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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 1054960" data-attributes="member: 1674">Out of the frying pan - part 4 of 5Their journey through the Ganjus took several days. After all the horrors that lay behind them, the friends were grateful for the relative ease of this journey. After all, there would be no titanspawn lurking in the shadow or fiendish beasts preying on them in the realm of the Earthmother.Eventually, they reached a tightly packed cluster of trees that formed the walls and beams of a small hut. Around it, the ground was littered with fallen leaves and branches, indicating that this place hadn't been in use in a long time."This is as far as we can take you," Enascine told them. "We must proceed alone from here with the Amphora, for non-Jordeh would weaken the power of the ritual. Meanwhile, I would like to ask you for one final service: To act as our guards."This path here, past this hut, is the only easy route into the grove. It is vital that you won't allow anyone to pass. Even though we are deep in the Ganjus, the servants of the Serpentmother may be desperate enough to venture even here- just like you have ventured into the realm of their realm. I fear they could try to disrupt the ritual and regain possession of the Amphora once again."The friends nodded, indicating their agreement. The forest was beautiful and peaceful, making it hard to believe that titanspawn would venture here. But like Enascine had indicated, they too had dared to enter the heart of the lair of the followers of the Serpent-mother. Their enemy might just do the same thing.With a final wish for good fortune and Denev's blessing, the elves went into the woods to the north, and the friends settled down for their watch. For hours, the friends noticed nothing bigger or more threatening than an occasional squirrel, until, just as the evening was about to fall, there was movement between the trees.Ben and Niklas were on watch, and the movement didn't come from the south, from where they would have expected any enemies to approach, but from the north, where the druids had gone. The incarnate and the monk got up and several of the Jordeh staggered out of the woods towards the hut. They were all badly burned, their flesh blackened and their clothes scarred.Ben called for the rest of his companions in the hut, and Niklas stepped forward to support a collapsing elf-maid who had been beautiful before something had cooked her flesh and burned away her clothes. In a flash, Niklas remembered the name of the woman he was holding: Jahana."We were betrayed", she rasped. "Enascine must have been corrupted. He... He told us to gather in one spot and pray to Denev while he cast a spell to summon our brethren. But he lied! He called down fire upon us!She looked like she was about to break down crying, but then she forced herself to go on:“ Some of us were killed right away, and we others were badly injured. Before we were able to do anything at all, he had taken the Amphora and merged with the great oak in the centre of the grove to which he had led us."Ben was shocked. In all of the lives he had lived, which he could remember, there had never been a betrayal by a servant of Denev. Surely this was without precedence. "Where did he go?“ he asked.Jahana wipe her tears from her cheek with her dirty sleeve, smearing ash over her burnt face: "I don't know. I think the only thing we can do now is contact Tamlaine. We did not wish to disturb her until she has fully recovered, but we have no choice now. At least we know that she can be trusted".Ignoring the pain and agony of their abused bodies, the Jordeh gathered and prayed aloud. After a short moment, a small flock of birds descended into the clearing, landing on outstretched arms.The Jordeh attached small pieces of parchment with messages to the birds' legs and whispered into their ears. Then, with a shake of their wrist and a bit of prayer, they sent them flying again, and all of the birds turned eastwards."Now," Jahana said, "there is nothing we can do but wait".All of the friends felt uneasy. Minutes felt like hours as they waited. After all, every minute Enascine had the Amphora could be one minute too many, since it was impossible to tell what the traitor was planning while they were doing nothing. An hour passed, and the sun was setting, as finally Tamlaine stepped out of one of the trees. There were no signs of the injuries inflicted upon her by the woodwrack dragon and she was furious.“Why did you not summon me when you went to meet our guests?“ she asked Jahana angrily. “I might have prevented this!”The elven maiden jumped up: “Enascine had told us that you were still recovering and too weak to travel!”Tamlaine nodded, her fury transforming into cold determination: “Another of his lies. I have been fine for days now. I still cannot believe that one of our own would betray us like that, but he shall pay for this. I have sent messages to my brethren. They will soon join us.“She paused shortly, and after a deep sigh, she continued: “The bringers of autumn, a sect of Mormo worshippers, have corrupted a small number of Jordeh to their ways of thinking, and it looks like Enascine would be one of those traitors. Their leader, the autumn king, may already be in possession of the Amphora.”“Do you think that it is possible that this sect had worked against the Dar Al Annot at times?“ Torn asked.Tamlaine shrugged:” It is possible. The Autumn King has often acted in ways, which seemed contrary to the goals of Mormo. And maybe he wanted the Amphora for himself to gain special favours from his mistress. Why do you ask?”Torn told her about the time when the strange woman, who had smelled like sandalwood had helped them in Lageni when they had been on their quest to gain the ritual that would destroy the amphora. Her described the skeletons which had been animated by vines, which had cleared the path at the entrance of Marilvaz’ tomb, Tamlaine interrupted him.“The constructs you are describing are vinedead, and they are creations of the Bringers of Autumn. It really looks like agents of the Bringers of Autumn had aided you in the past in order to gain the ritual. I don’t know why they had done it, but this can’t be good…”While they were talking, the grove filled with druids. Some stepped out of trees, some came in flying as birds and changed into their elven form them and some came in walking on foot. All in all, about two dozen druids arrived this way, filling up the grove.A grizzled, thick bearded old man, clad in leather armour and a heavy cloak, stepped forward to Tamlaine and the companions. Unlike the other Jordeh, he was no elf, but a half-elf.With a noise that sounded like rocks grinding against each other, he cleared his throat: “We came as swiftly as we could, sister. I am afraid we can tell you where the traitor has gone. He has gone to the Grove of the Mother, and even Denev knows not what he may do there!”Tamlaine turned pale and turned to the friends:” We need your help more than ever now. But first you have to take an oath to not reveal what you are about to hear.”All of the companions did so, feeling the sincerity and importance of her request, and she continued: “The Grove of the Mother is the spot where Denev had returned, exhausted, to the earth in the aftermath of the Titan War. If the Amphora is destroyed there, Mormo’s corruption will be released into the soil where Denev slumbers. I cannot imagine what will happen then. Maybe nothing. But they may poison the essence of Denev herself.”She paused for a moment, scanning the friends’ faces to make sure that they were fully aware of the significance of her words: “It could be even worse, though. If they succeed in pouring Mormo’s essence into Denev’s sleeping form, the consequence would be the death of the Earth Mother and the resurrection of the Serpent Queen!”</blockquote>

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