A Druid's Story {Graphic Violence, Some Sexual Content}

Feedback! I'm curious as to who is actually reading and liking what I'm writing, if anyone. Someone shooting me down for sucking would be better than the silence Do hope you guys are enjoying my little endeavour into writing. Peace out. Now, to see a Renaissance Festival!

Chapter 9: The Sea

This dwarf intrigues me, was the foremost thing in my mind while we stood together at the handrail on the bow of the ship taking us to the Thundering Steppes. Not only does he save an absolute stranger, but a stranger who closely resembles a Tier’Dal. Yet, there is something, a quality to him, that tells me there are no underlying motives to his help. No hidden plots, no dagger in the dark, nothing. He seems calm and sure of himself, yet saddened by events as of late. Losing any family member in a dwarven family usually constitutes a multitude of mourning, and when it’s because of something like what befell his brother I’m willing to bet he’s even worse off.
“What will you be doing once you’ve had your revenge?” I asked him.
“I don’t rightly know. Ye see, I’ve spent all the time since me brother was killed trackin’ down the filth what killed him and the rest o’ his crew. I’ve not given much thought to what comes next. I suppose I’ll finish me trainin’, for one.” I looked quizzically at him. “Me and me brother, we joined the Order of the Crusaders of Brell. ‘Tis ‘bout his only chapter o’ dedicated holy knights.
“Anyways, I’ve made it to the rank o’ journeyman, so not much more is required o’ me as far as combat arts are concerned. The rest o’ me trainin’ is o’ the spiritual type. Me heart will get closer to the ideals of Brell and me abilities will grow.” He fell silent after this for a period, then turned to ask me, “What’ll it take ye to finish the quest ye’ve set yerself upon?
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “I would like to eventually see Lucan’s head on a pike, but I don’t know if any one person alone could possibly accomplish that. I suppose I’ll just go on hindering any Seafury operations I come across until I’m either too old to keep going, or find something else that gives me a sense of fulfillment. If I were a more capable assassin, I would have probably already killed every major leader in their organization, but alas, sneaking about in high security places has never been something I was good at. I tend to just snap someone’s neck rather than try to avoid them, and am eventually noticed from lack of people checking in on time.
“As a matter of fact, that’s why I had to kill those Militia members a few months ago. I got a good lead on a time when one of the Seafuries’ captains would be without much protection for almost three hours and decided to make a quick strike on his home and take him out. Unfortunately, one of the two guards he had left was some kind of magic user. Before I managed to kill the guard, he sent a magical message to the local guard’s barracks, and they sent five of their best on-duty Militiamen out to arrest me. They burst in just as I was finishing the second guard and almost caught me unawares. The only choice I had to avoid arrest was to do unto them as they would have done unto me after my ‘trial’.
“The slime of a Seafury escaped my wrath and I had to go into hiding. Changed my name and paid a mage from the Freeport underground to cast a magic-cloaking spell on me. As long as I didn’t cast a spell I would not show any traces of magical aura, as that is how they had tracked me down time and time again. I had to use a spell to kill the assassin that attacked me in my room a ten-day ago, and the Militia caught on to the fact that I was still operating in Freeport. At least ten guards on were on my trail when I escaped Freeport through a secret tunnel no one but Matthias and I knew of.”
Ereviz looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, “What abilities do ye have? I like to know the abilities o’ anyone I travel with. Let’s me know how they can back me up.”
I had to consider for a moment. After making mental notes and running over the many fights I had been through, I started telling him what my known capabilities were.
“Well, I know for a fact that I can toss a mean lightning bolt if I have to, but that spell takes it out of me. I can sense the life-force of anything around me that is actually alive out to a range of about one hundred paces. I have a bit of healing ability that I recently discovered, so I’m not sure how much I can use it before tiring myself, as I’ve had no chance to experiment. That’s about it as far as I know when it comes to magical abilities that I have to focus to use.
“My combat abilities are far superior, as far as I am concerned. I can throw almost any weapon with unerring accuracy, am very good at dodging blows, can fight very well unarmed, as well as with a wide variety of melee weapons, and can enter a sort of trance that allows me to move faster and take punishment that would normally incapacitate me.
“What about you? Other than seeing you use that hammer and shield very well, and knowing you can heal quite well, I know nothing of your abilities,” I asked in return.
After a slight hesitation, Ereviz started speaking.
“Well, me healing and melee abilities are ‘bout my best qualities. I can also take a heck o’ a beatin’. I do have a few other tricks, like a spell that absorbs blows that land on ye, a spell to deflect damage off people who stay close to me, and a spell that’ll make me allies tougher to kill.”
We sat in companionable silence for a while after that, watching the rise and fall of the waves around us. We were probably about a day and a half out of our destination at this point, and the water was perfectly blue in every direction. Off the starboard bow, I saw a dolphin slice through the water, dive down then jump nearly two paces out of the water with a fish in its mouth. I felt a serene peace watching that scene, and from being at sea.
Every since my first trip to Qeynos those many years ago, I noticed that I have a deep respect, and maybe love, for the sea. I never experienced sea-sickness, and my dark skin tone never burned, so I could run about without having to wear clothing that covered every inch of my skin. I felt, and to this day feel, a freedom while at sea that I feel nowhere else. I looked over at my companion, with his large feet widely set, riding the motion of the boat easily, and felt as if I were standing next to a kindred spirit.
“Hey, want to go below-decks and toss down a few pints?” I asked him.
His eyes lit up and he grinned as he responded, “Ye bet I do, I was hopin’ ye’d ask.” At the end of his sentence he was halfway to the door leading downstairs, and he turned and said, “What’re ye waitin’ for? If ye don’t hurry, ye’ll be sitting there wishin’ ye had some ale, as it’ll all be in me belly!”
* * *

We made it to port with no attacks from pirate ships or sea goblins or anything. I was very surprised, as it seemed a day didn’t go by when I didn’t get attacked or have to save someone else from getting attacked. I was also very pleased, as the three days I spent on that ship were some of the most relaxing I had enjoyed in quite some time. I felt as if the world was mine for the taking, and nothing was impossible.
After departing the ship and waving good-bye to a few sailors we had played at dice with, Ereviz and I traveled up and down the dock. I stopped and asked what we were looking for, but the only response I received was ‘I’ll let ye know when I find it.’ Deciding to let the dwarf go about his search in peace, as I’m the kind to badger someone until they break and tell me what I want to know or throw something at me in frustration, I told him I was going to go sit down in a small pub on the dock we had just passed.
“Alright, I’ll come back for ye when I’ve found what I’m lookin’ for,” he said as he continued on.
I walked into the establishment, and almost stabbed someone as they ran up and wrapped me up in a hug; then I recognized her. “Fiona!”
“Hey there, Elhonna! I’m glad you made it out okay. I thought you were dead because I saw those men shoot you as you ran in to distract them, but I didn’t say anything to rest of the group because I didn’t want them charging in and getting themselves killed and making your sacrifice worth nothing. But you’re alive and you’re here and boy am I glad to see you and can I see your staff now?” All of this was, of course, delivered in Fiona’s nearly indecipherable, insanely fast normal speaking tone.
“Why, I suppose so,” I said as I started to remove my staff from my back. “By the way, where is everyone else?” I asked as I handed it over.
“Oh, they all went with Noris to Qeynos to have that nasty gem cleansed. I stayed here to do some research on a type of aquatic fish whose bones are supposed to be so hard you can make a pick-axe from them and break diamonds. I’m not sure if it’s fact or not, but I’ve nothing to do after the last quest and wanted to spend some time to myself catching up on my multitudes of research. So, what would you like me to enchant into this weapon? I can do any number of things, including doing a small amount of fire or ice damage, making it swing a little faster, and making it much harder to break at the same time as making it lighter.”
I pondered the question and the options for a few moments before asking, “Can you make it harder and make it magically sharp? As in, sharp enough to cut metal and never need to be sharpened?”
She thought for a second then said, “Yes, it’s just a twisting of the fire magic, like so, to make the metal constantly reforge itself, and using my magical sight, I can re-unify the dowhigs that actually compose the metal. And the hardness thing is achieved by increasing the attractiveness the dowhigs actually have for each other, so the energy field between them compresses and leaves room for the reforging process to cram more dowhigs into the same space. Sound good?” I nodded confoundedly, and she continued.
“It’s quite simple really, you just take a small amount of fire magic to heat everything constantly, and some ice compressed within it to cool it down instantly, and it stays the same temperature. All of this with an aura of air defining the outline and constantly compressing the metal to act as the weaponsmith in the resharpening process. And…I’m done!” She beamed up at me. “You like it?”
I tested the edge with my fingertip and had to stick my finger in my mouth to suck the blood that was coming out of the hair-thin cut I had just given myself with the slightest pressure. I silently picked up the two sections of staff, walked outside, then speared one piece into a piling near the pub grabbed a maul that was sitting nearby, slammed it into the end, of the staff section-nearly burying the whole blade in the piling- and lastly, jumped up and landed on the spear. I stood there for a minute, then jumped up and down on the handle, trying to snap or even bend the blade. Neither occurred, and my jumping made enough of a space in the wood around the blade that when I hopped down, I was easily able to whip my staff’s blade out of the piling.
“Very nice work, indeed, Fiona,” I said. “Very nice work indeed. This will do quite well.” I then stored the pieces in their cases on my back. “You should have been a weaponsmith yourself, Fiona. People would pay a fortune for craftsmanship such as this. I’m sure you could turn almost any decently forged weapon into a work of art.” Her face fairly shone at all of my compliments, and I continued. “One day I might have to commission you to make some other special weapons for me, but for now this weapon is quite serviceable.”
“I’m glad you like it. Most people don’t trust me to work with their weapons because I am so excitable. But how can I help it, when I know that I can do these things and make these items so much better at fulfilling their tasks?” she looked slightly sad as she said these things, but then perked up. “I know, maybe you could help spread the word about how good my work is, and my reputation will grow, and I’ll make a bunch of money, and I’ll share it with you for helping me get started!”
I smiled and said, “If anyone will believe the words of a half-Tier’Dal, I will do all I can to make sure everyone knows of your abilities. One last thing, how long does this enchantment last?”
She looked confused for a moment then clarity passed over her face. “Ah, yes. The enchantments are permanent. I wrapped a small spell around all of the magic to both cloak the fact that it is magical, and renew the spell every waking moment until either a more powerful weapon manages to destroy it, or the world ends. Whichever comes first. The metal will never rust now either, by the way. The reforging process remakes the weapon constantly, so it will never lose its shape or sharpness. Any other questions?”
“Yes, one more. What do they serve to eat at this pub, I’m famished!”
* * *

Ereviz arrived halfway through our meal, looking excited. I told him to take a seat, then signaled a waitress, who immediately went into the back room then returned carrying a heaping pile of roasted beef, a platter of fish, vegetables and fresh baked bread, and two large flagons of ale. Ereviz’s eyes lit up even more at this point, and he set into the meal in true dwarven fashion, eating the meal so quickly I almost thought he had simply breathed it in.
He sat back with a belch well before Fiona and I were finished eating, and complimented the chef loudly. Then he turned to me and said, “Are ye about ready? I’ve found what I was lookin’ for, and I’d like to show ye. Also, who’s yer friend?
I introduced him to Fiona and told him the quick version of our adventure, then said good-bye to Fiona and left the tavern with Ereviz.
“I’m assuming I will have to wait until we get to whatever it is you were looking for before I get to find out what it is?” I asked as we hurried down the dock.
“Aye, and ye’ll be happily surprised too, I’m betting. Now, come ye on, we don’t have forever.”
We walked on for another fifteen minutes or so before coming to a small ramp that led down off the main pier. He headed down this ramp without missing a step, and I fell in behind him. Moored to the end of the small pier at the bottom of the ramp was a small sailboat.
“This is what we’ll be takin’ to get to Pirate’s Cove, which is where I tracked me brother’s killer to. ‘Twas me brother’s ship. Now it’s mine. It only takes two people to pilot the craft, and since I’ve sailed it since I could barely walk, I’m sure I could teach ye enough to make a passable sailor.
I smiled widely before saying, “Learning to sail sounds like fun. Let’s get gone, unless you have something else holding you at this port.”
“Nope, already had ‘er stocked, and we’re ready to ship out. Toss that line off that piling, now, pull that rope a little until the mainsail is at about halfmast, we don’t wanna take off too fast and ram ‘er into somethin’. Good, now, off we go!
Final Edit.
Message Edited by Ferunnia on 01-17-2007 12:07 PM

Come on guys. I'm having a hard time of it. Can you lurkers toss me some inspiration? My imagination is at a low. /requesthelpbreakingwritersblock

Chapter 10: A First Adventure

In a tavern in Longshadow Alley, a subdivision of Freeport, dire plans are made that will send Elhonna down an unforeseen path.
“I don’t care what you have to do, I want that child. I need her, and if I have to burn the skin from your bones and send your skeleton to do the job, so be it,” said the dark cowled man sitting before Rathan Lightscourge, a shadownight of Cazic-Thule.
Rathan replied, “I promise you, my liege, the child will be at your feet within a *fortnight.
“If she isn’t, consider your head to be already adorning a pike,” was the response as the cowled figure slid back into darkness then seemingly disappeared.
A light of malice entered the shadownight’s eyes when the other figure was departed. If it does please thee, ‘My liege’, I will adorn a pike with your head the first time you ever turn your back on me. Then he stopped talking in his head and said to himself quietly out loud, “So, a trip to Qeynos. I suppose I’ll have to pay someone to cast a cloaking spell on me so I can sneak in. Heh, my orders didn’t include leaving anyone at the residence alive besides the girl, so I might yet get some enjoyment out of working with that slime.”
After this statement, the half-insane human walked off, still muttering to himself.
* * *

“I think I could come to enjoy being a sailor,” I said to Ereviz after two days of learning everything that he could teach me about the art of sailing as we headed due south of the Thundering Steppes a few miles off the coast.
“Aye, ye seem to take to it well, ye do. I can well remember when I was in your place, running about under the orders of me brother. I miss him quite a bit. I don’t think I’d be able to sail alone on this ship, too many memories.” He stood there at the wheel silently for a bit. “Besides, I can’t be givin’ up a natural born sailor, now can I? When we get to that small island ahead, I want ye to drop anchor, and after the sun goes down, we’ll take the rowboat in and see if that island is the one I was told about,” he said, his smile fading a bit as the realization that the end of his quest might be soon at hand.
My natural curiosity made me finally speak on something that had been bothering me, “I’ve got a question, Ereviz. If by some chance you should fall and be unable to guide me, I will have no idea what the heirloom you are seeking looks like. What is it exactly, and why is it so important to you?”
“I wondered when ye’d ask; almost thought it had slipped yer mind at this point. Well, since we do have our pact, and ye seem one to keep your word, I’ll let ye in on a little family secret. The soul of our first ancestor is tied to a grimy, rusty old shield. When in the hands of a true direct descendant of our family, the shield lends wisdom and strength to the dwarf holdin’ it. It also protects against a goodly bit o’ damage the wielder receives and encases ‘im in an aura that promotes healing and shields ‘im against the effects of fire. ‘Tis much the same size as the shield you’ve seen me using. Me brother, as the eldest of me siblings, was to inherit the shield at a ceremony when ‘e arrived in Qeynos with the rest of the caravan.
“Alas, they never made it, and were attacked at least three days out from the landing at Thundering Steppes. They managed to get one magical message out saying they were being attacked, and we lost contact with ‘em. A magical scrying showed that all the people on the two ships were killed and their souls arrived safely in the afterlife.
“All in all the shield’s important ‘cause ‘twill not only make the head o’ the family stronger physically, but ‘twill help ‘im lead everyone wisely.”
“So, I’m looking for a shield the size of yours that looks worthless? What happens if the bandits themselves are carrying shields much the same or are actually using yours?” I asked.
“Well, the shield’ll react to me like ‘twill to no one else. Ye’ll know you’ve found the right one if when you touch it, it flashes an image in the back o’ yer skull.”
“How will it know me from anyone else?” I replied.
“’Cause I’m gonna place a spell on ye when we actually find the place that’ll make the shield think yer a member o’ me family. Any more questions?” he queried.
“Nope, that about covers what I was curious about. We’re almost within rowing distance of the island, I’m going to go prepare the rowboat.”

* * *

About three hours later we stowed our rowboat under a large bush near the beach. The small strip of beach we landed on was covered in a fine mist, as the moisture from the day rose out of the sand. The sun had set half an hour before and the fitful light from exploded Luclin slightly illuminated the area, giving the beach a strangely ethereal feel, as if we were walking along in a dream world.
I could hear muted insect calls coming from the dense forest and see intermittent lightning strikes in the distance as a sea storm rolled in from the southeast. The storm had been steadily brewing during the entirety of our trip and it seemed Fate was on our side, as it was going to break over the island just as we arrived.
We checked the island from a high vantage point and found, near the center of the league-wide patch of green in the middle of the island, a large camp. A small bay ran right up to the edge of the camp, and we could just barely make out a black flag on one of the ships’ masts sticking up through the dense fog by the light the now constant lightning provided. I told Ereviz to give me an hour to scout out the camp, as he was anything but quiet in his full body platemail. He grumbled about not just charging in and laying waste to the place, but I eventually managed to convince him that it would be in our best interests to know the basic layout of the place at least.
Ten minutes later, I was scouting around the perimeter of the camp, and could see at least three buildings that seemed to be capable of housing higher placed members of this bandit group. At least a dozen smaller establishments encircled those three buildings and a large warehouse near the beaten dock sticking out into the bay. Checking on the movements of the guards patrolling the area, I saw that they had absolutely no discipline, and incapacitating one or more guards would be quite easy, if I could manage to get Ereviz to shuck some of his armor for a bit.
Before heading back, I snuck up to where two guards were standing together, talking in half-drunken voices, and heard one of them slur to the other, “I think thish ish a grand idea! We can findally make enough loot to sit on our duffs for a while!”
“Aye! De captains ideas are failproof, dey are! No *hic* body’ll notice if we sink one stoooopid *hic* merchant ship full of ill…ille…unlawful stuff!”
I went back to the hill where we had our first sight of the village with at least five minutes to spare, and laid out my plans to Ereviz. We would knock out at least two guards, then meet back up at a small house in the village that I could tell was abandoned. There were at least sixty people running around the village, more than we could handle without any help, and we had no ready source of help. So we would have to cause as little attention as possible for as long as possible, then make our strikes on certain areas and keep moving, to make it look as though we had more than two people.
It was Ereviz who suggested we sink the three ships in the bay, and I agreed that we should try, as I wouldn’t want even a crooked merchant to fall prey to these scum. Besides, the merchant may have been a lawful person, and their ‘captain’ lying to them.
Regardless, Ereviz and I made our way to the edge of the pirate village and managed to subdue our respective guards then meet up in the abandoned house.
“Part one of the plan, finished,” I said quietly.
“Aye, now to get my revenge and find me shield!” he whispered with a mad gleam in his eyes.
“Let’s get about it then, the first of the buildings is over this way…”


* Fortnight is two weeks. Also, for anyone who has been wondering, I tend to use very dated measuring systems, and only use feet and such to avoid confusion, but the measuring system I would use in all my writing if everyone who reads this knew it would be thus: Hand span or span= 9 inches or approx. 23 centimeters; pace being about 5 feet; Furlong is equal to about 1/8th of a mile; a mile being about 1000 paces or 5000 feet; and the league about 3 miles. And yes, I noticed I’ve messed up and tossed those around a few times, so that’s another reason for the clarification. *
Final Edit.
Message Edited by Ferunnia on 01-17-2007 12:12 PM

Read upto chapter 4 so far and thought I would post some comments about what I have read so far.
You have a good discriptive style of writing and I quite like it. The main char is missing something that pulls the reader into looking through his eyes though. Maybe it is because he hasn't shown a more human side(so far) such as emotions etc. He also tends to pull through most trials rather easily without much effort in my eyes. When a hero is surprised, astonished or even beaten the reader sometimes comes to emphasize with him more.
I have only read upto chapter 4 so far. I will continue reading when I have the time and will post my feedback about the rest of the story.

Despair not, you're doing very well.
Writer's block is tough to work through- I know, believe me.
Set the story aside, mull it over. Re-read what you've written, try to think as the reader thinks- what flows naturally for the next part?
Try writing in smaller sections- trying to pound out a long chapter can be tiring. Halfway through you can lose your momentum and then it drags.
Part of the reason I write one a week is to give myself time. The only pressure you're under is that which you create yourself.
SpritRaja has some good points- make your hero suffer some; it draws the reader in. Think of all the terrible things I've done to Ambrosious- and all the terrible things he's done. But because you know his history, you like him in spite of what he does (or maybe because...). We can all empathize with the person who suffers, who is like us- while we admire the hero who always miraculously pulls through, we dont really connect with him.
You have a good grasp of grammar (very important) and a good writing style. Writing is not as easy as people think, so give yourself some credit- you have talent!

I flesh her out much more in later chapters, and i hope you'll be pleasantly surprised at her more vulnerable side thanks for the comment and enjoy my ongoing story (She's basically like a level 30ish character fighting low teens or less mobs in game terms in the early chapters. her opponents get much more challenging in the trials to come )

Read upto chapter nine. It definately gets much better than your first few chapters. For some reason I didn't even pick up that the main character was female from the first chapters I read.
Love the story so far.

Edited chapter 7 and 8. The parts I edited are described in the corresponding chapters. Enjoy. I'm going to have another chapter out soon.

Chapter 11: The Pirate’s Cove

Lightning broke overhead as we moved into the village. A few intermittent raindrops fell in quick bursts, and I could tell a harsh storm was about to batter the island. The thunder from the constant lightning was covering the occasional clunk of Ereviz’s platemail.
We moved as quietly as possible between buildings, with my scouting ahead a bit to make sure no roving patrols walked into our laps. We had a few close calls on the way to the first of the three larger buildings. In one case, we had to incapacitate a drunken guard before he could sound an alert with the battered bronze horn on his side.
Ereviz looked on me with new respect after barely being able to watch my flickering progress as I dashed close to the guard, punched him in the throat, then drop kicked him in the face, caught him before he made a lot of noise falling, and dragged the smelly human into the shadows of a nearby building.
We used his own clothing to bind him, and then gagged him as well. We found an empty rain barrel, stuffed him into it feet first, then put the nearby cover back on. As an afterthought, I punched a hole in the barrel, near the bottom. I didn’t want to drown the hapless pirate while he was trapped. I scouted forward again, and found we were only a few dozen paces from our first objective.
As I got back into the shadows of the building Ereviz was standing beside I whispered, “We are close. Watch my back while I check for a hidden way into the building. We’ll be caught for sure if we have to go in the front. If everything goes wrong, and we can’t get out, let’s take as many with us as physically possible.” I delivered this last statement with a tight grin.
“Nay, girlie. We can’t fail at this point. ‘Tis not an option. If it all goes bad, we’ll be the last ones standing, and then we’ll walk out o’ ‘ere whistling a happy tune. I refuse to let me brother ‘ave died in vain.” A fierce light had entered his eyes as he spoke, and now I could see the power of his faith flickering through his aura.
“Cast the spell on me that’ll let your shield respond to me, then we’ll move in.”
“Aye, will do,” he responded as I felt his aura expand outwards a bit. I felt my bones become heavier, and my muscles felt much denser, but as the effect built, I felt I could leap over a building. It was a strange feeling, though he had explained just what would happen. I felt much stronger than my usual self, and could see now what made him such a fierce fighter.
“Is this how you feel all the time?” I asked.
“Almost always, unless I’m at me guild chapter’s house in Qeynos. Never hurts to be ready to cause grievous injury to evil and chaotic creatures any time o' the day.” I could see his tight-lipped grin through his thick beard. “Ye adjusted to it now?”
“Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s move.” So we did. The wind had started to pick up at this point, and a light rain was starting to fall. I was slightly in front of him, scanning every dark nook and cranny along the way, while his dark piercing eyes scanned for any heat signatures. We came up to the side of the building without incident; it seemed the pirates were lax from lack of invaders over the years and their stronghold being so well-hidden.
Ereviz and I looked around for a minute or so before he boosted me up on his shoulders and I looked through a grimy window to spy upon the building’s contents. I beheld a goodly number of unwashed men and women bedded down for the night and figured this must be a main barracks. There were no shields in sight that matched the description Ereviz had given me, plus I could spy nothing with a dwarven aura in the area.
I dropped to ground to converse with Ereviz while keeping a constant lookout for anyone who might stumble down the little throughway we stood in.
“I don’t see any shields in here,” I whispered. “There are at least three other rooms in this building, though.”
“Aye, well, let’s get to searchin’, then,” was his response.
We systematically went from window to window, with me peering in and trying to sense a magical aura, but to no avail. We managed to sneak to another building without being discovered, then we started searching the windows there, too. The last window we checked on the building had dimly flickering candle light showing through the filthy window panes. I checked that one slowly.
As I peered over the edge of the window seal, I nearly fell from Ereviz’s shoulders in startlement as a knife thunked home in the wall beside the window on the inside of the room at the same time as fierce thunder rolled through the area. Thinking we had been seen, I started to get to the ground, but then heard a rough voice from inside the room.
“That blasted Jermaine! Sorriest excuse for a pirate captain this side of the Sea of Tears! I’d gladly slit his throat, if it weren’t for that blasted cloak!”
A female’s low purring voice could be heard replying, “Yes, Fjord, I understand completely. Even I was unable to do the deed. Oh, I shiver to think of the time I spent in that beast’s bedchambers, trying to find a weakness. Only to be sent out days before I planned to kill him!” The longer she talked the higher and rougher pitched her voice became.
“Well, Gerta, had you reported back to us more regularly, we may have noticed something you didn’t. As it is, we don’t even know that he’s ever vulnerable.” The pirate stopped for a second as thunder clashed through the village.
“Even when he is bathing he has that cloak on and if by some chance he stops to have his way with a wench, he bars the door and ties her up before doing anything. Mistrustfulness has kept him alive for a long time. A lot longer than he deserves! Always taking the lion’s share of loot, the best women, and anyone who goes against what he says can expect to be whipped till their flesh falls from the bones!”
Fjord continued his rant, “To add insult to injury, the scum took the only magical items we had off that damned merchant ship we raided last. Even I, his first mate, didn’t get a share! I want that rapier he got off their fat captain. Even that blasted dwarven shield that no one can figure out how to use. I could sell that for a pretty penny and get something worth keeping! Something, anything! Bah! I can’t think on this any more tonight; I’m going to bed, Gerta. Would you like to join me?”
“Of course, Fjord, it’s what you pay me for isn’t it?” she replied in a scathing tone of voice.
“Why yes, it is, Gerta. Into the room with ye!” he replied cynically.
At this point, I hopped from Ereviz’s shoulders and related the conversation that had passed between the two pirates.
He was ready to storm the captain’s quarters immediately, stating “I’ll cut ‘is ‘ead from ‘is shoulders and toss into the bay. The time’s finally come for a reckonin’. ‘Tis time for me brother’s revenge an’ I’ll not be kept from it!” This last was said in a fierce whisper.
“Aye, there’s only one problem. I didn’t hear them say where the Captain’s quarters lie. Could be on one of the ships or the other building we haven’t checked. We don’t have much time left before people start waking up. We have to get the place right the first time.”
“Aye, let’s try to see if we can figure that out,” Ereviz replied. “I’ve an idea, let’s head back to that rain barrel.”
We made our way back to the dark-shadowed alleyway we had left the pirate in, and slowly opened the rain barrel. Muffled cursing could be heard from inside. I told Ereviz to stand watch at the end of the alley, then as he walked off, turned to the man in the barrel and pulled out my belt knife.
I leaned very close to him to whisper almost inaudibly, “I don’t have time to play games, and I will gutshank you and leave you to die here over the next few days if you don’t tell me what I want to know.”
His eyes were nearly bulging out as he caught by the tone of my voice that I was deadly serious. I continued whispering to him.
“I’m going to lower your rag for a moment and you’re going to answer me this - where does the Captain stay. Are you going to try yelling when I lower your gag?” He gave a vehement shake of his head. “Good, then I’ll let you live.” He sagged visibly at this and looked up at me waiting for me to lower the gag.
I reached down and lowered it just enough for him to speak, and in a whisper I could barely hear, due to me having nearly caved in his throat earlier, said, “T-the middle s-ship. W-with the m-mermaid w-with the a-arrow t-through her t-throat.”
I nodded then moved his gag back over his mouth and whispered, “I’m not going to seal this, but I’m sure you can understand that I’m about to knock you back unconscious. Unlike most of your brethren, at least you’ll live the night through for sure.”
He nodded tightly just before my hand thudded quietly against the side of his head. His eyes rolled back and he didn’t stir. I joined Ereviz at the end of the alley, then said quietly, “The middle ship, the one with the mermaid on the bow.”
“Aye, let’s get over there then,” was all he had to say.
Final Edit.
Message Edited by Ferunnia on 01-17-2007 12:16 PM

Chapter 12: Boarding The Ship

In the midst of the slowly thickening rain that was falling as the storm brewed to its full might, we moved quickly to a small pier close to where the Captain’s ship was docked. Standing in the shadows of a large stack of crates, I could feel water trickling down my back from the rain, and salt spray was washing up and over me as the storm blew up nearly man-sized whitecaps in the small bay. Ereviz and I shared a look, then a quick nod, and we both headed towards the gangway leading to the deck of the ship.
Out of nowhere, as we were within three of four paces of the rope and wood ramp, a large bearded pirate appeared seemingly from nowhere. Quick on his heels, two more charged us. A fourth pirate dashed up the ramp, his cries lost in the fury of the storm and the crashing of waves, luckily for us. I threw my belt knife across the quickly widening distance and made one of the luckiest hits in my life.
The pirate stumbled for a moment, then tumbled head over heels off the gangway into the bay below as my knife struck him in one of his kidneys, just beside his spine.
Ereviz met the wide swoop of the first pirate with his heavy kite shield, and brushed the man’s run towards me by deflecting his blow in my direction. I had already extended my blades and broke my staff down, having started the moment my dagger left my hand. We met with a crashing of steel on steel, and I was amazed and nearly thrown off balance for a moment as my first blade passed through his weapon with barely a tug of resistance.
As I stumbled to one side of the bearded man, I dropped to one knee and slashed in a wide semicircle behind my back with my other weapon. I spun on that one knee and let my momentum carry me in a circle. I connected with the man’s thigh and a red line drew across seemingly in slow motion. A second later, as his weight switched from the other leg to the cut one, I saw the wound open widely, as a red grinning mouth, revealing muscle tissue and bone white, then the leg collapsed, nearly cut in half. The man screamed as blood gushed from the wound.
At the same time, Ereviz was wildly parrying first one, then the other pirate and kicking, elbowing, and head butting each of them in turn. I saw one pirate fall back with his nose mashed across his face, and Ereviz turned sideways from the man to block a blow from the other pirate on his shield. A moment later, Ereviz, without even looking, caved in the first man’s skull with a backhanded blow, then shield rushed the second, still standing pirate.
A moment later the fight was over, as the pirate tripped over the bearded one who was bleeding his life away and Ereviz crushed his chest with a mighty blow from his warhammer. Seconds later, the mewling from the pirate whose leg I had nearly removed ended as he passed out from loss of blood.
Both Ereviz and I looked around to see if we had been observed, but neither his heat sensing nor my dark piercing eyes could see anything or anyone. We made our way hurriedly up the gangway and looked around. There was no one on the top deck, not even a scout in the crow’s nest. Then again, with the wind starting to make the ship buck like a wild horse, it didn’t seem a good idea for Ereviz and me to be above decks either.
Slipping on the slick deck as foamy waves splashed over the starboard side of the ship due to the ship leaning that direction in the wind, Ereviz and I made it to the door leading into the poop cabin, hopefully where the captain was. We stood there, looking at each other, then nodded to each other. He stood back half a step and kicked the door in. I rolled in behind the kick and wound up in a crouch in the middle of the small room.
There were five men sitting in the small room, which itself had three doors leading to other parts of the cabin. Cutlasses and daggers were drawn, and I met the group of pirates in the middle of the three paces square room. I dove under the table and then stood up with it, ripping nails out of the floor as I did so, thanks to the extra strength Ereviz had given me. I felt a small tug on my perception coming from the center room and yelled behind me, “The middle one!” as I parried attacks in a blur. Ereviz charged past us all, not even stopping as he snapped a blow off that put on of the sailors on the floor, his spine crushed at about the level of his hips.
Erevz’s hammer smashed into the door once, then twice, and the door burst off its hinges. I was nearly in awe of his strength as he burst through the door and disappeared into the room beyond. I had my own problems to worry about though, and set to about me keeping the officers from gutting me.
I noticed my blade would not shear any of their weapons apart, so I assumed every one of the officers carried a magical weapon. A blow came sliding in towards my face as two others aimed for my back. The fourth blow was aimed at my ankles. I hopped up and came down on the low blade at the same time as I spun in place on the steel weapon to sweep the two blades to my rear to one side. I slashed out behind me with my other staff section and was pleased to hear a curse as the pirate had to dodge backwards or lose his head.
Using the momentary break in action to my best advantage, I kicked one of the two pirates in front of me in the face then spun and dashed forward to get behind the pirate whose blade I had stepped on. Pulling a close grip towards the blade on one section, I stabbed the pirate in the temple, then pushed backwards off him as he died. The other three stepped around the dead man’s body warily, and readied their weapons. Now that they weren't surprised, I knew I was going to have a hard fight on my hands.
Final Edit.
Message Edited by Ferunnia on 01-17-2007 12:17 PM

Chapter 13: Ereviz’s Confrontation

As Ereviz crashed through the door, a tall, sinister looking man stood up from his desk and pulled a long, wicked-edged rapier from the sheathe at his hip. His oily voice carried easily across the room, “Who are you, stunted filth, that you think you can invade my sanctuary and live?”
“I am Ereviz, paladin of Brell, and I am here to avenge my brother’s death!” The dwarf charged across the room and swung madly at the pirate.
“Know then, that Jermaine, black scourge of the Sea of Tears, will be your end this night,” the pirate said calmly as he dodged the blow easily then lanced back in with blurring speed. Ereviz barely got his shield up in time to block the blow, and his eyes widened as the slim weapon put a deep crease in this thick metal and wood shield.
With a smirk at the look on Ereviz’s face, Jermaine went on the attack again, with Ereviz barely able to block his blows at times, and sometimes getting rents in his platemail armor when the rapier snaked its way past his guard. Occasionally, the pirate would stop attacking, and Ereviz would swing blows that most people would have died from before they saw them coming, but somehow the pirate anticipated his every move, and was back on the attack almost before Ereviz could set his guard.
Somehow, the tough dwarf held the pirate at bay, wondering how he was possibly going to get his revenge if he couldn’t even touch the slippery man. Out of the corner of his eye, a glimmering caught his attention almost too long, and he had to parry wildly to avoid being chopped down by the now slightly red-glowing rapier. A massive bolt of lightning came down only a hundred feet from the ships and shed a bright light over the whole room, illuminating a large, blood splattered kite shield hanging behind the desk Jermaine had been sitting at when Ereviz entered the room.
My brother’s blood. Ereviz thought, and with that one fleeting moment of insight, Ereviz let loose a barrage of blows that even seemed to worry Jermaine. The pirate captain, did a backflip onto his desk then dove aside as Ereviz’s warhammer crashed down a moment later. The solid oak piece of furniture almost seemed to disintegrate under the force of the blow, and the shock of the warhammer hitting the floor actually shook the whole room.
What is this creature? The pirate found himself wondering. Most would have died within a few moments of crossing blades with me, but this one only seems to grow stronger the longer the fight goes on. I must end this soon. Jermaine reversed the momentum from his dive and rushed back in, quicker than an eyeblink. His rapier flashed three times in a moment’s time, and in midswing, Ereviz’s warhammer was deflected aside, his shield knocked wide to leave an opening, and the pirate’s weapon found a home in the right pectoral area of the dwarf’s chest.
As the weapon hit home, Ereviz released a battle shout and his warhammer whirled through the air to smash into the pirate’s side. The impact drove the pirate captain across the room and into a wall. But instead of slumping down, broken, he hopped to his feet with a small laugh. Ereviz, not knowing what was going on, but sure it wasn’t good, dashed the few feet to the wall where the shield hung, then snatched it down and turned to meet Jermaine. The pirate looked confused for a second as the magic from the shield flared to life and surrounded Ereviz with a flickering blue aura.
Ereviz himself snapped off a few words of a chant and blood stopped running from the deep wound in his chest. He still looked like something from a nightmare though, as his once shiny armor was now covered in a light sheen of blood and other things, and rents in his armor around the legs and arms showed still open wounds slowly oozing blood. A wild gleam in his eyes as he crouched into a battle stance brought the whole image together, and he looked like some primordial being intent on slaying whatever stood in his way.
Jermaine chanced a glance around the room to see if he could get past the dwarf to the room beyond, but he had moved between the pirate and the doorway and was preparing to attack.
“Ye know, if you’d only let them live this wouldn’t be happening. Why?” Ereviz grated through clenched teeth, “Why did you kill everyone on the ship you got this from?” He brandished the shield.
A slow smile spread across the sly man’s face, and he taunted the dwarf by saying, “Ha! Is that what this is about? A few stunted degenerate sub-human creatures? I killed them because they deserved it! Simply for living and breathing in my presence. I hate you stubby misbegotten creatures. I’d still be happy as a smuggler if a dwarven ship hadn’t captured me and turned me into the port authorities.
“I spent ten years of my life fighting to live amongst the most wretched excuses for living creatures on the face of Norrath. I dug latrines, had to work the wheel at granaries, and did more backbreaking menial labor than any man should ever have to do. So yes, I hate dwarves, you included!” As the last word left his mouth, he charged, blade a blur. Ereviz easily parried the blow, then his warhammer crashed into the side of the man’s head. Yet again, the impact drove Jermaine to the ground, but it was like Ereviz had hit a brick wall, the weapon made not a single dent on the pirate’s head.
“Fool, you can’t touch me with any weapon made of man. No one can. I can’t be killed!” Again the pirate charged in and Ereviz set himself for defense as he tried to puzzle the man’s secret out. Behind him, through the door, he could hear Elhonna’s warcries and curses over the crashing of weapons and the fury of the storm blowing the ship around. An anguished death scream, followed by another let Ereviz know she was handling her part of the fight well.
A door in the other room crashed open at the same time as Jermaine attacked again, and he heard multiple footsteps from the other room as he met the pirate blow for blow, the shield helping deflect blows that got past his defense, and its regenerative qualities healing him slowly even when he got hurt.
Ereviz rained blow after blow on the pirate, his own natural quickness and strength augmented by the combat wisdom and extra strength the shield imparted. Blow after blow connected, and none of them did any good. The pirate simply took the blow, bounced off the wall or floor or assorted piece of furniture, then went back on the attack. As Jermaine seemed to lose some of his anger at the dwarven race in favor of thinking about battle, the fight became evenly matched again.
They exchanged slashes and crushing blows in a continuing stalemate, their fight accompanied by the sounds of death coming from the other room. In a moment between lightning flashes, and when Ereviz was between Jermaine and the only light in the room, Ereviz connected with a blow and noticed a small flash from around the man’s neck as he absorbed the blow. He had almost forgotten what Elhonna had related to him about the man always wearing the cloak, even to bathe. Maybe if…
With a roar, Ereviz threw his hammer, head over handle, and it glanced off the man’s skull. Following the path of the weapon, Ereviz crashed bodily into the pirate, taking a slash on the side in the process. However, he managed to do what he was trying to accomplish, and crashed to the ground with the neck-clasp and cloak wrapped around his arm. Jermaine lost color in his face and rage clouded his eyes as he screamed, “No! Give it back! Give me my cloak!” and slashed madly at Ereviz’s throat.
Ereviz grinned grimly and took the blow on his shield, then shoved the pirate back as he dropped the cloak then stomped on the gem in the center of the clasp.
“Nooooooo!” Jermaine screamed as the foot came down. The gem shattered, and as Ereviz watch the pirate, he fell down and screamed as his bones shattered, cuts opened, and flesh fell away. It seemed all the wounds he should have taken over the years came down on him all at once. At the last, the man simply fell to pieces, then dust, as if the cloak had been holding off the pirate’s death for many, many years.
Ereviz picked up his warhammer and stomped quickly back into the other room. Elhonna stood leaning on her bladed staff, streaming blood from a dozen wounds, looking as though she was out on her feet. Around her, piled waist high, were the bodies of more pirates than she had wounds. She smiled slightly, then her eyes rolled back in her head as she slumped to her knees, unconscious, yet still holding her weapon.
Ereviz rushed to her side and channeled all of his healing power into her wounded body. A few minutes later, her eyes blinked and she slowly stood, almost falling over, and using her staff and Ereviz’s shoulder to keep her propped up, they moved out of the cabin’s front door into the storm lashing the decks of the ships. Their forms were silhouetted in the doorway for a moment then they were gone.

* * *

Observers from the village at the edge of the bay ran out of their homes as three blinding strokes of lightning lanced through the windy, rainy night, followed by a massive concussion accompanied by a large wave that washed over the homes nearest the water. A couple of the survivors later related tales of two fleeing figures running across the main mast of the Captain’s ship as it listed over onto its side before sinking slowly under the lapping waves of the bay.
Soon after the lead ship sank, the two other ships sank as well. Divers later reported burn holes in the bows of all the ships, and in the Captain’s ship, a massive hole that went straight through the center of the ship from the maindeck out of the bottom of the ship.
Final Edit.
Message Edited by Ferunnia on 01-17-2007 12:18 PM

This started as one massive chapter, but I thought it flowed better in pieces. Enjoy the new additions.

Glade to see you got over your writters block there. As a helpful hint, lately when i've had trouble comming up with something new i reread Mysida or Ekuth's stories to get a clear head. The next part may be akin to just me but i go chain smoke 1/4 of a packj of cigarettes drink a pot of coffee and start to sip away at a 2lt bottle of Mt dew. not that i'd recomend anyone picked up smoking or anything but the nearly 2 months i went without writting was during that time i quit. Just can't get the brain to keep pace otherwise.

Excellent writing - look forward to seeing what happens next

Nice story. Please, keep it up

Hello?!?

*listens for the echo.*

Please tell us you are still writting, just taking a bit of a break to plot out your ideas.

Truth be told, I've been moving, and while able, grinding the rest of the way to 70 (finally). I'll be writing something here in the next week or so, so be on the lookout

/happy dance
I've been stuck putting in major hours at work, and I check every break for new posts...even got bored enough to post my own line, but all my fav writters seem to be on a RL uber-raid at once, so no story fix. Hop the move went well & you having missplaced too much stuff & gratz on 70.

Chapter 14: Revelations

*Another chapter perhaps not for those with weak constitutions.*

A storm blew heartily through the Thundering Steppes, the many peals of thunder showing where the place once known as the Storm Plains got its name. Through jagged mountain crevices and down gently sloping grassy valleys, past winding rivers now nearly overflowing their banks and streams already flowing freely above theirs the storm blew. Leagues and leagues of rolling plains gave way again to a towering mountain range, and through a small pass in this range the storm continued as the bulk of it slowly moved over the tops of the mountains that sheltered the small town of Thundermist.
The storm blew over the top of the small circle of mountains that normally shielded the town and released its fury in the form of battering winds and sheets of cascading rain. The small dirt paths in the town turned to muddy slush within minutes, and everyone with a roof over their head thanked the gods for that small saving grace. Those few poor souls trapped in the deluge cursed the skies then tried to make themselves comfortable or busied themselves searching for some shelter from the rain.
Through the sheets of rain, if one were to wander into the middle of the town, one would hear, between the rumbling peals of thunder, raucous laughter amidst cheerful music coming from at least half a dozen instruments. Walking up to the building one would see a sign depicting a centaur stumbling about with a stein of ale in his hand, naming the place the Drunken Centaur.
It being the only inn in the whole small town, and with the storm blowing about shaking the building and rattling the shutters, it was no surprise to see the place packed to the rafters, with many traveling bards and minstrels playing music to keep the mood light in the overcrowded place where at a moment’s notice a knife fight would begin and moments later diffuse as a dozen of the combatants’ viewers would all at once pull the fighters apart. It was in this place that a certain dwarf and half-elf had made their way after certain incidents involving pirates and the such, and it was here that they spent the night telling of those deeds.
From one side of the dim, smoke filled room, a large hulk of a man watched the fine-boned half-blood and her dwarven companion chug down ale after ale as they roared jokes and nearly collapsed in laughter at each witticism. A large crowd had surrounded them and was merrily asking the duo to regale them with stories from their adventures.
The man watched as the oddly familiar half-blood woman stumbled to her feet then sat on the edge of her table, blearily looking about a moment before launching into a tale so improbable that if it were to be believed, she would seem to have at the same time danced the swords with a master of the blade while drinking a fine glass of wine and never spilling a drop.
The man knew of the swordmaster, and that someone should claim to have embarrassed him so made him simmer with even more anger than normal. Though the fact did remain that the swordmaster the woman spoke of had not been heard of by the order for years now did almost make the large man break out in a cold sweat. His mark, if she was telling the truth, was a swordswoman so deadly as to be almost invincible.
Lorthim, as this man was called, silently contemplated his task. He knew that no one was as good a fighter after a gallon or so of liquor...Barring her being a drunken master of the Silent Fist clan. Of course she wasn’t one of that order though, or she’d have never been caught dead with a weapon strapped to her back or any armor covering her supple body.
Lorthim had been told that if he could capture the woman alive, he’d be allowed to have his way with her until his employers needed to use the dark-skinned creature in their experiments. That would have been incentive enough for a serial killer and ****** such as Lorthim, but there was also a hefty bounty on her head, to be paid in full by Lucan if she were delivered to the hands of Lorthim’s employers.
Thoughts of torturing the trim figure weaving gracefully, though half drunk, through the tables as she shouted out tales of her past made the man’s dark eyes gleam with fervor. She fit his profile perfectly, small and slightly thin, yet full of breast and flank, dark skinned and light haired, but with a predator’s bearing, she was as close to feminine perfection as Lorthim had ever imagined. His lower abdomen tightened in anticipation as he stared at her and licked his lips slowly.
Shaking his head to momentarily clear his thoughts, Lorthim glanced about the room then noticed a prickling at the back of his neck, as though he were being watched. He turned slowly to see the dwarf, now separated from his companion, looking very clearly in his direction, his eyes not seeming as bleary as they had moments before. The dwarf slowly shook his head, almost as if in sadness, then turned back to his drink.
Wondering for a moment if perhaps he had given himself away by looking at the woman so longingly, Lorthim swiveled back around on his stool, and nearly bowled over backwards in startlement as he looked into the half-elf’s eyes from only feet away at the same time as a strike of lightning highlighted her features from the side facing the room. Somehow, she had walked right up, somehow gotten behind him, and sat on the other side of his corner table without him noticing it. Considering he was thought one of the best assassins and bodyguards in the lower wards of Freeport, that she had come upon him without his knowledge gave him his first hint that she wasn’t all that she seemed.
Her voice broke his inward turmoil, “What do you want, lecher? Yes, don’t look at me like that,” she said as his eyes widened, due to her saying outright what most called him from the shadows, “I know who you are and what you do. Now, why are you looking at me like you’re a man dying of thirst in the middle of Ro, and I’m the only water within a hundred leagues?”
He blinked at her, astounded that he had been so easily found out, when she surprised him more by leaning over and whispering, “I’m the Black Rose, in case they didn’t tell you that.”
His eyes bulged in sudden fear, and he knew then that he was dead, had been dead since he walked into the room. The black rose was two things. One, once a rose started dying it gave off a cloying scent, and when a rose was at its blackest, the scent was the strongest. The creature in front of him, from whom he could now smell the slightest lingering scent of rose perfume, was the other black rose, called that due to the euphemism of being able to smell death coming with the smell of dying roses. Her other nickname was Maiden of Death, as to this day her successful kill number was unmatched among the known assassins of Freeport’s underground.
She was once a leader of the largest group of underground spies and assassins in all of Freeport, but was thought dead in the massive raid that destroyed the organization she was with. Lorthim had hoped she was dead, considering she had personally told someone she was going to rip his throat out and disembowel him before he could die of blood loss. After all, the rumor had finally gotten back to her that she was the one he fantasized about when he was ****** women.
That’s why she had looked so familiar as he stared at her from across the hazy room, but the smoke and the fact that her once waist-length hair had been shorn short - less than shoulder length - had blinded him to her identity. He started begging her with his eyes moments before words started streaming from his lips.
“Please, Maiden, don’t kill me, I didn’t know it was you. I’d have never come here if I had,” he sputtered in a low, panicked voice. She held up a hand and his words cut off abruptly, as if she had torn the voice from him with that one small gesture.
“Do not speak that name here, or ever again, do you understand me?” She continued only after he had nodded his head, “I want to know why you’re here before I decide what I’m going to do with you.” Lightning brightened the room and thunder followed nearly immediately, as if to bring home the ominous words she spoke. After the peal of thunder rolled through the building and the music could be heard again, the half-elf looked into the man’s eyes and calmly asked, “Besides either kidnapping me or killing me, what was it you were hired to do?”
Lorthim paused to collect his thoughts then told her everything, except their offer of the woman’s body. He told her they were planning to use her in some magical experiment and that the whole thing was being paid for by Lucan and the Academy of Arcane Sciences. Then, after going into detail about the other facets of his job, from where he was supposed to drop her off to how the people who hired him had been magically following her when possible, he stopped and nervously looked at her before going on.
His next statement made her face darken in rage and he nearly lost control of his bladder at the look that went over her face. “They told me to tell you that they have Loriana, whoever that is, if by some chance you should overcome me or such and no doubt refuse to hand yourself over to their gentle mercies. Obviously you don’t like whatever I just said,” he quickly added, “but whoever that is, please believe me when I say I had nothing to do with their abduction.
“The fact that I know you can’t be lying is the only thing keeping you from becoming worm food,” she snapped angrily. She continued in a low voice full of the promise of pain for whoever had this Loriana, “If you know where she is, it would be in your best interest to let me know now, before I torture you to death to find it out.”
"I don’t know, I heard nothing about where she might be held, only that I was to take you to Fallen Gate and keep you there ‘till they came for you,” he said quickly. She seemed to believe him, and that was good, because he was, for once in his life, telling the utter truth in the face of her wrath, which he definitely didn’t want to be the target of.
He had time to start a hopeful smile as she stood up and started to turn, then her foot came out of nowhere as she continued to turn and he didn’t even have time to cry out before her heel crashed into his temple with what felt the power of a charging bull, sending him into the depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

Ereviz walked up, staggering only slightly, which was a surprise considering the quantity of ale he had recently imbibed. He slurred only slightly as he asked, “What was that about girlie?” She turned to him and he took a step back at the look of pain and rage on her tear-streaked face. “What’s wrong, El?” he asked as he walked closer, sobering up very quickly, as nothing he had seen, not battle wounds nor any other thing they had experienced, had affected her this way.
“They have her…” she whispered.
“Who? Who do they have?” he asked.
“My daughter,” she whispered. “Lucan’s men have my daughter.”
Final Edit.
Message Edited by Ferunnia on 01-17-2007 12:18 PM