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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1412263" data-attributes="member: 15043">The lack of sleep is unintentional, though I take it as a compliment. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  The next installment is going to be posted slowly, basically as I finish them.And thus begins the adventure from the 27th of February... with more plots and fights, wow! One Ring to Find Them... (cheap, I know, but fitting <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )The party rode away from Rogar’s demise with a mixture of happiness and regret.  All were relieved that one of their greatest banes no longer walked on this plane, but all were troubled by the event, for varying reasons.Siabrey was troubled by the act itself.  Previous to this, when Siabrey had been a mercenary, she had hunted down beasts; sandhogs tearing up villager’s gardens, ogres menacing local children... she had never hunted people.  True enough in her line of business, many men had fallen beneath the blade of her katana... but they always died when she was defending someone, or something.   Never had she actively chased down another human to rend him to pieces like that.  Shaun was still furious that Rogar, once his fellow prankster in arms, had conspired to hurt his beloved Elenya so.  For his murder of the kindly Dingalas.  For how much pain the man had caused his friends... nay, part of his mind would interrupt, the family that loves me. Tess for her part had tumbled dangerously close to an abyss, and had stared deep into the throaty maw of a life spent on vengeance.  It had called to her, harshly and lovingly at the same time... and nearly seduced her into its horrible grasp.  She shuddered at the thought, yet part of her still sighed with relief and smiled remembering the look of horror on Rogar’s face...Very little was spoken of the previous events as the party made camp for the night, nor after they set watch.  Shaun spent another night curled close to his Elenya, happy to have her warmth next to him again.  Siabrey and Lucius also spent the night snuggling... while Tess once again wrapped herself in blankets as her heater.  As she lay, looking up at the stars, she began wondering...So Xanadu has babies... how many?  Do silver dragons mate for life?That’d be a damn long time to be stuck with someone... though I suppose it also gives you all the time in the world to pick and choose till you find a perfect match...She rolled over, and as sleep claimed her mind as well, she thought, partially aloud, Why would anyone want to capture dragons?The next day the party was made good progress towards midday, and off in the distance the spines of the Balarac Mountains were easily in view, and perhaps only four more days away.   Tess was busily trying to stay away from Pellaron, and the poor elf was feeling quite down.  Siabrey was about to go try her “blunt magic” to try and raise his spirits, when she caught a glimpse of Lucius’ finger.The ring the party had found in the Temple of Hextor had resembled a ring of elemental resistance, providing limited cover from fire, cold, electricity, sonic, and acid attacks.   The party had mutually agreed that as everyone had seemingly found an item to use from the treasure trove that had been the High Priest’s trophy collection, Lucius should have the ring.And the ring was now glowing.”Um?  Luke?” she rode up beside him and pointed at the ring.  “Is it supposed to be glowing like that?”  Flashbacks ran through her head of Lucius’ own eyes looking that color only days prior... Siabrey shuddered.“No,” Lucius looked down at his hand, surprised the ring was glowing like it was.  “It doesn’t hurt or anything... I hadn’t even noticed it.”  He reached down and tried to pull it off, but it seemed fastened to his flesh.“It... it won’t come off?” Siabrey asked nervously as Lucius pulled, and she felt sure he was going to pull a finger out of joint.  There’s something in there thats bad... good rings let you take them off!  What if its deep magic, from the Abyss... its melding with his?!  Think Siabry, think!Oh God... I’m going to hate doing this... her mind quailed, but then decided it was the only option.”Hon, I’ll chop it off!” she said, drawing her katana.  Grumki can always heal the finger back on!  Its nothing compared to losing all of you!”Uh... I like my hands?” Lucius recoiled from Siabrey, who continued to circle him trying to find the proper angle.“Luke!  Something is wrong with that ring!  I think its doing something bad to you, and I want to save all of you even if you have to lose a finger for five minutes until Grumki can heal it!” she said, attempting to command him into compliance.  He recoiled further, as the party now gathered around the unusual chase.“I’d prefer the sword to be the last resort!” Lucius called, ducking out of the way.  “Luke, PLEASE,” she said, her eyes starting to tear up in worry, “hold still!  I want to help you!”“I know,” he replied hastily, keeping the ringed hand on the far side of his body from her.  “I just want a second opinion first...”His statement was interrupted by a flash over the horizon, and the ground noticeably shaking underneath the feet of the party.  Above the ridge ahead, a dark, heavy mound began to take shape, rising higher and higher until it revealed itself to the be back carapice of an enormous spider, black with red spots across its body, two enormous pincers hanging from the front in addition to its eight legs.  Its head, unusually was more ant-shaped than squatly spider shaped, its eight eyes falling into a neat row of four on each side.“BEBILITH!” Tess shouted, not having to search her memories hard to remember what this massive demon was.  They were the stuff of legends... horrible legends.  The White Emperor, high in the Mountains before the present Empire was even a thought, as said to have dug too deep and disturbed the races of the underground.  They called upon a squad of these behemoths, which crushed his palace, and brought his mighty house to ruin.“Baby-what?” Shaun shouted in confusion as he notched an arrow and let loose.  The rest of the party quickly fired away as well, Tess launching a powerful volley of sonic darts, Lucius adding a fireball as Elenya added a lightning bolt of her own.  While the creature raced ahead, straight towards Lucius at an ungodly clip, it fell 20 feet in front of the party, his husk allowing whisps of smoke to rise in the air, the smell of burnt flesh wafting through the desert.“What the...” Shaun mumbled, as the ring on Lucius’ finger stopped glow.  “Um... did his ring have something to do with that monstrosity coming over the ridge?”“I think it did,” Lucius said quietly, as he tugged on the ring again.  He saw Siabrey walk towards him, her sword still unsheathed, and immediately ducked behind the bard.“Luke, dude, why you runnin’ from your girl?” Shaun asked confused.“Luke, please!” Siabrey shouted, her voice nearing a panic as she realized what the ring did, “Hold out your hand...  I don’t want anything to come over the ridge and kill you because of that ring!”  Luke... please!  It will hurt for a little, but Grumki will fix it!  He can’t fix your dead corpse... and I would be devastated...“Tess!” Lucius called, hoping for assistance, “is there a way to get rid of this without taking to amputations!?”  He ducked skillfully behind Shaun again as Siabrey tried to dash around the rogue.  She was looking tired of this chase, despite her deep set fear and worry.Tess stepped between Siabrey and her erstwhile quarry.  “Siabrey, thats twisted,” she pronounced firmly, and the fighter resheated her sword.I never waved it at him... I never swung... I just want to protect him from harm! Siabrey’s mind screamed, and both Tess and Luke  read the thought through her eyes.  “I know you want to make sure I’m ok,” Luke said, his voice calmer, “and if Tess doesn’t have an idea that works... I will readily agree to amputation.  Until then, love, please forgive me for being human and wishing to avoid possibly unneccessary pain.”  Siabrey sighed, and nodded.  I sure hope Tess can get that ring off...Tess rummaged through the party’s bags, and gradually pulled out numerous pieces of scrap metal and wood.  She took these, and wandered away from the party, humming to herself.One thing my father and mother taught me besides bodyguarding was metalworking... crude metalworking, but metalworking.  I know tools... tools that could snip through the ring possibly...Tess set to work, instead of setting pieces together by hand with nails or screws, she sang them together.  Her voice echoed quietly in the desert, and the pieces magically assembled themselves into a boltcutter her father and brother’s would have been proud of (minor creation).“Thank you!” Lucius said breathlessly, giving Tess a large hug.  His eyes then flitted over to Siabrey initially to bestow a look of, “I can’t believe what you were about to do!”  His look of lecture faded before it even formed as he saw the clear, obvious relief in her eyes.“I only wanted to make sure you were safe, love,” she nuzzled him gratefully.  He hugged her back.“I know, my dear,” he spoke into her head of hair, before pulling her back so he could look at her face.  “Its just that I like my hands, love... and I wanted to see if I could save them.”She smiles, and then gently scolded, “Love, you should have checked to make sure that ring was safe before donning it.”  It was said in a tone of love, and she hoped he wouldn’t feel bad.“I’m sorry... I thought it was ok.  Pellaron said he thought it was a Ring of Elemental Protection... and he said it wasn’t evil.”  Lucius then felt Siabrey’s grip on him loosen, as well as her body tense.  He groaned, “Siabrey, please... he only tried his...”The fighter didn’t hear the last sentence, as she stormed over towards the elf.  “That ring was obviously evil, Pellaron,” her voice said politely, though dripping with anger.  Her politeness faded, as she finally snapped, “A ring that calls demons!  How could you let such evil touch Lucius!”“I don’t know,” Pellaron said quietly, his face already red with shame, “Maybe it had magic covering its alignment that was far more powerful than my own... I’m... sorry,” he added at the end.“Sorry? Sorry!?” Siabrey lit into him more.  “Something that evil is something you are supposed to catch, Mister Paladin!” her voice snarled.  You missing that thing called demons to attack Lucius!  We almost lost him!I almost lost him!“After what we went through the last few days, I’d think a paladin of Hieroneous would have known what to look for!”  Siabrey’s eyes met those of the paladin, and part of her was surprised to see his flaming back.“I tried my best!” Pellaron finally snarled back, “I am not psychic, nor can I automatically tell what magic an item does!  I can only tell you what I can detect myself!  The device was covered with magic more powerful than mine, there was nothing... NOTHING I could do!  I can only apologize and try to increase my abilities!”  “Well what if your best isn’t good enough!” Siabrey, now furious at his retort, snapped back at him.  The paladin gave her a look of death, and mounted his horse before galloping off ahead.   The rest of the party collectively began to breathe again after the debacle.Siabrey watched Pellaron disappear over the ridge, and instantly remorse filled her bones.  A sigh escaped her lips, and she looked at the ground in shame.  Tess wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  “C’mon, Siabrey... you need to apologize to him.”“I know,” she said quietly.  He did try his best...  and I should not have risen to anger with him at that.  “Its just... Lucius nearly was hurt, and I was protecting...”“Sssh... I know,” Tess said quietly.  “We all do.  You were being protective... its just, he was too back at the Temple... its not his fault if it was something beyond his power to determine.”“I know,” Siabrey said, finally looking up.  “Can we find him... I have an apology to make.”Tess and Siabrey mounted up, and followed the easy to find tracks of the paladin over the ridge.  They saw his horse about a half-mile ahead, though initially they couldn’t see him.  As they drew near, they saw a figure, clad in armor, kneeling in the dust of the desert wastes.  Tess reined up, and told Siabrey to go ahead.  Gingerly, the fighter swung off her horse, and walked towards the kneeling figure.  As she approached, she saw the elf had his sword planted in the ground, and was kneeling in front of it.  She recognized in his quiet incantations and chants, a prayer of confession.Hieroneous on high, thou guideth my bladeAnd clad me in thy mailAnd despite thy goodness, I have dishonored thee...He’s asking forgiveness... but for what? Siabrey thought quietly.  She waited a few moments, and when it became obvious he wasn’t going to break his prayer soon, she quietly knelt in the sand next to him, planting her own sword in the same way.  I suppose since I worship Hieroneous, I have some forgiveness to ask as well.Lord Hieroneous on high,You know I am not a frequent worshiper of you... but I do try to hold to your standards when it comes to life with my blade... and today I dishonored that, by dishonoring a comrade at arms.  Please see it fit to convey to him my sorrow at my actions, that I may be able to apologize to him.  Pellaron is a good man... please take care of him.And please... watch over Lucius... She felt a hand on her shoulder, and opened her eyes.  Pellaron gently removed his hand, and cleared his throat.“Siabrey, I must apologize for rising to anger.  I shouldn’t have.  You were upset about what happened, and I should have understood your anger was venting at the situation, not me... please for...””No,” Siabrey looked at Pellaron decisively, “it is I that should apologize to you... for losing my control and blaming you for something you couldn’t not stop.  I shouldn’t have lost my temper as well.”Pellaron nodded quietly, and said, “In my eyes, then, there is nothing for either of us to forgive.   We both are cursed with sharp tempers, and a code of honor.”  Siabrey smiled, and helped Pellaron to his feet.“Good.”“Ok... now that you two have kissed and made up I’m going back to the rest of the group!” they heard Tess call over the desert steppes...</blockquote>

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