I saw an attempt at flowery language that confused me and read more as awkward.
Clarity: 6
Clarity is how well I could understand things.
I could understand most of it, but a lot of things that happened on Lexxum's end had me trying to puzzle through what was happening and hoping it'd get clear in the next bit.
Wild Card: 5
This is basically that "other" category, where we lump in other things that don't fit anywhere else.
I'd like to say that this was a good attempt for a first thread, and I look forward to seeing you around the forum.
Total: 39! Congratulations!
Rewards:
Kryos gains 1430 EXP, 300 GP and his spoils, with the stipulation that the holy spell is a weak one. You can have it amped up when you request your magical item. Blood Lizard fighting style subject to RoG approval.
Lexxum Vordic gains 1780 EXP, 300 GP and his spoils, but the breastplate of the armor has a big hole in it from when the necromancer attacked him.
EXP/GP added!
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