Dragons and Magic II: The Hunt for DreamWeaver

[LittleSprite2]

Idrial wasnt sure if Ona heard her or not but was releived some as she watched O'Bonn come up out of the swamp and begain to help Cormic, knowing he was alive at least for the moment she could focus more on the battle around them and pray that Ona would be able to light these undead on fire with out hurting them in the process.

......................

Valathe continued to fight sencing the change in Idrial's fighting she chanced a glance and smiled seing O'Bonn and Cormic and cursed as she was scratched and turned back to the fighting There are too many of them we cant keep this up for much longer..

..................

Hearing Valathe's words Idrial moved with her and Ona once more twords Cormic and O'Bonn.. Try and cut a path out of the middle of them and see if we cant make a run for it this way Ona wont have to take the chance of hurting us if she can burn them..

 

[Mantra]

Nightwing

The Guildmaster of the Trade of Blades was an elderly human, but still strong and robust. Even though his hair was iron grey and an eyepatch covered his left eye, he had the walk and look of a seasoned veteran.

A few questions and a quick sparring match had determined Nightwing's skill and acceptability to be hired on.

"You're new round here, yes?" the Guildsmaster commented. "K well, here's a map o' the farmlands round here 'an the settlements in the forest. Been having troubles with the beasties out there, but you know that already."

"Fact is, the Guard's too occupied to go hunting that far into the woods what with the border patrols being beefed up an' all. So we have contracts for lads like you. Now the Mayor's not a rich man nor is the city overly free wi' their gold, so tis not the best money to be made, but it's honest enough work an' the local folks will be thankful all the same."

"The offer is five silver coin for each goblin ear, one gold for each orc ear an' ten gold for a worg ear." he waggled a finger at Nightwing for a moment. "Mind you, we only pay for a left ear, so no double bounties."

"Oh and there's more critters out there so be careful, elves too but they don't give us much trouble. Just bring what you find here to me an' we'll sort out what you have to say...I do know that the local tanner will pay for wolf pelts if you have a mind to do some trappin' an' skinnin' out there."

The Guildsmaster finally set some rolled parchments on the tabletop for Nightwing and a handful of arrows.

"K' so here's your starter, you got the map, an' here's ten arrows for ya. These here are vouchers, take em to the town quartermaster an' you can draw three days of field rations, a waterbag and the blacksmith'll shoe your horse an' touch up your sword if you want. Ya can also stay one night in the inn if'n you choose on the town's coin."

"Any questions?"

 

[Mantra]

Draken

DRakon looked around at the little shop, his keen eyes searching for anything out of place. The shop was an undertaker's stall. Not overly reassuring perhaps, but everything seemed in order.

"How do you know that phrase?" he demanded of the proprietor. The man stood next to the door, turning a 'closed' sign on the door before shuffling further in.

'We said it so... you would know us." he said in an eerilly familiar, wheezing voice. "Come."
The man shuffled into the back, past a row of wooden and hand made caskets. and out back into a small, enclosed stable. An carrage for carrying the dead to the cemetary stood against the closed double doors, persumably leading towards the street beyond. A horse was tied to a lead in the only stall, but at the approach of the undertaker, the horse began to fidiget and whicker fearfully.

"The time...has come for... you to recieve...your next..... mission." he said, slowly dragging a heavy hammer from a nearby workbench.

 

[Dracona]

Ona stared at the horrors attacking from the murkey water and her eyes narrowed. She didn't know if she could actually catch them afire but she could at least clear a path to O'Bonn and Cormac.

She fell in behind the other women as they began to fight their way toward the men. The undead reached for them with dripping fingers and Ona focused on them with suddenly blazing silver eyes. The dirty water first began to steam then to bubble around the creatures legs upsetting their balance and tumbling several backwards into the swamp.

Ona felt herself begin to grow hot as her hair unwound itself and began to send sparks snapping into the air. In her mind she envisioned a protective barrier spreading out from her body and stretching to either side of her companions and she lifted her hands out before her. A cry burst from her lips as twin walls of flame shot out and raced along the surface of the water to either side of Idrial and Valanthe and onward.

It hurt. The heat seared through her like never before and she fought down a scream of surprise. She had to focus, had to keep the fire alive. Several of their attackers simply melted as the flames washed over them, but she couldn't reach them all, some were too close to her companions. There were just so many of them. Where had they all come from??

Ona felt herself weakening, the outpouring of so much power at once was draining her strength quickly. She fought to keep her focus as her vision blurred and stumbled in the murky water. The flames began to dim and shrink....too soon....

 

[wolfknight20]

silverfang slides a look to the guild master and says not realy but tells the guild master therll be no need for the black smiths voucher for he didnt have a horse to shoe and that he didnt think hed take the tanner up on the wolf pelt deal less it was a mercy kill to kill the wolf for he had to much respect and kinship with wolfs to kill one simply for gold or silver and nether would the offer of the inn be needed. No disrespet ment he apoligized but hed allways perfered sleeping out side of towun towuns always rubed him the wrong way. Besides the sooner im on my way the sooner im back to collect he finished and was of to pick up his gear.
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once hed gotten his gear he left the towun and haeded towards the woods and as he grew nearer the woods he let his senses go to worn him of any aproching danger. his senses didnt pick up any thing which was odd to him for being what he was he could hear a mouse scurrying beneth the leafs from 20 feet away and could smell that same mouse from 30 if the wind where with him but the absence of every thing put silverfangs hacles on edge he knew he was pairanody but when you where created for war you had to be or you wouldnt make it too far and he had survived near 20 years of a mage war he simply could not shake the feeling he was being watched and wished he dared revert to beast this close to the towun since he dared not he drew his sword and walked on.

 

[Bladesman]

'We said it so... you would know us."

Draken followed the man through his stall, careful not to touch any of the coffins that were stacked throughout the shop. He slipped quietly into the stable behind the undertaker. Moving quickly to the restless horse, Draken set his hand on it's nose to calm it. It whinnied for a moment then was silent as it watched the dark elf and and the undertaker.

"The time...has come for... you to recieve...your next..... mission."

"My next target is who? And when do I get my payment for the first kill?" Draken wasn't too fond of the sight of that hammer that the undertaker was holding. He kept his hand tight around his dagger and waited for the man's reply.

 

[LittleSprite2]

Hearing Ona's cry and watching the flames shoot past her Idrial turned in time to catch Ona as she fell, Valathe Moving to try and protect them as Idrial did her best to keep both Ona and herself from sinking into the swamp.

Many of the undead were now gone and it turned the tide in there favor for the time being, and Idrial feared she had asked too much of Ona, she was alive but unconshious due to the use of so much energy at one time.

..................

Valathe continued to guard Ona and Idiral and called out to O'Bonn and Cormic saying only there names to get there attention and alert them to what was going on as they joined them.. O'BONN ! CORMIC !

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cormac had been dragged down into the darkness, but had managed to cut his way loose and emerge again. He moved to a patch of dry land and lowered himself to a combat crouch.

He roared his fury and took in the oncoming enemies. "COME TO MY BLADE FELL THINGS!" he roared as he started slashing. He heard Idrial call his name.
"I am here Lady Idrial!" he roared as his sword flashed.

 

[Mantra]

Idrial and Co.

Zombies, shamblers, walking dead whatever one called them... they were all weak and stupid. They were all slow compared to their still living opponents.

But they were also relentless. Without fear, concern or remorse.

Thusly even as swords flashed, hewing, slashing and hacking, they came. Talon cleaved the soft, waterlogged corpses to bits, but still they came. Cormac's ferosity brought his weapon down again and again and still they continued. Valanthe and Idrial danced in a graceful dance of death among the attackers, but for every one to fall, another stepped forward, often stepping on the still twitching figure of the one before.

It was finally Ona's twin walls of fire that swept a path for them. The fire seared everything, destroying a dozen or more of the zombies before disapating, but the toll was terrible on her body. Idrial and Valanthe caught Ona before she could fall and seeing an opening, the ladies dashed forward, between the two fighting men and out of the rising horde of the dead. The two men fell in behind, still fighting, but the shamblers were just too slow and uncoordinated to stop the fleeing women, but lumbered on, climbing, staggering, lurching forward in pursuit. Nearly twenty had been destroyed by the band, but nearly that number remained. True the band had escaped from the muck where the undead had lurked in waiting, but now one of their own was wearied and at least one other would have to look after her for the time being at least. A choice was to be made now...

To flee or to fight?

 

[Mantra]

Tiana

Tiana finally stopped running when she just couldn't go anymore. She stood, doubled over and gasping fro breath somewhere in the back streets of Trennau. Her heart was pounting in her chest, causing the blood to pound equally hard in her head.

'Shhhh...easy my darling....' came the whispers....He deserved it, they all deserved it... you have done nothing wrong...Nothing..'

The voices crooned a soft melody in her head, some fragmented bits of a lullaby Tiana thought she remembered.

"Hey!", came a gasping voice from behind her. "Hey!....*gasp*...You... *wheese* I...Can't...*puff*... Run as....*another gasp* ... fast as..." and Tyler finally came up near where Tiana was, looking very red in the face and also doubled over breathing heavilly. "You..."

The two of them stood, making no sounds but the deep, panting breaths before even being to really stand straight, but when they could, Tiana saw the bundle of cloth in Tyler's hands.

Alfonso's silken shirt.

 

[Mantra]

Draken

"My next target is who? And when do I get my payment for the first kill?"

The undertaker paused for a moment, standing still before starting to twitch and spasm. A dry, rasping sound choked itself from the man's lips as he suffered some sort of seizure.

Then Draken realized ... the man was laughing.

"Paid?" he wheezed. "Immortal, ... we said... we would...make you. This world... we said...we would give ... to you..."

"These things we...have the power...to do. To give."

"But NOT because... you killed... one little girl." Again there was a rasp of laughter and the man raised the hammer.
Draken dodged aside, drawing his weapon in one fluid movement. But Draken was not the target. Instead the undertaker brought the hammer down, smashing the horse squarely between the eyes. The horse screamed in pain and tried to rear up, but its tethers held the striken animal fast. A second blow fell and the animal crumpled. A third blow finished the dasterdly deed and let a pool of deep red blood begin to form at the undertaker's feet.

"This was not... our deal." he said, the now bloody hammer falling from his fingers.

"All you have been...promised, ... you will... receive. When we are... successful."
He kneeled down next to the still spreading pool of blood.

"We win... You win."

"We lose... you get... nothing."

He looked up at Draken, the fingertips of his right hand trailing lightly in the pool.

"Are you... ready?"

 

[AmenRa]

The High Warrior stood steadfastly, the chest plate of his armor, once bright silver and gold, now slimed with the gore of the zombie horde, and rising and falling heavily with the breaths of someone who was in the midst of battle.

He had his back to Idrial and Valanthe as they carried Ona away from the melee, onto firmer ground where the swamp did not rise to claim them.

Talon was warm in his hand, having tasted flesh and craving more.

He looked to Cormac, the mighty warrior who stood by his side and fought with honor and strength.

Even with such an ally, O'Bonn feared they would fare badly in this wage, and it could become an end for them. O'Bonn closed his eyes, listening beyond the sounds of groans and horror that filled his ears, beyond the sounds of the hacking of limbs and burning of flesh. He listened to the swamp, the living swamp, the trees, and hanging moss, and more so than anything to the hanging vines. Yes, the vines. The living vines, with whom the Fay spirits of tree and earth moved within.

And they heard him as they began to move, to reach out from their trees and snare the abominations of walking dead.

They would not hold for long, but long enough for the good warriors and their company to be gone from this place of evil reprise.

 

[LittleSprite2]

Idrial knew with them being so out numbered and Ona weakened as she was there only corse of action was to flee as best they could. We have no choice but to flee. The vines will not hold long. O'Bonn your sight is better than my own you lead, Valathe carrie Ona while Cormic and I cover from behind. Idrial gave the orders expecting to be obayed as she was there leader, and they needed to move.

.............

Valathe didnt question Idrial's orders agreeing with them whole heartedly as she gathered Ona's unmoving form into her arms and begain following O'Bonn away from the undead who even restrained by the vines were still mindlessly trying to reach them.

 

[AmenRa]

O'Bonn gritted his teeth as he sent another arrow through the skull of one of the decaying corpses that had been snared by a vine.

Idrial was right, as he knew. His magic was strong, but was the most basic of elemental magic, and as such would not keep the vines alive for much longer.

His golden-white hair, long since shed of its ponytail holder, now hung free and cascaded about his face with tresses of swamp mud. He had re-sheathed the Dragon sword, Talon, and armed once again with bow he trudged ahead of the women and took the lead.

He trudged ahead, his booted feet stepping upon firm, solid ground. He moved swiftly ahead, then stopped and turned.

Now that the fellowship had moved beyond their reach, would the bog reclaim the undead that it reared?

 

[rengadeirishman]

"Let them come! There's a Bladesong in the fight!" he roared hacking another down. Still, though he felt shamed to admit, retreat was the only real option available, he bludgeoned another with his shield, taking its foul and foetid head with on stroke. "Would that i had not strapped my glaive to Setanta," he said as Eoghain dispatched another of the undead.

When O'bonn had entangled the shamblers, Cormac followed behind the others on the rearguard. "Go and aid O'Bonn brother." he said to Eoghain, who leapt off to do so.

"It galls me to retreat friends" he said to the others.

 

[LittleSprite2]

I know Cormic, but we've no choice this day, and better to live, and fight another day than die to day, and fight no more. She said staying with Cormic and following O'Bonn's lead behing Valathe and Ona. she still worried for Ona, and once they were again relitivly safe would do everything she could to help her.

Seeing O'Bonn stop and turn around Idrial wondered what it was he was thinking and moved forward to ask. What is it O'Bonn? Why have you stopped?

 

[AmenRa]

O'Bonn shook his head.

"I wonder how far they will go?" he asked, curious to know if the zombie creatures would indeed try to follow them. Now that they were on firm and dry ground, the party could move with speed at which the lumbering corpses could not match.

What was more, there was dry woods all around them.

Woods that would burn if lighted.

 

[Bladesman]

"Paid? Immortal, ... we said... we would...make you. This world... we said...we would give ... to you... These things we...have the power...to do. To give. But NOT because... you killed... one little girl. This was not... our deal. All you have been...promised, ... you will... receive. When we are... successful. We win... You win. We lose... you get... nothing. Are you... ready?"

Draken watched the undertaker kill the horse and then begin to draw in the blood as he pondered. He began to tap his fingers on the hilt of one of his scimitars as he weighed everything in his mind. After several moments, he nodded slowly. "Very well, but I require a finely trained warhorse. He must be black in color."

 

[Mantra]

Silverfang

He managed to cover much ground in a relitivly short time, but finally came to a small cluster of homes on the edge of the forest wilderness. some had been abandoned, their owners having left for safer locations or had gathered together, staying in fortified homes in hopes of weathering out the troubles. Silverfang didn't feel the need to bother such people, especially considering they would likely be paranoid of his appearance, alone during these strange and dangerous times. His keen nose finally did pick up a scent of blood however, and he had moved to investigate.

He finally came to a single cottage in the wild, it seemed in fairly good shape, but his keen eyes noted the open door and more meanacingly, three goblins stood about the entrance, keeping watch.

 

[Mantra]

Idrial and Co.

"I wonder how far they will go?" O'Bonn had wondered. How far indeed? For the zombies lumbered in pursuit even as the group made their escape. The vines loosened themselves, tangling limbs and tripping feet. The slow-moving zombies were slowed even more, but finally through sheer, mindless determination managed to crawl through and proceed. Fortunatly, as the zombies moved forward, their formation, or whatever mockery of organization it imitated, began to unravel. With each step, the zombie pack thinned, becoming seperated, fragmented and spread out. It also allowed O'Bonn and the others to take refuge on the only dry (more or less) patch which stood above the stagnat water of the swamp. An excellent defensive position in such bleak wilderness.

Which might have been someone else's plan all along...

All about them, the muck and flotsam flew out in all directions as the vine net suddenly enclosed about them. O'Bonn, Cormac and Idrial were snared up in the trap and hauled into the air. Valanthe and Ona, standing at the farthest edge of the mound, were flung backwards as the net flew up. Ona crumpled into the mud while Valanthe tumbled down and into the fetid water where strong, reptilian hands seized her.
All around the mound, lizardmen suddenly emerged from the water, slipping through the water like snakes. With sudden speed and ferosity, the lizardmen set upon the shambling and scattered group of undead, smashing and rending with spears, clubs and axes.

The zombies were dispatched quickly and soon were begining to gather around the net. One looked up curiously, poking at a lump which was actually Idrial's backside with a club. He hissed something to a nearby comrade who only gurgled and hissed back. Another simply growled towards his fellows, making a stabbing motion with his own spear. Some nodded with agreement while others made hisses or motions of their own.
One finally came forward, pushing the spear-jabbing lizardling aside and pointing up towards the net with a stone axe.

"Youss be no dead onesess," he hissed up at them. "Whoss bees you?"

 

[AmenRa]

The High Warrior's first reflex at being snared within the net was to loose a stream of Elven curses. He did however stifle his mouth, and responded only with an "uumppff" as the net flung him upwards.

And moreoever, seeing the swamp dwellers, the Snake Who Walks, as was the Elven name in the old tongue, O'Bonn didn't know whether or not to utter the curse that rested on his tongue.

But, he stifled himself again. And looking down upon them, through the mud covered netting, he stared into slitted pupils, not unlike the eyes of the Dragonkind, but with a far dimmer flame burning within.

"I am O'Bonn, son of M'Rhun, High Warrior and commander of the Army of the Great Northern Lands," he responded to the hissed question. "And I assure you we are not of those dead things."

 

[Mantra]

Draken

The undertaker's fingers trailed through the puddle of blood, swirling round in a lazy, caressing figure eight. As his fingers passed, trails of mold sprang into being, blood clotted and darkened or festered with bacteria. Muck from the floor discolored the blood in places or gelled into goop.

"A horse..." he slurred. "Gold and women... you claimed... you could take...from us...at your whim. But a horse... we must...give." he did not look up, but a mocking half grin was on his face as the pestilence in the blood pool shifted and swirled, breaking apart, mixing or mingling into more and more colors and particles.

"We agree." He said finally. "Here... is your next... mission."

The swirling corruption in the blood pool finally began to settle, becoming instead a picture, an image of a man...

He was tall and strongly built, unclothed save for only a pair of loose-fitting, black leather trousers. Many scars were evident on his muscular torso and the hair of his beard and head, was dark.

"Silverfang." the undertaker said, tilting his head just a bit as he too regarded the blood-picture.

"Undecided he is....find him...recruit him. Riches... we can offer, ...rewards... we can give. Your right hand.... he may be..."

"If not..." the undertaker smiled mirthlessly. "then... Oblivion."

The picture scattered, breaking apart into a myriad of colors and specks, only to begin reforming right away. A new face began to emerge, a young woman's.

"This... is most... important." The undertaker wheezed, his face somber for the first time.
"Tiana...." he whispered almost lovingly. His fingers reached out pausing just above the face as it finished in the portrait. She was very attractive, with long, hair, lank and dark, falling in cascades down around her shoulders. Her hair was only highlighted by her pale skin and delicate features. Violet colored and slightly pointed eyes seemed to stare up at them from the puddle.

"Near she is... Find her...above all else... protect her. No harm must...befall her."

 

[wolfknight20]

Silverfang

He finally came to a single cottage in the wild, it seemed in fairly good shape, but his keen eyes noted the open door and more meanacingly, three goblins stood about the entrance, keeping watch.

Silverfang glanced at the goblins and wondered if these be the reason the towun was as a gost towun the more he thought on it the more he decided to wait to see what the goblins did should they attack least hed collct three bountys if not perhaps he could gain some information from the three

from past experiance he knew goblins to be some what smater then thier orc relitives and could be bargined with so to stall he sat dowun and acted as though he hadent seen them mean wile he cast his sences about to see if there where any more around and these three where merly a trigger for a trap or if these were all that was about he hoped they where three alone he might take if they attacked if there were more silver would have to shift to his true form.

 

[Wolfsister]

"Hey!", came a gasping voice from behind her. "Hey!....*gasp*...You... *wheese* I...Can't...*puff*... Run as....*another gasp* ... fast as..." and Tyler finally came up near where Tiana was, looking very red in the face and also doubled over breathing heavilly. "You..."

When Tiana was finally able to breath again, the voices in her head going strangely silent as the panting Tyler came up behind her, wheezing out a complaint about her fleet feet. She sucked in great gulps of air and was beginning to feel good about the whole incident.

Sure, someone had died, but that was just the way it was. People died all the time, and that man certainly had deserved it! He was mean, he used and abused people and his position and he was simply... male.

The beginnings of a grin were playing on her face as she turned to inspect her comrade in mishief. The mouth shrivelled into a single compressed line as she glimpsed the bundle of silk gathered in his arms.

"What in the name of the Dark Lord did you bring that for!" she cursed, using words that she was normally have steered clear of. She launched herself towards Tyler, her fingers twisted outwards like claws as she attempted to rip the silken length from his grasp.

 

[Bladesman]

"Silverfang. Undecided he is....find him...recruit him. Riches... we can offer, ...rewards... we can give. Your right hand.... he may be... If not... then... Oblivion."

Draken studied the picture before him, fixing it in his mind. He observed the way the man stood and how he carried himself. He had the stance of a trained warrior, but there was something odd about him, that Draken could pick up just from the image itself. He tilted his head a little bit to hear more of what his scimitar was saying.

He frowned slightly and looked to the undertaker. "He is not completely human? Half man, half beast perhaps?" Draken looked at the picture once more and stroked his chin thoughtfully In his city, such a thing would be slaughtered without warning, although the outer legions were known to use such things for advance assualts on enemies. It would appear that his easiet choice would be to bribe him and get him to join with them.

When the image changed to a young woman, Draken arched a delicately formed eyebrow and nodded slowly. "She is part elven? I have not seen delicate features like her's on a full blooded human before. What is the reason for her protection might I ask?" He nodded slowly to the undertaker. "Very well, I will find her. I trust the dagger will locate her? If so, then once I get the warhorse, I will find her."