Illusion Vale: A Spirit's Cry

[Jedi_Khan]

"You should give the cat some credit, he's good,"

Yeah, sure, thought Eeth. From what Eeth had seen of Van’s hidden talent, the feline did have some skill, but it was rather clumsy.

“So, Van, you say magic comes from within, and while it varies, the rules are all the same, right?” asked Eeth, trying to make sense of what Van had said. “You have ‘Sticky’ magic while I have ‘Soul’ magic, whatever that means. So, what are the basic rules of magic, Van?”

Eeth then remembered that he was training with Rolyn, so he turned back to the elf and said: “Unless you want to continue the training from where we left off, before Van starts babbling about magic.” Eeth had no doubt that the cat could babble on and on about magic, but the question was if Van would make any sense.

 

[Wolfsister]

Asterion and Fisher's Village

“Hale, you said your smith can repair and replace armor? Do you think he could make something up for me? I’m sure if this Spirit brought us here to help guard the Vale, I will probably run into… I’m sure the Spirit would not have called us here unless there was some threat to her. And I would much rather meet this threat prepared with some form of protection rather than as I am.”

Hale stopped and blinked, slightly confused now that he had been interrupted. The stranger had been so quiet for the past several minutes that even though he'd been talking to him, he had quite forgotten that he was there.

"Oh, Daric's our smith. Yes," he blinked again, looking towards the smithy, "I'm sure he could find something for you," Hale looked Asterion over quickly up and down and frowned, "You're not the usual body type," he gave an apologetic shrug, then clapped a hand onto Asterion's shoulder, "But I'm sure he can give you what you need!"

Hale led the minotaur, amongst the occassional mutter and furtive glance from fellow villagers as they worked to store their latest catch, towards the smithy. It was an average building. A large forge sitting directly in the middle with an assortment of tools and materials hanging from prospective places on the walls. The smith, himself, was not like the rest of the village. In fact, he looked like a giant lizard. Well, a walking, talking and forging Lizard.

Bent over an anvil and pounding some metal, Daric was tall, lean and scaly. His forked tongue snaked out every now and again to flicker at the air and though covered in flashing green scales, you could see the power built into his body as he pounded the iron mallet against a glowing metal sheet.

Looking up as Hale entered and hailed him, he gave a twisting odd smile (simply because his jaws were longer than the average Valian) and put down his tools, dipping the metal sheet into a vat of cooled water at the end of the anvil. There it stayed, quietly hissing and steaming.

Dusting off his hands, he also looked over the newcomer and then smiled again, extending his clawed hands in welcome, "Hail, newcomer!" his voice was gruff yet sibilant, the 's's in his speech somewhat more defined due to his tongue.

Hale grinned and let them meet, exchanging a few pleasantries and then posed the question to Daric. Daric nodded, looking Asterion over with a more assessing and critical eye, occassionally nodding and muttering to himself in another language. Then he smiled, "Of course, but it may take some time. Perhaps two weeks to gather the required materials and mould them," he gave Asterion another glance, "You don't happen to be a shapeshifter, do you?"

Hale's eyes bulged and Daric just shrugged, "If you are, then I cannot help you with armor, that is all,"

 

[Wolfsister]

Largos/Talon/Len

"You call this a game? You should think of this as a fight for your life."

Talon did not have time to answer the younger vampire as he was suddenly really fighting for his life. Sure, he was fast, but the daggers had been thrown at close range. Too close range.

A howl of rage ripped from Talon's lips as one of the daggers buried itself to the hilt in his flesh, his abdomen screaming with pain. He hissed and just barely managed to roll out of the way of the crystal sword at his back. The blade just barely missing him, the clothing at his back shredding apart.

He came up, further away from Largos and hissed at the vampire, grabbing the hilt of the dagger buried in his stomach and wrenching it from his flesh with an audible growl. He began to slowly advance on the elven vampire when all of a sudden he stopped, looking around them.

The beginnings of the predawn twilight were starting to show, the sky lightening considerably and Talon hissed in annoyance. He waved the dagger at Largos and threw it down, the blade sinking into the ground at Largos's feet, "You were lucky this time, boy! You will join me, or I will kill you!"
Then he jumped backwards, seeming to disappear into a mist of shadows, his maniacal laughter echoing in the trees.

Len coughed, blood dripping from her beak. "Largos..." her voice weak in his head, "Largos.. we have to get out of here... follow the water... the water..." her voice faded and she was once again swallowed by unconsciousness.

 

[Wolfsister]

Michael/Sila/Tula/Durbin

"My armor? When do we leave?"

Tula gave a small smile, "I thought you would welcome the chance to go adventuring -"
"I want to go, mother," interrupted Sila and Tula turned to her, her eyes round and a worried crease in her forehead. "Sila, my daughter, it is far too dangerous,"
Sila flew up to Michael and then stubbornly clung onto his thick neck, "I'm not letting him leave without me," then she whispered into his ear, "Don't you dare leave me behind!" a fierceness in her voice added to the hot tears she could feel welling behind her eyes.

Tula looked towards Durbin and Shela for some support, but all three of them were aware of the werewolf's and the fairy's feelings for each other. They all knew that it was be next to impossible, but they also knew that both parties were stubborn at the best of times. Tula sighed, knowing she would not win this battle, "Very well, but you will need to be ready for battle Sila. You can't afford to be forgetful,"

Sila's eyes narrowed and her gaze hardened, the haunted look in her wide innocent orbs having been there since her kidnapping. In fact, Sila had not in the least been forgetful since then, not in her conventional sense. She would sometimes suddenly lapse into silence, or deep thought or would spend her days spying on Michael's training, but never had she just laughed because she felt like it, or been dimwitted enough to forget a simple thing. She had grown and matured.... not everyone was sure they liked the new her, either.

"No-one will ever touch me again!" she growled, her tiny arms tightening around Michael's neck on reflex as her anger shone through her eyes. "Besides, I have something I didn't before with me," she nodded in a succinct and final way, "I have Mike,"

She didn't realise that she could possible be choking the poor Mike right now, however.

 

[Wolfsister]

Eeth/Van/Rolyn

“So, Van, you say magic comes from within, and while it varies, the rules are all the same, right? You have ‘Sticky’ magic while I have ‘Soul’ magic, whatever that means. So, what are the basic rules of magic, Van?”

Van was about to answer when Eeth suddenly turned to Rolyn and said:

“Unless you want to continue the training from where we left off, before Van starts babbling about magic.”

Rolyn looked at Van's forlorn expression as a small mew escaped the feline. He smiled and waved Van away, "Later, later..." he muttered and for possibly the first time, Van didn't object. He just shrugged and scampered away, sitting on a large rock and was soon licking himself contentedly, his wide eyes turned back to study their training session.

"I think you'll find that Van means that he has focused magic, where as you have a natural talent for magic. You don't need an object to focus what you need to draw out of the Well," Rolyn explained but was soon whirling around his scimitars. "But enough of that for now."

Suddenly, seemingly from out of the air, came four other elves, similarily twirling swords around. They were all slighter and more 'elf like' than Rolyn but they seemed just as dangerous. Rolyn grinned, the others were silent. "You see, Ilandria has a most peculiar talent. She can essentially make copies of herself, up to four times, and each copy acts as a separate entity. Though she can only do this for short periods of time, they are usually so effective that it is all the time she needs to end a battle,"

The five elves began to advance on Eeth, only Rolyn casually speaking, "The trick is to keep them all busy for long enough for her spell to come to a close, then all copies return to her," he quirked an eyebrow, "And so too do the wounds that were inflicted on them,"

Just as his last word finished, all five elves suddenly worked in concert and ran to strike at Eeth.....

 

[rengadeirishman]

Michael felt the little fairies arms around his neck and felt strangely warmed by them. "Danger is why i have been training all this time," he said, "Sila, are you sure you want to risk this place? An abandoned dwarven fortress sounds like the perfect recipe for trouble." he said reaching behind him to pat her head and briefly stroke her hair. Her arms grew tighter and began to choke him "Lassie, if you could loosen abit from 'round me neck, I'd appreciate it." he said. He knew this would be dangerous, and that he should dissuade her from coming with him, but deep inside he wanted her to accompany him. He didn't want to be alone.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Danae

Danae smiled. "Hi Sishota. In my world there are many stories, that no one really believes anymore, about things like fairies and pixies and sprites. The most famous one is Tinkerbell, or "Tink" to her friends, who helps a boy named Peter Pan. Something just flew past me, and reminder me of her."

She listened to Sishota's gentle probeing and smiled. "I...ah...ate along the way, so I'm not at all hungry, or even really tired. If I remember right seals are quite active, and I know I was active in my personal life, so putting in 14 hour days isn't that big of deal for me, so Sunset is fine with me. I don't feel quite ...right...about sleeping in the water yet."

 

[MilkManDan007]

Into The Village

“No, I am no shapeshifter. What you see is what you get,” Asterion said to the Daric, raising his arms to shoulder height and shrugging. He removed the small pouch of coins he found on the island and held it out to the smith. “I do not have much to pay you with, but I hope that you will help me.”

Even if he does take the money in the pouch, Asterion thought, he would be getting it back soon enough when he was finished with this village and took whatever else he needed before heading out across the plain.

“In the meantime, while we wait for kind Daric to work, perhaps I could find a spot to get some rest. It has been a long voyage so far, and I still feel I have far to go.”

Hale was more than accommodating. He motioned deeper into the village and began his chattering again as he began to walk. Asterion rolled his eyes at the overzealous man and followed him down the cobbled streets. They passed several more shops along the plaza: a general store, a merchant peddling glass trinkets, an old woman and her loom. As they exited the heart of the village, they found themselves surrounded by smaller buildings, mostly made of stacked and mortared stone.

“Here, please come this way,” Hale said, motioning to a single room building. “You are more than welcome to stay here, friend. It’s not much, but it does have a place to build a fire and a place to rest your weary feet. Please rest for now, and I will come get you when the evening meal is ready.”

The building was little more than a hovel. The fireplace was built into one wall, and a small straw bed lie along the other. Asterion thanked Hale and moved into the hut, closing the thin wooden door as he ducked through the narrow entryway. He removed his axe and set it against the wall at the foot of the bed and stretched himself out on the straw. He could immediately tell that the people who had stayed in this house before had been much shorter than he, as his feet stretched nearly two feet past the end of the bed. He listened to Hale’s footfalls fade and grow silent before he spoke.

“Well, I know you have been following me, wraith. I have been feeling your chill behind me ever since we met these people. Hopefully, they can give me some decent armor and maybe a decent meal or two before I move on, and… well, we’ll see how this village fares when I leave.”

 

[DarkPhantomLynx]

Kat and Rylia

Kat stares at the interior of the cave and feels very fortunate for having such a guide in this strange land. Their journey that day had not been overly strenous and she was curious of this new body and what it was capable of and of these powers hinted at by Rylia.

But for now the scent of the food and the need for sleep was so powerful. She sniffed apprecaitively at the food and accepted the meat on the knife chewing and eating in silence. Sipping at one of the skins she smiled and settled back after filling herself. Yawning softly she looked at Rylia. "So am I considered to be evil here or am I to make that decision on my own. Because ,,*yawn* as of right now I dont feel either." Her eyes heavy she looks at the beautiful creature across from her and felt no fear,,only a tingling of excitement for the adventure yet to come and curiousity of this place. "Oh and if there is to be guardians will I meet others?" Her head cradled in her arms she drifts off to sleep not even sure if Ryalia heard her last question. Her dreams are full of creatures fighting,,blades flashing and bodies scattered all around a battle ground. She hears a deep rumbling voice behind her telling her to kill all she sees. With a smile she raises her hands and a flash of light shoots out killing several creatures. A tingle runs through her body she giggles in her sleep. The voice tells her not to let any of them escape,,,she tosses and turns in her sleep as the battle rages on in her mind. Small groans and grunts as she fights in her sleep. Turning her head she sees a great horned creature moving out and killing looking at him she feels a great pride in knowing he is on her side.

As the sun rises the next morning she awakens puzzled over the dreams she moves silently packing their things to leave and follows along behind Rylia as they set off for the fisherman's village. She watches the changing landscape but only makes small talk when asked something. Her mind trying to figure out the dream.

 

[ultimate_nerdslut]

It was quite the feat fitting throught that small crevice but Fay was in and was surprised to see this little room. She wondered why someone would need such a room but it was beginning to dawn on her that there was more to this whole Vale than she knew. Fay wished that she had asked more questions of Faelin, it had been reckless not to and now she was starting to learn some of these things from their beautiful hostess. She smiled at the little girl and requested something sweet like juice before turning her attention back to the woman who began 'talking' as soon as the little girl left.

"More guardians? Is the Spirit so desparate now? Has the Spirit finally gone mad? After what they did the last time? How could she call more? Oh, I am so sorry.... I can feel that you aren't like the others. And I trust you, if Faelin does, then I do... I just... I'm sorry."

Fay smiled but did feel a little silly. She understood that there was no reason for this woman to trust her or even let her into her home but it was heard to hear that people were afraid of her, maybe even hated her for nothing more than than being alive.

"It's fine," Fay said calmly. "No harm no foul," she continued as she drifted back to her thoughts. She knew that she was going to have to take Faelin aside so that she could properly question her guide later, she figured that the opinion from the woman sitting with the wolf would be a little biased so it was best to talk to the one that seemed to be getting to know her better.

"So... Tell me what is going on with the mayor of this city... Is there really such a need for the lines and some of the guards outside?" She remembered the tree-like man and shuddered. That had been something bad she knew. Thank god for Grinly was all she could think. And then she wondered what would have happened had he know of her being a guardian?

Would he have helped her? Or simply left her to the fate that the other man had in store for her. She didn't know but she wanted nothing more to do with that beast... The lizard man was fine, she was speaking of the other one.

"What was that tree-man's name?" Fay asked suddenly. "And why is he even working as a soldier if he's takin advantage of his authority?" She demanded.

 

[Wolfsister]

Michael/Sila/Durbin

"Sila, are you sure you want to risk this place? An abandoned dwarven fortress sounds like the perfect recipe for trouble."

Sila just nodded her head resolutely, bobbing up and down slightly, a very satisfied smile on her face as she felt Mike's warm hands run through her hair. She sighed, relaxing her grip as he gently reminded her not to choke him. "Sorry," she muttered apologetically and swung her legs over either side of his head, so that she had a better resting place. It seemed that Sila wasn't about to let Mike out of her sight, not just yet.

Durbin nodded also, his dwarven face tugged down in a thoughtful frown. "Aye, lass, it be dangerous there. Fer ye both," he tapped out his pipe and leisurely refilled it. Looking at Tula he raised a bushy eyebrow, "Ye ginna send some o yer lads wit him?"

Tula shook her head. "Fairies take magic from Earth, its true, but there are ancient places down there, places where we would be useless. The forces are just too much for us," she gave a considering glance to Sila, "I'll send for your bow, just in case you can't use your magic but I can't risk anyone else," she was stretched to the breaking point, helping the Dwarves hold off the green skinned foes. The raids had become more frequent and ferocious and she knew it was because of the failed mission to kidnap Sila. Right now, all of her considerable resources were stretched along the Trinias Mountians as lookouts, inspectors, guards, healers and the like. She simply couldn't spare anyone.

And that made her sad beyond measure.

Sila nodded, "Its okay mother," then she smiled. The brightest and happiest smile that had come from her since her ordeal, "Mike's with me. He's a werewolf you know," she confided in her mother, her eyes round and her head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. She kicked her legs lightly, tapping Mike on his shoulders.

Durbin lit and smoked his pipe for a moment, "Aye, em hard pressed meself for lads, but I kin send a couple o them wit yer," he trailed thoughtfully off and nodded to himself, thinking about the best men he could enlist to help Michael.

Sila asked suddenly, "Do you have a map to get there?"....

 

[Wolfsister]

Danae and Sishota

Sishota smiled and nodded, "Well then, just head upstream and when the light dims from the sky, meet me by the western shore." Then she was up and away, leaving Danae to frolick and swim as she pleased. She still kept an eye on the selkie, of course, but first she had to deal with the horses.

Danae was fast, very fast, in the water and she had come up with a slight problem. The horses simply couldn't keep up with her. While the majestic beasts had endurance beyond measure, simply by being her horses, they had found it hard to keep up the punishing pace of the seal they followed.

Murmuring soft words of comfort, she gently coaxed the tired animals from their too quick rest and began to lead them away, gathering berries as she went and popping them into their mouths when they starting to drift off. She didn't want to call Danae back and tell her to slow down, as that would be rude, but she had to figure out a way to keep the horses together and with them but let them rest without leaving them behind.

Perhaps she could hire a small skiff at the next village, but then again, rowing upstream was very tiring work. Besides, nearly all of the winds were westerlies. Hang about, she suddenly thought, I could provide my own propulsion. I am, after all, a wind elemental. Then she wilted and sighed, it wouldn't work. She was just exhaust herself. Keeping up her abilities for that long would surely tire her out.

For the moment, after their brief rest, the horses seemed to be keeping pace without too much trouble. But she knew that she had to find a solution soon. Multi-tasking by keeping an eye on the selkie, leading the horses and keeping them interested as well as trying to think up a solution, she traveled on.

 

[Wolfsister]

Asterion/Fell/Villagers

“No, I am no shapeshifter. What you see is what you get. I do not have much to pay you with, but I hope that you will help me.”

The serpents eyes suddenly took on a golden glint and his forked tongue swept out eagerly to taste the air. He grinned, "Naturally my friend, I fear I cannot work for free," he looked down at the pouch proffered and took it from the minotaur. Opening it, he counted three gold coins, more than enough, and handed the pouch back. His tongue slithered out once more, "You would do well not to hand this out to strangers, minotaur. You have quite a fortune here and some are not as... honest... as I am," he grinned again, the razor sharp teeth making it look rather dangerous.

They soon took their leave, after having given the serpent man time to measure the exact requirements needed for the amor he would make. Once inside the small hut, Asterion turned on his own shadow and smiled, stating:

“Well, I know you have been following me, wraith. I have been feeling your chill behind me ever since we met these people. Hopefully, they can give me some decent armor and maybe a decent meal or two before I move on, and… well, we’ll see how this village fares when I leave.”

Fell suddenly reared up from its resting place within Asterion's shadow, its bright eyes shining extra brilliantly. "We's iss pleassed yess? We'ss iss offs islandss," it hissed quietly, keeping its voice down from prying ears. "We'ss hass powerss heres too." The Shadow Wraith fell silent and wavered in front of Asterion. "But we's must waitsss," it hissed, a form of disdain clear in its voice.

 

[Wolfsister]

Kat and Rylia

"So am I considered to be evil here or am I to make that decision on my own. Because ,,*yawn* as of right now I dont feel either. Oh and if there is to be guardians will I meet others?"

Rylia didn't immediately answer, having noticed that Kat would probably fall asleep anyway. But she mulled over the answers inside her head and found that they were slightly troubling.

How could she expect to manipulate this demoness. Her memories of those women in red silk still haunted her and her dreams were filled with their laughter and harsh chanting. Their horns glowing and their eyes red as they changed her life forever. How could she possibly put aside the hate she felt for the very being that the Guardian was and guide her to her ultimate fate. To destroy the Vale and any of her fellows.

She growled low to herself and then closed her eyes. Unwilling to sleep next to the demoness, yet having to. Her dreams were troubled ones.

The next day, they packed silently, Kat being in an odd mood since awakening. Rylia herself was silent as well and just led them out of the cave at low tide and soon was walking along the beach in the same direction as yesterday. They would reach Fisher's Village in two days time, if they made good on their traveling and didn't dilly dally.

Until then, Rylia had to think on her feet. She briefly considered coming clean with the demoness, but her naturally evil mind twisted that reasoning out of her head. Telling her that the only way to turn Kat evil, was to twist the truth. She somehow had to convince Kat that the Spirit wasn't exactly the right candidate for "Goddess of the Vale".

 

[Wolfsister]

Noah and Drakalin

A large furry animal dropped from the sky.

Drakalin sighed and looked around, noting that the various inhabitants of the forest were all away, hiding somewhere where he couldn't see them. He could sense them though, and he knew they were afraid. Of him or the furry animal, he wasn't sure.

Flicking back his dark, blood red hair, he gave the furry thing a slight quick, assessing look. He frowned and then arched an eyebrow as the furry lump shook, shuddered and then gasped awake.

Drakalin blinked and then inwardly groaned. Great, he thought, foxes. Sly bastards! He just had to get something that he just knew he couldn't trust. Then he shrugged, at least they were halfway to intelligent. He supposed that he just had to bear with it and grit his teeth. No matter that he had been pulled down from up high to help the common folk.

Curse The Spirit and his debt to Her.

He growled slightly and stood to his full advantage, moving so that the shining through the thick forest canopy would catch his wings as he flared them to half furl and arched an arrogant eyebrow. When the large fox creature turned to him, he gave a thin, arrogant smile.

"I welcome you to the Vale, stranger. I am Drakalin, Lord of the Skies."

 

[rengadeirishman]

"I shouldnt need more then two, just to watch my back and to guard Sila, apparently I get a wee bit wild in battle and i want her to be protected whilst I hack into fell beasts." he said smiling, refilling his own pipe. He lit it then put one hand on Sila's leg that was on his shoulder, gently stroking it without realizing. "In any case, I am prepared to leave whenever." he said.

 

[Jedi_Khan]

The Fight

”You see, Ilandria has a most peculiar talent. She can essentially make copies of herself, up to four times, and each copy acts as a separate entity. Though she can only do this for short periods of time, they are usually so effective that it is all the time she needs to end a battle. The trick is to keep them all busy for long enough for her spell to come to a close, then all copies return to her, and so too do the wounds that were inflicted on them,"

Eeth looked at the four new elves that had just shown up, and something started to work in his brain. It felt like a race car driver getting ready to shift into a higher gear; there was anticipation and a feeling of readiness.

“Well, thanks for the info. I guess you intend to put me through the ringer then with either the same or a similar technique, eh?” said Eeth. He wasn’t expecting a reply, especially when all five elves attacked as one. And that’s when the driver shifted gears. Something went click in Eeth’s mind and he was in fight mode.

Eeth spun to his left, avoiding the strikes from four of the elves, but one managed to cut through the sleeve of his shirt, giving Eeth a nice little cut on his upper arm. Eeth came to a stop just to the right of that one elf, and Eeth attacked, spinning his mini-katanas around so that the blunt side would hit. No good in cutting off limbs or anything. The elf managed to dodge one blow and block the other, but he was forced backwards, blocking two of the elves, including Rolyn, for the moment. The other two came around to attack. Eeth feigned to attack one of the elves, but instead delivered a powerhouse side-kick to the other. That elf didn’t have time to react, as the force of him moving forward and the force from the kick collided in his chest. He was knocked back a few steps, with the wind knocked out of him. He was out of the fight for a few precious seconds.

The elf that Eeth had feigned attacking had taken a step back to avoid the attack that never came, so he was now moving forward to press the attack. Eeth pivoted on his heel, bringing his still extend leg around for a mid-level round-house kick at the advancing elf. That kick was blocked, but Eeth was still moving in the direction of the pivot, having jumped up on one leg, bringing that leg up for a kick to the shoulder. That blow landed, sending the elf staggering into the other another elf that was advancing for the attack, as Eeth landed on his side, rolling to come up on one knee. Unfortunately for Eeth, he had come up right in front of Rolyn, with hardly enough time to block his kick. Eeth managed to get a block up, but it did little good, for the kick still sent Eeth somersaulting backwards.

Eeth recovered from his somersault, coming up on one knee. He had taken a few cuts and bruises from tumbling over the rocks on the cave floor, but he wasn’t out of the fight yet. By the time he recovered, the elf that had the wind knocked out of him had recovered, and was moving in for the attack, along with the others. One of the elves ran ahead of the others, reaching Eeth first. When he did, he launched a spinning back kick, which Eeth ducked, followed by a round-house kick, which Eeth blocked with the blunt edge of one of his blades.

A resounding crack echoed through the cave, stopping the other elves in their tracks. They watched with blanks looks on their faces as their comrade dropped to the ground, dropping his weapons, as he grabbed onto his shin, a look of pure pain plastered on his face. He was effectively out of the fight.

Eeth didn’t stop to stare at the injured elf, for he was on the attack. Rolyn was the first of the four remaining elves to bring himself back to the fight. There was the clash of metal and the grunts of blows taken as the fight raged for 15 to 20 minutes. Poor Van sitting on the sidelines had the hardest time following the fight for the elves were moving so fast, but fortunately, Van was able to duck a scimitar that had been knocked out of one of the elves’ hands, sending it flying over Van’s head.

After 20 minutes, it was only Eeth and Rolyn still standing, the other elves having been knocked out. Both elves were breathing hard from the fight, and both sported numerous injuries. Rolyn had bruises and cuts scattered across his body, but compared to Eeth, he was relatively unhurt. Eeth sported a big black eye that was slowly swelling up, a broken nose that had been hit one way and then hit the other, his lower lip was split, and a cut graced one of his ears. His clothes were cut to ribbons from near misses, some of them having drawn blood. He favored his left leg, for he had twisted his ankle during the fight. And thrown in like sprinkles on a sundae, bruises covered his body.

But the fight was not over yet, while either of them still stood, the fight went on. At the moment, it was a standoff, both elves watching the other, both of them taking the opportunity to catch their breathes.

Unbeknownst to Eeth, the elf with the broken shin had stood up, and was now slowly and silently coming up behind him. When he was close enough, the elf swung his blade towards Eeth’s back. Eeth heard it, turned to block, and instantly regretted it. For at that exact moment, Rolyn launched a power house of a kick, which Eeth was unable to block in time. The kick connected with a solid crack on Eeth’s ribcage, taking Eeth off his feet and sending him flying back nearly ten feet, breaking a couple ribs.

Eeth landed with a splash in a small pool of water, barely deep enough to cover his wrists. Eeth raised his head up to look at Rolyn, and said: “Good fight.” Eeth’s head then fell back into the water, and for the first time since he arrived in the Vale, Eeth was completely oblivious to his surroundings, having been swallowed up by black oblivion. Eeth would remain out cold for hours.

 

[Angelus]

Largos looked at the vampire who moved out of the way and wondered what he had to do to defeat him, for the first time wondereed if he would be able to defeat him. It was then that he felt it, the pain that came with the rising of the sun. He wanted nothing more than to fall to the ground and let it take him away but he knew that he could not take his eyes off Talon as he was still a very dangerous foe.

He heard the hiss come from Talon and looked at him just to see that the vampire was in as much pain as Largos was but knew that it was for a different reason.

"You were lucky this time, boy! You will join me, or I will kill you!"

As the vampire disappeared from view with the laughter trailing behind him Largos leaned down on his sword, his breaths coming out in short painful bursts, "I would rather die."

He let go of the sword at that point and fell to the ground, the pain shooting through him as he began changing back into an elf. He knew that it was a part of his life but couldn't help the scream of pain that ripped through the air. He slammed his fist into the ground several times before he started to writhe around, his body feeling as if it was on fire. He wanted nothing more than for it to be over but it felt like the more that he wanted it over the more it dragged on. He wondered just how long he would have to go through this until it was suddenly over and he got to his feet to look at the dagger that was still in the ground, the blood of the vampire still on it.

He pulled it from the ground and looked around, seeing the signs of the fight all around him and it was then that he saw Len still laying where she had struck, the blood coming from her beak. He rushed over to where she lay and wanted to ask her if she was okay but knew by the way she looked that she was not and bent down to pick her up. He ripped his shirt off his back and wrapped her up in it, hoping that she would be okay and ran one finger over her head.

"Please be okay Len. I need you to stay with me, not just because you are my guide in this world but I don't know what I would do if you were not with me, I do not think I would be able to survive in this would without you."

He remember the words that had come from her before she had fallen into unconsciousness, how he should follow the water. He wanted to ask her what water he had to follow but knew that he could never get an answer out of her, not in the state that she was in. He slid his sword back into its sheath and picked up the daggers that he could find, sliding them into their sheaths then looked around, wishing that he was still a vampire at that point. He wanted so much to find his horse so that he could get out of here but he did not know where it was and he was worried. He knew the last thing he wanted was to be wandering around the forest just for Talon to find him again. He did not want to fight the vampire again as he did not think that he would win.

He looked around him and when he saw the almost non existent trail he began walking towards it, hoping that it would lead back to his camp and horse. He started to walk around slowly, trying to find a trail as he held Len next to him. He looked down at her and hoped that she was alright, hoped that she would live but with the injuries that she had he really did not know it.

As Largos began to get discouraged and wondered if he would find his camp at all he saw the body of the lizards laying there and knew that these were the ones that he had killed before he had fought Talon. He looked at the bodies as they lay there and felt horror at what he saw. They looked as if they had been torn apart from some wild animal, not the elf that stood there looking at them feeling as though he could retch at any moment. He wanted to move closer to them and see if any of them were alive but he could tell by the smell that permeated the air that none of them were alive, that he had stripped if from them as if they had not deserved it.

He turned slowly and wanted nothing more than to retch again as the smell was so powerful but he knew it would do him no good and started walking as this time he had a clear direction on where to go. He looked up and for the first time in two days saw little pin points of light shining through the trees. A smile came to his face when he felt them and all that he wanted was to stay here but when he looked down at Len he knew that he couldn't. He wished that he could ask her which way they were to go but she was still unconscious and he knew that she was not going to wake up any time soon.

As he walked away from the bodies of the lizard men a part of him wondering once again how he was going to save this place when he could not control who or what he was. He knew that every night he would turn into a creature that lived only for the taste of blood and the thrill of the hunt. He wondered if he would be hunted down when they found out what he was as he had read in every horror novel and seen in every movie. He knew that it would be justice for the crimes that he had commited so far but he asked himself if he would let anyone kill him.

It was then that he found himself standing in front of his horse and as he reached out to touch it he asked himself if he was dreaming. As soon as he touched the hair of its mane he wanted nothing more than to cry. He knew that he now had a chance to get out of here but he wondered which way he was meant to go as his guide was unconscious in his arms. He looked down at her, hoping that she would say something but knew that he was joking himself as she would not do that for a long time. He placed the saddle up onto the horse and after strapping it up grabbed everything he had and jumped up onto the horse, still holding Len in his hands.

Her words came back to him and he wondered what she meant as he looked around. He wanted nothing more than for a direction to go in and wanted to scream that question out into the air, hoping that he would get some type of answer. He knew that there was no way that he would and moved the reins, causing the horse to move forward slowly.

All Largos knew was that he had to go forward, to get out of the forest but he did not know which way forward was and as he sat on the horse with one hand on the reins and one hand holding Len close to him he hoped that he was going the right way.

It was then that he heard the sound of running water and wondered if it was a trick of his mind but as he moved towards the sound and heard it get louder and louder a smile came to his face. He wondered if this was what Len had in mind but knew just how smart she was and as soon as he saw the river before him he knew that this was what she meant. He opened his mouth to ask her which was he was meant to go but mentally berated himself for once again forgetting that she was injured and unconscious which meant that she was unable to tell him where she wanted him to go. He sat there for a second and looked at the dark water in front of him, wondering which way she wanted him to go when he realized that it was flowing away from him. Her words once more came back to him, telling him to follow the water and wondered if this was what she meant, that he was meant to follow the way the river flowed.

He looked down at her, once again wishing that she could tell him what he was meant to do but knew that this part of the trip would be in his hands and he would have to make it alone. He looked back in the direction that he had come and all that he wanted was not to stay here any longer. He snapped the reins of his horse, turning it as he sent it into a gallop, wanting nothing more than to get out of here as quickly as he could. He did not want to face Talon again, the air passing over the bare skin of his back a testament to the fight that he had just had with him.

* * * * *​

As he stopped the horse and staked it to the ground Largos looked back at the forest and wondered if he was far enough away from it. He had pushed his poor horse harder than he ever had and when he had come out of the forest he had let out a shout that had resonated around him. He looked at the open ground around him and let the large smile come back to his face. He was finally out of the forest and could feel the sun fall down onto him, even as he started to slowly sink below the horizon.

Largos placed Len down on the ground and looked down at her, hoping that she was going to be alright but when he pulled the shirt off her and saw the blood that caked it he knew that she was very badly wounded. He picked her up off the ground as he moved to the river, the shirt in his other hand.

"Please be okay Len. Please stay with me."

He dipped the shirt into the water and began to wash the blood from Len. As he washed the blood from her he hoped that it would wake her up and knew that it was something to hope for. He looked down at her head to see that it was still slack so he held it there and began to splash water on her face, hoping that it would wake her up once more. It was then that he saw her wings start to slowly move and let a small smile come to his face but when they stopped and her head didn't open then smile disappeared quickly.

"Please wake up Len, I need you to come back to me."

He looked down at her, wishing that he could bring her back but knew that he didn't have the power to do that. If he had then he would be able to turn himself back into an elf again and be free of this curse. He had not been able to do that since Talon had turned him into this thing. He looked over at the sun and his eyes went wide when he saw that it was disappearing below the horizon. He looked down at Len, knowing that he had to put her safe before he turned back into that creature again or her blood would call to him and he would feed from her without thinking again.

He moved to his horse and wrapped up Len in another shirt before moving slowly away from her. He hoped that he was far enough away from her as he turned again to look at the sun. As he saw it disappear he fell to the ground and let a scream escape from his throat. He felt the vampire part of him take over and saw the ground open up before him with different eyes. He felt the more feral part of him take over and sniffed the air for the one thing he now wanted more than anything. The fight with Talon had drained him and he knew that he needed the blood to make himself feel better.

For the first time he did not care if he found anyone that was innocent as all that he wanted was the blood that was within them. He sniffed the air once more and began running quickly in the direction that it was the strongest. As he got closer all he wanted was the blood as it was practically screaming at him. All he wanted to do was feed.

* * * * *​

As soon as his eyes opened Largos got to his feet and wondered where he was and who he had fed from. The one thought he had was that he hoped it had not been anyone innocent and looked around. The first thing he saw was his horse standing there and his eyes went wide.

"Oh god, not Len. Please do not tell me I have fed from Len."

He moved around his horse, searching frantically and when he saw the pouch that held Len there he breathed a sigh of relief then pulled her out to see that she still had not regained consciousness. He ran one finger over her head again then raised his head to the sky and screamed out, "Why are you letting her die?! Is it a test for me to pass?!"

He knew that he would not get and answer, picked up the waterskin and took a large gulp before slowly pouring some over Len's beak. He knew that she would still need water and something to eat but while she was unconscious he knew that she wouldn't be able to do anything. He shook his head and moved to his horse again, slipping her back into the pack so that her head was sticking out slightly and packed up the camp.

As soon as he was back on the horse he snapped the reins again and sent the horse into a gallop. He just hoped that he could get to where ever he was meant to be before it was too late.

* * * * *​

As it neared the end of the second day of hard riding Largos stopped the horse near the river to get it a drink. It was then that he spotted the camp in the distance.

"Oh no," was all that he could say.

 

[MilkManDan007]

Asterion Converses With Fell

“Yes Fell, we must wait. There are things I need that I could simply take from the village, but there are others that must be made. And if I am to face these other Guardians, I must be prepared.”

Asterion rolled his eyes and lay back on the straw. It was almost as if he were traveling with an impatient child. But instead of the standard are we there yet? rant, it was can we kill yet?

As he lay on the sun-dried straw, his mind began to wander and the purer side of his mind began to clash again with the evil he had become. He was in a whole new world. He didn’t have to beg and steal what he wanted. With this new body, he could easily work. And the people seemed more humane than those in a city. Maybe it was just the fresh country air and the wide open spaces surrounding the village, but Asterion was feeling less and less like going on a rampage through the village felling the inhabitants with his axe like wheat falls to the scythe.

He inhaled deeply, drawing in the soft smells of the dirt floor and long-cold ashes of the fireplace. For just an instant, he was six years old again.

His grandfather had owned a small farm in eastern Colorado, near the Kansas border, and had raised corn during the heat of the summer and wheat in the spring and fall. Todd used to spend countless hours playing in the hay loft of the 1880’s barn that stood on the southeast corner of the property.

The loft had been an escape for him, a way to get away from the life he was forced to live in. His father had left the family just after he was born, and his mother was slowly being eaten away by the cancer that had spread throughout her body. Even though it would be another five years before it would finally take her, the hospital bills were already piling up and had forced them to sell their modest home and live day by day, moving from free shelter to free shelter throughout the city. His grandfather had tried to help with the bills by mortgaging his farm, but the drought and heat that gripped the nation those years meant that he couldn’t raise enough crops to cover the payments. This would be the last visit to the farm before it was repossessed and sold at auction. This would be the last time Todd would be able to hide in the hay loft and experience the true innocence of childhood. Soon, he would be leaving school to care for his mother, watching her die, and having the shelters slowly start turning them away.

The dark side of his mind came back into focus.

“I must be prepared…” he repeated as he sat up to face the wraith floating near the fireplace. “Tell me wraith, tell me what you know of these other Guardians. Tell me who they were, in my world. Tell me who they have become here. Tell me everything…”

 

[DarkPhantomLynx]

Kat and Rylia

Traveling along silently with Rylia, Kat had plenty of time to ponder her dream. Several times had it not been for a small sound or touch from Rylia, Kat would probably stopped or wandered off in thought all together.
Stopping for midday meal and rest Kat looks up at Rylia. “I asked you last night if I were supposed to be evil in this form. Then I had a dream, I’m not sure where it is or when but I saw bodies torn and dead all around me. A deep raspy voice telling me not to let any survive the battle, and near me, a great horned beast stood and then galloped into battle. Now Rylia, I don’t know if this is merely a dream or something that is to come, but I need to know what I am here for.” Her eyes burn brightly as she looks at Rylia. Standing she runs her hands through her hair a nervous habit still from being human. She turns and stumbles over a log in her frustration she raises her hand to catch her self only to see the log lifted and hurled across the clearing. Slumping to the ground she is sweating and, gasping she looks up at Rylia. “How did that just happen?”
Feeling light headed she slowly stands up and glances around the clearing at the log. A sense of excitement and fear courses through her body she trembles looking at Rylia. “Did you do that or was it something I did? And if it was something I did, can I do it again?” Sounding suddenly very excited she glances around at the packs on the ground trying to make them move, nothing happens and she flops back. “Oh to hell with it, of course I didn’t make it move” Growling lowly she flings her hand over her face and lets out a deep breath, hearing the cooking things fall over she looks up seeing Rylia glaring at her. “What?”
Not realizing it had been her anger and frustration that had caused the upset she glares back at Rylia. "Did i disturb you or something now?"

 

[Mantra]

'ya still look like a talking rock to me...' he pondered to himself in what he hoped was privacy.
Jay trudged on in silence for a few moments longer. Jay was still figuring things out, but he was figuring them out. Like the fact that Rocky talked alot, but he didn't really say anything.

*So...Just what am I suppoosed to be doing here again? I mean, I get it that the Spirit thingie brought me here...and turned me into a horse and all that crap, but WHY was I brought here? I mean, you said that the Spirit is a powerful queen or goddess or something like that right? So why bring me here?*

 

[ultimate_nerdslut]

Noah felt his body shaking slightly, he was in some kind of pain, and it was like he couldn't breathe, like he was trapped under water. He felt a shudder run down his spine at the thought of drowning to death but he wasn't wet. And suddenly he gasped loudly as if having just discovered air. He flailed for a moment silently freaking out but then he came to realize that he wasn't in his garage.

"So where the hell is this-" It was then that Noah turned and saw a rather scary sight. It was demonic wings and... There was that smile, well that couldn't be good. "oh.. my god..." He managed.

"I welcome you to the Vale, stranger. I am Drakalin, Lord of the Skies."

With that voice Noah's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell unconscious.

....

Noah woke again, not long after fainting, and was still frightened and confused as to what the hell was going on. "Who... what are you?" He asked not remembering that the other had previously stated his name and occupation. The fox man stared at the... well winged guy for a while.

"This... is not possible..." He stated rubbing his temples. And it was then he noticed his hands... "Holy mother of Jesus H. Christ!" He said staring at the furry paw-like hands before him. He stared at the claws on the hands and then looked to the rest of his body.

"I'm... I'm fuzzy..." He said sounding thoroughly disturbed and mortefied. He soon mapped out his face realizing that his nose was cold and it was much longer now than it had been.

"Can... Do you know what the hell is going on?" He asked finding that this, figment or not, would know what was happening to him.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Danaë

About the time the sun had begun to touch the treetops Danaë began to feel tired. It was still a few hours from sunset, but as an athlete she knew she shouldn't push herself further than she had already. She considered this training, and if you didn't listen to your body when training, then you paid for it later in sprains and pains later...tho what could she sprain? A flipper?

She began to look for a place that might be nice for everyone, the horses too...having read about 500 books written for young girls with a pony fetish she knew they'd need grass and water and much of this part of the world was wooded. But at last she found a clearing, only a few hundred feet around it looked like a fairy tale meadow where some princess might be sleeping. In fact she nearly went up to the bank to lay in the sun when she remembered the warning "This area is more dangerous in the daytime than at night."

Was it paranoid to suspect a sun-dappled meadow? Perhaps....but, the water too was sun-dappled, and so she basked in seal form rather than in woman form.

 

[Wolfsister]

John and Mia

Mia walked into the clearing, standing for a moment in awe as she looked up at the tall Ent and blinked, clearing her vision as it became blurry for staring at the sky for too long. Lifting herself up of the ground, she flew towards the giant humanoid tree that had its eyes closed.

Mia was careful not to make too much sound. She always found that people generally noticed her too much when she did and that was something that she had grown not to like over the years. She much preferred the quiet streams and little waterfalls that made up her home, but the water Nymph was also aware that much was at stake.

The Spirit had made it perfectly clear what would happen should the Guardians fail a second time. Though she herself couldn't see how she could possibly be of help to someone so powerful as a Guardian, what with her modest height, quiet nature and mediocre abilities, but she knew that she would do her best.

She blinked rapidly, her heart flying into her mouth as she tried to communicate with the Ent, her voice cracking slightly, "Hi, my name's Mia, what's yours?"

 

[Wolfsister]

Fay/Faelin/Celeste

"So... Tell me what is going on with the mayor of this city... Is there really such a need for the lines and some of the guards outside? What was that tree-man's name? And why is he even working as a soldier if he's takin advantage of his authority?"

Faelin looked at Celeste and shrugged her massive black shoulders, opting to sit at Fay's feet, her front paws draped over the Avian's rather large chicken scratchers. "You would know better than I, Celeste. You know I haven't been here for a long time."

Celeste nodded and paused as her youngest daughter skipped into the room, holding a tray with a large bowl of water and a steaming cup of golden brown liquid. She set it down and shoved the water under Faelin's nose, giggling as the large black wolf growled at her and then gave Fay the cup with a little bow, "Honeyed Tea," she explained, "You look cold." Then she took the tray and skipped back out again to the Spirit only knew where, but after a short pause, Celeste once again opened her mouth to speak.

"The Spirit put the Governors in place, so she says, to keep an eye on the growing crime rate. She knew that some people may not like the idea that they could not see a person of authority without making great journeys, so she gave us the Governors. They handle our city's day to day affairs. At leasat at first, they were a great idea. But since then, the governors have grown more and more corrupt and have been targeted by those even more corrupt then they are," she sighed and shook her head sadly.

"Pheldom is only the latest of our administrators. He is lawful and keeps crime to a minimum. Starvation, however, has been a problem that he refuses to address. The city is slowly dying under his power and many people are distressed at seeing his lavishness and generosity to other nobles of his court. Yet the city suffers." She shrugged, "Some want to remove him from power and put a just governor in place, one selected by the people. And some just want his power for their own,"

"Pheldom however, is a smart man and has made smart alliances. The Spirit herself has sent messengers to ask for him to step down, but he refused. He has made such politically powerful friends that to take him down would mean taking down the city itself. Trade, our lifeblood, would cease altogether. So other people yet are willing to destroy other nobles, or replace them, or woo them to our cause,"

She looked grimly to the guardian and her guide, "You have stepped into a political mess, my friends and as much as I want to ask for your help, I also wish to see you safely away from here as soon as possible,"

Then she waved a dismissive hand, remembering Fay's other question, "Many of the soldiers are like that, it has always been that way. But as of late, they grow worse and much bolder. Wickim is troublesome, but he is also loyal to my husband," she sighed, "Such loyalty is hard to find, so we forgive some of his... character flaws."