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<blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1335457" data-attributes="member: 15043"><p>Shaun did not have any of his armor on, and before much could be done, two claws slashed through his thin tunics and into his skin. He felt his skin curling and burning, as if acid had been poured into the wounds,and a thin whisp of smokiness from his chest wafted into the air. Confused and in pain, he looked down and saw that “Elenya’s” hands now ended in large claws, and the fingers now appeared to be devoid of skin, and less and less of her looked like it was covered by skin... more and more sickening, writhing muscles came into view.</p><p></p><p>Patrons began running out of the bar, screaming at the first attack, and within seconds the party was in full combat mode. Not just Shaun, but the entire party had been caught at a disadvantage. Other than Tess’ harp and Lucius’ sword, no one had carried anything greater than a dagger to the Baron’s party, and neither had anyone gone upstairs to get their weapons or armor. Tess’ harp was out and her familiar musical strike lashed out by sonic waves, hitting the creature hard as more and more of its skin became devoid of flesh, and nothing more it looked like a human flayed alive, a sea of writhing musles with no covering.</p><p></p><p>Lucius’ sword came out, and he slashed hard at the creature, which leapt back in pain. Its blood spattered on one of the tables, and hissing noises rose as it burned through the wood. At the same time Elenya pushes past the stunned Siabrey and ran straight at the monster, grabbing it by the shoulder. Small wisps of smoke curl from the place she touched as she yells, “burn!” and her own hand crackles as acid eats at it. The creature snarls, and runs into a corner waving its hands (<em>haste</em>, and <em>mirror image</em>), as four more looking and moving exactly like it appear all over the bar.</p><p></p><p>Tess launches another songstrike, which wipes away most of the false images, allowing the party to concentrate on the real monster. Shaun, still stunned, and rather badly hurt, declines to close with the creature and instead throws his dagger; his badly hurt arm can’t launch it far enough, and it clatters harmlessly to the ground.</p><p></p><p>Elenya then touches Shaun and his wounds, which to the surprise of everyone, start closing up. In the midst of the fighting and shouts and screams, Shaun has a brief moment that changes his life...</p><p></p><p><em>I love you so much!</em> his mind babbles as she hovers around him, checking his hurts.</p><p></p><p>Siabrey meanwhile has charged from beside the kitchen, and runs at the monster, who is partially behind a table. She attempts to leap onto the table but instead leaps <em>into</em> it, slamming her side rather hard and thus only able to make an off-balance thrust with her dagger, which connects to the monster's arm, causing it to scream at her.</p><p></p><p>The creature then waves its hands over itself again, and a thin blue haze appears just off of its skin (<em>mage armor</em>), and then the creature lashes out at Siabrey, hitting her with claws and a nasty bite to the shoulder. Tess launches a third songstrike, mauling the creature before Lucius, in a vicious fury, leaps onto the table beside Siabrey and cleanly decapitates the creature.</p><p></p><p>As its head rolls to a stop along the ground, it eeriely, magically speaks.</p><p></p><p>“My name is Arandul. I was sent to kill you...where I fail, others will succeed.” (Arandul was a quth-maren, level 4 sorceress that plays with <em>alter self</em> to get to the targets of her assassination...)</p><p></p><p>The party, along with the few patrons that didn’t fly out of the windows, or the doors, is stunned for a few moments. Elenya flutters about Shaun, alternately giving him pity kisses and binding his wounds, while Lucius runs upstairs to find the healing staff and fixes up Siabrey. Several former patrons are sent running off to find priests... and a few minutes later, none less than Harrapias arrives with acolytes in tow to consecrate the body. </p><p></p><p>It was at this point that Siabrey notices a note on the swinging doorway to the inn, pinned into the wood by a vicious looking dagger:</p><p></p><p><em>My dear friends,</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>I shall greatly enjoy chasing you down. The hunt is my favorite part of a kill.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Best Regards,</em></p><p><em>Rogar</em></p><p></p><p>Siabrey, somewhat shaken, reports this note to everyone else, and as crowds begin to push into the bar to gawk, and Tess loudly announces, “We’re leaving!”</p><p></p><p>Party members head upstairs to begin hurriedly packing their stuff, as Tess runs outside to go to her brother’s inn to tell him of the rushed schedule. As she gets outside into the darkness of night, a sight to the south sends chills down her spine...</p><p></p><p>A light, chilly wind blows from the south, as distant clouds roil visibly closer, each one impregnated with lightning bolts. The streets are full now, mostly with people with belongings on their backs. They all speak of ice monsters coming from the south... and Tess wants to join their screaming.</p><p></p><p><em>Oh my God...</em> Tess’ mind freezes, and her hurried walk to her brother’s place of residence turns to a dead run.</p><p></p><p>“Quin!” she calls, getting inside. One of his men recognizes her, and tells her he’s upstairs. Unbidden, she rushes up, and bursts into his room.</p><p></p><p>“Whats the matter?” he asks, turning from some whittling he was doing.</p><p></p><p>“We need to go... NOW. Someone or something just tried to kill us, and the bad things to the south are coming this way. Get your men mounted! How soon can you be ready to ride?” Quin’s face fell at his sister’s fright, and he answered as firmly and calmly as he could:</p><p></p><p>“Thirty minutes, we’ll be fully mounted.”</p><p></p><p>Shaun, meanwhile, managed to push his way through the crowds to the Temple of Kord, hoping to find Grumki. Evil days were ahead, and Shaun thought with a vague remnant of humor, <em>We could sure use a little of the strength of Kord.</em></p><p></p><p>It wasn’t hard to find Grumki, as he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Shaun waved and shoved until Grumki saw the man flopping in the sea of people, and shoved his massive body forward, the crowd’s parting as a knife parts butter.</p><p></p><p>“Hallo, Shaun the quick witted! What do you think of this messy night?”</p><p></p><p>“If we don’t hurry, it’ll be more messy!” Shaun shouts. “The party is riding to Irulas! We need your hammer by our side!” Grumki gave a big hearty laugh.</p><p></p><p>“Ah... this sounds like another chance to show the strength of Kord! Grumki happily accepts!”</p><p></p><p>Tess ran back, to find the party outside the inn, on horseback waiting. Shaun and Grumki had returned by this time, both mounted. Minutes seemed like hours, as the clouds roiled and boiled closer in the darkened sky, lightning launching from them to the ground in brighter, closer flashes. </p><p></p><p><em>Oh god... oh god...</em> Shaun’s mind was going when to his alarm he noticed Elenya beside him on a small pony, its back covered in baked goods and preserved meats. Her eyes spoke of fear, even though her face tried covering it.</p><p></p><p>“What are you doing?” he shouted above the increasing noise of the crowd.</p><p></p><p>“I’m coming with! I’m not going to let you get yourself hurt like that again!” she called back.</p><p></p><p>“You’ll get hurt! Its dangerous! You shouldn’t come with! I won’t let you!”</p><p></p><p>“Make me go back in there!” she gave a brave, fake grin, just as Tess arrived. Overhearing the argument, Tess shouts, “She’ll be safer with us!” and points to the closing lightning.</p><p></p><p>Siabrey’s thoughts also verged on panic as well. The crowds were growing more scared, and still they waited as people streamed towards the north... towards the northern gates of the city. The tension in the air grew rapidly, and for the first time in a long time, she felt worse than afraid, worse than frightened... she was <em>scared</em>. Lucius’ horse pulled up alongside hers, and it was easily apparent from his eyes that he was going through much the same. </p><p></p><p><em>It’ll be ok,</em> she wanted to tell him, but she couldn’t do it. He reached out, grabbed her, and gave her a deep kiss, with the phrase, “I don’t know if we’re going to get through this... I love you.”</p><p></p><p>Any coherent response her mind would have come up with was wiped away as Tess shouted that her brother was coming, and they spotted a line of horses and riders fighting their way through the crowds...</p><p></p><p>“Move! Make way!” Tess shouted hoarsely, as Lucius and Siabrey joined their own voices. The crowds parted a little, enough that hte group cold trot through to her brother’s contingent. As they approached, Tess shuddered as she saw her brother.</p><p></p><p><em>I hardly recognize him...</em> she thought as she saw the visage now clad in breastplate armor, a rather wicked looking short sword at his side and a composite longbow strung to his back. Behind him came 13 others, chain mail drooping from their shoulders, swords from their belts, and bows from their backs as well.</p><p></p><p>“Vicious night, eh Tess?” Quin shouted above the crowd, and Tess nodded, pointing north. Quin returned her nod, and barked the orders:</p><p></p><p>“Dragon Wing Company, to protective positions! You four, up to the front, you, to the rear! The rest, flank the sides!” Quickly the party found themselves almost encased in protective bodies, and they began shoving their way northward.</p><p></p><p>Progress was slow, as many of the people streaming from the south into Kulloden merely passed through while streaming northwards on the main road. Tess, Lucius, and Grumki kept calling for people to move, to little avail. It was finally Siabrey who spurred her horse towards the edge of the road.</p><p></p><p>As the entourage now passed through much faster, Quin was heard to mutter, “Why didn’t I think of that?”</p><p></p><p>An hour of riding passed as they slowly pulled away from Kulloden. Fear still ran in their hearts, but was more replaced by the excitement of the moment. It was then that Shaun and Tess saw something strange up ahead.</p><p></p><p><em>What the... fires alongside the road? Who would set up camp at a time like this?</em> Tess’ mind wondered.</p><p></p><p><em>Moving fires? How can a campfire move into...</em> Shaun’s mind wondered simultaneosly, before panicked screams could be heard up ahead as the flames viciously lunged into the crowd. The party lunged forward, to see that it wasn’t flames in the middle of the crowd, but two flaming creatures.</p><p></p><p><em>Demons!</em> ran collectively through everyone’s minds as the group charged forward with little trouble as the crowds ahead scattered into the woods. The monsters ahead in the gloom were tall and thin, their skins dark in the night darkness, their eyes large, their faces narrow. Their wings, or what shreds they had of wings, were wreathed in flame, along with their bodies. As the group charged forward, each creature snatched up a helpless refugee and shredded them to pieces. (Palrethree)</p><p></p><p>Tess looks on in horror as Quin shouts to his men to charge the creatures, and two of their number are shred as the creatures catch them in their grasps. The others whirl away from the assault, inclined to offer battle with bows now, not swords. To the party’s alarm, they also note that when the men stab the creatures, flames writhe up their blades and burn their arms. </p><p></p><p>Quin gallops past the party, Pellaron and Grumki soon behind. </p><p></p><p>Tess, seeing her brother in danger, has a confusing array of emotions running through her... most related to fear. She pulls out her harp and quickly begins her musical magic, lashing out at the demon closest to Quin. Lucius reins up alongside her, and extends his hands, calling for magic bolts of energy which strike the other creature.</p><p></p><p>Shaun, meanwhile, seeing the havoc the demons are wreaking, considers using his bow until he hears Tess’ voice and sees the damage it wreaks yet again. He then remembers the damage his own wreaked on the kobolds only a week or so prior...</p><p><em>Thats it! I’ll put them to sleep!</em></p><p></p><p>He spurs his horse forward, till he is right between the two demons, his voice rising in the air in a haunting song. The commoner at the feet of one of the demon’s falls asleep, and the two warriors closest to the demons seem woozy for a second.</p><p></p><p>But the demons merely spin towards Shaun, and snarl; They felt magic washing over them from him, and now intend to carve him to bits before he can throw something more effective at them. Both cut open Shaun with their flaming swords, but while Shaun’s clothes merely singe and smoke, thankfully they don’t catch fire. Shaun reels in his saddle, nearly collapsing from the pain.</p><p></p><p>Quin arrives just as the creatures slash at Shaun, and stabs his sword deep into the shoulder of one beast. Flames leap up his blade and onto his arm, and he nearly drops his sword as Tess’ scream of “Get away Quin!” echoes loudly through the trees.</p><p></p><p>Desperate now, Tess’ voice cracks slightly as the continues her songs of power, and another blast of songstrikes takes down the beast near Quin. Siabrey, pushing her way forward before this, launches a charge at the lone creature left, and delivers a fatal coup de grace. Flames from the dying demon burn her as well. Her sword tingles, and feels warm afterwards.</p><p></p><p>Within seconds, Elenya is up by Shaun, hugging him, puttering around him trying to bind up some of the wounds, and nearly crying in the process. Lucius is almost instantly at Sibrey’s side, trying to check out the burns. Tess grabs her brother, and shouts at him, “Don’t you <em>ever</em> charge a demon like that again! That is my job!”</p><p></p><p>Siabrey and Tess both simultaneously suggest that as it appears the creatures are being sent after <em>them</em>, and not the refugees, it might be better to ride away from the innocents, a comment that the rest of the party agrees with. At the next fork in the road, where the refugees turn left to head towards Illyant, the party heads right... towards Irulas.</p><p></p><p>They ride hard, hardly stopping over the course of three days. When they do rest, it is for short periods, just long enough to rest their horses. The clouds to the south are far in the distance, and on the third day, the sun is brightly shining as the party slows to a stop near the edge of a flat plain to rest their horses.</p><p></p><p>Bone tired, Lucius has sprawled himself out at the base of a rather large tree, almost napping as Siabrey sits beside him and the two talk. Nearby Elenya and Shaun are doing the same... in far graver and quieter tones than normal. </p><p></p><p>“Have you been keeping up on your practicing with that harp, Tess?” Quin quietly and rather jokingly asks her. Everyone is nervous, and Tess is used to Quin cracking remarks when he is tense.</p><p></p><p>“After what you saw,” she crosses her arms, “what do you think?” She lets out a grin at his humor. Its a thin one, but its better than pacing in her mind.</p><p></p><p>“I think that mother would have been quite impressed... she’d likely ask you to be the head of one of the family’s bodyguard detachments. Firepower like that is... very very impressive.”</p><p></p><p>“I’m glad I have your approval,” she says, sitting down next to him to have a bite of an apple. “After all, younger sister mustn’t do anything without big brother’s approval!”</p><p></p><p>He laughs... a laugh thats cut short by the hurried cry from Siabrey that there is a rider on the horizon. Tess rises in a hurry, and a figure that she hoped she would never see again is on the far ridge... nearly 400 feet away.</p><p></p><p>It was a woman, sitting on a black charger, her blond hair flapping easily in the slight breeze. A bright, freshly cleaned battleaxe is at her hip, and her beautiful face marred by an eyepatch. As they look in shock, she pulls out her bow.</p><p></p><p>Shaun immediately jumps on top of Elenya, and Siabrey does the same to Lucius. Both have the same thoughts running through their heads, remembering how Rogar shot dead the frost salamander. As Ilia fits the arrow into her bow, the same panicked thoughts run through Shaun and Siabrey’s minds.</p><p></p><p><em>Oh please, protect my love!</em></p><p></p><p>The arrow sings through the air, and slashes Siabrey in the middle of the back. Blood drips from her armor, as black poison courses through her veins. She feels her reactions growing sluggish, her limbs growing slow. (DM’s Note: Ilia couldn’t use a death attack as the party saw her and saw her as a threat. So the arrow she launched was merely poisoned with a mess that reduces Dex) Ilia meanwhile pulled out her battleaxe, and raised it to the sky... and behind her, 15 riders in black armor thundered over the hill, and towards the party, the blonde woman at the lead, her axe over her head... a warcry on their lips.</p><p></p><p>“Ride!” Tess shouted rather unneccessarily, as the party hurriedly climbed on their mounts. Siabrey could hardly grasp the reins at one point, and Lucius had to almost strap her onto her saddle as he grabbed her horses bridle and yanked it into following.</p><p></p><p>The chase continued some time, with Ilia and the black riders behind her gaining... faster and faster. Tess was the first to notice this, and started to rein up her horse, calling, “We must fight them! They ride too fast!”</p><p></p><p>Quin <em>did</em> rein up, and shouted, “Tess! You and your friends must ride! Ride hard! We’ll hold them off!” Quin’s riders spun away from the party, and began to take positions in a line beside him, swords drawn.</p><p></p><p>“QUIN!” Tess shouted, pulling her horse to a halt. </p><p></p><p>“Don’t worry about me, Tess! We’ll get them away! You get to Irulas! We’ll see you at the Wine Glass Inn! Ride!”</p><p></p><p>Tess’ emotions burrowed into conflict, and she was frozen, her mind refusing to acknowledge what her brother was about to do. Pellaron, as he rode by, grabbed her horses bridle, and pulled her away as the din of battle rose int he air from the rising clash of the 30 warriors...</p><p></p><p>As Tess rode off, a deep, solemn, and vicious oath ran to her lips between her tears.</p><p></p><p>“If my brother should die... I shall find the one that killed him, and cut her head off!”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emperor Valerian, post: 1335457, member: 15043"] Shaun did not have any of his armor on, and before much could be done, two claws slashed through his thin tunics and into his skin. He felt his skin curling and burning, as if acid had been poured into the wounds,and a thin whisp of smokiness from his chest wafted into the air. Confused and in pain, he looked down and saw that “Elenya’s” hands now ended in large claws, and the fingers now appeared to be devoid of skin, and less and less of her looked like it was covered by skin... more and more sickening, writhing muscles came into view. Patrons began running out of the bar, screaming at the first attack, and within seconds the party was in full combat mode. Not just Shaun, but the entire party had been caught at a disadvantage. Other than Tess’ harp and Lucius’ sword, no one had carried anything greater than a dagger to the Baron’s party, and neither had anyone gone upstairs to get their weapons or armor. Tess’ harp was out and her familiar musical strike lashed out by sonic waves, hitting the creature hard as more and more of its skin became devoid of flesh, and nothing more it looked like a human flayed alive, a sea of writhing musles with no covering. Lucius’ sword came out, and he slashed hard at the creature, which leapt back in pain. Its blood spattered on one of the tables, and hissing noises rose as it burned through the wood. At the same time Elenya pushes past the stunned Siabrey and ran straight at the monster, grabbing it by the shoulder. Small wisps of smoke curl from the place she touched as she yells, “burn!” and her own hand crackles as acid eats at it. The creature snarls, and runs into a corner waving its hands ([i]haste[/i], and [i]mirror image[/i]), as four more looking and moving exactly like it appear all over the bar. Tess launches another songstrike, which wipes away most of the false images, allowing the party to concentrate on the real monster. Shaun, still stunned, and rather badly hurt, declines to close with the creature and instead throws his dagger; his badly hurt arm can’t launch it far enough, and it clatters harmlessly to the ground. Elenya then touches Shaun and his wounds, which to the surprise of everyone, start closing up. In the midst of the fighting and shouts and screams, Shaun has a brief moment that changes his life... [i]I love you so much![/i] his mind babbles as she hovers around him, checking his hurts. Siabrey meanwhile has charged from beside the kitchen, and runs at the monster, who is partially behind a table. She attempts to leap onto the table but instead leaps [i]into[/i] it, slamming her side rather hard and thus only able to make an off-balance thrust with her dagger, which connects to the monster's arm, causing it to scream at her. The creature then waves its hands over itself again, and a thin blue haze appears just off of its skin ([i]mage armor[/i]), and then the creature lashes out at Siabrey, hitting her with claws and a nasty bite to the shoulder. Tess launches a third songstrike, mauling the creature before Lucius, in a vicious fury, leaps onto the table beside Siabrey and cleanly decapitates the creature. As its head rolls to a stop along the ground, it eeriely, magically speaks. “My name is Arandul. I was sent to kill you...where I fail, others will succeed.” (Arandul was a quth-maren, level 4 sorceress that plays with [i]alter self[/i] to get to the targets of her assassination...) The party, along with the few patrons that didn’t fly out of the windows, or the doors, is stunned for a few moments. Elenya flutters about Shaun, alternately giving him pity kisses and binding his wounds, while Lucius runs upstairs to find the healing staff and fixes up Siabrey. Several former patrons are sent running off to find priests... and a few minutes later, none less than Harrapias arrives with acolytes in tow to consecrate the body. It was at this point that Siabrey notices a note on the swinging doorway to the inn, pinned into the wood by a vicious looking dagger: [i]My dear friends, I shall greatly enjoy chasing you down. The hunt is my favorite part of a kill. Best Regards, Rogar[/i] Siabrey, somewhat shaken, reports this note to everyone else, and as crowds begin to push into the bar to gawk, and Tess loudly announces, “We’re leaving!” Party members head upstairs to begin hurriedly packing their stuff, as Tess runs outside to go to her brother’s inn to tell him of the rushed schedule. As she gets outside into the darkness of night, a sight to the south sends chills down her spine... A light, chilly wind blows from the south, as distant clouds roil visibly closer, each one impregnated with lightning bolts. The streets are full now, mostly with people with belongings on their backs. They all speak of ice monsters coming from the south... and Tess wants to join their screaming. [i]Oh my God...[/i] Tess’ mind freezes, and her hurried walk to her brother’s place of residence turns to a dead run. “Quin!” she calls, getting inside. One of his men recognizes her, and tells her he’s upstairs. Unbidden, she rushes up, and bursts into his room. “Whats the matter?” he asks, turning from some whittling he was doing. “We need to go... NOW. Someone or something just tried to kill us, and the bad things to the south are coming this way. Get your men mounted! How soon can you be ready to ride?” Quin’s face fell at his sister’s fright, and he answered as firmly and calmly as he could: “Thirty minutes, we’ll be fully mounted.” Shaun, meanwhile, managed to push his way through the crowds to the Temple of Kord, hoping to find Grumki. Evil days were ahead, and Shaun thought with a vague remnant of humor, [i]We could sure use a little of the strength of Kord.[/i] It wasn’t hard to find Grumki, as he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Shaun waved and shoved until Grumki saw the man flopping in the sea of people, and shoved his massive body forward, the crowd’s parting as a knife parts butter. “Hallo, Shaun the quick witted! What do you think of this messy night?” “If we don’t hurry, it’ll be more messy!” Shaun shouts. “The party is riding to Irulas! We need your hammer by our side!” Grumki gave a big hearty laugh. “Ah... this sounds like another chance to show the strength of Kord! Grumki happily accepts!” Tess ran back, to find the party outside the inn, on horseback waiting. Shaun and Grumki had returned by this time, both mounted. Minutes seemed like hours, as the clouds roiled and boiled closer in the darkened sky, lightning launching from them to the ground in brighter, closer flashes. [i]Oh god... oh god...[/i] Shaun’s mind was going when to his alarm he noticed Elenya beside him on a small pony, its back covered in baked goods and preserved meats. Her eyes spoke of fear, even though her face tried covering it. “What are you doing?” he shouted above the increasing noise of the crowd. “I’m coming with! I’m not going to let you get yourself hurt like that again!” she called back. “You’ll get hurt! Its dangerous! You shouldn’t come with! I won’t let you!” “Make me go back in there!” she gave a brave, fake grin, just as Tess arrived. Overhearing the argument, Tess shouts, “She’ll be safer with us!” and points to the closing lightning. Siabrey’s thoughts also verged on panic as well. The crowds were growing more scared, and still they waited as people streamed towards the north... towards the northern gates of the city. The tension in the air grew rapidly, and for the first time in a long time, she felt worse than afraid, worse than frightened... she was [i]scared[/i]. Lucius’ horse pulled up alongside hers, and it was easily apparent from his eyes that he was going through much the same. [i]It’ll be ok,[/i] she wanted to tell him, but she couldn’t do it. He reached out, grabbed her, and gave her a deep kiss, with the phrase, “I don’t know if we’re going to get through this... I love you.” Any coherent response her mind would have come up with was wiped away as Tess shouted that her brother was coming, and they spotted a line of horses and riders fighting their way through the crowds... “Move! Make way!” Tess shouted hoarsely, as Lucius and Siabrey joined their own voices. The crowds parted a little, enough that hte group cold trot through to her brother’s contingent. As they approached, Tess shuddered as she saw her brother. [i]I hardly recognize him...[/i] she thought as she saw the visage now clad in breastplate armor, a rather wicked looking short sword at his side and a composite longbow strung to his back. Behind him came 13 others, chain mail drooping from their shoulders, swords from their belts, and bows from their backs as well. “Vicious night, eh Tess?” Quin shouted above the crowd, and Tess nodded, pointing north. Quin returned her nod, and barked the orders: “Dragon Wing Company, to protective positions! You four, up to the front, you, to the rear! The rest, flank the sides!” Quickly the party found themselves almost encased in protective bodies, and they began shoving their way northward. Progress was slow, as many of the people streaming from the south into Kulloden merely passed through while streaming northwards on the main road. Tess, Lucius, and Grumki kept calling for people to move, to little avail. It was finally Siabrey who spurred her horse towards the edge of the road. As the entourage now passed through much faster, Quin was heard to mutter, “Why didn’t I think of that?” An hour of riding passed as they slowly pulled away from Kulloden. Fear still ran in their hearts, but was more replaced by the excitement of the moment. It was then that Shaun and Tess saw something strange up ahead. [i]What the... fires alongside the road? Who would set up camp at a time like this?[/i] Tess’ mind wondered. [i]Moving fires? How can a campfire move into...[/i] Shaun’s mind wondered simultaneosly, before panicked screams could be heard up ahead as the flames viciously lunged into the crowd. The party lunged forward, to see that it wasn’t flames in the middle of the crowd, but two flaming creatures. [i]Demons![/i] ran collectively through everyone’s minds as the group charged forward with little trouble as the crowds ahead scattered into the woods. The monsters ahead in the gloom were tall and thin, their skins dark in the night darkness, their eyes large, their faces narrow. Their wings, or what shreds they had of wings, were wreathed in flame, along with their bodies. As the group charged forward, each creature snatched up a helpless refugee and shredded them to pieces. (Palrethree) Tess looks on in horror as Quin shouts to his men to charge the creatures, and two of their number are shred as the creatures catch them in their grasps. The others whirl away from the assault, inclined to offer battle with bows now, not swords. To the party’s alarm, they also note that when the men stab the creatures, flames writhe up their blades and burn their arms. Quin gallops past the party, Pellaron and Grumki soon behind. Tess, seeing her brother in danger, has a confusing array of emotions running through her... most related to fear. She pulls out her harp and quickly begins her musical magic, lashing out at the demon closest to Quin. Lucius reins up alongside her, and extends his hands, calling for magic bolts of energy which strike the other creature. Shaun, meanwhile, seeing the havoc the demons are wreaking, considers using his bow until he hears Tess’ voice and sees the damage it wreaks yet again. He then remembers the damage his own wreaked on the kobolds only a week or so prior... [i]Thats it! I’ll put them to sleep![/i] He spurs his horse forward, till he is right between the two demons, his voice rising in the air in a haunting song. The commoner at the feet of one of the demon’s falls asleep, and the two warriors closest to the demons seem woozy for a second. But the demons merely spin towards Shaun, and snarl; They felt magic washing over them from him, and now intend to carve him to bits before he can throw something more effective at them. Both cut open Shaun with their flaming swords, but while Shaun’s clothes merely singe and smoke, thankfully they don’t catch fire. Shaun reels in his saddle, nearly collapsing from the pain. Quin arrives just as the creatures slash at Shaun, and stabs his sword deep into the shoulder of one beast. Flames leap up his blade and onto his arm, and he nearly drops his sword as Tess’ scream of “Get away Quin!” echoes loudly through the trees. Desperate now, Tess’ voice cracks slightly as the continues her songs of power, and another blast of songstrikes takes down the beast near Quin. Siabrey, pushing her way forward before this, launches a charge at the lone creature left, and delivers a fatal coup de grace. Flames from the dying demon burn her as well. Her sword tingles, and feels warm afterwards. Within seconds, Elenya is up by Shaun, hugging him, puttering around him trying to bind up some of the wounds, and nearly crying in the process. Lucius is almost instantly at Sibrey’s side, trying to check out the burns. Tess grabs her brother, and shouts at him, “Don’t you [i]ever[/i] charge a demon like that again! That is my job!” Siabrey and Tess both simultaneously suggest that as it appears the creatures are being sent after [i]them[/i], and not the refugees, it might be better to ride away from the innocents, a comment that the rest of the party agrees with. At the next fork in the road, where the refugees turn left to head towards Illyant, the party heads right... towards Irulas. They ride hard, hardly stopping over the course of three days. When they do rest, it is for short periods, just long enough to rest their horses. The clouds to the south are far in the distance, and on the third day, the sun is brightly shining as the party slows to a stop near the edge of a flat plain to rest their horses. Bone tired, Lucius has sprawled himself out at the base of a rather large tree, almost napping as Siabrey sits beside him and the two talk. Nearby Elenya and Shaun are doing the same... in far graver and quieter tones than normal. “Have you been keeping up on your practicing with that harp, Tess?” Quin quietly and rather jokingly asks her. Everyone is nervous, and Tess is used to Quin cracking remarks when he is tense. “After what you saw,” she crosses her arms, “what do you think?” She lets out a grin at his humor. Its a thin one, but its better than pacing in her mind. “I think that mother would have been quite impressed... she’d likely ask you to be the head of one of the family’s bodyguard detachments. Firepower like that is... very very impressive.” “I’m glad I have your approval,” she says, sitting down next to him to have a bite of an apple. “After all, younger sister mustn’t do anything without big brother’s approval!” He laughs... a laugh thats cut short by the hurried cry from Siabrey that there is a rider on the horizon. Tess rises in a hurry, and a figure that she hoped she would never see again is on the far ridge... nearly 400 feet away. It was a woman, sitting on a black charger, her blond hair flapping easily in the slight breeze. A bright, freshly cleaned battleaxe is at her hip, and her beautiful face marred by an eyepatch. As they look in shock, she pulls out her bow. Shaun immediately jumps on top of Elenya, and Siabrey does the same to Lucius. Both have the same thoughts running through their heads, remembering how Rogar shot dead the frost salamander. As Ilia fits the arrow into her bow, the same panicked thoughts run through Shaun and Siabrey’s minds. [i]Oh please, protect my love![/i] The arrow sings through the air, and slashes Siabrey in the middle of the back. Blood drips from her armor, as black poison courses through her veins. She feels her reactions growing sluggish, her limbs growing slow. (DM’s Note: Ilia couldn’t use a death attack as the party saw her and saw her as a threat. So the arrow she launched was merely poisoned with a mess that reduces Dex) Ilia meanwhile pulled out her battleaxe, and raised it to the sky... and behind her, 15 riders in black armor thundered over the hill, and towards the party, the blonde woman at the lead, her axe over her head... a warcry on their lips. “Ride!” Tess shouted rather unneccessarily, as the party hurriedly climbed on their mounts. Siabrey could hardly grasp the reins at one point, and Lucius had to almost strap her onto her saddle as he grabbed her horses bridle and yanked it into following. The chase continued some time, with Ilia and the black riders behind her gaining... faster and faster. Tess was the first to notice this, and started to rein up her horse, calling, “We must fight them! They ride too fast!” Quin [i]did[/i] rein up, and shouted, “Tess! You and your friends must ride! Ride hard! We’ll hold them off!” Quin’s riders spun away from the party, and began to take positions in a line beside him, swords drawn. “QUIN!” Tess shouted, pulling her horse to a halt. “Don’t worry about me, Tess! We’ll get them away! You get to Irulas! We’ll see you at the Wine Glass Inn! Ride!” Tess’ emotions burrowed into conflict, and she was frozen, her mind refusing to acknowledge what her brother was about to do. Pellaron, as he rode by, grabbed her horses bridle, and pulled her away as the din of battle rose int he air from the rising clash of the 30 warriors... As Tess rode off, a deep, solemn, and vicious oath ran to her lips between her tears. “If my brother should die... I shall find the one that killed him, and cut her head off!” [/QUOTE]
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