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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wraithdrit" data-source="post: 1153695" data-attributes="member: 10820">Deep UnderdarkEast of Szith MorcaneMarpenoth 6th, Early MorningTelinal wrapped the last of his things into his pack and glanced at his traveling companion. “So you really believe in it?”Tursa glanced up from where she sat lacing up a boot. She studied him a few moments then nodded just once, “Of course. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”The drow bladesinger stood and picked his sword belt up and slung it over one shoulder. “I don’t know Tursa. I mean, how many prophecies did the Oracle get wrong? Why this one?”The fey’ri stood and stalked over to look the bladesinger directly in the eyes. “As far as I know the Oracle has never been wrong. You can’t prove anything the Oracle said was ever wrong.”He frowned, “That’s the problem with prophecies… make them vague enough and eventually someone will prove them right.”Tursa shook her head and walked away. “It’s not like that. The words may seem general and the situations can seem shoehorned to fit, but you have no idea how much emotion and sight plays into it.”Telinal narrowed his eyes, “You are close to the Oracle then.”Tursa nodded and clasped her cloak over her shoulders, “Aye. We should get going, if you are going to make it to Szith Morcane on time we need to get moving.”The pair finished getting ready and soon stalked quietly through the natural caverns of the Underdark. Telinal often had to scramble up small cliffs and shimmy down shafts to get from passage to passage. Going was a bit easier for the fey’ri. Her wings could easily be folded away under her cloak to keep them out of the way, but a quick flip of the cloth and they were out and propelling her to the next ledge or breaking her fall as she leapt from higher areas. Finally they stopped to take a break.The bladesinger spoke first, “So how did you know we could get to Szith Morcane through the Elven Court. Not many surface dwellers know of these passages.”The smile that Tursa gave him was very predatory. “The Oracle told me.”Telinal shook his head and actually smiled, “Of course.” He was about to leap down to the next ledge down the large cavern they were traversing when a shadow to his left moved. His blade was in his hand in a flash. He spun, his right hand holding his sword, his left ready to make the intricate motions needed to release a spell from memory.“Kill me not, if you desire to live.” The dark skinned dwarf held a crossbow in his meaty hands. It was pointed at the bladesinger, but Telinal had seen enough duergar in his day to know that it was probably the least of his worries. Telinal lifted his hands, “Alright, what do you want?” He glanced over at Tursa. The fey’ri had her hands beneath her cloak and was just watching the duergar.The grimy little dwarf shuffled forward, “You not supposed to be here. They don’t want others coming, not unless you with the banshee.” It sniffed and shook its head, “I see nothing dead with you, you not with the banshee.”Telinal shook his head, “Actually I am escorting this woman to see the priestesses.” He nodded at Tursa, “I’m sure they will understand if you detain us though.” The duergar looked as if it had been slapped. “We not detain you… we…” It got a better look at Tursa and frowned. “What is she?” He turned to focus the crossbow on her. Tursa let her wings flip out from beneath the cloak and spread them to their full width, “That is none of your business, underling… now let us pass.”The duergar’s eyes widened and he whispered, “Demon-blood…” He licked his lips and looked between the two. His form shuddered a bit and suddenly he began to grow. His little form grew larger and larger, and he shouted, “It’s a Demon-blood! Kill them! Kill them!”Telinal threw himself at Tursa, throwing them both to the ground as bolts ripped through the where they had stood. The bladesinger came up with one hand already moving in the arcane motions of a spell. His form seemed to blur around the edges, and shifted in random directions every few moments. Tursa was also casting. One hand threw forward a several small globes of energy spiraled out to slam into the enlarged duergar. The creature howled and tossed aside his spent crossbow and drew an axe. He strode forward and swung at Telinal, trying to knock him aside to get at the sorceress. The axe passed through the false image Telinal’s spell had created and slammed into the ground, sending sparks and chips of stone flying. Telinal’s true blade lashed forward and stabbed once, twice, then a third time. Blood oozed from three different wounds, and the duergar was already swooning. The bladesinger was not done with him though. His free hand kept going through arcane motions. Another spell flowed over the drow and his motions got even faster.The rest of the duergar charged from the shadows at the pair. They spread out and tried to surround the pair. Tursa threw herself into the air, and after flying up a good ways, she muttered a few arcane words. A peashaped ball of fire dropped slowly from her hands, like a single drop of water. Instead of splashing when it hit the stone floor of the cavern, it exploded into a massive ball of flame that enveloped everyone but her. The flames ripped through the dwellers of the Underdark. As the flames receded and the light dimmed, Tursa’s keen sight saw that no one had escaped the blast, not even Telinal. Smoke drifted from the drow, and soot charred portions of his dark skin. The pain did nothing to slow him down.Weaving and dodging through the group of duergar, the bladesinger looked like he was dancing for fun in the middle of a decadent drow noble’s party, not like a master swordsman that was cutting a swathe through his enemy. His motions were fluid and fast, but utterly unhurried. He seemed to know when and how the burned dwarves would attack. He seemed always a step ahead of them. As blades fell on stone, he would step up them and lash out at their wielders. When a meaty hand would swing to bat him away, he flip backwards, lashing out in mid air to send a finger or a whole hand arching away into the darkness.Fire licked up and down his blade, adding to screams of pain and anger the duergar let out each time he would lash out at them. Tursa smiled, it was almost a beautiful thing to watch the bladesinger work, but then the realization that it was not a dance, but a fight slowly slipped back into her thoughts. She waited for a pair of duergar to get close enough, and let loose with a massive bolt of lightning. It ripped through the pair, dropping both to the stone. Telinal faced off with the last of the duergar, the one that had originally stopped them. The huge dwarf held its ground, and waited for Telinal to make his move first. It huffed and puffed, grunting at the pain of its many wounds and burns. Telinal paused and whispered another quick spell. Tursa recognized the spell as one that would make the bladesinger’s next strike as accurate as it possibly could. He already outmatched the creature, what was he planning, she wondered.Instead of charging, the bladesinger hefted his blade back and threw it. The magic of his spell overcame the many difficulties in using sword as a massive throwing weapon. It struck the middle of the duergar’s chest. He slumped forward, the flames lighting his jerkin and cloak aflame. As he slumped to one side, dead, the bladesinger stepped up and pulled his sword free.Tursa landed and strode over to where Telinal was wiping his blade off. “Well that confirms my suspicions. He must have made it to the city.”Telinal nodded, “Aye, but she is still in power, otherwise they would not be patrolling for her. Damn mercenaries.” He kicked the smoldering body of one of the duergar. “Can’t stand them.” He turned his gaze on her. “I would appreciate if you would not catch me in your spells.”Tursa smirked, “But Telinal, you drow are naturally resistant. Don’t tell me that my magic scares you.” Telinal frowned, “Resistant, not immune. Though this does help…” He nodded down at his flaming sword, which he slid into its sheath. “Just don’t, alright?”The sorceress nodded, “Fine. Lets keep moving… you have somewhere to be.”</blockquote>

Verification