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Steel Dragon's "Tales of Orea"
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<blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 5860191" data-attributes="member: 92511"><p>Braddok and the rest of the party races down the steps only to pause in the middle of the kitchen.</p><p></p><p>There, standing in the doorway to the garden was the silhouette of the Lady Evaranthriine. Just behind her stood Erevan. Both stared, unmoving, out of the doorway which streamed...golden yellow daylight?...into the kitchen. </p><p></p><p>The companions edged forward and eventually they stood outside, in wonder, on the large flat patio that sat a few steps above the small, walled in, garden grounds.</p><p></p><p>Their eyes immediately went to the "sky" above them. A bright sphere of golden light floated just over the walls. Its bright sun-like light easily extinguished the starry night sky that was omnipresent in this realm. </p><p></p><p>Fen stood in the center of the intersection of paths that went from the steps to the gateway in the wall and crossed from wall to wall, leading to other paths closer to the walls. To his left and right rows of blackened leafless tree, formerly dried and cracked ponds with fountains were filled and streaming with fresh clear flowing water from fountains of cherubs and hippocampi. The formerly dark sculptures of dragons and nymphs and knights, which had been entirely pitted, eroded and shrouded in blackened dead vines, were clean and fresh looking as they were first carved.</p><p></p><p>"Fen, what have you done?" Alaria was the first to gasp. She turned back to look at Evaranthriine, afraid the mighty sorceress would smite the half-elf where he stood.</p><p></p><p>Evaranthriine simple still stood in the doorway her mouth, shockingly to Alaria, agape. Imgulg had made his way passed his lady's skirts to stand before her, tears in his eyes.</p><p></p><p>The druid made no response other than to smack the butt of his sacred spear to the ground and immediately, he was clothed in a green radiance.</p><p></p><p>The green light-clad druid walked to the left, his spear outstretched and touched the first of the black-barked skeletal trees. As the leaf-tip spear neared the outer most branch of the black-barked tree, it bent and wove and BLOSSOMED! Every last edge of branch bloomed with the pink-white blossoms of a cherry tree.</p><p></p><p>Fen, silently, moved down the side path to the southern wall, touching his spear tip to various trees and bushes as he went. </p><p></p><p>Bough after bough of cherry tree blossomed as if it were the first of spring. Hydrangea bushes, which had previously been no more than domes of dead twigs, burst into puffball blooms of blue and white. The rhododendron did the same with conical blossoms of gold and white. The fingered black veins of ivy, now shown for the brown they were in the "daylight" burst into green life and leaves as Fen passed them.</p><p></p><p>At Fen's unspoken command, with a nod of his head, bright bluebells and vibrant violet crocuses popper up out of the flowerbeds. Formerly browned bare stalks turned green, then spurted golden buds, then orange and red snapdragons.</p><p></p><p>The druid halted at the old black iron gate that led out from garden. He waved his spear in the direction of the northern wall and black trees. A cascade of green and cherry blossoms and other floral colors spread across the northern side of the central path.</p><p></p><p>The party continued to stare, wordless, in awe at the beauty unfolding before them.</p><p></p><p>Fen pushed open the old gate with one arm and thrust his spear out of it with the other. Following the druid's unsaid command, the green and growth extended out beyond the gate, sprouting green grass and small yellow buttercups popped up among the fresh new green. The "field of green" extended beyond the walls for nearly twenty feet before stopping at the cracked grey edge of the old moat/lake. </p><p></p><p>With a wave of his arm, water that continued to flow out of the cherub and hippocampi fountains, lept out of the shallow ponds and began to dribble through the grass to the dried lake bed below. At first the water merely sank into the ancient crack, then began to pool and form a small pond. the water then ceased to flow out of the garden ponds, but continued to stream out of the fountains.</p><p></p><p>Fen turned in the aged gateway arch, spear pressed to his chest and eyes closed. His eyes opened to stare straight at Evaranthriine in the tower doorway.</p><p></p><p>"This, my lady,is what the Ancient Holy Order of Mistwood is meant to do." the half-elf said in all solemnity. "I can not begin to avenge the injustice some forefather of my order did to you. But I hope this might bring you some solace."</p><p></p><p>Evaranthriine remained silent for several beats. The tears forming in her silvery star-filled eyes. One of them began to stream down her cheek as she took in all of the wondrous growth and beautiful colors and the warmth and golden color of the magical light.</p><p></p><p>A soft *tink* was heard on the stone patio beside her.</p><p></p><p>"You have begun, druid. You have begun. I find myself taught two lessons this day...from two very different peoples." she said, not looking at Fen.</p><p></p><p>The lady of the tower just stared at the flowers and the cherry blossoms floating through a calm breeze. Her ears heard the calming pat and small splashes of the fountain waters. Then, a songbird's twitter. Then a warble. Her normally unmoving face betrayed surprise as thing arched dark brows rose and sliver star-eyes widened to see a golden finch and a nightingale alight in one of the freshly blossoming trees.</p><p></p><p>Another tear *clinked* on the patio beside her. Duor was edging ever closer to her location, but Evaranthriine did not notice.</p><p></p><p>"You've come back to me. I knew there must be <em>some </em>left." The tears now streamed off her face freely. *Clinks* and *tings* hitting the stone platform as Evaranthriine "moved" forward out of the doorway, her attention entirely wrapped in the newly birthed garden and arriving avians.</p><p></p><p>Imgulg looked at Duor bending down to grab one of the lady's "solid tears" he frowned and shook his head side-to-side, slightly. The younger dwarf frowned back and reluctantly stood upright after grabbing only two of the precious stones.</p><p></p><p>"I have misjudged...and lament my bitterness dearly, shalok." Evaranthriine said absently in Fen's direction. "I can nay, myself, imagine a greater supplication of apology."</p><p></p><p>The druid bowed deeply toward the night-gowned woman, her dress of glittering stars now shining indigo blue in the golden magical light that covered the garden. The twinkling stars that constantly glittered along her hems and through her hair were quieted into simple silver trim, with embroidery of stars. and static pinpoints of light.</p><p></p><p>"You have my word, as an agent of the Ancient Order, lady, that no druid shall ever do wrong to you and yours again." he said. </p><p></p><p>The mirth and sarcasm of most of Fen's statements were gone, Alaria noticed. He was entirely serious. She herself was very impressed with the half-elf's amazing craft, and he hadn't done<em> anything</em> wrong by her.</p><p></p><p>He was giving his word, Braddok thought...not just as a "druid" but as Fen! He nodded approvingly in Fen's direction.</p><p></p><p>Haelan eagerly skipped down the steps and began sniffing this bloom and that. "You do good work for no goddess, Fen, I <em>must</em> say!" the halfling smiled at the half-elf.</p><p></p><p>Fen's signature crooked grin returned the daelvar's smile.</p><p></p><p>"Not much fer green stuff myself *ACHOO!*Sniff* but I must say, treehugger, ya done good this day." Duor wiped his nose with one forearm while squatting down to grab a final jeweled tear of the lady with the other.</p><p></p><p>"An' tha's a fact!" Imgulg enthusiastically agreed, not noticing Duor's palm.</p><p></p><p>Several birds now, flown from their hiding places in the forest to the "east" to see about this bright golden mini-sun, tweeted and twittered around the garden.</p><p></p><p>Erevan wandered about the garden, letting birds alight on his outstretched wrist, only for a moment before that flitted off again. He turned to look at his <em>kiili.</em> A broad grin slowly stretched across the druid's face as he saw the grin on the full-blooded elf's lips.</p><p></p><p>Braddok walked across the central path of the garden and clasped the druid's shoulder. "Well done, my friend." the dark-haired blue-eyed warrior smiled.</p><p></p><p>Braddok's smile faltered when he noticed movement over the druid's shoulder.</p><p></p><p>At the other end side of the long dead lake bed, several forms began to move and shamble forth out of the dense trees of the long-dead forest beyond.</p><p></p><p>"I am afraid, though. We may have other visitors." the swordsman said quietly.</p><p></p><p>Fen looked to where Braddok was staring and frowned. "Abominations." he seethed between clenched teeth.</p><p></p><p>"Indeed" replied Braddok.</p><p></p><p>"Stormriders, let's go!" the swordsman shouted in a commanding tone.</p><p></p><p>This jostled Alaria from smelling one of the low-hanging lavender wysteria blooms along the wall. Haelan jumped up from squatting among the snapdragons. Festus, not wanting to be caught unawares as before, as lovely as he found the space, lept off the stone patio and raced to Fen and Braddok.</p><p> </p><p>"What? What is it?" Evaranthriine finally said, distracted from the golden finch set upon her shoulder.</p><p></p><p>"Nothing to worry about, my lady. We'll take care of it." Alaria said in passing, her staff securely in hand.</p><p></p><p>"Stay here." mentioned Erevan quietly to the raven-haired woman. </p><p></p><p>"We'll be back soon." smiled Haelan up at the lady of the tower as he raced by, hefting his curious pinecone-shaped headed mace as he went.</p><p></p><p>"Not a problem, lady. Be right back." Duor blurted as he raced by. The dwarf thief nocked a fresh dart into his hand crossbow as he ran.</p><p></p><p>Evaranthriine looked to Imgulg still on the patio just outside the kitchen door, a combination of confusion and longing on her face.</p><p></p><p>The white-bearded old dwarf grinned and nodded affirmative as he motioned with his aged gnarled hands for the lady to return to the tower.</p><p></p><p>"Let'em be heroes, milady." the dwarf said.</p><p></p><p>Evaranthriine nodded her understanding. She moved back toward the tower and watched as the companions raced down the grassy slope, around the new-formed pond, and out on the dried cracked lake bed toward the grey shambling forms that were exiting the forest in many number now.</p><p></p><p>"They art, thou ken, Imgulg." Evaranthriine said as she watched. "True heroes."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steeldragons, post: 5860191, member: 92511"] Braddok and the rest of the party races down the steps only to pause in the middle of the kitchen. There, standing in the doorway to the garden was the silhouette of the Lady Evaranthriine. Just behind her stood Erevan. Both stared, unmoving, out of the doorway which streamed...golden yellow daylight?...into the kitchen. The companions edged forward and eventually they stood outside, in wonder, on the large flat patio that sat a few steps above the small, walled in, garden grounds. Their eyes immediately went to the "sky" above them. A bright sphere of golden light floated just over the walls. Its bright sun-like light easily extinguished the starry night sky that was omnipresent in this realm. Fen stood in the center of the intersection of paths that went from the steps to the gateway in the wall and crossed from wall to wall, leading to other paths closer to the walls. To his left and right rows of blackened leafless tree, formerly dried and cracked ponds with fountains were filled and streaming with fresh clear flowing water from fountains of cherubs and hippocampi. The formerly dark sculptures of dragons and nymphs and knights, which had been entirely pitted, eroded and shrouded in blackened dead vines, were clean and fresh looking as they were first carved. "Fen, what have you done?" Alaria was the first to gasp. She turned back to look at Evaranthriine, afraid the mighty sorceress would smite the half-elf where he stood. Evaranthriine simple still stood in the doorway her mouth, shockingly to Alaria, agape. Imgulg had made his way passed his lady's skirts to stand before her, tears in his eyes. The druid made no response other than to smack the butt of his sacred spear to the ground and immediately, he was clothed in a green radiance. The green light-clad druid walked to the left, his spear outstretched and touched the first of the black-barked skeletal trees. As the leaf-tip spear neared the outer most branch of the black-barked tree, it bent and wove and BLOSSOMED! Every last edge of branch bloomed with the pink-white blossoms of a cherry tree. Fen, silently, moved down the side path to the southern wall, touching his spear tip to various trees and bushes as he went. Bough after bough of cherry tree blossomed as if it were the first of spring. Hydrangea bushes, which had previously been no more than domes of dead twigs, burst into puffball blooms of blue and white. The rhododendron did the same with conical blossoms of gold and white. The fingered black veins of ivy, now shown for the brown they were in the "daylight" burst into green life and leaves as Fen passed them. At Fen's unspoken command, with a nod of his head, bright bluebells and vibrant violet crocuses popper up out of the flowerbeds. Formerly browned bare stalks turned green, then spurted golden buds, then orange and red snapdragons. The druid halted at the old black iron gate that led out from garden. He waved his spear in the direction of the northern wall and black trees. A cascade of green and cherry blossoms and other floral colors spread across the northern side of the central path. The party continued to stare, wordless, in awe at the beauty unfolding before them. Fen pushed open the old gate with one arm and thrust his spear out of it with the other. Following the druid's unsaid command, the green and growth extended out beyond the gate, sprouting green grass and small yellow buttercups popped up among the fresh new green. The "field of green" extended beyond the walls for nearly twenty feet before stopping at the cracked grey edge of the old moat/lake. With a wave of his arm, water that continued to flow out of the cherub and hippocampi fountains, lept out of the shallow ponds and began to dribble through the grass to the dried lake bed below. At first the water merely sank into the ancient crack, then began to pool and form a small pond. the water then ceased to flow out of the garden ponds, but continued to stream out of the fountains. Fen turned in the aged gateway arch, spear pressed to his chest and eyes closed. His eyes opened to stare straight at Evaranthriine in the tower doorway. "This, my lady,is what the Ancient Holy Order of Mistwood is meant to do." the half-elf said in all solemnity. "I can not begin to avenge the injustice some forefather of my order did to you. But I hope this might bring you some solace." Evaranthriine remained silent for several beats. The tears forming in her silvery star-filled eyes. One of them began to stream down her cheek as she took in all of the wondrous growth and beautiful colors and the warmth and golden color of the magical light. A soft *tink* was heard on the stone patio beside her. "You have begun, druid. You have begun. I find myself taught two lessons this day...from two very different peoples." she said, not looking at Fen. The lady of the tower just stared at the flowers and the cherry blossoms floating through a calm breeze. Her ears heard the calming pat and small splashes of the fountain waters. Then, a songbird's twitter. Then a warble. Her normally unmoving face betrayed surprise as thing arched dark brows rose and sliver star-eyes widened to see a golden finch and a nightingale alight in one of the freshly blossoming trees. Another tear *clinked* on the patio beside her. Duor was edging ever closer to her location, but Evaranthriine did not notice. "You've come back to me. I knew there must be [I]some [/I]left." The tears now streamed off her face freely. *Clinks* and *tings* hitting the stone platform as Evaranthriine "moved" forward out of the doorway, her attention entirely wrapped in the newly birthed garden and arriving avians. Imgulg looked at Duor bending down to grab one of the lady's "solid tears" he frowned and shook his head side-to-side, slightly. The younger dwarf frowned back and reluctantly stood upright after grabbing only two of the precious stones. "I have misjudged...and lament my bitterness dearly, shalok." Evaranthriine said absently in Fen's direction. "I can nay, myself, imagine a greater supplication of apology." The druid bowed deeply toward the night-gowned woman, her dress of glittering stars now shining indigo blue in the golden magical light that covered the garden. The twinkling stars that constantly glittered along her hems and through her hair were quieted into simple silver trim, with embroidery of stars. and static pinpoints of light. "You have my word, as an agent of the Ancient Order, lady, that no druid shall ever do wrong to you and yours again." he said. The mirth and sarcasm of most of Fen's statements were gone, Alaria noticed. He was entirely serious. She herself was very impressed with the half-elf's amazing craft, and he hadn't done[I] anything[/I] wrong by her. He was giving his word, Braddok thought...not just as a "druid" but as Fen! He nodded approvingly in Fen's direction. Haelan eagerly skipped down the steps and began sniffing this bloom and that. "You do good work for no goddess, Fen, I [I]must[/I] say!" the halfling smiled at the half-elf. Fen's signature crooked grin returned the daelvar's smile. "Not much fer green stuff myself *ACHOO!*Sniff* but I must say, treehugger, ya done good this day." Duor wiped his nose with one forearm while squatting down to grab a final jeweled tear of the lady with the other. "An' tha's a fact!" Imgulg enthusiastically agreed, not noticing Duor's palm. Several birds now, flown from their hiding places in the forest to the "east" to see about this bright golden mini-sun, tweeted and twittered around the garden. Erevan wandered about the garden, letting birds alight on his outstretched wrist, only for a moment before that flitted off again. He turned to look at his [I]kiili.[/I] A broad grin slowly stretched across the druid's face as he saw the grin on the full-blooded elf's lips. Braddok walked across the central path of the garden and clasped the druid's shoulder. "Well done, my friend." the dark-haired blue-eyed warrior smiled. Braddok's smile faltered when he noticed movement over the druid's shoulder. At the other end side of the long dead lake bed, several forms began to move and shamble forth out of the dense trees of the long-dead forest beyond. "I am afraid, though. We may have other visitors." the swordsman said quietly. Fen looked to where Braddok was staring and frowned. "Abominations." he seethed between clenched teeth. "Indeed" replied Braddok. "Stormriders, let's go!" the swordsman shouted in a commanding tone. This jostled Alaria from smelling one of the low-hanging lavender wysteria blooms along the wall. Haelan jumped up from squatting among the snapdragons. Festus, not wanting to be caught unawares as before, as lovely as he found the space, lept off the stone patio and raced to Fen and Braddok. "What? What is it?" Evaranthriine finally said, distracted from the golden finch set upon her shoulder. "Nothing to worry about, my lady. We'll take care of it." Alaria said in passing, her staff securely in hand. "Stay here." mentioned Erevan quietly to the raven-haired woman. "We'll be back soon." smiled Haelan up at the lady of the tower as he raced by, hefting his curious pinecone-shaped headed mace as he went. "Not a problem, lady. Be right back." Duor blurted as he raced by. The dwarf thief nocked a fresh dart into his hand crossbow as he ran. Evaranthriine looked to Imgulg still on the patio just outside the kitchen door, a combination of confusion and longing on her face. The white-bearded old dwarf grinned and nodded affirmative as he motioned with his aged gnarled hands for the lady to return to the tower. "Let'em be heroes, milady." the dwarf said. Evaranthriine nodded her understanding. She moved back toward the tower and watched as the companions raced down the grassy slope, around the new-formed pond, and out on the dried cracked lake bed toward the grey shambling forms that were exiting the forest in many number now. "They art, thou ken, Imgulg." Evaranthriine said as she watched. "True heroes." [/QUOTE]
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