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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 994393" data-attributes="member: 1674">Out of the frying pan- part 2Coming out of the corridor, Trepat saw the Paladin dangle, his head getting red, and with one fluid motion, he pulled out his bow and shot the vine, cutting it. Jan crashed to the floor and as Trepat and Torn caught up, he scrambled back to his feet and jumped into the exit tunnel.Outside, they all ran for the bushes where the sentinel and their steeds were waiting. Outside, under the shadow of the giant tree, there was no visible activity yet. The heroes didn't know that, but the wickerman was right then killing all of the druids in that part of the citadel, and it would take hours till any alarm would ring.Still, they moved as hurriedly as possible, pulling their animals by their reigns. Lead by Leral, and with Mina in their tow, they soon started bickering again. Old sores broke out and soon everybody was airing everything that annoyed them about their companions. They were all friends, of course, but since they had spent so much time closely together for so long now, each of them had issues with everyone else. Those issues were all rather irrelevant, like how the other one ate, or the stupidity of his behaviour or how the other one breathed at night.But now those little things grew and grew in the minds of everyone involved- right then when they should be busy getting out of the grasp of the Dar Al Annot. Just when the first blows were about to fly, Mina shouted and got everyone's attention for the moment being."Enough", she screamed and threw Jan's chain shirt to the ground. Now, she was standing merely in her linen, and she continued, calmer now:" I thank you for what you have done for me. But now, I have to leave you. Believe me it is for your own best."She smiled shyly one last time, and then turned into fog. Before any of the friends could react, the fog was whirled around by a tiny vortex and then disappeared in a flash of light.They all stood stunned for a moment, staring at the empty bit of forest where the elf had stood, and then they turned to each other, intend on continuing their debate, but the fight had gone out of them. It was almost as if their strife had been connected to Mina and gone with her.For a minute, no one said a word. But then Trepat broke the silence:" I think I know what she was. I once read about a kind of elemental that doesn't consist of a material element but of condensed emotions. One of those were called "Strife Elemental" and they spread the negative emotion they are made of...""And you think Mina was such a Strife-Elemental?“ Torn asked.Trepat nodded:" Yes. Either that or you and me are really out to kill Jan. And I can say about myself that that isn't the case..."They all knew that it was vital for them to get as far away from the citadel as possible before Nightfall, and so they marched on, their comradeship restored.Thanks to their guide, they made it to the border of the forest with only one encounter, when several trolls attacked them. But apart from that, she lead them with an almost uncanny precision past all dangers and away from their enemies of the Dar Al Annot.After a week, they had reached the border of the forest again, and she said:" Now all you have to do is head north. In a few days, you will be back in the Ganjus".The friends wanted to thank her, but already she had turned around and disappeared between the trees. She certainly had helped them, but in a way, they were all glad that she was gone now. After all, she just wasn't a very likeable person.It was around noon then, and the friends decided to get as far out into the hills as possible. Even though they were entering badlands now, they were only too glad to leave the Hornsaw and it's horrid deformations behind. It was in the late afternoon when the heat of the day was being swept away by a cold breeze and the first fat drop of rain splashed on Niklas' nose. Soon, the one drop was followed by many and dark clouds were racing over the sky."Oh, no...“ Niklas said, and looking how his friends were dismounting, unsheathing their weapons and casting spells in preparation for an upcoming battle, he knew that he didn't need to tell them that he had the feeling that they would be visited by the storm-hag again.Just as he swung himself from his horse all other sounds were drowned out in a sudden, near deafening clap of thunder and a massive bolt of lightning slammed down between the monk and his brother. Jan's horse was tossed to the side and the paladin himself was thrown of it, landing on the ground a few feet away. Niklas had been taken by surprise as well, and he too was thrown back and badly fried.Lying on his back, he kept his eyes closed for a moment, his mind focused on ignoring the pain that every fibre of his body was experiencing. Right then, he heard it: in spite of the noise and uproar of the storm, there was the mad, screaming cackle of the hag.Niklas jumped up back on his feet and opened his eyes. There she was, swooping from the clouds, but still much too high for him to reach her. Trepat shot a bolt of acid-lightning at her, as three manta-like creatures came down from the clouds as well.As the creatures flew down towards Jan, seemingly attracted by his metal-armour, Torn downed his potion of flight. As the magic of the potion began to work, he took of and rose through the storm, his crossbow ready. The name of the hag was Hielaa. Over and over again, the godspawn had messed with her plans, and for some strange reason, they were still alive. At least when she had sunk their ship, she should have killed at least some of them, but now they were all there again.However, this meant that now she could get her revenge, and regain the serpent amphora as well. The puny godspeople had little means to fight her as long as she stayed high above, and she still had her lightning javelins. There was this elvish sorcerer, but the ice storm she had just summoned should take care of him.Suddenly, a bolt hit Hielaa, and she saw one of her enemies, the halforc, flying up to her. Seeing that he was already pulling out his spiked chain as he was approaching, she cast a spell to dispel the magic that allowed the halforc to fly.The spell worked, and she cackled contently as the half orc fell helplessly towards the ground 80 feet below him…</blockquote>

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