Ambrosia Software Web Board: The Sorcery Tower - Ambrosia Software Web Board

Avatara walked over to Arsloss and asked, "Cold?"

"Yesss, though I hate to admit it." Came the stuttered reply.

"I'll see what I can do." Avatara walked toward the front of the cave, the wind now howling visciously and snow beginning to blow inwards, inching its way slowly deeper into the cave. "Hmm...we might be buried by morning, if I don't do something." Avatara inwardly mumbled, remembering some runic magic he never had to use before. He walked back to the fire, and took one of the flaming logs before returning to the entrance, using a magic bubble to keep the flame going. There, he began to draw an intricate pattern of runes, several centimenters thick and winding all around the entrance of the cave. When he was finished, he spoke a word, ignoring the choking smoke from the burnt-out wood and the runes flared a bright red.

The snow inside the cave quickly receeded, and a cozy warmth began pulsating from the runes, heading towards the inside. Outside, the storm raged wild as ever, but nothing more than a slight calm breeze would disturb the group that night.

Little did the group know that the storm wasn't ready to quit, not even in the morning. And it was still only getting started...

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

Morning found Trinias and Violet by the fire, cooking breakfast. In addition to pancakes, he'd shown her how to make a doughy, spiced cake that he called a 'damper', cooked on a spit over the fire. Violet had been trying to engage him in conversation, without much luck; apart from making brief answers to her questions, he spent the time staring broodingly out at the weather.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been very good company," he said, finally. "It's just that this storm has me worried. It shows no sign of letting up - in fact, it's gotten worse since last night. If it wasn't for Avatara's runes, I think we'd have been blocked in here by now."

Violet shuddered at the thought of being trapped in the cave. "Well, what can we do about it? Is the storm too bad to travel in?"

"Not for Moonshadow, I'd bet," he replied with a smile. "But for the rest of us - yes, I'd say it is."

Slayer approached at that moment. Violet served him some pancakes and damper, and he joined them near the mouth of the cave.

"I think we need a new plan," Trinias said to him, after a moment. "Arsloss certainly wouldn't survive this, and I have my doubts about the rest of us, too."

Slayer gazed thoughtfully out of the cave mouth for a long while, finishing his breakfast. In ones and twos, several of the others awoke and came to join them; Violet served each as they arrived. Eventually, Slayer put down his empty plate, and looked back over his shoulder towards the interior of the cave. "I wonder how far back this cave goes, and if it leads anywhere?"

Trinias stood up and stretched, glad of something to do. "There's only one way to find out. Who's coming with me?"

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On the other hand, you have different fingers.

[This message has been edited by Trinias (edited 01-18-2002).]

Callie jumped, performing some mild acrobatics for a cat. Streching herself, she started to look up at Trinias and meow. "I think she wants to come along," Violet said, s######ing. "I think you're right." Trinias said, as Callie began to purr by Violet's leg. She reached down and scratched her a bit, and Callie gave Violet a playful nip on the hand, and then went to wash herself at Trinias' feet.

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Those who know the truth are not up to those who love it; those who love the truth are not up to those who delight in it.
-- Confucius (a.k.a. Kong Fuzi)
------------------
Battle.Net Screen Name: ev3-ferazel The Game: StarCraft

Trinias, Callie and a few other volunteers made their way deeper into the cave. The walls and floor seemed to be quite featureless, as caves go, although there was occasional evidence of a stalagmite having been broken off and worn away.

"I wonder what could have done that?" Trinias asked of no-one in particular.

The entrance was quickly lost from view, as they wended their way around several twists and turns, back into the darkness. After no more than about ten minutes walking, the cave opened out into a large chamber; the light from their torches was insufficient to show how high it was. Curious, Trinias fired a few 'flare' arrows upward, and the cave ceiling was revealed; fairly ordinary, as such things go. There were no promising openings anywhere to be seen.

"What isss thisss sstrange plassse?" Arsloss queried. "It hasss the ssmell of death!"

Violet and Sya glanced at each other, and both shuddered. Callie tucked close to Violet's legs, raised her hackles and hissed loudly. Garendor made a rumbling noise, deep in his throat.

Trinias approached something that had glinted whitely in the light from the torch. He glanced at it briefly, took one last look around for openings, and returned to the others. His face was grim. "There's nothing for us here; let's go back."

They marched silently back the way they'd come, and soon found themselves gathered around the fire, with the remainder of the group.

"What did you find?" Slayer queried.

"Nothing useful," Trinias replied, still grim-faced. "At the end of the tunnel is what used to be a dragon's lair. There's nothing there now but the bones of its victims - humanoids, mostly; I can't tell if they were human or elves. There's signs of a rockfall on one wall; maybe the dragon blocked off an entrance, but we can't tell - and it would take too much effort to move that much rock, when the result is uncertain."


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On the other hand, you have different fingers.

[This message has been edited by Trinias (edited 01-19-2002).]

"Bad news," Avatara interjected upon Trinias' dissapointment upon an unfruitful search. "From the way I judge it, the storm is indeed magical. Unfortunately, that means that we triggered something to start it, probably the same place where we can stop it. So in other words, its not going to quit unless we retreat to someplace beyond the hunter's village, and its only going to get worse as time passes, so we can't stay here. The magical energies are multiplying rapidly, and pretty soon we'll have more to worry about than snow. That, and my runes can only take so much."

"What do you suggust we do?" Slayer asked, "Arsloss can't take the storm, and I doubt most of us could."

"That's the problem. I do however remember a shielding spell, where we can travel in a bubble, safe from the outside elements. However, it is extremely mana-consuming, so it will not last more than an hour and I'll be completely drained for some time after that. If we can make good speed in that time and arrive at the sorcery tower, we should be fine."

"Very well." Trinias sighed, "We should go for it."

"Arsloss, you'll be fine." Avatara told the creature, "Just make sure nobody stays behind too much. Slayer will go at the front with me, I need him to lead the way."

The group gathered outside the runes, each one eyeing the big obstacle ahead. For some, it could mean a terrible nightmare, for some even death. Yet for all, it was a desparate attempt. Everyone could plainly see, despite the massive blizzard, that heavy lightning was building up, visciously ripping the ground apart.

Avatara sighed for a moment, gathering strength. "Everyone take a big breath, I need to deactivate the runes." The runes flickered once, and faded, leaving no trace that they had existed behind. Almost instantly a chilling wind blasted the group, and several shuddered. Just as quickly, it ceased, and there was a blue bubble around the group. "Time to go, lets hurry."

Slayer and Avatara led the way at a fairly fast pace, leaving the cave and winding up the mountain, heading for the pass that would take them into the lost valley.

They were somewhere near the top, when the group heard a rumbling, and the ground began to shake. Far below them, they could see part of the trail they were winding above had collapsed, specifically the part outside the cave that had been comforting shelter only moments before. The group proceeded grimly, and slower. To their right was a sheer drop of hundreds of feet, so they hugged the slippery mountain to their left as they wound their way around. Then, Avatara called out his warning, "The spell is slipping, we need to make a run for it!" His voice was nearly lost over the wind.

The group broke out into an all-out run, ignoring the slippery rocks. Several fell, and scrambled to their feet with bleeding injuries that would have to be ignored, for to tarry would mean certain death.

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

OoC
Cache, check your email!
Urg, maybe my server lost it again...
Well, I guess this TS proves that one can have a story without planning ahead.
I'm shocked!

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I'll just put a random number at 0008EC and see what happens.
(Famous Last Words #-32767)
   
Where do you want to [url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/tricks/rJade.htm"]teleport[/url] today?

Forty five minutes later, after the group had moved two miles from where they stood in the cave, they found themselves suddenly standing under two magnificent, looming towers of blackened stone. They were decorated in a style which gives the impression that the builders were both fabulous architects but corrupted to the ways of death and blackness. Above each tower, for the group could not see where the towers' tops were, one green orb of piercing light was glowing through even the immensely dense snow. Between the towers were enormous gates that looked as though it would take the strength of twenty men to open each side, and neither side opened independently of the other. On the sides of the towers facing away from the gates were small doors, as though guards might pass through them.

As the party gazed up in wonder for ten minutes, suddenly they noticed pricks of cold hitting their faces. The magical bubble that protected them against the elements was wearing away.

Talos first noticed the fact that Avatara had fallen onto the ground with weariness, and quickly roused the attention of others. Everyone scrambled to get to the possible shelter of the towers except for Talos and Avatara. Arsloss, of all people, rushed to their assistance. He used up the little mana he had and the little magic he knew to create some warmth around them and him, and he slithered through the snow with them sitting on his back so as not to force them to use up the little energy they had to trudge through the snow. It was painful for Arsloss, but he cared naught -- decided had he that he was to help the others along in this journey, for they depended upon each other, and he did so, too.

When they opened the doors to the right tower, for it was closest, they found it warm and comfortable in there. A cheery fire was going in the hearth, and it was roomy enough for all to lie and rest. But only for a short while.

"What wasss that...?" Arsloss muttered to Talos. "I could ssswear I heard a clanking...of armour...and swords...from upwards heard it I..."

Talos had heard it too. As had Avatara and Garendor.

"Silence!" shot Talos as others started asking "what was that?"

It could be heard no more...not by human or snake...but rather by Callie and Garendor, whom it could plainly be told were listening to the subtle and stealthy sounds of men stepping down stone steps. No one dared even to breathe, for they had a vague idea of what might happen if they did; not a full idea, though.

Arsloss flicked his tongue out and nearly gave a start had Talos not swept his hand over Arsloss's mouth nearly instantly. The taste he found in the air was most disturbing; it tasted like foul humans...but worse...ever worse...

Soon the elves could hear the tip...tap... of human's soft shoes stepping on hard, polished stone surfaces. And soon even the humans could hear it. Finally Slayer took his sword out...then Talos...then Avatara...and everyone was poised to strike. Trinias and Sya slowly and silently drew their bows and fitted arrows just below the arrow notch on the string...the arrows rested in the arrow rest, and the two archers pulled the string just to the corner of their cheeks...the tips of the arrows stood two inches away from the arrow rests...poised...ready to strike...

The people who were on the stairs struck first. An arrow whistled out of a tiny crack in the stone to land, quivering, in Slayer's shoulder. The force of the arrow knocked him back, to land with a thud, on the ground.

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YakKa Foob MoG. GRuG
PubbuWuP ZiNk WattooM
GaZoRK. CHuMBLE SpuZz.

The group dashed precariously over the mountain, fighting the frigid wind that was now seeping through Avatara's bubble. As they rounded the bend, they saw it: The Sorcery Tower. The tower wasn't nearly as impressive as any of them had imagined. It stood, at best, three stories out of the floor of the valley. Surrounding the base of the tower was a structure, roughly the size of house of Attis in Cademia, one story high.

"This is quite a disappointment," commented Slayer.

"Are you sure that's even it?" asked Trinias.

"We haven't any choice but to check it out. Avatara cannot possibly maintain this bubble for much longer," responded Slayer. He glanced over at Avatara. Avatara seemed nearly on the point of collapse.

The party rushed, as best the could, towards the tower. As they made it inside the front gate, Avatara passed out from exhaustion. Moonshadow, being the healer of the group, volunteered to stay with him to help him regain consciousness. The walls had glowing purple crystals every two meters, about eye level. The provided enough light to see by. Slayer looked ahead to see a spiral staircase ascending upward into the tower. He, and a number of other went to look at this staircase. They could see very little of interest as they looked up the center of the stairwell. Down, however, was another matter. The staircase descended as far as they could see...

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Slayer's guide to Cythera:
[url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/cythera.htm"]http://www.macclassi...era/cythera.htm[/url]

*OoC*

Hrm. We appear to have quite a duplicate post... bad.

Both, imho, are very able and good posts. I suppose, however, we will have to vote as to whose we use.

I abstain.

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Bronze: the other gold metal.   | |   And so the space toaster hardened the outer layers of the doughy, ooey-gooey ancient Earth...
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].

I'm sorry Gwydion, but I have to vote for Slayer's. Mainly because I really want to actually get to the ST.

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

I vote to use Gwydion's post, because I like the description more (no offense Slayer ). Slayer's definitely has more possibilites, but we could make it so that Gwydy's leads to just as many different possibilities, without actually changing anything in the real post.

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Need a name??? Need a character??? I GOT LOTS!!!
Email me or visit my site at [url="http://"http://www.danicsoft.com/kat"]http://www.danicsoft.com/kat[/url]

They're both good posts. I would've hoped that a way could be found to use both, but they just seem so incompatible - Gwydion's tall gate-towers, and Slayer's small Sorcery Tower. Also: on the one hand, Gwydion hasn't posted much, and clearly put a lot of effort into that post; but on the other hand, I want to get to the Sorcery Tower.

I suppose it has to come down to a vote, but I'm with Talos - I abstain.

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Kobayashi Maru!

Sorry, Gwydion, but Slayer's. I too want to get to the ST.

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Those who know the truth are not up to those who love it; those who love the truth are not up to those who delight in it.
-- Confucius (a.k.a. Kong Fuzi)
------------------
Battle.Net Screen Name: ev3-ferazel The Game: StarCraft

I am obviously biased in favor of mine, but Gwydion really did make a very good post. I, like so many others, abstain.

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Slayer's guide to Cythera:
[url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/cythera.htm"]http://www.macclassi...era/cythera.htm[/url]

After thinking about it for a bit, I think we could use both. If we stick with Slayer's for now, many aspects of Gwydion's post could be incorporated once they were underground - even those tall towers (we've had underground citadels before, right?)

That way, Gwydion's post would only need minor alterations made in order to fit in at the appropriate time. Opinions?

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Kobayashi Maru!

Well, I think that would work pretty well. I say go for it, what does everyone else say?

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Need a name??? Need a character??? I GOT LOTS!!!
Email me or visit my site at [url="http://"http://www.danicsoft.com/kat"]http://www.danicsoft.com/kat[/url]

Meh, this is kinda dumb. I go with cache's idea. C'mon Gwydion, edit!

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Those who know the truth are not up to those who love it; those who love the truth are not up to those who delight in it.
-- Confucius (a.k.a. Kong Fuzi)
------------------
Battle.Net Screen Name: ev3-ferazel The Game: StarCraft

*** OoC ***
OK, the trend seems to be toward my proposed solution, so I'll get the story moving again before interest dies completely
*** BiC ***


"It would pay to check that upstairs is clear first, don't you think?" Trinias suggested to Slayer.

Slayer nodded. "Trinias, Garendor, Talos and Brink; if you'd take care of that, we'll wait here for Avatara to recover. Remember: in spite of the storms, there's no proof these people are hostile, yet; so don't kill anyone if you don't have to."

Trinias nodded, and unslung his bow. He didn't string an arrow, since he could do that much just as fast as the others could draw their swords. The four men quickly and quietly departed up the stairs, Garendor in the lead, his sensitive nose twitching as he sought for any sign of life.

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On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Sya stood patiently at the bottom of the stairs. She hoped that the four men would come back soon, then maybe they all could go explore underground.

She glanced around at the others in the dim light. A few were shivering slightly. It wasn't exactly warm in the Tower.

Callie came winding around everyone's feet and stopped by Sya, her tail twitching. Sya picked up the cat absently and stroked it while thinking. This Sorcery Tower seemed rather odd- it seemed so plain, so normal, not like she had expected it to be. And what about those storms?

Sighing, she gently put Callie down and then turned to Slayer. "I'm going back to check on Moonshadow and Avatara."

Slayer nodded and Sya went back down the corridor.

Moonshadow looked up as Sya apparoached. She shook her head, knowing why Sya was there. "He's still unconscious. There's not much I can do right now."

Sya kneeled down next to Avatara. "Maybe I can do something." She reached into her bag and searched for a moment, then pulled out a bottle filled with an extremely dark blue ointment, almost black. She narrowed her eyes in concentration as she spread the ointment carefully on Avatara's forehead. She put the lid back on the bottle, returned it to the bag and leaned back.

Moonshadow glanced at her quizzically.

"It's a recipe that's been in my family for ages," Sya explained. "Oakweed, crushed alya fern, blue spruce bark, navy leaves, blackberries and the most important ingredient- the Minas Daja plant."

"I've never heard of that plant," Moonshadow commented. "What does the potion do, anyways?"

"It eases the pain or exhaustion after the person wakes up," Sya replied. "I'm not sure how much effect it'll have on Avatara, though, since he was knocked out because of magic." She turned suddenly. "Somebody's coming down the hallway. Wait."

Sya got up and walked down the dark hall. Moonshadow heard voices, and then Sya returned. "They want us to come back to the staircase as soon as Avatara wakes up." Moonshadow nodded and Sya sat down to wait.

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Need a name??? Need a character??? I GOT LOTS!!!
Email me or visit my site at [url="http://"http://www.danicsoft.com/kat"]http://www.danicsoft.com/kat[/url]

Callie became suspicious of the people who wanted to see Avatara. Walking to the staircase, Callie padded along. Hearing voices, she stopped and froze against the wall. She saw a group of people, and it didn't sound like the ones that had talked to Sya earlier. She followed this group, and when they stopped, Callie backed down the corridor a little. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying; she was tired and was on the verge of simply collapsing. She heard something about a revolt, and started to trot back to the group. Without warning, Callie sneezed.

"What was that?" one person said. "I don't know," a second replied. A third stated, "Let's check it out."

Callie had enough of a warning from that to bound down the corridor. Going down the steps to where the group was, she quickly casted a few Rune of Stunning spells, and her pursurers were stuck to where they stepped on the runes.

She ran faster, trying to reach someone. Sya, there she was, Callie slowed down a little, managed to get to Sya, and uttered a single meow before she fell down, asleep.

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Those who know the truth are not up to those who love it; those who love the truth are not up to those who delight in it.
-- Confucius (a.k.a. Kong Fuzi)
------------------
Battle.Net Screen Name: ev3-ferazel The Game: StarCraft

[This message has been edited by ferazel_09 (edited 01-22-2002).]

There were no corridors leading off the first landing, although there were four doors. Trinias and Talos took up stations on either side of one. On Talos' signal, Trinias Flung the door open and Talos rushed in, sword ready - to confront an empty room.

It had plainly once been living quarters for somebody, but was long abandoned. Dust lay everywhere, almost an eighth of an inch think in places, and the slats of the bed had collapsed. All-in-all, it was a gloomy and depressing sight.

Brink and Garendor had found a similar scene in the next room; the third room housed long-unused cooking facilities, while the fourth door revealed empty and dusty shelves.

They returned to the stairs, and made their way cautiously up to the top floor. As their eyes cleared the floor, they began to make out a flickering green light.

Garendor's nose began to twitch. He stopped, and held up two claws; Talos, immediately behind him, nodded in understanding. He signalled to Brink and Trinias to wait, while he and Garendor made the approach.

As Talos disappeared up the stairs, Brink drew his sword. Seeing the sense of it, Trinias drew and notched an arrow. They stood, tensely staring upward, straining to hear the smallest threatening noise that would signal them to rush to the defence of their comrades.

"Greetings," they heard Talos say, followed almost instantly by a shrill, catlike howl of pain! That was all the excuse they needed; Trinias and Brink dashed up the stairs, hoping they were prepared for what they would face.

They weren't. In the centre of the room was an embrasier, with a strange, green fire burning in it. Although the flames were quite high, there was no discernable heat emanating from it. Talos was struggling on the floor with a middle-aged man in a long robe; for someone who'd probably practised magic most of his life, he was surprisingly well built, and seemed to be an accomplished wrestler. A woman was standing, facing the struggling pair, with her back to the stairs; she seemed to be powering up some kind of spell.

That was all fairly ordinary. The thing that gave them pause was the sight of Garendal, struggling helplessly in the grip of a menacing figure of stone. A golem.

"Stop her!" Talos yelled, breaking them out of their moment of shock. Unwilling to kill a woman if he didn't have to, Trinias struck her on the back of the head with his bow. She dropped instantly; the energy she'd been gathering dispersed.

Keeping a wary eye on the unmoving golem, Brink stepped up to the man struggling on the floor. At the sight of Brink's sword pointing at his throat, the man ceased fighting and raised his hands. Talos climbed painfully to his feet.

"Do you always treat strangers so roughly?" he queried, rubbing his aching throat.

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On the other hand, you have different fingers.

[This message has been edited by Trinias (edited 01-23-2002).]

Brink lowered his sword. "Look, we won't hurt you, unless you force us to," he said.

"That's right," Talos added. "We just want to find out about this place. Truce?"

The man on the floor looked at them suspiciously for a moment, then nodded once. "I suppose I have to take you at your word, for now." Brink reached out a hand to help him up.

"Can you get this golem to release our friend, here?" Trinias interrupted. "I think he's in pain!"

"Arr, that I be," Garendor panted. "I'd be much grateful of assistance!"

"I'm sorry," the man replied, then gestured helplessly toward the unconscious woman on the floor. "The golem is Marlea's; I have no control."

Trinias pondered for a moment. "We could destroy it, I suppose - but not before it broke Garendor in two, I suspect!"

"That be not a good plan, think ye up another!" Garendor growled.

"Well, I didn't hit her all that hard, maybe we can bring her around."

Moments later, the woman was soaking wet from a bucket of cold water - and still unconscious. "Oh, this is ridiculous," Talos exclaimed in annoyance. "Trinias, go and get Moonshadow or Sya; maybe one of them can help."

Trinias nodded, and dashed back down the stairs.

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On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Moonshadow looked down at Avatara and sighed. Why did men always have to pose as heroes? What was it they were hoping to gain by it? If Avatara had just taken the trouble to ask, she would always have been able to protect a part of the group out in the storm. Her people had long ago developed spells with similar effects, even though the underlying elemental principles were probably different. Or he could at least have shown some sense and stayed conscious long enough to drink one of her Mage's Friend potions.
Her musings were abruptly interrupted by Trinias bursting in. "Moonshadow, Sya!"
Moonshadow grimaced. "Trinias, one thing: never scream in a room filled with elves!"
"And a cat." Sya added.
Moonshadow nodded, waiting a moment to let the words sink in, while Trinias gasped for air. "Thank you." She added, looking up and only then noticing that Trinias apparently had an urgent errand, since he had been running here. She exchanged puzzled glances with Sya, who was sitting opposite of her, cross-legged, taking care of the exhausted Callie.
"What happened?" Moonshadow queried, in a friendlier voice.
"I'll explain on the way. How do you get an unconscious person back up?"
Moonshadow glanced at Avatara. "Depends. Usually a bucket of wa-"
"We already tried that; didn't work, though."
Moonshadow got up nimbly. "I'm coming. Sya, will you take care of the two?"
Sya nodded.
"Great. Give him that when he wakes up." Moonshadow handed Sya a dark-grey potion. "It will restore his magical energy. Don't worry, this is the 'fixed' potion." Moonshadow winked. "It doesn't cause damage, as the 'common' ones do."
She left the patients in Sya's care and the room, following Trinias, who began to relate the situation to her.
When they arrived on the top floor, Moonshadow wasted no time surveying the scene, but instantly knelt down next to Marlea to examined her. "No problem here, I'll have her fixed in no time." She put her hands on the woman's shoulder, closing her eyes in concentration. Then she got up again, taking a step backwards just in case as the magess' eyes blinked open.

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As l lay in my bed staring at the sky I asked myself:
Where the hell did the roof go?

[This message has been edited by Moonshadow (edited 01-25-2002).]

Avatara peered around through narrow slits. He was grateful for Moonshadow's help, but this way was easier, and perhaps better, he knew his history. Someone screamed from a distance, and Sya looked away for a moment, even Callie trotted over to see what was wrong. Avatara quickly closed his eyes, and uttered a simple incantation that teleported his body a short distance, to someplace private, where he could recover without an audiance.

Avatara closed his eyes in the dark room, and let the healing sleep slowly restore him back to health.

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

Sya glanced up when she heard the scream, wondering if everyone was all right. She hoped Avatara would wake up before anything too serious happened.

She glanced down to check on Avatara- and found herself staring at the stone floor. Avatara was gone! Just in that instant that she had looked away, he had disappeared. Sya forced herself not to panic. Picking up the still-tired Callie, she stood up and walked down the corridor to where Slayer, Violet, Arsloss and Rogan were waiting.

Slayer turned to Sya as she approached. "Where's Avatara?" he asked. "I thought you were taking care of him until he woke up, since Moonshadow went upstairs."

Sya nodded. "I -was- taking care of Avatara. Then I looked up for a moment, and when I looked back down he was gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Violet queried. "He wouldn't just disappear!"

"But that's exactly what he -did- do. I don't know where he's got to. I mean, I would have noticed if he just got up and walked away," Sya replied.

Slayer sighed. "Well, I suppose we'll have to go look for him, but we don't know anything about this Tower. He might not even be in the Tower any more," Slayer added, and glanced at the winding staircase. "I don't know what's keeping them, they should have come back by now. I don't know why Trinias got Moonshadow to come up, either, but I'm guessing they needed her healing skills."

Rogan looked up. "We're probably going to have to go upstairs and search for them, if they're in trouble. We don't have to wait for Avatara now, so we might as well find them and then decide what to do."

Slayer nodded; Rogan's words made sense. He turned to everyone. "Ok, upstairs it is. Stay in pairs, though- I don't want anybody getting lost."

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Need a name??? Need a character??? I GOT LOTS!!!
Email me or visit my site at [url="http://"http://www.danicsoft.com/kat"]http://www.danicsoft.com/kat[/url]