Illusion Vale: A Spirit's Cry

[ultimate_nerdslut]

"Vale city has The Spirit and the rest have corrupt governors. I'm not sure why the Spirit keeps them in office, I guess she doesn't see everything. Some think that She doesn't care, but I know otherwise. Truth is, if it weren't for the Governors, the cities would be rife with evil once more."

This was all quite interesting and quite sad at the same time. It seemed like the system that had long since held the entire world together was crumbling out from under them and it was up to her to save it.

Weren't there others?

There had to be of course.

"I guess having an evil and unjust ruler keeps the townsfolk honest and good. Values....The Spirit is not what she used to be."

"I can only imagine..." Fay said as they moved ever closer to the line. "Obviously we need to go see her and see if there is anything else she can offer..." She suggested softly. "I mean... There has to be somehting you don't know... something that doesn't seem important but will be..." She sighed.

"I'm sorry... bit of a conspiracy theory person..." Fay explained.

 

[DarkPhantomLynx]

Rylia gave a tinkling laugh, "Oh you flatter me, Demoness. I am honestly surprised that one as.... pure as you would have been born of a darker side in this world," she grinned and suddenly spread her hands out, her fingers splayed wide and long thin strands shot from them.

"Don't move," was all she said and began moving her fingers, it was as if she were weaving in the air. The long strings of white raced towards Kat and moved around her, wrapping her in soft delicate silk. The weaves made by Rylia's fingers provided some pattern and definition to the make shift dress, but that was really all it was.

Kat looked down at her new dress and spun around watching it billow luckily Rylia and made a place for the tail to slip through as well. She smiled and looked back at Rylia. “So as a Demoness, I am evil here? And I should have some sort of powers right?” Looking around at the Drider she smiles seeing Rylia watching her so closely. “Exactly what did you expect me to show up as? Why would this spirit not let you become a seamstress?”

She turned and admired the feel of the dress again. The soft white color and pattern felt so soft and velvety to her hand she smiles and glances up at Rylia. “Thank you for the compliment I know how it must rankle you to say such nice things. Tell me how many others like myself are there. If I were pulled through and changed surely there are others?”

Chuckling suddenly she looks at Rylia, “So care to tell me what I am here to do since I have been drawn here? And you call me pure, whatever gives you the impression I am pure? I think I like this form I’m in even if I haven’t learned what magic or powers or whatever I am here for.” She chuckles and flicks her tail around.

 

[Wolfsister]

Michael/Sila/Tula/Shela

(( OOC: all my charries end with 'la'.... weeeeiiiiirrrrd! LMAO ))

"I think my quest to save the Vale will start with a thorough war against goblins, hopefully with stout dwarves and faeries at my side."

Tula returned with a few other fairies at her side and overheard this latest development in the conversation between the 'stout' female Dwarf and the werewolf. She frowned and nodded, "Well, you can count on the fairies. It is well past dew to end this war," she glanced quickly at the unconscious Sila and shook her head, "They've gone too far, now," she whispered fiercely.

Shela nodded her head, "Right. And ye be sure tha' dwarves be helpin yer too," she crossed her own arms and nodded in a final gesture, "I'll make sure of it,"

One of the other fairies spoke up, "I can see that you are healing wolf, but perhaps less Ale and more rest is in order, hmmm?" the fairy in question being a male that looked unnervingly like a modern geek. Large horn rimmed glasses and all. He even had a few quivers stuck in his shirt pocket.

"Another fill of tobacca love?"

Shela arched an eyebrow and shooed the poor fellow away, "Oh hush up now," and then loving produced a small pouch of tobacco, taking Michael's pipe and filling it with just the right amount. Then she handed it back, much like the doting mother that she was, "There, love. Enjoy,"

 

[Wolfsister]

Eeth/Rolyn/Van

“So, you want someone who is as detached as possible from the queen, and it just so happens that you can’t get anymore detached from her then me. And you basically want me to distract her while you do something with some spell, is that right? And just what is that spell you mentioned, anyways?”

Rolyn nodded and sat down wearily, "Yes, that about sums it up," he shook his head and gestured for Eeth to sit in front of him, "The Queen keeps a very close eye on her 'opponents'. She learns their movements, emotions and reactions. She knows how to defeat them, basically. No matter who," he sighed and reached down take a stick from the ground and began drawing lines idly in the dirt, "You, however, have an advantage. Not only are you from a different world, you are unpredictable, you haven't been here long and you also have the power of a guardian,"

He looked up at Eeth, "You asked me about that before. I've been thinking about the answer to that. Here, we just call it the power of the Guardians, but I suppose that I need to break it down," again he looked Eeth in the eyes, "Have you noticed that you're faster than others? That your instincts and reactions have been 'superpowered', for want of a better word,"

"It is true that Elves have long been superior than other species when it comes to our bodies. We are simply faster, lighter, have quicker reflexes and better eyesight. You may not be able to tell, but most of the abilities you inherited from the Elven Race have been 'boosted' by your Guardian heritage,"

"Simply put, you're better than the best of us," he twirled the stick around and his voice became quieter, "I'm just giving you a technical crashcourse. You already have the abilities, you just need to unlock and control them,"

If Eeth really wanted to be, he was very powerful. And that was just his 'natural' elven abilities. There were some that Rolyn knew nothing about and that Eeth would have to discover himself.

Rolyn sighed and stood, "That being said, you're still a long way from proving that you can beat the queen. What we need is a warrior strong enough to keep her occupied for long enough for our Regeneration Spell to work," he picked up a long bundle of cloth that had been brought in earlier and slowly unrolled it onto the cavern floor.

Inside the roll of cloth were various weapons. Blades mainly. There were axes, different swords, knives, daggers, throwing knives and axes, wickedly curved blades, spears, halberds, clubs and maces; anthing that could be considered to be of the classification of 'weapon'.

Rolyn picked up two curved blades, scimitars, and whirled them around. "Choose one and I will teach you." He looked over at Van and grinned for some odd reason, "I will tell you more of our plan later. Let it be enough that you need to be an exceptional warrior in a very short amount of time,"

Now would be the real lessons.

 

[Wolfsister]

Janelle and Hiran

Hiran sighed and ran his fingers through his watery hair. He let out another breath in an attempt to calm down. His anger was gone, followed swiftly by a gnawing worry for Janelle. Here she was, in a different land, and he had just left her standing there. All alone in a world she knew nothing about. He blinked and scrubbed at his eyes as his tears of helplessness stopped flowing. He had been so close to giving himself up to that woman. And he only just barely stopped it... but now he wasn't sure that he had truly wanted to. Worse still, her wasn't sure if he was still thinking under her power, or under his own. There was no way to be sure, the stirrings of emotions were deep inside himself, but he had no way of knowing if they were real. If they were his own feelings. It was torture.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool tree bark, breathing slowly and willing himself to calm. Flashes of memory invaded his peaceseeking however. Janelle's sweet smile, the curve of her hips, the sparkle in her eyes. The almost mischievous expression on her face.... her breasts, so full and inviting. Her long... long legs....

He felt himself growing hot again and he cursed his wandering mind. Opening his eyes, he mentally pictured his sister in the way that he was just envisioning Janelle. His mood shrivelled and so did his need.

Feeling at least calm enough to face her again, he put on a stern expression and resolutely marched back towards where he had left her. He assumed that she hadn't gone anywhere, it wasn't all that long since he had walked away. Was it?

He did not find her where he had left her. Instead he saw her lying on the verge of the water beyond, her breathing shallow, her skin dry to the touch. His eyes widened and he cursed himself for not thinking sooner to warn her to stay hydrated. The stupid fool, he cursed the Siren, but in his heart, he just wanted her to open her eyes. To speak to him. To do anything but lay there, helpless and dying.

He tried to shift his arms beneath her but her skin was so dry, he feared that she would break at any touch. He shook his head and decided not to try any further. Instead, he turned his head towards the lapping water and lifted up his hand, palm facing outwards. His expression was harsh and unforgiving as he willed the water to do his bidding.
There was a surge of the cool liquid towards him, but nothing more. He tried again and again and almost screamed out in frustration. Instead, he growled, "Come on!" and his frown deepened as he concentrated even further, as he pulled the deepest part of his power to him and thus pulled the shoreline further up the embankment.
The water washed over them and he knew that it would not be enough. He had left her for far too long and he just hoped, deep within himself where he could barely acknowledge it, that he wasn't too late.

With a grunt from deep within his throat, the water wrapped itself around them and seeped underneath the still form of the Siren. Then it pulled them both back into its depths and slowly they floated to the lake bed. Only then did Hiran place his arms around her and hold her close, within in the blanketing comfort of the water surrounding them.
He leaned close and whispered fiercely, "Don't leave me... not now..." rocking her back and forth to better swirl the water onto her skin. He only hoped that it was enough, that it wasn't too late.

 

[Wolfsister]

Asterion/Fell/Villagers

The anchor was lowered and so was the only skiff on board. The silent, ghostly crew slowly disappearing back to whence they came, their job now done and finished. They had no further business being in this land. The minotaur, after weeks of confinement on the open seas, was soon seen on his way to shore. The Shadow Wraith did not follow. At least not immediately.

Instead, It hovered behind the helms wheel for a few more moments. It swayed in its own invisible breeze and made not a sound. The last of the ghost crew vanished and it was soon left alone, the sound of creaking wood and swaying ropes the only to be heard.

Suddenly, Fell screamed.

*************​

On shore, the Minotaur spotted something in the distance, just over the next rise. The movement being several people hauling large fishing nets just off shore. A large stream of fish were making their way dangerously close to land and the fishermen of Fishers Village were taking full advantage of the seasonal delicacy.

One man; more fish really, bent over and wading through the waist deep water, stretched up, a piece of netting hanging from his hands and looked out over the water. Then his eyes scanned the shore and he saw the minotaur approaching. He frowned and shook his head, squinted and blinked. Yes, there was a minotaur creeping along the dunes, a huge black double headed axe clenched in its hands. He blinked and scanned the water again.

Startled, he took a step back. An unearthly scream reached his ears and there was suddenly a huge black ship visible on the water. It was anchored just off shore and he could have sworn that it hadn't been there a moment before. What could make that horrible noise.

All of a sudden, the shriek of pain ceased, rather abruptly.

The fisherman quickly scanned the dunes again. The minotaur was no where to be seen. Still, strange goings on had been happening as of late. The coast had mainly been left alone, but it seemed that all the rumour were true. The dark creatures had been lifted out of exile and put among the populace of the Vale. At least, that's what he thought.

Well, if the Spirit had released them... then there was probably nothing to be worried about.

He waded back to shore, beckoning his fellows to follow him. Once the minotaur crested the dune, he would find a friendly welcoming party gathered below, on the sands. The afore mentioned fisherman would step forwards and say, "Greetings Minotaur! I am called Hale. There is no need for such things here, we are but poor fishermen from Fisher's Village," he motioned to the great axe in Asterion's hands, "Pray tell what brings you here, traveler? We haven't had your kind here in an age," he smiled, all friendly like.

 

[Wolfsister]

Jay and Coudron

Coudron sat up suddenly and stood, scrambling like a lazily rolling boulder to catch up with the horse. Which was walking the wrong way. Through out the time that they walked in silence, the fire elemental remaining quiet to better allow the reality of Jay's situation to sink in, Coudron noticed that the horse didnt' seem to understand how to walk. But in his defense, he got better after a time. Occasionally, Coudron would point in a certain direction and the horse would numbly follow, having nothing better to do.

As they walked, Coudron ran through his earlier plan again in his head. He would first get the horse to the nearest big city. He thought that he could reach Vakare much quicker than South Haven, and then get supplies and then take the Spirit's Road to Vale City. In the time it took to get there, maye the horse would have a better time of accepting what was going on. It didn't help that Coudron wasn't being all that helpful.

Coudron realised that he didn't even know the horse's name. At first "Mr Ed" came into his head, but he soon realised that it was a reference to another person, though he had no clear idea who that person was. He was about to ask Jay's name when the horsey spoke,

*So is the Spirit like a ghost or something?*

Coudron shook his head, "Nope. Not a ghost, that's creepy," he shuddered. "The Spirit is more like the queen or... goddess of the Vale. She looks after Illusion Vale and has enormous power, but.... you know, its kinda hard to describe her,"

* I suppose a cheeseburger is out of the question, right?*

He raised an eyebrow, or at least the equivalent of, "Cheeseburger? What's that?" but at the rumble of the horses stomach, he soon pieced together that it must have been some sort of food. He chuckled and was soon looking around. He ambled off and returned in short order with a slightly cooked branch that had many juicy looking fruit on it. They looked like apples. Except that they were huge. At least the size of three apples put together.

He shook her branch of red fruit at the horse and smiled, "There ya go... " he paused, leaning forwards as if he were about to say Jay's name... but actually letting Jay intercede and provide it himself. It was kind of a polite way of asking without asking.

 

[Wolfsister]

Danae and Sishota

Sishota smiled and readied the horses swiftly after the Selkie disappeared under the cool reflective surface of the swiftly running river. She had some hard work ahead of her, swimming upstream, but the wind elemental was confident in her ability.

The rest of the morning was spent with Sishota closely following Danae's progress along the river, the horses having to trot at some places. She, herself, did not ride the horses, instead she floated easily above the water, just over Danae, keeping a good eye on her.

The horses were used to being left alone and treated in this manner, they were well trained and just kept an eye on the floating elemental, making sure to follow a path parallel to hers. They snorted and occassionally lagged behind to pick at fruit, berries or shrubbery, but they soon caught up, their training kicking in.

Close to noon, Sishota floated over to the shore line to check on the horses and to avoid breaking the barrier line formed around the home of the water nymph that lived there. She paid her respects to the woman that appeared on a nearby rock and informed her of her companion below the water. The nymph leaned over and peered into the water.

The Selkie surfaced for a few seconds, the two water dwellers curious at each other's presence, but the selkie soon moved on and the nymph lost all interest. Sishota smiled, honored the nymph with a shiny shell and sped up to catch Danae. She hoped that the selkie's internal time was telling her that it was noon and that it was time to surface.

Sometimes the selkie went too further beneath the surface for Sishota to see, but her bond with the guardian gave her enough of a sense that she knew that the woman was near. She instructed the horses to wait and skimmed along the surface, careful not to dip to low beneath it, and searched for the Selkie.

"Danae?" she called...

 

[Wolfsister]

Fay and Faelin

"I'm sorry... bit of a conspiracy theory person..."

Faelin barked a short laugh, "Aren't we all?" she mused quietly, allowing Fay to hear her words. She took another step forwards and was for the first time, surprised that they had actually reached the beginning of the line. A person; something with spikes all over it, was standing, waiting in front of them to be processed. And then it would be their turn. She caught the eye of Grinly and he nodded imperceptively.

Wickim was soon sent down the last, past Fay and Faelin. She breathed a small sigh of relief. She wasn't sure that Fay would have stood up to Wickim's idea of an 'interrogation'.

The spiked man was allowed through the gates and they were next up. Grinly, himself, walked over and looked them up and down in a business like fashion. He checked his papers, asked Faelin some terse questions and then pulled them to the side. He then looked at more papers and murmured out of the side of his mouth, knowing the black wolf would hear them clearly, "I've moved residence. You'll find me at block 45 in the merchant's quarters. My daughter has a shop there, the password is "Black Knight","

Then he nodded brusquely and let them pass. Without another word, Faelin picked up and trotted through the main gates, not even bothering to acknowledge the dozen or so archers and more then thirty pikemen lining the wall above her.

"Come on Fay," she called over her shoulder, "Let's see if we can get some answers," then she trotted off, weaving her way between the foot traffic of the main street. Carriages and horses shared the concourse and she astutely avoided being crushed. Boy, did she hate cities!

She weaved her way through to the inner 'circle', the city being designed like a huge sprawling square, though it resembled nothing of the like. There was a circular wall in the middle of the city that surrounded the Governor's estates, but beyond that, the city was an attestment to a clearly insane architect.

She trotted quickly toward a certian set of buildings, having led Fay silently through the brick metropolis and sat in front of a very drab looking clothier. A little girl was playing with a ragged looking doll at the front and she walked up to her, her voice low and playful, "Hello, little one, I'm looking for the "Black Knight,"

The little girl giggled and ran inside, but not before petting Faelin between the ears, just where she loved it. The wolf just tolerated it, rolling her eyes in the direction of Fay. "Kids..." she whined in a low voice, but a spark of love was deep in her eyes.

Soon they were ushered in, the little girl suddenly attaching herself to Faelin via grubby little hands clenching around the fur on her back. She sighed, but walked slightly slower to prevent the girl from tripping. "Oh I don't know why I let such a horrid little girl to cling to me," she said in a rather dramatically loud voice, "One of these days I will just have to eat her," she continued and a rare little smile tugged at her lips.

"Welcome back Sister Wolf," came a very melodious voice and she looked up to behold Grinly's wife. The woman that spoke was a vision of beauty. Her eyes were slanted slightly, bright blue with golden flowing locks that fell down to her shoulders. She was covered in the same drab material that looked to be sold in the store, but somehow she made it look like the best dress in the Vale.

A true Siren.

Faelin grinned and looked back at the little girl, "Oh well, your mother's here, I guess I'll have to eat you later,"

 

[Wolfsister]

Kat and Rylia

“So as a Demoness, I am evil here? And I should have some sort of powers right? Exactly what did you expect me to show up as? Why would this spirit not let you become a seamstress?”

Rylia knew that it was good that Kat asked so many questions, but it was starting to irk her some. The Demoness would not shut up! But... she supposed that she would have to get used to it. Oh, she would give anything to be back in her dark, damp little cave, away from the bright sunshine and loud sea noises. Still, the sun did make her hair shine so very beautifully.

"You are what you wish to be," she smiled, disguising her disgust, "Look at me, I am a drider, of fearsome reputation, but I am not evil," the low threatening tone of her voice did not falter though and the throaty sound of her words only added to it. "I didn't expect anything. It better prepares me for the unexpected," she thought fast, "I did not say I wanted such a paltry occupation, however gifted I am at it," she silently admired her handiwork on the demoness and admitted she had made the bitch look good.

“Thank you for the compliment I know how it must rankle you to say such nice things. Tell me how many others like myself are there. If I were pulled through and changed surely there are others?”

She gave another tinkling laugh, "Rankle me? Why ever would you say that?" her voice was low and soft, wicked, to be precised. "I wouldn't know the numbers, only that there are. We need to look for them and then travel to meet up with the Spirit,"

“So care to tell me what I am here to do since I have been drawn here? And you call me pure, whatever gives you the impression I am pure? I think I like this form I’m in even if I haven’t learned what magic or powers or whatever I am here for.”

"You were drawn here for one reason, sweet," she smiled, her razor sharp teeth shining bright in the sunlight, "To save the Vale, of course," then she grinned again, the wickedness returning to her voice, "And why would you question your own purity? And of course you would like that form," her lips curled back into a forced smile, "Anybody would kill for it,"

She laughed again, "Soon, soon you will discover what powers you have, but first we need supplies for you," and then she was off down the beach, heading south. "There is a small village called Fisher's Village about three days walk from here," she called over her shoulder and then moved on, leaving the demoness to follow.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Michael chuckled at the faeries comment, "D'ya know that alcohol was originally used for medicinal purposes boyo? Furthermore, nothing heals my people better then a cold pint, plus the wounds still hurt, what would ye have me do about that eh?" he said gratefully accepting the pipe from Shela, "Dont worry all, I'll heal quick, fast and in a hurry. By the by, have any of you got books or codices or documents of some description about the gobbo's? Id like to spend my recuperation getting to know my enemies."

 

[MilkManDan007]

Asterion Greets the Fishermen

The shriek from offshore drew Asterion’s attention just as he was about to crest the dune’s ridge. Fell was still at his post at the wheel, but the glowing dots of his eyes were burning with a white intensity he had never seen before. The eerie wail came from the direction of the ship, but ended tersely as the ship, and Fell, vanished into nothingness. Asterion blinked several times to make sure his mind was not playing tricks on him, but the ship and his guide were gone. Nothing but the sea remained.

For the first time since arriving, it seemed as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders. The evil presence that had followed him for all these weeks was no longer forcing him to live in the darkest and most twisted corners of his mind. A younger consciousness, the one of innocence and kindness, before he had been left to fend for himself on the cold and lonely streets, now had a chance to assert itself and emerge again. But the evil side of his mind was not about to easily relinquish control. He stood almost motionless on the dune for several minutes as the two sides of his personality clashed with one another. The evil had won this battle, forcing the less dominant kind side to the back of his mind once again. He crested the dune and saw the small band of fishermen standing there, welcoming him into their village.

“Greetings Minotaur! I am called Hale. There is no need for such things here. We are but poor fishermen from Fisher's Village. Pray tell what brings you here, traveler? We haven't had your kind here in an age.”

This man must be the leader of this tribe of fishermen, Asterion thought as the man eyed the axe with a slight look of apprehension on his face. Maybe these people could be useful, maybe they could help clothe and feed him and enlighten him to who this Spirit was. If they proved useful, he could easily postpone the slaughter. He swung the axe over his shoulder and secured it to his back before approaching.

“Hello Hale. I honestly do not know quite what brings me here. Others have told me a Great Spirit summoned me here, but for what purpose, I haven’t a clue. This place, all the creatures around me, even this body is new to me,” he said as he began to descend the dune towards the gathering of people. He remembered what the shadowy figure in the mirror had said about the guardians and decided it might be best to keep his true calling clouded for the time being. “Those I have passed have told me I might be a Guardian, whatever that means, and was brought here to help the Spirit save the Vale. I have been wandering for some time now trying to figure out where I am supposed to be going and am quite hungry. Might you be able to spare something to eat and a warm bed for the night and tell me more of this Spirit and where I might be able to find her?”




OCC: As if he wasn’t interesting enough, let’s throw a slight case of multiple personality disorder on there as well.

 

[Wolfsister]

Sacrifice

(( OOC: Please understand that this is NOT a reply to Milkman's post. I will do that later ))

Fell stood silent, unmoving at the helm, watching nothing, staring, It's eyes glowing brighter and brighter as It stood there. Suddenly Fell's eyes looked up at the sky a scream ripped from its shadowy being. A scream full of torment, pain and utter destruction. The scream went on and on, the wraith never seeming to need to draw breath. Strangely, the edge of the scream was tinged with something. A fear, a deep seated horror and it sounded almost... feminine.

***************​

An ear piercing scream rent the air with a palpable force, effectively shattering the thick, hushed silence around a clearing in which the eerie red and orange flicker of fire could be seen. A view into the clearing could have accounted for the unwillingness of the night animals to make their presence known. The silence resumed, the scream of torment echoing hollowly amongst the trees.

Five fires marked the points of a pentagram outlined in chalk dust in the middle of the clearing. These fires were small but together they cast a flickering orange and red light which deepened the natural shadows of the surrounding forest. Between these fires stood five men, marking the points of the invisible, more powerful pentagram.

They each wore long, dark wool cloaks with hoods that effectively masked each of their faces. They continuously hummed at such a low pitch that they were nearly inaudible but there was still a slight thrum in the air which was augmented intermittently by the screams of the woman strapped against the make-shift altar directly in the centre point of the pentagram.

A sixth man was in there with her, garbed in much the same outfit, but it was of a deeper royal purple hue. With him he had several long blades ranging from serrated to sharpened to blunt along with several other instruments of torture that had no name but most certainly had a purpose.

Unlike her, he wasn't strapped helpless against the altar.

Unlike her, he wasn't barely clothed with several deep gashes along the length of shoulder to ankle or neither was he sporting a dozen or more small cuts and bruises all over himself which were effectively covering the woman's body better than clothing ever could.

Unlike her, he wasn't screaming his lungs out.

He picked up a long serrated blade and stepped so he was face to face with the woman after a particularly loud horrified shriek and soothed her shoulder length hair away from her sobbing face with a gentle hand. Making sure that the low humming had not discontinued around him, he brought the blade close under her nose. She stiffened and he clapped a hand to her mouth whispering softly into her ear, "If you scream, I'll make it hurt worse than it has to be, Guardian."

She screamed as soon as he let go of her mouth, "Somebody help me!" She swung her head around and for what seemed the hundredth time she looked beseechingly at the other men gathered around her. “Please,” she sobbed pitifully, her blood making tiny rivulets down her body and dripping into the libation bowl beneath her feat, “Please somebody help me.” Her voice this time had been hardly than a scratchy whisper, her throat too sore from her previous shrieks for help or mercy having rubbed her throat raw.

He threw his head back and laughed, "Nobody can hear you Guardian, nobody but us," and with that he stabbed the blade hard into her side and slowly took his time to pull it out. She screamed louder, he smile grew wider.

“Hush Guardian, hush,” he cooed gently and smoothed another errant strand of her damp hair from her eyes. “Hush now,” he kept repeating to her while he ran the serrated edge down between her breasts and to her navel, pressing down hard.

As he had wanted, she screamed. Sobbing, feeling her life-blood drain from her and drip into the wooden bowl beneath her, she squeezed her eyes shut. Why did he insist on calling her that? “My name is Melinda,” she forced past parched lips, opening her eyes wide to stare at him defiantly, “I'm not that 'Guardian' you keep calling me! I have no idea what you are talking about! Leave me alone!” she screeched.

He smirked. “Don’t you know? All Blood-Givers are called Guardians; you should be honored to bear such a name.” He gestured around him to the dark forest surrounding them, encompassing the silent trees, the five humming men, their features shadowed under their hoods and the yellow full moon that hung in the sky above them, “Don’t you think that this is beautiful?”

She sobbed, not bothering to look around her. What did their surroundings have to do with her; with what he was doing to her? “Why don’t you just finish it? If its blood you need, then take it when I’m dead!”

He chuckled, despite his best efforts; it seemed that she still had a spark in her. He spoke to her in a gentle, fatherly way; the way one would speak to a child that should know better than to ask foolish questions, “Guardian, if the Blood is to be pure, it must be Taken through true torment. The Guardian must suffer until the last drop of blood is Taken.” He sounded as if he had explained this too many times for his liking, which he had; to all of the other Guardians he had had the fortune to make and meet since his Ascension into The Order.

Melinda opened her mouth to say more when she suddenly could not. She just could not move. Her head felt heavy and her entire body slumped against the make-shift altar as if she could not hold herself up for any longer. Her eyelids began to droop closed and she found with a wonder that she could no longer think properly. She mumbled small incoherent sentences, her head lolling from side to side as the amount blood she had lost began to starve her brain’s oxygen supply.

The humming suddenly pitched higher, it could still barely be heard but now it seemed more urgent, more expectant. Anticipation hung heavy in the air. Now was the time, now he could finish it. Now he could bleed her dry before she died, the crucial moment. He had to get every drop before her heart stopped beating, otherwise the entire night would be for naught, the Blood he had gathered from her would be tainted. He would have to find another Blood-Giver if he failed, the Order would Ascend another and he would die if he failed.

The hum in the air brushed over him, the heavy scent of the night blossoms hung in the air. Sweat glistened on his brow, the only man un-hooded. Then he grinned, this was what he lived for.

He raised the blade again.

***************​

The bowl was filled with a red, dark liquid that moved lazily within its depths. The hands clutching the precious dish were covered in the same thick, sticky substance. They trembled with both fear and anticipation. The maw of the statue grew closer as the bowl moved towards its sharpened teeth. Faint chanting could be heard in the distance, but the bowl did not care. It had not feelings, only purpose.

The thick oozy blood dripped down onto the tongue of the statue and soon, when the bowl was tipped over, was splashing along the entire inside of the stone mouth. A the hands trembled even further and the chant got stronger and stronger. Clear words could be heard now as the bowl emptied its contents, its sacrifice onto the statue.

"Take this Blood.
Live further.
Take this Blood.
Evil abounds.
Take this blood.
Feed the Darkness.
Take this Blood.
Feed the Shadow.....

Feed the Shadow.....

Feed the Shadow....."


Another scream rent the air, though this time the dead body on the alter had not moved its mouth. This scream came from another place, from a distance that covered both land and sea. As soon as the blood stopped flowing, the scream suddenly vanished and the hands dropped the bowl. The chanting stopped abruptly and there was a collective, expectant feeling in the air.

The anticipation was answered by a lazily chuckle, at first soft, then louder and louder, more and more manic until it was a full blown laugh. A laughter so evil that it drew shivers up the spine just to hear it. The hands stopped trembling and relaxed, their work was done for the night.

***************​

Fell's scream suddenly and abruptly cut off. Its eyes turned back to shore and for a full moment, they glowed bright red. Then they returned to their impossibly bright white and the ship vanished beneath it. Fell did not mind, actually, Fell couldn't care less.
The water grew rancid around him, fish turning up on the surface, dead. The coral beneath the waves shriveled and died.
Fell floated across the water and onto dry sand. Still It did not follow the minotaur, instead It paused, utterely still.

Then It began a lazily chuckle, at first soft, then louder and louder, more and more manic until it was a full blown laugh. A laughter so evil that it drew shivers up the spine just to hear it......

 

[Jedi_Khan]

Eeth sat down a few feet from Rolyn, and listened intently; so intently in fact, that he could hear Van’s breathing as Rolyn talked. He simply nodded as Rolyn spoke; how could someone reply to what he was saying? Eeth sure couldn’t.

Then Rolyn rolled out a cloth that contained a vast assortment of weapons. Rolyn picked up a pair of scimitars, and then told Eeth to pick a weapon. He looked down at the assortment of weapons, and spot a pair of what looked like short versions of a katana, with slightly more curve to them. He reached down and picked them up, examining them as he straightened. They were fairly straight forward, no fancy décor on them to increase their value; just plain weapons, made for the single purpose of fighting. After looking at them for a minute, Eeth got an idea, and following through with that idea, he whirled the blades around in a flourish, crossing his arms across his chest and back, with the blades spinning rapidly in his hands.

When he was done, Eeth was wide-eyed. He didn’t know he could do that, seeing as how today had been the first day in his life (both in Illusion Vale and before) that he has ever handled a blade in a fight. Sure, he used a bayonet in the Marine Corps, but that was a far cry from what he was handling today.

Eeth then smiled, as he said, mostly to himself, “Hello. Where did that come from?”

“Oh, yeah” said Eeth as he shook himself and returned to reality. “You said, Rolyn, that I need to prove that I can beat the queen, and then you said that I need to keep her occupied long enough for you to cast your spell. So, which is it? Do I need to beat her or just distract her? And one other thing: what if she decides to use magic on me? I wouldn’t know how to defend myself against that.”

 

[ultimate_nerdslut]

Fay was starting to find herself trusting the people around her less and less. Faelin, she had known, was the only one she could really truely trust. But the thought hadn't struck her as to how many people would be willing to slow her up or take her down. She looked at the man named Wickim when he walked past her. Yes, she got the same strange feeling from the man back at the tents. It wasn't like she thought he was pure evil, not that he couldn't have been with that smile. Her hand had, unknowingly, moved to the hilt of her whip and was waiting for him to try something. Fact, she probably would have hit a lot of innocent people.

Fay had to admit that she was beginning to feel like a child. It seemed to her that Faelin was her babysitter and she was just a child that kept getting into trouble. She wondered if she would be around long enough to learn the things she needed in this world.

"I've moved residence. You'll find me at block 45 in the merchant's quarters. My daughter has a shop there, the password is "Black Knight","

The avian had not caught all of that that was said. She blinked and looked around for a black knight, she had heard that world... or at least she thought that she had. Honestly the other had been so quiet it had been hard to her to hear let alone comprehend at all.

With the call of her name, Fay was darting after Faelin. And while she kep up with the large black canine she was dodging traffic in the hopes of not getting squashed, she endured a few of the catcalls, ignoring them for the most part. Men, in her opinion, were stupid creatures... well with a few exceptions...

She wondered briefly if the man who designed the city was on crack or ecstacy or something when the city was designed and built. Looked that way.

"Hello, little one, I'm looking for the "Black Knight,"

She watched the girl pet Faelin and chuckled a little as the wolf allowed it but then tried to put it off as if it was nothing.

"Kids..."

"If I didn't know any better I would think that you wanted children," Fay said with a smile when the little girl returned and latched onto the she-wolf. It was adorable though even Fay had to admit thatshe was clinging really hard to keep up.

"Oh I don't know why I let such a horrid little girl to cling to me. One of these days I will just have to eat her,"

Fay smiled and followed suit. Her eyes were directed to several points in the shop. It seemed like everything had been sitting there for a while, she wondered why. She looked up when she heard footsteps.

"Welcome back Sister Wolf."

The woman before her literally brightened the entire shop and she could see why the clothes suddenly seemed prettier. This woman was beautiful and if Fay wasn't completely decided... Well she would have embarassed herself.

"Oh well, your mother's here, I guess I'll have to eat you later."

Fay smirked at the wolf's decision not to eat the girl. "Thank you for letting us in..." Fay said looking around once more before her eyes landed again on the beautiful woman. "My name is Fay," she said offering her hand to the very lovely woman. The large Raven woman was so afraid of knocking things over she held her wings as tight to her back as they would allow.

She didn't know why they were here exactly... In Abark? They were there to shop. In this little clothing shop? Well... She had clothes but she would have to get things for travel...

 

[ultimate_nerdslut]

Noah stood in his garage playing with his son's bike. Well, he really wasn't playing with it, he was fixing the blasted thing. His son had taken it off of the tiny ramp he had built him and the whole front tire had come off. Thank god his son was able to avoid too much damage, he had a skinned knee from rolling on the ground after the fall and a small bump, but the kid was seven and he was expected to get bumps and bruises.

But the bike was what was really annoying him. His mother in law had come to take the twins for the afternoon. Wanted to take them to the movies or something like that. He was fine with it really, he was having a hard time getting that novel written and now the bike was giving him problems.

Would nothing work out right?

And that was when the radio started to make some funny sounds. First it was clouded with static and then there was this strange whistling noise. He thought he could hear someone screaming. It was of course hushed with the sound of static and what sounded like a commercial for some new video game that his son Josh would ask him for... Hannah would probably want it too...

Noah got closer and closer to the radio. He could hear sobbing and then some whispers? It stopped for a moment....

"Somebody help me!"

He jumped back from the loud scream for help and looked around. He picked up the radio and shook it but it was near silent again.

“Why don’t you just finish it? If its blood you need, then take it when I’m dead!”

He looked around frantically trying to figure out who this woman was. Could he help her in some way? Unless she told him where she was... he severly doubted it. He snatched up the phone but the static was on the phone too. He could hear chanting through the phone and on the radio.

He was getting really nervous now.

Fuck...

He grabbed a little steno pad and a pen and began jotting things down, what the girl had said, he never heard what the person who was torturing her said, but obviously that person was sick. And then he felt sick... Overwhelmed at the thought as there was no more screaming... but lots of chanting.

And then suddenly....

A low chuckle which turned into the laugh of a maniac. Shivers ran down his spine. He took a step back, effectively finding a screwdiver, which slid out from under his foot, and sent him crashing to the ground... well, it would have had the ground not disappeared.

Blackness enveloped Noah and he passed out.

 

[Optimas]

Dinnie looks on

"What is wrong with me?"

Goreab gibbered. And spluttered and squealed with fear, shaking like leaf and rocking back and forth. He stammered and began chattering in that strange tongue again, as Dinnie was hit full force with the Hunger. Goreab knew what is was, and he knew what it would do if it went on for much longer.

He looked around desparately to see if there were any animals around. Unfortunately, the dry desert night yeilded no appropriate meal for the hungry vampire.

Goreab shuddered and suddenly dropped to the ground, scampering away. He disappeared into the night and seemed to be deserting the pained vampire.

He returned soon though, sporting a small chalice of dark, thick red blood. It was his own... he has slit his wrist and poured what he had had into the chalice, but he didn't want Dinnie to know that. For some reason, although he was scared witless by the vampire, he felt that he needed to do this, to at least bring Wolfie back.

He offered the chalice to Dinnie, his arm stretched as far was it would go, his hand shaking and his eyes firmly squeezed shut.

Dinnie looked at the vial it smelled like roses, like the most delicious smell you could imagine. Dinnie`s eyes began to glow and his fangs grew. He looked at the vial, past the chalice of blood to the living thing behind the sweet smelling blood. The imp shook with his eyes shut. It seemed like an eternity then Dinnie lanced forward and grabbed. . .

 

[Mantra]

Jay looked incredulously at the elemental's back for a moment as his guide went to look for food.

*What, you don't have cheeseburgers here either!? ... Man this place sucks...* he sulked.

When Couldron returned with the branch, Jay stuck his nose at the cooked fruits that Couldron offered him. Heated as they were, they gave off a strong odor like apple pie, making his mouth water. He took a tenative bite, then another, then munched happilly on his meal.

*Hey, these are pretty good! So what about you? You don't eat or nothin'?*

They lingered for a few moments while Jay finished his meal, seeds, core and all. He had even eaten the leaves, which actually tasted OK. When he was finished, Jay licked his lips and raised his head back up.
*Thanks...um... Rocky.* he projected. Jay couldn't remember anything of their initial conversation when they first met, (he had been attacked by a tree monster after all) so Jay realized that he didn't know anything about his 'guide' really.

*So..* Jay continued, not really knowing hjow else to start. * I'm Jay by the way, and I got turned into a horse. What's your story? *

 

[Jedi_Khan]

John McCluskey Enters the Vale

John checked out of the hotel he always stayed at during his visits to town, and headed for the stables used by the local police, where they were gracious enough to keep his donkey for him. Making sure the donkey was loaded properly, he led the poor creature out of town, back into the forests.

He had just ended his annual three day stay in town, where he picked up supplies and caught up with his family. His wife of nearly fifty years had died two years back, leaving him alone in the world, except for his son and daughter, both married with kids and great jobs in one of California’s major cities. This visit had not been much different then the previous ones; his children had brought their families to come visit; they all asked him to come back to civilization; he paid his taxes, three months late as usual; bought his supplies and had them delivered to the police stables; etc. The only thing different about this year had been that his son seemed especially worried about him, expressing a fear that after this visit, they may never see each other again. Little did his family know that he had already prepared for such an event: he had left a set of keys with the local police with instructions that they were not to be used unless he did not turn up on the usual date. The keys were for a safe deposit box at the local bank, and in that box is a map that shows exactly where his hovel is, five miles north of town.

When he left town, he always headed east, and after a long ten mile, meandering path, ended up at his hovel. But this time, something was not quite right: the donkey was been more stubborn than usual. Half-way through his trip, the donkey stopped suddenly, and refused to move. Doing everything but pull the donkey, John tried to get him to move. Finally having enough of the donkey’s stubbornness, he took hold of the rope attached to the donkey’s bridle, and pull for all he was worth. And the rope broke, causing him to stumble back, and in doing so, he tripped over a root. All went black.

********

When he awoke, he was standing among trees that he did not recognize. And what puzzled him most was that, while the trees still towered over him, he was looking down into the nest of some bird that had built its home some ten feet off the ground. He remained very still, closing his eyes to try to gather his thoughts.

 

[Wolfsister]

Michael/Sila/Tula

Tula turned to Shela and the female dwarf nodded, leaving the room quietly to go fetch what she could find. The male fairy stayed quiet, having been effectively shut up by the knowledgeable and practical werewolf. Sila remained out like a light but started to toss and turn, moaning quietly at small intervals.

The fairies all gathered around her, whispering to each other; consultation. Then a blue glow began to twinkle around Sila and soon her troubled sleep quietened. The fairies looked up collectively towards their queen and one shook his head, quietly murmuring, "She must heal on her own, we can help, but that is all we can do,"

Tula nodded sadly. "I have no doubt that you will recover before my daughter, wolf. And I have no doubt that they will pay for what they did to her," she looked deep into his canine eyes, "But I need your word that you will return to see her healed,"

She knew, deep within her heart, that Sila had grown rather fond of the werewolf. While it was a mismatched pair, she had never claimed that her daughter was anything other than strange.

"I will not have you break her heart," she warned the wolf and then Shela returned with a few volumes and a some scattered scrolls, dumping them onto the end of the bed.

"Tha's all I culd find, lad," she looked up at Michael, "Tis all we know..."

 

[Wolfsister]

Asterion/Fell/Villagers

“Hello Hale. I honestly do not know quite what brings me here. Others have told me a Great Spirit summoned me here, but for what purpose, I haven’t a clue. This place, all the creatures around me, even this body is new to me. Those I have passed have told me I might be a Guardian, whatever that means, and was brought here to help the Spirit save the Vale. I have been wandering for some time now trying to figure out where I am supposed to be going and am quite hungry. Might you be able to spare something to eat and a warm bed for the night and tell me more of this Spirit and where I might be able to find her?”

Hale scratched his head, smiling even more broadly when the large minotaur put up the axe. He had to admit that he had been slightly fearful of the outcome should that axe have been used, but it seemed that the minotaur was friendly, at least it was able to communicate on an intellectual level.

He waved the minotaur down the dune and while the man was traveling towards them, the villagers held a sort of impromptu and whispered conference. Luckily for Asterion, Fisher's Village had only heard good of the Guardians, the trouble that had plagued the Vale apon their last visit having steered clear of the isolated fishing community.

When the minotaur reached their small group, they had formed an unanimous decision to help the 'Guardian'. Hale smiled and held out his hand in a manner of greeting, "Sorry friend, I has mistaken you for another creature, one that had come from this land. You are most welcome to stay within our humble village and partake of our food, the season has been bountiful this year and there is plenty to go around. I'm sure the women could make something appropriate for your clothing as well,"

In their excitement at meeting a Guardian, they did not see the Shadow Wraith slip over the crest of the dune the minotaur had been occupying earlier. It crept up behind Asterion and easily assimilated itself with his natural shadow. It hid its brilliant diamond eyes and made not a sound, though a whispering in Asterions mind would echo the word, "Deliciouseesss..."

Hale continued to smile and then indicated behind them, where several other fishermen were unloading a large net full of frantically spasming fish onto a small skiff. "To save time, we can ride in the boat with the fish and get to the village faster," he turned then and began making his way through the water towards the small wooden craft.

 

[Wolfsister]

Eeth/Rolyn/Van

Rolyn watched quietly and closely as Eeth chose his weapons. He knew that they weren't much, but they were good enough for training. He would have special weapons forged for the young elf after this ordeal... if he survived.

“Hello. Where did that come from?”

Rolyn nodded with satisfaction. He knew, from experience, that this would happen from time to time. Once the Guardian got into his thick skull that he could actually fight, then it would be a downhill trip after that. Soon, he knew that the younger elf would surpass even him. The queen on the other hand, he just had to pray.

“Oh, yeah. You said, Rolyn, that I need to prove that I can beat the queen, and then you said that I need to keep her occupied long enough for you to cast your spell. So, which is it? Do I need to beat her or just distract her? And one other thing: what if she decides to use magic on me? I wouldn’t know how to defend myself against that.”

Rolyn nodded, "The main idea for the plan is to keep the queen distracted. However, if you manage to beat her and have her admit that defeat, then it would serve our purposes even better,"

Van suddenly piped up, waving an admonitory finger at Eeth, "Winning not always mean killing, Elf," he mewed quietly and fell silent again, content to watch the lessons as he had done for the past several hours. After some time, he would prepare more food from his magical pack and then demand that his guardian get some rest. Eeth not good if Eeth tired, he thought to himself silently.

Rolyn nodded again, taking Van's statement on board and continuing, "Exactly," he instructed, watching Eeth twirl the blades absently an idea forming in his head for a trophy prize, should Eeth be successful. "The spell is designed to take the queen back to the earlier stages of her life, in essence, back to before she met Malas and fell for him. Its true that she will not have the memories that she has now, but that's the point. However, this spell needs time to cast and she will most certianly not give it us,"

He continued softly, "The Spell Weavers are virtually helpless when incanting this particular spell. All seven will have warriors at their sides, but they will be useless should Ilandria get through your guard. Should we even lose one spell weaver during this casting, the spell will be rendered useless.

"Seeing as killing you will be the only way she's going to kill a spell weaver, then its over and we will not get another chance, we fear what will occur if that happens,"

Van mewed softly and looked on with kittenish sadness, nodding now and then, his tail curled tightly around his waist.

"As for magical attacks, I believe that you will be able to counter them, but... I am not such that will be able to teach you," then he turned to Van, smiling ever so slightly and raising his eyebrows.

Van blinked in surprise and pointed at his own chest in question, "Mew?"....

 

[Wolfsister]

Fay/Faelin/Abby/Celeste

"Thank you for letting us in... My name is Fay,"

Celeste let out a chuckle of delight and slipped her hand into the Avian's and smiled, "I am Celeste, welcome to my humble home," she gestured around. Then she turned to the black wolf at her side and quietly said, "I suppose, since you used the password that my husband sent you here?"

The wolf nodded and tolerated yet another petting from the small child, Grinly's second daughter, Abby. "Where is Marine?" she asked for the shop owner, the daughter Grinly had mentioned earlier.
Celeste smiled again and reached down to scratch at the wolf's ears, "She is out on merchants business, I swear Aran should have remembered she would not be here,"

Faelin nodded, "I have need of supplies," she lowered her voice, "discreetly. I need to get Fay to Vale City as soon as possible and without much further fuss," then she lowered her voice even further, her large golden eyes burning in the dim light of the dreary clothier, "She is a Guardian, new to this world,"

Celeste looked up quickly, a spark of fear showing in her eyes for an instant, but she soon schooled her expression and smiled broadly once more, "I know of what you need, I will gather them," she looked into the wolf's eyes, "Discreetly,"

Then she turned back to Fay and extended her arms out, "Welcome Fay, Guardian. Come, make yourself comfortable, my home is always open to friends of Sister Wolf. You will need rest for your long journey and the supplies will not reach here until the morrow,"

Then she turned and headed deeper into the shop, beckoning them to follow.

 

[Wolfsister]

Dinnie and Goreab

The vampire made a grab for the chalice and missed, grabbing Goreab's arm instead. The blood spilled to the ground, the chalice landing, miraculously, on its feet, some dark red liquid still remaining.

Goreab screamed in a high pitched wail and railed against the vampire, screaming and gibbering in that strange long dead language of his, he finally released himself from the vampire's strong grasp and screamed again, scampering off into the darkness.

Goreab would not return. His natural cowardice and fear of the vampire had finally mastered him. If Dinnie cared to look, he would find the imp half buried in the sands of the plain, having dug into the ground to escape the blood sucker that he was now convinced was going to eat him.

He had let his guard down and then the beast had attacked. Now he was running away, hiding from the big man and for once he did not care a whit about Wolfie. He just wanted to live....

He continued to cry and shiver, fear making him almost mad with anxiety, his whimpers and sobs loud enough for one who was looking to locate him easily. He shook uncontrollably and rocked back and forth in his half built ground cave. He didn't even chatter, he was crying that much.

 

[Wolfsister]

Jay and Coudron

*Hey, these are pretty good! So what about you? You don't eat or nothin'?*

Coudron smiled, inwardly proud of himself. He had just been tested with hungry Guardian horse thingy and he had passed, proving that he could provide for the lil fella. At least, that was how things went in his head.
He shook his head, "I rarely need to eat. When I do, I grind a special mineral found in the Trinias Mountians only into a fine dust, mix it with a little water and eat that," he shrugged, "Ain't delicious or nothing, but it keeps me alive,"

*Thanks...um... Rocky.*

Honestly, Coudron didn't mind the nickname Jay had just given him, he'd been called worse, but he thought he might provide his name again, just incase the horse had forgotten. Hey, it happens.

"Coudron, me names Coudron,"

*So..I'm Jay by the way, and I got turned into a horse. What's your story? *

Coudron shrugged, "I told you most of it before. Nothing much happens to me, I generally stay away from people and vice verse. All I know is that I'm here to help you get adjusted to the Vale and to get you safely to The Spirit in Vale City," he continued on, "We're headed to Vakare now and then we'll take the Spirit Road up to Vale City once we get some supplies. You know, food an stuff,"

He looked at the horse shambling beside him and suddenly grinned wickedly, "Ya don't mind carrying a few things, do ya?"