Interlude (Finals Happens)
The crickets chirped softly, their gentle pre-dawn activity undisturbed by those who walked past them. These humanoids were not intruders to the forest, the moved as a part of it, leaving no trail, impeded by no thorns. This part of the Eldeen Reaches was not as wild and verdant as the western edges, especially as they approached the city of Varna, but it was nature all the same, and nearly unchecked.
"Will we press on past dawn, Elder?" asked the younger of the two. He was human, maybe 20 years of age if that, but skilled enough to keep pace with his mentor. A wolf loped easily next to him, scenting the air at times.
"If necessary," said the older of the two. Shaggy white hair framed a blunt face that was scarred and accustomed to hardship. "Some pain in these old eyes is a small price to pay if we are to intercept the prophesized ones on time." The Elder was an orc, and not a young one. He was also one of the most powerful Gatekeeper Druids outside of the Shadow Marches. A hawk circled above him, easily keeping pace with its master.
"Are they truly the ones then, Elder?" the human asked, trying to keep the apprehension from his voice. "The Ashbound might -"
"The Ashbound are trying to stop a wave by poking sticks into a beach," the Elder said scornfully. "I do not fear the Ashbound themselves, only that their meddling will exacerbate things. I have an appointment with a high member of Vadalis to warn them of the Ashbound's latest stupidities." He paused to caress a willow tree, then kept walking. "As for my certainty - as certain as I can be. The two who represent three races have defeated a Dragon Below cult in eastern Aundair that attempted to raise a trapped aberration. The Daughter of the Sky who advises the Duke has convinced him to give powerful enchanted items to these two. They currently are on a Lyrandar airship, heading this way."
"Will they be in Varna long?" the human asked.
"Longer than they think," the orc answered him. "The airship is full of troublemakers, and more importantly, agents of the Emerald Claw. The prophesized ones draw tests and enemies to themselves like honey draws flies, and they do not even know how. No, after the difficulties, should the prophesized ones survive them, they will come to Varna. They seek to travel further into the Reaches, and they have contacts with House Vadalis, so we shall have House Vadalis arrange a meeting with them."
"Should they survive?"
"Yes, but fear not, young one. Should they perish the prophecy will pick two more." He he paused, sorry in his voice. "And in the interim the Madness of Evil will claim thousands of more innocent lives."
"Ah, the human druid said, falling a half-pace behind the orc. "So you say these two are associated with Vadalis? Have the dragonmarks of Handling?"
"You forget your lessons quickly," the orc snorted. "No, only humans can carry the Mark of Handling. These two have done House Vadalis a favor in the past and as such they have a favor token. One is a half-elf who escaped Valenar serfdom with innate magic, and the other is a product of a my home, a half-orc and half-human lad from the Shadow Marches who desired city life over swamp life very early."
"And now he has the adamantanium sword," the human said, falling a further step behind the orc. "The one that a skilled warrior can use against constructs."
"And others," the orc said, tossing his shaggy white hair. "That weapon has many secrets locked into it. It is older than even the Daughter of the Sky is. Her grandsiress schooled her in it."
"So it would be most dangerous in the wrong hands," the human druid said, hands gripping hsi shortspear. His wolf began to eye the orc's hawk and gauge jumping distance.
"Indeed," The orc said. Then the old druid was curiously silent.
The human struck, plunging his shortspear towards the old orc's back, knowing that the enchanted point ought to carve through the even the magically enhanced hide armor that his mentor wore.
Only the orc druid was no longer there. The illusion rippled and disappated as the spear plunged through it, showing the orc 10 feet to the left, facing his student witha scowl on his face. The human druid and his wolf companion tried to recover, but the orc druid was quicker, having anticipated the treachery. At a whipser, the grass, tree limbs, and plants reached out and grabbed the human and his wolf. all around the two the forest, which before had been a welcoming friend, became a strangling foe. In less than a second the human and his wolf were entrapped and entagled, unable to move. Fire was already appearing in the old orc's hand.
"No, no, I was possessed!" the human said desperately, trying to think of a ploy that would let him escape.
The orc said nothing to the human, only offering up a prayer in his native tongue that the ofrest would forgive him, and that the spirit of the wolf would undersatnd. He hurled the flame with careful aim, hitting the wolf, and charring it to a corpse within seconds.
The human traitor cried out as he felt his companion's life end, and the felt warm urine trickle down his thighs as he realized that the next flame would be for him.
"So who did you fall in with, young one?" the orc asked. When no answer came quickly, the orc tossed fire under the human's feet, scorching him terribly. The human cried out and sought to cast a spell on himself to heal his pain, but three tree branches entered his mouth, snaking in and tangling his face. He could speak after a fashion, but he could not cast spells. "Who has tempted you and with what?" the orc continued. "Not the cult of the Dragon Below, not as much as you hate the Khyber Spawn. Who reached you with their false promises of wealth and power?"
"Never - tell - you!" gasped the human, struggling.
"Oh but you will," the orc elder said coldly. His hawk suddenly streaked down and opened a cut above the human's eyes, blinding the traitor with his own blood. Another burst of fire scladed the human's right arm. "You will in time," the orc promised.
"Will we press on past dawn, Elder?" asked the younger of the two. He was human, maybe 20 years of age if that, but skilled enough to keep pace with his mentor. A wolf loped easily next to him, scenting the air at times.
"If necessary," said the older of the two. Shaggy white hair framed a blunt face that was scarred and accustomed to hardship. "Some pain in these old eyes is a small price to pay if we are to intercept the prophesized ones on time." The Elder was an orc, and not a young one. He was also one of the most powerful Gatekeeper Druids outside of the Shadow Marches. A hawk circled above him, easily keeping pace with its master.
"Are they truly the ones then, Elder?" the human asked, trying to keep the apprehension from his voice. "The Ashbound might -"
"The Ashbound are trying to stop a wave by poking sticks into a beach," the Elder said scornfully. "I do not fear the Ashbound themselves, only that their meddling will exacerbate things. I have an appointment with a high member of Vadalis to warn them of the Ashbound's latest stupidities." He paused to caress a willow tree, then kept walking. "As for my certainty - as certain as I can be. The two who represent three races have defeated a Dragon Below cult in eastern Aundair that attempted to raise a trapped aberration. The Daughter of the Sky who advises the Duke has convinced him to give powerful enchanted items to these two. They currently are on a Lyrandar airship, heading this way."
"Will they be in Varna long?" the human asked.
"Longer than they think," the orc answered him. "The airship is full of troublemakers, and more importantly, agents of the Emerald Claw. The prophesized ones draw tests and enemies to themselves like honey draws flies, and they do not even know how. No, after the difficulties, should the prophesized ones survive them, they will come to Varna. They seek to travel further into the Reaches, and they have contacts with House Vadalis, so we shall have House Vadalis arrange a meeting with them."
"Should they survive?"
"Yes, but fear not, young one. Should they perish the prophecy will pick two more." He he paused, sorry in his voice. "And in the interim the Madness of Evil will claim thousands of more innocent lives."
"Ah, the human druid said, falling a half-pace behind the orc. "So you say these two are associated with Vadalis? Have the dragonmarks of Handling?"
"You forget your lessons quickly," the orc snorted. "No, only humans can carry the Mark of Handling. These two have done House Vadalis a favor in the past and as such they have a favor token. One is a half-elf who escaped Valenar serfdom with innate magic, and the other is a product of a my home, a half-orc and half-human lad from the Shadow Marches who desired city life over swamp life very early."
"And now he has the adamantanium sword," the human said, falling a further step behind the orc. "The one that a skilled warrior can use against constructs."
"And others," the orc said, tossing his shaggy white hair. "That weapon has many secrets locked into it. It is older than even the Daughter of the Sky is. Her grandsiress schooled her in it."
"So it would be most dangerous in the wrong hands," the human druid said, hands gripping hsi shortspear. His wolf began to eye the orc's hawk and gauge jumping distance.
"Indeed," The orc said. Then the old druid was curiously silent.
The human struck, plunging his shortspear towards the old orc's back, knowing that the enchanted point ought to carve through the even the magically enhanced hide armor that his mentor wore.
Only the orc druid was no longer there. The illusion rippled and disappated as the spear plunged through it, showing the orc 10 feet to the left, facing his student witha scowl on his face. The human druid and his wolf companion tried to recover, but the orc druid was quicker, having anticipated the treachery. At a whipser, the grass, tree limbs, and plants reached out and grabbed the human and his wolf. all around the two the forest, which before had been a welcoming friend, became a strangling foe. In less than a second the human and his wolf were entrapped and entagled, unable to move. Fire was already appearing in the old orc's hand.
"No, no, I was possessed!" the human said desperately, trying to think of a ploy that would let him escape.
The orc said nothing to the human, only offering up a prayer in his native tongue that the ofrest would forgive him, and that the spirit of the wolf would undersatnd. He hurled the flame with careful aim, hitting the wolf, and charring it to a corpse within seconds.
The human traitor cried out as he felt his companion's life end, and the felt warm urine trickle down his thighs as he realized that the next flame would be for him.
"So who did you fall in with, young one?" the orc asked. When no answer came quickly, the orc tossed fire under the human's feet, scorching him terribly. The human cried out and sought to cast a spell on himself to heal his pain, but three tree branches entered his mouth, snaking in and tangling his face. He could speak after a fashion, but he could not cast spells. "Who has tempted you and with what?" the orc continued. "Not the cult of the Dragon Below, not as much as you hate the Khyber Spawn. Who reached you with their false promises of wealth and power?"
"Never - tell - you!" gasped the human, struggling.
"Oh but you will," the orc elder said coldly. His hawk suddenly streaked down and opened a cut above the human's eyes, blinding the traitor with his own blood. Another burst of fire scladed the human's right arm. "You will in time," the orc promised.
posted by Charles
| 10:08 AM
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