Ambrosia Software Web Board: The tale of the Treasure - Ambrosia Software Web Board

After Lindor notices how small their party is getting, he's suddenly not so objective to having more members. He turns to Grapper

"Well, in these few day you haven't hinted at bad any bad traits. You know, the kind that almost every evil or corrupted being has. I guess you've passed my test, and if the others want you to come, I won't mind."

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

DF was still in a forest. He saw the rest of the group enter the town. Could this be the same place he had visited many years ago? He would have to wait and find out. Meanwhile he would sit back and follow the group and come to help in their next time of need.

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Talos, still a little skeptical, says to Grapper, "Fine. You can come with us, but you must swear that you will never come within one fathom of the treasure, by our estimates."

While the rest of the group was still deciding, Grapper ordered two glasses of beer for everyone, apparantly hoping to sway the other's votes.

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<font color="gold">Bronze: the other gold metal.
Bacchus Publishing: [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=evo&category=guides&display=date&file=ChroniclesByJake101.sit.hqx"]Chronicles by Jake101: the unposted chapters[/url], [url="http://"http://users.erols.com/alkrauss/Once_Again.html"]Once Again: on the web.[/url]
Bacchus Freeware: Olympus Wars, a plugin for EV:N.

[This message has been edited by Talos (edited 02-21-2001).]

*The others finally cast their votes, and it ended up being a 3-3 tie. Avatara sighed, and as he didn't vote just yet, spoke to Grapper.*

"It has been decided. You can come with us, but don't expect any generous reward for our services. Now that we've all been refreshed (for the last month [/mutter]) we can leave for the treasure."

*The group stands up, and walked out of the inn. With one last look at his home, Grapper sighed and turned to go with the adventurers. They stopped at the mountain, and viewed their journey ahead, and the beautiful valley behind. With the mists rising, they set off for the spider's lair.*

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

As the group traveled toward the spider's lair, the morning mist slowly rose, revealing the path ahead: to get to the great caverns, they would have to find a way around a huge, solid, cliff. Everyone looked from one visible end of the cliff to another, but no one could find a way up, whether it would be by sticking-out rocks or a carved stairway.

"I see no way up above that cliff," Avatara stated.

"Grapper, do you know of any way around it? You do live here," DF asked.

Grapper replied, "Nay, if I had known of one I would have said. The caravans which trade with foreign lands pass by the sides of this cliff. It is flanked by two mountains, at least eighty miles from here in each direction. Without some sort of escort, we would most likely be overcome by bandits or pack-wolves."

Rogan, who had just finished sipping a little wine from his flask, said, "We should split up to look for a way over the cliff, as at least I don't plan on travelling eighty unsure miles. We should have two to a group. All of us will meet back here when the sun reaches the horizon on the west."

"I agree with Rogan," Talos concured.

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<font color="gold">Bronze: the other gold metal.
Bacchus Publishing: [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=evo&category=guides&display=date&file=ChroniclesByJake101.sit.hqx"]Chronicles by Jake101: the unposted chapters[/url], [url="http://"http://users.erols.com/alkrauss/Once_Again.html"]Once Again: on the web.[/url]
Bacchus Freeware: Olympus Wars, a plugin for EV:N.

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

Suddenly a shadow comes to rest over the group.They all look up to see a huge bird.The bird then lands close to the group.Avatara and DF are about to attack when Grapper shouts,"Wait, He is not dangerous.He is my condor."Avatara thinks for a moment,"Maybe your condor can carry us over that mountain."Grapper answers," he doesn't get along with strangers to well but he could look for a place to get a cross the mountain."

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The condor sundenly starts to mutate into a huge harpy with a lich standing next to it. "Bwhahahaha" the lich shreaks out "You have fallen into my trap!! The only way you can get across is to kill me and you wont even harm me with those pitful weapons of yours. The lich goes through a bunch of complicated spells and teleports to the other side of the cliff, with more harpes coming out of thier roosts below.

Tycho Maudd

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There is a theroy which states that if ever anyone discovers exaxrlt what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly diaasppear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
There is another which states that this has already happened.
-Douglas Adams

Before the lich could escape, though, a holy arrow pierced it's body and disabled the beast. It had no way of reponding for the attack had come from teh other side. As it fell to the ground, dying, it made a final move, turning to the side to see what had slew it. A man, unknown to what race he was, was standing on a nearby hill with his bow drawn and with an apparent arrogance, approached the lich.
"You thought you could destroy him before I got to him, huh? You foolish beast. I was the one that trained you and you turned on me. Did you think I would not come back? Foolish. What a waste." the man said as he stabbed his sword into the already dead lich.

DF knew instantly what was going on and smiled
"The damn thing is dead in a few seconds" he called out as he stepped forward.
Sure enough, the death screech came from the evil lich.
Grapper, theKestral, and Avatara stared increduosly at DF
"How? How did you know?" Avatara asked tentatively
"He wouldn't allow it to kill me. He wants to settle the score himself" DF answered with a slight chuckle "Old Master. Taught me the magics I know now. I went against his wishes and returned to Cythera. He tryed to trap me here but my ability was too strong for him to keep me. Probably was waiting for me to come back too"
"Interesting. Any ideas on how to find him?" Grapper asked as he kicked a stone "He might know where the treasure is"
"No, he guards the treasure. He lives at the peak.


Thou shalt find a ruined temple,
That contains what thou seekest,
But be warned of black dragons that guard it,
Immortal against all works of mortals,
May be felled only by a blade fashioned from the same forge as them,
One found deep in the labyrinth of hell.
Slay these foul beasts,
Only then, will this prize be found you seek.

"He is the black dragon spoken of in the same scroll. He has the ultimate ability to morph into the shape of a human. He will kill all those who approach the peak in groups, which is why we must all work as one. I have taught Lindor dark magic so that he could protect Talos and Rogan. We must work fast for when he detects all of us, he will surely destroy us. They have taken the easier route but we have the quicker one. Also the one with the weapon." DF told them as he started on down the trail
"The weapon?" Kestral asked
"The blade fashioned from the same forge as them! Of course! You must have been the one that started this prophecy. Stealing that sword..." Avatara started but was quickly cut off
"No, not prophecy. I did not steal it. It was granted to me. I left the bastard. Burned down my villiage. The sword is hidden in the Ruined Temple. It is in the holy room in which the dragon nor his minions can ever enter. It is safe there." Df said in a grave voice as he kept moving on down the trail
"You" he said, pointing at Avatara "You must take the sword and slay the evil dragon. You are the only one of us which can do it"
"M..m..me? I already have a sword" Avatara replied
"It will not work. Only that sword will have effect. DF, does this beast have weak points? I don't like my prospects in the battle" Kestral asked as Grapper nodded his ascent.
"His minions will attack us until we reach him and throughout our encounter with him. The rest of the group, which I mean everybody but myself, Lindor, and Avatara, will need to keep them back." Df stated.
The small group pondered over that as Talos and Rogan's group had troubles of their own...

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>Are you gonna tell him that's a boy cow?
>Naw, he'll figure it out.

Anyway, what do you say we kill these harpies and go off to the spider tunnel as was preiously mentioned. Unless you wish to go to the temple of the immortals and over this mountain. There is no other way.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

They had hiked up the mountain, Talos lugging DF's body behind him as they didn't want to waste more time than possible. After a couple hours of gently sloping paths in a wood, they came to the treeline on the mountain. Rocks and boulders covered the remaining height of the mountain, in stark contrast to the forest they had just left. Above, by about a mile higher than their position, was a gaping hole. It was another three hours of tedius climbing over loose and jagged rocks, many of which rolled down the mountain behind them - crashing into trees.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the tired group collapsed on the ledge. Beyond was the spider cavern, wisps of white-green cobwebs draped around with an eerie faint light green glow emenating from within. It was deathly silent, except for the panting and the sound of wind whistling in the tunnel. The spider tunnel awaited them, as did the horrors that lie within and beyond...

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting tired... I think we should have our minds ready to the fullest when we enter the cavern. Let's get some rest," Talos suggested.

In some mumblings, the rest of the group agreed. They set up camp on a small ledge inside an indentation. It was large enough to hold all of them lying down without rolling over and down the slope, although there wasn't much in the way of free space. Avatara was posted for the early-watch. As everyone else drifted asleep, he heard distant thunder. Heavy clouds blocked the full moon that illuminated the night sky, and rain began to fall. At first lightly, but more and more heavily as time went on. Thunder and lightning were booming and lighting up the maroon-black sky everywhere, but the group was sound asleep. He looked back at the crevice. There was no group.

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<font color="gold">Bronze: the other gold metal.

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

Avatara looked back at the looming opening behind him. Dusty cobweb strands hung from the ceiling here and there. An eerie whistling was heard, a whistling that sent chills down the spine. The light rain turned into a downpour and lightning cackled across the sky overhead. The immortal shine on the summit of the mountain seemed to be both the source and main target of the lightning storm.

With a sigh, and a look around to make sure it wasn't just a joke, Avatara stood up and shouldered his pack. A deep breath, and he stepped into the cave. The inside walls looked like the rock you'd see a tunnel made out of and were webbed with slightly glowing lime-green cobwebs.

The ground was covered in dust, it seemed that nobody had walked here in many years. However, looking behind him Avatara couldn't see his own fingerprints making the dust trick obselete. The inhuman howling continued to grow louder as Avatara walked further into the cave. A turn in the cave covered up the remaining light from the interance. The cave's sides had also changed too.

The cave was completely black except for the glowing spiderweb strands were now an angry royal blue, burning fiercely in the darkness. Avatara made his way, almost silently, through the tunnel, using the blue spiderweb strands to see the way. A sticky, warm mass was felt on Avatara's cheek, and the chill air caused him to jump. He swiped off the spider web that had gotten stuck there, and continued, trying to calm his racing heart.

The howling noise was even louder now. Avatara stopped to take a deep breath.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

Avatara continued onwards, heading deeper into the tunnel. The air was crisp and chilly, a slight stench wafted from somewhere deeper in. Avatara came to a turn, and he stopped. The turn was made in such a way that one couldn't see anything on the other side until they stepped all the way around - easy for an ambush. Avatara listed for any sound. All that was heard, besides the whistling, was a tree rustling somewhere...odd for a tunnel.

Another chill ran down Avatara's spine, something was definately amiss. With a deep breath, Avatara mustered all he could remember of his foreign training and walked as silently as possible around the corner. Slowly, the opposite wall revealed itself, inch after inch, luminescant blue spider strand after another, an intricate web against the wall of blackness. Avatara walked around, and when he did he came to a stop. From the web designs, it was a dead end. But...that couldn't be, it was supposed to be a tunnel.

Avatara walked up to the cobwebs and stuck his hand through one. Sure enough, his hand went through...there was no wall there. Avatara drew his hand back, it was tingling and itching with a strange warmth to it. Avatara brushed off the cobwebs and started forward. The cobwebs stuck to his exposed flesh as he walked through. Their sticky warmth provided an uncomfortable feeling in an uncomfortable situation. After he was through, Avatara brushed off the cobwebs and started forward, only to bump into a wall. Feeling around, the tunnel had appearantly turned in the original direction again, but the spiderwebs weren't glowing here, making it almost impossible to see anything. Avatara reached up, and brushed at an itch on his cheek, a small spider was brushed away.

Another three steps, no sign of anything, and Avatara had lost all sense of direction. he attempted to use magic to see, but something in the rock, or the spiderwebs, was preventing him from using any magic. Seeing as how nothing deadly was in the near vicinity, Avatara attempted to pick up the pace, but slammed into another wall. Feeling around indicated there was a wall somehow all around him, but that didn't make any sense. Finding an empty gap, Avatara staggered through that, just to bump into another wall. Another opening, followed by another wall. Avatara wished he was carrying the torches.

Before long, Avatara was hopelessly lost. Reaching the ground, amongst small spiders and other bugs that were making a crunching noise, Avatara found a dry piece of bone wrapped in a cloth. Avatara took out a fire-starter and lit the bone, trying to use it as a torch. An odd howl, and a heavy stench were in the air now. Avatara thought he heard breathing, but it was probably his, as his heart was racing.

Now that he could see, the tunnel twisted and turned continuously. Avatara walked around another dark corner, watching the ground to check for any holes or traps. Suddenly, Avatara became aware of something else in the tunnel, and slowly looked up. A giant dark-orange exoskeleton with bony joints and sharp claws stared back. The spider had jaws snapping, the size of a man's legs stretch longwise, dripping with a poisonous venom. The eight eyes were enormous, each the size of a large dinner plate, and all a beady black. The claws too were large, vicious looking they were the length of a fully grown tall man and as wide as the trunk of a tree, ending in needle point and a sharpness unlike that any mortal could forge a weapon with. The spider was appearantly hungry, and Avatara was essentially defenseless, being unable to use his magic. Avatara dropped the torch, and attempted to draw his sword as he backed up, but he tripped and the sword went clattering under and behind the beast. Avatara turned, only to get his feet trapped in a spiderweb set on the wall. Being unable to move his lower body, Avatara twisted around as the spider advanced in. Avatara was trapped. The world spun briefly and faded to blackness as the spider loomed near.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

"A-aa-aah y-y-ye-s, g-oo-d, a-a-ano-th-her m-meal f-or-r m-y-y ma-a-asters," the huge spider stuttered to itself, apparantly unaware that Avatara had passed out. The unnatural bone spider jerked down towards Avatara and injected liberal amounts of sleeping poison - it would prevent him from awakening until another dose was given, which would instantly kill him. His masters liked their food recently killed.

It was this spider along with another that had come and taken the group off in the night: the back of the crevice was thick-spun webs, and they had simply come through there. The noise and distraction of the thunder prevented Avatara from noticing. He knew that Avatara would eventually find his friends missing and look for them in the cavern, where he stood, waiting for him. Perhaps "think" isn't the best word for it though - more like "spoon fed". He was not a living creature, just a distorted shade of a more noble race that had once inhabited the caverns. He had little in the way of a mind, and his instructions were given to him through magic, by one of the living spiders.

Avatara was carried through the winding halls by the spider, who was currently being told what to do in a very accurate manner - he was not even intelligent enough anymore to avoid the trap set up for unwelcome travellers. He eventually came to his destination, deep in the caverns: a tall bronze pole. It glowed and the skeletal spider collapsed, leaving Avatara on the ground.

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<font color="gold">Bronze: the other gold metal.
Bacchus Publishing: [url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/show.pl?product=evo&category=guides&display=date&file=ChroniclesByJake101.sit.hqx"]Chronicles by Jake101: the unposted chapters[/url], [url="http://"http://users.erols.com/alkrauss/Once_Again.html"]Once Again: on the web.[/url]
Bacchus Freeware: Olympus Wars, a plugin for EV:N.

Visions floated before Avatara. He was standing on what appeared to be the void, and images of past friends floated before him. He viewed his friends from his homeland, and a pang of regret. Once again he could see the Temple of Life in all its granduer. Even wildlife was about the valley and hillsides surrounding the Temple of Life. Avatara smiled, but then frowned as a dark cloud obscured the sunny vision. The ground sank in a small circle around the temple, and the valley grew dark. Grass no longer grew, and the peaceful violet light atop the temple changed to an angry green, then a fiery red. The vally was almost lain bare, nobody moved about in cheer and the village at the foot of the hills had ceased to exist. The hills also had their share of devastation, the last bits of grass and remains of the forest on the far side were rapidly diminsihing. The whole sky was dark now, flashes of lightning lit up the sky in red areas.

So this is what has happened while I have been away. This is all my fault.

The land around the temple was dying, and the plague was spreading around to the surrounding countryside. Soon, everything south of the White Mountains to the north would be a wasteland like this. Its all because of me, I let him go; I should've punished him when I had the chance. Now my home is destoryed, Gathelian is dead, and the remaining nine are hoplelessly scattered across the dimensional plains. I must stop this.

And then, in the flash it had come to Avatara, it was gone again. In its place was a happier memory. Avatara was at the tavern, talking happily with Slayer and Talos. They were discussing something, and Talos was overly excited.

Then, that vision too was gone and replaced by another...and another...

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

Avatara slowly and painfully drifted back to consciousness. He attempted to look around, but everything was so dark that he couldn't see anything. There was a foul stench around, one that made Avatara feel queasy. He was completely wrapped up in sticky thick spider strands, save for his head, and wasn't able to move at all. There appeared to be a pole in front of him, one that was lightly glowing. What it was, and why it was there remained a mystery. Avatara wished he had a dagger or at least his magic to cut through the ropes so he could do something. He attempted to cause his hands to go up in flame, but that just caused a bunch of smoke to rise, nearly killing Avatara from lack of oxygen.

He had to wait and see what would happen.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

Lindor came to. Fighting to orient himself through his pounding headache, he first noticed that he couldn't move, including barely able to breath. His arms were trapped, wrapped around himself in an almost self-embrace. His legs were completely numb, and the goey webs hugged aboout him everywere but the top of his face. Lindor struggled to open his eyes, even such a simple act seeming all but impossible. Finally, his fair blood, resistant to the spider poisen by nature, awakened enough for him to raise his eyelids.

Only to look up into the face of the hugest spider he had ever seen. He welcomed the blackness that swelled up around him, sending him back into forgetfull unconcenseness (sp?).

Though Avatara was knocked out and drug away, the spiders didn't even bother to take note on what he was dropping. A few potions and a revival serum were there. Talos scooped it up and had to make an agonizing decision. DF was still dead and his body wouldn't hold out much longer and Avatara was gone but had time before he could actually be revived. The only problem was what to do to get the serum. His final choice would not be easy to come to...

A few hours later, DF awakened. His clothing was tattered and his flesh was scarred but he was alive. He saw Talos nearby writhing in near agony. He didn't have any time to try to find out because suddenly his mind was seeing it too. Avatara was not dead.

****

THE WORLD WILL END. EVERYTHING WILL DIE. YOUR FAULT, ALL YOUR FAULT. DISEASE, FAMINE, PLAGUES. THE WORLD WILL END. ALL YOUR FAULT. YOU ABANDONED THEM! YOU ABANDONED US! TRAITOR!
Visions popped up as the idea kept rolling around. Avatara's mind was leeking out visions of the future, and of the past.

The 9... Avatara was standing at his spot, the rune of fire, amongst the 9. He remembered the fierce glow each had. They had called for a gathering, someone had called for a gathering. Something terrible was happening. People were under attack by an unknown force, three villages had been decimated. Dethelon stepped forward, the avatar of air.

"I have called this gathering." His voice boomed. "Our land has faced a threat none of us have ever coped with before. The years of peace are over. For the first time ever, we must use the temple to its full extent. We must get help from other dimensions, help me open the portal. Our people are dying, and we cannot possibly save them." He droned on, Avatara had stopped listening. He knew this was an extreme exaggeration, but he also knew that the people they had sworn to protect were being slaughtered. It seemed like only yesterday Avatara had come to the Temple of Life, even though it was over 240 years ago. The council of 9 had successfully kept their land prosperous and in peace. "...and even the Guardians of Light to the north have dissappeared." Avatara stared stunned. All 60 of them were wiped out? No, it couldn't have been. They weren't stupid, and probably escaped to a place, ready to strike back when needed.

Time sped up and the vision jumped ahead a couple of hours. Avatara stared at the blood on his hands, letting his trusted friend and advisor Gerthridon slip from his embrace. He knew now who was behind this terrifying onslaught, who had even dared to challenge the nine. Even though he knew, he couldn't believe it. Dethelon had betrayed his collegues, his friends, their trust. Somehow Avatara knew he'd have to prevent his influence from spreading. After slaying 2 of the 9, and now the advisor for them, he had somehow absorbed their gift of magic. It was even more stunning that one of the two slain was Dethelon's best friend, an attempt to get others off his track.

A clank of metal from the hallway and Avatara froze. The guards were coming, somehow he had bribed the temple guards! Everything in Avatara's life was collapsing. He had quickly ran to the study, and there he had finished the magical ritual to open the gate. If he didn't escape, the secret Gerthridon had died to protect would be released. Avatara now was the only one alive who could work the dimensional gate on this side. He stepped back, the gate whirling open in front of him. With a sigh, he focused on his power and set his study on fire. Hot flames curled up the walls as the last scraps of information and chemicals needed to open the gate burned to ashes. Avatara sighed and stepped in the portal, leaving behind the sounds of guards attempting to smash down his sealed door.

****

The thoughts stopped rushing. Talos, DF and Lindor sat stunned on the ground. The others were elsewhere but no doubt had to have seen that.

"We shall wait a few more hours, then we strike. That was we can have a stronger force to attack with" Talos said, taking command
"Right, a few hours" DF said silently

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[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 03-29-2001).]

Agian a voice cries "Help, help. Help me!"


Tycho Maudd

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I say what occurs to me to say when I think I hear people say things, more I cannot say.

DF's mind perks up "Did you hear that?" DF asked as he frantically searched around.

"Hear what? More voices? No, I can't say that I have" Talos responded and started laughing as DF looked like an idiot.

"Someone...familiar. Not very familiar but it is a voice from a time ago" DF said as he followed the mind trail left to him by his unseen friend.

****

The night was cold, he remembered that. He seemed to be the youngest of all the rest. A mere child with the power of an adult. His power couldn't stop what would happen next. A dark energy was pouring from one of the members as a huge argument ensued with the rest of the group. DF stayed out of it but he knew that a dark force was going to erupt soon as he watched the nine's power start to waver. A friend of his, a bit older, about average age of the group, was with him. A friend in the practices. DF's magic was similar to the power of evil that was permeating the council but not exactly alike. There was one member who left the council, knowing what would take place. Another had risen to take his spot.
A flash and another memory surfaced.

A bit older, DF was finding more and more wrong with the world around him. The nine9 was a whole but with the new member. The one who left was no longer in touch, he had escaped somewhere else, but appearantly trained the one to take his spot. DF wasn't as strong as any of the nine but his power was greater than many others in the land and it did allow for him to see it was going on. The council met again that time. Dethelon spoke in a booming voice about the more apparent shifts. The coucil of life was being destroyed in a bloody coupe! DF felt the power being used and knew it before the rest did, or seemed to notice. He kept it to hiself hoping it was only a bad feeling. The more he spoke, the more DF noticed a higher member starting to fade off. Avatara!! No wait, Avatara wasn't his name then, he had a different name. What could it have been? DF couldn't recall. He didn't fade away, no, that would have been too easy. Instead he stopped paying attention. DF noted this for later times.

Another flash, another memory.

Dethelon was the traitor. His best friend Lerdarion, of the third element, the path of nature, was aware of this and aware of DF's power. He taught DF with all the skill he could but DF wasn't able to handle it. Soon after, DF's power took control and he destroyed Lerdarion in a fit of rage that was induced by the powers inside by accident. The energy was then absorbed and DF was able to cast some elemental spells. The fires of rage then burned the castle nearby, everyone started blaming the strange things going on at the Temple of Life. Dethelon then made a move and killed another one of the nine, angry that his friend was killed. DF couldn't remember his name, but only a number. The fourth element, the path of earth, was slain. Dethelon trapped both the bodies of the slain nine in horrifying beasts that started slaughtering people at night for power. Their tortured souls were twisted into a mockery of what they had become. Dethelon, the seventh element, the path of air, was becoming more powerful than he normally should have.

Flash, the memories were coming faster.

Avatara, standing by a gate of fire as DF watched from a hiding space nearby. The guards were surely going to catch him before he made it. DF cast a dark spell that Avatara wouldn't notice and the guards became slower, more sluggish. His magic didn't work on Dethelon but he was too far away and Avatara's power was too much the opposite of his to matter. He went through the gate but the gate wouldn't close fast enough. Working fast, DF sealed the portal by destroying the artifact it was made of and unwaringly saved Avatara's life by destroying it with a fire blast that would seem part of the spell Avatara had left behind. What was Avatara's name then?

Flash.
Dethelon was chasing him through the fields, his friends all hidden.
Flash.
A similar portal opening nearby.
Flash.
Explosions all around as he passed through the gates. Dethelon was desperate to catch and kill him. Dethelon needed the power, and DF had the power.
Flash.

****

His mind swimming all around him, DF found a familiar spot and regained his sanity. Lindor followed in case something were to happen. Stretching out with his power, Lindor found something.

"DF, I found something here. Looks like a gate of some sort. Want me to break the seal?" Lindor asked as he started to charge up a dark spell

"No, your blasts won't work. This is sealed from both sides. He will recognize my signature and will open his side too." DF said as he got himself ready. Then DF thought, If I destroyed that gate, the only way into this world would be through the void. DF shook that thought away. He knew Avatara would be angry that DF left Avatara's path wide open, so he had kept the gate artifact hidden all these years with a wizard's web.

His body then began to glow and his clothes changed shape. The robe of Avatara!! This one was a grey version though. The spell used was unfamiliar to Lindor and he watched with amazement when DF's power hit the gate and it appeared in the visual spectrum. The gate was completely grey at first but soon after it changed to a half red-half grey gate. Then red energy poured out as the gate shattered. DF's power was overwhelming it but he stopped attacking. The red power stopped as well. Out came another cloaked figure. He was dressed in red.

"Tycho, it has been some time" DF said as he approached him.

The two glows, DF's grey glow and Tycho's red, combined as they closed in on one another.

"The power of the council will never be the same. Dethelon has made sure of that." Tycho responded. "Even if Avatara succeeds in his trial yet to come, it won't be restored to its former glory. Just a shadow of what it once was."

"Are the others still safe?"

"From what I could tell, Avatara is back in action, but is in peril. The other 4 are fine. Four left besides Avatara? Who else had died? We will have to find them but they can be great help if they are found. However, we might need someone skilled in dimensional travel, I remember that they each fled to someplace different to avoid all of them being caught."

With some effort, Tycho set out a power unseen before by Lindor.

"Heh, I forgot about this. Wait! Send us to the spot where my friend Talos is." DF said as he projected a mental image to Tycho.

****

ALl of a sudden, a massive fireball was headed straight for Talos.
"Aw, hell" Talos cried as he put up a magic shield he learned from Avatara. Surprisingly enough, DF, Lindor, and a strange person emerged from the fireball a few feet away from him.
"HAHAHA!! You should have seen the look on your face" Lindor shouted as he fell down and rolled around with laughter
"This is a new ally, he will help us find the help we need" DF told Talos as Talos walked over to where Lindor was and kicked him.

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[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

Suddenly, a sound can be heard from the nearby bushes.
Rogan, who has been a little dull the past hours, put his right hand to his sword and said to the others: "What was that?"

"It's coming from over there" said Avatara and pointed at the bushes.

Another sound, but no movement.

DF drew his iceblade and Rogan unsheathed his sword. Grapper approached the bushes with an alert eye and one hand on his sword.

When Grapper was about a pace from the bushes, a figure leaped out of them and attacked him. Rogan and DF jumped a few steps backwards as Grapper fell to the ground with the person on top of him, holding a dagger.

Quickly, Lindor put his sword to the man's throat and everything was silent. "Who are you?" yelled Lindor. When the man raised his head, Rogan recognised him as an old friend, Lukyan...

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Horses...dangerous in both ends and uncomfortable in the middle

"Do you know this man?" Lindor asked Rogan, seeing a hint of recognition flash accros Rogan's face. "Do I let him rise, or make his body fall?"

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

"Remove your weapon immediately" Rogan responded.
The man on the ground smiled a somewhat confused smile.
"This is Lukyan, commander of the independent force known as the Seventh Legion" continued Rogan, "and a good friend of mine. I'm surprised Kestrel does not recognize him? He's cooperating with the Gelian Independent Force (see character info) many times"
Lindor removed his sword and helpen Lykyan get on his feet. Grapper got up and removed the dirt from his clothes.

"Please, accept my apologies" Lukyan said, "I have been chased by demons a long time, and I am a little jumpy" He held his hand out.
Grapper shook his hand and they both nodded and smiled. "No hard feelings" Grapper responded.

"So...what are you up to?" Lukyan asked curiously.

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Horses...dangerous in both ends and uncomfortable in the middle

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

Avatara stirred, the blackness around him was spiraling, making him dizzy. He wanted to lapse into the black void threatening to swallow him up, but something inside warned him. The world seemed to tilt, and Avatara felt like releasing his lunch. He couldn't remember how long he had been here, but the nausiating stench was almost unbearable. Darkness nibbled at the corners of Avatara's vision, and he relented as he plunged into the void and lost hold of consciousness...

****

He saw him coming toward him. The day was like any other, the sun gleaming down in warm rays. His best friend was walking with them, they were in the mountains to the north, seeking the guardians of life. They were discussing something, it was a relaxing talk, a nice break from the chaos of politics back at the temple. The temple shone, its dull purple stones glowing slightly in the distance behind them. The hill they were on was lush, green, and grassy. A wood began down below, and stretched toward the massive snow-topped peaks in the distance. The air was buzzing with life, as they had left the valley of the temple. Recently the life there had been becoming more strenuous, and it was starting to lose the balance that had been in place for the last 239 years.

His friend, of the second element, was discussing the life he dreamed of ahead. He had fallen in love with one of the female guardians of life, and was thinking of nothing else these days. Avatara had teased him about his fortune, and they had shared relatively good times then, when they could escape the temple. It had started to seem like a prison to Avatara back then, with the increasing threat that was plaguing the land. Avatara had...no wait, Avatara had a different name back then. What was it? Avatara was the name he chose when he came into Cythera, in the middle of the night.

The memory started to fade, replaced by a different one. This one was from long ago, before Avatara had become one of the nine, before his gift had been discovered and trained. No, Avatara didn't fit, it sounded rather crude among the life then. [i]What was I called? He had been a ranger, travelling the woods with friends like him who liked the quiet paths of nature. They had helped visitors through the woods and always helped maintain the balance of life then. It was some 300 years ago, the time when they stumbled across the rare Silverthorn plant. A plant with magical healing properties.

Suddenly a voice drifted to him as the vison faded, it was a female's voice. He strained to remember who it was, until he remembered. It was the leader of the guardians of life. She had found him, and brought him to the temple when he was rather young. He was to be a ranger no more, though he could always retain what he had learned and gained from that experience. The voice was whispering a name...his name.

****

Avatara woke with a jolt, seeing the cavern around him. The journey into this world had fragmented his memory, so the past was slightly unclear. But he remembered. He whispered the word out loud, treasuring its importance.

"Paithan"

Suddenly his memory was sliding back into place, images and scenes flashed before his eyes. As he would start to recognize one, it would fade away, to be replaced by another.

****

Hours later, he remembered everything. Everything he had been taught, everything he had been through. Somehow his memory had been restored, and now he knew the task he had to accomplish. He had to free his people from the tyranny occuring now, but he knew he wasn't strong enough yet. He needed to study more, so he would be ready. The treasure he was seeking contained a magical object of importance, something that would be useful in the future. Most of all, he needed friends to accomplish it.

He had gotten them into this, now he had to see this through, with them. With renewed resolve, he concentrated. The spell the spiders had placed, the illusion that made him feel like his magic was gone, no longer had an effect. Avatara had broken the illusion, power flowed into him and refreshed him.

Avatara focused a ball of energy to appear in his hands, the web around them melted and withered away. With his hands free, the rest soon became free of the webbing. A massive spider was nearby, appearing to be asleep. Avatara held out his hands and touched the spider's skin. It was dreaming of Avatara's death, how it would kill and eat him. Avatara smiled, then changed it to a scowl. The spider never knew what had come, Avatara's hands had melted it with their touch. "The path of fire" meant more than most people believed it intended.

The spider dead, the smell of burning flesh a welcome relief to the stench of the spider, Avatara continued on. He picked up his sword, and welding it began his journey through the cave.

****

The fresh air of the night welcomed him. He stood on the ledge leading down into the valley below, the cave behind him. He remembered his friends had been captured there, all the signs pointing to it, but his gut told him otherwise. DF had probably come, he felt a feeling of relief and safeness radiating off his friends, some distance away. Yes, DF would take care of them, he trusted DF. Though DF didn't know it, Avatara remembered DF from his world, working as part of a secret group that worked in the castle. The group was the eyes and ears of the temple, in a sort. Avatara wondered if DF remembered, but he would leave that to DF. He had a treasure to find, and friends to rejoin.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]

With the original group- Talos, Lindor, and Rogan finally gathered by the assist from Tycho, Tycho left to find Avatara. Not known to DF was the original name of Avatara and Tycho was refusing to let DF know. DF remembered little from the times. His memory was clogged ever since he trasported from this realm to the other. In the other he appeared as a young man and was taken under tutalage by a formidable warrior. He learned the ways of the sword. His dark power revealed in a sparring match with the warrior which left the warrior dead and the area around it destroyed. DF took his name from the animal he thought of himself as and the place he longed to be. I am a later. Of the 8th area. Shadow. Yes, shadow.

DF's thoughts were his own but he couldn't remember the past that was lost to him. Time warped it and it was only coming back in fragments. The group, assembled at the bottom of the base, was about to go in and find something. DF felt Avatara was safe but also sensed a powerful object inside that needed to be collected. The group around him and ready to go, the charged the gates...

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[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 12-28-2001).]