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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Talindra" data-source="post: 217293" data-attributes="member: 155">6th day of The Claw of Winter, 1373 DRVallia’s Journal #17 (Part One)It has been a tense several days, as the blizzard raged on outside, and inside, a storm of another kind raged.  Kara, Misha and I have avoided each other, and Gruush has been occupied in caring for Silvara.  I can tell that he cares for her, but seeing them together right now only causes me pain.  It has been a silent few days, each of us withdrawing into our own shells.  The mornings have been worse for me.  The sickness comes almost every day now.  Sad as it seems now, Misha was right, I am with child.  It could not have happened at a worse time, but what else could I expect from Misha’s child?  This morning, as Kara brought in wood for the fire, I noted that the storm finally seemed to have stopped, and commented on it, just as Gruush helped Silvara into the common room.  Misha emerged a few seconds later, echoing my sentiment.  Silvara agreed, and gave us directions back to the medusa’s lair, saying that she would hunt for the day, to help herself heal, assuring Gruush that she would fine alone.  She warned us to move quickly, saying that a power struggle had erupted between the grell and the medusa, and warning us not to be caught in the middle.  We took her advice to heart, and left immediately.  Despite my opinion to the contrary, Misha decided that we should ride to the medusa’s lair.  Seeing as she lives underground, I didn’t think it wise to announce our presence with pounding hooves, but I deferred to Misha’s wisdom.  Since he thought to travel fast, I pushed my horse into a run, pulling far ahead of the others, though Misha tried in vain to catch me.  I slowed, finally, allowing him to catch me, feeling a little smug.  "I thought you were in a hurry." I said offhandedly, while he fumed.  The others caught us a short time later, and there was some idle chatter that I paid little attention to.  We reached the medusa’s lair as the sun began to sink in the sky, and secured our horses to a tree outside before entering the opening in the rock face of the cliff.  The cave we entered was rough, but Misha’s searching soon revealed a lever.  Ever cautious, Misha tried it to see what it would do.  With a loud scrape, a secret door on the side of the cave opposite the hidden level opened.  Before we could react, the room was flooded by terrible creatures, their stench almost as horrible as their appearance.  Wild black hair flew about their faces, which were covered, like the rest of their bodies, with scaly, grey flesh.  It was their eyes that pierce you, however.  White, sightless eyes stared out as the creatures swarm toward us, axes brandished eagerly.  Misha jumped back with a curse.  Wasting no time with words, I moved to attack the creatures.  Unfortunately, I stepped on a loose stone, and as my balance faltered, the creatures axe intercepted my sword, knocking it to the ground, and sending me to one knee.  Gruush immediately rushed to my aid, slitting the throat of the grimlock that stood poised to sink its axe into my head.  The remaining grimlocks seemed angered by the death of their comrade, and came at us like a pack of wolves.  Three surrounded Misha, though only one was able to land a blow as Misha guts its comrade.  Two came at Gruush, who moved in front of me, one catching a glancing blow to his shoulder.  Two of the grimlocks avoided the battle near Gruush, moving to attack me as I tried to reach my sword on the cold stone floor.  Kara moved to help me, but was flanked by two grimlocks himself, taking several grievous blows.  I moved back just as the two grimlocks reached me, but one still managed to catch my shoulder with his axe.  I raised my hand, casting a spell, and searing light burned into the grimlock that attacked me.  As it fell, I used the distraction to grab my sword and stand, ready to face the other one.Gruush, ignoring his danger, attacked the grimlock I faced, decapitating it in a quick blow.  Across the room, I saw one of the creatures on Misha land a glancing blow to his forearm, doing no real damage.  As I was distracted, one of the grimlocks that had attacked Kara turned, striking me hard in the back.  I cried out and turned, even as the other one struck Kara as well.  Misha looked grim then, and gutted one of the grimlocks attacking him, then spun, taking the other’s head.  Gruush finished his grimlocks and moved to help Kara, and together they killed the grimlock they faced, as my anger took control of me, and I viciously hacked the one in front of me to pieces.  The room fell silent, except for the sound of our heavy breathing.  I winced as I looked down at the blood on my shoulder, but was grateful that nothing worse had happened.  I moved to Kara’s side, laying my hands on him.  I watched his wounds close, then saw to my own.  Misha seemed unhurt and used his wand to heal Gruush.  We wiped our blades clean, and moved to inspect the room beyond the secret door.  We could see a simple room that almost certainly was home to the creatures that just attacked us--it had their smell.  Low, wooden pallets served as beds for as many as 30 of the creatures, although many looked as though they have not been used in a while.  Rags, bones, tools, weapons, and miscellaneous refuse lay scattered over the floor.  I wrinkled my nose, feeling nauseous.  Misha searched the room, finding some gold, but little else.  There was an opening to the right of the room, going to what appeared to be a hallway.   The hallway emptied into an elegant and tastefully appointed reception hall.  Well-crafted statuary lined both long walls with heavy, red curtains hung majestically behind them.  Red carpet of the same material led up to a matching set of light gray stone chairs.  The chairs were intricately carved, complementing the natural veins of a greenish stone.  To the right and left, on either side of these chairs, were stone doors bound in iron.Misha inspected each statue, as I glanced around.  Each statue was unique:  a beautiful maiden, a wizened sage, a powerful knight.....Each had a subtle expression of surprise or fear on its face.   After a brief inspection, Misha noted that a small nail had been driven into the back of each statue's head.  Misha seemed puzzled by this, and after much thought, ventured the idea that perhaps the medusa petrified its victims, and these statues were in fact adventurers who had failed.  I looked at the statues with new horror, but started when I heard a voice come from the doorway which we had just entered.Familiar in its accent and lack of emotion, the voice said  "You were fools to come here.  If  you have harmed Vallasta, you will know the true meaning of vengeance."  Standing at the entrance to the hall was the hairless, muscular man wearing the kilt.  His eyes were dark, and his fists clenched at his sides."We have not harmed her. What is your name?"  Gruush asked.He frowned.  "I am Chaolosh.""It is good to finally meet you. Thank you for the warning earlier about leaving." Gruush said amiably. “You would do well to heed it again."  Chaolosh replied.  "Why don't you want us here?" Gruush asked.Unemotionally, Chaolosh stated "You are in my home, uninvited." "Why don't you want us here?" Gruush pushed.  "We didn't know it was your home. We were told it was the grells home.""You lie."“We come for the sword..."  Misha said as he stepped back, slowly backing up towards the two thrones."Sword?"  Chaolosh’s gaze flickered to Misha, and realized what he was doing. "STOP!"  He shouted."What's wrong?" Gruush said as Misha began to chant the divine words for Divine Favor..."Very well, have it your way.  I was willing to let you go."  Chaolosh said with finality."What have we done to upset you?"  Gruush began to say as Chaolosh moved to attack the closest foe....Karanaj.  Gruush tripped him on the way, and punched him, pushing him down to the floor.  Kara swung his sword at the prone man, and it bit deep into his back as he cried out.  Knowing we had little choice, I stepped up, attacking as well, my sword sinking into him as well.One of the stone doors at the end of the room flew open, and Vallasta entered the fray, charging Misha.  The snakes on her head snapped at him, but he managed to avoid being bitten.  "By Kali, you've come to your doom this time, humans.  Look into the eyes of your destroyer!"We were able to avoid the lure of looking into her eyes, but Chaolosh took advantage of our distraction, sinking into the stone floor, disappearing.  At that moment, we heard a long low ringing, like the sound of a bell, just like the sound we had heard several times before.  We did not have time to stop and ponder what it meant, however.Misha tried to strike the medusa, but only scratched her arm as she hissed "You will pay for that."  Gruush moved to help him, landing a slight blow to the medusa as well.  Karanaj tried to cast a spell, but caught the medusa’s eye as he finished, and turned into a stone statue, as Vallasta laughed.  The laugh angered me, and I moved forward.  My powerful blow knocked the witch from her feet, but as she fell, Chaolosh formed from the stone at her feet, and fed her a potion. She straightened, even as a noise drew everyone's attention from the battle. Four grell careened into the room. as Gruush strikes Chaolosh, and Misha decapitates the medusa.The grell joined the fray, two attacking Gruush, and two attacking Misha.  Tentacles wrapped around Misha, and began to lift him off the floor, but I rushed forward, hitting the one holding him hard enough to make it let go.  I heard a screech as Gruush injured one of the grell he faced, just as Misha killed the grell that had held him captive.  Misha whirled to the other grell, slashing it twice as it slapped him with two tentacles.  Gruush looked to be lost in a forest, and I saw at least five tentacles touch his skin, as I brought my sword around, cutting the last grell attacking Misha in two.  Gruush finished one grell, while Misha killed the other.  Glancing around, I saw that Chaolosh had disappeared again.  I healed Gruush, while frantically thinking of a way to help Kara.  I have never felt more helpless.Misha wanted to investigate behind the doors, but I refused to leave Kara, so he and Gruush continued alone.  They had only been gone a short time when I heard a whisper of noise behind me, and I turned, to see Chaolosh with hammer and nail, ready to drive it into the base of Kara’s skull.  Without thought, I pulled and flung the dagger in my belt, catching him in the throat.  He fell, blood seeping into the dirt around him.  I moved to him warily, pulling my dagger out of his flesh, and cleaning it, before tucking it back in my belt.  As I did so, I noticed that Chaolosh wore a sword, plain and unadorned, but something pulled me to it, and I pulled it out, looking at the shining blade.  I knew we had found what we had sought, and called Misha in my mind, bidding him to return.  Misha actually sounded concerned, saying "Did he hurt you, my love?"I  looked down at the hammer and nail at my feet and said "Not me.  He came to kill Kara as he killed the others.  I had other ideas."Misha smirked.  "They don't call you Wildcat for nothing...""I can take care of myself."  I said.  "But I am ready to leave, before the grell invade full force.”  The others agreed, and Misha tried to lift Kara, but could not.  I strapped the sword to my back, and together, the three of us dragged Kara back out to the horses.  A plan formed in my mind, and I pulled a blanket from my saddlebags, and with Misha and Gruush’s help, I wrapped Kara’s feet in it, then tied rope around him, and to the saddles of my horse and Misha’s.  It was slow going, but we managed to drag him back to the dragon’s fortress in the darkness.The sun was rising as we made it back, exhausted, and I could barely sit my horse, almost falling as we came to a stop.  Misha caught me, and pulled me from my saddle, carrying me inside to bed, as Gruush tended to the horses.  I saw movement at the table as we entered the fortress, and heard someone say "Welcome back." as Aliya stepped from the shadows.</blockquote>

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