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Bitterness Overcome: (Now A Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3129445" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Ischarus slowly picked his way through the forest knowing full well that the sun would be up at any moment. They were already hiding in the shadow of the dragon, so there didn’t seem to be any need to tempt fate and move too quickly. It would be easy enough to alert the red wyrm of their presence. Moving too quickly would simply add to the ease of making a mistake. It would be nearly impossible to arrive before sunrise anyway; the packing of the food had taken longer than anticipated. Of course, that was a good thing. The store of food was greater than anticipated as well.</p><p></p><p>After Ischarus had walked for over a half an hour, the sun crept over the mountain tops and Ischarus could now hear the rhythmic chanting of the villagers. This would be their Morning Prayer vigil offered up to their dragon father. Ischarus assumed that it was unlikely that Grixanthrosilithiss would make an appearance. The dragon had been present in the evening to take stock of his people. There would be little need to make sure they had made it safely through the night.</p><p></p><p>As soon as the prayer vigil had come to Ischarus’ ears he knew that he had been wrong about his assumptions of the dragon father’s position. He heard the draconic cry lofting through the sky and echoing of the surrounding mountain faces. Apparently the dragon was indeed at his perch this morning taking inventory of his personal Drakontai. </p><p></p><p>Ischarus froze in his position knowing that the canopy was thick above him. He couldn’t see the sky; there was no way that the dragon could see him. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Rhema!’</span> He cursed. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Semeion!”</span> His voice was filled with venom as his mind hoped the two hadn’t been discovered in the dragon’s cave. </p><p></p><p>Ischarus stayed frozen while the sharp and angry draconic cries poured forth from the sky. The sound came at him from all angles. The dragon was flying through the air now. It had been enraged enough to leave its perch. That could only mean his anger was one step closer to massive destruction by fire.</p><p></p><p>Back in the village, Xando made a quick count of the villagers present. <span style="color: Lime">“One is missing!”</span> he hissed under his breath. <span style="color: Lime">“Who would dare miss Morning Prayer? The wrath of our father dragon will certainly be upon us! If this is one person’s way of sabotaging the plan then we will all be consumed in anger for it!”</span></p><p></p><p>The dragon circled above as its rage consumed it. With each pass he drew closer and closer to the ground. He was constantly counting and recounting his villagers in hopes that he had made a mistake. As his eyes darted through the village he was sure that there had not been an error. The Morning Prayer had the same purpose as the evening vigil. It was designed to have stationary worshippers to allow for an easy counting. There was indeed one missing.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly a figure broke from the woods and pushed forth into the midst of the villagers. The cloak appeared to match the rest of the villagers’ cloaks and without a hint of remorse the villager assumed the same prayer position as the rest of the village. Grixanthrosilithiss beat hard with his wings and rose into the air. His draconic screaming ceased and he returned to the perch. They were all present and accounted for now. The father dragon did not wait to hear if the Morning Prayer ritual had resumed. His anger needed to be placated. So long as the villagers were all there he didn’t have enough to destroy them and still press forward with his plan for domination of the surrounding land. The beast strutted angrily into his lair and admired his queen for a moment. <span style="color: Red">“I will be in my treasure chamber. I need to appease my lust.”</span></p><p></p><p>The new Provenience, bearing his draconic children, gently pressed her hand against her abdomen once the dragon strutted by her. Her touch was welcomed by a small yet forceful kick. Then there was another kick. Suddenly her bladder screamed out in pain as it too was kicked. She nearly wet herself at the sudden increase of internal pressure. She hurried to the room that her dragon father had designated for relieving herself and sat down. <span style="color: Red">“Triplets,”</span> the woman pondered as she allowed her bladder to empty. <span style="color: Red">“I am sure of it.</span></p><p></p><p>Back in the heart of the forest, Ischarus waited several minutes after the draconic cries receded. Once he heard the muffled Morning Prayer vigil beginning again he assumed that the dragon had been appeased and returned to his perch. It would be safe to move forward; although it would also pay to be cautious. He carefully picked his way through the dense undergrowth.</p><p></p><p>After an hour of delicate walking, Ischarus arrived at the hidden cave entrance. <span style="color: LightBlue">“The Provenience wishes you well.”</span> It was all that Ischarus could think to say that would not immediately give his position away. Assuming that Semeion and Rhema had not been compromised, it was long enough for them to recognize his voice. If they were compromised, the sentence would not have seemed largely out of place.</p><p></p><p>Rhema replied with joy in her voice. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I hope she has plenty to eat this morning.”</span> </p><p></p><p>Ischarus quickly turned to the sound of the familiar voice and took a couple of quick steps into the cave towards it. Rhema also rose and stepped forward to meet Ischarus’ silhouette. Ischarus struggled to keep his voice to a whisper as relief poured through him as he embraced Rhema. <span style="color: LightBlue">“As I was walking through the forest I heard the dragon cry. I was afraid you had been found!”</span> </p><p></p><p>Rhema replied with an equal amount of relief. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I feared that you had been discovered at first. But then our guest here informed us of a simple oversight out of his zeal for his dragon father. By keeping him tied up here in the entrance, the morning count would not be accurate. Ordinarily the dragon would not have cared, but since Charis was taken a few months ago their dragon father had become especially possessive of his people. It seems that he relishes any excuse to punish them.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus seemed a bit lost by Rhema’s explanation of the earlier draconic cries. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Guest?”</span> </p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled as she replied. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Yes, guest. We had an intruder last night. He was overcome and bound. We assumed he could be transported to the storage area where keeping watch over him would be significantly easier.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus paused a moment and took inventory of the situation. <span style="color: LightBlue">“And you are safe? What of Semeion?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled at Ischarus’ protectiveness. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I am indeed safe. Semeion is …”</span></p><p></p><p>Before Rhema could finish her sentence, Semeion cut her off. <span style="color: Plum">“Here. I just returned and I heard you talking. I didn’t want to interrupt your moment together until I was sure you had progressed to the business of the day.”</span> Semeion spoke quietly as he stepped deeper into the cave.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned to the young mage and spoke in a relieved tone. <span style="color: LightBlue">“You too are safe, then. Good to see!”</span> Ischarus greeted Semeion with a firm handshake.</p><p></p><p>Semeion responded by returning Ischarus’ handshake and then hugging Rhema as she approached him. <span style="color: Plum">“The mission was a success. I got there barely in enough time. The dragon was descending upon the village.”</span> After speaking, Semeion released Rhema and removed his outer cloak. He tossed it in the direction where their prisoner lay.</p><p></p><p>The prisoner scowled at the news from Semeion. <span style="color: Lime">“Do you think that you can hide from the dragon father forever? Your tricks won’t help you without end. You will be discovered.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled, enjoying the ability to play with the captive man. <span style="color: Plum">“Well, thanks to you we now realize that at each vigil all must be counted. And largely thanks to your alerting us as to why the dragon father was upset I was able to make an appearance. In the eyes of the villagers my willingness to potentially sacrifice my own life to attempt to appease the dragon father and save the village has furthered our case to be the heroes of this village. Those who were unsure of our ability to save them are much more firm in their faith now. The village is fully supportive as I speak.”</span> Semeion smiled as he turned to Ischarus.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus patted Semeion firmly on the shoulder. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Well done, friend! It would seem that the two of you have everything under control?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema chimed in with her opinion. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“If I may. Our task would be easier if the captive was removed. Then we could sleep in shifts without fear. Can he be moved through the forest during the day?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus drew out his long sword as quietly as possible and approached the captive villager. <span style="color: LightBlue">“That depends if he’ll walk quietly by himself or if I’ll need to drag his broken body through the forest?”</span></p><p></p><p>The captive man didn’t really fear Semeion’s magic or Rhema’s mind control. The cold steel blade was much more threatening in Ischarus’ strong arms, however. <span style="color: Lime">“I can walk.”</span> The words seethed out of the man’s mouth as though he were forcing them out by will rather than by the air in his lungs.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned and stowed his sword. He reached out and embraced Rhema once more, kissing her on her forehead. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Good, then we shall leave now. You two need your rest, and the dragon father has been appeased for now. This is the most advantageous time to move.”</span></p><p></p><p>The captive man was forced to his feet and in a matter of seconds Ischarus shook Semeion’s hand once more and kissed Rhema again on the forehead. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Be safe, both of you.”</span> Both Rhema and Semeion nodded in reply.</p><p></p><p>As he passed out of the entrance to the hidden cave he heard Semeion ask Rhema a question. <span style="color: Plum">“Well, the two of you seem to be drawing close?”</span> There was a happy tone in his voice. Unfortunately, Ischarus was already too far away to hear Rhema’s response.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Ischarus slowly picked his way through the forest knowing full well that the sun would be up at any moment. They were already hiding in the shadow of the dragon, so there didn’t seem to be any need to tempt fate and move too quickly. It would be easy enough to alert the red wyrm of their presence. Moving too quickly would simply add to the ease of making a mistake. It would be nearly impossible to arrive before sunrise anyway; the packing of the food had taken longer than anticipated. Of course, that was a good thing. The store of food was greater than anticipated as well.</p><p></p><p>After Ischarus had walked for over a half an hour, the sun crept over the mountain tops and Ischarus could now hear the rhythmic chanting of the villagers. This would be their Morning Prayer vigil offered up to their dragon father. Ischarus assumed that it was unlikely that Grixanthrosilithiss would make an appearance. The dragon had been present in the evening to take stock of his people. There would be little need to make sure they had made it safely through the night.</p><p></p><p>As soon as the prayer vigil had come to Ischarus’ ears he knew that he had been wrong about his assumptions of the dragon father’s position. He heard the draconic cry lofting through the sky and echoing of the surrounding mountain faces. Apparently the dragon was indeed at his perch this morning taking inventory of his personal Drakontai. </p><p></p><p>Ischarus froze in his position knowing that the canopy was thick above him. He couldn’t see the sky; there was no way that the dragon could see him. “Rhema!’ He cursed. “Semeion!” His voice was filled with venom as his mind hoped the two hadn’t been discovered in the dragon’s cave. </p><p></p><p>Ischarus stayed frozen while the sharp and angry draconic cries poured forth from the sky. The sound came at him from all angles. The dragon was flying through the air now. It had been enraged enough to leave its perch. That could only mean his anger was one step closer to massive destruction by fire.</p><p></p><p>Back in the village, Xando made a quick count of the villagers present. “One is missing!” he hissed under his breath. “Who would dare miss Morning Prayer? The wrath of our father dragon will certainly be upon us! If this is one person’s way of sabotaging the plan then we will all be consumed in anger for it!”</p><p></p><p>The dragon circled above as its rage consumed it. With each pass he drew closer and closer to the ground. He was constantly counting and recounting his villagers in hopes that he had made a mistake. As his eyes darted through the village he was sure that there had not been an error. The Morning Prayer had the same purpose as the evening vigil. It was designed to have stationary worshippers to allow for an easy counting. There was indeed one missing.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly a figure broke from the woods and pushed forth into the midst of the villagers. The cloak appeared to match the rest of the villagers’ cloaks and without a hint of remorse the villager assumed the same prayer position as the rest of the village. Grixanthrosilithiss beat hard with his wings and rose into the air. His draconic screaming ceased and he returned to the perch. They were all present and accounted for now. The father dragon did not wait to hear if the Morning Prayer ritual had resumed. His anger needed to be placated. So long as the villagers were all there he didn’t have enough to destroy them and still press forward with his plan for domination of the surrounding land. The beast strutted angrily into his lair and admired his queen for a moment. “I will be in my treasure chamber. I need to appease my lust.”</p><p></p><p>The new Provenience, bearing his draconic children, gently pressed her hand against her abdomen once the dragon strutted by her. Her touch was welcomed by a small yet forceful kick. Then there was another kick. Suddenly her bladder screamed out in pain as it too was kicked. She nearly wet herself at the sudden increase of internal pressure. She hurried to the room that her dragon father had designated for relieving herself and sat down. “Triplets,” the woman pondered as she allowed her bladder to empty. “I am sure of it.</p><p></p><p>Back in the heart of the forest, Ischarus waited several minutes after the draconic cries receded. Once he heard the muffled Morning Prayer vigil beginning again he assumed that the dragon had been appeased and returned to his perch. It would be safe to move forward; although it would also pay to be cautious. He carefully picked his way through the dense undergrowth.</p><p></p><p>After an hour of delicate walking, Ischarus arrived at the hidden cave entrance. “The Provenience wishes you well.” It was all that Ischarus could think to say that would not immediately give his position away. Assuming that Semeion and Rhema had not been compromised, it was long enough for them to recognize his voice. If they were compromised, the sentence would not have seemed largely out of place.</p><p></p><p>Rhema replied with joy in her voice. “I hope she has plenty to eat this morning.” </p><p></p><p>Ischarus quickly turned to the sound of the familiar voice and took a couple of quick steps into the cave towards it. Rhema also rose and stepped forward to meet Ischarus’ silhouette. Ischarus struggled to keep his voice to a whisper as relief poured through him as he embraced Rhema. “As I was walking through the forest I heard the dragon cry. I was afraid you had been found!” </p><p></p><p>Rhema replied with an equal amount of relief. “I feared that you had been discovered at first. But then our guest here informed us of a simple oversight out of his zeal for his dragon father. By keeping him tied up here in the entrance, the morning count would not be accurate. Ordinarily the dragon would not have cared, but since Charis was taken a few months ago their dragon father had become especially possessive of his people. It seems that he relishes any excuse to punish them.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus seemed a bit lost by Rhema’s explanation of the earlier draconic cries. “Guest?” </p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled as she replied. “Yes, guest. We had an intruder last night. He was overcome and bound. We assumed he could be transported to the storage area where keeping watch over him would be significantly easier.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus paused a moment and took inventory of the situation. “And you are safe? What of Semeion?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled at Ischarus’ protectiveness. “I am indeed safe. Semeion is …”</p><p></p><p>Before Rhema could finish her sentence, Semeion cut her off. “Here. I just returned and I heard you talking. I didn’t want to interrupt your moment together until I was sure you had progressed to the business of the day.” Semeion spoke quietly as he stepped deeper into the cave.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned to the young mage and spoke in a relieved tone. “You too are safe, then. Good to see!” Ischarus greeted Semeion with a firm handshake.</p><p></p><p>Semeion responded by returning Ischarus’ handshake and then hugging Rhema as she approached him. “The mission was a success. I got there barely in enough time. The dragon was descending upon the village.” After speaking, Semeion released Rhema and removed his outer cloak. He tossed it in the direction where their prisoner lay.</p><p></p><p>The prisoner scowled at the news from Semeion. “Do you think that you can hide from the dragon father forever? Your tricks won’t help you without end. You will be discovered.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled, enjoying the ability to play with the captive man. “Well, thanks to you we now realize that at each vigil all must be counted. And largely thanks to your alerting us as to why the dragon father was upset I was able to make an appearance. In the eyes of the villagers my willingness to potentially sacrifice my own life to attempt to appease the dragon father and save the village has furthered our case to be the heroes of this village. Those who were unsure of our ability to save them are much more firm in their faith now. The village is fully supportive as I speak.” Semeion smiled as he turned to Ischarus.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus patted Semeion firmly on the shoulder. “Well done, friend! It would seem that the two of you have everything under control?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema chimed in with her opinion. “If I may. Our task would be easier if the captive was removed. Then we could sleep in shifts without fear. Can he be moved through the forest during the day?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus drew out his long sword as quietly as possible and approached the captive villager. “That depends if he’ll walk quietly by himself or if I’ll need to drag his broken body through the forest?”</p><p></p><p>The captive man didn’t really fear Semeion’s magic or Rhema’s mind control. The cold steel blade was much more threatening in Ischarus’ strong arms, however. “I can walk.” The words seethed out of the man’s mouth as though he were forcing them out by will rather than by the air in his lungs.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned and stowed his sword. He reached out and embraced Rhema once more, kissing her on her forehead. “Good, then we shall leave now. You two need your rest, and the dragon father has been appeased for now. This is the most advantageous time to move.”</p><p></p><p>The captive man was forced to his feet and in a matter of seconds Ischarus shook Semeion’s hand once more and kissed Rhema again on the forehead. “Be safe, both of you.” Both Rhema and Semeion nodded in reply.</p><p></p><p>As he passed out of the entrance to the hidden cave he heard Semeion ask Rhema a question. “Well, the two of you seem to be drawing close?” There was a happy tone in his voice. Unfortunately, Ischarus was already too far away to hear Rhema’s response.</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3129445, member: 35788"] Ischarus slowly picked his way through the forest knowing full well that the sun would be up at any moment. They were already hiding in the shadow of the dragon, so there didn’t seem to be any need to tempt fate and move too quickly. It would be easy enough to alert the red wyrm of their presence. Moving too quickly would simply add to the ease of making a mistake. It would be nearly impossible to arrive before sunrise anyway; the packing of the food had taken longer than anticipated. Of course, that was a good thing. The store of food was greater than anticipated as well. After Ischarus had walked for over a half an hour, the sun crept over the mountain tops and Ischarus could now hear the rhythmic chanting of the villagers. This would be their Morning Prayer vigil offered up to their dragon father. Ischarus assumed that it was unlikely that Grixanthrosilithiss would make an appearance. The dragon had been present in the evening to take stock of his people. There would be little need to make sure they had made it safely through the night. As soon as the prayer vigil had come to Ischarus’ ears he knew that he had been wrong about his assumptions of the dragon father’s position. He heard the draconic cry lofting through the sky and echoing of the surrounding mountain faces. Apparently the dragon was indeed at his perch this morning taking inventory of his personal Drakontai. Ischarus froze in his position knowing that the canopy was thick above him. He couldn’t see the sky; there was no way that the dragon could see him. [Color=LightBlue]“Rhema!’[/Color] He cursed. [Color=LightBlue]“Semeion!”[/Color] His voice was filled with venom as his mind hoped the two hadn’t been discovered in the dragon’s cave. Ischarus stayed frozen while the sharp and angry draconic cries poured forth from the sky. The sound came at him from all angles. The dragon was flying through the air now. It had been enraged enough to leave its perch. That could only mean his anger was one step closer to massive destruction by fire. Back in the village, Xando made a quick count of the villagers present. [Color=Lime]“One is missing!”[/Color] he hissed under his breath. [Color=Lime]“Who would dare miss Morning Prayer? The wrath of our father dragon will certainly be upon us! If this is one person’s way of sabotaging the plan then we will all be consumed in anger for it!”[/Color] The dragon circled above as its rage consumed it. With each pass he drew closer and closer to the ground. He was constantly counting and recounting his villagers in hopes that he had made a mistake. As his eyes darted through the village he was sure that there had not been an error. The Morning Prayer had the same purpose as the evening vigil. It was designed to have stationary worshippers to allow for an easy counting. There was indeed one missing. Suddenly a figure broke from the woods and pushed forth into the midst of the villagers. The cloak appeared to match the rest of the villagers’ cloaks and without a hint of remorse the villager assumed the same prayer position as the rest of the village. Grixanthrosilithiss beat hard with his wings and rose into the air. His draconic screaming ceased and he returned to the perch. They were all present and accounted for now. The father dragon did not wait to hear if the Morning Prayer ritual had resumed. His anger needed to be placated. So long as the villagers were all there he didn’t have enough to destroy them and still press forward with his plan for domination of the surrounding land. The beast strutted angrily into his lair and admired his queen for a moment. [Color=Red]“I will be in my treasure chamber. I need to appease my lust.”[/Color] The new Provenience, bearing his draconic children, gently pressed her hand against her abdomen once the dragon strutted by her. Her touch was welcomed by a small yet forceful kick. Then there was another kick. Suddenly her bladder screamed out in pain as it too was kicked. She nearly wet herself at the sudden increase of internal pressure. She hurried to the room that her dragon father had designated for relieving herself and sat down. [Color=Red]“Triplets,”[/Color] the woman pondered as she allowed her bladder to empty. [Color=Red]“I am sure of it.[/Color] Back in the heart of the forest, Ischarus waited several minutes after the draconic cries receded. Once he heard the muffled Morning Prayer vigil beginning again he assumed that the dragon had been appeased and returned to his perch. It would be safe to move forward; although it would also pay to be cautious. He carefully picked his way through the dense undergrowth. After an hour of delicate walking, Ischarus arrived at the hidden cave entrance. [Color=LightBlue]“The Provenience wishes you well.”[/Color] It was all that Ischarus could think to say that would not immediately give his position away. Assuming that Semeion and Rhema had not been compromised, it was long enough for them to recognize his voice. If they were compromised, the sentence would not have seemed largely out of place. Rhema replied with joy in her voice. [Color=PaleGreen]“I hope she has plenty to eat this morning.”[/Color] Ischarus quickly turned to the sound of the familiar voice and took a couple of quick steps into the cave towards it. Rhema also rose and stepped forward to meet Ischarus’ silhouette. Ischarus struggled to keep his voice to a whisper as relief poured through him as he embraced Rhema. [Color=LightBlue]“As I was walking through the forest I heard the dragon cry. I was afraid you had been found!”[/Color] Rhema replied with an equal amount of relief. [Color=PaleGreen]“I feared that you had been discovered at first. But then our guest here informed us of a simple oversight out of his zeal for his dragon father. By keeping him tied up here in the entrance, the morning count would not be accurate. Ordinarily the dragon would not have cared, but since Charis was taken a few months ago their dragon father had become especially possessive of his people. It seems that he relishes any excuse to punish them.”[/Color] Ischarus seemed a bit lost by Rhema’s explanation of the earlier draconic cries. [Color=LightBlue]“Guest?”[/Color] Rhema smiled as she replied. [Color=PaleGreen]“Yes, guest. We had an intruder last night. He was overcome and bound. We assumed he could be transported to the storage area where keeping watch over him would be significantly easier.”[/Color] Ischarus paused a moment and took inventory of the situation. [Color=LightBlue]“And you are safe? What of Semeion?”[/Color] Rhema smiled at Ischarus’ protectiveness. [Color=PaleGreen]“I am indeed safe. Semeion is …”[/Color] Before Rhema could finish her sentence, Semeion cut her off. [Color=Plum]“Here. I just returned and I heard you talking. I didn’t want to interrupt your moment together until I was sure you had progressed to the business of the day.”[/Color] Semeion spoke quietly as he stepped deeper into the cave. Ischarus turned to the young mage and spoke in a relieved tone. [Color=LightBlue]“You too are safe, then. Good to see!”[/Color] Ischarus greeted Semeion with a firm handshake. Semeion responded by returning Ischarus’ handshake and then hugging Rhema as she approached him. [Color=Plum]“The mission was a success. I got there barely in enough time. The dragon was descending upon the village.”[/Color] After speaking, Semeion released Rhema and removed his outer cloak. He tossed it in the direction where their prisoner lay. The prisoner scowled at the news from Semeion. [Color=Lime]“Do you think that you can hide from the dragon father forever? Your tricks won’t help you without end. You will be discovered.”[/Color] Semeion smiled, enjoying the ability to play with the captive man. [Color=Plum]“Well, thanks to you we now realize that at each vigil all must be counted. And largely thanks to your alerting us as to why the dragon father was upset I was able to make an appearance. In the eyes of the villagers my willingness to potentially sacrifice my own life to attempt to appease the dragon father and save the village has furthered our case to be the heroes of this village. Those who were unsure of our ability to save them are much more firm in their faith now. The village is fully supportive as I speak.”[/Color] Semeion smiled as he turned to Ischarus. Ischarus patted Semeion firmly on the shoulder. [Color=LightBlue]“Well done, friend! It would seem that the two of you have everything under control?”[/Color] Rhema chimed in with her opinion. [Color=PaleGreen]“If I may. Our task would be easier if the captive was removed. Then we could sleep in shifts without fear. Can he be moved through the forest during the day?”[/Color] Ischarus drew out his long sword as quietly as possible and approached the captive villager. [Color=LightBlue]“That depends if he’ll walk quietly by himself or if I’ll need to drag his broken body through the forest?”[/Color] The captive man didn’t really fear Semeion’s magic or Rhema’s mind control. The cold steel blade was much more threatening in Ischarus’ strong arms, however. [Color=Lime]“I can walk.”[/Color] The words seethed out of the man’s mouth as though he were forcing them out by will rather than by the air in his lungs. Ischarus turned and stowed his sword. He reached out and embraced Rhema once more, kissing her on her forehead. [Color=LightBlue]“Good, then we shall leave now. You two need your rest, and the dragon father has been appeased for now. This is the most advantageous time to move.”[/Color] The captive man was forced to his feet and in a matter of seconds Ischarus shook Semeion’s hand once more and kissed Rhema again on the forehead. [Color=LightBlue]“Be safe, both of you.”[/Color] Both Rhema and Semeion nodded in reply. As he passed out of the entrance to the hidden cave he heard Semeion ask Rhema a question. [Color=Plum]“Well, the two of you seem to be drawing close?”[/Color] There was a happy tone in his voice. Unfortunately, Ischarus was already too far away to hear Rhema’s response. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Ischarus slowly picked his way through the forest knowing full well that the sun would be up at any moment. They were already hiding in the shadow of the dragon, so there didn’t seem to be any need to tempt fate and move too quickly. It would be easy enough to alert the red wyrm of their presence. Moving too quickly would simply add to the ease of making a mistake. It would be nearly impossible to arrive before sunrise anyway; the packing of the food had taken longer than anticipated. Of course, that was a good thing. The store of food was greater than anticipated as well. After Ischarus had walked for over a half an hour, the sun crept over the mountain tops and Ischarus could now hear the rhythmic chanting of the villagers. This would be their Morning Prayer vigil offered up to their dragon father. Ischarus assumed that it was unlikely that Grixanthrosilithiss would make an appearance. The dragon had been present in the evening to take stock of his people. There would be little need to make sure they had made it safely through the night. As soon as the prayer vigil had come to Ischarus’ ears he knew that he had been wrong about his assumptions of the dragon father’s position. He heard the draconic cry lofting through the sky and echoing of the surrounding mountain faces. Apparently the dragon was indeed at his perch this morning taking inventory of his personal Drakontai. Ischarus froze in his position knowing that the canopy was thick above him. He couldn’t see the sky; there was no way that the dragon could see him. “Rhema!’ He cursed. “Semeion!” His voice was filled with venom as his mind hoped the two hadn’t been discovered in the dragon’s cave. Ischarus stayed frozen while the sharp and angry draconic cries poured forth from the sky. The sound came at him from all angles. The dragon was flying through the air now. It had been enraged enough to leave its perch. That could only mean his anger was one step closer to massive destruction by fire. Back in the village, Xando made a quick count of the villagers present. “One is missing!” he hissed under his breath. “Who would dare miss Morning Prayer? The wrath of our father dragon will certainly be upon us! If this is one person’s way of sabotaging the plan then we will all be consumed in anger for it!” The dragon circled above as its rage consumed it. With each pass he drew closer and closer to the ground. He was constantly counting and recounting his villagers in hopes that he had made a mistake. As his eyes darted through the village he was sure that there had not been an error. The Morning Prayer had the same purpose as the evening vigil. It was designed to have stationary worshippers to allow for an easy counting. There was indeed one missing. Suddenly a figure broke from the woods and pushed forth into the midst of the villagers. The cloak appeared to match the rest of the villagers’ cloaks and without a hint of remorse the villager assumed the same prayer position as the rest of the village. Grixanthrosilithiss beat hard with his wings and rose into the air. His draconic screaming ceased and he returned to the perch. They were all present and accounted for now. The father dragon did not wait to hear if the Morning Prayer ritual had resumed. His anger needed to be placated. So long as the villagers were all there he didn’t have enough to destroy them and still press forward with his plan for domination of the surrounding land. The beast strutted angrily into his lair and admired his queen for a moment. “I will be in my treasure chamber. I need to appease my lust.” The new Provenience, bearing his draconic children, gently pressed her hand against her abdomen once the dragon strutted by her. Her touch was welcomed by a small yet forceful kick. Then there was another kick. Suddenly her bladder screamed out in pain as it too was kicked. She nearly wet herself at the sudden increase of internal pressure. She hurried to the room that her dragon father had designated for relieving herself and sat down. “Triplets,” the woman pondered as she allowed her bladder to empty. “I am sure of it. Back in the heart of the forest, Ischarus waited several minutes after the draconic cries receded. Once he heard the muffled Morning Prayer vigil beginning again he assumed that the dragon had been appeased and returned to his perch. It would be safe to move forward; although it would also pay to be cautious. He carefully picked his way through the dense undergrowth. After an hour of delicate walking, Ischarus arrived at the hidden cave entrance. “The Provenience wishes you well.” It was all that Ischarus could think to say that would not immediately give his position away. Assuming that Semeion and Rhema had not been compromised, it was long enough for them to recognize his voice. If they were compromised, the sentence would not have seemed largely out of place. Rhema replied with joy in her voice. “I hope she has plenty to eat this morning.” Ischarus quickly turned to the sound of the familiar voice and took a couple of quick steps into the cave towards it. Rhema also rose and stepped forward to meet Ischarus’ silhouette. Ischarus struggled to keep his voice to a whisper as relief poured through him as he embraced Rhema. “As I was walking through the forest I heard the dragon cry. I was afraid you had been found!” Rhema replied with an equal amount of relief. “I feared that you had been discovered at first. But then our guest here informed us of a simple oversight out of his zeal for his dragon father. By keeping him tied up here in the entrance, the morning count would not be accurate. Ordinarily the dragon would not have cared, but since Charis was taken a few months ago their dragon father had become especially possessive of his people. It seems that he relishes any excuse to punish them.” Ischarus seemed a bit lost by Rhema’s explanation of the earlier draconic cries. “Guest?” Rhema smiled as she replied. “Yes, guest. We had an intruder last night. He was overcome and bound. We assumed he could be transported to the storage area where keeping watch over him would be significantly easier.” Ischarus paused a moment and took inventory of the situation. “And you are safe? What of Semeion?” Rhema smiled at Ischarus’ protectiveness. “I am indeed safe. Semeion is …” Before Rhema could finish her sentence, Semeion cut her off. “Here. I just returned and I heard you talking. I didn’t want to interrupt your moment together until I was sure you had progressed to the business of the day.” Semeion spoke quietly as he stepped deeper into the cave. Ischarus turned to the young mage and spoke in a relieved tone. “You too are safe, then. Good to see!” Ischarus greeted Semeion with a firm handshake. Semeion responded by returning Ischarus’ handshake and then hugging Rhema as she approached him. “The mission was a success. I got there barely in enough time. The dragon was descending upon the village.” After speaking, Semeion released Rhema and removed his outer cloak. He tossed it in the direction where their prisoner lay. The prisoner scowled at the news from Semeion. “Do you think that you can hide from the dragon father forever? Your tricks won’t help you without end. You will be discovered.” Semeion smiled, enjoying the ability to play with the captive man. “Well, thanks to you we now realize that at each vigil all must be counted. And largely thanks to your alerting us as to why the dragon father was upset I was able to make an appearance. In the eyes of the villagers my willingness to potentially sacrifice my own life to attempt to appease the dragon father and save the village has furthered our case to be the heroes of this village. Those who were unsure of our ability to save them are much more firm in their faith now. The village is fully supportive as I speak.” Semeion smiled as he turned to Ischarus. Ischarus patted Semeion firmly on the shoulder. “Well done, friend! It would seem that the two of you have everything under control?” Rhema chimed in with her opinion. “If I may. Our task would be easier if the captive was removed. Then we could sleep in shifts without fear. Can he be moved through the forest during the day?” Ischarus drew out his long sword as quietly as possible and approached the captive villager. “That depends if he’ll walk quietly by himself or if I’ll need to drag his broken body through the forest?” The captive man didn’t really fear Semeion’s magic or Rhema’s mind control. The cold steel blade was much more threatening in Ischarus’ strong arms, however. “I can walk.” The words seethed out of the man’s mouth as though he were forcing them out by will rather than by the air in his lungs. Ischarus turned and stowed his sword. He reached out and embraced Rhema once more, kissing her on her forehead. “Good, then we shall leave now. You two need your rest, and the dragon father has been appeased for now. This is the most advantageous time to move.” The captive man was forced to his feet and in a matter of seconds Ischarus shook Semeion’s hand once more and kissed Rhema again on the forehead. “Be safe, both of you.” Both Rhema and Semeion nodded in reply. As he passed out of the entrance to the hidden cave he heard Semeion ask Rhema a question. “Well, the two of you seem to be drawing close?” There was a happy tone in his voice. Unfortunately, Ischarus was already too far away to hear Rhema’s response. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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