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Part 16: Fimbulwinter
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Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Dworkin (GM)
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From vantage points along the wall, at the gate, or high above the
town, the defenders peer through slitted eyes into the teeth of the
freezing gale. Faces sting, as shards and flakes of ice blast
against them, and hands grow numb as they grip weapons.
In this freezing hell, Bjeoric is still clearly recognisable at the
gate. Already a large man, he is made to seem even larger by the
furs he has wrapped himself in against the cold. "Ah, 'tis good ter see ye've come ter 'elp defend the gate strangers! This is where we'll need yer strength the most!" Even above the howl of the storm his voice carries clear to those around him.
"There! D'ye 'ear it? The Jotenjätte! Rimfrostjätte, as some calls 'em!"
From somewhere beyond the wall comes a sound like the shattering of ten
thousand crystal goblets, dimly heard through the noise of the wind and
the rattle of ice against the wooden stockade.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Cyan
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Cyan's ruby eyes flicker over the defenders, assessing their
weapons. Not merely that they have them, or the quality, but what
KIND of weapons they bear. She also looks to the axuilliary
defenses - are there any secondary weapons piled up, rings of wagons
around the gates in case they break through, to create a killing ground
for arrows, heavy stones to drop or throw at someone at the gates.
Are there even any archers?
Boiling pitch, in this weather, would be too much to ask. But
their preparations will speak to her of the nature of the threat.
On that note....
"Speak to me of these creatures!" she cries. "Do we defend from
within? And how? What manner of being are they?"
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Lexy
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Lexy continues to fly above, but now her course has changed from lazy
circles to to a straight line towards the enemy. Her nostrils flare,
taking in the sharp bit of the air, claws flex, the blood boils. A low
growl forms in her thoat, and when she opens her mouth, a high pitch
yowl, like a cross between a wolfs howl and a cat's roar, rips through
the air.
This battle is about to be joined.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
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Jack stood back against the wall, a man of shadow
and substance shades of black and gray. The wind and ice did not seem
to bother him as much, being a man currently with a foot in each world
he was not as effected my either. He was less worried with the defenses
than Cyan, it was not his forte and he knew she would handle it.
Instead he was going for the head as he sent a tendril out searching
the icy forest for the Rimfrostjätte. If he could make contact it was
possible that he could initiate a battle of his own. From there, who
knew. Perhaps he could start and internal conflict within the Giants
forces. He pressed the tendril hard searching quick as he could for one
of the enemy minds.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Aaron
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He could feel Jadus behind him, and he knew his brother would take his
own place upon the wall. Aaron and Jadus held a sort of connection
between one another. Jadus, always the defender from afar, while Aaron
threw his life into the thick of battle.
Aaron neared the wall, and Ilsefranvir tested each and every portion of
her ability before they began their ascent upwards. Her myriad blades
spiraled and encircled Aaron, wrapping about him, before expanding
outwards and becoming a literal flurry of death surrounding her charge.
Aaron could feel the spirit in the sword literally bending the rules of
Shadow to accomplish such feats, but he knew that such things would be
needed. The cold air warmed for a moment, as she shifted Shadow around,
but that dispersed, making way for the pressing storm.
She subsided as they reached the wall. A glowing short sword in the hand of a scarred warrior.
"I am ready. May our connection bloom, cursed bearer."
Ascending the wall, Aaron squinted and gazed out over it, into the already increasing lack of visibility.
He could feel it, then. They both could. A reverberation of upcoming danger.
"Master..." Ilse began.
"I know, Ilse." was Aaron's reply as he made his way further down the battlements.
He barely spotted Cyan through the painful storm. Making his way past
armed guards and equally armed townsfolk alike, Aaron found his way to
the massive form of thier host, and then Cyan. Overhead, Lexy's scream
pierced the air, and he watched her propell herself towards their
attackers.
"Cyan! Please tell me that we're prepared for what I sense."
He felt that the woman knew slightly more on the things of battle than he, and he trusted her, even if she didn't know it.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Dworkin (GM)
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Jack sends his tendrils surging out into the storm, searching for the
enemy and finding an army of beasts, many of them wolves.
Suddenly he makes contact with something else, and a shock of cold, as
deep as the gulfs between the stars flows back along the tendril...
And at that instant something flows across the defenders and out into
the gloom, something which pushes the storm back, leaving all calm and
still in its wake, and breaks the contact between Jack and the
creature, before his mind freezes.
The edge of the storm can still be seen beyond the wall, being pushed further back.
Without the savage wind, the temperature rises slightly.
Out on the plain between the wall and the forest, shadowy forms come
out of the storm's edge; huge white wolves first, dozens of them, then
larger animals; great shaggy bears, huge deer, mastodons...
And behind them, the Jotenjätte step out into the expanding
area of calm and stop suddenly. Creatures of living ice, it
seems, twice the height of a man perhaps and surrounded by tattered
curtains of fog which they wear like ragged shrouds. Each of them
carries a hammer or axe of some black material.
Bjeoric laughs, "Well, now ye've seen 'em!"
For some reason, even with the storm pushed back, his voice still roars, "I
knowed from yer words that ye were far from 'ome, but ye must've
travelled a fair way if ye didn't know of the
Jotenjätte! Ignore the beasts, they're not 'ere to
fight, they're just runnin' from them bastards!"
"Hah! It'll be a better fight now though, now that the 'and 'as robbed 'em of their magic!"
Perhaps he wouldn't be so happy if he knew that his new allies had also been robbed of their magic...
OOC - Okay. The force which cancelled out all of your Powers inside the church just spread out across the entire valley.
Pattern no longer works.
Logrus no longer works.
Broken Pattern no longer works.
Trump no longer works.
Shapeshifting no longer works, but characters who have already shifted will keep their current form.
Magic no longer works, including Power Words.
Items and creatures lose all powers (Shadow Movement, Shadow
Manipulation, Item Healing and Item Shape Shifting) but retain their
qualities.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Kalika Wolfblade
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(NPC'd)
Kalika stands at the gate, Hunter by her side.
Even more taciturn than usual, since Jack's revelation of his new
ability, she does not even glance in his direction, clearly trying to
avoid looking at him in this unusual form.
Her sword is gripped in her right hand, while the fingers of her left are bunched in Hunter's fur.
Nearby, the men of the town gather, armed with spears, swords, axes...
most also have a small throwing axe or two thrust into their
belts. Many of them carry large, circular wooden shields, fronted
with leather and a large iron boss in the centre.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Lexy
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The shock was unexpected, and for a moment, Lexy plunges through the
sky, dropping ten feet before she recovers. Something was wrong, and
she knows a moment of panic. She feels none of the forces she is
accustomed to, and it feels like she`s been blinded.
But that doesn`t change anything. Wither it`s an attack from the forces
on the ground, or some type of magic on behalf of the hand, it doesn`t
matter. She can not raise her magics now, but she is not defensless.
The form she is in is a hunter from her own world, adn though this prey
is large, it will be hunted by her. She circles up higher, never
loosing track of these giants. And then, when she has circled high
enough, she folds her wings about her, using them only to guide her
descents. A white bolt shoots through the sky, angled at the giants.
It isn`t until the last moment that the wings flare out and claws
strike out, ripping at eyes and face, and her full weight strikes the
ginat in the head.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Aaron
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Gazing out over the wall, Aaron suddenly gasps, and his right hand
clenches around the hilt of Ilsefranvir. Something just went that fared
considerably against them.
"Ilse?" he asks, only to get absolutely no response. He knows she's there, but he can't feel her. He places the proper concentration in all the right places, trying
to manipulate Ilse's power, or get some sort of answer from her, but
still there is nothing.
Cursing, he shakes his head.
"This is definetly going to be an interesting day."
Grinding his teeth, he laughed darkly into the air above, and awaited the battle.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Kalika Wolfblade
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Kali watches their foe materialize from the mists of the storm and
takes them in. Their number, their size, their bearing, and their
distance from them. A thoughtful look crosses her face and she releases
Hunter's fur and nods slightly.
The large male, although not as great as his white brethren that
heralded the coming of the ice giaants, throws back his head and cries
out into the air. His wolven song is striking and echoes in the ears.
It is calling, beseeching and feral.
Then the cries and howls fade, and Hunter lowers his muzzle and looks
out towards the giants and animals. His intelligent eyes are squinting
shrewdly, as if he is trying to see something. Kali bits her
lower lip, an unconscious reflection of her worry as she waits to see
if there would be any response to Hunter's "words."
Meanwhile, she sheathes her sword and pulls the throwing dagger from
her boot. She weighs the balanced blade in her hand and waits for those
ice giants to get within range. Before devoting all of her attention on
her target, the Chunchee woman looks over at Jack. She openly stares,
taking in the full impact of this form of his and how it looks. She
knows that inside there is still Jack, just as there is still Kali when
she is a wolf. She smiles enouragingly at the shadow Jack, and inpsired
by her modern friend Johnee, blows her love a kiss. The motion is odd
coming from the petite, warrior woman and the way her hand waves the
kiss in Jack's direction could almost be mistaken for a good bye wave.
Her smile, of love and support, dims to one of grim expectation of
battle as her sharp eyes focus on one of the giant's eyes (the one that
Lexy isn't attacking). She gauges the distance between her and the eye,
factors in the weight of her throwing knife and the wind in the valley.
After a few long moments her smile is more triumphant. Long lessons
with her Chunchee masters are working their magic. She has zeroed in on
her target. Now all if has to do is get close enough... and then she
would let the blade fly.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Cyan
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"What will they try to do?" Cyan cries to Bjeoric. "Break the
walls? Enter through the gate?" She doesn't bother asking
about fire - if it worked, they will be using it. If not, they
will not.
The Bard glances around with her topaz eyes, looking to see if there are any extra weapon caches. None.
Berd, appearing extremely disgruntled, pauses in the air, then shoots
back towards the barn at high speed. They left something
there...something that HE might be able to use.
We are in deep trouble, Cyan decides, her lips thinning.
As long as the walls hold, the men within can launch attacks against
their opponants at head height...but that will only work as long as
they have something to throw. With weapons as large as they
carry, and standing between ten and fifteen feet tall, the giants can
hammer at the people atop the walls, easily staying out of range of
sword and axe, and possilbly far enough to avoid the less useful
spears. Eventually, the defenders will have to surrender the
fixed defenses.
The Giants will then breach the wall.
When that happens, sword and axe will come into play. But fifty icy giants against three times as many men....
One blow that hits is death, here. Are their 'hides' stronger
than the norm, being ice? Or is that merely a seeming? If
so, then I would pit them against twice this many men, no, three times
on open ground. The end result would be the same, unless they are
as slow as the ice from which they seem to spring. Now would be a good time to flee. There is one problem - Bjeoric and his people show no signs of leaving.
Thus, neither can Cyan. Not while one man, woman, or child
remains to defend. With no axe or spear to throw, she waits to
hear Bjeoric's assessment of the giant's strategy, and studies them
herself.
OOC - For what do the defenders seem to be preparing? What is the
defensive strategy (specifics)? What do the Giants seem to be
setting up (strategy)?
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
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Jack was a bundle of nerves as he stood at
the wall brandishing his sword. Nervous about the fight, nervous about
Kali. She had not been even looking at him at first and that boded ill
for the potential hopes of boding. Now he was just plain confused as
she blew him a kiss and waved goodbye. What was she doing? Was she
going to leave? That didn’t seem right for her. He saw the smile that
went with it and hoped for the best. He watched her pull a dagger and
inspiration struck him!
Jack looked around wildly for a long bow. He had a
quiver full of Arrows but no bow in his pack. “I need a bow now!!” he
shouted It would probably do no good in his hands, but Kali or Cyan
could be lethal with it at a distance. He glanced over this side
of the wall, “Do we have any large stones, long lumber or logs?”
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jadus
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Breaching the crowd upon the wall, Jadus gazed out over it and groaned
in agony at what he faced. The groan wasn't so much for their enemy, as
his sudden lack of ability to do anything. Even his arm had stopped tingling.
He heard Jack's yell in the background. What good would a bow do at this...
Gazing out over the wall, staring at the enemies, he too got the idea.
"'I was just thinking. Your body can't be made of rock all over, now can it?'" he mumbled to himself with a dark laugh.
Quoting a familiar favorite of his, Jadus too yelled for a bow and quiver.
Whatever happened, it couldn't be as bad as, say, dying. Even a boy can spear a man through the brain with an arrow.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Dworkin (GM)
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The fifty or so Jotenjätte hesitate on the edge of the storm
for only a short while, then start to stride across the open field,
advancing more like a mob than an army.
Bjeoric nods at Cyan's questions, "Well
that's the thing see, Lass, they's big an' they's strong, but they's
not so quick. Ye've ter hit 'em hard, an they'll chip an' crack
like ice. But if ye hit one just right, here... " he taps himself in the centre of his broad chest, "Then it'll shatter like it were one o' them fine crystal cups they uses up at Konungherrgård."
"As ter their tactics, ye'd do as well ter ask what tactics a blizzard
has. They'll come as a horde, no jarl, no plan. Likely
they'll make fer the gate, the stakes in the ditch seems ter discourage
'em. A few'll make fer the wall, an'... "
He stops and whirls to find the source of the howl from behind him, and
relaxes when he sees Hunter standing alongside Kali, head tilted up in
a mournful song.
Out on the plain the wolves slow in their headlong dash. A few
speed up again almost immediately, but others raise their heads to howl
at the sky. One, a massive male, almost as large as a bear,
stalks towards the gateway. A snarl rumbles deep in his throat as
it searches for the stranger that has trespassed into his domain and
tried to usurp control of his pack.
One of the men at the wall squints at the sky, and points, "Look!"
A streak of white plummets from the sky, almost hitting the ground, but
sweeping upwards at the last instant to slam into the face of one of
the giants. The ice behemoth falls backwards under the impact,
stumbling into one of its companions, and both giants go down with a
sound like the calving of icebergs from a glacier...
A man standing near Jack glances at him, looking away again hurriedly, "No
bows 'ere stranger. The cold make's them too 'ard ter keep in
workin' order. There's timbers stacked 'gainst the wall just a
bit along that way."
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
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Jack drops off the wall and runs for
the timbers a half mad gleam in his eye. He shouts as he moves “I Need
some heavy rope now and a grapple if you have it! We can trip Them up!”
Jack wraps his massive arms around a timber moving it out from the
others. Wishing that he had more time to put some kind of point on it.
He shouts again as he moves setting up a clear path to the gate.
“There is a game on our world, where we see who can throw
timbers the farthest with most accuracy!” He gives a wild grin “We’ll
Take these guys down with a cross between battering ram and the Kaber
toss!” The grin becomes a little wilder "If an arrrow through the brain
hurts, what'll a timber through the chest do?"
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Kalika Wolfblade
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Kali's focus alters at the alpha male's rumbling reply to Hunter. Her
eyes unfocus slightly, and she chuckles. Hearing the native's advice,
she shifts her focus to the chest of the ice giants, and makes the
connection just as Jack does. The throwing dagger is resheathed as she
moves to help Jack with the timbers. Her dagger may not do any good,
but the timbers...
Kali draws her blade and meets Jack's eyes.
"Stones will be our easiest choice. Anything larger than a fist for us
to chip away at them as they advance would be best" her glittering
yellow eyes settle on Bejoric "It would be best to spare men to gather
a reserve of these stones while the foe makes their approach" she
offers her consel and then moves to join Jack by the log pile.
"Lalai a mekia" she greets him with a caring smile "I can
cut points in the logs now... or we can just throw them like this" she
motions to the timbers "A very resourceful idea" she compliments her
love, and then crouches to take hold of the end of a timber, to see if
she would be able to manage its weight.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
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The wild grin is something to see on the Jack of
shadows, now trapped half way between being a living shadow and his
normal self. He still looks like Jack, but as the man painted in
darkness and shadow. When he grins silvery black teeth show with a
metallic sheen. His skin is the flat shade of deepest shadows, but the
shiny black sweat glistens on it in it wetly from his effort with the
timber. The faintest hint of blue can be seen in his dark eyes and a
cloak of pure darkness flaps gently in a breeze from the shadowy ether
worlds. His voice is hollow and alien, a chilling parody of the broken
mans voice. The shadow man sticks out conspicuously on the white
landscape of this winter wonderland. All in all he looks like he would
make a good villain in a bad horror movie, with a massive F/X budget.
The manic grin fades uncertainly as Kali comes
over to where he works. As she greets him warmly and praises his
efforts he positively beams and bristles with a warm pride. At
least as much as a shadow man in a frozen landscape can, it still looks
like creepy parody of him over all. “Thank you beautifull, you aren’t
bad yourself, but you are still going to have to teach me your language
Dear.” It’s hard to tell with so many shades of black on black, but it
looked as if he gave her a wink and smile. “ I don’t know about the
points, it may give them more of a chance of glancing off. Let’s try
some of both Love.”
The Idea quickly grows, as the image of a
black knight on a mastodon comes to mind, though they may not have time
for it. “Something like this may only be good for a hit or two. If we
can both get on the back of one of the mammoths, I can control it and
we can use it as a lance! You can guide the hits and tell us where we
need to go, I’ll help hold the timber steady and control the
beast. Can Hunter have the wolves maneuver one of the behemoths
close enough to the wall for me to gain control of ? If you think it’s
a bad idea to get out there amongst the Giants on the back of one of
those, tell me now. . .”
Jack tries to reach out with his mind and touch one of the Mammoth’s minds while he waits on her answer.
He had lost both his old Broken shadow
powers and the new ability to change shape. Even still trying to shake
off the mind numbing chill of contact with the Frost Giants, Jack knew
he was more than his powers. He was a man! A resourceful man that could
find a way to fight for what he believed in, instead of milling about
lost and bemoaning what he didn’t have. These were the times that
showed the mettle of a man. Who in their little merry band would falter
and fall to confusion and depression, who would rise to meet that
challenge? He was already seein Lexy, Cyan, Kali and Himself rising to
meet it head on!
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Aaron
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I'm still here, you know.
Aaron ground his teeth and leaped off of the wall.
No Ilsefranvir. Just a sword, and a man with a mission.
You know I'm still here.
"Shut up."
He had heard the big man's explanation of their enemy, as Aaron too had
figured. Everything has a stress point somewhere. Ice giants, and even
people.
It's just that, stress points in people were different than those in beings made of ice.
You can't escape.
Ilse was very, very good at covering up his insanity. So much so, that he had almost forgotten about it.
You can't fight.
But it was a physical sickness. Irrational Dementia with Homicidal Tendencies, they called it.
Accept me.
Now that Ilse was asleep for the time being, it attacked him like a
migraine with a mind of its own. It had hit him fast and hard, and his
sudden lack of defense faltered and fell.
Use me.
But he wouldn't fight.
Grinning, he embraced it. Became that red haze that was the desire to just make everything else stop. Raising Ilsefranvir, Aaron let out a bellow of rage, as he surged into
the gigantic, lumbering entities that threatened this place. He would
not find peace unless he made it himself, without the crutch that was
Ilsefranvir.
The real Aaron knew that she was a weakness, but she was a useful weakness.
Small, quite small in comparison to his huge foes, this Amberite
version of David charged ahead and leaped to the side as a gigantic axe
crashed down beside him.
The second that axe slammed into the ground, and he made his
adjustments, he lunged towards the haft of the weapon and cleaved
through it just as it hit the earth. Throw enough weight into a weapon,
it could very well throw you off balance if you didn't anticipate
everything.
Oh, and he was attempting to anticipate everything in his red-eyed
stare, for he knew that if that giant toppled, it would be forwards,
and the Amberite would have to move fast.
And in the distance that was his mind, he heard laughter...
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
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Yes Lexy was relatively safe in her air borne attacks Death from above!, Cyan was safe checking their defenses, Kali and Jack were safe preparing to pitch undersized telephone poles.
Jack thought Yup cream rises to the top, of course there are other things that float. . .
. . ."Crap!" Jack exclaimed as Aaron jumped across the wall to single-handedly charge some fifty odd Giants!
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Cyan
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Cyan shakes her head, watching the Giants come closer. Now that
their vulnerability has been given away, she can see how the men have
survived so long. Jack has a fine idea, with the logs - Caber
tossing. She's seen that done on several worlds, and figures
that, despite the inaccuracy of the log, the Giants' size will make
them much easier targets. Well done, Jack, she thinks wryly. You seem to be doing much, while I gad about, doing nothing at all.
Then Aaron hops from the wall, roaring like a madman.
Cyan blinks once, not having realized that Aaron has a condition that
mirrors her own. It would explain much. The only problem is
that he seems to have even less control over when it comes out than
she, for his attack, now, is the worst sort of insanity. His
speed, his sword, all of it will matter not at all out there, among the
Giants. Sooner or later one of them will connect, and it will be
all over.
She ought to simply leave him to that. Fighting left handed will
be difficult enough. But she will be of no use to Jack - Cyan
cannot throw a log, one handed, and her other hand will ruin her
aim. There are no axes to hurl, and no way for her to reach the
enemy from the wall.
"No. I cannot," she whispers to a voice from inside, the voice of
a small, jewel-bright creature flying frantically in this
direction. Hopefully with cargo in claws. Turning to
Bjeoric, she shrugs fatalistically. "It appears I have little
choice." Topaz eyes lighten slightly, and Cyan's smile tugs her
lips upwards. "I suggest, however, that you stick to your
plan. Whatever it may be."
I am useless here.
She will give Aaron some assistance, this one time, before leaving the
group. Assuming that, of course, she survives. Backup, Cyan thinks, appears to be my lot in life. "Jack! I will aid Aaron! I will be back with him, if he falls!" Assuming she is able.
Going over the wall on her own, Cyan moves quickly towards Aaron's
battle, intending more to watch over him than attempt to defeat any
Giant. Should she spend time trying to attack, it means her
guarding of Aaron's blind spots will fail.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Ilsefranvir
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There is nothing you can do against me. There never, ever was.
Curled up within the depths of an ancient sword, the woman gazed into
the dark with eyes so blue they seemed to actually glow. She was
wearing nothing but the white shift she had worn the day she was bound.
It was all she would ever wear.
Her hair was long and dark, unbound and floating about her body. She
was very tone and lithe, from decades upon decades of combat, yet the
scars on her body were hidden from view. Curled up in a fetal position
as she was, she may as well have not even existed.
And as that echoing voice continued to speak, her head lowered, and she wrapped her arms about her knees, burying herself.
You are nothing.
You were never anything to begin with.
And then there was the silence, and the whistling of air, as her charge flung himself, and her, into the midst of battle.
A battle for which Ilsefranvir could do nothing.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Kalika Wolfblade
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Kali smiles easily at Jack. Surprisingly it was Hunter's observation
that had led her to accept this form of her beloved and the words and
actions of the shadowy man only confirmed her thoughs. It was still
Jack, only different.
Kali begins to hack points into the timbers, expertly hitting every
fifth one into points. She listens to Jack's idea about the
mastodons and shakes her head, silver hair flowing with the movement.
"The pack leader will not bow to another wolf's call... unless he means
to challenge for control of the pack. Hunter already asked for their
help, but the leader is doing what is best for the pack... taking them
to safety. As for riding the masstodins, we have animals, berai...
they are large scaly things, like Brintizzi only dumber. We are
schooled in combat astride them, but I know only the basics. Because of
the number of giants we could only make one charge... and then we would
have to hack them to pieces..." her eyes suddenly light up and asks
Jack "We have a... solid, jitchu.. it is brewed from the blood of kiko,
the trees that never die, and it sticks and burns to anything... What
if they have something like this here? We could melt the ice giants!"
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
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“Damn!” Jack exclaims as he watches Cyan cross the
wall “We need evergreen sap Pitch!” He shout but he fears their
comrades going over may have cost them time instead of bought them the
precious time they needed. they couldn’t afford to loose any of
the Questers. “Large bolos might work yes?” He looked in Kalis
amber eyes while making the motions of throwing bolos by circular
motions around his head.
Then shakes his head. “We have to help them now
Kali. . .We are out of time!” He hefts the timber and moves towards the
gate.
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Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Kalika Wolfblade
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Kali watches Jack hoist a log and take off after Cyan and Aaron. She
sighed and a cloud of white vapor rose into the air above her head, her
question unasked. If those two chose to suicide themselves, why must
they as well? Kali breathed in deep and wiped her blade clean before
sheathing it. She looks around and pockets any large stones that are
around
and then picks up one of the timbers and starts after Jack. The others
could suicide themselves, but Jack she cared about too much.
Her eyes hardened as she approached the mob of ice giants. Hunter howls
mournfully from the heights, but obeys and stays. Kali had told him not
to charge into the fray until after she had fallen, and although he
didn't like the idea, he understod and stayed behind the wall. The
instant the link was broken though... then the wolf would attack with a
savageness born from a colossal loss, and he would fall with his
mistress.
"Jack- do not forget that in soul I am with you, and love you dearly" she calls out to the man cloaked in shadows.
With a savage cry, Kali hoists the timber up and charges after her love and the ice giants...
===========================================================
Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack moves forward balancing the timber,
then starts the rush already knowing how he’ll do it. Make a
short charge, swing his body around for the heft at the target, let his
momentum carry him through to a drop and roll to the side. It should
work. . .He hoped.
“Kali!!!After the first strike. . .I’ll come upon my knees with my hand
cradled. . . .Use me as a spring board. . .I’ll throw you jump for
another’s chest!” He was fighting to call out as he moved forward under
the timbers weight. “And Kali!!! When we are done with this. . . Will
you marry me!?! Before anything else. . .Can go wrong!?!”
===========================================================
Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy hits the ice giant, hard and fast. The thing was hard, but not
hard enough. As she strikes, she feels ice fly about her, catches a
glimpse of a shattered face, and then she sees the sky as she swoops
upwards. She catches for a moment the sight of the giant going down,
dragging another one down with it, but then ethere is no more time for
that.
Wings pumping, she climbs in the air once more. Her tactics here are
simple, limited by the odd bubble that surrounds them all. Climb, dive,
and repeat. The only moment she pauses is when she`s up in the air,
seeking out her next target. And the arial view is wonderful for that.
An unhindered view of the battlefield, she can make out activity on the
walls, and among the giants themselves. The battle has yet to be fully
joined, but it's getting there.
Then there is no more time to think. Having reached the height she
wanted, she folds her wings once more and dive downwards, eyes
narrowing, feeling the icy cold against her, rusihing past her as she
dives. The bigger they are... she thinks just before her wing flare and smashing into another one of the gainst with claws extended.
===========================================================
Re: Part 16 - Fimbulwinter by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
The giant fell, but not as far as Aaron had anticipated. To one knee, was more like it.
Cursing, the smaller man ran off to the side. His eyes catching each
giant as they plodded, or charged, towards him. Was that Cyan he saw
coming his way?
Aaron laughed. Madness! The woman could only essentially use one hand.
Sure, Ilsefranvir was asleep for the time, and he knew he was less than
stable himself, but...
He dove. A hammer blow slammed into the earth where he had been
standing, cratering the frost-hardened ground a few feet away. The
frost giant grunted and lifted the heavy weapon again, hauling back and
ready to hurl it down. A few feet ahead, yet another giant trod towards
him.
The Amberite smiled and cursed again as he shot to his feet. Oh, how he wished Ilse could have frozen in her whip state!
Dashing in a zig-zag manner, he ran towards the giant that had been
heading towards him, the hammer-holding one behind. The other, axe in
hand, grunted as he swung it up and back, while the second raised his
hammer yet again.
Aaron, staring up at both, shook his head.
"Oh yes. This is a very interesting day."
===========================================================
A battle joined by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy flies up from the fallen giants, and their cracked forms don't
rise again. The one she hit has actually split in two almost down
its centreline, the other has had its legs broken. Both of them
are still alive...
At the gate, the great white wolf spots Hunter and attacks him, fangs
as long as a man's middle finger closing on the grey wolf's
shoulder. Hunter rolls with the impact, and soon the men at the
gate are forced to scatter as the two wolves do battle. Outside
the rest of the pack are watching, but they don't enter the town.
Aaron rushes forward, the somnolent Ilsefranvir gripped in one fist as
he laughs like a madman. The snow on the ground makes his footing
treacherous, slowing his movement, and one of the sluggish giants
almost hits him with its weapon, an axe which, at this range, is
obviously composed of some dark metal coated with ice.
Cyan follows close behind Aaron, not getting too near, but guarding his
flanks and back. This close the giants lose all but the most
basic similarity to human form. They look... unfinished,
rough-hewn. Their tactics seem to be simple; raise a weapon
overhead and slam it down, hard.
Driven by Jack's muscles and momentum, his chosen weapon, a 12 foot
length of pine as thick around as his thigh, flies through the air
towards the nearest rimfrostjätte. A brilliant maneuver,
except that the timber is not designed as a weapon and turns sideways
in mid-flight. The giant tries to block it and has its left arm
shattered, but that doesn't seem to slow it any.
Jack, meanwhile rolls to one side and turns and comes up into a
crouch... and his feet slide out from under him, and for the second
time today he's dumped face-down in the snow, but this time he has his
back exposed to a giant carrying a hammer big enough to flatten
mountains.
Kalika, a little way behind him, sees the hammer rise and start to drop, and she is still too far away to get there in time...
Berd returns to the wall, carrying the lantern from the barn, to find a
scene of madness. Wolves are fighting in the streets, Bjeoric is
leading the townsmen out onto the field, and there is no sign of his
friends. He leaves the lantern on the ground in a safe spot and
flies upwards to get a clearer view, and that's when he spots Cyan and
the others out beyond the gate.
Even on his non-human face, the expression of mixed disgust and
resignation is easy to read, as he flies down to collect the heavy
lantern.
===========================================================
Re: A battle joined by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali follows behind Jack and her eyes widen at his sudden question. A
wild, free grin lights up her face as her answer is chased away by the
wind.
"Of course... now focus on the battle so that you might survive your
marriage bed!!" she calls back louding, her short legs working like
pistons to draw her closer to the ice giants.
She notes Jack's lack of success with his log, but it's too late for
her to abort her own log attack. Wolven eyes watch the ice hammer
descend towards Jack's vulnerable form and with a cry, she summons her
strength and uses her momentum to throw the log at the ice hammer.
After releasing the log Kali dives forward, arms outstretched. Her vain
hope is that if the log misses the descending ice hammer that she will
be able to hit Jack out of the way before he is hit, but her instincts
tell her she is too slow....
Then pain.
It explodes in her shoulder, a hot blast of muscle and fur tearing. To
her credit, she does not cry not, nor waver in her dive towards her
love. A moment, the hammer falling, to sort out the pain. It is not
hers... it is Hunter's.
Hunter!!!!
Even though her body is fully commited to trying to save Jack, her mind shouts out a command.
Return to me NOW!!!!!
And Hunter, red blood staining the pristine snow, has no choice but to
obey. If he has a straight shot to Kali, he will take it, moving with
all of the speed and agility his smaller size gives him. If not he will
try to juke the other wolf out in an effort to get by him and answer
Kali's call.
===========================================================
Re: A battle joined by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Shaking her head, Cyan continues to watch Aaron's back, noting the
speed of the giants, their skill...or lack thereof. It quickly
becomes obvious that, even injured and lefthanded, she would be able to
tear one of them down with a fair amount of ease. Aaron, were he
not maddened and deprived of his weapon's functions, would likely be
capable of a similar feat, if with more difficulty.
Berd sweeps up the lantern, rising into the air and flying towards
Aaron and Cyan. His sharp eyes, however, pick out danger...much
danger, large, heavy, ice-rimed danger, headed straight down towards
Kallika and Jack.
Instantly, plans are formed and executed. The image is relayed to
Cyan. Berd's course remains straight - he arrows straight in,
Stuka-like, preparing to dive-bomb the lantern into one of the
creatures around Aaron and Cyan, one Aaron is not facing.
At the same time, the vison hammers into Cyan's mind, and her eyes,
shining rubies, seek out Jack and Kallika. Kallika, in the air,
impossibly catching UP to her thrown log, accelerated unbelievably
quickly by her powerful legs...and still, perhaps not quickly enough,
as she stretches forwards in a fantastic leap towards her love.
And if they survive...they are still down, and soon to be surrounded.
Time slows.
Aaron will have to fend for himself, Cyan thinks dimly under a
rising tide of terror, watching the huge weapon crawl through the air
towards Jack and Kallika. And then, everything...
goes...
away...
.
Her footwork blindingly quick and sure, Cyan weaves out through the
giants, dragging her blade along legs, and flicking it into knees as
she passes them. Again, as before, her purpose is to wound, to
injure, and Kirilinde strikes quickly. There is no frippery or
flash to her movements - only economical fury, tightly contained and
focused. Her wrist twitches, the sword cuts and thrusts.
Her body shifts and moves, finds an opening, and shoots through.
A wild, mad grin on her face, diamond eyes burning in the cold, snowy
light, Cyan hurls herself into combat with the giants nearest to Jack
and Kallika, hunting for their attention with her blade. But
she's too far to stop what's about to happen, and while covering
seventy yards at a dead run is a matter of seconds for her, this is
through snow and giants.
===========================================================
Re: A battle joined by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Of course... now focus on the battle so that you might survive your marriage bed!!"
To late he realized his concentration was lacking.
[WHUMP!] he hit the ground solidly. Though it was not enough to hurt
the big man, especially in this form. He knew he was down and had put
them all at risk! Immediately he rolled towards the giant he had
hit in a desperate attempt for avoid any attack. As he rolled
over he saw the ice hammer descending. He also saw log flying at the
hammer and Kali flying towards where he was, “Kali Noooo!” but he had
no choice than to keep rolling away from the Hammer and towards the
Giant. “Please Odin, just make certain she is safe.” He thought ahs he
tried to roll for the Giants legs.
===========================================================
Re: A battle joined by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
Your logic is not lost in me.
He let the voice flow. Ilse was not here.
Aaron had survived, surprisingly, for now. Yes, his dives and dodges
had been more along the way of slips and slides, but he wasn't dead yet.
Let me move you.
Ensconced as he was in the babbling madness that was his unfortunate
birthright, he soon noticed a pattern within the Giant's attacks. Pick
a target, raise, swing, crush. Yet Aaron and the rest of his group had
done much to deter the beasts from attacking the village at-large, and
he noted that.
However...
Turning, he raced back to the wall. Something was off.
Think not upon them. They matter little.
"Shut.. up."
He saw Cyan dart past, at least ten or fifteen feet away. The look in her eyes, on her face...
Surprising, yes? She too, suffers. Then a laugh. His own laugh.
Digging his feet into the snow, he scrabbled for purchase as he too,
ran off in the same direction as she. There was so much going on, but
little, it seemed, that Aaron could do about it. His mind was clouded
by the random thoughts of... something. A psychosis he could only
barely gauge. Yet he pushed on, following Cyan at a considerable
distance, while the frost giants stomped behind.
"But... how did the villagers survive? How do they crush these beasts?"
he mumbled to himself, in what could have been his own voice.
===========================================================
Re: A battle joined by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy's next dive takes a giant in the head, and the thing falls
backward, fine fracture lines spreading all over it's body. But yet, it
still moves. Lexy climbs juts a bit, enough to get out of weapon range,
and she once more surveys the battle field. Her attacks are working,
but it takes time to set up an attack, and the number of the giants
isn't shrinking rapidly enough.
She looks over the battle field, and an idea strikes her. She'll need
help though. A look around shows that everyone seems occupied. Aaron is
in the midst of giants, Ilse slashing away. Jack and Kalika were busy
as well, struggling for their very lives. Cyan was also similarly
involved. Damn.
Even as she watches, Jack tumbles, and one of the giants makes to turn
him into a pancake. Lexy dives through the air, beating wings adding an
extra speed boost, as she dives at the creature.
===========================================================
Child's Play by Hunter
-----------------------------------------------------------
Hunter hears his mistress's call... how could he miss it?
The game is too tempting, too fun. This feral cousin of his, thinking
he could best him in combat. And yet, Hunter did not desire a pack of
his own... well he did, but not these heaven wolves. No his pack would
be a family... a family sired upon... NO! Not her... she had chosen
another, chosen a chance, an unknown over him years ago and still
he could not keep his instincts from speaking, from intruding upon his
thoughts.
His growl is more like a laugh. The call his lai had
mustered was a strong one, but not strong enough. Her heart wasn't in
it... she didn't truly want him by her side. Through her contact Hunter
saw the Stranger and the icy weapon meant to be his doom. Yes, his
Bonded's thoughts were elsewhere.
Attention shifts back to his foe, who was making another easily
avoidable lunge. Hunter saw the opening for a wicked blow to the back
leg, but only opens a small cut instead.
The two wolves, both sustaining very minor injuries now, face off for another pass...
===========================================================
I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kalika throws her own log with more strength and accuracy than Jack
could muster, and it drives hard into the chest of the giant. Ice
cracks and shatters, and the thing explodes into ten thousand whirling
shards of crystal.
Jack's roll to avoid the hammer blow carries him right into the heart
of that storm of ice, and he narrowly avoids being struck by the
falling log. The hammer lands with a thud on the ground behind
him, then topples over, and the end of the ice-rimed metal shaft
catches him, hard, on his right hip. For an instant the shock
renders his entire leg numb, then the pain starts.
Hunter finds hiself facing a circle of wolves determined not to let him
escape. He turns and faces the pack leader, and lunges forward,
jaws reaching for the throat.
Cyan and Aaron are both cutting at the giants, hacking at them in a
frenzy, and it is doubtful that either of them will remember anything
of the battle afterwards. Aaron is bleeding from a scalp wound
where a giant axe had been only partially blocked by his parry.
Cyan has a number of minor nicks and cuts, mostly from flying shards of
ice.
Far above, Lexy and Berd fight in their own manner. Lexy
continuously dives and attempts to bowl the giants over, hoping to
cripple them, slow their advance or stop it entirely. So far her
speed and the unexpected direction of her attacks has kept her from
injury...
Berd dives and drops the lantern as he pulls up. All that
momentum hits the giant hard, and it splinters. For a fraction of
a heartbeat spilled oil burns on the broken remains of the
Jotenjätte, but then the flames sputter and die...
Bjeoric and the townsmen launch their own attack, axes whirling through
the air to crack limbs, and occasionally to reduce a giant to a pile of
splinters.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
In the midst of the Giants, Cyan dances.
Her footwork is pure and light, her motions clean and sure. She
moves through them like the breeze, but it's a razor wind, that leaves
vicious cuts in its wake. Still her blade is held with one
hand. Still she works her way towards Jack and Kallika.
They need only regain their feet for an instant, she knows,
distantly. Then Kallika will wreak terrible ruin upon those enemy
around her, and with Jack guarding her back, they could likely defeat
the entire group of Giants, alone. The glittering machine that is
her mind recognizes, instinctively, the more deadly fighter as her
superior. But they need to reach their feet, gather
themselves. And for that, they need an instant's respite, nothing
more.
Behind empty, diamond eyes, Cyan's mind sings.
Her attack is not wild, not without focus. Crazily daring,
perhaps. But her battle-madness is of a different sort than
Aaron's. There is no rage, no fury; only a blind need to hurl
herself into the midst of the enemy, to follow the threads of strategy
through to their end.
'I live! her mind sings. 'And this is why!'
A purpose can be a terrible thing.
Kirilindë a shining wheel in the air, she closes in on Jack and
Kallika, intent on giving them that moment they need to finish
this. She slides under one axe, sword flicking against the
'shin', hurtles over a hammer, blade sliding up the haft to take the
fingers. Wound. Cripple. Damage. Hurt them,
make them draw back.
Give them pain.
High above, Berd realizes something. Fire is, obviously, of no use. Terminal velocity, however....
Sweeping back towards the town, Berd searches for another large object. One he can carry.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“Damn!” Jack cursed with a wince of pain, as he kicked the handle off with his good leg.
Drawing his staff from his belt and the sword from the staff he
struggled to his feet using the staff as a prop. The ice shards pouring
off of him tinkling to the frozen tundra. Still he almost fell
again when he put his weigh on his leg. His right leg felt like it was
on fire and yet made of rubber at the same time, but he could use it.
Despite the pain he rises and continues.
Continues back to the only place he knows is home, the
only place he feels is safe He retreated back to Kali’s side. His
blade flashes in the air as he focuses his sword play strictly on
defense and parrying , only taking attacks of opportunity. These
behemoths may be slow, but he knows he is no longer up to any fancy
footwork. One thought on his mind, protecting his love and himself from
the lethal blows of the Giants.
He knows he can not compete with any of the
team members on the field in a fight, but he will lend what strength
and skill he can to his bride to be’s efforts. Giving her protection,
cover or at least presenting another target for the giants around her.
He was here for her, and she was the only reason he stayed in the fray.
Slowed and half lame he relied on his strength of Arm and Blade to keep
these things at bay.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Ilsefranvir
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ilse uncurled from her fetal position, and she scowled at the being that floated before her.
"You are not allowed in here!" she yelled to him.
But the dark man laughed. Dressed in black, cloak flaring about him.
His face was shadowed, but Ilse knew the voice the second he spoke.
"Woman, you can do nothing to stop me. Your shield is weak. Your power, completely useless now."
And he laughed again.
"Now is the time for him to fall to me. And then we will see how much his friends really hate him."
Clearing his throat, he cocked his head to the side.
"Excuse me. I meant to say, how much they really hate... me."
Then he vanished, leaving Ilse alone.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali's mad lunge to knock Jack out of the way of the icy hammer is
easily turned into a roll as her timber strikes home and they are
showered with ice shards. They catch in her silver hair and sparkle in
the light. She hears the sound of somthing connecting with flesh as she
comes up from her roll, see Jack staggering to his feet, trying to buy
her time. She rises with a rock in each hand, grateful for the grueling
training that resulted in her proficiency with both hands, and throws
them at the two giants closest to Jack, skillfully aiming for the place
where their heart would be in hopes of shattering them to pieces.
Using her handful of rocks to clear some breathing room for herself and
her love, she licks her lips and looks at the shadowy Jack with animal
gleaming in her eyes.
"Hunter's drawn blood" she tells Jack as she pulls her sword "these
things are very slow and unskilled" the animal in her fades as her eyes
register Jack's injury "Sit down and get your weight off of your leg.
You worked hard to earn me some extra time... allow me to repay the
favor" she says to her love as she waits for their icy foes to get just
a smidge closer before she pulverized them to shards... much like Cyan
was doing.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack met Kali’s gaze for an instant
and saw the same beauty in motion that he had seen when he watched her
so gracefully charge the dragon. He felt like such a bumbling clod by
comparison. Wondering what someone so graceful like that could ever see
in someone so slow and awkward as him. Yet he didn’t dare take his
attention off of the giants for more than a split second even though
she was enchanting in the ice.
“Now way Love” Jack shouted though a wince of pain
“Adrenaline is the only thing keeping me up! If I sit down my leg
will bind up larger than life. Besides I don’t want to look like to
much of a wimp in comparison to our hosts.” He gave her a wink to
let her know he was playing “They might make me wait on you hand and
foot, though it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
Jack fell back behind Kali though to give her room to work without
worrying about him, yet close enough to defend her back and protect her
should something happen. “Do I need to help Hunter?” he asked
with a hint of concern in his voice.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
The ice giants seemed to have frozen brains as well for they continued
their fight. kali rejoiced for it, even if they were unchallenging foes
the sheer number of them made it worth it. It isn't long before the
area she cleared if full of attacking gargantuans once again.
This time around she plays the defensive, she sword responding to a
foot aimed to kick at them or a hammer trying to crush them. Kali
directs her blows so that the piececs of giant fall away from them
instead of into them. She learned that lesson the hard way last time
and Jack would pay the price for that after the battle ended.
Briefly she meets his eyes between slashes, gauging the pain in his face.
"You are strong to be standing on that leg... adrenaline or no" she
comments, her blade whistles through the air as it moves to shatter
another arm "Hunter is having some fun of this own... the other wolves
will not interfere, neither should we" Kali grits her teeth
"that's right... just a little closer..." she murmurs under her breath
to an approaching giant.
Then her patience snaps.
Unable to curb the temptation any longer, Kali moves to a full on
offense. The damned things were so slow she was tired of waiting for
them. She stays close to Jack, moving like a silver haired terror, her
flashing blade striking down ice giants as she dodged and whirled,
jumped and attacked, parried and kicked, stabbed and rolled. Like Cyan,
Kali moves in her own battle dance, but she doesn't lose herself
completely, she knows she must be readily available should Jack need
her.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Up, down, up down... That was Lexy today, in more ways then one. While
others fought on the ground, dodging and weaving amongst a forst of
giants, Lexy had more time to pick and choose her targets, and so far
every attack had been enough to remove an opponent. But all of them
where too slow, and they needed more. So instead of attacking again,
blindly and foolishly, Lexy decided on another course of action.
Her flight veered away from the battlefield, and instead she overflew
the village, flying low, and looking for something, her head darting
back and forth as she searches.
The first pass does not turn up what she is seeking, and on the second
she almost misses it. But she does find it; A goodly length of coiled
rope.
She veras in her flight, coming down on the grounbd in a rush, half
running and kicking up a cloud of snow, ice and dirt. But she doesn't
have time to be subtle. Still running, she snatches up the rope in her
jaw and wings pump once more. All told, she had been less then five
seconds on the ground, and that was still too slow for her.
Even as she lifts up into the air, her mind and eyes are searching, seeking the only other flyer here.
Berd!
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Berd
-----------------------------------------------------------
Berd, panting, flops to the ground.. The cauldron, apparantly, is
too much for him. With his vision greying, he considers his
abdomen, and the possibility of hernia.
Then he spots Lexy, or rather, two Lexys that rapidly merge into one. He sees the rope. He can...feel her request.
Sensing that this one, at least, has a plan, he vaults into the air...
.....
That, he knows, will hurt later. Cursing his overtaxed, weak
body, and picking himself up from the snow, Berd climbs atop the
cauldron and painfully flaps up to meet Lexy.
All the while, he's hoping desperately she doesn't intend for him to
GRAB anything. After all...he's only the size of a large
cat. If that.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Once more she searches, but this time not for rope. Berd is the object
of this search, and she finds him soon enough. She watches the flapping
of his wings, the movements of his body, and despairs. The little
micro-dragon didn't look too good, and she discards her first plan.
Plan B then... unless the little runt was faking it.
She meets up with him in the air, and slows down enough to keep pace with him.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Berd
-----------------------------------------------------------
Berd almost chokes with despairing laughter at the first image.
He increases his speed so they meet in the middle. The little
dragon considers the second image. Possible, if he wraps one end
around a tree. The third...that has the greatest hope.
Jack is, after all, virtually a tree himself. But the man is injured....
Evidently, with that being pared down, the choice is Lexy's.
It is, of course, infuritating. Had the 'hand' not been active,
Berd would have been capable of considerably more than this. Of
course, had the hand not been active, it seemed likely that the Giant's
magicks, whatever they were, would be more than a little deadly.
He looked at Jack again. Normally he would think the man was
their best bet. But his luck, lately, had been...abominable.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
The battle rages for what seems like an age but is, in reality, easily
measured in minutes. Giants are falling where the companions
fight, more than a dozen all told, and so far the injury to Jack's hip
is the most serious.
Lexy and Berd work to put their plan into action, desperate now to
succeed. From their vantage point they can see that the townsmen
are being forced back. They have taken down a handful of giants,
but there is a lot of red mixed in with the snow, and men who will not
return to their homes after this fight.
Even Bjeoric, who seems almost a giant himself, has been driven towards
a rise on the battlefield, along with the rest of the men.
All told the giants have lost perhaps twenty of their number, but the
townspeople have fared worse, and now it looks as though they are about
to be surrounded...
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kalika and Jack are more than capable of demolishing the Giants around
them. Ice crystals fill the air as the small, silver-haired woman and
her powerful rearguard smash their way through their shadow-clothed
enemies.
Cyan's eyes fall on the townsfolk. Hopelessly overmatched, and trapped on the hill.
Kirilinde is a hindrance in this kind of battle. Disengaging easily
from the enemy she now battles, eyes shining like the fragments that
fly from each of Kalika's blows, Cyan spots the weapon she needs. A
backhanded sweep of the arm, casual, and and her blade is out of her
hand, slicing the air like a bolt from a crossbow to hammer dead center
into the icy chest of one of the Giants, shattering it. Sprinting full
out towards the hill, leaving her own enemies behind, the bard skids
next to a massive, ice-rimed axe, lying on the ground beside a broken
mass of ice. No doubt one of Jack or Kallika's earlier victims.
Her hands, protected by the gloves, reach down. Pain spikes her right arm then, but it is lost in the wildness within her mind.
The huge axe is like a timber in her arms, but one she can grip.
Barely. Not like a weapon, but more of a ram. It will slow her down,
make her vulnerable. It will also allow her to sweep into the enemy's
rear like a wave, opening a hole. A route which Bjeoric and his men
might take to reach the wall again.
Acceptable, her mind deems this, and she charges, the axe aimed
to hammer into the small of one Giant's back, hugged in her arms to
allow her to spin, moments later, striking the knees of those Giants
around her
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“Kali!” Jack shouts “We have been
failing the towns people! Don’t worry with me! Go help free them up!”
Jack takes a moment to study what is going on. He glances back towards
the town to see if he can see anything Ill afoot. “Go help the my
love!” I’ll either be right behind you or falling back to the town!”
Can he see anything hapening back at the town?
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy is given a choice that isn't really a choice. With that
choice made, all she can do is wait for Berd to complete his errand,
and hope for the best.
If things don't work out, they will have to leve this place, and come back to pick up the pieces.
===========================================================
Re: I love the smell of antifreeze in the morning... by Berd
-----------------------------------------------------------
Berd shoots down towards Jack, still carrying one end of the
rope. Calling loudly ahead of himself, he lands on Jack's
shoulder during a short respite, and sends a silent message.
===========================================================
Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan slams in among the giants, felling three of them before they even
know she's there. They aren't dead, but their legs have been
smashed by the axe, a weapon that no ordinary human could have lifted,
let alone used...
From the town gates comes a howl of lupine triumph, and Kalika staggers, as the circle of white wolves takes up the call...
Berd and Lexy fetch the rope, and the drake, struggling to fly it
seems, drops one end to Jack, who catches it deftly, then notices the
stunned expression on Kali's face. Three more giants close in on
the couple...
Aaron, reckless in the berserker battle madness which has overtaken
him, partlially deflects a hammer blow which would have crushed a
lesser man, but still the impact numbs his arm and drives him to one
knee in the snow...
"Now, lads! Fight fer yer lives, and yer
loved ones too! If one woman, alone, can do that, how much could
all of ye do to the buggers?"
The townsmen, rallied by the sight of Cyan cleaving a path through the
encircling giants, and spurred on by Bjeoric's yells of encouragemnt,
renew their efforts to drive the giants back from the location of their
last stand... and they manage to open up the circle slightly as a few
more giants fall...
At the gate, the wolves mill about for a few moments, then break into a run towards the giants. They rush forward like a white tide, led by a grey
wolf which is smaller than most of them and covered with blood and gore.
Behind them a huge white form lays, unmoving, in the gateway.
Blood flows, still steaming, from the torn throat, and melts into the
trampled snow...
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“Kali!” Jack shouts as she stands there
stunned, With the rope in one hand Jack wraps his free arm around the
petite woman and retreats. “Kali! I need you!” He moves back as
best he can from the oncoming giants. Too much is going on! Too much is
happening! He has to get the some room to breath, they should have
chosen a tree. Yet he does not let go of the rope, both hands
full he is almost defenseless now.
His mind reached out to touch Kali’s as he retreats, trying to lend his
strength to her mind and snap her out of it in desperation. “Kali!” He
shout’s again physically and mentally. Then yells with all his might
“HUNTER!!!!! SHE NEEDS YOU!”
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack caught the rope and braced
himself for what was to come. Feeling Kali’s shock at
hunters victory he shouted out “Kali heads up! We have company!”
letting her go he moved to protect her with his blade in his free hand
swinging it with all of the strength and force he could muster to
defend his love.
“Lexy! DO IT!” He had faith that Kali would snap out of it and cover him.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
All around him, battle surged. He felt tha familiar resonance of
strength and suspense as combat built and built. He pushed on, hurled
his blade up to deflect an oncoming blow.
He blocked, was pushed down with a grunt against the force.
Distantly, he heard Jack yell.
Let us meet, now.
Lost his balance as he hit one knee, slipped, fell hard onto his right
side, felt a sharp, piercing pain in his head and face as Ilsefranvir
fell from his grasp...
Blackness.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Back to the walls!" Cyan cries in a clear and oddly resonant
voice. Spinning, she hurls the axe directly into another Giant's
legs, sweeping in to tear a gigantic hammer up from the ground.
Even caught up in the crystal madness that has seized her, she knows
that the prime concern is to save the townsfolk. Something behind
her diamond eyes assesses and weighs, computes and calculates, and
confirms that their best chance is to fight from behind protection.
The Giants are far more fragile than she first thought. To
attack, they must first open themselves to attack. Men on walls
will have far more luck than men on the ground.
But she cannot retreat herself; not until every last one of them has
reached safety. Muscles are beginning to burn with the effort of
whirling the enormous hammer; she slips, once, in the snow, for the
first time. Another calculation, another assessment.
Another conclusion.
Baring her teeth in a wild grin, Cyan opens the floodgates of her
remaining strength and endurance, letting the surge force her body
faster, harder, to push beyond her limits before the flow, so quick,
runs dry.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
With the rope secured by Jack, Lexy Lets it play out until she graps
the other end, leaving about 50 feet worth of rope trailing between
herself and the living shadow. Griping the rope tightly, she flies up
to gain some heigth, and then dives down, pulling the rope taunt and
hoping that Jack can keep himself anchored as the moving clotheline
speeds towards the closest grouping of giants withing range. But she
has faith in Jack's abilities to keep that rope anchored.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Shards of ice fly through the air as Kali's blade cleaves through the
legs of a giant. Her knuckles are raw from the cold, and few minute
cuts have been opened on her hands from the sharp edges of the ice. She
doesn't notice. Her sword flahes as she effortesslessly swings it in a
sharp circle of steel ending with a strong flick that rids the blade of
the sludgy ice from her last opponent. yellow eyes glitter with a
hunger for combat and she identifies the next giant she will fell. Her
sword point raises as she prepares her charge, but then wavers, and
then falls completly, the point sinking into the snow at her feet.
Her mouth is full of warm coppery blood and she relishes the taste.
Below her, her foe lies, his lifeblood pumping the ground even as she
savors the flavor of it with her tongue. Adrenaline and victory flow
through her veins and she throws back her head and lets forth a cry of
triumph and success. It is the cry of wolf, but her throat has not
shifted. To her, it sounds out perfectly. A clarion call that warns
others of her deadly efficiency in combat. In reality, it is a torn and
ragged scream from vocal chords not meant to produce sounds like they
were being asked of.
And then a touch... a touch she knows, a person she loves, a battle she
is no longer fighting, protection that she is not giving. Jack's words
echo in her mind and ears just as surely as Hunter's own. Kali shakes
her head, trying to clear it. It is the sound of steel shearing through
ice that truly jolts her back into herself. It was Jack's sword,
defending against a giant. His words about the townsfolk are lost to
her, all she hears is his yell for Lexy to take action.
The sword point raises from the snow and Kali is once more a blur of
speed. A strategic blow to one giant's ankles causes it to fall into
its brethren, knocking a few down to the ground, the impact rendering
them all useless. She stays close to Jack, keeping the giants away from
him so that he can complete his part in Lexy's plan.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
With the fight joined again by Kalika
Jack shoves his sword point down in the ice and braces himself
with confidence, careful not to pull Lexy off balance in her flight. He
makes certain he has enough play in the rope to let it out and wrap it
around something if need be. He is now defenseless totally intent on
being the anchor for this maneuver, but he has faith that Kali will
protect him, his staking his life on it. “LEXY! DO IT!”
With out even looking at his bride to be he
purses his lips and blows her a kiss. This was the hart of the triad. .
. The pack looking out for each other.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
He slowly came to a few conclusions.
One, he was not where he used to be. There was zero snow, no battle
going on about him. There was... darkness, only, the darkness wasn't
entirely complete. He figured that out, becuase he could still see.
Two, he was tied up by a thickly knotted line of rope around his torso and arms. It felt somehow... familiar.
And Three, he was not alone.
As previously stated, he could see, but apparently only out of one eye.
That in itself was an interesting observation, but that observation was
not without consequence. If he tried to look out of his bad eye (the
right), it hurt quite considerably.
"Ahh. It seems that you have harmed yourself. Not that it matters."
That was a familiar voice. Rising to his feet, Aaron gazed ahead. He saw, sillhouetted, a familiar form to match that voice.
"Jack?"
A laugh. Jack's laugh, but... not.
"Perhaps. It depends."
Aaron grunted. He was not in the mood for games. Where the hell was he?
"On what?"
A hiss, now, and that laugh again.
"It depends on whether I care enough for you to know." said the voice. That form solidified now. It was indeed Jack, but it didn't feel like Jack. It felt more familiar than Jack. Odd, that he would actually have a feeling for the man.
"He hates you, you know. Jack does. He hates you enough to leave you
bleeding in the snow. He'd kill you now, too, if he saw that you were
laying face down. He'd kill you because you're useless to him, he knows
it, and he wants you dead."
Aaron stared ahead, and watched as that shadow Jack held a blade in his
hand. Stepping forwards, the shadow flicked the blade, which glinted in
an unearthly light.
Aaron scoffed.
"First off, Jack has every right to want to kill me. I very nearly
tried to do him in. I threatened him and his friends, on more than one
occaison. If he does kill me, then it's because I deserve it."
But then Aaron raised an eyebrow, one that worked, and stared at the shadow being.
"However, Jack would never pull steel on me unless there was no other
way around it. You're brandishing his blade just because you think it's
what he'd do. In his culture, doing that is tantamount to homicide.
You, are not Jack." Aaron was attempting to work at the ropes around
his body. Why did those knots feel so familiar?
Glowing eyes flared yellow in the distance. He thought he heard another hiss, as the shadow dematerialized.
What the hell was going on?
"You and I have business." this voice different now, but most definetly familiar, and still similar to the Jack-voice.
Turning his body around, distracted from the ropes, he looked beside him, at a dark version of...
"Cyan?"
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
Oh, now he knew something was amiss.
Different from the more recent version of Cyan, the one he knew, the
shadow Cyan had absolute use of both hands. Were these representations
of his mental views of Jack and Cyan? Strange, that they would be so
dark. Or perhaps, not so strange.
He had come to the conclusion that something must have happened to him
on the battlefield. Aaron didn't remember much in the way of what
occured, only able to grasp small, momentary mental snapshots. Him
falling, a glint, probably Ilse. Pain. And now, he was apparently
facing off against dark, obviously flawed reflections of those he
traveled with.
The shadow Cyan scowled at him, and Aaron returned a raised eyebrow.
"Yes?"
A hiss. "You've harmed this one worse than you have Jack."
As the voice said that, one half of Cyan's hand (the visible one, for
one was shadowed) fell away from the rest. Aaron winced, turning his
head away. Furiously, he began working at the ropes again.
"...what of it?" he growled, forcibly throwing his attention into the work at hand.
A chuckle, or at least, it could have been one. Aaron wasn't sure anymore.
"She hates you worse than Jack does. She doesn't want you to die. She wants you to suffer, and then die." seconds later, the entirety of the shadow Cyan's hand fell away. Then a
portion of her arm, then the elbow... on and on, till only a gaping
shoulder socket was left.
"Stop it! Agh!" Aaron spun and spat, gnashing his teeth. The being before him only hissed and laughed a derisive cackle.
"Ah ah! Give me what I want, and then I will stop." an ear, then. That sloughed off and hit the floor with a wet sound.
Think! Aaron screamed at himself. He couldn't voice any mental thoughts, for this shadow would obviously hear them.
Inhaling, Aaron released a breath and patiently raised his eyes to the shadow before him.
"You are most certainly not Cyan. Despite the fact that I deserve all
manner of torment and torture at her hands, for assisting in the loss
of so much..." the ropes... of course. He filed that away, for he knew
what they meant now.
"...for all her loss, I deserve more than death." Aaron responded, and ceased working at the ropes.
The shadow Cyan rose a bit higher now, beady yellow-white eyes staring
ahead in interest. The shadow thing looked like a sillhouette of Cyan
now, only lacking in certain necessarry extremeties.
"So... could you surrender yourself? Would you surrender your mind,
releasing your pain, and the pain you could, and will, cause to these
people, if that will help her? If that will help Jack?"
"I'm not finished." came Aaron's command. "Despite the fact that I
deserve death, Cyan would not torture me in this fashion." He
remembered seeing her behind him, during the battle. She hadn't been
mad. She had been responding in the way she felt was right. Watching
his back, even though he deserved to be trampled by those giants of ice.
His eye stung, and he was beginning to feel the onset of a migraine.
Lowering his eyes, Aaron stared at the floor.
"However. If... if giving myself over to you, who is obviously my
darker half, if doing so will release my friends from the suffering I
will cause, then..."
Looking up, he stared ahead, at the shadow before him. It was no longer
Cyan, now. It was a sillhouette of himself. But there was something
specific missing...
"Then I will open myself to you, and you can enter me as you wish."
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the group hadn't seen what he had seen.
Between slashing at the giants with the pair of axes he had borrowed
from one of the villagers, to keeping an eye on the rest of the group,
what he had witnessed did not hit him well.
He saw his brother fall. Aaron shuddered under the weight of a blocked
blow from one of the giant's weapons. The man blocked, went to one
knee, then... he lost his balance and seemed to just fall to the
ground. His sword fell from his grip and hit the snow silently.
Something was odd about the way he had landed.
Jadus ran, made it just in time to deflect a second strike from the
offending giant, and hacked away at the hand that was holding the
massive weapon. A second giant lost its balance and toppled sideways
into the one assailing Jadus and Aaron, and Jadus took the advantage.
Hurling booth axes at nearby giants, Jadus used one free arm and rolled
his brother over. What he saw was far from good. A dagger of ice,
fallen from one of the giants, had stabbed through Aaron's right eye
socket. Copious amounts of blood smeared one side of Aaron's face, and
marked a red blot in the snow beneath. He couldn't tell how far in the
shard had gone, but at least a quarter of it looked to be buried in the
man's skull. Yet, he knew that Aaron wasn't dead, for a small trail of
breath still wafted from him in the cold air.
Carefully hefting his brother up in one arm, and grabbing Ilsefranvir
in the other, Jadus charged towards the wall as fast as he could,
fending off any random encounters with the powerful sword. He knew his
brother could go thorough quite a bit of punishment, but this damage
could be more than he could bear. Yet... if the battle ended soon,
Jadus figured he just might have an idea to help Aaron.
He neared the wall, saw most of the group also making their way there. He saw the woman. What was her name?
"Cyan!" his low voice rose over the din of combat behind him. The limp
form beneath his arm could attest enough to the seriousness in his
voice.
===========================================================
Re: Is that the cavalry, just in time? by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack catches Jadus carrying Aaron’s limp body out
of the corner of his eye, part of him would screams out to go help the
fallen man. However if he does not hold true on the end of the rope
untold other may die here today. It looks as if the mans brother
has him, perhaps that is for the best. One of his own to care for him,
Amber for Amber. He does not let his attention or focus waver from the
rope, he can not afford to fail the town, his love or his friends. He
would see to Aaron later.
===========================================================
The final moments... by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Across the frozen field the battle rages on, neither side seeming able to get a decisive advantage and maintain it for long...
Bjeoric and the townsmen are putting up a brave fight, but look doomed
to fall, encircled as they are by their frigid foe. And then Cyan
cleaves through the circle of giants, and Bjeoric rallies his
men. They push outwards and hold the giants...
Aaron falls and is rescued by his brother, Jadus, who carries him back towards the gates...
Jack braces himself as best he can as Lexy picks her target. The
rope loops across the chest of one of the giants and sends it toppling
to the ground hard enought to crack it. Jack is yanked off his
feet, and scrambles up ready for the next attack. His arm doesn't
seem to have been injured by the sudden jerk of the rope, but he's sure
it will hurt in the morning...
Encouraged by Hunter's victory, Kali renews her efforts, driven on by
the taste of blood in her/Hunter's mouth. Giants fall before her
like wheat before a scythe...
Once more the giants push forward, and this time it is certain that
nothing can stop them. For the first time since they stepped onto
the field the voices of the Jotenjätte are heard; a strange
sound, part cold wind, part the crackling of thin ice underfoot.
It carries the chill of a frosty morning with it, and is oddly
rhythmic. The giants are singing as they fight, a song which
carries with it thoughts of despair and defeat and endless winter.
Once more the monsters push forward, and drive the defenders of Caina back. All is lost...
And then the wolves are there, hurling themselves at the legs of the
giants, circling them, never still. They do little damage to the
chill creatures, but they do distract and hinder them...
Within ten minutes the giants, now only a third or less of their
original number, are being forced back towards the trees, harried by
wolves and stalked by men and more powerful things. More of the
ice monsters are slain during their retreat.
Approaching the edge of the trees Bjeoric calls a halt, "That'll
do it! Any further out an' we'll be back where their witchery can
work. They's 'ad a bloody good maulin' terday. It'll take
'em tens o' years ter rebuild their army enough ter try again!
Let's 'ead fer 'ome."
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack stands there for a moment his
chest rising and falling heavily, white plumes of breath rising from
him as steam condensed by the cold air steam rising off of his sweat
soaked clothes. He hurts but it is hard to tell, black bruises do not
show well on the shadow man. Nor does the black blood other than the
few inky droplets that fall into that starkly contrasting snow. He was
weary before the battle started and the adrenaline had not lasted that
long. Now he was weak, tired and drained.
Jack took a step towards Kali, his sword
and staff left behind him standing in the snow. His leg trys to give
out and he stumbles forward catching himself by will alone. He
moves to her limping, draging his leg in the snow with him. “Kali! Are
you alright.” It is easy to hear the concern in his voice even though
she looks to be in better condition than himself. He reaches out to
take on of her scared and cut hands. “Lalai?” he winces as he reached
for her hand.
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy takes out as many Giants as she can with the help of Jack the
anchor. Again and again, the rope had grown taunt as giants where
pulled down. Her small size and quick movements allowed her to move
quickly and untouched among the giants, and Jack at the other end of
the rope might as well be a bolder for all his solidity.
As the giants retreat, Lexy touches down, feeling sore all over the
place. Her wings and jaw especially. She happily spits out the rope she
had been holding, though she still tastes it in her mouth, along with
her own blood. She takes up a mouthful of snow, trying to wash out the
horrid taste, and looks around. There are many bodies on the ground,
but none of them appear to be those of her companions, though some are
so badly mashed up that it's hard to tell. The snow is mashed and
turned up, in places stained crimson. The stench of blood, sweat, and
fear hangs on the air. But the taste of victory also is present.
Jack is with Kalika, and the two look worn and tired, but relativly
unhurt. Jadus has taken Aaron out of harms way, and is assumingly
seeing to the man's hurts. Cyan is with the villagers, doing her thing,
Berd hovering nearby. Everything looks well here, and Lexy knows there
is little she can do here to aid.
Turning around, she trots back to the village. Wherever her place may
be, it is not here. Here, she would be more hinderance then help.
Instead, she heads back to the church, to gather her things.
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
There was a shudder through the general universe. Something had happened, but Aaron couldn't yet understand what it was.
The shadow Aaron too, glanced about, but it soon returned its attention to its prisoner.
"You have decided, yes? You will give yourself up?" the hissing, inverted version of his own voice asked. Aaron thought he saw a smile.
Sighing, Aaron stared at his feet.
So much had occured since the day he met Jack. So much!
He fled Amber, through the Pattern. Saw Jack, and told the man he would help. Help? Aaron had done everything but.
He had met the rest of the group, and spread his insanity through them
as well. Wild, stupidly chaotic madness that was sprung by his
introduction.
But out of all of the things he had done, had he once, at all, assisted
his friends? Sure, he was there when Jack fell, had fought with them,
but... was he a part of their group?
Could he still be?
Nodding, Aaron decided.
Raising his head, he stared straight into the shadow version of himself.
"If you want me, you can have me." was his answer.
With a gleeful cackle, the shadow Aaron strode right before him. It
stank of must and old dirt, which was a strange sensation, considering
that this thing existed within Aaron's own mind.
"All that was you, will disappear, leaving only myself. You will be under my control, doing what I wish."
He watched as the being raised its hands and placed them upon Aaron's shoulders. They were cold and lifeless, those hands.
Sliding up his shoulders, they wrapped around Aaron's neck. Staring,
Aaron watched as the being began to inhale... and he saw, and felt,
wisps of himself moving into it.
A flash!
The being slumped forwards, throwing its weight into Aaron, who staggered backwards for a moment before regaining his footing.
"How?! HOW?!?" came the throaty hiss.
Aaron reached up, wrapping a hand around the throat of the shadow
version of himself. With the other, he held Ilsefranvir, impaled
through the being's abdomen. The knotted ropes that had held him for so
long, longer than anything, fell away, sliding to the floor and
disappearing in a flash of white.
"Lexy told me, words are cheap. You should know better."
The yellow eyes actually bulged, as white flecks flew from the shadow being's mouth.
"But... how did you escape? What..." a choking sound, as Aaron forced the being to its knees.
"Kalika taught me patience, with this knotwork of hers. All I need do
was wait for the moment in which you were most open. That being, as you
were about to take me into yourself."
Aaron twisted Ilse, who broke in half. Six segments of her blade
remained within the shadow being, but the remaining two seperated,
staying attatched to the rest by a thin, silvery wire. Connected there,
Aaron took a step back.
"You never mimicked Kali or Lexy. Nor, apparently, did you mimic
Ilsefranvir. Not even when you reflect myself. You couldn't, because
Ilse was a form of control. As for Kali and Lexy, you musn't have
thought them worth enough of your energy."
The shadow being sputtered, and looked to rise, but Aaron was there,
thrusting his hand into the being's throat. Clenching his teeth, but
restraining himself, Aaron pushed every ounce of will into his voice
and intent. Through his hand, his eye, his words.
"As of this moment, you are a part of myself. You will act, only in
accordance to my will. I am your mind. This power of insanity will be
used for the good of others, and the defense of myself and those I see
fit."
There was a flick, and Ilsefranvir speared backwards, connecting with
the rest of itself and becoming a sword once more. The shadow being
shuddered and slumped to the floor. One yellow eye gazed up, glaring.
"I will always be a part of you."
Aaron sighed, nodding.
"And I, you."
Aaron turned, and as he did so, the blackness surrounding him
fragmented and flew away in pieces. To Aaron, it looked very similar to
leaves in autumn, falling from their dying branches. Behind him, the
shadow being became smoke, a smoke that blew forwards, through Aaron,
and into his eyes, nose and mouth.
It came to rest in a small portion of his mind, a locked, quiet place,
that would only be used in certain times. Surrounding that place, was
an aura of control. A new control.
The black world had left, revealing a lush, green Shadow. It was very
familiar to Aaron, now that certain memories came, along with his
recovered sanity. Distantly, the thick forest was just blooming into
autumn.
Closing his eyes, Aaron inhaled, and felt peace.
"I hope I return to my friends, soon." he said, as Ilsefranvir vanished from his hand.
A momentary lance of pain shot through his right eye, causing him to
fall to his knees. Seconds later, another blast of pain hit him, only
deeper. Then a third, and a fourth.
Crying out, Aaron sagged into the grass, agony and his sapped endurance throwing him once again into unconsciousness.
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali watches the giants retreat, a sense of triumph flooding her as she
flicked her wrist, clearing her blade of the icy sludge that was the
giant's blood once more. She sheathes it with another thoughtless
gesture and starts to turn just as she hears Jack call out for her.
Nimbly, she moves to his side, she takes his hand into hers, mindufl of
the rope burns and kisses it gently. She then moves to his uninjured
side and draps his arm over her shoulder. Taking on as much of his
weight as she can she begins to move him back towards the town.
"Easy now" she murmurs caringly at him "I am relatively unharmed. You
on the other hand..." she looks up at him and smiles, the love and
concern clear in her face "Let's get you back to the barn and off of
this leg"
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Muscles burn and scream. Her lungs are full of broken glass. Cyan staggers. Drops to one knee.
Her hand is wet. Sticky. That is the first thought that comes to her mind.
Slowly, she opens opalescent eyes, staring about herself in confusion. She expected to see Aaron, or his body. What...where am I? Was there not ice?
The Grinding Ice. The memory hits her like a brick. But no,
this is not that place, nor are bodies around her Eldar. Human
blood stains the snow red, slowly congealing and freezing on shattered,
crystaline forms.
Giants. Yes.
Doubling over, Cyan vomits into the snow. Her head spins.
The Bard, lost in her madness, never heard Jadus' cry and, as such, was
unaware of his need. Right now, it's all she can do to keep
concious.
A flutter and a thump, and Berd hits the ground beside her, panting and
dull, his eyes shadowed. Slowly Cyan reaches down and picks him
up. "Hello," she whispers. Echoes of a childhood voice hit
her, then. Bird, bird! His weight is lead on her shoulder, but the Bard forces herself to bear it.
She stands. The field is theirs. In a passing fashion.
"What happened?" she rasps. The everpresent question, after a
battle. And, as always, Berd shows her. "Mmmph." Cyan
shivers, staring at Kallika and Jack for a moment, the smaller woman
helping the big man. Her mouth twitches, a hairsbreadth away from
a grimace, then she slowly shrugs, turning and looking to the injured
people. "I'll get one of these," she says, stooping to pick up an
unconscious body. Her vision greys and something howls in her
ear, but the red-head forces it back with pure will, now, and staggers
towards the town. "Jadus, you say? Well..." Looking
around at the dead, Cyan lets one tear down her cheek. Her
emotions, never stable, are always in disarray after an 'incident'.
"I'll see what I can do about talking to him. After I get this man to the town."
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack lifted her hand to his lips kissing one of
the small cuts. Then felt guilty that she was helping him when there
were people who needed her help much worse. God’s one of their own had
to be carried off the field and here she was coddling him. Even though
he half felt she would not leave his side, because he knew if the
situation were reversed he would not leave her side. Still he had to
say something.
Jack leaned in and kissed Kali
passionately, showing just how he felt and how happy he was that she
was alright. As he pulled back from the kiss his dark eyes with a faint
hint of blue met her amber feral eyes. “Kali my love, I can make it to
the barn. It’s not as bad as my trip down the mountain this morning.
You can see to Hunters wounds and help someone that is truly hurt.” He
let her help him back to his sword and staff where he wiped the blade
and put it back in the staff, fumbling with trembling hands as he did
so. “Hopefully they will remove what ever they did once by the time we
make it back, so I can curl up in your arms and rest.”
Even with the staff in hand he did not want to
take his arm from her slender form, but says it again anyway. “Take
care of Hunter, I can make it from here my love.” She could feel his
contac on every level, his concern for the alpha wolf. His warm comfort
from her at his side and love for her. Also a dull all over ache and
exaustion with fire in his hip and arm.
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jadus moved as swiftly as he could into the rest of the group. He was
tired, panting. Having fended off more than a few giants with only
Ilsefranvir and one arm had done a number on him. He could feel the
bruises and cuts across his arms and face.
Carefully placing Ilsefranvir back into Aaron's sheath, Jadus now held his brother in both arms, and moved towards the group.
"We have a casualty." he says, with a slight hint of distress in his
voice. They needed to do something about the man soon. Jadus didn't
know how hurt Aaron really was, but simply looking at the shard of ice
lodged in the man's eye made Jadus grind his teeth.
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
the bodyguard return's her love's kiss with fire and passion, and then laughs softly at Jack's request.
"Jack I am hardly a healer. These people do not need my help. I will stay where I am needed" Where I am wanted comes the unsaid thought through their mental connection.
She sighs in a sad way and looks over at Hunter. Her bonded was
currently having his wounds licked by one of the females of the pack.
The pack had surrounded their new leader. Like she always did when she
was worried, Kali bit her lower lip as she watched them. Jack can feel
her fear of rejection, her happiness for Hunter's success as she
watches the pack. That and an odd sense of longing. Then Hunter's
sharp yellow eyes meet Kali's. There is a flash of wolven
communication, too animal for Jack to truly follow. And then sadness
wells in Kali, but she quickly stores it away and concern for him is at
the forefront of her thoughts.
"I know you can make it to the barn yourself, but I love you and I care
about you. You are hurt, and quite frankly I want to baby you" she
admits with an embarrassed flush of her cheeks "So stop protesting and
comply" she says with mock severity, her look serious, but her eyes
sparkling with the teasing. All Jack can feel is the truth of her
words, her love for him and the desire to see to his needs while he is
hurt. That and the unyielding fact that she absolutely will not leave
his side because of said love and concern.
===========================================================
Re: The final moments... by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
The barn... their first place of refuge when they arrived here, and it
still serves that purpous. Lexy trots in, an unweildy bundle held in
her mouth that is her things, recovered from the church. She enters the
place and dumps her possesions unceremoniously on the floor, and she
curls up next to them.
It had been an interesting few weeks, to be sure. Part of her longs to
return home after this, especially after the incident with Jack. To
visit the great fortress city of Denelle... her paw reaches out and
sort through her things, finally settling on a silver locket, which she
pulls closer, looking at it. A small piece of home, this, and it makes
the longing grow.
But she turns her gaze from it. It wouldn't be right. Cyan had called
her here. And though she had not know the woman long, she felt a
certain kinship with the girl. In some ways, she was reminded of
herself when she was younger. Lexy wondered when she lost that sense of
wonder. When did everything stop being new and fresh and exciting? A
long time ago, she decided.
And while you're feeling sorry for yourself, there's a bunch more you could add to that pile. she thinks scornfully to herself. A thrust of paw, and the locket is
pushed away, half burried under her blue dress. She pushes herlsef up
and stretches out slowly, working out the kinks that have formed
themselves while she indulged in melancholy. As she stretched, she
thought back to more recent events. She wondered why Jack had reacted
the way he had. That man was an odd piece of the puzzle, to be sure. Of
course, that man seem to attract trouble like a magnet. She grinned at
the memory of him tumbling down the mountain side. At the time, it had
seemed quite bad, but thinking back on it, the flying arms and legs
where quite comical. But then again, she had always had an odd sense of
humour.
She paced slowly in the barn, not out of impatience or anger, but
simply to keep moving, to allow her body to warm down after such
exertions. And while she was waiting for the others, she decided to
give her magic a try, hoping it was up and operational. She wanted to
speak with the others, and this form lacked that ability.
===========================================================
The barn once more... by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
The barn is dark now, and cold, both the lantern and Berd's warming
influence absent. The llamas are asleep in their stalls at the
far end, but wake and snort nervously as the weary travellers return.
The wounded townsmen have been helped back to their homes by their
comrades, leaving Aaron and Jack to be tended by their
companions. The dead have been left on the field, but the hetman
of the town has arranged for men to go out and gather them for
cremation when all have rested.
Exhausted from the fighting, there is little in the way of conversation
among the group, sitting shivering in the gloom while a tired Berd
attempts to summon the strength to warm the place once more.
Into this cheerless scene stride Bjeoric and Nev. Nev bears two
lanterns and a blood-stained bandage around his head, while Bjeoric
carries a shield which is seeing service as a tray. Several pint
mugs are balanced on the shield, each of them steaming in the cold air. "Spiced cider!" the innkeeper roars, grinning, "Served steamin' 'ot, just as it should be. It'll drive the chill from yer bones an' no mistake."
"If ye needs more o' the stuff durin' yer stay, then ye've only ter
ask. This is just a patch, mind, there's a pot of stew on the
fire fer ye, but that won't be ready fer a little while."
"Nev, don't just stand there gawkin', get yer idle arse back inside an' watch the stew."
With the servant gone, Bjeoric looks around at the faces of those in the barn, then he speaks again, almost quietly, "Ye've done us a great service this day, strangers though ye be. Aye, and ye've suffered fer it." a quick glance at Jack and Aaron, "So I reckons I owes ye somethin' in return."
He pulls at his bottom lip for a moment, thinking, then, "I knows what 'appened ter Cylla, where she went, an' why she went, if ye've a mind ter listen?"
Suddenly there is a distinct *popping* sensation in the air, and the
snow starts to fall again, although the storm that had earlier
accompanied it seems to have ended...
OOC - Everybody feels their Powers returning as suddenly as they had been stolen.
===========================================================
Re: The barn once more... by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan sits quietly, holding Berd close, more for her own comfort than
his. The cold has seeped into her bones, as it always does after
a battle, and her head pounds savagely. Kirilindë is nowhere to
be seen; she has not recovered it from the battlefield, unable to do so
as long as her skills are suppressed.
Now she can, but does not. That can wait.
Jadus is tending to Aaron. She is unsure as to why he wished her
assistance earlier; perhaps he will inform her. She looks down at
the injured man; his eye is gone. It will, eventually, heal, she
understands; Berd has explained such things to her. Even her
finger will regrow, given time.
But it will likely take a few years. It's an ugly wound, and Cyan
feels miserable that she cannot assist with it. Pain is pain, no
matter who is hurt.
Hardening her heart against what she will have to do, soon, Cyan turns
to look at Kallika and Jack, tending to each other. No matter
what happens, those two will be all right. Hunter's absence is
disturbing, but Berd has no explanations for that.
Lexy, herself, is silent; Cyan is unable to read the woman. She is, of course, much older and more experienced than myself.
Cyan wonders why the woman had said what she had to Jack. There
must be a reason, or so one would think. One would hope.
Her head tilts towards Bjeoric. Taking the cider gratefully, she
nods, and then sips at it, putting it down so that Berd, too, can drink
of the hot liquid. "Nothing owed, sir. We could do no less
for any in danger," the Bard says throatily, her voice echoing the
strain inside. "But...please, sir, tell us of Cylla, if you
would. It could be very important."
===========================================================
Re: The barn once more... by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack listened to Kalika and felt what she wanted to
share through their link. Not pushing for more, never pushing for more
and yet knowing that Kalika would share it all. Still it was her choice
as to what to share and when to share it, all he would do is ask.
His arm over her shoulder, Jack gave Kali a hug. His
worries and will melted away, as did his tension as he let himself go
into her arms and care completely. “My bonnie bride, my love. You know
I can never refuse you. Once we get back to the barn, I think we need
to talk. I worry for you and have several questions, if you will
answer.” She could feel that he would love nothing more than to curl up
in her arms, late her take care of him and sleep. Yet curiosity, worry
for her and concern for the triad would press at him and keep him
awake, unable to sleep without talking of them.
He looked to Jadus and Aaron and saw
the icicle sticking out of the mans eye as Kali helped him along. He
shook his head, worry openly showing on his face. After stopping long
enough to examine Aaron and check his pulse Jack muttered “Bloody
fool!” then added “I’m not certain what to do for that, but we’d better
get him to the barn and start treating him for shock. I’m certain Lexy
or Cyan will know what to do for his eye. I will be able to wake him if
we have to, but it’s best to treat him and let him rest. You’ll have to
Carry him Jadus, I’m in no shape as you can see.” And he let Kali
help him back up with a wince of pain, leaning on his Cunchee bride
again.
Back at the Barn, Kali had not
even gotten the chance to find Jack a place to sit when their host
arrived. As they all felt the world return to normal and his powers
return to them. The shadows fled Jacks form, rolling off of him like
water from a duck. The big man truly collapses for a second as they do,
the only thing that stopped him from hitting the floor was the strong
arms of his love. As he regains himself he stands up, still leaning on
her. Bruises, abrasions and cuts show on the blue eyed man. Yet he
smiles gratefully, happy to be a man of complete substance again,
despite the fact that he feels the pain more now. Grateful that he can
truly feel Kali’s touch properly now. Ah to be real and solid!
Jack would let Cyan deal with their host,
she was good with people. He moved towards Aaron.
He wanted to simply collapse in Kali’s arms, but he had to
help. “Come my love, help me help Aaron, as we listen. Then we will
talk and you can baby me all you want.” He spoke softly as to not
interrupt. “Is there anything we can do Jadus?” again he
whispered.
===========================================================
Re: The barn once more... by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy lies in wait for everyone, and watches them come into the barn.
Aaron looks to be the worse off, but then again, pattern brats are
notoriously hard to kill. He'll live, she decides after a quick
examination, though it will be painul for a while.
Everyone settles in, and Bjeoric enters the room, the sweet smell of
hot apple cider wafting through the air. At about the same time, the
world seems to return to it's rightful place. And that's what Lexy had
been waiting for.
Gathering her things, she retreats to the back of the barn. This form is usefull, but she's had enough of it for now.
What leaves for the back of the barn is vaguely wolfish. What returns a
few minutes later is human, and female. Tall, short blond hair, blue
and silver dress. This is the Lexy that everyone is familiar with.
While Cyan is listening to their host, she moves to join Aaron and the
stranger, to whom she hasn't been introduced yet. But there is a
familiar resemblance to the man, especially with both brothers in close
proximity like this.
"He'll need some help with this." she says, gesturing to the punctured
eye. Then she is silent, turning her gaze inward. It takes a few
minutes of silence, but there is a sudden pop of displaced air as a
medical kit appears before her.
"Well, let's get started, shall we?"
===========================================================
A man once more by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
When Jack saw that Lexy was
taking care of Aaron he let the day catch up to him and seemed to lean
a little heavier on Kalika. Letting her know though their contact that
he was done and that she could take him where ever she wanted and do
with him what she would. All he wanted to do now that everyone was
taken care of a cup of cider and to rest in her arms.
===========================================================
Re: A man once more by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jadus had settled Aaron upon the floor of the barn, and was kneeling
beside him. Ilsefranvir was sheathed and removed from the man's back,
placed beside him. A feeling like the rushing of wind overcame him for
a moment, as every ounce of his powers returned. A very good sign.
For a moment, he wished he had sleeves, for he felt the urge to roll
them up. Examining his brother's injury, Jadus frowned, but not in
distress. As Lexy approached, Jadus looked to her.
"I am Jadus, Aaron's brother. You are Lexy, I assume? I'm pleased to see that I can get your assistance."
Jadus placed his left hand upon Aaron's forehead, just above the
protruding object. He seemed to be concentrating, his dark eyes
probing. He gestured to Lexy with his other hand.
"If you could, I will need you to remove the shard when I say so. You
must be very careful, as I believe the ice is very close to Aaron's
brain."
As he finished, three of the fingers on Jadus' left hand began to
change color. If one looked intently at Jadus' whole left arm, it could
be seen that there is actually a slightly reflective sheen to its skin.
The three fingers take on a brighter, more silvery form of this sheen,
as the color in it goes from a natural, caucasian tone, to silver-white.
Moments later, those three fingers detatched from Jadus' hand,
liquefying and merging into a single, mercury-like puddle on Aaron's
forehead. In a few seconds, Jadus' missing fingers regenerated, a small
line of silver attatching the puddle to the rest of Jadus' hand.
"There is a polymorphic entity on my Shadow, known as the Kryn." Jadus
spoke, as the puddle moved down towards the icicle, and Aaron's
ruptured eye.
"There are three types of Kryn, this type being the second, slightly
less aggressive version. They are voracious eaters no matter what
species, but they are extremely low on intelligence and psychic power.
They also have absoultely absurd regenerative capabilities."
As he watched, and apparently directed, the Kryn moved over the icicle,
and slid into Aaron's eye socket. In seconds, it disappeared. Jadus
seemed to be seeing, or at least feeling, what the Kryn was doing, and
the thin thread attatched to his index finger lengthened slightly.
"Yes... the icicle is quite deep. He was lucky, however. It very nearly
pierced his brain. It's not as long, nor as big, as I believed it to be
earlier."
He contined.
"This particular batch of Kryn manifests a natural anesthetic when
attacking and ingesting its prey. The target of the Kryn doesn't feel a
thing until it dies. Or in my case, until I woke up." he chuckled, but
never took his eyes off of Aaron.
"This Kryn ate my whole right arm, until I managed to trick it into thinking that it was eating itself. After that, it reversed itself, actually mimicing my entire biological
system for my right arm. Skin, bone, muscle, nerves. I intend to do the
same for Aaron's right eye. Though, I can't determine what this may
grant Aaron in terms of... occurences."
Speaking as he did, he gestured to Lexy.
"I've settled the Kryn between Aaron's brain and the icicle. It's
acting as a cushion, and it's surrounding his entire eye socket. You
should now be able to remove the ice without damaging him."
He felt the Kryn anesthetizing Aaron, in very small doses. He knew that
his brother's eye would be very numb, which was good. The Kryn wound
have to adapt to Aaron's physiology, but it would eventually look, act,
and hopefully feel like his eye. Only, he guessed, silver rather than
brown.
"It's settled now. I've placed the mental intent within it, that it has
been damaged, it's a part of Aaron, and it needs to heal. It will
regenerate as Aaron rests, and will begin just as soon as the pressure
from the shard is removed. As far as infection goes, the Kryn's cells
will pretty much ingest that as well, and Aaron himself should be able
to deal with anything else that may occur." the thin, silver line
attaching Jadus to Aaron would remain until Lexy removed the ice.
"Prior to regenerating, the eye will be very sensetive to light.
Bandaging it would be a good idea. Not to mention cleaning up the rest
of his face." he also noted, glancing at the medical kit that Lexy had
produced. He raised an eyebrow at her, noting that particular spell,
but cast his gaze back upon the half of Aaron's bloodied face.
===========================================================
Re: A man once more by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Very interesting.. Lexy watched Jadus as he worked, her curiosity
satisfied by Jadus's explenation. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe
there was some ulterior motive this man had. After all, he clearly
stated he had some sort of mental control over the Kryn. She wondered
how far this control extended.
It wasn't really her concern anyways. She waited until she had received
word, and then she carefully clutched the icicle in her hand, feeling
the cold shaft. Carefully, she exerted pressure, straight up so as to
not break the icicle. Blood, mingled with other fluids wells up, as she
pulls the shard of ice away. She examines the long icicle for a moment
before setting it aside, and wipping her hand dry.
Opening the med kit, she pulls out a rool of gauze. Ripping off an end,
she folds it up to make a roughly square patch, which she then applies
over the ye socket.
"So, how long before it regenearates?" she asks, as she props Aaron's
head up so she can wrap more gauze around his head to hold the patch in
place. "And do you really think he'll have full sight afterwards?" And
an unvoiced question: What's in it for you?
===========================================================
Re: A man once more by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali remains a quiet pillar of support for Jack and helps him around as
needed, despite the growing weariness in her bones as well. When the
shadows flee from him she is not expecting it. Her strong grip falters
for a moment, but then tightens into a fierce hug. While she does not
despise his shadow-form, she is happy to see him returned to himself
once again.
Kali leads him to the nest of blankets where he was resting from the
fall down the mountatin. She settles him down, humming an old
hearthsong the umpala of her people did when she tended Kali's wounds throughout the years.
She associated the soft song with being hurt and recovering, and didn't
even realize what she was doing. Kali moves through the motions of
removing his swordbelt and boots with a smile small on her face as she
hums. After tucking the thick blankets around him, Kali strokes his
head and leans down to kiss him. She then raises and fetches two cups
of the cider.
Kali sets the steaming cups down by the side of Jack's head. She notes
that there is no pillow, and smiles with the solution to that problem.
She touches her love slightly and focuses very hard to show him a
picture. She is sitting behind him, his head rests in her lap as he
dozes off. And then her sitting behind him, he is sitting up, drinking
cider, and her arms are wrapped around him in a loose, supportive hug.
"But first" she says aloud "Does your wound need to be tended to?" she
asks him this because it is obvious that he has an incredible healing
rate and no one would know better than him if the wound was worth
looking at or if it was ok to just let it heal on its own.
While she waits for his answer, she removes her own swordbelt, setting
the blade alongside Jack's swordstaff. She also pulls the daggers from
her boots and adds them to the pile as well. Already she feels more
relaxed... if only she knew what Hunter was going to do.....
===========================================================
Re: A man once more by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack smiled up at the quietly
hummed tune, no he may not quite be a prince anymore. Or perhaps he
was, either way it did not matter. At that moment he was a king with
all of the riches he needed. He met her feral eyes and with his blue
ones and she knew how he felt.
He watched her with a deep affection as she
went about her tasks. Despite his weariness and desire to just put his
head in her lap and sleep, she knew the man was not done and would
instead sit in her loving embrace. Jack sat up letting Kali sit behind
him, and enjoying her light hug as he answered. “They will heal by
morning, I will take some time tonight and bond with the darkness, that
should take care of my wounds.” Oh he could die like this and die a
happy man. Yet living it was so much better.
He sat there making a quick decision of importance
and that, which was most important to his heart won out as it always
would. Cyan would have to listen to their host. Jack took a sip of
cider, looking back at Kali he whispered softly “Something is the
matter my love. . . What is happening between you and Hunter? I am
worried for you.”
===========================================================
Re: A man once more by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
When Jack looked up to catch her eyes, it was not the feral eyes of a
wolf he met, but the dark eyes of a woman. In the light her eyes looked
black, with sparks of deep purple flaring to life when the light
reflected in them just right. Like the humming, the shift was made
without thinking.
As Kalika supported Jack, she felt her own muscles begin to relax and
begin to lightly ache from the demands made against them in order to
fight the ice giants. She nodded in response to Jack's explanation of
how he would heal and kissed the top of his head. An unseen frown
creases her mouth when Hunter is asked after.
"While we fought the giants he fought the pack leader of the wolves,
and he won" pride surges in her, but is subdued "By right of comabt he
is now their pack leader. After the battle, I congradulated him and
asked after his health. He was very short with me. He will have to
chose to either stay with me and allow the pack's males to fight for
leadership, or stay and lead the pack and I fear he will stay" she
takes a deep breath to steady herself "That is enough about me now...
it seems I am always the one with a problem. It is enough of me, now it
is time for Jack" she whispers to him softly, looking at the townsman
"I know you are interested in what he has to say" inside, her ears
shift, becoming more sensitive and able to pick up the other's words as
they echo in the barn "Together we will listen" she says softly,
opening herself up completely to Jack so that he can hear what she
hears.
===========================================================
About Cylla by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Where ter start? The beginin' see, ain't really the beginin'." Bjeoric frowns, then takes a deep breath, "It starts, I suppose, five 'undred years ago, or more, when the Jotenjätte first came. Well, first came this time. They's been 'ere afore that, d'ye see? They came down out o' the far north, an' they brung the winter with 'em."
"In ten years the people were near wiped out. The crops failed,
the game beasts ran off from the cold an' perished when they could go
no further south because o' the sea."
"The jätte raided towns, and brought storms an' ice with
'em. Caina looked ter be doomed. Their gaze could freeze a
man's 'eart in 'is chest, or drain 'im of the will ter fight."
"Just when all looked ter be lost, a ball o' blue fire fell from out o'
the sky one night, an' 'it the slope o' the mountain. Some o' the
men went ter see, and they brung back the 'and that ye saw in the
church."
"It were a miracle. One o' the priests found that the 'and robbed
the rimfrostejätte o' their magic. With the 'and workin'
it's own spell, men could stand an' fight 'em."
"But the 'and's magic got weaker as time went on, as if it were dyin'... "
"Now Cylla's gran'mam 'ad the Old Craft in 'er blood, an' she passed it
ter Cylla's mam, who then passed it down ter Cylla. Cylla 'ad the
gift o' Sight too, it seemed, an' one day, when she were about eight or
nine year old, she told 'er dad that a one-eyed man was comin' ter
Caina, with gifts fer 'er, that'd also be gifts fer the town, but that
she'd 'ave ter go away afore the townsfolk could get their share."
"Sure enough, a week later, 'e turned up at the gate, large as life an'
twice as ugly. An old man with one eye, an' a leather bag slung
over 'is shoulder. He found Cylla's dad an' gave 'im the
bag. Told 'im that when she were ready she'd ask fer the bag, an'
if he didn't give it ter the girl, then the town'd die inside of a
year. Then 'e left, though none saw 'is goin', an' the bag were
all but forgot fer ten year or more."
"Then, one day, Cylla went ter see 'er dad an' asked fer the bag.
She said as 'ow she 'ad ter take it away with 'er or the town'd
die. Well, Ulfric is the hetman, 'is duty is ter the town first,
second an' last. So 'e gave 'er the bag an' all it 'eld, an' sent
'er on 'er way, d'ye see?."
"Well, a little while after that, the 'and started ter get stronger
again, started ter grow too, an' folk reckoned as 'ow Cylla was doin'
it fer the town, maybe usin' what were in the bag."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
Whilst directing the Kryn to ingest and clean the remainder of the
fluid within Aaron's eye, Jadus gazed at Lexy. His dark eyes were
slightly questioning.
"After the Kryn ingested my arm, and I was able to subdue it, it took
about a day and a half for me to regain complete control of my arm, and
slightly longer for the extremities on my left hand. I estimate that
Aaron will be blind at first, but will slowly begin to recover his
sight after three or four days."
Jadus stated this, reaching over to the medical kit and removing a
thick roll of gauze. This, he began to deftly wrap around the right
quarter of Aaron's head. He seemed quite skilled with medical
accoutrements, as well as a knowlege of physiology. Perhaps he was a
doctor at some point...
"His binding with the Kryn may also manifest other qualities later on
in the relationship. Due to the fact that his Kryn is attatched
directly to his brain, these abilities may have a more mental nature
than my physical manifestations." Finishing with the wrapping, Jadus
was satisfied with the positive nature of the Kryn within Aaron, and
disconnected the fine thread between himself and Aaron.
"Once Aaron awakens, I will have to instruct him on the nature of the
Kryn, so he and it can better associate with one another. Ilsefranvir
should be able to assist with mental control, should Aaron be... less
than stable."
Sitting back on his heels, he nodded to Lexy.
"Thank you again, for your assistance. I will tell Aaron of it when he is up and about. You should get some rest yourself."
"Ilse?" he asked, his voice calling to the air about him.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Ilsefranvir
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ilsefranvir had regained her touch with Aaron, but what she found
disturbed her. Or at least, made her question just what had happened
during that battle.
In the meantime, she had listened to what Bjeoric had to say, and remembered.
At Jadus' request, she responded.
"I can feel Aaron, but something is different. I
feel no force or anti-pressure, as I usually felt when shielding him.
Something has happened to Aaron's mental state."
She pushed her senses deeper into Aaron's mind, and felt the waiting,
alien connection that was the Kryn. The being didn't feel at all
hostile, nor did it give off the impression of hunger that she had felt
when it was cleaning Aaron's wound. It was just... waiting.
As for Aaron, he was asleep, for all intents and purposes, but there
was no sense of agitation or anger on the part of his subconscious. No
unstable thought. Just exhaustion and a feeling of recovering strength.
"I believe that Aaron is resting. We will have to see how he is when he awakens."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
A frown grows on Jack face as he
looses himself in contemplation of the words and their quest. So many
questions so few answers. This was the way it was in all of the areas
of his life right now. He snuggled back against Kali and kissed her
arm. “Does anyone know what was in the bag?” Jack asked softly, the
most obvious question. Yet other things weighed on his mind. This was
another race teetering in the brink of extinction, and someone was
toying with them. Their toying had cost Cylla her life. Jack shivered,
yet he found comfort against the coldness of the soul in Kali’s touch
and warmth.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali tightens her embrace of Jack into a quick hug and kisses the top
of his head. She waits to see if Bejoric shows any sign of
hearing her love's low pitched question. If he does she remains silent
and listens to the answer, if he does not then she repeats the question
loud enough for everyone in the barn to hear.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Bjeoric doesn't hear Jack speak, but he does turn when Kalika asks the question again. "Ah, now Miss, that I can tell ye." he replies with a grin.
"Ulfric see, 'e were worried, so when 'e first 'ad
the bag off o' the old man, 'e asked a few folk around town what they
thought o' the stuff in it."
The big innkeeper scratches his head, then, "Let's see, it were ten year since I saw it... Ah, yes. There were some metal balls, smaller than my fist... " He holds up one brawny fist, "I'd say about the same size as yer man's fist there, Miss." (indicating Jack) "Oh...
an' a die with no numbers on it, just a picture o' the mountains, and
another place, strange buildin's. Didn't look too close at that
die though, made my eyes water, it did. Small it were, no bigger
than the end o' my littlest finger, but it were more than just the size
o' the thing that made it 'ard ter see clear. There were
somethin' queer about it, if ye get my meanin'?"
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali smiles and chuckles at the innkeeper's last comment.
"Yes, I understand what you mean" she replies.
She then waits to see how the others to ask what they will.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Spirits above. Cyan turns to slowly share an agonized look
with Berd. The Hand...these people...they are benefitting from
the deaths of billions. The Gatherer. And they do not even know it.
The little silver balls.
The drain in power, from the Gatherer. It is going HERE,
possibly. Either that, or there are many places to which the
energies are going, for there is little doubt that Cylla placed more
than one ball. But at least some of them are coming here, to this
world, to the Hand.
And it is saving the lives of these people. At the cost of other lives.
Cyan's stomach roils. After the Baresark, this is almost too
much. Slowly, the Bard reaches out with her uninjured hand (the
other yet remains in her glove), holding out the cube. "Bjeoric -
this was the cube, was it not? But smaller, then? And...can
you point to me which face you saw, with the buildings?"
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy examins the sleeping Aaron, the nods to herself. She has no choice
but to trust Jadus and hope he is telling the truth. One way or
another, she'll find out soon enough.
Leaving Aaron in the hands of Jadus, she heads over to Jack's side,
giving Kali a quick glance and a nod before looking over Jack. He seems
a little worse for wear, but then again, after his tumble, he looked
even worse, and he was still able to pull through very quickly.
"How are you feeling Jack?" she asks him. "We have a medkit here.
Anything in there that can help?" she asks, looking him over again. On
a normal person, she would know what to do. But she doesn't want to
somehow offend Jack again, so she won't do anything without consent
first. And she knows how a lot of males can be very macho about bearing
pain, saying that 'This little scratch ain't nothing' when the little
scratch in question is a gaping hole the size of Puena fruit.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack stifled a sharp intake of breath as
Cyan showed the cube. He had already know that they would get around to
asking of the groups interest in Cylla. Now that interest would be much
larger still he was tired and his mind was foggy relaxing with his
cider in the warmth of Kali’s embrace. He could not puzzle anything
from this or where they should go. Cyan had the right idea, find out
what was on the cube when it came here.
Jack looked up at Lexy, regurading her uncertainly “It’s
not even broken,” his voice was soft so as to not interrupt. “the hip
was knocked out of place and I feel like I have a bone bruise. If my
wounds were bad I would have retreated to the shadows by now to heal.
Doctor Kali is caring for me perfectly and giving me just the medicine
I need. . .” Half turning he kave Kali a soft caring smile “ Thanks any
way Lexy.” He smiled up at her, it was easy to see the smile was honest
and thankful for her at least showing concern. “Now shhh,” using
Kali’s tone he chided Lexy “This could be important.” He teased her a
bit as he nodded to their host.
He would wait until he saw their hosts reaction before he
asked his next question. To see how the man took seeing the cube.
They had no good news for this village. “Growing?” he said so
softly as to almost be a whisper. . . Regenerating. . . Slowly
regenerating. . . Slowly regrowing. Re birth?”
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jadus' eyes narrowed. Certain members of Aaron's group had discovered a few things, apparently. Interesting.
Well, that mattered little to him right now. There was a slight
pressure on the ring finger of his right hand, which reminded him of a
few duties he needed to take care of. As soon as Aaron was awake, and
he explained the Kryn to him, Jadus would get back to business.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Ye say this's the same one?" Bjeoric gazes
at the cube in Cyan's hand, then takes it gingerly between thumb and
forefinger, as if worried he might crush it. "Hells, but it's grown!"
He turns the cube between his fingers, and those watching him can
almost see his lips move as he tries to count the faces. Finally
he gives up, holding the cube out to the bard.
"Well, I can't be sure, since the picture were too small ter be clear las' time I saw it, but I reckon as 'ow that's the one."
On the face of the cub that he indicates with one massive finger stands
a city of sorts. Glittering towers of translucent glass,
impossibly thin briges spanning gaps that are far too wide, cryataline
domes...
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Then there is the place I must go next. Cyan slowly nods her head. Her plans, it seems, have changed.
"I thank you, Bjeoric." Cyan's face tightens. They deserve
to know. They have to know, at least, about Cylla. "I
regret to say that...Cylla died." The Bard sighes, heavily.
"It is a long and confusing story, and I was not there for her death -
I had the news of it from a friend, who sought to prevent her
murder. My friend is, to my sorrow, no longer with us. He
may be dead...he may simply be lost, beyond hope of simple
recovery. She died a grown woman, I can tell you this much.
The picture I showed to you was her, as she was seen by my
friend. I wish I could say more, beyond that it seems she has
achieved that which she set out to do."
It seems.
She could say more, of course. She could explain that their
entire defensive strategy is forged around a device that might be
draining the life from thousands of worlds. But she has no proof,
as of yet.
"I am truly sorry, Bjeoric." Sapphire eyes, dull with exhaustion
both physical and spiritual, turn down to Berd after Cyan retrieves the
cube. But there is no help there; the little dragon has, finally,
fallen asleep.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy listens to the tail end of the conversation, and hears the sorrow
in Cyans voice. She scoots over enough so that she can lay a hand on
the young bards shoulder, and and gives her a smile.
"Bjeoric, we thank you for what you have told us." She says quietly.
"And perhaps we will have some questions for you later. But right now,
they have minds and bodies dulled by fatigue, and they should rest."
She gives Jack and Cyan a significant glance.
"So, if you'll excuse us, I have some children to put to bed." she says, a quirky smile on her face.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali returns Lexy's nod with a slight inclination of her own head, but
her eyes, now wolven yellow, look hard as they reflect the light.
Inadvertently, Kali feels her defenses rise. She feels protective over
him, a feeling bourne by her love for him. She wrestles to control it,
knowing it is ridiculous, but it is there nonetheless. Just as she
knows the satisfaction she feels at Jack's reply to the other woman to
be same.
Kali moves her head down, so that her attuned ear is closer to his mouth.
"What do you mean, lalai?" she asks him in the same soft tones, although inwardly she doubts that she will understand the answer.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack kissed Kalik’s arm with a dozen small lite
kisses as he sat and listened. “Hmmm, I am not certain my love.” He
whispered softly to her “I was musing. . . The arm not only grew
stronger when Cylla left, but it also grew. The arm has something to do
with the pattern of the Amber men. Is someone trying to regenerate the
person that the arm was attached to? A rebirth?” Jack bit his lip.
He had questions for the others, but
it would have to wait until their host was gone. He needed to know what
the others thought and felt on the matter.
He turned his head until his lips met
Kali’s and he gave her a gentle kiss for a moment, then looked into her
golden eyes. “What do you make of this all my love?” again he spoke
quietly."And what does Lalai a mekia mean?" He smiled back at her.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
It takes Kali a minute to realize what Jack is talking about.
"You mean.. a body... a person will grow from that arm?" she asks with
an equal mix of disbelief and surprise. She had seen odd things to be
sure, but nothing as odd as a man growing from an arm. The decision is
clear in her mind though.
"As doubtful as that sounds, we should handle this with caution. We could burn the arm?" she suggests.
She returns his kiss and her silvery brow furrows in thought at his
question, and she chuckles at the request for a translation. Soon it
wouldn't be needed.
"It means, roughly "best friend of my heart" It's the closest we have to 'love' in Chunchee" she explains with a blush.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Dead, ye say? Aye... well can't say as I'm
surprised ter 'ear that. I'll see ter it that 'er father finds
out, though 'e might want ter speak ter ye when 'e knows." Bjeoric thinks for a moment, then, "If ye'd rather, I can wait while tomorrer ter tell 'im? Give ye a chance ter get on yer way if ye're in an 'urry."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Well..." Cyan looks to the others. "There may be more we
need to speak of, Bjeoric. I will leave it to your
discretion. We may leave early tomorrow morning, or perhaps
tonight." Her exhaustion is deep. It has now been days
since they have slept, and that is coupled with the fighting.
Fortunately, palanquet is quick work. "But if there is any more I need to tell you, I will come to you before we leave."
I must discuss as to whether we should tell them about the
spheres. Is it right that they continue to profit from the
destruction of other worlds? No. But they are all
unknowing. But if we do not tell them, what will they do about
the Hand, when it fails to function? Better to tell them, and
warn them that we will be dealing with Cylla's spheres...but first, I
must speak to the others.
She frowns, slightly, at Lexy's words. While she's well aware
that her age is easily eclipsed by the youngest of the rest of the
group, Cyan hasn't been a child in years. Closing sapphire eyes,
she rubs her brow for a moment.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack leaned back half turning
with a wince of pain and hugged Kali as she blushed. “I like it. . .
Best friend of my heart. All to often people fall in love or start a
relationship and forget that it is supposed to be best friends. Lalai a
mekia. . .” He says it again getting a feel for it. “Jacui no more.”
He chuckled “That’s my baby, kill em’ all and let the
god’s sort them out.” She knows he is only playing with her and can
feel through the link that it is not how he views Kali at all. He was
speaking softly not letting anyone over hear. “I don’t even know if my
demented ponderings are correct Kali. If they are we don’t know if it
is good, bad or indifferent. The hand is all that keeps these people
from being over run and killed off entirely. I say we let the issue and
hand lay for the moment, until we know more. Still your suggestion has
merit.”
He smiled at her and sent this through their link, not wanting anyone hearing “We
have the means to come back and clean up if need be. Right now I
wound to know Exactly what the word of the quest agreement was and what
are the terms of completion. My only worry is the amber men and Lexy.
The amber men seem they type to come back and try to make use of this
set up for their own ends. Lexy I just don’t know about. Did she head
out on her own to try and get the power for herself? Did she try and
send us away when we arrived to continue this. I am worried my love,
deeply worried. ”
Jack simply nodded to agree with Cyan’s words, he
knew the whole thing was a cluster and that there would be deep
discussion after their host left. “Give us some time to talk,” He
said to their host “We’ll let you know what we are doing shortly, be it
stay or go.” He nodded to the man “Thank you kind sir.”
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali winces as Jack moves around. She returns the hug, but tsks softly at him.
"Careful, careful" she chides softly.
She smiles softly in response to his teasing. The lightheartedness was
a part of Jack's character, it didn't bother her at all. She was just
relieved that this time she understod the meaning behind his teasing
words.
"We have a... law? No... it is " she waves her hand in a frustrated manner. She gives up "Chichiri" To Kali a chichiri is a rule that the entire settlement follows. It is bred into them to
follow these strict rules/laws that govern their culture. Jack can feel
that she doesn't like the word because in her mind laws can be
disobeyed; Chichiri cannot.
"When a threat comes, or an attack those who cannot defend themselves
must be left to die. That increases the chances of survival for the
others. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for these people if the ice
giants could used their magicks. The giants are horrendous fighters.
That hand has given them false security. Once they were a fierce
people, look at them now. Fattened lambs waiting for the wolf to come
and feast. Besides" she says a tad quizzically "Didn't Bjeoric say the
giants would be gone for years? That is much time for them to get used
to their prized protector being gone" she makes her case, just to share
her thoughts with Jack, not to dispute or disagree with his words.
"That was a long time ago... Let me think..." Kali responds, more in feelings than actual words.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Fuzzy memories rise. An injured woman, a journey through a densely
wooded area, an encampment. First impressions of Cyan, Ares, Tander,
Lexy, Duncan, Morgan, and Derrick. A sometimes sharp, sometimes blurry
face associated with each of these names. The Prince Julian and the
Princess Fiona, the injured woman.
A sense of regret at having to break her word... and then the information she believed Jack was looking for.
Julian telling them, after swearing them to secrecy. The Courts
received similar information... it looks like someone is trying to
start another war between Amber and the Courts, but why? Look into
this... you aren't associated with Amber... and then a feeling, tossed
aside but renewed now, that the Courts may be a good place to look for
similarities between the two cases.
"Does that help?" she asks quietly.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Bjeoric returns to the inn proper, with a reminder that there is more of the mulled cider to be had if anybody wants it, "An' there'll be no charge fer it, nor fer yer stay 'ere. Ye've paid in full, an' more beside, with yer deeds terday." Then he is gone.
With light from the lanterns, and warmth from the tankards of steaming
cider, the barn feels a bit more pleasnt than it had a little while
ago. The rich aroma of the spices and herbs in the drinks fills
the air, mingling with the animal smells from the llamas in the stall
at the far end of the building...
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Placing the exhausted, sleeping Berd on the bedroll, Cyan slowly
stands, rubbing a hand across dulled, jade eyes. She glances over
at Aaron, unsure as to what was being done. It seems, however,
that he is 'well'. As well as one may be, after losing an
eye. Well and in good hands, with his brother.
Moving to where the others are, she motions Kallika and Jack to join them. "If you would." Then she sits.
"I do not know what to do about this world. The people here
depend on the magic of the hand to survive. And yet, at the same
time, that magic is spawned by the destruction of other worlds.
This cannot continue, and we must inform them that we are about to put
a stop to it. Perhaps they can find alternate means to fight the
creatures...though I do not know how."
Glancing back at Berd, she seems to come to a decision. "As for
myself...I am going away. I can no longer travel where people are
full of suspicions, where everyone regards one another with bitterness
and anger. I have had enough. While I am not giving up this
quest, no longer will I force myself to travel with those who do not
appreciate each other's company."
She slowly shakes her head. "My plans are as follows. I
will, first, move to a world where time passes more swiftly - this
world is exceedingly slow, and the spirits only know how much time has
gone by while we have been here." Rotating her shoulder, Cyan
grimaces. The muscles are strained...as always, after a battle. "I will forge full palanquet for all those on the quest, save only Kallika, who has requested that I
do not. I shall also forge similar cards for those places we have
already visited, that I might return to them quickly, without needing
the aid of another World-Walker."
Glancing around, Cyan smiles, thinly. "Then I shall return to the
World of the Gatherer. The sphere there might give up further
clues...if the world yet exists. I might suggest that any people
with royal connections, should they wish to continue this quest, speak
to the Royalty of Chaos, as Julian hinted they might know something."
"Those are my plans." She looks down at her boots, and then up
again. "Should any wish to travel with me, that is fine and
well. But everyone who travels with me shall agree to one
thing. We are open with each other. No more
surprises. All abilities, all skills must be given out freely, at
the beginning. I am perfectly willing to speak first." Her
eyes frost slightly for a moment. "As long as others are willing
to speak after. For myself, and my travelling companions, I am
done with games. I am done with conflict. I am done with
lunacy. Period."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
As their host left Jack finished speaking with Kali:
“I know.” Jack says softly looking away from Kali,
there was melancholy in his voice. “It does not mean I have to
like it Lalai. I felt the giant’s minds before the protection of the
hand broke my connection. If the connection had not broken it would
have frozen me where I stood. I could only imagine fighting a for that
you can not see due to blizzard conditions. . . That can freeze you
solid with a glance. We may have all fallen today without the
protection of the hand.”
He looked up into Kali’s eyes and the
melancholy disapated replaced by curiosity “Would you leave me behind,
by this Chichiri?” He asked slowly rising, not really needing an
answer. The answer didn’t matter to him, he would rather see her leave
if he was to weak and they were threatened. Part of him did not believe
she would though. He answer was more for herself. “I think it helped
but I’m not certain. . . It’s kind of vague. It will have to do though.”
Jack arose slowly and painfully to his feet, regretting it
the moment he pulled away from Kalika to rise. He held out his hand and
helped her up so they could move closer to the group. Listening to Cyan
as he did so through Kali amazing wolven ears. “Come love
of my life, lets see what the others think.”
Jack listens to Cyan a thoughtful
expression on his face. “I have questions Mistress Bard.” He wore his
wry knowing smile as He stood there balancing on one leg. “You know me
Cyan, and you know what I can do pretty much. I will share what I know
of myself as long as the rest do, but not before the others.” He
glanced at Jadus and Aaron “ For my first question, how is
it you know for certain that the hand is powered by the Gatherers
collection?”
He knew she was probably right and he was thinking
along those lines before she spoke, but he wanted to hear it all.
“I will be happy to accompany you and back you up Cyan as long as Kali
does so as well, I would not for the life of me leave her side. “I like
what you say and the rules you choose. . . We are either in this
together or not, if we are not truly together then there is no reason
to stay together.”
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan smiles tiredly. "Only those who wish to share, to accompany,
need hear, Jack. I care not who understands me - I am, frankly,
not royalty, nor am I even real according to some. But I can
understand if there are those with something to hide, given the
situation." Given that Aaron and Jack have so much bad blood
between them, and Jadus a stranger in Aaron's court to boot. Cyan
is not so innocent that she does not understand the value of
information.
"The Hand may not be powered by the Gatherer's collection. The
objects described to us by Bjeoric, that Cylla took with her, resemble
the object that Cylla left on the world the Gatherer is ravaging, that
is stealing from it and sending it elsewhere. I will consider the
time - frame as well, given how quickly we know of this...or rather,
Berd will do the computations, when he awakens."
She shakes her head, looking at the little dragon. "Poor old
man. He is exhausted. But chances are, even if the Gatherer
we know of is not what supplies the power to the hand," and it may very
well not be, given the time differential, "the Hand likely is stealing
from elsewhere...and these spheres do not seem to be gentle in their
plundering. I would find it, first, before cutting it off, but I
suspect the situation may be similar, if not identical."
She nods, giving Jack an exhausted smile. The bard had hoped he
would agree with her line of reasoning vis à vis each other, especially
due to their earlier conversation. Now it only remained to see if
Kallika would agree. And then there was the question of
Lexy. What, exactly, had transpired between her and Jack, earlier?
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali rose as Jack started to move, and offered any assistance that he
wanted. At the least she holds his hand during the short walk to Cyan's
gathering. It was important to her that he know the answer to his
question regarding the chichiri.
If you had a weakness that forced you to stay behind and in danger,
then my weakness would be my inability you. I would not leave you. We
would fall together. He can feel the realization of what this means. For a moment her foundations are shook, she just said she would disobey a chichiri! Her family would be shamed if they knew... but then she found herself also realizing that she didn't care.
Once they reach Cyan, Kali lends an arm to help take some of the weight
off of is good leg. If he wasn't careful both would start hurting him.
"I will travel with you and speak of my abilities. This conversation,
this sharing of skills, should only be between those who agree... and
if someone does agree, do we have a way to determine if they have told
the truth? The entire truth?" her dark purple eyes skip over to Aaron
and Jadus and then back to Cyan and Jack.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan turns and looks at Kallika with bruised, amber eyes, nearly
matching the deadly woman's own. "No. I have no means to
discern truth, besides entering the mind of a man and hoping his
strength is not greater than my own. I would never do that with
someone I do not trust...hence, I will only bring those along that I DO
trust."
Turning, she looks at Aaron for a moment. "Regretfully, I do not
trust Aaron. He has proven himself a liability far too often,
even here. It is not, precisely, that I feel he will betray
us." Slowly, she looks back to Kallika. "It is that I feel
he will betray himself. Today, in his madness, he almost had
himself slain, forced me to go over the wall to protect him, which also
dragged the two of you into the direct fray, and ended up with the
villagers out from behind the cover of their wall, and nearly
slaughtered. Bjeoric speaks of a great victory - had we fought
them from behind the walls, likely less of our own would have fallen,
for an even greater victory. As it was, we barely snatched it
from the jaws of defeat."
Cyan shakes her head. "My madness...in battle...is controlled -
on the ship, that was my stupidity in action, stupidity I shall not
repeat. My mind still sees strategy and tactics. Aaron's
cannot be trusted. Nor do I trust him as a person. I fear
that, wherever Aaron chooses to walk, I shall not." This she says
flatly, not whispering, unmindful of Jadus' presence. The Bard
will say as much to Aaron, if he wakens before they leave.
"Lexy, I trust," Cyan says, turning to stare at the woman, "though I would know what passed between she and Jack."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy listens to Cyan, and her gaze falls on the still comatose man.
When she hears her own name, her gaze snaps back to Cyan. She can't
help but to smile knowing that the other woman trusts her.
However, Cyan has asked her a question whose answer puzzles her as well.
"For me, it was simple. I took one look at you all, and figured you
were all dead beat. Especially snowball man." she says, grinning as she
jerks her thumb at Jack.
"However, I wanted to figure the hand out. So, I asked the local expert
on the Pattern to stay behind, since that is what the tatoos most
resembled. Anything that can block out our access to all the various
powers we call apon has to be understood." she says.
"Had I know Jack would have reacted so badly to that, I would not have
asked for you all to leave." She shrusg, and looks at the man, waiting
to see what he might add. She was curious to know exactly why that he
had reacted so badly.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack stayed in contact with Kali, if
anything grateful that she is there. Not to help him walk, or baby him.
Simply that she is there. He had suspected that would be her answer and
she could feel that he was there for her. Change was difficult, finding
out that you do not fit your self image was hard. Finding out that one
thing that you were born to know as fact was wrong was life altering.
Yet she was an amazing woman to take it in stride so easily. He knows
that in some ways they are much alike, both born to their worlds and
yet they are outsiders in their own homes. Together they were family
though, no longer outsiders, Jacui no more.
I could not leave you either if you were
in danger Lalai a mekia. What ever we face, we face together. She felt
the equivalent of a warm mental hug
He wanted to tell her if it ever came down to it,
he wanted her to run and survive rather than fall protecting him.
Though he knew all to well he would fall fighting for her if the
situations were reversed and could not ask something of her he could
not ask of himself.
Jack nodded at Cyan’s words on the matter of
the Amber men looking solemn. “I do not know about Lexy,” Jack said,
“My frustration may have gotten the better me.” He looked from the
blonde to the Red head. “I have been tired and peevish all day, getting
worse as the day progresses. When Lexie took off as soon as she heard
of the hand temple and I came back to the barn only to find her
entering the very hand temple where my tendrils can’t go. That annoyed
me.”
He said flatly “I have nothing against people
going off on their own, but it’s not smart leaving your so called
friends without a word as to who, what, where, when or why. Then we go
charging off to help her because we had not been informed of her
intensions, worried for her well fare. Once we get there she simply
tells me “My things”, “MY bloody THINGS” no thank you for hauling them
around or what not. Which I found terribly rude to be honest, however
that is not the issue.”
Jack was getting a little more worked up now to say the
least “To top it all off she says to me. Take the others out with you.
You all look beat. Get some rest, I'll join you shortly.” Jack even
goes so far as to mimic Lexy’s voice. Now he is looking squarely
at Lexy “I am a very curious man, insatiably curious. However my
curiosity was not enough to press me to move to the building yet. The
group needed rest. . . But you felt it was best to press on. Then when
we come worried about you, you dismiss us casually without a single
explanation. No explanation before you left, no explanation after we
caught up to you and even now I have heard nothing since we got back.”
Jack took a breath calming down a bit “To
me that is poor communication and group effort all of the way around.
Very simply I would no longer feel comfortable in sharing information
in front of you because I no longer quite know what you will do with it
or what your intentions are. You could have easily jeopardized the
entire group or the quest.”
Jack let out a deep sigh “What is more is I
was worried about you and then to be treated so callously and casually
stung.It hurt my feelings to not get so much as a thank you or word of
explaination after charging in there worried so."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan nods, her emerald eyes thoughtful. Things are becoming more
clear. Turning, she glances towards Lexy, waiting to see what the
woman has to say.
It is obvious, to her, that the situation can be remedied.
However, that depends on both Lexy and Jack. She hopes they can
work this out, otherwise there will be a problem.
As for people going off and doing their own thing...one of the
conditions that she has spoken of is full disclosure. To her,
that includes actions. Perhaps she hadn't made that clear, and
should do so, when and if the two work out the issue, here.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
"First of all Jack, I do not need to explain myself to you or anyone else." Lexy says, turning to look fully apon her accuser.
"I left, without any explenation. Fine, I agree to that. However, just
as you where curious, so was I. Except for I let my curiosity take me
to the it's source. The church, and the Hand within. I did not ask for
you to follow me, nor to come after me. I acted on my own, because I
did not feel that I needed permission from anyone to do it. As you
said, the group needed rest. I on the other hand, did not. I've been
well rested before I rejoined you." Lexy continues to look at Jack,
sitting calmly on the ground. Even her voice is calm, her words quiet
and pronounced.
"Yes, I might have been short with you at the chucrch. I was a little
annoyed that you had thought that I couldn't be trusted, so decided to
head off after me, through the wind and snow. Especially when it was
obvious that you still needed rest." she shakes her head.
"I do what I think is right at the time." she takes a deep breath, and
then lets it out. "But sometimes that is the wrong thing to do, Jack. I
probably should have told you all where I was going before I headed off
as I did. I'm not use to having to explain myself. To anyone. You ask
if I can be trusted. In the end, only you can judge that for yourself.
However, I am here to protect my home. We can ill afford another war
between Amber and Chaos, especially if there is some third group
waiting on the outskirts to swoop in like some carrion crows to claim
what is left." She looks at Jack, and then sighs.
"However, my words are for naught, arn't they?. You have allready made
up your mind, despite anything I have said, or will say. I could have
killed you several times over, had I chosen to, and yet, you still
live. I tried to save your life when you fell down the hill. The voice
you heard, begging you to stay wasn't her." she points to Kali. "It was
me." She pauses to let that sink in, and everything associated with
that, watching how Jack reacts.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
Shuddering, Aaron's eyes fluttered open. Yes, his eyes.
Despite the fact that he could only see out of one of them at the
moment, he knew that he had both of them. What he didn't know, was how, and why he still had his right eye.
He remembered existing in his mind, fighitng off that insane
doppleganger and using the skills his friends had inadvertantly taught
him to capture and control the madness. But then, he had been half
blind, both physically and mentally. Aaron could still feel those thick
ropes around his torso.
Jadus was beside him, staring across the room. With his left eye, he
glanced to that side, and saw the group in deep converstion. About
their future plans, no doubt. Was he a part of their plans?
Not surprisingly, he doubted it.
Jadus saw him awake, and placed his hand upon his shoulder. A whisper.
"Stay still." he said. "I've much to tell you, but you must reorient yourself first."
Aaron agreed to both of them with a slight nod. That nod caused a wave
of dizziness and nausea to spread through him, but that was only
momentary. As he regained more and more of his senses, he took in the
remainder of the room, and noted Ilsefranvir's proximity to him.
Mentally and physically.
And for the first time, he actually felt her presence in his mind. It
wasn't a far away feeling, as it had been previous to the battle, but
it was more of an encompasing calmness. A sphere of peace surrounding
his psyche. Was this how she had felt all along, with only his former
madness hiding it from him?
"Are you ready to hear what I must tell you?" Jadus asked, and when Aaron nodded, he began.
Retelling the tale of the end of the battle, and of the things Bjeoric
had told the group, Aaron didn't react. He'd react when he had more
energy.
Kryn. he thought. He moved his right eye in response. It didn't
feel... all that different, although there was a slight delay between
movement. Jadus explained that it was adapting to his physiology.
So perhaps Jadus has placed a trace on me from now on. Interesting.
Slowly, with Jadus' watchful eye, Aaron sat up and gazed across the
room at the rest of the group. His head was bandaged, covering his
right eye. What a sight he was.
Reaching up, he removed the bandage from his head, keeping his right
eye closed. He could already feel the pierce of pain from the Kryn
getting used to the light throug his eyelid. They would endure.
Ilsefranvir hummed in his head. A calming tune, that he remembered from
childhood. She had told him, in his dream state, what she had thought
that the group wished.
They do not hate you, but they do not trust you.
Leave them to their work, and they will accomplish more. Even despite
that which I feel you have learned. Sad, ancient one. Sad and
disappointing.
Slowly, Aaron opened his eye. Jadus hissed between clenched teeth as
the silvery orb flickered in the light around the room; morphing and
mimicking his right eye, only silver save brown. It hurt, god it hurt!
But it was necessarry to help the Kryn adapt as swiftly as possible.
His vision was cloudy and blurry, and would probably be so for more
than a few days.
With mismatched eyes he gazed at those he had fought with, and those
who had taught him the right things, when he needed them most.
But the battle had been too much for everyone, and Aaron's private war had been the most tiring for him.
"I will go with you, Jadus, if you wish me to. I fear I am no longer
required here." this was a whisper from Aaron, but he knew others would
hear. Just looking at the group across the room made Aaron feel
unwanted. With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes, though one took
slightly longer to close than the other.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack looked surprised at the
revelation that it was Lexy calling him back not Kalik. Then simply
shook his head and turned away to move back deeper into the barn.
Stopping he looked back over his shoulder to Lexy “I did not think you
could not be trusted, indeed I never once until now thought of you as a
threat to my life. Not by your inability, but by your choice. Obviously
you did think about the opportunity to kill though.”
He looked back to the depth of the barn he
was much to tired for this. “Yet again you are wrong, I’m the one that
believes in words and my mind is supple like the will to the winds of
change. However nothing I am hearing leads me to believe that you will
work together as a team. If we can not work as a team then there is no
sense in working together as Cyan had said.”
He glanced over at Cyan “Let me know what and when you have decided and if I am allowed to go.”
He had walked into this certain of what was going on, now
he was less so. Would Cyan choose Lexy over him? They had known each
other longer. . . He was vexed that she had not even acknowledge his
hurt feelings and wounded pride. Which only added insult to
injury, at this point he knew he was tired, cross and in no way up to a
debate. So he did the only thing he could and walked away, okay hobbled
away.
Jack hobbled over to the rum and poured himself a cup, what he wouldn’t
give for one of Laz’s cups of coffee right now. "Feeling better
sleeping Beauty?" he asked Aaron, but the question sounded flat even to
himself.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy watches Jack hobble off, and shakes her head. Stupid, thick skulled, mule headed man! But there is nothing more that Lexy can do. Jack has, despite his
claims to the opposite, allready made up his mind. At this point, there
is nothing more she can do without making things worse.
She looks to Cyan and shrugs. "Before you say anything, I would suggest
rest. Nobody is in particulalry good shape right now." she says,
pointedly looking at each person in turn. Aaron, who so recently had
his eye replaced, Jack battered and bruised, Berd sound asleep, Cyan
exhausted.
"Mistakes are made when you are tired. Mistakes that sometimes lead to
irreversable errors. Go to sleep. You'll do no one any good, especially
yourself, if you continue on like this." she says.
With that, she takes herself away to a spot near the entrance. She
pulls her cloak over her body, draws her blade an inch and places it
within easy reach, and then lays down.
But Lexy does not sleep. She just lays there. The air is still charged from the confrontation with Jack.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“Hey Lexy,” Jack half snapped after
downing the cup of brandy “Didn’t you here Cyan? This world is a slow
time stream, that’s why Cylla was so much older then when she left. One
night here could be could be ten years elsewhere. Cyan is right, she
can take us someplace safe and fast time. We can prepare for the next
part of this quest, a time to heal. That’s why we need to make
decisions and move now, every minuet here is dozens lost in normal
worlds.”
Jack looked at Cyan “Do what ever you need to Cyan,
I’ll stand by your decisions whatever you choose. If you need to take
Kali and Lexy, go ahead.”
He met Cyan’s eyes for a moment and nodded and she knew he would follow any choice needed for the quest.
He looked at Kali meetinge her eyes and she knew he would be
there for her no matter what. He would die to be there when she needed
him.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy sighs inwardly, and mentaly counts to ten. When she finishes counting, she rolls over to look at Jack.
"Yes Jack, I know that. However, you don't need me to decide where to
go. Cyan can make that decision all on her own. Hence I'm here, trying
to stay warm. Is that allright with you, your royal highness?" she
asks. Apparently she hadn't counted enough. Smooth move, Exlax. Wanna try that again? Maybe you can get him more pissed off she chides herslef.
"It's cold here Jack, which was the reason I shifted in the first
place. You carried my things for me, and would know that this is light,
made for climates very different from this one." She says, pulling off
the cloak and showing the gown briefly before pulling the cloak back
up, bitting off her next comment before she makes it. Instead, she
chooses something else.
"Besides, we have no proof this is fast moving here. Cylla left when
she was young, very true. She's also wandered shadow. Any one of the
stops she made could have been a fast moving shadow. But it doesn't
matter. If you want to go, then let's go. You want to go to a slow
moving shadow, then let's go to a slow moving shadow." Her eyes pierce
across the distance, looking at Jack. "I know of several that move much
slower then this place apparently does. However, the question is,
slower compared to what? To Amber? To the Courts? Here? To someplace
else? Do you have any clue where we are headed next?" Lexy shakes her
head.
"But quite frankly, this is pointless. We could toss verbal barbs at
each other all day long, and the only thin that would come of that is a
feeling of deeper and deeper resentment. From what I've heard, you
could snap me like a twig. You could probably outfence me as well. And
if you couldn't, then she could." Her eyes flick to Kali.
"So, I give up, Jack. I have nothing that would beat you. I don't have
some master plan, I don't have a supreme stragedy. All I have Jack, is
my word. I gave it that night in the forest of Arden. A situation arose
back home, and I had to deal with it. So I left for a while to deal
with that. And then I returned. If Cyan had not called me, I would have
found her by other means." She moves as she props herself up on her
elbow.
"I live by my word, and it's all I have. And I'll give it now, to you.
To all of you. I am not working against you. I am not in this for
personal gain. I'm doing this because I was asked to. I'm doing this to
stop a war. I'm doing this to protect the lives of those I care for."
She pauses only long enough to wrap her cloak around her, trying to
stop the cold air from finding her flesh.
"If my word is not enough, then I have nothing else to offer any of
you. It is all I have. And if it isn't enough, then I will continue on
my own. But continue I will, somehow." she slowly lets her gaze cross
Jack and Kali, slipping over to Cyan and Berd, and finaly to Aaron and
Jadus. I'm the only one here who is alone a part of her notes.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali takes in the conversation between Jack and Lexy. She was confused
by Lexy's words, but felt that know wouldn't be the best time to ask
Jack about it. She hasn't moved from her place near Cyan, even though
Lexy and Jack have. She meets the Bard's eyes and sees the exhaustion
and stress reflected in the opalescent depths.
"Cyan... I think it would be best if we all" she motioned to Aaron and
Jadus "Moved to this faster land of yours. Then we can all rest and
work out who will be going where and doing what. No one is in the right
frame of mind to be making decisions of such importance. Please, take
us all to this other world so we can rest and recuperate, and the work
out these issues once everyone is in a better state of mind" Kali was
only trying to help, but she wouldn't be surprised if the other woman
didn't take her advice.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Better? Despite that this new eye of mine is sapping my energy just to
reorient itself, I feel peachy." Aaron said to Jack. That didn't
surprise Jadus. The Kryn would need to do that for at least the rest of
this one day. Aaron's energy would return of course, but he'd need to
rest.
The larger man raised his dark eyes to Kalika, and his physical
relation to Aaron was apparent just by the way he looked at her. They
were definetly brothers.
"I'm not so sure I'll be going with the rest of you. And I certainly
know for sure that I will not be taking Aaron anywhere at all. The
business I must take care of cannot be stalled by the likes of my
younger sibling."
Though harsh seeming, this response was far from surprising to both
Aaron and Jadus. The younger of the two brothers sighed and nodded,
acquiescing to the fact that Jadus had plans, even before Aaron dragged
him into this.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack hobbled back to Kali and slid down beside her speaking as he went, he almost laughed at the Highness comment.
“Don’t you get it Lexy, I’m not trying to run you out into the cold nor
do I want to snap or fence you. I wouldn’t want Kali to fence you and I
doubt if she would if I wanted her to. It would make no sense, just
like ninety percent of what you are saying is not making sense to me.”
Jack looked at her “Your word is all you have? What about respect for
allies? What about sharing information? What about not taking
information that someone else gleens and running off to chase it
without them?”
Jack shook his head
looking into the lamp fore “Again it comes back to this, I have heard
you casting barbs as you say but not once have you said that you will
be there and open share. Not once have you said sorry I made you guys
worry or that I was short with you. What I’m not seeing is simple
respect, and I’ve had my craw filled by the disrespect of that one.”
He jerked a thumb at Aaron “No offence Amber
man,” He said “It’s just the facts. . .And I’m glad to see you are
okay.” Then looked back to Lexy, “I have had nothing but respect for
you since you came on the scene, as Cyan’s comrade if nothing else. It
is this simple, will you work together as a team or not? None of this
charging off and not letting anyone know where you are going? Are
you going to work together or the next time someone finds something odd
are you going to leave us behind? Can you even answer that? I would ask
if you were going to be respectful of the people around you, but that
is sounding like to much to ask.”
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy listens to Jack, and then is silent for a few moments, choosing
her words. "Jack, I can't promise something like that." she says at
last, truthfully. "I've been on my own now for a long time. And when
I'm not on my own, I'm used to being in charge, making the decisions.
It is not though disrespect that I do what I do, but habit. I'm not
used to having to explain myself." she shakes her head.
"But, I answer you truthfully. I promise I can try. Sometimes I will be
remiss in that, but again, habit, and not intention is behind that.
Will that be enough for you Jack? My word that I will try? It's all I
can say, and I won't lie."
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Kalika Wolfblade
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kali returns Jadus's look coolly.
"If you are in a position to make choices for your brother and further
separate him from this group he has comitted himself to help, then
fine" she waves her hand "keep him. Apparently comitment doesn't mean
much to your people" which makes me rethink my comitment to your Prince she thinks just as Jack reaches her.
As her love talks with Lexy, Kali tries to lend support to him, to help
him keep his cool and not let his tiredness get the better of him. The
comment about fencing with Lexy though... Jack can feel that she woudl
be more than happy to oblige that request should it come.
She says she will try to tell us before running off, but not to try
to offer respect... and no apology yet. She is a proud one.. kind of
like you.. the thought Kali sends to Jack ends abruptly. She didn't want to ask him about that now. Later, when he was healed and rested.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Ilsefranvir
-----------------------------------------------------------
The rattling of a saber is heard, or in this case, a short sword. A sigh, very much in a huff, escapes from Aaron's side.
"If I may say so," Ilsefranvir announces,
"It seems to me, that all of you, even my Master, are not seeing things in the light of the whole."
"I will not speak for my Master, but I will say in his defense, that he
is no longer the man who has haunted the lot of you for this long. You
are failing to look at what is right infront of you, and are instead,
blinded by that which has already occured."
Aaron, reaching over, unsheathed Ilsefranvir and pivoted her, impaling
the tip of her into the floor beside him. Ringing, Ilse seperated into
her eight sections, and began to rotate each one of them horizontally.
It was a strange sight, a hilt floating in midair, while eight sharp
pieces of metal twisted beneath like a screw. She was, for all intents
and purposes, stretching her muscles.
"I say this, not only for Aaron, but for all of you.
Every one of you is so blinded by your lack of rest, your constant
questioning, and the absurd amount of stress placed upon you, that you
are not thinking about that which must be accomplished. Your quest. All
of you are involved, and will remain involved, until you die, or until
the quest is finished. As a whole, this group is dealing with powers
beyond your natural comprehension, and I fear if you all do not rally
together and forget your past transgressions, that which has been
already done will come to nothing. The fearsome powers in play will
gain strength, and each one of you will fail."
"I see that as a horrible waste of time, energy and possibly life. I
believe you all need to stop complaining about the then, and start
considering the here and now. Totally, rather than singularly."
"Put your past pains aside, for the long moment at least, and accomplish that which you have been called to do." she sounded tired, now. Exhausted, actually.
"And for the sake of all that's living, stop complaining and get some rest!"
Flickering, the eight pieces halted in mid-spin and solidified into a
single blade. Aaron moved to replace her, but an odd reflection within
the flat of the blade made him return his hand.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Jack rubbed his eyes and
rested his head in his hands sitting there not answering for the
longest time. “It has been said that respect and politeness are nothing
more than habit, so the same could be true of disrespect.”
He looked up and looked over at Lexy his
deep blue eyes regarding her with a bone weary sadness. “I want to
trust in you. . . I can not tell you how much I whish to believe you. .
. Yet I hear so much folderol in your words. You promise to try, yet in
the same breath say that you will fail by remission.”
He looked away his face worried
frustration “I am so split on this, yet in the end to be true to
myself. . . I do respect you honesty. . . I see no way to deal with the
words you give me, what I would have to do to honor myself and what I
must do to honor what Cyan proposes.”
Jack shrugged, his face looking slack and
ashen as life continued catching up to him. “I shall have to hear
Cyan’s decision if your promise of failure is good enough for her and
play it by ear from there. Words alone can not tell you how
disappointed I am by your words, I thought better of you.”
He Turned to look at Isle “Yes, live in the moment.
. . but only a fool does not remember the past or plan for the future.
You master has been a content danger to those I care about, I will not
see them by him endangered again and that is final. He has cost the
bard here music and could have cost any one of us our lives at any
point. He has as of yet to contribute anything much to this quest and
has cost much.” Jack shook his head “You fear we will fail if we do not
rally together? I fear we will fail if I have to continue putting up
with these games. I am even more emotionally drained that I am
physically drained. I would have given up a dozen times over because of
your master and Lexy. If it were not for Kali renewing my spirit and
giving me hope. If it were not for Cyans example I would have left many
times over.”
“ So unless you know something I do not and have a valid reason
with facts to back it up, as to why we should stick together. Then Let
your master convinces us he is trustworthy and worthy of our respect
and trust.”
Kali could feel his wearing down fast, he was to tired to handle two
debates and keep up a mental conversation with her. Yet she knew he
heard and agreed with her.Is some ways him and the blond bard were not
so different, in some they were as different as night and day. However
he hoped he was not as muck a pain in the ass as Lexy seemed to be to
him.
===========================================================
Re: About Cylla by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Kalika could feel what Jack was looking for
from Lexy and feel his frustration at not seeing it. She knew he
was searching for the sheer passion and commitment to the cause
and pack / group. He was carefully weighing words, actions and
the over all emotion of what Lexy said against each other. Plain and
simple he did not think he could be honest with her if she was going to
take that information and act on it without letting the group know what
she was doing. That would make it where he was not upholding the spirit
or word of what Cyan proposed. The frustration wore on him. . . Then
again everything was weighing on him except Kali and hunter.
===========================================================
Circular discussion by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan rubs her tired eyes, and stares at each and every one of the group
in turn. Her head spins as she tries to understand all that is
going on here. Finally, she shakes her head.
"Fact. This is a VERY slow shadow. Time passes slowly here,
in comparison to other shadows. I cannot stay here - things may
be occurring at breakneck speed elsewhere. I know this because,
as I have stated, Berd knows this. Hence, I will be
leaving. Now. Before sleep."
Turning slowly, she looks at Lexy. "I am deeply saddened that I
have seen little of understanding from you. You do not need to
explain yourself to us, or anyone? Considering that we are
supposed to be part of a group, a team, I find this a most distressing
outlook. The issue here is not whether you can be trusted not to
kill us, Lexy. The issue is whether you can work as part of a
team." An extremely sad expression falls across her face, her
eyes shading to deepest amythest. "Jack may be tired, irritable,
and cranky from his injuries, but I see little of empathy for his point
of view. I hear you say that you will try to show respect, but
you still have not apologized. If your words mean so much, surely
you can see that a single phrase from you could make the difference
here." She sags with exhaustion. "Yes, Kallika, I
agree. We should move. Regardless of what the others
decide, and yes, everyone can go with me to a faster world, I shall be
leaving the moment I finish speaking to Bejeoric. He deserves to
know of the Hand, and the possible danger to his people if we succeed."
Pausing, she turns to look at the slowly swaying weapon, like a cobra,
and shivers, slightly. "Ilsefranvir," Cyan states, "I find your
point of view rather slanted, if you do not mind me saying. You
state that we are blinded by the past, and we fail to see what is in
front of us." She cocks her head to the side. "What is in
front of us is a man, crippled by his own madness, who has repeatedly
acted in a manner that is...not condusive to good relations. His
madness endanged far too many people here today. You say we are
blinded? That we should regard him?" Cyan turns, and stares
at Aaron for a moment. "I see nothing changed, save the
physical. What would you have me do? All I have to go upon
is the past, his actions and reactions to what has occurred. They
say that actions speak louder than words. What would you have me
assume, enruned blade? How many times must I say, 'ah, he is
'cured' now, and can be trusted'? Until I am slain?"
Looking around at the group, Cyan rubs a tear of frustration from her
eyes. "As I said. I am through with games. I am
through with toying around with people who cannot act in the best
interests of our goal. This is larger than our own foibles.
If we cannot put them aside, this quest will fail. I do not wish
to continue this with people who will not act for the greater good, who
cannot set aside their own problems and insecurities long enough to
complete this. I will not continue with a man who have proven
himself, PROVEN himself, time and time again, to be a detriment to this
quest and the wellbeing of the group. You say I am not focused on
the quest? On the contrary. I will set aside any, despite
friendship," and here she looks at Lexy, "despite pity," and to Aaron,
"if I feel they cannot help me finish this. Too much hangs in the
balance for me to continue putting up with people playing childish
games of ego and deception, people who cannot simply agree that someone
else may be right, and they may be wrong. If any come with me,
they MUST agree to full disclosure of their skills and abilities, as
well as the setting aside of egos. The group must be a team -
actions will not be undertaken without advisement, and respect, FULL
respect for others, MUST be given. You may call it an ultimatim
if you wish. It is all I, myself, will accept. I cannot,
will not, prevent people from continuing the quest on their own."
Pausing, she looks at Jack for a long moment. "Jack. Thank
you for your forebearance, and your trust in me. The spirits know
that I do not deserve it from you, but..." Cyan shakes her head
again. "I shall do my best. My thanks to you and Kallika,
for your level heads and your openess."
A muscle in her jaw clenches, once, and she spins, walking from the
barn quickly, heading into the wind in order to speak to Bjeoric.
Berd snorts once, waking, and blearily stares around at the
others. His gaze sharpens and narrows; the expression is clear: 'What on earth just happened?'
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“Alright people, you heard the lady, we are
about to move out.” Jack arises with a wince of pain and hobbles
over to their weapons and goods. Picking up Kali’s blades he lightly
tosses them one by one to her. “Kali my love. . . Go make certain Cyan
is okay if you would.” Jack smiled at Kali tossing her boots and pack
to her one at a time to her. “Our host may be less than pleased at
loosing the power of the hand. I know she can take care of herself, but
I just want to be certain.”
“I’ll take a moment and feed from the
shadows to make myself whole and well. I’ll make certain Berd is safe.
Hurry back my love, you shall have to teach me to hunt as a wolf once
we are in the new world and rested up.” Jack winked at her as he slid
on his own boots struggling with the stiff and painful leg. Putting on
his own pack he blew her a kiss.
He stepped back into the shadows which
seemed to reach out and embrace him that he was gone to their vision.
Blending perfectly with the shadows, because he himself was one with
them. He slid deeper into the darkness to heal, knowing he can be
almost instantly any where in the dark he needs to be.
“I meant no offence Aaron, I am simply protecting my people. Are you
going to be good enough to move?” The distant, disembodied voice of
Jack echoes ghostly from the darkest depths of the barn.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Berd
-----------------------------------------------------------
Move? Leave?
Berd appears MOST dissatisfied by that. The fact that Cyan is
missing, the fact that Jack has used the term 'the lady' in a loose
fashion...it isn't too hard to figure out who is to blame.
Berd snorts, sending a puff of purple smoke into the air. He
stares at Aaron's face for a long moment, studying the injury, then
turns his head away to bite at a wing, irritably. Had the man
been less solid he could have healed him. As it was, the mark of that cursèd
tangle of rigidity...ah, well. With the blood of Amber within
him, likely as not he would prove immune to Berd's assistance without
it.
The little dragon snorts again, at Jack's words. As if he, Berd,
needed the assistance of a human! Vaulting into the air, he
grunted, once, feeling the pain of strained wings, and settled down on
a stable-post. Well...perhaps he was not at his best. But
he would slink to the bottom of the Abyss before he let any know this.
Except Cyan. She could carry him. It was the least she could do, for planning to leave so soon.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy watches Cyan leave, and it doesn't take an empath to sense the
girls anger. She's silent for a time being, the pulls herself up,
gathers her things, and pulls her cloak tightly about herself, not
wanting to cold air to penetrate. It was cold enough in here allready.
She pauses a moment, looking back at the door. She could leave right
now, very easily, and continue on her own. But without the cube, she
would be stuck. And she didn't want that. That would mean picking up
the trail elsewhere, and that wasn't a good choice either. Besides, for
all his arguments, bombast and crankiness, she liked Jack. She liked
Cyan. She liked Kali. And Aaron... well, she wasn't sure about him, her
view colored by the past recountings of events. However, she had not
seen him act in any way that didn't speak true of his heritage. Which
meant she could trust him to do exactly what was best for himself, and
nothing else. But like him? That remained to be seen.
And as for herself... well... that remained to be seen.
She heads to the dark area of the barn she had seen Jack head into, and
stopped just short of it, starring into the shadows, trying to find
something to address.
"Jack, this isn't easy for me. Especially because I mean it. I'm not
used to having to explain my actions to anyone. I havn't had to do it
in years. So I assumed I could continue doing that with no
repurcussions. And you know, they say when you assume, you make an Ass
out of U and Me. So, I have made an ass of myself, and made it worse by
not admiting it, and made it even worse by not apologizing. Well, it's
too late to not make an ass of myself, but I can at the very least
apologize." she pauses and licks lips suddenly gone dry.
"I'm sorry Jack. I'm sorry I disrespected you like I did. I'm sorry I
argued with you. I apologize for my actions towards you and the others.
Trust doesn't come easy to me, Jack. It's been badly abused in the
past, when I gave it freely. So, I tend to be more reserved with it
now. You ask me if I can work with a group. The answer is yes I can.
Especially after an incident like this. It would be kind of hard to
forget. So I ask.. well, not forgivness. Such a thing would be too much
to hope for. But for another chance."
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan marches through the snow, furious. She keeps a tight rein on
her anger; it's the only thing keeping her up, right now.
Fortunately, it's a short distance to the inn, and she pushes the door
open, careful to keep quiet and hold her cloak about her,
tightly. The last thing she wants right now is a dozen men
running over and dragging her off for a victory drink at the bar.
She wouldn't mind, normally, but right now, a cup of brandy and the
bard would be down on the ground.
Looking around the smoky room, she hunts for Bjeoric.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
In this form Jack was truly formless, taking forms as
easy as others may breath. However everything had a price and the price
was the difference between shadow and substance. In his human form he
was substance. In that form he was Jack and could only ever be Jack,
but that was good enough for him because he was who he wanted to be.
The shadows in front of Lexy take on a different cast.
Like watching clouds become images in the sky she can see the man there
now. Or at least odd interplays between the light and dark that remind
her of him.
“I can imagine. . . It would not have
been easy for me, but for me it was easier. Because I forgot myself,
my hurt and pain before they found me. I was the lucky one, what
you just did, what you just said took real guts. Of course I can
forgive you and mean it. . . Of course I can give you another chance.
And it’s easy for me to do so since I can hear the commitment in your
words. I was not looking for you to be perfect and not make mistakes,
gods know I make them on a regular basis. Only to really feel, mean and
believe in what you said. Besides I give Aaron my forgiveness even now,
and several chances. Words do mean something, but only what meaning we
pour into them with out souls. The words may be chep, but the meaning
we give them is not.”
“I am honestly sorry for any disrespect I gave you, I
hope you can forgive me and give me a chance as well. I’m happy to be
your ally. . . Go talk to Cyan Let her know that it’s okay, take
a blanket to wrap yourself in. Welcome to the ass club I’m not just a
member, I’m it president.”
The shadow seemed to smile and a hollow but well meant laughter issued forth as jack laughed at himself.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy nods and smiles. "Thank you Jack." is all she can think of saying
right now. Keeping her cloak tightly about her, she looks to the door.
"And now I must go find Cyan. I fear it has put a strain on her watching this, as much as it has on us, participating in this."
She walks over to the dragon, who has obviously seen better days. She
can't help but smile when she looks at him. She had touched his mind,
albeit briefly, during the battle, and knew him to be as beat as Cyan
or Jack.
"Berd, where is she?" she asks him.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Berd
-----------------------------------------------------------
Berd wearily stares up at Lexy. In the last few days he has
pressed his slowly growing strengths to their limit. Things had
been different...once...or so he thought.
It is a frustrating realization.
Turning his head, he slowly stares at Lexy.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy chuckles a bit at the little drake, and then looks to the door
again. "Well, at least she isn't out taking a long stroll in the
storm." she looks to Berd again.
She looks at the little dragon for only a few moments, and then heads out of the barn, and into the storm.
Where she is met with a facefull of snow. Cold. she thinks to herself, but not as cold as before. She would survive the trip to the tavern with no problem.
He steps crunch through the snow, towards the looming shape the is the
tavern common rooms, though her mind isn't really on her steps.
She enters the common room a few minutes later, shrugging off the snow
from her cloak, and shivering only slightly. Her eyes scan the room,
looking for Cyan. And finding her isn't hard. She stands out like a
tarkonian herdbeast in a herd of cows. Long strides close the distance
between the two, and Lexy lays a hand on Cyan's shoulders.
"You can calm down, Cyan." she says in way of greeting. "Jack and I
have solved out little problem. I apologized to him, and to everyone
present. The only one I missed was you. So, to you as well I offer my
apologies. I hate saying it, but I was wrong. But it's an error that I
intend to correct, with a little help from my friends."
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
While discussions and arguments continue in the barn, Cyan makes her way to the inn.
The inn is crowded and filled with noise and smoke and the smell of the
mulled cider. In the centre, near the fires a man in a multicoloured
patchwork cloak, a green tunic and yellow leggings is playing a harp,
not as well as Cyan could, but well enough, and singing. His voice, and
the notes of the harp, seem to cut through the sounds of the feasting...
"This the dire mighty fiend, he who in darkness dwelt,
Suffered with hatred fierce, that every day and night
He heard the festal shouts loud in the lofty hall;
Sound of harp echoed there, and gleeman's sweet song.
Thus they lived joyously, fearing no angry foe
Until the hellish fiend, wrought them great woe.
Grendel that ghost was named, grisly and terrible,
Who, hateful wanderer, dwelt in the moorlands,
The fens and wild fastnesses; the wretch for a while abode
In homes of the giant-race, since gods had cast him out.
When night on the earth fell, Grendel departed
To visit the lofty hall, now that the warlike thanes
After the gladsome feast, nightly slept in it.
A fair troop of warrior-thanes guarding it found he;
Heedlessly sleeping, they recked not of sorrow.
The demon of evil, the grim wight unholy,
With his fierce ravening, greedily grasped them,
Seized in their slumbering, thirty right manly thanes;
Thence he withdrew again, proud of his lifeless prey,
Home to his hiding place, bearing his booty,
In peace to devour it."
Bjeoric is easy to spot, even in the crowd and the gloom and the
smoke. He spots Cyan approaching him and roars above the din, "'Ello Miss, more cider is it? Or a bite ter eat, maybe?"
Oddly his voice seems to drown out everything except the song of the skald.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan pauses, and looks back at Lexy. An expression of tired
relief washes across her face for an instant after she digests the
words, but then Bjeoric's shout erases her pleasure. "Ah.
This is..." Shaking her head, Cyan smiles, painfully. "Good
news, Lexy. I am more than pleased to hear this, and no apology
was necessary for me. I would see you with our little company,
would not give up your presence, for my friends mean a great deal to
me...but now, we have sad news to bring to Bjeoric."
Raising a hand, she waves the big man over.
"I am glad," she says to Lexy while he approaches, "but I am not
calm. I am deeply disturbed by what I have seen, heard...and not
only within the group. This will not be a good meeting,
Lexy. And there may be worse, yet, with the Gatherer...and with
Aaron." Both our problem with the quest, and our problem at hand.
Facing Lexy directly for a moment, she smiles. "No apologies, for me, Lexy. And thank you."
Then she turns back to face the giant man, closing in on the two of them.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
Standing, though slightly wobbly, Aaron adjusted himself with the help
of his brother. The amount of assistance Jadus was giving him was
indeed odd seeming, and he filed that into the back of his head.
Perhaps it was a connection through the Kryn.
Whatever the case, Aaron needed to move. Jack's echoing voice amused him, and he smiled at nothing in particular.
"Apologize? Jack, you've no need to apologize to me. Tell me though,
are there any openings in this 'ass club' of yours? I believe I'd make
a perfect attendant."
He adjusted Ilsefranvir's sheath, re-strapping it to his back. Removing
her from the floor, he swung her out and spun the blade like a screw,
testing his arm and her weight. Again, eight blades rotated in time
with his motion, before solidifying. She notified him of her readiness,
and he sheathed her at his back.
Again, the dizziness, but he hardened himself against it and failed to
let it show. At least his mind was clear and open, finally. He could
actually think without being blinded.
Turning to his brother, he clapped him on the arm.
"I sense your eagerness to be away from my problems, Jadus. You may leave at your leisure."
Looking to a shadow, for perhaps it could have been Jack, he sighed.
"I have much to atone for, and not a very long time to do it in. Go,
take what you know and study it, for I believe my path is about to get
far more rocky than it's ever been in the past."
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Jadus
-----------------------------------------------------------
Helping Aaron to his feet, Jadus got a look at him. He seemed strong
enough. Could he already be adapting to the Kryn that fast? His wound
should have weakned him considerably.
And with Ilse, Aaron seemed to have regained his control over her, both
socially and physically. Aaron treated her less like a toy and more
like an object of power and death. She was, after all.
All of this gave Jadus a sense of recurring memory, for he had not seen
Aaron in this way in a very, very long time. For the first time, Aaron
was actually himself.
He nodded to his brother and chuckled.
"Well, I'll leave you to your own devices. I do have quite a bit to
catch up on. As Cyan stated, this Shadow is quite slow, and I can't
leave him alone for too long. Whatever the case, you know where to find me."
Jadus seemed to be adjusting himself as well, as if getting ready to move.
"I'll leave soon, but not before I'm sure the rest of the group won't kill you. You're a tough man to abide, Amberite."
The use of that word would certainly send a tendril of
thought to those who were left in the room. Exactly as Jadus wished.
Inwardly, he smiled.
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“But I do, somehow I feel I sell you short my
friend.” The shadow Jack disappeared again, the hollow distant voice
could be heard from the darkness though. Moving in the darkness,
it seemed to settle in Kalika’s shadow cast by the lamp. “You Aaron my
friend are another kettle of fish and already a card carrying member. .
. How do you earn trust when you have betrayed it so many times? I know
you will say there is no way. . . There is always a way, it’s just
those who don’t give trust do not know how to earn it. . . How much do
you trust me Aaron? ”
A moment he hesitated “And tell me, it looks to me as if your road has
been Rocky from the start. Tell me a story Aaron, tell me your story.
Tell me how you have viewed us from the start. Tell me everything, it
shall be a start. . . Then tell me how much you trust me and just what
you would trust me with. . .”
===========================================================
Re: Circular discussion by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
He looked to neither Jadus, nor Ilse, for he could have glanced at one
and unsheathed the other, but he did neither. This was his question
alone, his quest alone.
"I am Aaron, son of Maelthus of Amber. Whilst that geneaology is
probably not my true blood, I am Jadus' half brother, as can be seen."
He stands taller now, and begins to pace through the room.
"Having run to the Pattern for protection, I came across you, Jack, and
at your behest, placed myself in danger to assit you and your comrades.
I will admit, that I was surprised at the greeting, or lack of one,
which I was given, but I digress."
Turning, he faces another shadow.
"Much to my surprise, the larger the amount of time I began to spend
with the rest of your group, the more so my faults began to rise before
me. Again and again, I caused nothing but chaos within your
then-forgiving group of friends. Cyan, I find very knowlegable and a
good friend, despite how little she believes herself to be. Your dear
Kalika is wise, though she speaks out far too little. Sadly, I knew the
others in your group far less."
He pauses, and raises a hand, one finger pointing up.
"Ahh, but you Jack, you of all people have surprised me the most! In my
errors, I constantly fought you for whatever reason my feeble mind
cooked up. How lame! Yet you contined to have faith in me. A surprise,
to say the least. By your example, you give me a reason to continue on.
Cyan requires more than mere words, but by not including my words in
her understanding, she is blinding herself to what I hope I will show
her in the future."
"I came here to assist. Allow me to do so now, and I will. Cyan, for
sure, may not be able to travel to this fast-time Shadow she so wishes
to get to without my assistance. If she can, then so be it, and perhaps
we shall seperate. If the rest of the group no longer desires my
presence, so be it! That does not mean, at all, that I won't follow you
anyway."
He chuckled and turned a final time, knowing full well he was looking at Jack, for he settled on Kalika's shadow.
"Arianne den Ilsefranvir is bound to me by mind and soul. Her mind
exists within the blade strapped to my back. She is the witness to my
cured insanity, and to all that which has transpired since before I met
this group. Whether I was born with this insanity, or whether I simply
forgot who I truly was does not matter. What matters now is that I
accomplish the tasks set before me, and hopefully, bury the old man who
has followed me up till now."
He stared.
"I trust all those here with the knowlege that if I seperate Arianne
from my mind before the proper time, there will be no hope for me. If I
do not learn to think upon the greater whole, and consider only myself,
I may lose myself, and the whole. Until I am satisfied with the balance
within me, that the insanity is truly gone, I will continue on this
path. This group had led me this far, and I will continue on with them
until the time when I die, or we are finished. When that time is gone,
and I have placed Arianne back to her physical form... I will return to
my Shadow, and live out my days as I once did. A Lord of Shadow."
===========================================================
Solutions by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
The shadow moved with her as is the want of
shadows, but the far away voice still floated up from it. “Yes, but do
you truly and really trust us? Do you trust us with your life? Better
yet do you trust us with you mind? Totally trust us with heart and soul
with your mind?” Jack knew what would be good enough, but it was a big
risk for a paranoid man. An honest trusting one, not so much.
“So how bad do you want to be apart of this and is it worth the
price?”
===========================================================
Re: Solutions by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy nods with comprehension, studying the bard. She was very glad that
everything seemed sloved, though she doubted it actually was. Well, at
least all the hostility wasn't on the surface anymore. And some
frustrations where vented. She didn't really blame Jack. She had come
out of nowhere, and had basically been acting on her own while with the
group. Well, she would have to try and put a stop to that.
"I'm ready to take us out of here at a moment's notice." she says
quietly to Cyan. If the girl had really taken it apon herself the task
to tell the headman that she was going to rid this place of it's
protection... she would need help if things got violent.
===========================================================
Bad news by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Bjeoric pushes through the crowd like a ship through water, the big man
grinning from ear to ear. No longer a mighty hero of his people,
but a genial inn-keeper... a transformation almost as dramatic as
Lexy's change from ravening snow-beast to young lady.
Finally he towers above the two women, grinning down at them, "Well then, what can ol' Bjeoric do for ye?"
"What are ye warlike men wielding bright weapons,
Wearing grey corselets and boar-adorned helmets,
Who o'er the water paths come with your foaming keel
Ploughing the ocean surge? I was appointed
Warden of this land's shores, watch hold I by the wave
That on this kingdom's coast no deadly enemy
Leading troops over the sea should land to injure.
None have here landed yet more frankly coming
Than this fair company: and yet ye answer not
The password of warriors, and customs of kinsmen.
Ne'er have mine eyes beheld a mightier warrior,
An earl more lordly, than is he, the chief of ye;
He is no common man; if looks belie him not,
He is a hero bold, worthily weaponed.
Anon I must know of ye kindred and county,
Lest ye as spies should go free on our kingdom's soil.
Now ye men from afar, sailing the surging sea,
Have heard my earnest thought; best is a quick reply,
That I may swiftly know whence ye have hither come."
===========================================================
Re: Bad news by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan sends a sad look to Lexy, then motions Bjeoric over to near the
door. It's a natural place to speak, for a little more quiet, but
not completely coincidental.
"I have a story for you, Bjeoric, if you have a moment. It
concerns Cylla, and the Hand." She frowns. "You will not
enjoy it, I fear, for it may mean a coming disaster for your
people. Or not. Who can say?"
This is a slow time World...if we finish this quickly enough, we
should easily be able to return here before the giants return, and
assist these people.
Cyan quietly begins her story. Her Bard's voice is muted; she
speaks quietly and earnestly, without attempts at embroidery.
She explains to Bjeoric that her, and those with her, are outlandish
for the simple reason that they ARE outlanders. Literally.
She explains that they come from different worlds, that there are many
worlds in the universe. She then tells him of a kingdom that is
in danger, that has set them on this quest, to discover the source of
the danger. The quest began with the cube, in Cylla's possession,
and their movement through the worlds. And where that cube took
them.
She tells him of the Gatherer, and what it has done. A people, a land, a world consumed.
She tells him of the silvery ball, that sends the power elsewhere.
"It may not be," she finishes quietly, "that the power the Gatherer has
consumed has come here. It may be sent elsewhere. But there
is a connection - between the Hand, Cylla, the balls, and the
Gatherer." Cyan looks Bjeoric straight in the eyes. "We are
attempting to find the root of this plot sweeping across the worlds,
and cut it out. Should we do that...it may be your Hand will lose
its power. But worlds may also be dying, out there. Worlds,
I know, you have never seen. People, unlike these, you will never
meet. But..."
"They may not be connected, these occurrances, or, if they are, it may
yet be that we can stop the threat without disturbing the Hand, and
that no people need die to give it strength. Should that not be
the case...." Cyan sighes, rubbing exhausted ruby eyes. "I
can only promise that I would do everything I may to attempt to salvage
the power of your Hand, so that your people, too, might live.
Failing that, I shall return here and assist you against the Giants of
Ice. I am not the Hand, but my power is considerable, and my
companions, moreso. But I tell you this, for...it would not be
fair to you, to do otherwise."
===========================================================
Re: Bad news by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Ye say that others are bein' 'armed that we might live? Folk that we know nought about?" Bjeoric almost seems to shrink in on himself, "This
is bad. We thought Cylla'd set a spell ter make the 'and
stronger. If we'd known that she'd set a monster ter feedin'
it... "
He shakes his head, his jovial grin gone for now, "That's wrong... It brings shame on us. Cylla has brung others into our fight, an' they're dyin' instead o' us."
"Thanks ter ye fer tellin' me, Miss. I reckons as we'll have a few
years afore the giants come back again. I'll spend them years tryin'
ter find another way ter fight the buggers."
"We come to seek thy king Healfdene's glorious son,
Thy nation's noble lord, with friendly mind.
Be thou a guardian good to us strangers here!
We have an errand grave to the great and noble king,
Nor will I hidden hold what I intend!
Thou canst tell if it is truth (as we lately heard)
That some dire enemy, deadly in evil deed,
Cometh in dark of night, sateth his secret hate,
Worketh through fearsome awe, slaughter and shame.
I can give Hrothgar, king, counsel to conquer him,
How he with valiant mind Grendel may vanquish,
If he would ever lose torment of burning care,
If bliss shall bloom again and woe shall vanish."
===========================================================
Re: Bad news by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Bjeoric," Cyan says, catching his arm. "Do not assume that it
WAS the Hand that was being fed by the Gatherer. Or that Cylla
was responsible. It is possible, yes...but she received these
orbs from a man. That man, certainly, knew more than her...and
perhaps HE has done some 'work' of his own. It is equally
possible that your Hand is being 'fed' by something else, completely
innocuous." She shakes her head, red hair whippping back and
forth. "Don't despair of the Hand. It may yet be
feasible...but yes, you should think on alternatives. And if the
Hand fails, and I survive...I shall return to assist you."
"Do not do anything rash with the Hand. Nothing is certain...but
I thought you should know." She stares at the huge man with
haunted, sapphire eyes. "I am sorry."
===========================================================
Re: Bad news by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
Aaron laughed, and his eyes narrowed at the shadow.
"Jack, I wouldn't trust anyone but myself with my mind. If I let you within my head, who knows what you may find?"
His hand reached up, tapping his temple.
"Locked within this head are mysteries and secrets, and a hollow
madness that not even you could comprehend with your dark powers.
Ilsefranvir guards the temple of mentality that I have forged for
myself, and she may cleave you to pieces if she felt you probe so deep.
Of her own accord, and not by my hand. I've seen other soul-mind
weapons similar to her do exactly that."
Raising his head, he eyed the shadow with his silver stare, the right
eye flickered and reflected the firelight within the room. Aaron liked
the effect.
"Add to that, my mind would pose danger to you, in the fact that this
insanity may be a contractable disease. Who are you, with your
considerable mental power, to say that you are not susceptable to a
bout of insanity? Surely you've experienced it, in your past mourning?"
Lowering his head, he shook it and smiled.
"No, Jack. My life, I would trust you with. In battle and even now, do
I trust that you won't cut me down on the spot. But my mind? My soul?
No. I have a feeling that you're much stronger than I, in the
battlefield of the mind, and in the state I'm currently in, I can't be
assured that you won't be hurt if I let you in. My soul... well, that
belongs to the Pattern."
There. He said it. The word that had been ringing throug his head since
he faced that dark doppleganger. He'd have to face the Pattern again
sooner or later, and he figured he might as well start now.
"However, if certain situations come into play that require the
bargaining of my soul or mind, well, I'll be sure to come to you first.
Consider that my feelings reflect the here and now, and not what may
occur in the future. Be optimistic, my night-colored friend."
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Re: Bad news by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“As is your right ol’ bean.” Comes
Kali’s shadows echo like response “I would be willing to take my
chances. I survived the Gatherer’s mind and madness. Somehow any
thing you have pales in comparison.” The shadow laughs at him “The
worst meanness I would do to you is make you cluck like a chicken from
time to time, because it would amuse me. However. . . It is the only
way that I think I could trust you. .If I can not bind your mind myself
to what is needed then I can not give you my trust, my trust has worn
to thin for your word.”
“I come to you openly and honestly with this
offer, and I respect your answer and worries. Let it not be said that I
did not offer to help. Best of luck in following along, my
understanding of Cyan’s pictures it that it moves instantly from one
point to another, from one side of the grand universe to the other. I
suspect that your world walking will not be so quick. I don’t know
about you, but it would pain me to be a day late and a dollar short.”
“So Kali,” Kalika for feel Jacks mind when the shadow touched her “will you teach me how to hunt as a wolf?”
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Re: Bad news by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy keeps most of her attention on the converation between Cyan and
their host. But once she's assured that the big man means no harm,
then, and only then does Lexy relax. She keeps her power ready though,
ready to use it at a moments notice. But it seems that these people are
not reacting badly at all. In fact, they are ashamed. So, an honorable
people, by their own standards. Hard to say exactly what their honor
code is, but the news and it's effect speaks volume.
"I too will aid, should my aid be neccesary. If nothing else, I can
bring others with me. Warriors all, they would be able to aid your
people with the ice giants."
While this is going on, another part is listening to the song that some
sing. Very interesting indeed. An old song, by the sounds of it. She
would love to stay a while, and learn. She'd be willing to bet that
these people have an oral history. In such a culture, there is usually
one whose job is to remember a great deal of the songs, and pass them
on to others. Such people can be a wellspring of knowledge.
Well, some other time. She looks to Cyan, and waits for the bard to finish.
===========================================================
Re: Bad news by Dworkin (GM)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Bjeoric looks doubtful, tugging at his lower lip in thought. Eventually he speaks, "Aye,
very well, I'll 'old this counsel ter m'self fer now, but I'll be ready
ter act if the worst 'appens an' the 'and starts ter fail."
"Hail to thee, Hrothgar King! Beowulf am I,
Hygelac's kinsman and loyal companion.
Great deeds of valour wrought I in my youth.
To me in my native land Grendel's ill-doing
Came as an oft-heard tale told by our sailors.
They say that this bright hall, noblest of buildings,
Standeth to every man idle and useless
After the evening-light fails in the heavens.
Thus Hrothgar, ancient king, all my friends urged me,
Warriors and prudent thanes, that I should seek thee,
Since they themselves had known my might in battle."
"What ye plan, Misstress, could save the 'onour of
my folk, even if they doesn't know it ter be in peril themselves. I'll
wish ye and yer allies all good fortune in yer quest."
"Oft have I also heard that the fierce monster
Through his mad recklessness scorns to use weapons,
Therefore will I forego (so may King Hygelac,
My friendly lord and king, find in me pleasure)
That I should bear my sword and my broad yellow shield
Into the conflict: with my hand-grip alone
I 'gainst the foe will strive, and struggle for my life -
He shall endure Gods' doom whom death shall bear away.
I know that he thinketh in this hall of conflict
Fearless to eat me, if he can compass it,
As he has oft devoured heroes of this land."
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Re: Bad news by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Thank you, Bjeoric," Cyan says, impulsively hugging the man.
"You're a good man, and a fine person to lead these people." Lead, not rule. "I hope that things turn out for the best...but if they don't, I'll be back. I swear."
Bidding her goodbyes, she heads out of the inn with Lexy.
The cold, windy walk back prevents discussion between the two women,
and Cyan uses the icy razor of the breeze to focus her thoughts.
Lexy says she can take them to where they need to go - it would
probably be quicker than depending on Berd, who had a habit of taking
meandering, wandering paths. Cyan nods, satisfied. We'll
do that. Lexy has offered to help, and made things better with
Jack. That's good enough for me. I'm just glad that she's
agreed to stick around.
Now all they had to do was find a faster world, and get to work.
Spirits knew that Cyan was in for several days of work at the
least. Palanquet. Fabulous. At least I have a sketch already, for Lexy, and Jack's....
Sighing, she pushes open the door to the barn for Lexy and slips in
after the other girl. Berd immediately greets her with an annoyed
chirp, and she holds out her arm for him as she passes 'his'
post. The little dragon hops aboard, staring into her amythest
eyes. "Sorry, Berd. I needed to speak to Bjeoric regarding
the hand, and Cylla. He did not take it well, but better than I
expected. A good man, that." Not mollified, but too tired
to argue, Berd curls up on her shoulder as Cyan faces the group.
"Lexy has decided to lead us to a faster world. I, myself, will
be going there immediately. Once there, we will have time to rest
and discuss our...issues, as well as the quest." Moving to her
pack, she pulls out her deck of palanquet cards, and shuffles through them, finally coming up with one.
There is a rainbow shimmer, and Kirilindë is in her hands, then its
sheath. With a hiss, she examines the ithilinaur blade, shaking
her head at the drops of moisture on it. I shall have to clean it, when we arrive. Snapping it into its scabbard, she stares around at the rest of the people.
"Who shall come?"
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Re: Bad news by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
A shadow arises from Kali’s shadow,
resolving it’s self into the shadow Jack and into the very tired man.
He steps forwards testing his leg which still has a slight limp, but
all of the little bruises and cuts are gone. Leaving only faint traces
of scars where they knitted. He slips an arm around Kali’s waist “I’m
ready to sleep for a couple of days.” He flashes a wry smile.
“Let’s go.” He quickly looks and makes certain they have
forgotten nothing, the gloom within the barn is as good as brightest
day to him. “Best call Hunter my love.” he says not forgetting
the Alpha male, “Find out if he’s. . .” the last trails off and he
hugged Kalika a little tighter to give the Chunchee comfort.
===========================================================
Re: Bad news by Aaron
-----------------------------------------------------------
Before Aaron can speak, Ilse announces, "Aaron and I will also join you."
With a sigh, the man shakes his head.
"Assuming, my dear, that they'll still allow us to continue with them."
Then he raises his head and stares straight at Cyan and bows like he had upon their first meeting.
"You and your friends have my assistance, fair bard. As Arianne has
stated, we will join you no matter what." those final three words left
little to question. He remembered that she had not been present during
his revelatory inquisition, but that mattered little. He figured Berd
would fill her in, if she did not come to him herself.
...he would wait to see what she felt of that statement. And he figured
the group was far too tired to argue with him at the moment. He'd take
the advantage.
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Re: Circular discussion by Cyan
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cyan blinks at Jack's appearance; she had surmised he was around
SOMEWHERE, but...it will take some time before she is used to his new
method of coming and going.
"As you will, Ilse, so long as you realize it may only be as far as the
next world." Cyan states without emotion. She glances at Aaron,
giving him a bland look and drawing upon her travels through the
worlds, meetings with other World Walkers. "Knock yourself out."
I said any may join this little expedition to the world of Faster
Time, but that does not mean I will continue with everyone. 'No
matter what'? Apparantly we have little choice in the matter....
Berd glances sideways as she looks at him, eyes glittering as they
fastened upon her topaz gaze. Cyan stared at the little dragon
levelly for a moment, then shrugged. Of course he is wrong; we have a choice. He simply cannot seem to accept that fact.
Picking up her pack, Cyan works her way into it, then slings her sword
over her shoulder, holding it by the long, crimson cord about its
scabbard. She looks to Jack, then Kallika and Lexy, as Berd
crawls over to sit atop Kirilindë posessively.
Turning, the Bard glances at Jadus. "I bid you good day, then, sir. And wish you a fine journey."
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Re: Circular discussion by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lexy watches the group, and smiles, and begins to talk in a southern
drawl. "Welcome to Air Lexy, your source for non stop flight across
shadow. Please turn off all Powers, as they may interfear with our
travel. We'd like to thank you again for flying Air Lexy, and we hope
you enjoy your travels."
She closes her eyes for a moment. She opens them, something dancing
within them, and then, a sense of motion, a blur of images. The barn
disapears...
...a forest glade, where mechanical spiders attack the trees...
...a cave lined with glittering crystals...
...another cave where curved white beams hold up a pink and pulsing wall...
...a green pink field where farmer harvest the pink fluffy stuff that grows...
...the city looming over them, a breif view of startled cubic faces...
...blinding light all around, whispy things floating about...
...and the voyage ends as at last they come to a stop.
The mountains here seem to go own forever, interupted only by the road
that is cut through them. The road they all stand on. A fortress is
nearby, with a gated wall extending over the road. But road, wall and
fortress show signs of dissuse. Old, crubling in places, weeds poking
out here and there. Lexy smiles as she surveys their environment.
"Carefull of the grey vines. They bite." she says, pointing to some of
the local flaura. "Aside from that, welcome to Bredaniant. I have
supplies within. Food, sleeping things. Other things we need."
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Re: Circular discussion by Jack
-----------------------------------------------------------
“No!” Jack snapped when he realised what Lexy was
doing, he tried to pull away but apparently too late. “Oh Gods!
Please tell me you brought Hunter!” not even bothering to look around,
his voice is on edge and he is not sounding amused."He was still out
with the wolf pack, you brought him didn't you?"
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Re: Circular discussion by Lexy
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Yes, I brought hunter. You dodn't think I would forget him, did you?"
Lexy asks, looking at Jack ansd shaking her head. "I don't need to see
a person to carry them with me." she looks over Jack's shoulder, where
Hunter is.
"The only one I didn't bring along was Jadus." she says with a shrug. "So relax. We are safe here."
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