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<blockquote data-quote="Enkhidu" data-source="post: 333363" data-attributes="member: 351"><p><strong>Crossing the Courtyard or Chutes and Ladders</strong></p><p></p><p>Hi all!</p><p></p><p>My cohort in crime, Dshai527, suggested that we make a concerted effort to start posting more often (two times a week if possible) until we catch up, so here we are with another update.</p><p></p><p>Once again, it comes with a switch of point of view, this time through the eyes of your favorite sorceress. Hopefully these frequent switches are giving you a taste of what's underneath the exteriors of these characters!</p><p></p><p>Well, I'd better get to posting before D'shai (who's standing over my shoulder this very second) decides to make me put in another one of those...</p><p></p><p>Dang it, he already came up with one.</p><p></p><p>OK - "tip of the day"</p><p></p><p>Beavers don't live in pajamas. Unless invited.</p><p></p><p>Don't ask me - I have no idea where he comes up with these things.</p><p></p><p>Enjoy!</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Aurora’s thin brow furrowed in concentration as she finished her quick incantation and pointed at the last rat visible on the stairs. She felt the surge of magical energies swell in her fingertips and lash out, taking the form of a single purple dragon’s maw, just as she envisioned it. The eldritch missile streaked unerringly toward her target, and burst into its side: with a squeal, the huge rodent fell heavily to the iron lattice floor. Exhausted from the channeling of multiple spells, yet at the same time tingling with lingering pleasure, Aurora let her arms fall heavily to her sides, while she peered over the edge to her companions on the stairs.</p><p></p><p>“My thanks, Aurora. I do believe that is the last of them.” Ashrem’s silky tenor carried up from below, confirming what the young sorceress had already surmised. “And I have good news. Brother Theo is moving down there, and the rats that fell with him are not.” </p><p></p><p>On hearing that Theo was still alive, Aurora let out a long, relieved sigh. She looked over at Pack, standing close by, and saw that the halfling could barely contain his joy at the news – the red haired spellcaster imagined he might burst at any moment – and she could see him visibly fight the urge to run right down the rickety staircase.</p><p></p><p>Ander called out from the stairs, “As long as you take it slow, you should be able to get down without a problem.” As if to dispute the exotic woodsman’s statement, the iron railings creaked in reply, but Aurora saw that Pack was already on his way to the first landing. With a shrug, she followed him down the switchback.</p><p></p><p>With Ashrem in the lead, the four made their way down the stairwell. Aurora stretched her limbs as she walked after her companions. It had been quite some time since she had worked this hard. This was definitely more exciting than life in the city, studying books and dusting shelves in the library. The young sorceress paused to examine the carcass of one of the bloated rats as she came down to the third landing. A wicked grin was locked on the dead rodent’s jaw, while pus oozed from the burn mark that her missile had left. Aurora felt her stomach tightening at the sight and tried not to retch as she hastily continued down the stairs. </p><p></p><p>A flurry of wings descended on the railing next to the fleeing sorceress as she hurried from the grisly scene. The sight of Athena, her trusted companion, calmed the maiden’s nerves and she stopped to ruffle the owl’s head feathers. Her hand stopped short as Athena sent her a grim message. Mistress Sunrise, the bloated food is hunting the old wise one. </p><p></p><p>Aurora gripped the rail and leaned over to view the area where she suspected the cleric might be. At first glance the concerned mage saw no sign of the priest through the mists. Then a lone figure rounded the base of the plateau at a full run, a pack of rabid rodents on his heels. Panic gripped the young sorceress as she watched the old warrior turn to face his attackers. She shrieked a warning. “Ander! Ashrem! Theo’s in trouble! He needs help, now!” </p><p></p><p>Without hesitation, both warriors rushed to aid their companion. Aurora gasped as the pair leapt over the railing of the fourth landing and fell the twenty feet toward the ground. Ander hit the ground softly with wisps of smoke billowing out from under his boots that the sorceress automatically recognized as a magical effect. The shadowy feloine amazed the naïve maiden by gracefully landing on his feet and then tucking into a perfect roll that left him standing with his short blade drawn and ready. Then the two rushed off toward the hard pressed cleric.</p><p></p><p>The young mage turned her attention back to Theo, who had managed to out maneuver the rats following him. He had turned to face them in a narrow part of the gap between the plateau and the ravine wall, and this had stopped them from surrounding him completely, but he still looked overmatched. Rats snapped and bit at his legs and torso, while he sought to fend off their teeth with quick movements of his shield. Even as far away as she was, Aurora could tell he was tiring quickly.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, Ander was there, rushing up behind and then leaping over the cleric just as the old campaigner stepped back. The handsome woodsman rooted himself in Theo’s place and his quarterstaff became a blur as he fended off attack after attack. While Ander covered the retreat, Ashrem pulled Theo away from the fight and back to relative safety. Aurora could barely hear the old priest’s booming voice warning the young warriors that these were no ordinary rats.</p><p></p><p>A tendril of mist passed between Aurora and her companions, obscuring her view of the fight below. Quickly – a bit too quickly, as the staircase rocked with her motions – she climbed down another flight of steps and onto the next platform of the switchback. Her view now unobstructed, she saw the skirmish take a turn for the worse.</p><p>Ander still stood his ground, but the rats had managed to surround him even in the tight confines of the gap. They clung to vines and rocks in the walls near the ranger, and nipped and clawed at his shoulders, while one large rat in front of him, standing atop the brown furred carcass of another rodent, kept him busy with a flurry of bites at his midsection. From her vantage point, Aurora saw that Ander had a large bite on his shoulder, and it seemed to pain him as he fought.</p><p></p><p>Behind the exotic young man, Aurora saw Ashrem fending off any attempts by the rats to completely surround the woodsman, but he was not quite close enough to his targets to cause any harm. The rodents seemed quite content to gnaw on the human in front of them, rather than the dangerous looking feloine behind their easy meal. From the fray, the mage heard Ander cry out in pain, as one of the rats on his flank sank teeth into flesh.</p><p></p><p>Then the music began. Pack’s high voice washed over Aurora as the bard began to sing. His clear, bell-like pitch tolled out the words to a song the sorceress had heard only one time before, during the raid by the kobolds; but where Theo’s voice had carried over that battlefield like a cry to the gods for help, the halfling’s version of <em>Trennor’s Triumph</em> rang out with something much more. It carried hope.</p><p></p><p>Aurora found herself singing along in a low soft voice, and the priest also joined in, thundering out as if the words alone would defeat the enemy. Ander began swinging his quarterstaff almost rhythmically, cracking home one blow and then another at the rat on his left, and Ashrem finally managed to bring his sword down on that same rat, toppling it lifeless from its perch.</p><p></p><p>The red haired sorceress maneuvered herself into a more advantageous position as she nervously gripped the wand Lizon had given her and brought it to bear. With a word in Dragon’s Tongue she activated the wand, and two snapping dragons flew from its tip and sped toward the rat on Ander’s right as it climbed higher in the vine lattice. With a squeal it fell limp, its hide smoking as it hung caught in the vines.</p><p></p><p>Theo had not been idle, and he now stood tall, seemingly cured of his wounds. As Aurora watched with wide eyes, he held his shield out in front of him and stopped singing long enough to shout out to Zuras. Even in the sun, the flash from his shield nearly blinded her as a thin stroke of lightning arced out and caught another of the rats, causing it to screech in pain. Immediately after, she heard a thump and saw it fall to the ground. Glancing back down at Pack, who stood on a landing lower than the sorceress, she saw that he was recovering from a sling throw.</p><p></p><p>The remaining two rats then broke and ran, but fell in their tracks from a combination of another pair of dragon’s head missiles, a bullet from Pack’s sling and another arc of lightning from Brother Theo. </p><p></p><p>Aurora made her way down to the ground more slowly as she saw Ashrem move cautiously forward around the plateau, beyond her view. He seemed to be sniffing, and his large, cat-like ears swiveled in response to what the sorceress assumed were various sounds. Pack had ended his song, and the companions looked at one another with tense smiles on their faces. When Ashrem returned, the companions all glanced over at him.</p><p></p><p>“I do not sense any more. I believe that we have dealt with the last of them,” he stated. Aurora heard Pack breathe a sigh of what she thought might be relief, and she immediately joined the halfling in a broad faced grin. </p><p></p><p>“Then we made it!” the bard shouted, almost child-like. “We made it! Did you see how far we came down?” He pointed up at the top of the plateau. Aurora followed his finger up, and could barely make out Athena circling the grassy top through the mists.</p><p></p><p>Ander’s smooth baritone broke into the conversation. “I think the real question is ‘where are we now’, and I for one would like to find out,” he stated nonchalantly, as if he had not just been in a battle for his life. Brother Theo stood close by the woodsman, and was busily wrapping his more serious bite marks. Aurora could tell by the older man’s face that young man’s condition was probably worse than the ranger was willing to admit. “What’s up ahead, Ashrem,” he directed at the rag wrapped once-beggar.</p><p></p><p>“Around this bend, there is a vine covered courtyard, and a door set in a fortified stone wall. No sign of anything alive.”</p><p></p><p>“Then we need to check it out.” The rugged woodsman looked at Aurora with deep set eyes as he stretched his legs and set off towards the bend. He held her gaze for a moment: “Coming?” Then he was out of sight.</p><p></p><p>Aurora followed closely after, falling into line behind Ashrem. She spied Ander already well into the courtyard, picking his way through the vines that covered the ground up to the knee. The ranger made a beeline straight for a door set in the wall. </p><p></p><p>“Looks like this is the place,” the young man called out, stopping to turn around and look at back at the trio. “Don’t worry about the vines. It’s all solid flagstones underneath. No problem at all.” Then he turned around and took a careful step toward to the door.</p><p></p><p>With a surprised shout, Ander disappeared beneath the vines.</p><p></p><p>*****</p><p></p><p>Next Time!</p><p></p><p>“Pitfalls,” or “Good Thing I’m Not Afraid of the Dark”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Enkhidu, post: 333363, member: 351"] [b]Crossing the Courtyard or Chutes and Ladders[/b] Hi all! My cohort in crime, Dshai527, suggested that we make a concerted effort to start posting more often (two times a week if possible) until we catch up, so here we are with another update. Once again, it comes with a switch of point of view, this time through the eyes of your favorite sorceress. Hopefully these frequent switches are giving you a taste of what's underneath the exteriors of these characters! Well, I'd better get to posting before D'shai (who's standing over my shoulder this very second) decides to make me put in another one of those... Dang it, he already came up with one. OK - "tip of the day" Beavers don't live in pajamas. Unless invited. Don't ask me - I have no idea where he comes up with these things. Enjoy! ***** Aurora’s thin brow furrowed in concentration as she finished her quick incantation and pointed at the last rat visible on the stairs. She felt the surge of magical energies swell in her fingertips and lash out, taking the form of a single purple dragon’s maw, just as she envisioned it. The eldritch missile streaked unerringly toward her target, and burst into its side: with a squeal, the huge rodent fell heavily to the iron lattice floor. Exhausted from the channeling of multiple spells, yet at the same time tingling with lingering pleasure, Aurora let her arms fall heavily to her sides, while she peered over the edge to her companions on the stairs. “My thanks, Aurora. I do believe that is the last of them.” Ashrem’s silky tenor carried up from below, confirming what the young sorceress had already surmised. “And I have good news. Brother Theo is moving down there, and the rats that fell with him are not.” On hearing that Theo was still alive, Aurora let out a long, relieved sigh. She looked over at Pack, standing close by, and saw that the halfling could barely contain his joy at the news – the red haired spellcaster imagined he might burst at any moment – and she could see him visibly fight the urge to run right down the rickety staircase. Ander called out from the stairs, “As long as you take it slow, you should be able to get down without a problem.” As if to dispute the exotic woodsman’s statement, the iron railings creaked in reply, but Aurora saw that Pack was already on his way to the first landing. With a shrug, she followed him down the switchback. With Ashrem in the lead, the four made their way down the stairwell. Aurora stretched her limbs as she walked after her companions. It had been quite some time since she had worked this hard. This was definitely more exciting than life in the city, studying books and dusting shelves in the library. The young sorceress paused to examine the carcass of one of the bloated rats as she came down to the third landing. A wicked grin was locked on the dead rodent’s jaw, while pus oozed from the burn mark that her missile had left. Aurora felt her stomach tightening at the sight and tried not to retch as she hastily continued down the stairs. A flurry of wings descended on the railing next to the fleeing sorceress as she hurried from the grisly scene. The sight of Athena, her trusted companion, calmed the maiden’s nerves and she stopped to ruffle the owl’s head feathers. Her hand stopped short as Athena sent her a grim message. Mistress Sunrise, the bloated food is hunting the old wise one. Aurora gripped the rail and leaned over to view the area where she suspected the cleric might be. At first glance the concerned mage saw no sign of the priest through the mists. Then a lone figure rounded the base of the plateau at a full run, a pack of rabid rodents on his heels. Panic gripped the young sorceress as she watched the old warrior turn to face his attackers. She shrieked a warning. “Ander! Ashrem! Theo’s in trouble! He needs help, now!” Without hesitation, both warriors rushed to aid their companion. Aurora gasped as the pair leapt over the railing of the fourth landing and fell the twenty feet toward the ground. Ander hit the ground softly with wisps of smoke billowing out from under his boots that the sorceress automatically recognized as a magical effect. The shadowy feloine amazed the naïve maiden by gracefully landing on his feet and then tucking into a perfect roll that left him standing with his short blade drawn and ready. Then the two rushed off toward the hard pressed cleric. The young mage turned her attention back to Theo, who had managed to out maneuver the rats following him. He had turned to face them in a narrow part of the gap between the plateau and the ravine wall, and this had stopped them from surrounding him completely, but he still looked overmatched. Rats snapped and bit at his legs and torso, while he sought to fend off their teeth with quick movements of his shield. Even as far away as she was, Aurora could tell he was tiring quickly. Suddenly, Ander was there, rushing up behind and then leaping over the cleric just as the old campaigner stepped back. The handsome woodsman rooted himself in Theo’s place and his quarterstaff became a blur as he fended off attack after attack. While Ander covered the retreat, Ashrem pulled Theo away from the fight and back to relative safety. Aurora could barely hear the old priest’s booming voice warning the young warriors that these were no ordinary rats. A tendril of mist passed between Aurora and her companions, obscuring her view of the fight below. Quickly – a bit too quickly, as the staircase rocked with her motions – she climbed down another flight of steps and onto the next platform of the switchback. Her view now unobstructed, she saw the skirmish take a turn for the worse. Ander still stood his ground, but the rats had managed to surround him even in the tight confines of the gap. They clung to vines and rocks in the walls near the ranger, and nipped and clawed at his shoulders, while one large rat in front of him, standing atop the brown furred carcass of another rodent, kept him busy with a flurry of bites at his midsection. From her vantage point, Aurora saw that Ander had a large bite on his shoulder, and it seemed to pain him as he fought. Behind the exotic young man, Aurora saw Ashrem fending off any attempts by the rats to completely surround the woodsman, but he was not quite close enough to his targets to cause any harm. The rodents seemed quite content to gnaw on the human in front of them, rather than the dangerous looking feloine behind their easy meal. From the fray, the mage heard Ander cry out in pain, as one of the rats on his flank sank teeth into flesh. Then the music began. Pack’s high voice washed over Aurora as the bard began to sing. His clear, bell-like pitch tolled out the words to a song the sorceress had heard only one time before, during the raid by the kobolds; but where Theo’s voice had carried over that battlefield like a cry to the gods for help, the halfling’s version of [I]Trennor’s Triumph[/I] rang out with something much more. It carried hope. Aurora found herself singing along in a low soft voice, and the priest also joined in, thundering out as if the words alone would defeat the enemy. Ander began swinging his quarterstaff almost rhythmically, cracking home one blow and then another at the rat on his left, and Ashrem finally managed to bring his sword down on that same rat, toppling it lifeless from its perch. The red haired sorceress maneuvered herself into a more advantageous position as she nervously gripped the wand Lizon had given her and brought it to bear. With a word in Dragon’s Tongue she activated the wand, and two snapping dragons flew from its tip and sped toward the rat on Ander’s right as it climbed higher in the vine lattice. With a squeal it fell limp, its hide smoking as it hung caught in the vines. Theo had not been idle, and he now stood tall, seemingly cured of his wounds. As Aurora watched with wide eyes, he held his shield out in front of him and stopped singing long enough to shout out to Zuras. Even in the sun, the flash from his shield nearly blinded her as a thin stroke of lightning arced out and caught another of the rats, causing it to screech in pain. Immediately after, she heard a thump and saw it fall to the ground. Glancing back down at Pack, who stood on a landing lower than the sorceress, she saw that he was recovering from a sling throw. The remaining two rats then broke and ran, but fell in their tracks from a combination of another pair of dragon’s head missiles, a bullet from Pack’s sling and another arc of lightning from Brother Theo. Aurora made her way down to the ground more slowly as she saw Ashrem move cautiously forward around the plateau, beyond her view. He seemed to be sniffing, and his large, cat-like ears swiveled in response to what the sorceress assumed were various sounds. Pack had ended his song, and the companions looked at one another with tense smiles on their faces. When Ashrem returned, the companions all glanced over at him. “I do not sense any more. I believe that we have dealt with the last of them,” he stated. Aurora heard Pack breathe a sigh of what she thought might be relief, and she immediately joined the halfling in a broad faced grin. “Then we made it!” the bard shouted, almost child-like. “We made it! Did you see how far we came down?” He pointed up at the top of the plateau. Aurora followed his finger up, and could barely make out Athena circling the grassy top through the mists. Ander’s smooth baritone broke into the conversation. “I think the real question is ‘where are we now’, and I for one would like to find out,” he stated nonchalantly, as if he had not just been in a battle for his life. Brother Theo stood close by the woodsman, and was busily wrapping his more serious bite marks. Aurora could tell by the older man’s face that young man’s condition was probably worse than the ranger was willing to admit. “What’s up ahead, Ashrem,” he directed at the rag wrapped once-beggar. “Around this bend, there is a vine covered courtyard, and a door set in a fortified stone wall. No sign of anything alive.” “Then we need to check it out.” The rugged woodsman looked at Aurora with deep set eyes as he stretched his legs and set off towards the bend. He held her gaze for a moment: “Coming?” Then he was out of sight. Aurora followed closely after, falling into line behind Ashrem. She spied Ander already well into the courtyard, picking his way through the vines that covered the ground up to the knee. The ranger made a beeline straight for a door set in the wall. “Looks like this is the place,” the young man called out, stopping to turn around and look at back at the trio. “Don’t worry about the vines. It’s all solid flagstones underneath. No problem at all.” Then he turned around and took a careful step toward to the door. With a surprised shout, Ander disappeared beneath the vines. ***** Next Time! “Pitfalls,” or “Good Thing I’m Not Afraid of the Dark” [/QUOTE]
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