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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3194585" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>The father dragon looked down the tunnel in rage. As the light-gray figure looked on not knowing if Semeion had made it or not, the ghostly figure was sure that the red hue of the dragon’s scales increased in intensity. Whether this was true or not, the light-gray figure smiled. He would likely never know if Semeion had made it or not, but the change in coloration led him to believe that the dragon was angry. If the dragon was angry, the light-gray figure could assume that Semeion had managed to make it alive.</p><p></p><p>Inside the underground tunnel, Semeion had managed to survive being knocked forward from the surge of the warm air coming before the flame. The flames hadn’t actually reached Semeion. If they had, he would likely not have survived at all. As it were, the concussive force of the blow had nearly knocked him unconscious. As he flew through the air and approached his hard landing upon the solid ground he spotted the alcove that had been used as a storage area by Ischarus and Charis.</p><p></p><p>Semeion hit the ground hard, but not hard enough to completely make him lose consciousness. Out of the corner of his eye without lifting his head, Semeion could see the dragon peering in on him. Semeion waited long enough for the dragon to remove his head to gloat and quickly rose up and slipped into the alcove. By the time the dragon could peer down the tunnel once more, Semeion was in the alcove and resting safely upon the floor. The stress from the quick movement continued the severe and throbbing pain in his leg.</p><p></p><p>Outside the tunnel, the dragon lifted his head in rage. Grixanthrosilithiss roared deeply and loudly. The roar erupted through the valley and echoed off of all available surfaces. This was all that the light-gray figure needed to see in order to know that his original assumption had been right. Semeion had survived, and the dragon father was not pleased with this turn of events.</p><p></p><p>The dragon father stood by the tunnel entrance for nearly an hour, watching down the tunnel intently. After his original roar of frustration the dragon never once let his eyes leave the tunnel. He was sure that Semeion had been lying there one minute and then gone the next; and he was determined to make sure that he was not fooled by some type of magic. Several times the red dragon cast his spell that allowed him to see magical auras, but in each case the dragon father was able to see nothing suspicious within the tunnel. After an hour of waiting, the dragon rose up to his feet and launched himself into the air. It was time to go and check the other side of the mountain and make sure this had not been some kind of rouse.</p><p></p><p>Semeion lay on his back for several hours. He knew that so long as the dragon father was at the tunnel entrance he was only safe where he was in the tunnel. No natural inhabitants of the tunnel would come this close to an obviously unpleased dragon at the exit. A few times Semeion allowed himself to drift into a shallow uneasy sleep. The sleep allowed him to escape his leg pain for even a few moments.</p><p></p><p>Once Semeion had rested, he decided that he would take advantage of the time in the alcove to study his magic. From within one of his secure pouches on the inside of his cloak Semeion pulled a small book bound in leather. He found a place within the alcove that he felt confident about casting his light spell without spilling ambient lighting into the main corridor. Semeion sat down upon the ground and drew his cloak up tight around him to shield himself from the cool stone floor. Smiling, Semeion gathered up a small amount of the fabric of his cloak into his hand and spoke the simple arcane expression. <span style="color: Plum">“Arack.”</span></p><p></p><p>His cloak instantly began to glow with a soft light. The light was not bright at all and gave no warmth, but it would be enough to study his arcane texts for the time he would be caged within the alcove. Semeion’s light lasted for several hours before the magical power drained from his cloak. As it did, Semeion considered casting another spell and staying in the alcove just to be safe.</p><p></p><p>Instead, Semeion decided to stretch. His knees creaked from sitting upon the cold stone in the same position for so long. As soon as his knees complained from the position change, Semeion’s back and shoulders likewise began to throb. Semeion realized that his neck had begun to develop a bit of a kink from looking down to the book in his lap. Once his body had decided to object to the thought of staying in the position longer, Semeion rose to his feet to stretch. It seemed like a good time to check the hall and see if the dragon father was still waiting for him. It was only when Semeion peeked his head out of the alcove in order to check the tunnel did he find out that the dragon father had given up on Semeion some time ago.</p><p></p><p>With the dragon father gone and his magical talents refreshed, Semeion decided to begin the long trip to the cavern where he expected to find Charis, Rhema, and the villagers. It was normally a day trip, but Semeion realized that for him and his injured condition it would likely be a multiple day walk. Semeion breathed deeply and spoke aloud to encourage his decision. <span style="color: Plum">“The leg won’t get any better without healing. Charis can bring that. You just need to find her, Semeion.”</span> Over the course of the past week, Semeion had begun talking to himself more and more to keep himself company. It was a feeble attempt to try and maintain his sanity against the odds of which he struggled.</p><p></p><p>Semeion stepped into the main passageway gingerly. Even though he couldn’t spot Grixanthrosilithiss at the tunnel entrance, he didn’t want to alert the dragon father by casting his spell too early. He wasn’t about to be in any particular hurry as he moved; his leg would not allow him to sustain that kind of speed. With his slowed speed, he was able to stumble forward in the darkness with relative ease. The side of the tunnel provided him with the stability that his leg couldn’t provide.</p><p></p><p>Once Semeion was far enough away from the tunnel entrance to enable him to feel that he had successfully escaped the grasp of Grixanthrosilithiss, Semeion pulled his sword out of the scabbard at his belt. Once again the magical word to create light came to his lips. <span style="color: Plum">“Arack.”</span> The blade of his sword now glistened with the magical light. Given that the magic of the spell was concentrated on a much smaller object than his entire cloak, the blade glistened much more brightly than his cloak had earlier radiated light. Semeion smiled, transferred the sword to his off hand, and held the sword in front of him as he reached for the tunnel wall to once more stabilize him and allow him to move with some efficiency.</p><p></p><p>Fortunately for Semeion the tunnels were quiet with natural life. It seemed as though the gnoll presence was greatly reduced from what he had remembered from the last trip. It very well could be that the intrusion of the village into the underground cavern had caused a temporary restructuring of the territorial claims. It could simply be that Semeion was lucky. Either way, Semeion was able to make his multiple-day journey with confronting nothing more than the occasional spider and centipede.</p><p></p><p>The days were long and filled with a dull throbbing pain, but Semeion was able to walk through the pain knowing that Charis, Rhema, and the rest of the villagers waited for him. Suddenly Semeion stopped as he passed through the tunnel. <span style="color: Plum">“I wonder how the situation with the new Provenience had worked itself out?”</span> Semeion hadn’t thought much about the new Provenience until now. He was drawing close to the chamber and it wouldn’t be long now until he found his answers. His mind couldn’t help but wander as he was this close to completing his journey.</p><p></p><p>In truth, it was slightly over three and a half more hours of walking before Semeion reached the outskirts of the village. The young mage wasn’t able to come upon the cave itself before finding signs of life. Instead, Semeion walked until he saw a small gathering of people in the tunnel ahead. He paused, obviously seeing them before they were able to see him. He counted eight people in all. Four of the people were active in some kind of task along the walls. Of the remaining four, two of them were closest to him and the other two were the farthest from his position. Each of these four members was armed with what looked like axes and wooden bucklers. Each of the four who were not involved in the task along the side of the walls had a torch in the hand that supported the buckler.</p><p></p><p>Semeion studied the people for an instant, releasing the arcane magic of the light that he had been using. His portion of the tunnel went dark, but it allowed him to see the group ahead of him better. It also allowed him to creep forward a considerable distance more before being discovered. As he moved forward he was able to discern two significant details. The group was made up of people that looked human. The second fact that Semeion was able to discern was that the group spoke in the draconic language to one another. Semeion smiled as he made this second revelation.</p><p></p><p>Semeion called out loud enough for the entire group to hear. <span style="color: Plum">“Has Druff found his freedom?”</span></p><p></p><p>The message was simple, but it would tell the group ahead of him two things. First, it would alert them to his presence. Second, it would tell them that he was a friend of Druff. If this group was part of the villagers as he suspected, that should immediately put them at ease.</p><p></p><p>At the sound of Semeion’s voice each of the group looked up. The two guards that were farthest from Semeion quickly crossed through the four members at work and joined the two nearest to him. The four sentries exchanged questioning glances before responding. <span style="color: Lime">“Druff is indeed free. Step into the light so that we may see you.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled even more broadly when they replied. He stepped forward slowly and explained as he moved. <span style="color: Plum">“Have patience with me, my leg is desperately wounded!”</span> The group stared in his direction until Semeion broke into the light.</p><p></p><p>As Semeion crossed into the radius of the light from the guards, each of the guards gasped in recognition. They could not forget the face of the one who had come and learned their customs to take Darrok’s place. Nor could they forget the face of the one that Charis and Rhema had told them had died to save Darrok’s own daughter. The leader of the guards asked, <span style="color: Lime">“Semeion? Is that you? We were told that you had died at the hands of the Provenience.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion chuckled. <span style="color: Plum">“Apparently the truth of my death has been exaggerated from rumors. Will you help me back to find all of my friends?”</span></p><p></p><p>The leader of the guards nodded and the other three stowed their weapons and rushed toward Semeion to aid him. The group along the side of the tunnel that had been collecting water stopped their task and stood to see Semeion’s arrival. The leader of the water collection task force spoke to the leader of the guards. <span style="color: Lime">“We’ve got enough to return home. If he’s that injured, we must take him to Charis now.”</span></p><p></p><p>The leader of the guards nodded in agreement. <span style="color: Lime">“Stegga, Barah, and Alessa – carry him to the village. We will follow you.”</span></p><p></p><p>The villagers quickly returned down the familiar tunnels until they approached the main chamber that held the rest of the villagers. When the chamber came into view, the guards who were carrying Semeion began to shout out for assistance. <span style="color: Lime">“Call Charis, we need assistance!” “Call Druff, he will want to see what we have found!” “Call Rhema and Xando, they will want to see this.”</span></p><p></p><p>At once the village came to life. Most of the villagers came to the entrance where the tunnel met the chamber to see what the commotion was about. One child in particular heard the call for Charis and charged to the small alcove where the food and water rationing had been located. <span style="color: Lime">“Misselle,”</span> as many of the young children had come to call Rhema and Charis, <span style="color: Lime">“Come quickly. Something is happening at the chamber entrance!”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis and Tierna exchanged confused glances before Charis spoke orders. <span style="color: Orange">“Tierna, come with me. Maya,”</span> Charis looked to the young girl that had alerted her, <span style="color: Orange">“you need to stay here and watch the food. Do not eat or drink anything and tell me if anyone comes in here.”</span> Both Tierna and Maya nodded and then exchanged positions.</p><p></p><p>Charis and Tierna charged out of the small storage area and immediately Charis saw Rhema. She was crying and pointing to the entrance. Charis turned and saw that Druff and Xando were in the sea of villagers and there was someone in the middle. As the crowd flowed together and people seemed to celebrate, Charis caught a glimpse of who was in the center. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears as she recognized the man who was being carried. He looked seriously wounded and in pain, but she recognized him all the same.</p><p></p><p>Rhema approached Charis and embraced her in a hug. Charis was frozen in disbelief. She stared into the pack of villagers as they slowly brought Semeion towards her. As the closed the gap, Semeion caught sight of Charis. He could see her crying as she watched him approach. The new Provenience stood behind Charis as if in a position of honorable service. That was all he needed to know. The crowd brought Semeion the whole way to Charis and Rhema and Charis found herself unable to speak.</p><p></p><p>Semeion could talk. He had managed to accomplish his mission. He had made it back to Charis and the villagers. <span style="color: Plum">“You can’t get rid of me that quickly.”</span> Semeion smiled and laughed as he tried to stand. His legs began to give way as Rhema reached out and caught him.</p><p></p><p>Rhema spoke as she caught him. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“But, how? You, there was no place for you to go!”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled. <span style="color: Plum">“Forgive me for not telling you my plan, Rhema. I had a spell that I had been working on for the several days we waited while the supplies were collected. It allows me to fall from a considerable distance without injury. It worked!”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema looked to Semeion and reacted in shock at his appearance. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“It worked? Look at yourself!”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled some more. <span style="color: Plum">“Well, it worked against the ground. The trees in my way didn’t listen as well. A few of the limbs broke my leg and a few ribs I think. But I landed on the ground softly! Once I was down on the ground I passed out from pain. I awoke at least one full day later, maybe more.”</span> Semeion looked to Charis and held her gaze.</p><p></p><p>Charis still couldn’t speak, but she reached out and embraced him in a deep hug. As she touched him, a yellow glow formed an aura around her body. The aura surrounded Semeion as well and then seemed to be absorbed into Semeion’s wounds. As they embraced, Semeion’s deep wounds were healed. At the sight of the golden aura, the villagers erupted in a loud cheer. Semeion looked around and noticed that at least one other person was affected besides Rhema and Charis. Tierna was also crying and smiling.</p><p></p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>The father dragon looked down the tunnel in rage. As the light-gray figure looked on not knowing if Semeion had made it or not, the ghostly figure was sure that the red hue of the dragon’s scales increased in intensity. Whether this was true or not, the light-gray figure smiled. He would likely never know if Semeion had made it or not, but the change in coloration led him to believe that the dragon was angry. If the dragon was angry, the light-gray figure could assume that Semeion had managed to make it alive.</p><p></p><p>Inside the underground tunnel, Semeion had managed to survive being knocked forward from the surge of the warm air coming before the flame. The flames hadn’t actually reached Semeion. If they had, he would likely not have survived at all. As it were, the concussive force of the blow had nearly knocked him unconscious. As he flew through the air and approached his hard landing upon the solid ground he spotted the alcove that had been used as a storage area by Ischarus and Charis.</p><p></p><p>Semeion hit the ground hard, but not hard enough to completely make him lose consciousness. Out of the corner of his eye without lifting his head, Semeion could see the dragon peering in on him. Semeion waited long enough for the dragon to remove his head to gloat and quickly rose up and slipped into the alcove. By the time the dragon could peer down the tunnel once more, Semeion was in the alcove and resting safely upon the floor. The stress from the quick movement continued the severe and throbbing pain in his leg.</p><p></p><p>Outside the tunnel, the dragon lifted his head in rage. Grixanthrosilithiss roared deeply and loudly. The roar erupted through the valley and echoed off of all available surfaces. This was all that the light-gray figure needed to see in order to know that his original assumption had been right. Semeion had survived, and the dragon father was not pleased with this turn of events.</p><p></p><p>The dragon father stood by the tunnel entrance for nearly an hour, watching down the tunnel intently. After his original roar of frustration the dragon never once let his eyes leave the tunnel. He was sure that Semeion had been lying there one minute and then gone the next; and he was determined to make sure that he was not fooled by some type of magic. Several times the red dragon cast his spell that allowed him to see magical auras, but in each case the dragon father was able to see nothing suspicious within the tunnel. After an hour of waiting, the dragon rose up to his feet and launched himself into the air. It was time to go and check the other side of the mountain and make sure this had not been some kind of rouse.</p><p></p><p>Semeion lay on his back for several hours. He knew that so long as the dragon father was at the tunnel entrance he was only safe where he was in the tunnel. No natural inhabitants of the tunnel would come this close to an obviously unpleased dragon at the exit. A few times Semeion allowed himself to drift into a shallow uneasy sleep. The sleep allowed him to escape his leg pain for even a few moments.</p><p></p><p>Once Semeion had rested, he decided that he would take advantage of the time in the alcove to study his magic. From within one of his secure pouches on the inside of his cloak Semeion pulled a small book bound in leather. He found a place within the alcove that he felt confident about casting his light spell without spilling ambient lighting into the main corridor. Semeion sat down upon the ground and drew his cloak up tight around him to shield himself from the cool stone floor. Smiling, Semeion gathered up a small amount of the fabric of his cloak into his hand and spoke the simple arcane expression. “Arack.”</p><p></p><p>His cloak instantly began to glow with a soft light. The light was not bright at all and gave no warmth, but it would be enough to study his arcane texts for the time he would be caged within the alcove. Semeion’s light lasted for several hours before the magical power drained from his cloak. As it did, Semeion considered casting another spell and staying in the alcove just to be safe.</p><p></p><p>Instead, Semeion decided to stretch. His knees creaked from sitting upon the cold stone in the same position for so long. As soon as his knees complained from the position change, Semeion’s back and shoulders likewise began to throb. Semeion realized that his neck had begun to develop a bit of a kink from looking down to the book in his lap. Once his body had decided to object to the thought of staying in the position longer, Semeion rose to his feet to stretch. It seemed like a good time to check the hall and see if the dragon father was still waiting for him. It was only when Semeion peeked his head out of the alcove in order to check the tunnel did he find out that the dragon father had given up on Semeion some time ago.</p><p></p><p>With the dragon father gone and his magical talents refreshed, Semeion decided to begin the long trip to the cavern where he expected to find Charis, Rhema, and the villagers. It was normally a day trip, but Semeion realized that for him and his injured condition it would likely be a multiple day walk. Semeion breathed deeply and spoke aloud to encourage his decision. “The leg won’t get any better without healing. Charis can bring that. You just need to find her, Semeion.” Over the course of the past week, Semeion had begun talking to himself more and more to keep himself company. It was a feeble attempt to try and maintain his sanity against the odds of which he struggled.</p><p></p><p>Semeion stepped into the main passageway gingerly. Even though he couldn’t spot Grixanthrosilithiss at the tunnel entrance, he didn’t want to alert the dragon father by casting his spell too early. He wasn’t about to be in any particular hurry as he moved; his leg would not allow him to sustain that kind of speed. With his slowed speed, he was able to stumble forward in the darkness with relative ease. The side of the tunnel provided him with the stability that his leg couldn’t provide.</p><p></p><p>Once Semeion was far enough away from the tunnel entrance to enable him to feel that he had successfully escaped the grasp of Grixanthrosilithiss, Semeion pulled his sword out of the scabbard at his belt. Once again the magical word to create light came to his lips. “Arack.” The blade of his sword now glistened with the magical light. Given that the magic of the spell was concentrated on a much smaller object than his entire cloak, the blade glistened much more brightly than his cloak had earlier radiated light. Semeion smiled, transferred the sword to his off hand, and held the sword in front of him as he reached for the tunnel wall to once more stabilize him and allow him to move with some efficiency.</p><p></p><p>Fortunately for Semeion the tunnels were quiet with natural life. It seemed as though the gnoll presence was greatly reduced from what he had remembered from the last trip. It very well could be that the intrusion of the village into the underground cavern had caused a temporary restructuring of the territorial claims. It could simply be that Semeion was lucky. Either way, Semeion was able to make his multiple-day journey with confronting nothing more than the occasional spider and centipede.</p><p></p><p>The days were long and filled with a dull throbbing pain, but Semeion was able to walk through the pain knowing that Charis, Rhema, and the rest of the villagers waited for him. Suddenly Semeion stopped as he passed through the tunnel. “I wonder how the situation with the new Provenience had worked itself out?” Semeion hadn’t thought much about the new Provenience until now. He was drawing close to the chamber and it wouldn’t be long now until he found his answers. His mind couldn’t help but wander as he was this close to completing his journey.</p><p></p><p>In truth, it was slightly over three and a half more hours of walking before Semeion reached the outskirts of the village. The young mage wasn’t able to come upon the cave itself before finding signs of life. Instead, Semeion walked until he saw a small gathering of people in the tunnel ahead. He paused, obviously seeing them before they were able to see him. He counted eight people in all. Four of the people were active in some kind of task along the walls. Of the remaining four, two of them were closest to him and the other two were the farthest from his position. Each of these four members was armed with what looked like axes and wooden bucklers. Each of the four who were not involved in the task along the side of the walls had a torch in the hand that supported the buckler.</p><p></p><p>Semeion studied the people for an instant, releasing the arcane magic of the light that he had been using. His portion of the tunnel went dark, but it allowed him to see the group ahead of him better. It also allowed him to creep forward a considerable distance more before being discovered. As he moved forward he was able to discern two significant details. The group was made up of people that looked human. The second fact that Semeion was able to discern was that the group spoke in the draconic language to one another. Semeion smiled as he made this second revelation.</p><p></p><p>Semeion called out loud enough for the entire group to hear. “Has Druff found his freedom?”</p><p></p><p>The message was simple, but it would tell the group ahead of him two things. First, it would alert them to his presence. Second, it would tell them that he was a friend of Druff. If this group was part of the villagers as he suspected, that should immediately put them at ease.</p><p></p><p>At the sound of Semeion’s voice each of the group looked up. The two guards that were farthest from Semeion quickly crossed through the four members at work and joined the two nearest to him. The four sentries exchanged questioning glances before responding. “Druff is indeed free. Step into the light so that we may see you.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled even more broadly when they replied. He stepped forward slowly and explained as he moved. “Have patience with me, my leg is desperately wounded!” The group stared in his direction until Semeion broke into the light.</p><p></p><p>As Semeion crossed into the radius of the light from the guards, each of the guards gasped in recognition. They could not forget the face of the one who had come and learned their customs to take Darrok’s place. Nor could they forget the face of the one that Charis and Rhema had told them had died to save Darrok’s own daughter. The leader of the guards asked, “Semeion? Is that you? We were told that you had died at the hands of the Provenience.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion chuckled. “Apparently the truth of my death has been exaggerated from rumors. Will you help me back to find all of my friends?”</p><p></p><p>The leader of the guards nodded and the other three stowed their weapons and rushed toward Semeion to aid him. The group along the side of the tunnel that had been collecting water stopped their task and stood to see Semeion’s arrival. The leader of the water collection task force spoke to the leader of the guards. “We’ve got enough to return home. If he’s that injured, we must take him to Charis now.”</p><p></p><p>The leader of the guards nodded in agreement. “Stegga, Barah, and Alessa – carry him to the village. We will follow you.”</p><p></p><p>The villagers quickly returned down the familiar tunnels until they approached the main chamber that held the rest of the villagers. When the chamber came into view, the guards who were carrying Semeion began to shout out for assistance. “Call Charis, we need assistance!” “Call Druff, he will want to see what we have found!” “Call Rhema and Xando, they will want to see this.”</p><p></p><p>At once the village came to life. Most of the villagers came to the entrance where the tunnel met the chamber to see what the commotion was about. One child in particular heard the call for Charis and charged to the small alcove where the food and water rationing had been located. “Misselle,” as many of the young children had come to call Rhema and Charis, “Come quickly. Something is happening at the chamber entrance!”</p><p></p><p>Charis and Tierna exchanged confused glances before Charis spoke orders. “Tierna, come with me. Maya,” Charis looked to the young girl that had alerted her, “you need to stay here and watch the food. Do not eat or drink anything and tell me if anyone comes in here.” Both Tierna and Maya nodded and then exchanged positions.</p><p></p><p>Charis and Tierna charged out of the small storage area and immediately Charis saw Rhema. She was crying and pointing to the entrance. Charis turned and saw that Druff and Xando were in the sea of villagers and there was someone in the middle. As the crowd flowed together and people seemed to celebrate, Charis caught a glimpse of who was in the center. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears as she recognized the man who was being carried. He looked seriously wounded and in pain, but she recognized him all the same.</p><p></p><p>Rhema approached Charis and embraced her in a hug. Charis was frozen in disbelief. She stared into the pack of villagers as they slowly brought Semeion towards her. As the closed the gap, Semeion caught sight of Charis. He could see her crying as she watched him approach. The new Provenience stood behind Charis as if in a position of honorable service. That was all he needed to know. The crowd brought Semeion the whole way to Charis and Rhema and Charis found herself unable to speak.</p><p></p><p>Semeion could talk. He had managed to accomplish his mission. He had made it back to Charis and the villagers. “You can’t get rid of me that quickly.” Semeion smiled and laughed as he tried to stand. His legs began to give way as Rhema reached out and caught him.</p><p></p><p>Rhema spoke as she caught him. “But, how? You, there was no place for you to go!”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled. “Forgive me for not telling you my plan, Rhema. I had a spell that I had been working on for the several days we waited while the supplies were collected. It allows me to fall from a considerable distance without injury. It worked!”</p><p></p><p>Rhema looked to Semeion and reacted in shock at his appearance. “It worked? Look at yourself!”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled some more. “Well, it worked against the ground. The trees in my way didn’t listen as well. A few of the limbs broke my leg and a few ribs I think. But I landed on the ground softly! Once I was down on the ground I passed out from pain. I awoke at least one full day later, maybe more.” Semeion looked to Charis and held her gaze.</p><p></p><p>Charis still couldn’t speak, but she reached out and embraced him in a deep hug. As she touched him, a yellow glow formed an aura around her body. The aura surrounded Semeion as well and then seemed to be absorbed into Semeion’s wounds. As they embraced, Semeion’s deep wounds were healed. At the sight of the golden aura, the villagers erupted in a loud cheer. Semeion looked around and noticed that at least one other person was affected besides Rhema and Charis. Tierna was also crying and smiling.[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3194585, member: 35788"] The father dragon looked down the tunnel in rage. As the light-gray figure looked on not knowing if Semeion had made it or not, the ghostly figure was sure that the red hue of the dragon’s scales increased in intensity. Whether this was true or not, the light-gray figure smiled. He would likely never know if Semeion had made it or not, but the change in coloration led him to believe that the dragon was angry. If the dragon was angry, the light-gray figure could assume that Semeion had managed to make it alive. Inside the underground tunnel, Semeion had managed to survive being knocked forward from the surge of the warm air coming before the flame. The flames hadn’t actually reached Semeion. If they had, he would likely not have survived at all. As it were, the concussive force of the blow had nearly knocked him unconscious. As he flew through the air and approached his hard landing upon the solid ground he spotted the alcove that had been used as a storage area by Ischarus and Charis. Semeion hit the ground hard, but not hard enough to completely make him lose consciousness. Out of the corner of his eye without lifting his head, Semeion could see the dragon peering in on him. Semeion waited long enough for the dragon to remove his head to gloat and quickly rose up and slipped into the alcove. By the time the dragon could peer down the tunnel once more, Semeion was in the alcove and resting safely upon the floor. The stress from the quick movement continued the severe and throbbing pain in his leg. Outside the tunnel, the dragon lifted his head in rage. Grixanthrosilithiss roared deeply and loudly. The roar erupted through the valley and echoed off of all available surfaces. This was all that the light-gray figure needed to see in order to know that his original assumption had been right. Semeion had survived, and the dragon father was not pleased with this turn of events. The dragon father stood by the tunnel entrance for nearly an hour, watching down the tunnel intently. After his original roar of frustration the dragon never once let his eyes leave the tunnel. He was sure that Semeion had been lying there one minute and then gone the next; and he was determined to make sure that he was not fooled by some type of magic. Several times the red dragon cast his spell that allowed him to see magical auras, but in each case the dragon father was able to see nothing suspicious within the tunnel. After an hour of waiting, the dragon rose up to his feet and launched himself into the air. It was time to go and check the other side of the mountain and make sure this had not been some kind of rouse. Semeion lay on his back for several hours. He knew that so long as the dragon father was at the tunnel entrance he was only safe where he was in the tunnel. No natural inhabitants of the tunnel would come this close to an obviously unpleased dragon at the exit. A few times Semeion allowed himself to drift into a shallow uneasy sleep. The sleep allowed him to escape his leg pain for even a few moments. Once Semeion had rested, he decided that he would take advantage of the time in the alcove to study his magic. From within one of his secure pouches on the inside of his cloak Semeion pulled a small book bound in leather. He found a place within the alcove that he felt confident about casting his light spell without spilling ambient lighting into the main corridor. Semeion sat down upon the ground and drew his cloak up tight around him to shield himself from the cool stone floor. Smiling, Semeion gathered up a small amount of the fabric of his cloak into his hand and spoke the simple arcane expression. [Color=Plum]“Arack.”[/Color] His cloak instantly began to glow with a soft light. The light was not bright at all and gave no warmth, but it would be enough to study his arcane texts for the time he would be caged within the alcove. Semeion’s light lasted for several hours before the magical power drained from his cloak. As it did, Semeion considered casting another spell and staying in the alcove just to be safe. Instead, Semeion decided to stretch. His knees creaked from sitting upon the cold stone in the same position for so long. As soon as his knees complained from the position change, Semeion’s back and shoulders likewise began to throb. Semeion realized that his neck had begun to develop a bit of a kink from looking down to the book in his lap. Once his body had decided to object to the thought of staying in the position longer, Semeion rose to his feet to stretch. It seemed like a good time to check the hall and see if the dragon father was still waiting for him. It was only when Semeion peeked his head out of the alcove in order to check the tunnel did he find out that the dragon father had given up on Semeion some time ago. With the dragon father gone and his magical talents refreshed, Semeion decided to begin the long trip to the cavern where he expected to find Charis, Rhema, and the villagers. It was normally a day trip, but Semeion realized that for him and his injured condition it would likely be a multiple day walk. Semeion breathed deeply and spoke aloud to encourage his decision. [Color=Plum]“The leg won’t get any better without healing. Charis can bring that. You just need to find her, Semeion.”[/Color] Over the course of the past week, Semeion had begun talking to himself more and more to keep himself company. It was a feeble attempt to try and maintain his sanity against the odds of which he struggled. Semeion stepped into the main passageway gingerly. Even though he couldn’t spot Grixanthrosilithiss at the tunnel entrance, he didn’t want to alert the dragon father by casting his spell too early. He wasn’t about to be in any particular hurry as he moved; his leg would not allow him to sustain that kind of speed. With his slowed speed, he was able to stumble forward in the darkness with relative ease. The side of the tunnel provided him with the stability that his leg couldn’t provide. Once Semeion was far enough away from the tunnel entrance to enable him to feel that he had successfully escaped the grasp of Grixanthrosilithiss, Semeion pulled his sword out of the scabbard at his belt. Once again the magical word to create light came to his lips. [Color=Plum]“Arack.”[/Color] The blade of his sword now glistened with the magical light. Given that the magic of the spell was concentrated on a much smaller object than his entire cloak, the blade glistened much more brightly than his cloak had earlier radiated light. Semeion smiled, transferred the sword to his off hand, and held the sword in front of him as he reached for the tunnel wall to once more stabilize him and allow him to move with some efficiency. Fortunately for Semeion the tunnels were quiet with natural life. It seemed as though the gnoll presence was greatly reduced from what he had remembered from the last trip. It very well could be that the intrusion of the village into the underground cavern had caused a temporary restructuring of the territorial claims. It could simply be that Semeion was lucky. Either way, Semeion was able to make his multiple-day journey with confronting nothing more than the occasional spider and centipede. The days were long and filled with a dull throbbing pain, but Semeion was able to walk through the pain knowing that Charis, Rhema, and the rest of the villagers waited for him. Suddenly Semeion stopped as he passed through the tunnel. [Color=Plum]“I wonder how the situation with the new Provenience had worked itself out?”[/Color] Semeion hadn’t thought much about the new Provenience until now. He was drawing close to the chamber and it wouldn’t be long now until he found his answers. His mind couldn’t help but wander as he was this close to completing his journey. In truth, it was slightly over three and a half more hours of walking before Semeion reached the outskirts of the village. The young mage wasn’t able to come upon the cave itself before finding signs of life. Instead, Semeion walked until he saw a small gathering of people in the tunnel ahead. He paused, obviously seeing them before they were able to see him. He counted eight people in all. Four of the people were active in some kind of task along the walls. Of the remaining four, two of them were closest to him and the other two were the farthest from his position. Each of these four members was armed with what looked like axes and wooden bucklers. Each of the four who were not involved in the task along the side of the walls had a torch in the hand that supported the buckler. Semeion studied the people for an instant, releasing the arcane magic of the light that he had been using. His portion of the tunnel went dark, but it allowed him to see the group ahead of him better. It also allowed him to creep forward a considerable distance more before being discovered. As he moved forward he was able to discern two significant details. The group was made up of people that looked human. The second fact that Semeion was able to discern was that the group spoke in the draconic language to one another. Semeion smiled as he made this second revelation. Semeion called out loud enough for the entire group to hear. [Color=Plum]“Has Druff found his freedom?”[/Color] The message was simple, but it would tell the group ahead of him two things. First, it would alert them to his presence. Second, it would tell them that he was a friend of Druff. If this group was part of the villagers as he suspected, that should immediately put them at ease. At the sound of Semeion’s voice each of the group looked up. The two guards that were farthest from Semeion quickly crossed through the four members at work and joined the two nearest to him. The four sentries exchanged questioning glances before responding. [Color=Lime]“Druff is indeed free. Step into the light so that we may see you.”[/Color] Semeion smiled even more broadly when they replied. He stepped forward slowly and explained as he moved. [Color=Plum]“Have patience with me, my leg is desperately wounded!”[/Color] The group stared in his direction until Semeion broke into the light. As Semeion crossed into the radius of the light from the guards, each of the guards gasped in recognition. They could not forget the face of the one who had come and learned their customs to take Darrok’s place. Nor could they forget the face of the one that Charis and Rhema had told them had died to save Darrok’s own daughter. The leader of the guards asked, [Color=Lime]“Semeion? Is that you? We were told that you had died at the hands of the Provenience.”[/Color] Semeion chuckled. [Color=Plum]“Apparently the truth of my death has been exaggerated from rumors. Will you help me back to find all of my friends?”[/Color] The leader of the guards nodded and the other three stowed their weapons and rushed toward Semeion to aid him. The group along the side of the tunnel that had been collecting water stopped their task and stood to see Semeion’s arrival. The leader of the water collection task force spoke to the leader of the guards. [Color=Lime]“We’ve got enough to return home. If he’s that injured, we must take him to Charis now.”[/Color] The leader of the guards nodded in agreement. [Color=Lime]“Stegga, Barah, and Alessa – carry him to the village. We will follow you.”[/Color] The villagers quickly returned down the familiar tunnels until they approached the main chamber that held the rest of the villagers. When the chamber came into view, the guards who were carrying Semeion began to shout out for assistance. [Color=Lime]“Call Charis, we need assistance!” “Call Druff, he will want to see what we have found!” “Call Rhema and Xando, they will want to see this.”[/Color] At once the village came to life. Most of the villagers came to the entrance where the tunnel met the chamber to see what the commotion was about. One child in particular heard the call for Charis and charged to the small alcove where the food and water rationing had been located. [Color=Lime]“Misselle,”[/Color] as many of the young children had come to call Rhema and Charis, [Color=Lime]“Come quickly. Something is happening at the chamber entrance!”[/Color] Charis and Tierna exchanged confused glances before Charis spoke orders. [Color=Orange]“Tierna, come with me. Maya,”[/Color] Charis looked to the young girl that had alerted her, [Color=Orange]“you need to stay here and watch the food. Do not eat or drink anything and tell me if anyone comes in here.”[/Color] Both Tierna and Maya nodded and then exchanged positions. Charis and Tierna charged out of the small storage area and immediately Charis saw Rhema. She was crying and pointing to the entrance. Charis turned and saw that Druff and Xando were in the sea of villagers and there was someone in the middle. As the crowd flowed together and people seemed to celebrate, Charis caught a glimpse of who was in the center. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears as she recognized the man who was being carried. He looked seriously wounded and in pain, but she recognized him all the same. Rhema approached Charis and embraced her in a hug. Charis was frozen in disbelief. She stared into the pack of villagers as they slowly brought Semeion towards her. As the closed the gap, Semeion caught sight of Charis. He could see her crying as she watched him approach. The new Provenience stood behind Charis as if in a position of honorable service. That was all he needed to know. The crowd brought Semeion the whole way to Charis and Rhema and Charis found herself unable to speak. Semeion could talk. He had managed to accomplish his mission. He had made it back to Charis and the villagers. [Color=Plum]“You can’t get rid of me that quickly.”[/Color] Semeion smiled and laughed as he tried to stand. His legs began to give way as Rhema reached out and caught him. Rhema spoke as she caught him. [Color=PaleGreen]“But, how? You, there was no place for you to go!”[/Color] Semeion smiled. [Color=Plum]“Forgive me for not telling you my plan, Rhema. I had a spell that I had been working on for the several days we waited while the supplies were collected. It allows me to fall from a considerable distance without injury. It worked!”[/Color] Rhema looked to Semeion and reacted in shock at his appearance. [Color=PaleGreen]“It worked? Look at yourself!”[/Color] Semeion smiled some more. [Color=Plum]“Well, it worked against the ground. The trees in my way didn’t listen as well. A few of the limbs broke my leg and a few ribs I think. But I landed on the ground softly! Once I was down on the ground I passed out from pain. I awoke at least one full day later, maybe more.”[/Color] Semeion looked to Charis and held her gaze. Charis still couldn’t speak, but she reached out and embraced him in a deep hug. As she touched him, a yellow glow formed an aura around her body. The aura surrounded Semeion as well and then seemed to be absorbed into Semeion’s wounds. As they embraced, Semeion’s deep wounds were healed. At the sight of the golden aura, the villagers erupted in a loud cheer. Semeion looked around and noticed that at least one other person was affected besides Rhema and Charis. Tierna was also crying and smiling. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] The father dragon looked down the tunnel in rage. As the light-gray figure looked on not knowing if Semeion had made it or not, the ghostly figure was sure that the red hue of the dragon’s scales increased in intensity. Whether this was true or not, the light-gray figure smiled. He would likely never know if Semeion had made it or not, but the change in coloration led him to believe that the dragon was angry. If the dragon was angry, the light-gray figure could assume that Semeion had managed to make it alive. Inside the underground tunnel, Semeion had managed to survive being knocked forward from the surge of the warm air coming before the flame. The flames hadn’t actually reached Semeion. If they had, he would likely not have survived at all. As it were, the concussive force of the blow had nearly knocked him unconscious. As he flew through the air and approached his hard landing upon the solid ground he spotted the alcove that had been used as a storage area by Ischarus and Charis. Semeion hit the ground hard, but not hard enough to completely make him lose consciousness. Out of the corner of his eye without lifting his head, Semeion could see the dragon peering in on him. Semeion waited long enough for the dragon to remove his head to gloat and quickly rose up and slipped into the alcove. By the time the dragon could peer down the tunnel once more, Semeion was in the alcove and resting safely upon the floor. The stress from the quick movement continued the severe and throbbing pain in his leg. Outside the tunnel, the dragon lifted his head in rage. Grixanthrosilithiss roared deeply and loudly. The roar erupted through the valley and echoed off of all available surfaces. This was all that the light-gray figure needed to see in order to know that his original assumption had been right. Semeion had survived, and the dragon father was not pleased with this turn of events. The dragon father stood by the tunnel entrance for nearly an hour, watching down the tunnel intently. After his original roar of frustration the dragon never once let his eyes leave the tunnel. He was sure that Semeion had been lying there one minute and then gone the next; and he was determined to make sure that he was not fooled by some type of magic. Several times the red dragon cast his spell that allowed him to see magical auras, but in each case the dragon father was able to see nothing suspicious within the tunnel. After an hour of waiting, the dragon rose up to his feet and launched himself into the air. It was time to go and check the other side of the mountain and make sure this had not been some kind of rouse. Semeion lay on his back for several hours. He knew that so long as the dragon father was at the tunnel entrance he was only safe where he was in the tunnel. No natural inhabitants of the tunnel would come this close to an obviously unpleased dragon at the exit. A few times Semeion allowed himself to drift into a shallow uneasy sleep. The sleep allowed him to escape his leg pain for even a few moments. Once Semeion had rested, he decided that he would take advantage of the time in the alcove to study his magic. From within one of his secure pouches on the inside of his cloak Semeion pulled a small book bound in leather. He found a place within the alcove that he felt confident about casting his light spell without spilling ambient lighting into the main corridor. Semeion sat down upon the ground and drew his cloak up tight around him to shield himself from the cool stone floor. Smiling, Semeion gathered up a small amount of the fabric of his cloak into his hand and spoke the simple arcane expression. “Arack.” His cloak instantly began to glow with a soft light. The light was not bright at all and gave no warmth, but it would be enough to study his arcane texts for the time he would be caged within the alcove. Semeion’s light lasted for several hours before the magical power drained from his cloak. As it did, Semeion considered casting another spell and staying in the alcove just to be safe. Instead, Semeion decided to stretch. His knees creaked from sitting upon the cold stone in the same position for so long. As soon as his knees complained from the position change, Semeion’s back and shoulders likewise began to throb. Semeion realized that his neck had begun to develop a bit of a kink from looking down to the book in his lap. Once his body had decided to object to the thought of staying in the position longer, Semeion rose to his feet to stretch. It seemed like a good time to check the hall and see if the dragon father was still waiting for him. It was only when Semeion peeked his head out of the alcove in order to check the tunnel did he find out that the dragon father had given up on Semeion some time ago. With the dragon father gone and his magical talents refreshed, Semeion decided to begin the long trip to the cavern where he expected to find Charis, Rhema, and the villagers. It was normally a day trip, but Semeion realized that for him and his injured condition it would likely be a multiple day walk. Semeion breathed deeply and spoke aloud to encourage his decision. “The leg won’t get any better without healing. Charis can bring that. You just need to find her, Semeion.” Over the course of the past week, Semeion had begun talking to himself more and more to keep himself company. It was a feeble attempt to try and maintain his sanity against the odds of which he struggled. Semeion stepped into the main passageway gingerly. Even though he couldn’t spot Grixanthrosilithiss at the tunnel entrance, he didn’t want to alert the dragon father by casting his spell too early. He wasn’t about to be in any particular hurry as he moved; his leg would not allow him to sustain that kind of speed. With his slowed speed, he was able to stumble forward in the darkness with relative ease. The side of the tunnel provided him with the stability that his leg couldn’t provide. Once Semeion was far enough away from the tunnel entrance to enable him to feel that he had successfully escaped the grasp of Grixanthrosilithiss, Semeion pulled his sword out of the scabbard at his belt. Once again the magical word to create light came to his lips. “Arack.” The blade of his sword now glistened with the magical light. Given that the magic of the spell was concentrated on a much smaller object than his entire cloak, the blade glistened much more brightly than his cloak had earlier radiated light. Semeion smiled, transferred the sword to his off hand, and held the sword in front of him as he reached for the tunnel wall to once more stabilize him and allow him to move with some efficiency. Fortunately for Semeion the tunnels were quiet with natural life. It seemed as though the gnoll presence was greatly reduced from what he had remembered from the last trip. It very well could be that the intrusion of the village into the underground cavern had caused a temporary restructuring of the territorial claims. It could simply be that Semeion was lucky. Either way, Semeion was able to make his multiple-day journey with confronting nothing more than the occasional spider and centipede. The days were long and filled with a dull throbbing pain, but Semeion was able to walk through the pain knowing that Charis, Rhema, and the rest of the villagers waited for him. Suddenly Semeion stopped as he passed through the tunnel. “I wonder how the situation with the new Provenience had worked itself out?” Semeion hadn’t thought much about the new Provenience until now. He was drawing close to the chamber and it wouldn’t be long now until he found his answers. His mind couldn’t help but wander as he was this close to completing his journey. In truth, it was slightly over three and a half more hours of walking before Semeion reached the outskirts of the village. The young mage wasn’t able to come upon the cave itself before finding signs of life. Instead, Semeion walked until he saw a small gathering of people in the tunnel ahead. He paused, obviously seeing them before they were able to see him. He counted eight people in all. Four of the people were active in some kind of task along the walls. Of the remaining four, two of them were closest to him and the other two were the farthest from his position. Each of these four members was armed with what looked like axes and wooden bucklers. Each of the four who were not involved in the task along the side of the walls had a torch in the hand that supported the buckler. Semeion studied the people for an instant, releasing the arcane magic of the light that he had been using. His portion of the tunnel went dark, but it allowed him to see the group ahead of him better. It also allowed him to creep forward a considerable distance more before being discovered. As he moved forward he was able to discern two significant details. The group was made up of people that looked human. The second fact that Semeion was able to discern was that the group spoke in the draconic language to one another. Semeion smiled as he made this second revelation. Semeion called out loud enough for the entire group to hear. “Has Druff found his freedom?” The message was simple, but it would tell the group ahead of him two things. First, it would alert them to his presence. Second, it would tell them that he was a friend of Druff. If this group was part of the villagers as he suspected, that should immediately put them at ease. At the sound of Semeion’s voice each of the group looked up. The two guards that were farthest from Semeion quickly crossed through the four members at work and joined the two nearest to him. The four sentries exchanged questioning glances before responding. “Druff is indeed free. Step into the light so that we may see you.” Semeion smiled even more broadly when they replied. He stepped forward slowly and explained as he moved. “Have patience with me, my leg is desperately wounded!” The group stared in his direction until Semeion broke into the light. As Semeion crossed into the radius of the light from the guards, each of the guards gasped in recognition. They could not forget the face of the one who had come and learned their customs to take Darrok’s place. Nor could they forget the face of the one that Charis and Rhema had told them had died to save Darrok’s own daughter. The leader of the guards asked, “Semeion? Is that you? We were told that you had died at the hands of the Provenience.” Semeion chuckled. “Apparently the truth of my death has been exaggerated from rumors. Will you help me back to find all of my friends?” The leader of the guards nodded and the other three stowed their weapons and rushed toward Semeion to aid him. The group along the side of the tunnel that had been collecting water stopped their task and stood to see Semeion’s arrival. The leader of the water collection task force spoke to the leader of the guards. “We’ve got enough to return home. If he’s that injured, we must take him to Charis now.” The leader of the guards nodded in agreement. “Stegga, Barah, and Alessa – carry him to the village. We will follow you.” The villagers quickly returned down the familiar tunnels until they approached the main chamber that held the rest of the villagers. When the chamber came into view, the guards who were carrying Semeion began to shout out for assistance. “Call Charis, we need assistance!” “Call Druff, he will want to see what we have found!” “Call Rhema and Xando, they will want to see this.” At once the village came to life. Most of the villagers came to the entrance where the tunnel met the chamber to see what the commotion was about. One child in particular heard the call for Charis and charged to the small alcove where the food and water rationing had been located. “Misselle,” as many of the young children had come to call Rhema and Charis, “Come quickly. Something is happening at the chamber entrance!” Charis and Tierna exchanged confused glances before Charis spoke orders. “Tierna, come with me. Maya,” Charis looked to the young girl that had alerted her, “you need to stay here and watch the food. Do not eat or drink anything and tell me if anyone comes in here.” Both Tierna and Maya nodded and then exchanged positions. Charis and Tierna charged out of the small storage area and immediately Charis saw Rhema. She was crying and pointing to the entrance. Charis turned and saw that Druff and Xando were in the sea of villagers and there was someone in the middle. As the crowd flowed together and people seemed to celebrate, Charis caught a glimpse of who was in the center. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears as she recognized the man who was being carried. He looked seriously wounded and in pain, but she recognized him all the same. Rhema approached Charis and embraced her in a hug. Charis was frozen in disbelief. She stared into the pack of villagers as they slowly brought Semeion towards her. As the closed the gap, Semeion caught sight of Charis. He could see her crying as she watched him approach. The new Provenience stood behind Charis as if in a position of honorable service. That was all he needed to know. The crowd brought Semeion the whole way to Charis and Rhema and Charis found herself unable to speak. Semeion could talk. He had managed to accomplish his mission. He had made it back to Charis and the villagers. “You can’t get rid of me that quickly.” Semeion smiled and laughed as he tried to stand. His legs began to give way as Rhema reached out and caught him. Rhema spoke as she caught him. “But, how? You, there was no place for you to go!” Semeion smiled. “Forgive me for not telling you my plan, Rhema. I had a spell that I had been working on for the several days we waited while the supplies were collected. It allows me to fall from a considerable distance without injury. It worked!” Rhema looked to Semeion and reacted in shock at his appearance. “It worked? Look at yourself!” Semeion smiled some more. “Well, it worked against the ground. The trees in my way didn’t listen as well. A few of the limbs broke my leg and a few ribs I think. But I landed on the ground softly! Once I was down on the ground I passed out from pain. I awoke at least one full day later, maybe more.” Semeion looked to Charis and held her gaze. Charis still couldn’t speak, but she reached out and embraced him in a deep hug. As she touched him, a yellow glow formed an aura around her body. The aura surrounded Semeion as well and then seemed to be absorbed into Semeion’s wounds. As they embraced, Semeion’s deep wounds were healed. At the sight of the golden aura, the villagers erupted in a loud cheer. Semeion looked around and noticed that at least one other person was affected besides Rhema and Charis. Tierna was also crying and smiling.[/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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