Ambrosia Software Web Board: Echoes from the Past (TS) - Ambrosia Software Web Board

"I would just like to let everyone know that I don't eat much, beause of were we are going to be I think everyone will have to cut down on rations for a while" Medoc said pointing to the mountain infront of them. "There isn't likely to be much food up there so we should get as much food as possible before we leave to start climbing." Medoc turned to the new commer. "I would just to welcome you to the group but it is turning into more of a clan now, you know whats going to be at your destnation so there wont be any suprises there." Medoc opened his cloak and pulled out his staff "Do you know how to fight a dragon?" Medoc asked him "Does anyone here know how to fight a dragon?" Medoc said in a louder voice "The ones who do should teach the others how to fight a dragon." Medoc turned to Avatara "I know you are the leader and all but I think that we should at least be able to fight the damn thing before we go searching for it."

------------------
The mind controls the body, but the heart controls the mind.
Half Truth

"I was trained to fight by a dragon changling you have to aim for the eyes or you have to use their counter element, usually aiming that at the eyes also" Joru shrugged "nothing more do I know" he continued walking

------------------
"I don't like to fight, but it's my life, it's all I know" Joru at the council of elders, on Kentaries III

A bobbing, orange puffball danced over the top of some roadside shrubs, and was soon discovered to belong to a short, but stout, little moogle. Equipped with merely a simple pack, the diminuitive furry little creature quickly padded up to join the ranks of adventurers, many of whom shot the moogle doubtful looks, but trudged on.

The moogle walked with an air about him, that seemed to say, "Dragon? Posh!"

As the group rounded a corner in front of them, they saw a man sitting on a rock.
He noticed them and said,"My name is Selax. May I (and a friend of mine who should come along shortly) join you on your quest?"

(Please, look at character info for information about this character. How do you indicate when you are talking in or out of character?)

------------------
Selax

OoC: Thanks(for Selax, too!)
BiC:
Before anyone could answer the man seated on the rock, a large figure walked out from behind a tall evergreen. He wore a thick black robe, held shut by a tight cloth belt. His head was covered only by a small black cap. He looked to be in his seventies or so because of his long gray beard. His small eyes scanned the group, and then he spoke,
"I apologize for not showing myself earlier. I am the 'friend' that Se-" the elderly man stopped and glanced at Selax, who nodded. "-that Selax spoke of.
"I have been wandering these woods for days. Harpies killed by whole party back there." He paused for a moment as though in thought. "Strange, harpies appearing north of Pynx in daylight, now that I think of it. Well anyway. Fortunately, I met my old friend, Selax. He directed me out. I noticed your group going by and wondered if we might join. There is safety in numbers, and besides, I am sick of wandering these dark woods alone.
"Oh, yes, how ill-mannered of me. My name is Mr. Wizard, silly name isn't it. I never grew up enough to know my real name, for I am human. When I was old enough that I decided to get a name, other than earthling or human creature, I hated both names and nicknames. So I was a Mister. Mister what? Well I am a Wizard, so I became Mr. Wizard. I could of course be called other things, but I prefer Wizard. If you do not wish to address me formally, I am perfectly content with just Wizard, but never a nickname, especially Wiz. Oh, I am terribly sorry yet again. I have been talking so much that I forgot to let you speak. Well, how about it may we both tag along?"

------------------
The Wizard

"The more the merrier," Talos looked at the group, now numbering 13, and began to wonder if they had nearly enough supplies. At a nod from Avatara, Salex and Wizard joined the roving horde of adventurers as they headed northwest from Odemia. Medoc quickened his pace to walk next to Avatara as the path began to slowly curve and wind uphill.

"About fighting dragons..." Medoc prompted after several moments of silence had passed.

"Well, I'd say it depends. In my experience, dragons can be quite different from one another which is why I'd prefer to scout this thing out before formulating an attack plan. Joru was right in that if they're an elemental dragon you could simply use their counter element, but not nearly all dragons are elemental." Avatara replied as he ducked under a low branch and led the group up a small hill.

"So, what if this dragon isn't an elemental dragon?" Medoc asked.

"You'll have to decide what to do," Avatara shrugged. "I really don't know what we're going to be facing, or even if we are facing a dragon. Though, I can say, if it is a dragon you'll have to choose between fighting it at a distance or being up close. If you're further away, some dragons breathe fire and may fly around dodging your attacks; if you're up close you'll have to deal with its teeth, tail, and claws.

"We haven't really fought many dragons before," Theo said between large mouthfuls of an apple he was munching on.

"Wow, I feel so much more confident after listening to you two," Katerei was heard muttering a few paces behind them.

Avatara turned without slowing and grinned, "Just try not to get eaten or anything."

"Hrmph," she snorted. Medoc quietly dropped back to join Talryn and Joru, in an attempt to learn something more useful.

The dirt path they were on narrowed, forcing the group to walk single-file. Grass and shrubbery gave away to packed dirt and eventually to large rocks scattered around the landscape. The green foliage that had cloaked most of them in shade for a distance became more and more sparse. Behind them, the forest they had been in earlier was dropping away. Though the sun hadn't set, the moon had risen in the southwest, hanging above the ocean. Ahead, the trail wound down a small hill into a brief ravine before winding steeply up a large mountain saddle between two snowcapped peaks. The peaks on their left wound down further south, with a small gap marking the road from Cademia to Pnyx.

The sun had slipped behind the tops of the mountains to their left and shadows were deepening, when Avatara called a halt at the bottom of the ravine. "We'll stop here. Since we're so close to the mountains it'll get dark much faster, and there's almost no cover from here on out. Its only going to get more dangerous. Moonshadow and Dusk will take first watch."

Minutes later, Avatara walked through the group's campsite, making sure everything was in order. With the lack of threatening clouds in the sky, many were simply sleeping on the ground, a few in cloth bags. Avatara stopped in front of Savara's metal armor, "Are you going to sleep in that thing?" Savara's armor stared down at him blankly, at least he thought it was staring at him blankly, but he was no expert at reading armor's emotions. "Suit yourself," he shrugged, and continued on, noting Moonshadow had started playing her harp.

**********

The night passed uneventfully, half of the group took turns keeping watch; the other half would take shifts the next night. At the crack of dawn they set out again. Aside from the rare tree, the only greenery visible was clumps of tall grass and large shrubs. The large rocks seen scattered earlier became more frequent and soon became joined by smaller rocks resting on top of the dirt. After one curve, Salex pointed off to the side where a large pile of rocks lay, the aftermath of a recent rock-slide from further up the mountain. After Salex, Wizard, and the moogle reported no signs of anyone being trapped underneath, the group continued to climb.

Fortune was with them, there was almost no wind, and the sun was half-hidden by clouds, producing a calm and cool environment for walking. After one final turn putting the group on a course due west, the trail leveled off briefly, slicing across a small flat ledge on the side of the rocky mountain switch-back that now only towered a hundred meters above them. Odemia's walls were visible far below them, as was the sea, stretching off endlessly over the horizon. To the south, Catamarca stood out near the coastline before the island curved west as it approached Cademia, which was blocked from view by mountains. Land King Hall to the north wasn't visible either, but from what they could determine, the few clouds that were in the sky were mostly concentrated around the hall anyway, obscuring the northeastern portion of the island.

The "ledge" in front of them was perhaps a few hundred meters in length, and less than half wide, formed by some large rocks being sealed with dried mud. The surface was a dark brown and decorated with a handful of small bushes. Off near the southwestern end were a pair of wooden houses that were in ruins. The trail continued straight across towards the rocky mountain saddle ahead, though there were signs of trampled grass leading towards the abandoned buildings on their left. At the edge of the ledge, the trail curved right and headed up the saddle at a steep angle.

Scouting out the site while the group paused in preparation of the next leg of climbing, Moonshadow discovered indications that it had been some kind of mining site, now abandoned. As she was turning to head back, a red glint caught her eye. She bent down, noticing a small pile of rocks with a distinct magenta hue. Cupping a rock in her hands, she noticed it emitted a soft glow when in darkness.

"Just as the innkeeper said," Avatara said from behind her.

Without turning she replied, "What is it?" She held the rock up to the sun, the light catching the strange metal minerals inside in a small display of glittering magenta.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's emitting some kind of magic," he frowned at the pile on the ground. She didn't say anything, but she knew what he meant; there was the odd tingle of a foreign magic in her hand. She put the rock down, gave Avatara an imitation of one of his shrugs and rejoined the group.

**********

The terrain was covered in endless piles of loose rocks from the edge of the ledge onward, though long ago something had hewn out a solid flat path to travel up the mountains that passed between the piles of rocks. Larger rocks of obsidian were placed along the path, marking the trail. Faintly glimmering red runes adorned each obsidian marker, presumably responsible for the lack of loose rocks on the trail, when there were many signs of frequent rock-slides elsewhere.

The trail headed upward to the north at a sharp angle. Finally, the group mounted the saddle. revealing a steep slope downward to a small valley before the mountains to the west began sloping upward. At the top of the saddle, their trail ended at a fork; one end heading towards the mountain directly south, the other continuing north. Avatara pointed due north, and they set out along somewhat uneven ground, following the mountain saddle. A slight breeze blew into them from the left, and although the path was not very wide, it was still large enough for Savara to lumber along without plunging down either side of the saddle. Below them, on both sides, a mist swirled through the treetops, giving off an almost magical view teeming with life and natural beauty.

As the saddle climbed upward and merged halfway up the mountain ahead, the trail become flat again and widened out. Relieved, the team began walking in small groups again and were able to pick up the pace, Savara once again able to move quickly. The trail here was much better tended and not nearly as perilous. A solid rock wall rose vertically to their left while the right was bounded by a half-meter high mini-wall before the mountain sloped steeply downward. This trail didn't wind, it continued steadily around the large mountain at an uphill angle. At multiple spots along the way, the group noticed magenta flecks in the left wall, and at some places, evidence that someone had attempted to chisel out some of the strange metal. The runes seemed to have made that feat difficult, and the someone had apparently given up in search of easier quarry.

After an hour of steep walking, the group finally wound around to the north side of the mountain. A glance upward indicated they would have to climb another third of the mountain if they chose to reach the summit. The trail passed between two large obsidian markers before leveling out onto a giant round boulder that curved out of the mountain. The top of the boulder was mostly flat and large, following the mountain wall around almost a hundred meters and jutting out at least sixty. From the steep curve at the edges down to where it joined the mountain a considerable distance below, Avatara estimated it was pretty solid, the majority of it looked to be buried into the mountain at their left. The wall that had shielded the path on the right stopped at the obsidian markers, but appeared to continue again with the resumption of the trail on the other end.

The boulder appeared to have been placed into the mountain to provide this ledge, though that feat was not what interested the group at first. What they did focus on were some very obvious signs of a recent struggle that had taken place days before. Rocks were scattered in some locations, and deep claw marks on both the ledge and the wall suggested why they had been displaced. A portion of the wall had been carved into by a giant beast, and a small pile of rocky rubble served as testament. Dried blood and the burnt remains of a campsite lay near the edge halfway through.

"This doesn't look good," Talos muttered, kicking at a bag he had found among the campsite. Inside the tattered remains were ruined clothes that looked as if something deep had punctured a hole through them.

"I don't see any bodies," Savara announced quietly, returning from the edge after using her superior height to scan the terrain below.

"Nothing up here either," Dusk replied. "Only campfire ashes, a few broken swords scattered about, the remains of a staked tent, and this bag."

"So whatever was here must've eaten these people," Theo sighed.

"Or they're buried in the rubble below," Wizard added.

"That's a cheerful thought," Katerei muttered, sitting down on the rock. The group stood silently for a moment on the center of the ledge, Joru and Talryn glancing nervously about. Salex noticed a few clouds were gathering around the mountains just east of them, but the sun was just past its zenith and casting sparkling sunbeams into the valley through breaks in the clouds.

PUNY MORTALS!

The voice jolted everyone at once, searing through their minds on a wave of anger. Katerei jumped up, frantically looking around.

"Up there!" Moonshadow called out, pointing up the mountain. A distance above the wall it stood, black against the sky.

You will pay for what you have done! His huge body was adorned head to tail in a thick layer of heavy black scales that glinted in the sunlight. Four legs stuck out of the reptilian body, each ending in a massive black talon that gripped deep into the rock it perched on. A line of obsidian-black spikes started at the back of his head and ran down to end in four spikes at the tip of his tail. His black head glistened as if framed by a dark mane and his mouth seemed to leer at them. Looking into his eyes one felt they were looking deeper and deeper into terror until they became dizzy under his predator glare. His black wings stretched out, inviting the unwary into his deadly embrace. If not for the anger and loathing feeding his desire from destruction, he would have been a kingly sight.

"Okay, who stole my dragon illusion wand?" Theo glanced around angrily.

"What do we do now?" Medoc asked, moving to stand next to Joru.

"We uh...kill it?" Talryn replied, throwing a dagger up at it. The dagger bounced off of a scale harmlessly. The dragon responded by jumping down onto the ledge, sending out a tremor in the rock.

"Idiot," Salex grumbled as he attempted to regain solid footing. Now that the dragon was on relatively level terrain with the group, they could see when it reared up it towered over even Savara.

**********

YOU WILL SUFFER! the words burned into Avatara's mind with a fury blacker than an unlit midnight. In the space of seconds, Joru and Medoc had circled around to the left, while Talos, Dusk, and Savara had circled to the right in an attempt to surround the dragon.

"Kupo!" A voice squeaked, it was the moogle. Why are you doing this? It seemed to ask the dragon as it approached cautiously.

REVENGE! The dragon's thought howled, sending Avatara back a step as he tried to figure it out. Certainly it wasn't Talryn's dagger, the dragon had been hostile before they showed up. Seconds seemed to be stretching into years as the group stared at the object of their quest, drawing their weapons and gauging how best to proceed. The dragon appeared to leer at them, taking in the scene with a sweep of his head. And then the dragon charged.

The moogle let out a yelp of surprise as the dragon bounded over the moogle and lunged towards the group just to Avatara's right, standing over the ruined campsite. Avatara saw the few members there dive out of the way. Someone shot the dragon with a bow, but the arrow flew harmlessly away. Joru, regaining his footing, charged after the dragon, but his speed was no match, the dragon swept towards the person standing near the edge of the cliff. Wait a minute, Avatara realized that not everyone had moved; Theo was too busy rummaging around his robe trying to locate his misplaced wand to notice. In the eternity between seconds, Avatara realized Theo wasn't going to be able to respond in time. With a cry, he hurled himself at Theo, tackling him and lowering his head from the wind of rock shards that pelted them as the dragon crashed to where they had been an instant before. Avatara continued his tumble, dragging Theo with him, as he rolled to come up facing the dragon with a raised sword. A black blur whirred by the edge of his vision, and he turned to face where he thought his opponent would be. He found empty air and a cliff, but screams calling his name drew his attention to behind him. Still gripping Theo's arm with his left hand, Avatara spun around. A claw tore into the ground just in front of him, bringing a black mass to a screeching halt. Avatara ducked, forcing Theo to a kneel as a spiked tail whizzed over their heads.

"Snap out of it, fool!" Avatara shook Theo, while looking for an exit, any escape. A roar came from overhead. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Joru rolling on the ground, gasping from air from taking a small blow to the stomach from the dragon's tail. The rest was blocked out by the advancing dragon, which had spread its wings, preventing any escape to the side. Theo finally awoke from his daze; Avatara felt him move, backwards, away from the creature, and Avatara backed with him, only to find they had ventured too close to the cliff and there was nowhere to go. Avatara looked up as teeth rained from the sky, enclosing the two of them in darkness.

**********

Moonshadow was the first to react. She quickly began recalling the spell she had used earlier to heal Nixus. "You have got to be joking!" She heard Katerei stammer as the dragon craned its head back and swallowed its prey whole. It turned to face the remaining eleven and let out a triumphant roar just as Moonshadow froze time.

Or rather, as Moonshadow tried to. Instead, time began to slow down rapidly as it should, but her head suddenly started aching and her vision swam with dizziness. She collapsed in surprise as her mind almost lost its hold on consciousness. Time sped up to normal and she was left slumped on the ground, her head swimming in confusion, her body trapped on the ground by an unnatural paralysis.

"Don't cast magic!" Moonshadow could barely focus enough to turn her head towards the voice, where her blurred vision made out the form of Salex, who was holding a reeling Wizard. Apparently he had tried to cast a spell as well.

She turned her head, attempting to track the dragon and the battle she could hear. She watched as it swept aside Talos and Talryn's attacks without any apparent effort as it charged Dusk. A feeling of lightheadedness forced her to squeeze her eyes closed, and when she reopened them Dusk was lying on the ground injured along with Medoc. The dragon was letting out a sound that seemed to be laughter as Talos backed away before it. The black beast leaned back on its hind legs, as if to lunge, when suddenly Savara came crashing down onto its back.

With a howl of outrage at the metal armor, the dragon reared up and thrashed about. Savara desperately began clinging for her life, holding onto two of the spikes near its neck. With a final twist of its head and a short flip in the air, Savara was sent tumbling into the wall with a crash, sending down pebbles and dust. Moonshadow's vision swam again for a moment, and when she could finally resolve the blurred movement into creatures she could somewhat recognize she saw that Joru and Katerei were attempting a last-ditch attack on the dragon, only to have it hop backwards out of their reach.

Her head aching, she attempted to climb to her feet and almost succeeded when the dragon invaded her mind again. YOUR TIME WILL COME SOON, WEAKLINGS! it boomed all too loudly, the hate and fury ringing in her ears. The dragon stepped to the edge of the cliff, and beyond. A graceful backward dive and the dragon soared off the ledge. With a simple turn and a few beats of its great wings, the dragon gained altitude, gliding off into the distance at a rapid pace. Within a seconds it had banked around a mountain lying northwest and vanished from sight.

Moonshadow didn't notice, the last blast of fury had overwhelmed her attempt to rise and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

**********

He was surrounded by darkness as he fell. Eventually darkness gave way to light, or rather a dark red glow. And then he landed.

Avatara gasped for breath, his fall having taken the wind out of him. Something acrid was in the humid air, stinging his eyes. Saliva covered his hair, his clothes, and his face, making breathing all the more difficult. Finally, lying on his side, he managed to gasp in enough breath to calm the panic and fear that had seized him. He lay, sprawled on the floor, resting for a moment.

A groan filtered in through the air. Avatara managed to crawl into a sitting position and look around. The red glow from the walls was better than darkness, but barely enough to light up much of anything. The ground and walls were harder than flesh, yet still soft indicating it was definitely organic. Hearing a hoarse coughing, Avatara finally located a dark object across from him that was most likely a person.

"Theo?" He called out.

"Ugh, I think I've swallowed a piece of...uh, maybe I don't really want to know." Theo's voice filtered over tainted with disgust.

Avatara attempted to crawl towards Theo, but gravity abruptly shifted and Avatara was thrown across the chamber, landing in a puddle of liquid. He reached up to wipe at his face as he realized it was burning his skin. "OW! That's the last time I'm jumping in front of a dragon to save you!"

"Save me? Yeah, great success there." Theo replied bitterly, wiping slime out of his hair.

"Stop whining and help me find some way to get some light in here."

"Hrmph, the bossy party leader doesn't even bring a source of light," Theo muttered under his breath as he reached inside his robe and pulled out a stone from a concealed pocket at the top of his robe. The stone slowed a soft green with a tint of blue, easily illuminating the chamber they were in. Avatara barely had time to take in his surroundings before they were jostled again as the dragon moved. He was thrown violently against a nearby wall, crashing into Theo in the process. The stomach went dark again.

"Ow, you kicked me." Theo complained, massaging his bruised jaw.

"Sorry, its not my fault," Avatara replied as he began frantically searching for the dropped glowstone. After a long moment of panic and darkness, he was finally able to make out the outline of the stone against the glowing walls. Light flared back into existence, causing them both to blink.

"Well, it could be worse," Theo muttered. He was right, the stomach was fortunately empty. No half-digested creature mush, no rotting bones or decaying flesh, and only a glistening on the walls indicated the presence of a stomach acid, meaning they had some time. The dragon jerked around again, this time for a longer period, thrashing around violently. This time, Avatara held onto the glowstone tightly, not daring to lose it again. "How are we going to get out of here?" Theo asked after the shaking had smoothed out somewhat.

"I could try teleporting, give me a minute." Avatara said, wondering why he didn't consider the option earlier. Not knowing what had transpired outside, he chose to picture mentally the ledge they had found the abandoned mining site on earlier that day. Calling forth mana, Avatara began to channel the spell that would teleport them to safety, but something was wrong. Too much mana was being drawn from his surroundings and the rate was rapidly increasing. He began to feel dizzy and lightheaded as far too much energy surged through his body, making him lose his focus and almost his consciousness. It was all he could do to shut off the flow of magic before it overwhelmed all of his senses. "Perhaps not..." he gasped as he collapsed to the floor, unconscious in seconds. The stone fell and they were once again shrouded in darkness.

**********

"Hey, she's awake," Katerei sighed in relief as Moonshadow stirred. She beckoned to Talos and Joru, who were standing guard, while Moonshadow crawled dizzily into a sitting position. The rest of the group was sitting in a rough circle, many healing wounds and all of them recovering from the recent fight.

"Now that we're all here, more or less, would you explain just why magic doesn't work?" Katerei asked Wizard, who was leaning on Salex for support.

"Its not that magic won't work, its just that it works too well," Wizard replied. From the way he was blinking and swaying, she guessed he hadn't entirely recovered his vision.

"What do you mean?" Dusk asked, clutching his bandaged left arm.

"I mean...its hard to explain. That creature is unusual: there's far too much magic in him for him to be a normal creature, even a dragon. What I'm saying is, the high concentration of magic in the dragon is amplifying our attempts to use magic." Wizard looked up hopefully.

"I don't get it," Savara complained. She had stepped out of her armor temporarily to assess the damage and repair it.

"Its like...well, imagine kneeling by a pond to get a small drink of water because you're thirsty. Now, imagine that a massive wave of water enters the pond, and instead of drinking a handful of water you end up consuming a whole river's worth. It's too much for our bodies to handle. It's the same way with magic on this dragon, there is far too much for our bodies to handle."

"You mean, if we try to use magic against that thing, we'll end up hurting ourselves?" Joru asked.

"Yes, and you could do some serious damage to yourself," Moonshadow filled in with a wince. Everyone looked at her for a moment of silence while she glared back, saying nothing else.

"So, what do we do now?" Katerei sighed.

Lost... Katerei looked up, noticed others doing the same, indicating they heard it too. Another dragon message, but this one was different. There was no fury, no anger behind the words; rather the emotion was one more of despair, of loneliness, of futility.

She rested on the far end of the ledge, as if she had just recently arrived on scene. Her build was less menacing, she was smaller than the black male that had attacked them, and her blue and silver body curved in a way that was more graceful than threatening. Yet, she carried an air of dignity about her, and something in her eyes warned that hostility would be met in kind.

The moogle ventured forward and seemed to ask Who are you? What do you want? Nobody seemed overly thrilled to find another dragon, and they were in no condition to fight her if she proved hostile. Yet, something inside suggested to Katerei that she hadn't come seeking a fight.

The dragon raised her head and looked at the group. How dare you, mortal! I should- the dragon tilted her head back as if in resignation. I suppose it doesn't matter. I am Scyrilla, now the last of my kind, doomed to an eternity of loneliness.

"Where did the other dragon take our friends?" Talryn challenged, he had drawn his weapon and held it ready for the first sign of trouble.

The dragon snapped to attention. Other dragon? You mean the scent I found was real? I'm not alone? She raised herself up and moved closer, showing off her agile build.

"Are you here to fight us as well?" Joru chimed in, standing up.

Fight you? Scyrillia's voice in Katerei's mind seemed to be a mixture of laughter and astonishment. No mortals, I'm not here to fight you. I wish to ask for your help.

OoC: Please check character info for additional information. I edited it a little.
BiC:
"Ask for our help?" The Wizard stepped forward. He was a little confused, for his vision had not yet recovered. In fact, he was very grumpy with himself for not adjusting to the feeling. "Well," he continued, gesturing to Talryn to sheath his weapon," the same could be said of us. However, before I answer any questions for you, I would like for you to answer mine."
He stared deeply into the eyes of the dragon. He swiftly shifted his glance. This creature was pained. The eyes did not reveal any fury or hate but rather a sorrow. Far beneath its splendorous outward appearance, the dragon was very sad.
"But, before I ask questions there is a small test that I would be interested in attempting." He lifted his twisted staff skyward. The orb began to glow brighter and a light breeze started to blow. Then his eyes widened and he fell to the ground, face forward. Seeing that he was unconscious, Selax shook his head in disgust and sighed. Moonshadow knelt beside him to begin her healing, if any was necessary.
Katerei quickly took over, "What help do you need?"

------------------
The Wizard

As Selax sat down next to the Wizard, he was disturbed. He had been so for some time, ever since he had heard about the tales of a dragon. Although he had not been here in recent years, he had been in these mountains many years ago and had never found the strange metals or signs of any dragons. Selax was worried about the troubles at Land King Hall as well, because they stopped him from talking to the Seldane below LKH about the dragon. He wondered who was going to lead the party now. Then he sighed. Selax decided that he would worry about these problems after he had heard the dragon's tale.

------------------
Selax

OoC: just got back from a little trip, Kentonis is on a trip with no internet and should be back roughly in a week. bic:

Talryn sighed of relief, he slumped against a wall, drifting off to rest while the dragon told her tale...

ooc: might as well let avatara tell the tale, since he intruduced her. off to sleep laters. bic:

------------------
StarGate: Atlantis and StarGate: SG1 are on Sci Fi now, watch them and witness the gateness...

[ooc] If you want to do the dragon's story Avatara, just delete this post [bic]


Dusk was less willing to follow Talyrn's lead as he didn't fully trust the dragon yet. He sat down none the less and cradled his left arm, thinking that if he should have to draw his sword in a hurry, it would be painful.

I will come to the help, after I have told you why I need your help. Why is so much more important then what.

Mr. wizard was slowly coming out of his dazed state as the dragon began it's mournful tale. It must've mentally turned the volume down, and Dusk no longer felt threatened by it's enormous presence. He took a final glance at the group who were also shutting their eyes, and let the crooning voice of Scryilla take him to another world.


"I was given to my mother in birth many eons ago, in a land none of you will be familiar with, and I doubt if your fleshy tongues could pronounce such a royal name even if you tried. This land was free for all dragons, a land abundant in game and water.
Mother and I used to bathe in the morning chills of the waters, and hunt for our dinner late at night. The titans were always well worth the chase they put up, their flesh being so tender and warm, dripping freely in blood and spirit.
I always enjoyed the snow of my land, it's wonderful soft touch soothed my claws. I suppose this is why I chose these mountains here; but the snow at home was always better, not icy.
One day as I played in a fresh fall of feather soft snow a strange creature I spied making its way up the Wolf lizards path. It walked on two legs, like you all do, and had no scales or claws to speak of. It's weakness reminded me of a dragon whelp, almost of myself when I was new-born, so I left it be. I did not want to incur the wrath of its mother.

The creature began to change its skins as it climbed higher up the mountain, growing thicker hide to cope with the fresh mountain gift of snow. As night fall drew I reluctantly pulled away from the mountain top and returned to my perch with mother. I had enjoyed watching the creature, and with luck (or so I thought) I could see it tomorrow as well.
It was there again the next day, still climbing. I swooped over the mountain top and wondered what it could be searching for, and decided it was simply seeking the cooling snows. I told mother about the creature, and she too thought it must be after the snow. For a moment I became jealous, but mother scalded me: we could share the snow, she said.

But, my little mortals, this strange creature was not after the snow at all. He had come instead, to hurt the mountain with little teeth of metal. He tore a hole into the mountain, and I felt it wince under the bite. After many days of this, the strange creature drew the blood of the mountain. Like titan's blood, it was a pure, beautiful red. He held aloft, in cupped hands, the mountain blood and cried out. That same day he left and I thought I had seen the last of him and his growing skins. Alas, I was mistaken.
A few moons later I spied more of the same soft creatures, all carrying bigger, sharper teeth. I knew they wanted the blood of the mountain and I knew that they would not give up. I watched in agony for twelve sunsets and rises, hoping they would leave of their own accord.

They did not, and on the thirteenth night I chose to defend my mountain. I swooped on the campsite and blew the fire out with my wings. I could see the soft creatures, running this way and that, fetching different teeth with which to bite. I would not let them bite me. I dived and plucked their delicate flesh from their bones in huge scissor strikes of my claws. I did not want to put them in my mouth, for they smelt and were foul creatures.
In a short while, perhaps only a few beats of a heart, all the creatures were dead. I felt pleased, and righteous. No one would hurt my mountain.

But (the dragon continued, thickening it's voice with anger) they returned. More and more of them, hacking and biting and spiting and seeking the warm life of the mountain. I killed them in their dozens; scores of them followed still with their sharp teeth, ignoring my warnings. I had been killing the soft creatures for moons, leaving piles of rotten, stinking flesh, I wondered how long it could go on, and the very next day, as if by way of magic, my question was answered.

A new creature came, but this one was different. I thought he might be a dragon at first for he glittered and twinkled. I realized quickly though that his hide was adorned in mountain blood. I grew hot and no longer held back my rage. I flew at him with my claws outstretched, my wings beating and every scale of my body wishing to kill him where he stood, take his blood away from the clean snow, slaughter all of his kind.
As I neared him, he raised his hand and I felt a wave of sickness pass me. I fell to the mountain side, stunned. The soft creatures cheered and the one in mountain blood chanted and moved his hands again.

Suddenly I was falling, my wings were useless and could not move. I saw the diamonds of light flash by me and the purple of amethyst twinkling. I fell for so long I knew mother must have died of old age. I felt worlds as I passed, changing and flourishing and dying, like a spring flower in bloom upon a mountain, they changed as quickly as a blink of an eye. Then there was darkness, and a great time. A long, long time, so long that I forgot many things, forgot the feel of snow, forgot the plains and the taste of Titan blood; forgot my rage towards the soft ones. And after a great length of loneliness, I landed here."

------------------
They all laughed when I said I wanted to be a comedian; but no one's laughing now!

[This message has been edited by Avatara (edited 07-28-2004).]

The dragon fell silent, apparently at the end of her tale, and the travellers found themselves awaking from a doze. Magic must have taken hold of them and kept them asleep for quite a long time, because the sun was low in the sky, about to set. It took everyone a moment to bring themselves back to the world of Cythera, then they began to rise and stretch out their muscles, stiff after the long period asleep, and rub their arms vigorously to warm up against the onset of night mountain air.

Selax turned to the dragon again. "Where was your homeland?" he asked. "Was it near here?"

I do not know. Far, far away, most likely. Scyrilla glanced around somewhat regretfully. It looked like this place, but not quite the same. When I first arrived, I thought I was back at home again, but it was not so. Things are... different here... I could not say how. Bitter. Foreign.

"That red rock you mentioned..." Moonshadow paused for a moment, then turned to the others. "Does that sound at all like the magenta rocks we've been seeing?"

"Could be," Dusk mused. "But that seems pretty unlikely to me. Is there any around here to look at?" He glanced around for the familiar gouge marks where someone had attempted to dig it out, but there were none to be seen nearby, only the places where something (presumably the male dragon) had clawed at the rock.

"We'll have to backtrack a bit," said Joru, and eyed the dragon suspiciously, "but maybe we'll learn something useful."

Dusk nodded. "That's what I was thinking. Scyrilla, when we find some of this magenta rock, maybe you could look at it and tell us if it's the same as the 'mountain blood' rock from your homeland?"

Although it was impossible to read her expression, the dragon seemed to radiate a feeling of skepticism. The blood of my mountains, here? Impossible. This cannot be the same land.

"But will you look at it anyway?" he persisted. "I hardly would believe it either, except Moonshadow may have a point- both seem to have a strange magical property about them, and both times people have been pretty eager to get at it. You don't come across minerals like that very often."

I do not see what this has to do with anything. Time passes, and I come no closer to my task- but if you insist, I shall. Lead on.

With a powerful flap of her wings, she rose into the air and soared gracefully above their heads as they shouldered their bags and turned around to backtrack on the ground they'd already covered. The scratches in the rock wall had been quite numerous, so it was not long after getting on the path again before they found another place. Scyrilla landed nearby, balancing on the narrow ledge, and turned to study the deep mark.

The reaction was instantaneous. She reared up, screeching horribly, and flew into the air, clawing wildly at nothing. The travellers ducked to avoid the heavy wings and tail, and watched the enraged dragon cautiously from their precarious perch on the mountainside.

But it did not last long. The dragon slowed and landed above their heads on a tiny ledge, beating her wings to keep her balance. She shook all over with furious emotion, but was no longer a threat in any way.

"Right," Talos whispered, "what was -that- all about?"

"It must be the same type of rock," Katerei said quietly. "There's nothing else for it- I don't know if it exists in all mountains, which is improbable, or if this is the same mountain range, which seems completely impossible, if she's so far from her home."

Scyrilla spoke. The blood... the life of the land... I know it is. I can feel it. They have scarred the mountains, made them bleed out their very soul. It cries out to me, envelops me. She was deeply anguished, and they could feel it radiating from her like waves. Who ever gave them the right to cut open the rock? Tiny creatures, they are nothing compared to the greatness of the mountains. And yet- and yet I come to you, seeking help. She turned a piercing eye to them.

Katerei stepped forward. "We are not looking to make the mountains bleed as the other people did. None of these marks were made by any of us. This might be important for us to help you though. So these magenta rocks are the same as the ones you know; but we still don't know enough about them."

"What about those runes we saw?" Talryn asked. "On the obsidian markers?"

Runes? Scyrilla swiftly turned to him, her interest sparked even under the depths of despair. What runes?

"There were some right at the beginning of that ledge we left- we'd have to go back again and look," he said, pointing. "But it's better than staying here."

"Right," Dusk nodded, "this path is fine for walking, but not so good for sleeping, and it -is- getting dark out." So, despite being exhausted, they traipsed back up to the ledge once again, carefully averting their eyes from the wreckage caused by the previous struggle which had left their group two people short.

The dragon swooped down from above their heads and landed neatly close by, folding in her wings. She turned to the huge stone markers pointed out to her and studied the glimmering runes with a critical eye. There was a tense moment as they waited, prepared for another outburst of emotion, but it was unnecessary. Instead, she seemed to sigh mentally and stretched out her long neck, shaking her head as if in pain.

Yes. These runes are familiar. I know them, for the other dragons of my kind set them upon the rocks as protection, not a day before the magical soft one came and sent me away. How did they end up here? I do not know, but they must be the same, for no others ever knew how to create these runes.

"How strange," Moonshadow murmured. "The same type of rock, and the same runes- but the place you described doesn't sound like Cythera, does it?"

"Or does it?" Mr Wizard remarked. Everyone looked at him quizzically. "If the dragons never left the mountain range, they wouldn't know about the rest of the island. There were also titans, and there had to be people around elsewhere. It really isn't that much different if you think about it."

Selax looked at his friend blankly. "Are you suggesting this is the same place?"

Wizard shrugged. "It's possible."

"But how could that be?" Katerei frowned. "Scyrilla said it seemed different, and who are we to question a dragon's judgement? Besides, she said she fell a long ways, and for a very long time- oh, wait! Time!"

Now everyone turned to stare at her. "No, no, just wait, I'm thinking-" she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, thinking hard, then opened them and nodded. "Of course. Wizard is right. Cythera is the same place that Scyrilla once lived in. Except when she was banished, or cast out, or whatever, she didn't fall through -distance-, she fell through -time-."

"Oh, I see," Dusk said, catching on, "and because so much time passed, the land would have changed a lot through weathering and erosion and earthquakes and all that. But it's still the same place, really, and the blood rock inside the mountains hasn't changed at all, nor have these magical runes."

Then- then this is my home? Scyrilla seemed shocked, or as much so as it was possible for a dragon to be. But it has changed so much... it does not even feel the same. Things are so different here.

"But it's got to be, there's no other explanation. So we've got that figured out- and where does that leave us?" Medoc asked. "Two of our group have been eaten, remember, and I guess we've still got to help this dragon out- though how we don't know yet."

It is just as well. I had given up all hope of ever finding my home again, and instead focused on settling here. But there were no other dragons to be found, and I had thought myself bound for a life of loneliness- no mate and no young ones to raise. Now, it seems, I am back home and all the other dragons have died out. But I found the trail of one, and you claim to have seen one as well... This makes it all the more important. I cannot let the last of my kind die out. This is why I ask for your help- much of a dishonour as it may be to do so. I request that you assist me in tracking down this other dragon, so I can create a roost with him and continue the life of my kind.

There was a stunned silence. The moogle, of all people, regained his composure first, and the impression everyone got was that it asked Scyrilla if she was quite sure she knew what that would mean.

Of course I do - she seemed insulted- you dare to question my task? I have thought long about this-

"I don't think that's quite what the moogle means," Katerei said hastily. "You see, the dragon we encountered isn't very... uh... pleasant. He sort of ate two of our companions. It's difficult to see him wanting anyone's company, even from another dragon."

I must try, she said simply. Will you help me or not?

Katerei turned to look at the ragged group. It had only been a few hours since the battle with the dragon, and they were injured, weary, and footsore. Night was coming on fast as the sun had just set, and there seemed no enthusiam to be found in any of them. But to refuse a dragon would not be a very good idea. "What do you think?"

"I don't like it," Dusk said flatly. "Following a dragon that nearly took us out the first time doesn't strike me as a good idea. But we set out to find it, and now we've found it, plus another dragon. Who knows what else he might do? We've got to go after him regardless."

Moonshadow nodded in agreement. "And there's a chance of Avatara and Theo still being alive, I think. This might be our only way to find them again. We don't really have a choice."

"We'll be better prepared next time we meet that dragon, too," Savara added, back in her armor again. "We'll know what to expect."

"All right," Katerei said wearily, rubbing a hand across her eyes. "If nobody has any objections... we'll do it, Scyrilla."

Good. Perhaps there is some decency in you tiny things. It may not work, but- thank you all the same. I will return in the morning. With that, she leaped into the air and soared off, majestic against the dusky sky.

"Wow, a 'thank you' from a dragon," Joru said under his breath. "That must've been hard to do."

Talos sighed. "Two dragons in one day. Just what we needed."

"Yes, well- at least we know it wasn't all just a rumour," Selax pointed out.

"Except now we're without a leader," said Katerei. "So we'll just make do, I suppose. This place looks as good as any to camp for the night. It's the only wide open area around, and I don't think that male dragon will come back tonight, but Joru and I will take first watch just in case. Everyone else, have a rest. You've earned it. We'll make plans in the morning."

------------------
"When fishermen can't make it to sea, they fix their nets."

Instead of trying to rest, Selax sat down with his back to a large boulder. Recalling what he knew of the mountains, he could not think of any place where the male black dragon might be located. Scyrilla's tale had answered some of his questions, but had given him other things to consider. He wondered if Avatara and Theo were still alive, perhaps the Wizard could tell him. Selax was also worried that the black dragon might attack them again when they did not expect it. Knowing that he did not need much rest, he decided to stay up and watch.

------------------
Selax

Theo nudged Avatara with the toe of one of his soft boots. "Hey, probably not a good idea to take a nap in that." Avatara mumbled incoherently but was still a few moments from recovering. The very fact that there was such complete darkness indicated that there was something to envelope the glowstone, and it probably wasn't good for the skin. Or anything for that matter. Suddenly Theo cursed that he was wearing his good pair of boots. Why couldn't he have been wearing some lousy ones he cared nothing about? His cursing turned to cluckles as he then remembered he only had one pair to begin with, and that standing in a dragon's stomache was far better in boots than in one's barefeet and knowing the boots were at home. His mirth lasted until he realized that barefoot was how he would be soon enough if he and Avatara were stuck there for any lengthy period. There certainly seemed no chance of the situation changing anytime soon.

Eventually, Theo's eyes became reajusted enough to the darkness so that he could finally pinpoint the faintest of glows from the submerged stone, and Avatara regained composure. "Well, what would you suggest now that you've slept on it?" Theo asked.

"It is stomache acid, and I suggest that you stop asking your sardonic questions," Avatara answered.

"Alright, shall we play a game of dice instead?" Theo threw in.

The Wizard walked calmly over and leaned against the boulder to join his friend. The fire was going out by now, and nothing but the cindering ashes remained, giving off the faintest light. With the aid of this faint glow, Selax could see that the Wizard's eyes were closed. He knew his friend well and was fairly certain that Mr. Wizard was busy telling his mind that food and sleep were unnecessary. After a few minutes the old man opened his eyes and sighed.
"How have you been holding up?" he asked curiously.

"Fine. Are you okay? How's the head?"

"Yes I am okay and so is my head, but I wish that we had managed to keep that dragon from eating those two. I don't know how we can get them back alive short of killing the dragon, which I am sure Scyrllia will not permit."

"There is nothing we could have done to save them, and there may yet be hope in them living this through," Selax answered trying to keep his friend from becoming grumpy.

"Perhaps, but I do not know if we can count on it."

"Certainly not. Don't count on it, but it may happen. Besides I was wondering-"Selax began on a different note, but he was broken off by the Wizard.

"-If I knew whether or not they were alive at all. Well, I could search, we have been so close to dragons today that I didn't dare leave my body in mind form. I do not know what that would entale. Now, however, we appear to be away from dragons, I will search," Mr. Wizard stated, not letting Selax get a word in. Once again, Selax saw the man's eyes tightly shut. He waited for minutes, not moving or daring to do anything that might interupt thought.

Minutes later, the Wizard blurted out, very quietly, "Ahh." "Did you find something," Selax asked lightly. The Wizard answered him, still with his eyes sealed shut, "I have found something that is emitting some faint power from within. I can not make out what it is, for something is blocking me. Something dark is keeping me back. I do not know where or what this is, but I suspect it to be that male dragon. If that is true, I had best discontinue my search, no telling what might happen." With that the Wizard opened his eyes and returned to his usual expression. "Yes, I believe that they are alive, at least one of them, for the time being. I do not know in what condition this life is, and in fact, I am not certain that it is them. I am fairly certain that it is them though." He sighed deeply, once again. "What is wrong?" Selax asked, knowing the tone. "I fear that tomorrow is the last day to save them. If we fail tomorrow, I believe that they will die. If we fail, I believe that we too might die. The dragon race will fall, and we shall all die, if we cannot convince that dragon to listen." Selax stared at him. He was being very negative right now, but the element knew that his friend was right. The Wizard leaned his head back against the rock and began to rest lightly, still alert. The Wizard began again, "I think that tomorrow will answer everything. It is a waiting game now." After that, there was complete silence.

------------------
The Wizard

Hours later, Selax stood up and looked around. He and the Wizard were on watch. The night had been quiet and uneventful, and it was now almost dawn. From what he could tell, most of the others were still asleep. Selax decided that he would wake them in a few minutes. From what the Wizard had told him, they would need all the time they could get if they hoped to rescue Avatara and Theo.

------------------
Selax

As the hours neared dawn, Talryn couldn't get any sleep, he also noticed juro couldn't either. "Hey, Juro, want to spar?" Talryn said in a mostly quite voice. Juro looked up and saw Talryn's hand out streched to help him up "Sure."
"Lets go off a little bit so we dont wake up the others." Talryn and Juro told the people who where on watch duty what they were doing. Then the two walked around for a bit, and starrted sparing...

As the sun rose up, the sound of metal could still be heard, and the two could be seen fighting. A few minutes later Talryn and Juro walked back, sheathing their weapons, and sat down waiting for a meal.

-Dark

[edit: yes second page! and Avatara have fun going to college!]
------------------
StarGate: Atlantis and StarGate: SG1 are on Sci Fi now, watch them and witness the gateness...

[This message has been edited by Dark Jet (edited 08-08-2004).]

Shortly after the sparring match Joru pulled a mirror from his pocket, he spoke into it in a laguage unknown on Cythera and after a while he smiled and passed his hand over the mirror, he summoned his wings and took flight not saying any further words.

when he returned there was a man with him they were both grimacing, Joru was in bad shape, his chest was gashed open by a claw and the other man was grimacing, he had a small claw mark on his right shoulder and several more on his face.
"That crazy dragon should be killed." The man muttered as he helped Joru to the area his cloack was in
"Five broken ribs he muttered, he's lucky he wasn't crushed" then the man helping Joru take his shirt off and taking a long swath of cloth from a bag wrapped Joru's ribs.

------------------
"I don't like to fight, but it's my life, it's all I know" Joru at the council of elders, on Kentaries III




[This message has been edited by Kentonis 8356 (edited 08-12-2004).]

Savara woke with a start and climed into her suit. as she was hoping in she noticed Joru and a stanger attending to Joru.
Savara walked up and fetched her dawn blade and attached it to her suit. the massive blade glinted red in the morning light, she walked up to Tarlyn who was aide awake held out her hand and said in a deep voice
"wanna spar?"

------------------
we are born for darker purpose than that of mere existence,there will come a time when the stygian night never ends,where dead stars will spread before us like islands that slumber on the ocean, and when the beings that hid like shadows will feed on us forever

[This message has been edited by Pippin 3 (edited 08-12-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Pippin 3 (edited 08-13-2004).]

Selax got up and realized that quite a few people were awake anyway, so he might as well wake the others up. This he proceeded to do. He looked at the man Joru had brought back with him and wondered who he was. Then Selax shrugged. It wasn't that important. All there was to do now was wait for Scryilla to return.

------------------
Selax

Joru stood up, "i'd like to introduce you to my friend and teacher Draconis For'gal." he then sagged on Draconis' shoulder "Thanks for the help i'm lucky to have you around, but it aint fair, you get hurt when ur a dragon and then you become human again and bam, only a little tiny scratch" Joru looked at the small scratch marks on Draconis' arm. then he stood up and packed his stuff away

------------------
"I don't like to fight, but it's my life, it's all I know" Joru at the council of elders, on Kentaries III

The Wizard, who was still leaning against a large boulder with tightly shut eyes, came to his senses and stood up. He walked over to Selax and whispered in his ear, "I spent the whole night searching for them, but I found nothing beyond that faint feeling of power last night."
Finishing his sentence, Wizard looked up and noticed that there was a stranger among them. He smiled briefly, but the expression quickly vanished behind his beard. His eyes narrowed and he probed the visitor's being, a look of couriosity on his face. Then he spoke. "Welcome, Draconis For'gal." His look shifted to Joru, "I thought you were banished here, according to what you always say. Why is your teacher here? Please explain."
Selax put his hand on Wizard's shoulder. "That does not matter now. What is important is the arrival of Scryilla."

------------------
The Wizard

Suddenly, there was a booming laugh. Everyone looked around and spotted a distant figure on the horizon. He raised his hand and laughed again. It was just then that everyone realized that they were surrounded by harpies. The figure disappeared and the harpies rushed at the group.

OoC:
This isn't to get off the purpose of the team story, but I thought that it would be interesting to introduce a character who could show up at random and cause trouble as the group tries to rescue Avatare and Theo. (I also might use him in the future).
BiC:

As the figure ducked out of sight, he laughed again. These Cytherans never ceased to amuse him, even when the elementals had defeated him years ago, it had amused him. The harpies he had summoned would probably fail, but he hoped the delay would be enough to finish the two that the dragon had eaten. But he would find that out momentarily.

Selax was alarmed at this new turn of events. It wasn't just the harpies; there was something familar about that figure. He knew what it could be, but he hoped that he was wrong. No time to think about it now, he thought as he drew his swords.

[edit/What members are still in the story?]

------------------
Selax

[This message has been edited by Selax (edited 08-18-2004).]

Pain...absolute darkness...pain...blood....death.

---

Pain...darkness still...death...screams...flashes...

---

The throes of madness swept through DesertFox's ever shattered mind. DF had adventured through hell and back, turning round to meet the faces of those he killed, hearing the screams of death of those he failed to protect, of those he failed to save.

The groups that had gone to squelch a mad cult resurrecting the long dead and mutating monsters with arcane magicks had somehow escaped, possibly a teleportation effect DF had tried to project many times to take them afar from the problem.

DF tried in vain again to piece together what happened then. His close allies falling near him, trying to reach the epicenter of the enemy forces. His own magics swirling around, tearing to pieces the living dead that were trying to kill him. The magics were so powerful, they were swinging out of control, smashing back into DF's own body and fusing pieces of armor to his flesh, creating pains that few would ever have to experience.

The incantations of those evil men, those controlling the dead were haunting, cursing DF's very soul as he disintegrated their flesh. His ultimate spell, the waves of shadow and light, sent scythes of pure shadow and holy energy spashing across the plains, ripping apart batallions of dead and purely evil creatures. His shadow swords enchantments pulsed shadow energy into his two blades, the Iceblade and the Shadowsbane. His twin swords ripped apart any foolish enough to come within the blade's length of DF, and were the end to those he deemed as targets.

Then it happened, the final incantation. The twisted mages that had taken on DF were falling fast, but it was meaningless as the final words were muttered from the last dying mage, whose body had been impaled in the high chest and low stomach. As DF ripped his swords in opposite directions and split the mage, his mind shattered into pieces.

The enemies, all of them had been vanquished. DF didnt remember the rest, but found himself shackled to his fallen friend as he dragged his body to a holy city for revival.

DF met wanderers, adventurers, bandits, and jokesters. Each of those men met with grisly fates not too long after meeting DF. He seemed to find trouble at any turn. In the wake of his troubles he lost a dear friend in a fierce battle, and was told to bury his body, but to take the armor of his kingdom. It was a hard thing for DF to take, but his ruined armor from countless battles had told him that it was the only course of action he could take. He also lost a priest friend who was training in the arts of reincarnation. A pity, as he had just finally been able to tame to fierce magics necessary to recall a soul and revive dead flesh.

Among his other allies he had lost was a troll whos villiage DF had once saved. An unusual companion, the troll was only able to understand through basic sign language, but was a fierce and honorable companion whos last act was to suffer a spear attack DF hadnt seen coming in from behind, and the accompaning energy jolt that had been intended to kill DF.

DF got to about that far when suddenly his head pulsed, and the resulting spasm blasted another chunk of solid rock back. His cave had gone through many similar remodelings in the recent times, apparent by the various parts of furniture that were still left as well as the multiple areas of the cave that hadnt even been there before. His curse hadnt lifted yet, and it was one that was threatening to consume his entire mind.

*GET UP* a voice boomed in his mind *GET UP AND TAKE YOUR PLACE IN THIS WORLD*
DF looked up, knowing what was coming he winced in the face of pain he knew to be coming
Shrieks of all sorts filtered into his mind, those of the people he swore to protect, of the army that didnt need to fight had DF never shown up, harkoning back to the paladin training grounds that DF had done a full slaughter of. A voice filtered through.
*you brought this on yourself, fool, now suffer the consequences*

DF's mind filtered through images that were not his own. Horrid mutilations of helpless villiagers. Burning townscapes with people screaming, running and trying to escape only to be cut down by nightmare riders. Unholy warriors executing random townsfolk. The forbidden practice of soul displacement and the even more morbid practice of instilling evil spirits into the remaining body, creating those not quite dead, but not really living. Runes developed for torture and bleeding of enemies.

As the horrible images burned into DF's retinas, his mind went mad again, his body pulsed out another, more powerful burst of magic.

*oh, fiesty now? This I can work with, you dont even know what true agony is*

Suddenly, DF's eyes opened wide as he saw all those he ever coved or respected die in the same mutilations and arcane experiments that he saw earlier. His rage grew and grew before he could contain it, and suddenly his mind was not his own.

"Hahahaha, you pitiful fool" A voice gurgled out of DF's mouth "A pity I cant just squelch you from your mind, if only I had the zetacomb, your mind wouldnt stand a chance"

*WHAT DID YOU DO??* DF thought, as that was his only avenue

"That curse you thought of earlier, you didnt think that it was just a piddling little affair, did you?" The voice cackled as it tried to get used to the new vehicle it was using

*The curse....* DF spat out, unable to think of anything to add

"Yes, it was the original spell which the transferance spells were based off of, it inbues the soul of one with the mind of another" the voice shot back "We perfected it to be able to remove the spirit of the owner of the body, but were unable to conjure the power necessary to subdue you enough to cast it"

*so it was an imperfect spell, ha, you know, I refuse to be trapped by your weak mind inside of my own body* DF replied

"Oh but you have no choice in the matter, as we converse here, I am slowly taking over all of your bodily senses, it is becoming one with me" the voice countered

*But only so long as I dont fight back..* DF started

DF's body started to twitch as he looked down at his hands and started to summon forth a spell. Suddenly his body glowed with his own energy. The dark entity controlling him tried to expell the energy by slamming it outward. That was when DF made his move, summoning all the control he could, he slammed his power all back at himself, screaming in the agony it created but feeling the life pour back into himself.

"I beat you" DF said, confidence in his voice

*GRRRRRR....FOR THE TIME, AT LEAST* the mysterious dark voice pulsed in his head *but do realize that as long as you are cursed, I will be pushing to take back over, and believe me, I will remove your spirit, and I will have this body*

Suddenly, silence. DF fell back to the floor and looked over his hands. His powers fluctuating wildly had happened for a time, but this was a first. The curse was getting stronger and stronger, not weaker as DF had assumed it would. As DF tried to calm his nerves, his mind looped back to the initial battle which started this.

---

"MOJINANUBU" A troll warcry broke through the air
DF looked back to see his ally get impaled with a fierce looking spear, and then to be disintegrated by several sorts of magic as they coursed through his body. His mind screamed in pain and loss as he cast a shadow wave upon the thrower, liquifying his entire body faster than one could blink.

Right as his mind was about to filter to another scarred point, DF suddenly thought warmth, of a hearty laugh and a comradarie that he hadnt experienced before or since.

His vision saw as the source did. The unreal glow of red all around, the dank acidic air, the soft solidness of organic matter. DF suddenly knew that another friend of his was in extreme danger. Using what power he had in the way of mental speaking, he tried to call to the source, but was only met with an odd backlash. A sort of dark pulse that sprayed magic back at him violently.

Curious, DF knew it to be bad for him to be leaving in such a state, but knew it to be far worse to sit around and see the haunting visions of his past and decided to embark on a journey to help save his friend, wherever he might be.

---

Donning his friend's armor, DF paid homage to his fallen comrade by planting his country's tree outside the cave and sprinkling some enchanted water and the small vial of blood he took from the armor on it to expedite the growth. DF knew he would be gone for a time, and hoped that this tree would grow large and strong by that point, and knew that his friend would live on, if only with the tree.

With that done, DF set out, following the trail of backlash he kept getting as he attempted communication with Avatara. He knew that one day, shortly, he would run into whatever problem his friend faced, and vowed to slay whatever sinister force that was binding him.

****

OoC:
Not hijacking a story, but building a pathway into it. I will soon take my place in the main part of the story, but im just attempting to add another dimension to the whole thing. My character is not part of the main group right now, so please dont use him in your additions until he becomes as such. Thanks .

------------------
(.Y.)
-).(-
( Y )

[This message has been edited by Desert Fox (edited 08-20-2004).]

OoC: This is back with the group.
BiC:

The night suddenly exploded with the loud, terrifying roar of the harpies. Their large , hovering bodies hummed deeply, penetrating the minds and thoughts of even the most experienced. Thoughts of anger and hate and readiness were replaced by the fear and confusion that harpies leave in their wake. Fighting back these horrors and certainty of death, the group formed a tight circle. Drawing swords and staves, everyone prepared to fight.

The harpies lunged at them, extending forth the deadly teeth and stingers. Avoiding a swinging tail, the Wizard whacked a harpy over the head with his staff. While it lay on the ground in front of him, he stared into its eyes intently. It stopped fighting and simply stared back. Slowly, it turned and began to attack the other harpies.

------------------
The Wizard

Selax slashed through two harpies. He backed up and began to move at an incredible speed. In a few seconds, four harpies were dead and three others were wounded. However, the rest continued to attack.

------------------
Selax