Into the Icy Darkness: The Great Demon War

[Emperor Valerian]

Of Wizards, Tapestries, and Siabrie

“I don’t know what that noise is,” Lucius said to Siabrey’s unanswered question. The din of battle, coupled with the roar of an unknown creature. It was deep, flowing, the same somber, rumbling noise they had heard nights before... only now far louder.

I must go! Siabrey’s mind fought against her rising fear, He’s here! I know he is! Thats him! She turned to Lucius, and with a voice more fit for a battlefield, barked, “Help me put on my armor!”

“You aren’t going...” Lucius started, before her eyes, red with flame, burned deep into him with the simple command of, “Do it.”

HE leapt of his horse, and within the minute her breastplate was on. With a clank and a clack, she dashed forward, over the last rise....

And then she saw him... and them.

Two wizards, clad in garish yellow and purple robes, their hands waving in front of them as arcane magic charged the air. Eight men and women, clad in various armors and armed with a menagerie of weapons, clustered about as well... all pressing their attack on one target.

Him.

He was over six feet tall, his skin a deep copper, his eyes as red as the deepest desert sunset, as crimson as the last embers of a glowing pyre. About his shoulders hung long locks of golden hair that stretched to his waist, and the pointed ears of a fey poked out from the blonde showers about them. His most startling feature was on his back... two wings, as colorful as stained glass, held his form hovering just off the ground... normally their long, elegant length would cover him from his shoulder to his back. His mouth closed and the monstrous roaring noise died away.

Father? her confused mind asked as she stopped at the top of the ridge, staring for a few moments. As she watched, the creature came under furious attack from the two wizards, and anger boiled in her veins. She drew her bow, and took careful aim, sending three shots into the male wizard that had most recently attacked the siabrie.

Don’t hurt him! Even if he is not my father!

The rest of the party was now also taking in the scene from the hilltop... and they all made a nice, compact target... a fact the male wizard, mauled by Siabrey, now took note of.

Before many in the party could react, the air about them seemed to explode, and the ground basted them hot underneath. Most of the party saw in the split second before the inferno the little small bead that bounced into their midst, but sadly Elenya was too slow, and found herself horribly burned for her slow reaction time as the flames consumed about her. Her charred form staggered away from the battle, barely clinging to life.

“Get to the rear!” Shaun barked at his love. Heaven protect her! he thought, looking back as she pulled herself up and stumbled to the bottom of the ridge. To his relief, she began casting healing upon herself, and her charring, smouldering wounds began to slowly pull together and heal.

Shaun, along with the other party members, then turned their attentions to the wizard that had just blasted them. As they watched, his minions began to change direction, all storming up the ridge to this new threat.

Siabrey’s voice snarled at seeing her friend burnt like that, as her own skin radiated its own discomfort and pain back to her. She drew her bow, and as Tess and Shaun notched their own arrows, hers flew out towards Elenya’s bane. The rest of the party joined the massive volley as well. A literal ‘wall of arrows’ struck the offending wizard numerous times in the chest and abdomen, and he pitched to the side, a faint stream of blood trickling from his mouth.

His ‘mate,’ if she was such, looked only a little crestfallen at his demise, as she moved her hands about and arcane words formed in her lips. Her speed suddenly becomes lightning quick, and Siabrey could see a faint residue of magic form in a sphere about her. As Tess launched a powerful songstrike on her, the sphere crumpled only slightly, before harmlessly absorbing the damage of the massive blast.

For herself, Siabrey notched arrows and launched them towards the wizard, and they pierced through her sphere and struck her hard. The rest of the party began peppering on oncoming warriors with arrows as the battle turns into all out chaos.

As soon as she is able to, the wizard moves her hands in front of her, forming a large wall of iron to her front, stretching 15 feet to either side and twenty feet high. The wall was thick enough that even a fireball from Siabrey’s necklace, despite being extremely powerful, could not break through it... however, the blast did maul many of the oncoming humans, leaving many of their cloaks burnt cinders upon the ground.

As the maelstrom of humanity advanced, Siabrey looked to the desert lord, and watched in awe as he advanced, now free of a mob massing around him. With seeming aplomb he reached out and touched the warrior nearest him, and the woman, with nary a scream nor cry, crumbled into a pile of dust.

They are powerful in both mind and spirit... I must be also, her mind thought as she drew her blade, preparing for close battle. Her Lucius was by her side, and he formed another bead in his own hands, launching it into the middle of the six advancing warriors, killing one and maiming the rest in the resulting explosion.

The desert warriors, now within 30 feet of the party, broke into a charge, their screams now echoing with Siabrey’s, Lucius’ and Aris’. Sword strokes rose and fell in frightening succession, and within a second, the greatsword of one of the henchmen had pierced through Lucius’ front armor, and exited out the back, apparently cleanly slamming through one of his kidneys. The young lord collapsed to the ground, his body shaking in convulsions from the massive damage.

No coherent thoughts ran through Siabrey’s mind.... no cries of My God Lucius!? or the like... only two simple emotions suddenly dominated her mind. Fear, and vengeance.

Her sword danced through the air as dragonfly dances in the wind, and within seconds she had driven her foes from near Lucius’ unmoving corpse, even as her voice called out, “Grumki! Heal Lucius! For the love of Kord and Hieroneous! Heal Lucius!”

Even as the cleric of Kord rushed to the young lord’s side, Tess was rushing forward. Seeing her songstrikes were ineffective, and now an iron wall blocked her arrows, she intended to dash behind the wall and to down the last wizard before she could conjure up any more terrors. As she dashed forward, out of the corner of her eye, she spots a glint in the rising sun... the glint of plate mail as one of the henchmen lumbers on an intercepting path.

Tess gets behind the wall, draws her bow, and delivers two shots into the wizard before the crushing force of a greatsword crashed through her light armor and into her abdomen. Seconds later, the annoyed wizard recovered, and five bolts of magic energy lanced through her body... and Tess felt the world growing cold, her vision going black, and her world spinning as she tumbled to the ground...

“No!” Siabrey’s voice could be heard rising above the battlefield, and her own blade began to dance faster, with more urgency and fury... not only was Lucius down, but Tess was as well. As Siabrey’s desperation began to result in shattered skulls of henchmen, she heard the distinctive noise of a horse’s gallop.

Pellaron, clad in paladin’s armor, had remounted his horse, drawn out his lance, and now was on a death-charge through the midst of the battlefield. His lance connected with the first of the henchmen, whose large and menacing sickle was of no use when Pellaron’s lance crushed his head to a pulp.

The paladin’s vicious charge continued, as he crushed Tess’ assailant from behind with his glandil blade. Using his mount as shelter, he then leapt off as the wizard desperately fired off spells to the other parts of her falling frontline. One hand gently touched Tess’ temple, another the nape of her neck, and with a gasp and cry, her eyes flew open as he finished the incantations for laying on hands.

“You came very close, Tesseron Keldare,” he said quietly, still looking around, making sure none of the other henchmen approached. “Please be careful next time.. I...” he stopped, an cleared his throat (a move Tess picked out was very odd in the midst of a battlefield), “I mean, we couldn’t stand to lose you.”

Thats a right odd statement, she thought as she breathlessly thanked him. She then leaned up, and saw for herself the results of her near fall... Siabrey was surrounded by a small pile of corpses and charging forward with Lucius right behind; A henchmen, bawling at the feet of the siabrie, was casually turned to dust by the creature. Crossbow bolts from Aristophle and Igbar crush ed another henchman.

Her front collapsing, her opponents closing in, the wizard started to move away... but before she could even turn, the siabrie was upon her, and with a light flick of his hand, her form, too, crumpled into nothing but dust as silence settled over the battlefield.

For a split second, Siabrey forgot about her blade now stuck in the entrails of one of the henchmen, she forgot about Lucius and Tess and her friends. She stood alone a little ways off from the others, her eyes trained on the desert lord who they had helped defend.

...the siabrie...standing over the pile that was once the female wizard, was looking directly at her, a mixture of confusion and... was it wondorment in his eyes?

 

[Emperor Valerian]

A Creature Named Kelir

Ignoring Lucius’ orders to get herself healed, she slowly walked over to stand a few feet away from the siabrie. For a moment, red-eye met red-eye in silent wonder.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Siabrey raised a hand in automatic greeting, unknowing that her mother had done the exact same thing, 25 years ago. “Hello.”

Her voice echoed around the dunes, and drew a frown from the siabrie’s face. Her friends were instantly at Siabrey’s side, but she barely noticed them. She was too busy watching the desert lord’s lips moving silently, as if trying to remember a language they had not voiced in a very long time.

“He….low….Hellow…..Hello.” he finally got out, gazing around at the 8 humans. “Th…thank…y….you…for…ha….he…helping…me.”

“You are quite welcome,” Tess was the first to speak.

He gazed at them all for a few more moments, then gestured at Siabrey. “Wh…..what…are….you…he….hear….for?” Wordlessly, the fighter drew the parchment Xanadu had given her from her belt-pouch and handed it to the siabrie, her eyes never leaving his face.

With his long delicate fingers, the desert lord unrolled the parchment and read through it. His eyebrows raised in surprise at several points.

"My old comrade,

It has been many winters since we last took up arms together, against the Temple whose followers threaten your desert. Today, another threat emerges, from the south. You may not be aware of the County of Holstean, but its forces are sending a massive force of orcs and corruptions of nature northward, into the desert of the siabrie. The person that bears this message comes in my name, to ask for your assistance in driving this force away and safeguarding your lands and their denizens. Please provide them with shelter and assistance as they need... they will explain to you how their quest will help the cause.

Your former and soon to be comrade in arms,
Xanadu Brightcold."


“So….I…am…to…to….h…help….you?” he asked as he finished, still struggling with the Common language.

“Yes.” Siabrey said slowly. The siabrie looked at her, then gestered at himself, then at her and the other. “Wh…who…are….names…” he struggled to say.

“What are our names?” Tess finished for him. He looked relieved, and nodded. Tess gave a small bow, “I am called Tess…Tesseron the Harper.” He looked confused at the last word until she lifted her instrument and pointed to it. “Harp.” He nodded, then shifted his eyes over to the person standing next to her, Pellaron. One by one, introductions were made, until at last the siabrie’s eyes drifted back over onto Siabrey, who had not spoken yet, but was staring at an area off to the left of the siabrie’s feet.

“You…name?” he asked. She lifted her eyes to his, and said in a soft whisper that was little more than a breath. “Siabrey.” His eyes widened. “You…are…siabrie?” The slight difference in pronunciation caused Siabrey to shake her head. “I am not a siabrie….my name is Siabrey.” The desert lord looked confused, but the golden-haired fighter continued on in that same breathless voice. “Who are you?”

The siabrie raised himself to his full 6 and a half-foot height. “My..name….Kelir.”

Siabrey’s heart nearly skipped a beat, and the world darkened to but a single small circle in front of her. Swiftly drawing her katana, she dropped to one knee and held up the sword balanced across her palms.

“Siabrie Kelir…this is the sword of Stodiana Sipner, your lover of old….and my mother.”

Kelir gasped and grabbed the sword, his eyes traveling along the unsharpened edge and the runes carved there. Siabrey’s eyes began filling with tears as she stared up at the being in front of her.

“Kelir….I am your daughter.”


Kelir stood in shock, holding the sword of his old love in his hands and shaking his head in disbelief.

It cannot be…we were together for such a short time…she didn’t look with child…

“No…Stodiana…not….” He said outloud. As he searched his memory for the word for pregnant in Common, he gestured as if having a big belly with his hand.

“Pregnant?” The tall blonde woman with the music instrument…a harp was it? supplied.

“Yes.” He nodded. “Stodiana not pregnant.” For a moment the eyes of the woman who looked like a siabrie flashed with anger.

“She WAS pregnant, when you left her.” Her voice was still quiet, but now contained an edge strong as steel. It was that voice, coupled with the way her face twisted in suppressed anger, that convinced Kelir.

She sounds and looks exactly like Stodiana, but with the skin and eyes…and even the wings of a siabrie! Could it be….



Kelir glanced down at his reflection in the glorious blade he still held clasped in his hands, and thought back to 25 years before, when the sword of his love had been broken in a tremendous battle with the sandhogs. Upon seeing her tear-streaked face, he had taken the shards and reforged them, deep in his lair in the desert’s sands. When he finished, and the blade was still hot, he found himself being drawn to its unmarked surface. The reflections of the fire’s light dancing along the blade had drawn him into a sort of trance, and when he awoke, he found runes carved deep into the unsharpened edge. As he had bent to read the Sylvan letters written there; his mind had swirled;


When ocean waves mate desert sands, there one shall stand. When burning suns embrace frozen moons, there one shall stand. When the shadows of the damned fight, when the whirlwind of fury comes, when souls are torn to everlasting death…there one shall stand


What does it mean? Why did I carve that? he had thought at the time. He had no memory of carving those words, but they had obviously been done by his own hand.

When the blade had cooled he had taken it back to Stodiana, who gasped in surprise and delight, before asking about the carvings. Kelir had shrugged, and merely told her it was a protection of sorts.


And now…

His mind swam back to the present, to the young women who still knelt in front of him, so like a siabrie in color and appearance, yet with her mother’s countenance. She has to be my daughter…there is no other explanation. If I had known when I left…But what is done is done. I cannot change the past, merely manage the present.

“Why did you leave my mother?” Siabrey asked, her voice still holding its steely edge as she glared at the man she now knew was her father, years of repressed anger barely being contained.

Kelir gave a soft sigh, and held the blade back out to the fire-eyed fighter. “I….” he gestured again, inwardly cursing at his inability to remember the language he had learned when he met Stodiana. “I….must….she….rock…” he grimaced in frustration and knocked on his head with one hand. Once again, the instrument women came to his rescue.

“You had to leave, because she was hard-headed…stubborn?” She offered.

“Yes!” he gave a sigh of relief. “She…not able….survive…hot….”

“Because she wouldn’t have been able to survive out in the desert with you, and would have stubbornly tried to follow you. I see.” Tess nodded knowingly.

Siabrey’s face softened a bit, and she glanced at Lucius, who seemed unsure of how to act, now that he had finally met Lucius’ father. “I understand then…you loved her, and she loved you, but you had to be apart to protect her.”

Kelir’s mind was feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. The crinkle of Xanadu’s note in his hand reminded him of why the humans clustered in front of him were here. They needed his help…his daughter needed his help.

He held up the note and gestured out into the hills “I…will visit….other siabrie. See if…they help.”

“We would greatly appreciate that.” Tess said curteously, giving a little bow.

“I…will….return…in two….” He forgot the word for ‘days’ and settled for using his finger to indicate the sun moving through the sky, down to the horizon, then back up again.

“Two days.” Tess smiled. “We will camp here.”

Kelir nodded, and took one last look at Siabrey. Her eyes, so like his own, glistened with unfallen tears, but her face was stoic. She would be 25 now…so young to this world, and yet so strong…just like her mother…

Kelir spread his six-foot wings and leapt into the air. In seconds, he had disappeared into a sky painted red by the setting sun.

Siabrey watched the part of the sky where she had last seen the shimmer of his wings for a long time. Finally, as the others began to move around her to set up camp, she sighed softly. “Safe journey…father.” She whispered to the setting sun.



Camp was set up swiftly and silently, as the party had had much practice. Siabrey helped Lucius for a while, then went to sit out on the edge of camp, gazing at the stars. She had noticed the fact that everyone had been glancing at her worriedly as she had been silent the whole night. She smiled slightly remembering Shaun’s antics to try to get her to laugh, including joking about her and Lucius’ ‘bear attack’ and trying to balance his rapier on one finger while kissing Elenya.

She heard footfalls coming up from behind her, judged the gait and the heaviness of the step, and so was not surprised when Lucius lowered himself to the still warm sand. He was silent for a while, something for which she was grateful.

So much had happened these past few days; Lucius’ pesudo-proposal, Quinn’s death, the fact that our so-called ‘protective army’ may be destroyed, meeting my father at long last… She sighed softly as she gazed at a particularly bright winking star.

“You ok, Siabrey?” Lucius voice was hesitant. She glanced over and him and was shocked with the pain in his eyes. He was really worried about her…

“I’m fine, Lucius. It’s just…” she froze as her eyes realized that the star she had been gazing at was glowing brighter. Glowing brighter meant that it was getting closer…

She leapt to her feet and drew her sword, instinctively stepping in front of Lucius.

“Tess!” her voice called out in a hiss. The bard ran over from her spot by the fire.

“What is it, Siabrey?” the bard took in her friend’s rigid stance and drawn weapon, and felt her heart leap. Oh no, is something out there…

“Look!” Siabrey pointed at the bright light that was now much bigger, and seemed to be…twinkling?

“That’s made by light reflecting off something…” Siabrey’s eyes narrowed. She could just make out a long sinuous shape with gleaming golden scales...

“That’s a dragon!” she gasped in wonder.

A few minutes later, a 70-foot long golden dragon landed near the group. As Siabrey wondered if this could possibly be one of the dragons Xanadu was meeting with when she busted in telling him Quinn was dead and about Dingalus, the dragon trotted quickly up to the group.

“Are you…Siabrey?” he asked breathlessly.

“Yes….” Siabrey’s sword was lowered, but still ready, just in case.

The dragon beamed and for all the world looked like a puppy who had just brought his master a bone he had found. “Oh good! Xanadu told me you’d be easy to recognize…”

“Xanadu? Where is he, is he alright?”

“He’s fine, he’s fine. He asked me to come check up on you.” At this proclamation, the dragon drew himself to his full, already impressive height. “He trusts me, you see.”

Goodness, this dragon is just a kid! If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Tess would have laughed.

“He also asked me to find out if you had met any desert folk yet.” The dragon continued.

“Yes.” Siabrey answered immediately, giving her wings an unconscious twitch. “Kelir went to talk to the other siabrie to ask for their help.”

“Good, good! Xanadu will be pleased.” The dragon practically purred.

“Where is Xanadu?” Tess pressed.

“He is in the mountains to the south. A wizard of some kind has captured a large number of younglings.” The dragon growled. “Xanadu requests you to come help him as soon as you finish your mission here in the desert.”

“Of course we’ll help him. Poor little dragons.” Siabrey crooned. For some reason, the thought of Xanadu being a daddy, and someone hurting the ‘younglings’ as he called them caused a strange feeling to run through her. She felt angry, and yet…sad somehow. No way, my body’s telling me it wants kids? She stole a glance at Lucius; the boy was focusing on the dragon, and his emotions were keenly visible on his face, he wanted to help the younglings too.

The golden dragon gazed down at them all, pride and pleasure showing all over his dragon face. “Thank you for helping us. There are so few dragons left…Xanadu is lucky to have such friends as you.”

“Tell Xanadu to take care. We don’t want anything bad to happen to him.” Tess smiled up at the young dragon, who nodded.

“I will. You be careful too. Come to the south Balarac Mountains as soon as you can. We will be watching for you!” With that, the gold dragon leapt into the air. pumping his wings furiously and raising a sandstorm around the party below. In seconds, he had disappeared back into the starry sky.

Once the dragon had gone, the party went back to sitting around the fire talking, all except Siabrey, who took up her position at the edge of the ring of light. Lucius came and sat next to her, helping her stare at the stars. After a while, his arm snaked out to wrap around her waist, and he pulled her close.

“I love you, Siabrey.” His voice was warm and husky.

She lay her head on his shoulder, delighting in the simple pleasures of being close. “I love you too.”

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Of a Creature Named Nimble, and the Wrightness of his Fall

Look at those two, Tess shook her head and smiled at Lucius and Siabrey laying on a nearby ridgetop. Against the darkness of the night, by the light of a thin moon Tess could make out every now and then one of their arms rising to point at a distant shining star. Its so cute...

I wish someone would do that with me, the quieter, sadder part of her chimed in. Off to the side, Shaun and Elenya were visible snuggling close to each other, one of them giggling at as a previously quiet game of tickling grew a little out of hand. She sighed as she laid down in her own cot; Quin, years ago, would have done such a thing, keeping her company at a time like this, making her laugh. True, he wasn’t gone forever, thanks to the Temple of Hieroneous, but nonetheless, the loneliness bit harder into her.

Be brave... its ok her mind comforted the raw wound in her soul that had slashed deep into her in Obash. You aren’t alone. She gave a slight, shuddering sigh, and quietly but forcefully pushed Quin, and any complaints of being alone like this, out of her mind.

Focus Tess... what was it the great bard Renyauld sang? ‘Sleep is the food of the gods when it can be found... therefore thou shat eat and sup a true feast.’ You need your rest... rest...

For the party, this night would prove the last restful one for some time to come, and all enjoyed the quiet stillness of the desert night, though many did not appreciate the chill that accompanied it; without much flora to moderate the heat, the desert was prone to wild swings... cool, crisp nights and blazing hot days. Some party members even took to gathering extra blankets to combat the cold.

Siabrey awoke beside her own heater, as Lucius stirred, rolling over and bumping her shoulder in the process. Siabrey’s eyes fluttered open to see his face only inches from hers, a sleepy smile on his yet unwoken lips. She started to smile at the sleeping boy, only to have the smile die halfway out of her mouth, and suddenly change to a frown as she noticed two things with concern.

One, Lucius was hot, and for once not just in the physically attractive sense. His skin was blazing to the touch... she felt if she had her arm under him too long, it might even burn. Second, his face, indeed all of his exposed skin along his arms and legs, looked rosy... red in some places... as if by a bad sunburn. But there was no sun at night....

“Luke, honey?” she pushed him softly, gently brining him into the world of those that are awake. His sleep filled eyes blinked twice, before a lazy smile spread across his lips.

“G’morning,” his tired mouth slurred, as he leaned close for a kiss. His eyes opened a little wider after a few seconds when he realized he wasn’t getting one, and instead his ears got a question.

“Hon? Are you alright?” Siabrey asked, very worried. Is something going on with his blood again? I know he felt warm in Irulas as well...

”I’m... fine,” he said slowly after unpursing his expectant lips, his voice and face both confused. Siabrey saw his confusion, and ran a reassuring hand down the side of his face, kissing his lips lightly.

“You looked a little red skinned this morning, I wanted to make sure you were fine,” she said soothingly even as her mind continued to worry. Something is wrong with him... we need to hurry up! We need to get that sword, now!

The first full day of waiting for Kelir proved dull and boring. To her relief, Siabrey noticed less than an hour after rising Lucius’ reddened skin looked normal. Most of the party sought shelter in the shadow of the large ridge that they camped beside. Siabrey at times during the day stripped to her underclothes and walked out in the desert, feeling the sands shift beneath her feet, and feeling strangely at home... just as much as she did breathing the brisk salt of ocean air at the Sipner manor, or in Lucius’ arms.

I’ve only been here... a day in this spot? A week and a half in the desert? And it still feels like home... Part of her mind quietly mulled asking Lucius that once this mess was over, he consider moving his capital here, in the desert.... So majestic, so quiet and peaceful... her mind laughed as a dry breeze swirled around her.

Tess sat and worked on fine tuning several of the ballads she had been working on, with others intermittently at times tossing in their opinions. Pellaron notably attempted to sing with her at one point, but his voice sadly was closer to a screeching whale, and he quickly stopped with Tess’ gentle persuasion. Shaun and Elenya spent the day rough-housing like schoolchildren, or trying to outdo each other in small tricks; Shaun would balance his rapier on his hand, Elenya would try to balance Xanadu’s old quarterstaff on her palm, etc. Shaun later scared Elenya with a desert grasshopper, a stunt that earned numerous playful punches.

As the heat of the day gave way to the coolness of the night, the party once again returned to their campground, and watches were set. Still worried about Lucius, Siabrey decided to take third watch with him... hoping she could talk to him, and tell him the true reason the party was out in the desert so far...

It took several minutes before the previous people on watch, Shaun and Grumki, finally began their regular light snores. Siabrey tiptoed over to them, and deftly held her palm only inches from their heads. When she got no movement from them aside from the regular whisper of a sleeping person’s breath, she tiptoed back to Lucius... and noticed he had a rather roguish smirk on his face.

“Hon, should I grab a blanket for us to...” he started to whisper, the light voice carrying a hint of hope for things to come. She shook her head no, and watched as his face fell slightly.

Not on watch, love, Siabrey thought mentally, despite part of her mind thinking how nice it would be to slip off into the desert night for a few minutes. While she was madly in love with Lucius, her bodyguard instincts had clear lines that would not be crossed... at least as long as there was no gigantic silver dragon around. I have something thats unfortunately a little less pleasant... but it needs to be done.

Ok, Siabrey... just tell him.

“Lucius,” she said quietly, “I... need to talk to you about something.” She sat down beside him, and he noticed the seriousness in her face.

“Not another bad talk, I hope?” he said resignedly, a thin smile of hope on his face. Siabrey’s heart relaxed at his wan humor, and she let a smile slip through.

“No... not one of the relationship talks.” Thank God, her mind chimed in. “I just want to tell you something about you... you know? Something you need to...” her voice, already quiet from the whisper, grew more and more faint as her eyes picked up something in the desert.

“What?” Lucius said quietly, watching her eyes and seeing how they looked far off. When she suddenly rose, sword in hand, he was on his feet as well. “Should I awaken the party?”

“Yes... now.” Siabrey said quietly, walking away from the light.

She had caught at first just a momentary glimpse of two figures, a glimpse that revealed the thing shining of armor, and two humanoid shapes.

”Who are you?” Siabrey challenged as the two figures approached. As she watched, the drew nigh unto where the campfire’s light ended, and stopped.

“We are friends,” one of them calls back, his voice sounding strangely nasal, and not quite right. Siabrey’s ears pick up that it was the one to the right that spoke.

“What are your names?” she called, her peripheral vision showing that the rest of the party was donning armor. The two figures did not advance, instead standing where they were, motionless.

“They call me Nimble,” the one who spoke earlier said. The other did not speak, and a soft desert wind blew their capes behind them ominously.

“Come closer to the fire, so we can see you, Nimble,” she called again. There was no reponse.

They are definitely not friends, if they will not come closer to us, Siabrey thought, her hands finding their slashing positions on the grip of her swordhilt. “Please, or how can we trust you?”

“We are afraid of the fire,” Nimble replied ominously, “but we will approach.”

Afraid of the fire? What creature’s are afraid of fi.... ice creatures? Here, in the desert!?

Her confusion was interrupted as the two figures finally walked into the light. Both were clad in steel armor from head to foot, with nary a piece of flesh revealed. Long, violet cloaks hung from their backs as they clanked closer to the party.

“We work for your lord and master,” the one that hadn’t spoke yet intoned, his voice almost exactly the same as the other man’s. Siabrey and the party backed away from them, just as slowly as they advanced.

“Who is our lord and master then?” Siabrey said bluntly. Tess is going to smack me for that! she winced after it came out of her mouth.

“Countess Caladron!” the two said at the same time, and the light of magic sprung from their bodies as each flashed out two rapiers. With nary a word, they charged, both headed for Siabrey, the one closest to them. (Nimblewrights, but cat’s grace and haste thrown in for fun... yay!)

Despite her preparedness, the speed and ferocity of their assault caught Siabrey completely unawares, and all four of their blades found her, slashing her legs, her torso, her arms with devastation precision. She felt herself start to fall after a flurry of blows on her left leg, but somehow managed to remain standing. Her fury mounting, she swung her katana in a devastating series of moves that would have killed a normal man... only to watch in horror as the two creatures dodged all of her blows save one, their forms whirling through the air with an ease that would have made an air elemental proud!

The rest of the party launched assaults with gusto, only to discover the same problem... most of their attacks, even shots from point blank range from the master bowmen, were deftly dodged by the two creatures. To make matters worse, as Siabrey’s blow landed hard in the torso of the first creature, no blood or gore came flying out... only metal and gears.

Constructs?! Tess’ mind cried in alarm, Constructs that move this fast, this deadly!?[

Tess uttered a short prayer to Oldimarraand prayed her music might help. Her voice rose in the night, and to her joy, it seemed to affect the second creature attacking Siabrey. The creature didn’t fall, but his frame shook with the harmonics of her attack.

Lucius drew up, and launched a series of magic missiles at the creature directly to Siabrey’s front, which gouged out its torso, exposing more nuts, bolts and wires as it reeled under the blows. Grumki, tired of waiting by the sidelines, charged into the fray, barely missing with his warhammer. Nonetheless, the pair continued their ferocious assault.

The one directly in front of Siabrey lashed out at her again, and once again a flurry of blows nearly brought the fighter to her knees. The other creature lashed out at Grumki, almost dragging him to the ground. Tess, Grumki and Siabrey managed to connect on their blows, but no one else does.

Behind Siabrey, Lucius drew his sword and charged forward into the fray to try and pull her out. She didn’t realize he was there until his frame shoved her aside, and she caught a glimpse of his eyes... and her heart stopped.

They were ice blue, flaming with rage, and his skin was off color in the light of the fire... indeed, it was close to the light of the fire. Vile words spewed from his mouth as his blade narrowly missed the nimblewright in front of her, and managed to catch herself and push him back.

No Lucius! Don’t let them get to you! her mind snarled, as she noticed the numerous gouges in the creature in front of her. He was clearly badly hurt, and she focused her energies again into her swings, with each hoping it would be the last. Siabrey’s first assault was a whirling attack, a spur of the moment move inspired by the strikes that had crippled her, and it wielded devastating results; the creatures head flew off its body, and in a fury, Siabrey proceeded to begin pounding, kicking and punching the remains on the ground.

The other creature continued its blind, whirling dervish assaults, striking Grumki yet again, and for the first time, Grumki lost his footing under the flurry of attacks and fell on his back. There was a collective gasp from the party as the creature whirled its two rapiers lazily in the air above Grumki’s neck, clearly intended for a coup de grace, when there was a flash of light, a small pop, and the creature’s head, then its frame, collapsed to the ground in a heap.

As the party looked up in amazement, they saw Elenya, jumping up and down rather happily, the last vestiges of a magic missile still on her fingertips.

“I actually killed something!” she cheered, as she helped Grumki to his feet.

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Speaking to the Dead, and the Chaos that Followed

“By Hieroneous’...” Shaun started, before changing his exclamation upon remembering there were paladins present, “dang that was a hard fight!”

Tess meanwhile pulled Siabrey away from her furious beating of the rubble of the mechanical creatures sent to kill them. “Siabrey! Tend to Lucius!” she hissed, and almost instantly Siabrey’s anger vanished into the night wind.

“Luke?” she asked worriedly, approaching his form. He was standing, clutching his knees. When he looked up at her, she saw his eyes were fine, though his heavy breathing was loud and a little raspy.

“You need to be healed,” he rasped matter of factly behind a relieved smile before coughing.

Siabrey stood motionless for a second, and then grabbed him and pulled him close. I thought I lost you for a second, Lucius!

“Luke,” her muffled voice spoke into his chest, “Don’t do that again, don’t scare me like that.” Please... Hieroneous, keep his mind safe!

“Like what?” Lucius looked down at her, a look of confusion on his face..

He doesn’t know what happened... his conscious mind doesn’t register it, Siabrey understood immediately, and she responded by holding him closer. “Your eyes went scary, Luke. That’s all.” He hugged her tightly in return.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” Luke said quietly, holding her tight, “I didn’t mean to.”

I know you didn’t, Luke... I know, Siabrey thought quietly, holding him close.


Shaun grinned at Elenya, meanwhile, and gave her a knuckle pump, which she eagerly returned. Giggling, the two hugged each other tightly and kissed, after which Shaun loudly proclaimed, “I have the most kick ass girlfriend ever! She is good with spells, good with a dagger, and she fixes a mean breakfast!” At the last remark, Shaun looked at Elenya with a smirk, and she playfully elbowed him in the side, the two wrestling playfully until they rolled down the ridge slope, off into the darkness.

I’d follow, but there’s no telling what I’d interrupt, Tess thought, her bodyguard instincts conflicting with her common sense and “no seeing others having sex,” attitude. I can understand being happy you just took down a bad guy, but SHEESH... there might be more...

I should head down.

With an exasperated sigh, she stumbled down the slope a few yards, until she could see the forms of Shaun and Elenya, still wrestling around in a goofy manner.

“Children!” she hissed, loud enough for them to hear, “there might be more of these creatures about! Please stay up here with the rest of us, so we don’t have to rescue your silly behinds?” She didn’t see their embarrassed reaction, as Tess was too busy heading up the hill, trying to push out of her mind that while she didn’t see anything, it was clear part of Elenya’s corset was already undone.


At the hilltop, Tess saw there was a deepening discussion already between Grumki and the paladins over what to do with the bodies.

“We cannot leave them here,” Grumki said, his voice actually a quiet rumble for once. “Their friends will find them. We cannot stay here in the open either.”

“There’s an outcropping about three hundred yards that way,” Siabrey volunteered, using her knowledge gained from her wanderings during the day, “its close enough that my father could see us during the day, but at night anyone look for these people wouldn’t see us.”

“Lets bury these mechanical... things,” Tess said quietly, “and drag the bodies of the humans still on the sands from the first battle over to the new location, and bury them...”

“No, don’t bury yet,” Grumki rumbled. “I need to speak with them... find out who their master is, where they come from...”

“Um... they’re dead Grumki, in case you haven’t noticed?” Shaun, now back at the top of the hill, volunteered with a snooty voice. Grumki turned, and with a grin (half orc grins were very frightening) said sweetly, “Do not tell Grumki how to be a cleric... and Grumki will not tell you how to run things on your mattress. Thank you.” The brute then turned from Shaun and Elenya, who had been shocked into silence, and faced the others again.

”I can speak with the dead, and ask each of them four things... simple questions with simple answers. Perhaps it will shed light on why they were fighting your father,” he nodded to Siabrey, “or why these two mechanical abominations tracked us here.”

Tess sighed, and said quietly, “very well. It looks like we have some work tonight. Strong bodies to dragging the bodies.”



As Siabrey reached down and grabbed the arrow filled (and now slowly mummifying) corpse of the sorcerer killed two days prior, she looked back towards Lucius. He was standing, facing away from her, looking across the desert... his back straight, his head high, but could read a vacant stare on his face, even though she couldn’t see it.

What’s bothering you, my love? she wanted to ask. As if he heard her question, he turned and looked at her...

...and his eyes were blue again, this time with no combat or danger to her to rile him up.

What?! was Siabrey’s first reaction as she dropped the body. She started heading towards him, and saw that his skin was once again off color. She reached out and touched him... his arm was hot to the touch.

“Luke? Luke are you alright?” she asked again, knowing the correct answer. She’d never spoken to him when he was in a state like this, and she feared the voice that would come from his lips. Surprisingly, his normal voice answered, rather absent-mindedly.

“I’m fine,” he sighed, glancing across the dark sands before turning back to her with a smile, “I’m just admiring the other place your family calls home.”

He spoke normal, she stopped. This isn’t like the other times. Normally, he’d be in a battle rage, and he would forget what happened... he’d blank out. He hasn’t blanked out... its happening when he’s normal!

”Are.. are you sure?” she pressed. What’s doing this to you, Luke? There’s no fighting! I don’t want you to be swept up in your mothers... power... She cast a hurried glance at the bodies around, all had residual magic still clinging to them.

“Yes, I am. I’m worried every time you ask that question that I did something... did I?” he asked worriedly. She looked up at him, and saw the blueness in his eyes was glowing even fiercer.

“Luke... maybe... you should go talk to Elenya... over there,” Siabrey pointed, patting him on the back. Elenya had been forcibly told by Tess to go and tend the camp, instead of exerting herself and trying to move bodies bigger than her... Tess saw no reason for her to make herself sick. She happened to be far from the bodies of the Countess’ henchmen.

“Why?” Lucius asked, “My back could be of better use...”

“Luke,” Siabrey began, trailing her fingers over his chest, “please. She’s lonely... she hasn’t seen Shaun for... what... an hour,” Siabrey grinned. “Keep her company, we’ve got plenty of hands to move things here. There’s some tents that need to replaced as well, and she’ll need help.” Lucius grinned at Siabrey’s joke, nodded, heading over towards the camp.

Maybe keeping him away from her henchmen can help for a bit, Siabrey thought, as she picked up the body and began moving it faster.
As the party moved the bodies, Shaun kept a count of the items the party dragged off of the men, and an ever growing tally was kept. Shaun’s growing tally totalled nearly 7,000 gold pieces, 19 gems (the best specimens being a star ruby easily worth 6,000 gold, a jasmal worth over 1,000, and a white opal worth 850), 3 usable potions, 11 scrolls, a wand, a magic amulet, a magic set of bracers, and a strange, magic pin. The items were carefully stored in the bag of holding the group had also found, for later identification.

More interestingly, the party discovered that the male wizard indeed was the “tapestry thief” they had heard of in Obash. In his posession were at least ten sections of tapestries... but only five sections drew the party’s interest. They were very crude, the first depicting Ananias sending men out to contact “daemons and great wyrms of belowe.” The next had the Emperor sending forth an army, and the third had the two forces, including Ananias’ “great wyrms,” fighting the Imperial army at Kardatic. The fourth depicted the Imperial army tearing down the “tower” at the “temple” where Ananias’ troops were chased to, along with Ananias’ dead body.

It was the last scroll, however, that sent chills down the group’s spine. It depicted Imperial clerics hiding away Ananias’ black staff, which contained a demon that “leveled a great curse against House Caladron and the Impire.” Below the drawing of the man burying the staff was a small caption, which read, “The hiding of the daemon lord Graxxt and his stave.”

Graxxt? Tess asked, searching through her lyrics list of songs of those days... and no Graxxt came to mind. As she calmly tried to place the name, she re-read the scrolls, and hiss with disgust, This man clearly wasn’t an educated cleric... he can hardly spell anything ri...

Her blood froze as she realized what ‘Graxxt’ really was.

“The staff has freaking Gra’zzt bound inside of it?” she snapped. “Holy father of elves!”

“What?” Siabrey asked, confused. I’ve never heard of any Gra’zzt before...

”Gra’zzt,” Tess began, drawing on all of her bardic knowledge of the demons of below, “is said to be among the chief of demons... among the most powerful of a powerful breed. He is known as the corrupter... he lures with lust, greed, power, and wealth, only to use those souls to his ends. And his mother,” she nods to Lucius, “bound him in her freaking staff!”

“That impresses even the strength of Kord,” Grumki said quietly.

“So... his mother,” Siabrey said, trying to understand, “bound one of the most powerful demons in her staff?”

“No, the demon was in the staff already, but she is controlling it! Holy Hieroneous, we now know what we’re up against...”

“The very gates of the Abyss itself...” Pellaron said quietly.



As dawn approached, Grumki moved among the dead humans, and picked the sorcerer, and the warrior that had chased down Tess to be the ones that would be questioned. The sorcerer, while mad, was obviously the leader, and the plate mailed, greatsword wielder, from his equipment, was obviously a chief lieutenant. As the nimblewrights had no souls, they could not be questioned.

Grumki sank to the ground in front of the sorcerer, calling upon Kord’s strength to pull the soul from its journey to the afterlife, to answer questions about its activities in the First World. Inside of Grumki’s head, a voice enters, one he’s never heard before. It cackles with strangeness... oddness... and lack of control.

“Who are you?” Grumki asked the new voice.

“I AM STRYBYRON, LORD OF THE DESERT!” the voice announced pompously. “Lordie lordie lordie..I rule this PLACE!”

“Who were your men?”

“My men worked for me... for money! Money money money money moeny....” the voice danced, and Grumki began to wonder about the man’s sanity before his fall.

“Where you affiliated with the Countess Lucilda of Holstean?”

“Countess of what? I am Count, Duke, King and Tootlepop of this desert!” the voice burbled. Grumki sighed again, and asked his last question.

“Why did you attack the siabrie?”

“Him? He invaded my lands! I rule this desert! I want all the tapestries, to hang on my floors! Yeeee....” the voice vanished as the Ferrymen of Souls reclaimed their prize and carried it onwards towards its Judgement.

Grumki sighed, and broke out of his trance. As party members hurriedly peppered him with questions, he shook his head. “He did not know the Countess... the strength of Kord was not in that one’s mind.”

The body of the warrior was brought over, and once again Grumki knelt over its form and prayed to Kord for guidance and strength. Another voice, this one stern and taciturn, entered his mind.

“Who are you?”

“My name was Tarik,” the voice replied, sound, though a little sad.

“Who were your masters?”

“My masters were Strybyron and his sister, Eika.”

So thats the name of the female wizard turned to dust.

“Who does your master work for?”

“My master worked for no one but himself... he was quiet strange... very odd... very mad...” Tarik’s voice said.

“Why did you join your master?” Grumki asked his last question.

“Strybyron paid well. Sure I had to put up with a madman, but I was earning more gold than half of my village...” the voice started to fade, as another prize was recovered for its trip to Oblivion.

Grumki broke his trance, and relayed the information to the party.

Siabrey snorted. “So in other words, we didn’t learn anything other than that wackjob of a wizard thought he was king of the desert or something, and the others were all peons hired to help him get tapestries.”

Wait a minute, wizards with tapestries…this must be that ‘Mad-Mage’ the temple of Heironeous sent us after! Our quest is done, which means… “They can heal Quinn now.” Tess beamed happily.
Siabrey raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“The quest that the Temple of Hironeous sent us on; these are the wizards that we were supposed to kill.”

Siabrey smiled and gave the other woman a hug. “That is really great. Now we can see Quinn again!”

Shaun kicked the body of the dead wizard. “Well, at least someone’s finally going to PAY us for disposing of this vermin. Ow!” he exclaimed as Siabrey wacked him over the head.


Warning, the following may contain scenes that may offend Eric’s grandmother – note from drag n fly (refers to this post and the next)


After giving Shaun a wry grin and the comment that ‘your head’s hard enough, Elenya hits it all night,’ she went to check on Lucius and Elenya. She was very glad to see the couple chatting away, and Lucius’ eyes were back to normal.

Whew, I’m glad that that’s over. I bet it was the residual magic around those guys that made them go all funny. It’s strange how he didn’t lose his memory this time… Despite the fact that Lucius was well again, Quinn was going to be ok, and her father would be back sometime soon, she felt the urge to be alone and think things over again.

Leaving the others to bury the wizard’s and Tarik’s bodies, she wandered off to sit in the sun a short ways away from camp...

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Musings

It really is beautiful out here.She mused, eyes tracing the curves of the dunes. I wonder what it’ll be like when this is all over. I wonder if we’ll even still be alive… She then sighed softly as she heard Lucius’ distinctive gait making its way over to where she sat. I really need to teach him to walk quieter….

“Hi, Luke.” She said shortly as he plopped to the ground next to her.

“What’cha doing out here again, Siabrey?” he slid his fingers across the grainy ground between them and stroked her fingers gently.

She shrugged. “Just thinking.”

“Anything you want to tell me about?” he gave her a sideways attempt at a grin that slid off his face as she didn’t return it.

She sighed again, then leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “I’m just worried, Luke. That’s all. There’s so much going on that we’re stuck in the middle of.” Not to mention the fact that your magic seems to be taking over even outside the battlefield… She blew out a breath. “I miss my mother too. I don’t know how I’m ever going to possibly fit all of this in a letter…” After that she fell silent, and Luke took the hint that she wanted to be alone.

As he started walking off though, he stopped after taking only a few steps, and turned back around to sit with her again. At her questioning glance he merely shrugged and drapped his arms across his legs. “I just wanted to be with you.” Siabrey gave him a warm smile, before turning to stare out across the burning dunes again. They sat several inches apart, not needing to touch, but being close in their silence.

Although the beating sun wasn’t bothering Siabrey at all, Lucius began to sweat profusely. “I’m sorry sweetie, but I’m going to have to go sit in the shade. Unlike you, I’m not half desert lord.” Siabrey smiled at him again, but her eyes were still focused on the dunes. “Ok sweetie. I’ll come back in a bit ok.” As Lucius stood he gave her a soft kiss on the head. “Don’t stay out here too long.” She nodded absently, leaving Lucius with a slightly miffed feeling. He wasn’t used to being ignored in favor of acres of sand and sun.

He headed back to sit in the shelter of the outcropping where they had stayed the night before. Elenya was cooking some sort of stew over the fire, occasionally rapping Shaun’s fingers as he tried to dart in to steal a taste. Grumki was proclaiming quite loudly to the shocked looking paladins what a battle of strength between Kord and Hironeaous would be like. Tess, the sane one, was calmly tuning her harp and composing a song for Siabrey and her father. Lucius sat down near to her and took a swig from his canteen. After a few minutes of listening to Tess come up with rhymes for ‘fire-eyes’ and ‘hair of gold’ he tried to interject with a few pointers about Siabrey’s beauty. After tolerating his attempts at ‘helping’, Tess finally told him that his descriptions were slightly too…lewd for the common barroom crowd.

Lucius pouted. “But it was my birthday two days ago, Tess. Can’t I help as a birthday present?” Tess laughed in mild surprise. “So you’re what, 17 now?” So now Siabrey’s only seven years older than you rather than eight. Lucius nodded happily. “So, can I help now?”

Tess rolled her eyes. He’s never going to leave, unless… She pulled a piece of paper and a stylus from her pack and thrust them at Lucius. “Here, write your own song, and maybe I’ll add music to it later.” Maybe... though if you keep writing things like that...

Looking like he’d just received the world’s greatest gift, Lucius grabbed the writing materials eagerly and sat down on a rock across from Tess, the stylus already scratching across the paper. Occasionally Tess heard him murmuring to himself, and one he asked her “Tess, what rhymes with...?”

Tess’s fingers, normally quite skilled, dragged across her harp strings producing a high-pitched shriek. What are you writing, Lucius? A song or an nudie essay? A quick glance at his paper confirmed that it was, in fact, the latter, and she blushed at some of his descriptions of Siabrey’s ‘assets.’ That description he wrote is... well... OVERGENEROUS in my opinion. Then again, he is only 17... She then saw one particular cantrain and sighed, Logically, Luke, how would you be able to walk if that section were true? She rolled her eyes and settled down to ignoring Lucius, who gasped in sudden realization and scrawled down a word that looked suspiciously like...

Did he actually WRITE that? What an amateur…that doesn’t even rhyme!Tess’s musical side of her mind thought, before the other non-perverted side gave it a slap.

Lucius finished not long later, and ran out into the desert to hand his ‘poem’ to Siabrey with a grin as wide as the horizon. She accepted it graciously before glancing over it and blushing deeply.

Hmm, not bad….’Her eyes are gorgeous, fierce and red; I love it when she…’ Oh god, did he actually write this? She glanced at Lucius, who looked for all the world like a puppy waiting to be rewarded for bringing his master his slippers. I could so see him like that sometimes, her mind playfully wandered.

“Tess wouldn’t change her song to include these lyrics.” Lucius explained, pointing out the offending couplets. “Even though my birthday just passed.”

Siabrey’s eyes shifted quickly from the overly descriptive lyrics to Lucius’ face. “Your birthday?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lucius shrugged. “What with everything that’s been happening, I just forgot.”

Siabrey mind was whirling. I need to get him a present…but what? Suddenly she had an idea. “Wait here, I’ll be back soon.” She thrust the paper back into Lucius’ hands, and took off at a dead run into the desert. Tess noticed and the harp gave another ‘sqawk’ as her fingeres grasped reflexively.

“Where is she going?!” she yelled out to Lucius, who stood staring after Siabrey’s fast receding dust-cloud. He merely shrugged and turned, a half-smile on his face.

“Gaaaah!” she yelled out loud, throwing up her hands in frustration. This party is harder to keep track of than a pack of druids with trackless boots and haste!

Siabrey returned a few hours later, looking dusty and disheveled, but a big smile on her face. “Here, Lucius. Happy birthday.” She held out a small wooden eagle that she had carved from a dried piece of sand-washed white wood. Its wings were half-furled to catch an invisible breeze, and it mouth open as though a silent scream of fury echoed from its throat. As she held it out to him she leaned forward and whispered in his ear suggestively. “I’ll give you the other half of your present next time we’re alone…”

Lucius froze, the eagle forgotten, as his eyes took in Siabrey’s hand-on-hip, chest thrust slightly forward stance. “Um, it’s daylight now. We could probably sneak off so I can get my present now…” he smiled and reached out a hand to rub his fingers around her wrist as his voice dropped huskily. “I learned some new spells...” he began, and Siabrey’s eyes widened momentarily in surprise.. then narrowed with a grin.

“What kind of...” she started to ask, before stopping and deciding to just run and find out. “Let’s go!” The two ran over to camp, grabbed her pack, and took off running into the desert, giggling the whole way. Tess didn’t even bother asking, but merely waved her hand over her shoulder at them. “If you get into trouble, just read them your poem, Lucius. They’d probably die of embarrassment!” she shouted.

Just like a bunch of horny kids Tess’ mind fumed slightly. We’re in the middle of the desert, came under attack from nasties the night before, an army on the hunt for us, and they can only think about... GAH!

Three hours later, the pair returned much happier, and even more disheveled. Once again, Siabrey was her normal goofy post-time with Lucius self, and laughed as Grumki and Shaun got into a rock throwing contest (Grumki, of course, won).

The competition brought her fighting blood to the surface, and coupled with her immense joviality, she decided to lure Lucius into a sparring contest.

“Hey Luke!” she called over to the boy who was once again working on his ‘poetry.’ “I need a sparring partner? Want to give it a whirl?”

“Not really,” he looked up with a smile, “you’re much too fast with your sword. Besides,” he winked, “I need a little rest after...”

“Pleaseee?” she sauntered up to him, batting her eyelashes. Innocent pleading should do the trick of persuasion...

Lucius looked at her, gave a chuckle, and stood up. “Alright... alright. Let me get my sword. What are we going towards?”

“Best two out of three!” Siabrey grinned. “I hope you last as long here as you did just an hour ago!”

“We’ll see,” he laughed, carrying his sheathed blade out to meet her.

Ok, her mind began the standard eyeing of her ‘opponent,’ if she could use that word for her love, before the first blow was even thrown. My blade is smaller… sharper… his is big, clumsy and heavy, she thought as he pulled out his bastard sword. His advantage is coming down from above… the sheer weight of his blade can carry the day… I must be fast, so his blade lands on thin air. Then I can strike from the side… her mind plotted.

She watched with some pleasure as Lucius, as predicted, hefted his sword above his head before the fight. She adopted a low guard position, her blade angled towards the ground, at a slight left slant. Cut up and left, push his blade aside, and flit towards his throat… that’ll end it in one fell swoop.

The two stared at each other, Siabrey trying to focus, but Lucius maintained a half grin on his face… which troubled her.

Don’t smile when you are in the midst of a spar… her mind silently commanded him, but he did not understand her furrowed brow or rather stern look. Well then, if you won’t focus, this means an easy match for me…

In a flash, her blade slashed upwards, catching his just as he started his downward swing. Her left slash drove his blade away from her, and with such force that it flew out of his hands and sailed into the desert sands some five feet away. Her sword then rotated back, ending a good six inches from his neck. A true spar would have had her blade ending only an inch away.

“I win,” she grinned. “Again?”

“Um… no. You won kinda handily there,” Lucius said quietly, holding his hands up in surrender.

“No! No no no no… you have to go again! Its two out of three, remember?” she giggled, and ran over to pick up his sword, and tossed it back to him. “C’mon!” She then adopted an alternate route, and walked rather sultrily towards him and grinned, “Pleaseeeee?”

Lucius gave a huff, and swung his blade around a bit as Siabrey grinned in triumph and took her old position. “C’mon now, Luke… surprise me with your skills!” He still was idly swinging his blade around with no real motion in mind.

C’mon… any day now… she thought, her stance and tenseness slowly relaxing. Will he ever stop those practice swings?

As if answering her unspoken criticism, his blade suddenly whirled towards her, and it was with the barest of margins that her katana blocked the swing. She slid her sword down his own, only to find that he skillfully used the guard to shove her blade back… and the fight was on.

For another ten minutes, the swords danced through the air… Siabrey’s skill and speed versus Lucius’ brute power and weight. Finally, she once again caught his blade awkwardly and managed to shove it to the ground before hers was at his neck again. Breathing heavily, she laughed.

“Good fight! One more match!”

“But you’ve already won best two out of three,” Lucius complained, resting his hands on his knees. “Its hot… its not good sparring weather. You have an unfair advantage!”

“Which is?” she walked slowly up to him again.

“You distract me with… you!” he finally said, his attempt at sounded exasperated failing due to the nascent grin slowly forming on his face.

“Then pretend I’m someone else! C’mon!” She dragged him back to the impromptu sparring circle, and laughed, “Pretend I’m Shaun!”

Lucius’ face squinched. “Why on earth would I do that?” he spat, and in a flash, his blade was already flying through the air.

Dang, he’s fast, Siabrey thought as once again she barely parried his swing, and the two settled for ringing blows yet again… this time for almost twenty minutes. By that point, Lucius was almost gasping for air, and merely dropped his blade.

“Ok ok… you win,” he held his hands up. “I can’t fight like that anymore… its no fair… you wore me out before the sparring even began!”

“All is fair in love and war,” Siabrey grinned, kissing him, “and to be fair, I think your new spell wore me out more.” He laughed.

The party in the meantime had spent the last forty-five minutes watching the two spar, and at the end Shaun remarked, “Well there’s a strange couple if I ever saw one. They wear each other out on the sands, then on the battlefield, and then back out on the sands again…” Tess merely rolled her eyes, and considered adding another song to her growing list about thieves and their stupid comments.

It was nearing dusk when Shaun spotted, far in the distance, a sparkling light that as it drew nearer, turned out to be Kelir.

“Kelir!” Siabrey ran up and gave her rather surprised father a hug. “How was your trip? Did you find the other siabrie?”

Shaun laughed silently to himself. She’s a completely different person after time with Lucius…I really need to arrange for them to be alone more often.

Kelir gazed down happily at his daughter, and gave her a small nod. “There was a meeting of siabrie today. That has not happened in 300 years…” he mused.

His language…he speaks nearly perfect Common now! “Did you remember our language, dad?”

He nodded. “Yes, I had much time to reflect on it as I flew.”

Tess, who was waiting nearby, cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt, but what did the other siabrie say?”

Kelir stretched out a long arm and pointed to the north. “Mathasar is unwilling. Although he is young and very violent, he refuses to leave his territory. He promises that he will take care of any ‘unwanted visitors’ that pass through his land though. The only other siabrie nearby is Haran. He is willing, but…I don’t know how much help he will be. He is a little…” Kelir pointed to his head and rolled his eyes. “nuts I believe is the word?”

Tess sighed. “Well, we probably wouldn’t want a crazy siabrie on our side anyway.”

“Or a violent one.” Siabrey added. Her eyes were on her father though, and her muscles tingled pleasently from her earlier bouts with Lucius. Hmm…

“I will help you though. Tomorrow morning, I shall lead you to the ruins of the Temple of Hextor.” Kelir finished speaking to Tess.

“Hey, Kelir. Can I show you something?” Siabrey voiced suddenly, her mind made up.

The siabrie turned crimson eyes on her and nodded. “Of course, daughter. What is it?”

“Well,” Siabrey felt embarrassed all of a sudden. Stodiana always thought my skills with the sword were magnificent, how will my father, the creature that re-forged it, feel… “Would you like to see my skill with my katana?”

The siabrie fluttered his wings happily. “I would dearly like to, daughter. I saw only a glimpse of it in battle.”

Siabrey smiled broadly and gave her father a little bow, before dashing over to ask Lucius to spar with her after she finished her practice movements.

Taking up a position in a ring of sand, she closed her eyes and pressed her hand together, emptying her mind of all thoughts, save one. With eyes closed, she pictured a single horizontal line hovering behind her closed eyelids. Mentally she wove a coil of fire around that line, tighter and faster till it blurred and a single dancing flame rose before her eyes. Drawing her katana swiftly, she raised it in a silent salute to the dancing flame before swinging the blade three times in rapid succession. In her mind’s eyes, the flame parted around the blade and formed itself into four equal balls, which she then quartered with a backspin and a stab alongside her left side. Lightly leaping into the air, her right foot hit the spot where her left had been moments before as she thrust forward and twirled the blade in one-handed, effectively extinguishing all the flames. Stepping back, she sheathed the katana fluidly and gave a small bow to the now empty battlefield in her mind. Opening her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to see all of her friends gaping at her.

“That was Hawoash’s 13th rapture.” She stroked the hilt of her sword fondly. “One of my favorite movements.”

Lucius gulped. And she wants me tospar with her. She’d slice me apart!

Siabrey turned to Lucius and gave another half-bow, the smile still on her face. “Will you spare with me now my love?”

“Nice knowing you, Luke,” Shaun patted the young man on the back as Lucius stumbled cautiously into the ring.

Why is he stumbling? Did I really tire him out that much? she wanted to laugh. For her father’s sake, she kept a straight, if half grinning face, as Lucius set his sword into stance.

Wait, she thought with concern, He doesn’t have his blade high over his head now. What’s he up to? Surely he doesn’t think he can spin around that huge bastard sword like…

His upward thrust cracked into her katana, and before she realized what was happening, her sword was wrenched from her hands and landed in the sands outside of the circle.

He copied my move! she wanted to shriek in surprise. Down to the form! Everything! Lucius gave a smile to Kelir as he bowed to him, and an enormous smirk as he bowed to the still shocked Siabrey, and turned to leave the ring. Just outside, an annoyed looking Tess grabbed him and whispered something in his ear. He turned around, and marched back into the ring rather sullenly.

“I guess there should be another match,” he said quietly, and Siabrey realized what Tess had told him… “Lose in front of her father!”

But I don’t want him to throw the match… this is now a challenge! she licked her lips, watching as he took another stance, different from others she’d seen him use before. He learns fast…

Both lunged at the same time, and for the next ten minutes their swords sang the song of battle. She noticed that unlike what Tess undoubtedly told him, he was fighting with every last breath in his body, not holding back, and she had to keep a laugh from breaking her lips. I really love this guy! I have a new sparring partner!

Finally, Siabrey’s speed won the day, as she blocked a thrust from his sword, and undercut his motion to deftly place her blade inches from his stomach. He lowered his sword, smiled, and said loud enough that Kelir would hear, “I didn’t hold back. I wanted to win.”

“I know,” she hugged him, as Tess and Shaun looked to Kelir in a mix of horror and despair as their plot was openly breached. To their relief, Kelir merely chuckled, and remarked that it was a match even better than those he and Stodiana used to have.

 

[Emperor Valerian]

Darkness in the Desert

It was early the next morning when the party mounted up and continued their ride towards the north. At first, Kelir flashed ahead of the party at high speed, disappearing in the distance for a few seconds, before in a flash he’d returned, his copper face a little redder than normal.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I forgot the speed of human horses.”

Siabrey smiled at her father, “Its no problem... father.” I still have to get used to calling him that! her mind thought with a mixture of apprehension and excitement.

“Well... you should at least be able to fly,” Kelir nodded towards her wings, which peeked out from under her cloak. “You have my blood within you, after all.”

I wish I could, father.

“I can’t,” her cloak moved through the air as she flapped her own uselessly. “They’re too small, and no one was able to teach me how to fly with them.” I wish I could know how, she thought, her eyes flitting momentarily to Lucius, and a slight grin formed on her lips as she read what was going through his mind. Yes hon, they would get used that way... her mind mused before she went red in the face at having thought of something like that with her father right beside her.

“Hmm,” Kelir’s gravelly voice rumbled. “Perhaps, after you are finished with your questing around, you can come back... and perhaps I can teach you and your friend,” he nodded to Lucius.

He doesn’t know about me and Lucius, really, does he? Siabrey remembered as her face went a little red. “Well father... Lucius and I are... um...”

“Friends?” Kelir offered, and Siabrey shook her head. She could still read uncertainty in Lucius’ eyes when it came to broaching the topic of their relationship.

“No... um... well, if Lucius was you 25 years ago, I would be Stodiana,” she finally said, summing things up as best as she could. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Kelir’s eyes go wide.

“So you are...” he asked, motioning a big belly to the word he still couldn’t remember. Siabrey looked shocked for a second, before breaking into relieved laughter. No... thank goodness for Tess’ alchemist bottles...

“No... I’m not pregnant,” she smiled, “but we are in love.” Kelir nodded in understanding, and she saw Lucius’ face break into a relieved smile at her father’s reaction.

“Make sure he doesn’t leave you like I had to leave Stodiana,” Kelir said wistfully, and Siabrey could feel his regret hanging in the air. She reached out from the saddle, and gave her father’s hovering shoulder a squeeze.

“Father, you did what you had to do to keep my mother safe... and for that I am grateful, as will she be when she finds out why you left.” Material to fill four more letters to Stodiana filled Siabrey’s mind as her father nodded in thanks.



The party had Kelir become their new eyes and ears after the departure of Xanadu and his little friends. During the course of the day, he’d periodically flash up to great height, and zip around the terrain for the surrounding ten miles in all directions. For the first three days of the week long trip to Kardatic and the ruins of the Temple just beyond, there was nothing that he reported back, other than the desert and its natural denizens. On the fourth, however, Tess noted with some alarm that he came back down to earth rather quickly.

“My Lord Kelir,” she said, insistently referring to him by a noble title, “what have you seen?”

“There are riders to the north and east of us... headed towards our path. 50 or more, clad in black. They are riding hard.”

Rogar... Tess’ mind immediately shouted. “Could you see what any of them were wearing? Did any of them have an eagle in blue and yellow on them?” Kelir shook his head.

“I saw them from high up, Tesseron... I could not see them up close.”

“Dammit!” Tess swore, before jerking her mount towards the side. “We ride west, away from them! I don’t want to risk running into Rogar or 50 riders out here in the wastes!” The rest of the party agreed, and spurred their mounts off of the trail they had been following, Kelir at the lead, guiding them forward. Every few hours, he’d go airborne, and report back the enemy’s progress as their host turned towards the west as well, and was following at high speed.

The rode hard, with little stop, for two days straight. That night, their horses grew weary, and they were forced to stop and make camp. Tess and Siabrey picked a spot that was somewhat sheltered. This night, there would be no campfire, no relaxing fun or antics, as everyone was on needle’s edge. It was first watch, manned by Tess an Grumki, that saw distant movement in the darkness...

“Grumki!” Tess hissed, “wake the party! Quietly!” Grumki muttered a complaint about teh strength of Kord not needing quiet, but quickly the party was to its feet, and all eyes were trailed towards the movement that was slowly revealing itself to be shapes.

Riders, Tess hissed in her mind as she saw the unmistakable forms of five humanoids on what looked to be horses. She squinted, as more movement was seen just behind then..

What is all of... oh no..

”Mount!” Tess shouted, alarm and horror carrying in her voice.

“What is it!? What do you see?” Siabrey shouted, her sword drawn as Tess leapt on horseback.

“Twenty people on foot, coming at us at a run! Ride hard!” she shouted again at Siabrey, who finally got on her horse and reined it up. Once she’d confirmed that Lucius and the others were on their mounts as well, she spurred her horse forward, and the entire group broke into a run. Even as they’re horses leapt forward, both Tess and Siabrey could hear the growing thunder of many hooves behind them being spurred onward as well.

“Kelir!” Tess shouted above the rising din, “I know your kind can call aid from the elemental plane! Can you do this?” The siabrie, having settled beside his daughter in the party’s retreat, zipped up to Tess’ side.

“Yes, but I’ll need ten minutes! I can perform the rituals as we ride!” Tess nodded, and Kelir, his wings beating rapidly, sank into a trance, his mind flashing words and commands that no one in the party understood.

The party rode the hardest they had in their lives, some several times almost slipping off of their horses from the speed of the gallop. Foam formed at their horses’ mouths, even as they continued to glance behind them to discover that the riders charging behind them were frighteningly close, and only getting closer.

We can’t outrun them... our horses will die, and we’ll be at a disadvantage, Tess decided, reining up her own horse with the call, “Rein up! They’re gaining to fast, we’ll have to fight!” Its only been about... eight minutes at most... Kelir needs more time! “We’re going to have to hold them till Kelir can call for aid! Notch your arrows, and be careful!”

The sound of coarse wood bending echoed in the night as every party member that could notched an arrow or crossbow bolt, and drew back as the dark apparitions before them thundered closer and closer, larger and larger. Finally, the party could make out the forms of four of the large, black riders through the darkness, and a humanoid figure behind them. For a brief second, Siabrey thought she saw wisps of long, dark hair floating behind the figure’s head... all she needed to know.

Her arrow flashed through the air, catching the human in the upper leg. A howl of pain echoed in the air, one the party had heard in battle before...

Rogar.

The rest of the party launched their volley, as a small swarm of arrows skittered among the riders. Tess called for her musical powers, but held them within her lips, waiting till the charging enemy was close enough. Lucius, however, lost no time in unleashing magic missiles at the closest black rider. The black rider they thought was Rogar stopped 100 feet from the party, and the party could make out barely in the thin moonlight him drawing and notching an arrow. It slashed through the air, missing Siabrey by mere inches, as the nine lead riders, 4 demonic dark riders and five human, began their charges.

It was now apparent they were a mere vanguard; in teh mists behind ten more riders were appearing, along with another 30 people on the ground. The four lead riders, clad in black and wielding midnight dark blades, were to the fore, while several badly burned human riders closely followed. The humans spurred straight towards the party, while to Tess’ horror, the black riders rode hard around the sides.... one from the left, and three from the right.

They mean to surround us! Tess thought in alarm, her Keldare tactical sense now in full swing. She turned her attention away from Rogar, and trained her nascent assault on the lead rider, waiting for him to enter her 50 ft. range.

The rest of the party trained their bows on Rogar yet again, in an effort to keep him from shooting more, and watched in awe and disgust as he dodged most of the arrows, only one grazing him in the shoulder. Siabrey was most miffed of all, her arrow seemingly headed straight for his chest when he deftly pulled himself to the right in the saddle, and the missile slashed past him into the darkness.

Tess finally launched her musical assault on the lead rider as he began his turn to come behind the party, and she watched as his armor seemed to grate and cut into him... nonetheless, he stayed in the saddle, and the brave bard found herself facing three black warriors alone...

As the first warrior charged towards her, Tess got a full view of his terrible visage... his skin was midnight black, red eyes gleamed from his otherwise frighteningly human face, his black armor clanked as he approached. As she called from within herself more strikes, she saw he did not draw his sword; indeed, he twisted his horse from her several moments before impact and swung past her. As she watched in alarm, intending to finish him off with her next strike, he saw her lean down, and snatch up Elenya.

“Elenya!” Tess screamed.

Tess’ cry went unheard to the front, as the human warriors came barreling into the party lines. Siabrey, Lucius, Grumki and Pellaron found themselves locked in deadly battle with these fighters; indeed, one managed to almost knock Siabrey down his blows were so vicious and hard. She fought back, managing to down him in time to see a horde of footmen, oddly shaped with blades seemingly coming at odd angles from their bodies, running hard at the party on the heels of the fighters.

To the left, Shaun did not hear his lover’s cries as he found himself under attack from the black rider that had charged there. He was heavily outarmed (a mere rapier versus a large, nasty looking black longsword) and it took both him and the paladin Aristophle to hold their ground against the riders assaults.

“ELENYA!” Tess screamed again, using her call to the girl as the focal point of her first musical assault. Oh God! Elenya, and the baby! The creature, as he lifted her up towards the back of his horse, began to vibrate atrociously, and a necklace with a charm of some kind around his neck wrapped around it furiously. As he collapsed off his horse in his death throes, he let go of Elenya, who fell to the ground with a sickening crack as her shoulder landed at an odd angle.

Oh God... Tess’ mind raced as she turned towards the other two riders, a sonic attack ready for each. Her assaults ran true, and both riders reeled, but to her alarm, they merely drew their longswords and changed course directly towards her.

Towards the other front, Siabrey pulled off the largest bead she could find on her fireball necklace, and tossed it in the midst of the oncoming disaster. A massive explosion echoed over the battlefield, and many of the bladelings vanished, as well as one late-coming human fighter on horseback. Another horsebound fighter reeled and fell of his horse as the animal panicked and fled.

The party did not have time to notice as Rogar’s face darkened in anger at his troops inability to advance, nor did they notice him reaching into his quiver for a long time, picking a special arrow and notching it. It was Tess, out of the corner of her eye, who saw him string up his bow...

“Duck!” Tess shouted slightly too late as the arrow slashed through the party. There was a sudden gasp from Lucius, who found an arrow through the stomach.

“Lucius!” Siabrey grabbed him, remembering Rogar’s abilities displayed in the crypt of the demon. Lucius blinked hard, and his breath shuddered... but he kept breathing. His eyes lolled back for a second or two, and the phrase Poison ran hard through Siabrey’s mind.

“Help Luke! He’s been poisoned!” she shouted, as the shouts of the oncoming footmen echoed in her ears. Without thinking, she threw herself between Rogar and Lucius’ prone form, and drew her bow yet again. Her arrow flew true and slammed him in the stomach... yet he still remained on his horse.

The two riders behind the party meanwhile charged. One headed straight towards Tess, slashing into her viciously with his black blade. She felt something evil sucking at her very soul as the blade cut in, and narrowly avoided the hooves of the creature’s dark mount as it reared in front of her.

The other rider galloped by, leaned over, and slashed open her back. She felt the world spinning rapidly, and started to sink to the group before her mind commanded her, Stay up Tess! Protect Elenya! Protect the baby! Fight! She felt her strength coming back to her legs, the last desperate strength someone has when they think all is lost... yet they wish more than anything to take their victor to hell with them.

The rider that galloped past Tess halted his horse, and grabbed Elenya’s prone form. Tess is unable to help, as she ducks around the rider assaulting her directly, and Elenya is hauled into the back of a saddle once more.

Pellaron, directly to the front of Tess, is able to turn by this point, and with a flash of his blade, dispatches the rider harassing the badly hurt Tess. As Tess turns towards where Elenya was, she sees her form, limp and screaming, being carried off on the back of the rider’s black horse. Despite the blood that flecked her lips, her torn side, her slashed back, her wavering consciousness, she focused her entire being, everything she had left, on a songstrike at the rider. The sonic assault flew perfectly true, and slammed into the rider, knocking him off of his horse and into the realms of death.

Elenya, luckily, did not tumble off with him, and Tess watched with a mixture of awe and fear as hte woman, despite a broken shoulder and possible broke arm, struggled to right herself on her now panicking mount.


Grumki broke off his battle, and behind the wall of steel from Siabrey’s dancing blade, he set about counteracting the poison in Lucius’ veins. The boy within second stood up...

...and his eyes turned a fierce blue, almost white. His red hair seemed to smolder with intensity, as he extended a hand towards the rider that Shaun was being driven back by. The blackhearted demon gave a look of surprise, and then pain, and started clawing at his breastplate, as if to grab his chest. It tumbled off of his horse, spasming from the end results of a massive, fatal heart attack.

Shaun saw this, and immediately bolted towards his horse. With no question, no call, he mounted his horse and charged after his love. To his right, int he distance, he could make out ten more dark riders thundering around the party’s flank at high speed, clearly going after the same quarry he pursued. Shaun spurred his horse harder, hoping his mount could match the faster speed of the demonic horses.

Siabrey for her part, continued to almost single handedly hold the front against the mass of bladelings that swarmed her. She did not duck when they held out their hands and storms of knives flew her way... amazingly, she dodged most of them, and the ones that did hit did not deter her from her target. Her katana danced in the pale moonlight, and bladeling after bladeling fell as before a scythe on harvest day.

Lucius then turned, and from his hands came another fireball, aimed at more bladelings attempting to reach the front. Another massive explosion lit up the desert night, as 7 bladelings were turned to burnt cinders, and their remaining 3 companions in that contingent all badly burned. Siabrey noticed his frightening visage, but the incessant assaults of the bladelings to her front caused her to not be able to run over and calm him... and she feared what he might do.

Rogar, for his part, spurred his horse towards the right, following the mass of riders now engaged in a deadly race with Shaun for the prize of Elenya. Ibgar fired several arrows at him, only to have them fall short. As Rogar rode by and Siabrey kicked the last bladeling off of her sword, the party mounted up to try and help save their friend.

Shaun kept glancing to his left. The bane of his lover did the same, as the two sides closed. Up ahead, Elenya struggled with her good arm, desperately trying to pull herself up and into the oversized saddle to rein in her horse and ride towards her friends. Her strength continued to betray her, as at some points she sank dangerously close to the beasts thundering hooves.

Shaun, riding in a straight line, had a shorter distance to go than the black riders, and reached Elenya mere seconds before they did. Hurriedly, he grabbed her, and with all of his might attempted to haul her up...

...but he couldn’t. The deep slashes in his chest and shoulders from the black rider were too deep, and his tired arms gave way despite the momentous amounts of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He heaved with all of his might, the entire time screaming to Elenya, “You’ll be alright hon! Your hero is here! C’mon, dammit!” he commanded his tired arms. But they could not pull her up in time.

Quickly five black riders surrounded him, and while four pummeled him with their swords, the fifth grabbed Elenya with demonic ease, and threw her roughly over the back of his horse.

The party saw this, still over a hundred feet away and charging closer.

C’mon, Kelir! Tess wanted to scream. She knew the siabrie could call upon creatures of air, far faster than any horse and more powerful than the foes they faced... but he was still in the air, trying to finish the summoning spell. It’s got to be close to ten minutes! she thought as she drew her harpbow... she was out of spells for the night, and dared not close to melee with her still wobbly health.

Grumki, Lucius, and Siabrey all charged on, desperately trying to close the distance, only to find five of the black riders stood between them and Shaun. The three bravely charged into the midst of hte riders, their swords singing through the air and clashing with armor, until suddenly all went black... for everyone.

They heard the noise of horses galloping off, but the deep darkness they suddenly found themselves was far darker than even a moonless night. It was pitch black, and one had no clue whether up was down, or left was right. The party stumbled in the muck, blindly charging onwards, as Kelir could be heard loudly complaining, “My friends can’t see! Where did the rats go with your friend!?”

After a few minutes, the party burst from the cloud of darkness left by the black riders. Their quarry was only a hundred yards ahead, and the charged after them...

...only to see the ten riders, and Rogar, seemingly ride into a rock and vanish...

 

[Emperor Valerian]

The Party Breaks Down, and Then Reforms Stronger

“DAMMIT!” Tess snarled, spurring her horse towards the rock. Desperately she and Siabrey ran their hands over the rock, kicking it, hitting it, knocking on it, only to find that it was solid rock. Siabrey noticed that in the air about them a great deal of residual magic floated, and she conveyed this fact to the party.

“What the hell could do things like that?!” an annoyed and broken Tess shouted, Elenya! The baby!

”A teleport perhaps?” Kelir said resignedly, “though I know of no teleport that can take that many people too far... they could have only teleported a short distance... say 80 or 90 miles, by you human’s reckoning...”

80 miles? The temple ruins! Tess’s mind reasoned. “They must have gone to the old Temple of Hextor!”

Kelir thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, it’s the only large structure within range of a teleport spell.”

“Its... its no use,” Siabrey said, running the last of her hands over the rock, her face wet with tears of shame, sorrow, and fear. “She’s gone.”
Shaun sat down heavily on a jutting rock and dropped his head into his hands. She’s gone, and I couldn’t save her. I wasn’t strong enough…and now they’ll kill her. Kill the woman I love… His broken sobs voiced the opinions of the entire party. Siabrey walked over and laid a comforting hand on Shaun’s shoulder.

“We’ll get her back, Shaun. I swear it.” The rogue lifted his tear-streaked face to Siabrey’s. The fighter’s eyes were blazing dangerously, and Shaun felt a momentary pang for whoever would be at the avenging end of her sword, before he felt his heart echo the feelings in her eyes. Yes, she is right. We will find her, and then I will find Rogar, and I will slice him into little pieces too small for even the carrion birds to scavenge!

Tess brushed the tears of anger and frustration from her eyes. “Yes, Shaun. We will get her back.” Hopefully she’ll still be alive.. She turned and ran her eyes over the stone that had teleported Elenya away. “One thing I don’t understand though…why did they take Elenya?” Her mind momentarily brought back stories of demons and what they did to unborn children, before she shook her head, disregarding the idea. No, there’s no possible way they could have known Elenya was pregnant.

Kelir had been floating a few feet off the ground, apparently deep in thought when his eyes suddenly went wide and he gazed at Siabrey with a mix of fear and sorrow. “Perhaps…” his quiet voice drew all of their attentions. “Perhaps the lack of light confused them. You and Elenya are almost the same height.”

“What?” Siabrey took a step towards Kelir, fear dawning in her eyes. No….

“It was dark out tonight. Very dark.” Kelir continued and his voice grew softer. “Perhaps, in the darkness, the riders thought Elenya was Siabrey.”

The world seemed to freeze and pivot for Siabrey. As she turned slowly, feeling as though she were trapped in molten steel, her friends faces flashed by. Tess; looking shocked and horrified, Shaun; the pain on his face replaced with sudden rage and a touch of hatred at Siabrey, and Lucius, her dear Lucius, green eyes now glowing faintly blue with anger. All of the warnings her mind had been giving her over the past few weeks erupted forth. They tried to take you to get to him The hissed vehemently. You should have left when you had the chance…now they will hate you for causing them pain. Quinn, Dingalas, Elenya; their blood is on YOUR hands…

“No…” she whispered faintly, swaying on her feet. The voices continued, raging all around her as they tore her protective walls down. Look at Shaun’s face, do you think he will be friends will you after you caused the death of his lover and unborn child? And Lucius! By protecting you he falls deeper into the demon’s clutches everyday… The world around her began to dim and twist.

“No…” she whispered again, as she started to fall. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Tess’s lips moving, but she couldn’t hear the words. Her eyes focused on Lucius’ face, the boy so newly a man who wanted to marry her, and the inborn evil she saw buried in his eyes broke her.

She collapsed to the ground, her whole body shaking with pain and fear. This was worse than when Shaun had revealed her wings, worse than when she had almost left Lucius. Her mind jolted and suddenly felt separate from her body. She felt the others pawing at her body, heard the mumble of words that her ears couldn’t quite comprehend, but her body just curled up tighter, digging nails into her skin and screaming as though it would never stop as her mind drifted lazily somewhere above her body, gazing down in bemusement. Use the sword… A voice unlike any she had ever heard before came through to her muffled ears. It sounded oddly like Princess Zoe’s. Use your sword…they can not use you to hurt him if you are dead… “Yes…”her disjointed mind muttered. End it, Siabrey, and they cannot hurt him anymore…

As the mind floated, the copper-skinned body below suddenly sat up, throwing the others off of her. In slow motion, it drew a rune-marked sword, muttered a few words, and prepared to drive the shining blade deep into its own chest. A blue-eyed boy threw out a hand as his lips formed a silent ‘no’, and the pretty bard leapt to try to stop the blade. They were both too slow however, and for a second, it seemed as though the blade would find its mark deep in the woman’s heart.

Siabrey’s body lurched and crumped to the ground with a heavy body on top of hers. “No.” a rough voice commanded, and pried the sword from her nerveless fingers.

“Is she alright?” Tess yelled, running up, Lucius only a step behind her.

“Yes,” Shaun answered, holding Siabrey’s sword tight. Siabrey stared wide-eyed up at him, not comprehending. His eyes were blood-shot, and he was breathing very hard as though he had just finished running a mile. The look on his face was chisled from stone however, as he bent to grab Siabrey by the shoulder and shake her roughly.

“Don’t you DARE kill yourself Siabrey! Don’t you understand, you’re the best fighter among us! We need you if we’re going to get Elenya back! It’s not…” he gulped and blinked rapidly. “It’s not your fault that they took her, Siabrey.”

“But if it hadn’t of been for me…” she started, but Shaun shook her again.

“No! They’re trying to use your love for Lucius to destroy him. But Siabrey, love isn’t a weakness!” he released her shoulder and slumped down to the ground next to her, the weight of a thousand years on his shoulders.

“I used to think love was a weakness.” He continued on in that same broken voice, staring at his hands. “I would see people in love and just think that it was an excellent opportunity to lift their purses.” His hands clenched suddenly. “But now…knowing they have Elenya fills me with a fire that I have never felt before.” He turned and grabbed Siabrey’s shoulders again. “We’re going to get her back! I don’t know how I know but I do!”

As Siabrey stared down into the depths of Shaun’s soul, her mind gradually reviving, she felt something strange awaken within her. The screaming voices of death and pain faded before a light as soft as falling snow that beat deep within her chest. She focused on that light and drew it forth, and gasped as she suddenly knew what Shaun felt. Now she understood the look in Lucius’ eyes when he sang to her. Shaun was right, love wasn’t a weakness. It was a fire; a weapon that she could wield as easily as she wielded her katana. Her foes had been using that fire to burn her, but now…

She reached out and grasped Shaun’s shoulders, pulling him to her in a tight hug. “Thank you, Shaun,” she whispered into his ear, then stood up, pulling her sword from his grasp.

“No!” Lucius started to reach out for her, but she was in control of herself now. She sheathed the blade fluidly and grabbed the incoming boy, pulling his lips tight against hers in a crushing kiss. I understand now, Lucius… her mind whispered, free from any of the sacrificing voices. I promised you I’d always be with you…and a promise is a promise. She pulled away and smiled sadly at the tears that clung to Lucius’ eyelashes.

“It’s alright.” She said soothingly, drawing the back of her fingers gently across his cheek.

“Why did you do that, Siabrey…” he was choking back even more tears. She laid a finger on his lips in an echo of the gesture he had used so many times on her. “Later. For now,” she glanced over her shoulder to where Shaun had stood, his eyes mirroring her determination. “We have a friend to save. Let’s ride!”

A few minutes later, a group of eight horses led by a shining star vanished into the dark night. They were led by a fiery-eyed fighter and a dark-eyed rogue, both bent on the same goal; protecting their loved ones!

 

[Lela]

I'm in awe.

I don't know how I become so involved with these characters but I swear they're like close personal friends.

Thanks again EV!

 

[Emperor Valerian]

There's a backlog of story sections that need to be posted. Sometime this weekend I'll start posting parts of the next adventure, where our party found themselves inside a major Temple of Hextor...

 

[Lela]

There's a backlog of story sections that need to be posted. Sometime this weekend I'll start posting parts of the next adventure, where our party found themselves inside a major Temple of Hextor...

Of doooommmmmm!