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Tirlanolir/D'nemy's Tales of Turgos: The Heroes of Goldfire Glen (UPDATE 7/26)
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<blockquote data-quote="Canaan" data-source="post: 2820229" data-attributes="member: 40239"><p><strong>Chapter 1: Reunion (part 3)</strong></p><p></p><p>The back two hooves of the boar climbed onto Aesendal’s thighs. The full weight of the beast burrowed into the sorcerer’s flesh. In the retelling of this moment, he could not recall with any certainty if it was the pain of the tusks in their attempt to render his flesh apart, or the instinctual urge to survive that provided the sudden rush of potency that billowed through him, but whichever the cause, Aesendal’s eyes popped open, and he gasped in as deep a breath as he could muster. The boar ceased its attempts at the sound and turned to face the prone sorcerer.</p><p></p><p>It was a fatal error. A torrent of acid arced from Aesendal’s mouth and crashed into the boar’s bulbous face. It was flung clear of the sorcerer’s body, letting loose horrid screams as its flesh was eaten away, exposing its skull behind thick, dangling wedges of curling hide. </p><p></p><p>Pain and fatigue finally overtook Aesendal and he fell into unconsciousness. The final sound that reached him before Oblivion dragged him into its bosom, was of horse hooves tearing through the grass, followed closely by the squeaks of wooden wheels, and Hu Li’s shrill voice uttering, with what Aesendal thought was an altogether inappropriate jollity, “Ah! Smells like breakfast.”</p><p></p><p></p><p>Aesendal awoke to the sting of a pungent, hot liquid being poured down his parched throat. The flavor was not at all unpleasant, and after the initial shock, he found the tonic quite soothing. At least, he noted, he wasn’t in any pain. Diminutive, soft hands gently guided his head onto a soft pillow. His eyes fluttered open and he took in the smiling, but worried gaze of young Carrie, Farmer Jed’s six year old daughter. He reached his hand up and took hold of her wrist. “The others…” he managed to scratch out as she pulled her arm free of his grasp.</p><p></p><p>“They are… fine.” She said, with some hesitation. “All but the one. The one you call Boots. I’m very sorry.” She fought back an innocent tear and Aesendal lowered his head back on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling.</p><p></p><p>“I see,” was all he said.</p><p></p><p>“You need to rest,” she chirped. </p><p></p><p>“Where is Boots?” asked Aesendal. </p><p></p><p>“Lilian, Gabriel, Talon and Hu Li buried him in our family plot. His body would not have lasted a trip back to Goldfire Glen.”</p><p></p><p>“He had no family there anyway. At least here, he’ll be tended to.” The sorcerer said. </p><p></p><p>“Yes. It’s our honor.”</p><p></p><p>Aesendal closed his eyes. Hearing a little girl say “honor” unnerved him. She was far too young to understand such a lofty ideal. However, whatever was in that draught she gave him began its embrace. Sleep came instantly. </p><p></p><p>When he awoke, the sun was low in the sky, bleeding deep oranges and reds through the room’s single, small window. He was in the Farmer’s master bedroom, and despite the comfort of the bed upon which he lay, the room was sparsely decorated. These were simple people and not given to the vulgarities of custom that so consume civilized society. </p><p></p><p>He noted the writhing sprig of holly berries and leaves that hung above the doorway. This was a house devoted to the Green. </p><p></p><p>He recognized voices from another room, muffled by the closed door, but distinct, nonetheless. Lilian, Gabriel and Hu Li were locked in yet another duel of words. Feeling stronger, he rolled out of bed and proceeded to slide on the clothing that was left for him on a chair. </p><p></p><p>Moments later he emerged from the bedroom and into the main sitting area, where Hu Li, Talon, Gabriel and Lilian all sat at a table. Warm, succulent scents filled the cottage. Empty bowls lay scattered about the table top. Conversation ended with Aesendal’s emergence from the bedroom.</p><p></p><p>Talon, Gabriel and Lilian greeted and hugged their friend heartily and lead him to a stool at the table. Only Hu Li remained unmoved. In fact, his countenance was one of apprehension. Aesendal caught wise to the glare.</p><p></p><p>“What is it, Hu Li, that troubles you?”</p><p></p><p>“That spittle. That putrid, olive viscous that vomited from you.”</p><p></p><p>“He just woke up.” Said Lilian. “Let the man recover.” </p><p></p><p>“No.” spat Hu Li. “It will give time to concoct a tale so perfectly feasible, the truth of his—“</p><p></p><p>“It was a spell.” Asendal flatly replied. “That is all. The common variant is an <em>acid orb</em>, which I am sure the great Balian, at the very least, informed you of. I simply altered its shape and the means by which it is evoked.” </p><p></p><p>“Ah…” said Hu Li, seemingly perplexed, disappointed and intrigued all at once. “Tailored evocations. Fascinating. I must ask my Master of that when I return to his tower. Yes.” Hu Li wandered off, lost in his own befuddled mutterings. </p><p></p><p>Aesendal finally noticed all the healing bruises that riddled his companion’s heads and necks. He felt as if he should say something, but stayed his tongue. What good will it do, he thought. Reminding them all of what had happened. </p><p></p><p>And then he remembered Boots. </p><p></p><p>After a moment alone at the grave site of his friend, Aesendal returned to the farmer’s cottage. The whole family had returned from the day’s chores and were joined by Lilian, Talon and Gabriel in laughter at young Jimmy’s story about Hu Li. </p><p></p><p>“He asked how one retrieved milk from Bessie.” He said with a snort. “I told him, well, you first wrap your mouth about one of the udders and suckle like you would a wedge of an orange!” </p><p></p><p>The little house erupted with laughter. Aesendal saw for what the child was attempting to do, and allowed himself a good laugh at the boy’s wit. Hu Li entered a moment later, his robe stained with a circle of raw milk. </p><p></p><p>“I believe I have yet to master this art.” He said to the boy with a grimace. The laughter only rose. </p><p></p><p>After a short, but restful sleep, Lilian roused the others before the sun arose. Bruised as they were, she insisted they continue the search for the missing Jazzad. Farmer Jed had provided them with waterskins and rations enough to last them two full weeks in the Wildlands. He had returned from a nearby hamlet in the evening with the supplies purchased by the stock of boar meat Hu Li had returned with when he rescued his friends. </p><p></p><p>Hu Li made as many inferences to the fact that it was by his actions alone that they all still walked on Turgos. “Though I could have kept on running, and have been completely justified in my actions, as it was within my power to do so, I chose to aid you. May history be the final arbiter in determining the wisdom of my actions.” </p><p></p><p>His assertions were met with profound silence. Whenever Gabriel moved in for a retort, he was quietly, but firmly subdued by the others.</p><p></p><p>Several days passed. The Wildlands opened up to them. Untamed, sparsely mapped, this was a natural world, a world mostly untouched by the oppressive hand of civilization. Great forests grew freely over rolling, grassy hillsides. The air was thick with swarming gnats. </p><p></p><p>In the night, as they camped, boars continued to torment them, but they had learned how to combat the beasts with a greater efficiency, and although the beasts managed to let some blood of the companions, not a one fell to their tusks again. </p><p></p><p>The following morning, as they ate a breakfast of hard bread and dried boar meat, Talon revealed that he had found tracks during his watch. After breakfast he showed them. Everyone gathered about where he stood. He pushed aside a clump of tall grass and revealed a patch of mud. Small footed tracks were stamped into the wet ground. Humanoid, but smaller, like a child’s. </p><p></p><p>“Hold on a moment.” Said Lilian. “I think I see something.” </p><p></p><p>She pushed through the grass and stopped a few feet in. She dug at the ground with her foot and suddenly lunged forward. Gabriel ran up beside her. She was sprawled on the ground. The others were soon helping her up. Under her foot there was a narrow hole covered in loose grass. It was large enough only to trip a passerby. </p><p></p><p>“I thought so.” Talon uttered. </p><p></p><p>“You thought what?” answered Hu Li.</p><p></p><p>“There is an intelligence at work here. It seemed with each boar attack, they became more… organized.” </p><p></p><p>At that, Hu Li scoffed and retorted, “Well, then, Talon, master tactician, disciple of the martial arts, can you devise by these meager clues what sort of intelligence may be in control?”</p><p></p><p>Talon was used to Hu Li’s outbursts and not prone to bristle at such sophomoric jibes. Nonetheless, Hu Li’s manner of late had become quite irksome. “Perhaps Jordan, with some further investigation, I ca—“</p><p></p><p>“That’s THE ACOLYTE HU LI!” Hu Li cut him off, annoyed.</p><p></p><p>Talon merely turned and continued looking for clues as to the nature of the intelligence at work in The Wildlands, but this time, with a slight unnoticed, satisfied smile. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Gabriel, Aesendal and Lilian had begun a search around the area, crawling through the tall grass, looking for any more pitfalls. With a short, sharp shout, Lilian vanished. A moment after she screamed in agony. Everyone rushed to the spot where she disappeared to find a massive pit, dug out of the soft ground and covered by now disturbed blades of tall grass. Lilian lay at the bottom. The floor was lined with wooden spikes. Most were broken or merely bent by her impact, but one shot clean through one of her legs. </p><p></p><p>Gabriel immediately reached for whatever rope they had with them and lowered it down to her. She gritted her teeth as she pushed her leg up over the spike and tied the rope about her waist. With a great heave, the rest of them pulled her up out of the hole. </p><p></p><p>They decided to rest here until the leg was sufficiently healed. As the sun set and they began to ingest portions of their rations Gabriel shook his head and sighed. “Hu Li was right.” Hu Li’s head sprang up and locked on Gabriel’s eyes. “We should never have come out here.” </p><p></p><p>“Quite right.” Answered Hu Li. “I am glad someone is listening.” </p><p></p><p>“At least…” continued Gabriel “…without Shale. It was foolishness. He is the only one we know who has ever been in the Wildlands. He could guide us through safely. Without him, I fear we are all doomed.”</p><p></p><p>The sun set over the eastern horizon. Darkness spread and soon sleep took them all, but Gabriel, who kept watch over his sleeping comrades and his sister. </p><p></p><p>The peace of the evening was cut short, however when bolts shot out of the shadows and pummeled the ground around the camp. Gabriel roused them all with a shout as, once again, they found themselves surrounded, only this time it was by strange, three foot tall, gray faced humanoids wearing thick layers of skins and carrying crude axes and swords. </p><p></p><p>Talon counted twenty of them. With a shout from one of the creatures, they closed in.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Canaan, post: 2820229, member: 40239"] [b]Chapter 1: Reunion (part 3)[/b] The back two hooves of the boar climbed onto Aesendal’s thighs. The full weight of the beast burrowed into the sorcerer’s flesh. In the retelling of this moment, he could not recall with any certainty if it was the pain of the tusks in their attempt to render his flesh apart, or the instinctual urge to survive that provided the sudden rush of potency that billowed through him, but whichever the cause, Aesendal’s eyes popped open, and he gasped in as deep a breath as he could muster. The boar ceased its attempts at the sound and turned to face the prone sorcerer. It was a fatal error. A torrent of acid arced from Aesendal’s mouth and crashed into the boar’s bulbous face. It was flung clear of the sorcerer’s body, letting loose horrid screams as its flesh was eaten away, exposing its skull behind thick, dangling wedges of curling hide. Pain and fatigue finally overtook Aesendal and he fell into unconsciousness. The final sound that reached him before Oblivion dragged him into its bosom, was of horse hooves tearing through the grass, followed closely by the squeaks of wooden wheels, and Hu Li’s shrill voice uttering, with what Aesendal thought was an altogether inappropriate jollity, “Ah! Smells like breakfast.” Aesendal awoke to the sting of a pungent, hot liquid being poured down his parched throat. The flavor was not at all unpleasant, and after the initial shock, he found the tonic quite soothing. At least, he noted, he wasn’t in any pain. Diminutive, soft hands gently guided his head onto a soft pillow. His eyes fluttered open and he took in the smiling, but worried gaze of young Carrie, Farmer Jed’s six year old daughter. He reached his hand up and took hold of her wrist. “The others…” he managed to scratch out as she pulled her arm free of his grasp. “They are… fine.” She said, with some hesitation. “All but the one. The one you call Boots. I’m very sorry.” She fought back an innocent tear and Aesendal lowered his head back on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling. “I see,” was all he said. “You need to rest,” she chirped. “Where is Boots?” asked Aesendal. “Lilian, Gabriel, Talon and Hu Li buried him in our family plot. His body would not have lasted a trip back to Goldfire Glen.” “He had no family there anyway. At least here, he’ll be tended to.” The sorcerer said. “Yes. It’s our honor.” Aesendal closed his eyes. Hearing a little girl say “honor” unnerved him. She was far too young to understand such a lofty ideal. However, whatever was in that draught she gave him began its embrace. Sleep came instantly. When he awoke, the sun was low in the sky, bleeding deep oranges and reds through the room’s single, small window. He was in the Farmer’s master bedroom, and despite the comfort of the bed upon which he lay, the room was sparsely decorated. These were simple people and not given to the vulgarities of custom that so consume civilized society. He noted the writhing sprig of holly berries and leaves that hung above the doorway. This was a house devoted to the Green. He recognized voices from another room, muffled by the closed door, but distinct, nonetheless. Lilian, Gabriel and Hu Li were locked in yet another duel of words. Feeling stronger, he rolled out of bed and proceeded to slide on the clothing that was left for him on a chair. Moments later he emerged from the bedroom and into the main sitting area, where Hu Li, Talon, Gabriel and Lilian all sat at a table. Warm, succulent scents filled the cottage. Empty bowls lay scattered about the table top. Conversation ended with Aesendal’s emergence from the bedroom. Talon, Gabriel and Lilian greeted and hugged their friend heartily and lead him to a stool at the table. Only Hu Li remained unmoved. In fact, his countenance was one of apprehension. Aesendal caught wise to the glare. “What is it, Hu Li, that troubles you?” “That spittle. That putrid, olive viscous that vomited from you.” “He just woke up.” Said Lilian. “Let the man recover.” “No.” spat Hu Li. “It will give time to concoct a tale so perfectly feasible, the truth of his—“ “It was a spell.” Asendal flatly replied. “That is all. The common variant is an [I]acid orb[/I], which I am sure the great Balian, at the very least, informed you of. I simply altered its shape and the means by which it is evoked.” “Ah…” said Hu Li, seemingly perplexed, disappointed and intrigued all at once. “Tailored evocations. Fascinating. I must ask my Master of that when I return to his tower. Yes.” Hu Li wandered off, lost in his own befuddled mutterings. Aesendal finally noticed all the healing bruises that riddled his companion’s heads and necks. He felt as if he should say something, but stayed his tongue. What good will it do, he thought. Reminding them all of what had happened. And then he remembered Boots. After a moment alone at the grave site of his friend, Aesendal returned to the farmer’s cottage. The whole family had returned from the day’s chores and were joined by Lilian, Talon and Gabriel in laughter at young Jimmy’s story about Hu Li. “He asked how one retrieved milk from Bessie.” He said with a snort. “I told him, well, you first wrap your mouth about one of the udders and suckle like you would a wedge of an orange!” The little house erupted with laughter. Aesendal saw for what the child was attempting to do, and allowed himself a good laugh at the boy’s wit. Hu Li entered a moment later, his robe stained with a circle of raw milk. “I believe I have yet to master this art.” He said to the boy with a grimace. The laughter only rose. After a short, but restful sleep, Lilian roused the others before the sun arose. Bruised as they were, she insisted they continue the search for the missing Jazzad. Farmer Jed had provided them with waterskins and rations enough to last them two full weeks in the Wildlands. He had returned from a nearby hamlet in the evening with the supplies purchased by the stock of boar meat Hu Li had returned with when he rescued his friends. Hu Li made as many inferences to the fact that it was by his actions alone that they all still walked on Turgos. “Though I could have kept on running, and have been completely justified in my actions, as it was within my power to do so, I chose to aid you. May history be the final arbiter in determining the wisdom of my actions.” His assertions were met with profound silence. Whenever Gabriel moved in for a retort, he was quietly, but firmly subdued by the others. Several days passed. The Wildlands opened up to them. Untamed, sparsely mapped, this was a natural world, a world mostly untouched by the oppressive hand of civilization. Great forests grew freely over rolling, grassy hillsides. The air was thick with swarming gnats. In the night, as they camped, boars continued to torment them, but they had learned how to combat the beasts with a greater efficiency, and although the beasts managed to let some blood of the companions, not a one fell to their tusks again. The following morning, as they ate a breakfast of hard bread and dried boar meat, Talon revealed that he had found tracks during his watch. After breakfast he showed them. Everyone gathered about where he stood. He pushed aside a clump of tall grass and revealed a patch of mud. Small footed tracks were stamped into the wet ground. Humanoid, but smaller, like a child’s. “Hold on a moment.” Said Lilian. “I think I see something.” She pushed through the grass and stopped a few feet in. She dug at the ground with her foot and suddenly lunged forward. Gabriel ran up beside her. She was sprawled on the ground. The others were soon helping her up. Under her foot there was a narrow hole covered in loose grass. It was large enough only to trip a passerby. “I thought so.” Talon uttered. “You thought what?” answered Hu Li. “There is an intelligence at work here. It seemed with each boar attack, they became more… organized.” At that, Hu Li scoffed and retorted, “Well, then, Talon, master tactician, disciple of the martial arts, can you devise by these meager clues what sort of intelligence may be in control?” Talon was used to Hu Li’s outbursts and not prone to bristle at such sophomoric jibes. Nonetheless, Hu Li’s manner of late had become quite irksome. “Perhaps Jordan, with some further investigation, I ca—“ “That’s THE ACOLYTE HU LI!” Hu Li cut him off, annoyed. Talon merely turned and continued looking for clues as to the nature of the intelligence at work in The Wildlands, but this time, with a slight unnoticed, satisfied smile. Meanwhile, Gabriel, Aesendal and Lilian had begun a search around the area, crawling through the tall grass, looking for any more pitfalls. With a short, sharp shout, Lilian vanished. A moment after she screamed in agony. Everyone rushed to the spot where she disappeared to find a massive pit, dug out of the soft ground and covered by now disturbed blades of tall grass. Lilian lay at the bottom. The floor was lined with wooden spikes. Most were broken or merely bent by her impact, but one shot clean through one of her legs. Gabriel immediately reached for whatever rope they had with them and lowered it down to her. She gritted her teeth as she pushed her leg up over the spike and tied the rope about her waist. With a great heave, the rest of them pulled her up out of the hole. They decided to rest here until the leg was sufficiently healed. As the sun set and they began to ingest portions of their rations Gabriel shook his head and sighed. “Hu Li was right.” Hu Li’s head sprang up and locked on Gabriel’s eyes. “We should never have come out here.” “Quite right.” Answered Hu Li. “I am glad someone is listening.” “At least…” continued Gabriel “…without Shale. It was foolishness. He is the only one we know who has ever been in the Wildlands. He could guide us through safely. Without him, I fear we are all doomed.” The sun set over the eastern horizon. Darkness spread and soon sleep took them all, but Gabriel, who kept watch over his sleeping comrades and his sister. The peace of the evening was cut short, however when bolts shot out of the shadows and pummeled the ground around the camp. Gabriel roused them all with a shout as, once again, they found themselves surrounded, only this time it was by strange, three foot tall, gray faced humanoids wearing thick layers of skins and carrying crude axes and swords. Talon counted twenty of them. With a shout from one of the creatures, they closed in. [/QUOTE]
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