King and Country

[Jonas]

Mansard, sack on his shoulder, leads Vixen, Roland, and Garret to a nearby grove. Stopping in the center, he lays the sack on the ground, turns to the group, and bows.

"My..a. friends I have traveled ...ah...out of body, so to speak, to a place where detached spirits of the dead...mingle with those living souls daring enough to venture anoung them. There I met the spirits of my father and grandfather. I."
"Mansard," Vixen steps forward, "Before you start singing your swan song, are you sure you met your family?"
"Why, of course the spirits.." Vixen holds up her hand.
"How do you know?" Mansard starts to speak, again Vixen holds up her hand.
"Did they appear as you father and grandfather?"
"Ah..no, but..."
"Did they sound like them, their voices?"
"Well, not really, but.."
"Did they tell you things only they would know?"
"No." Mansard looking perplexed, turns to Roland. Roland shrugs.
"Mansard, you mean to say your giving up on some unknown spirits warning?" Roland shakes his head.
"I'm not giving up." Mansard, finding a stump, sits head down.
"What's in the bag? All your worldly goods? Your quitting on your own life." Mansard meets Vixen's stare, his eyes blazing.
"A Mansard never quits! If I didn't converse with my father, who was...hey," looking past the group, "The trees are moving."
"It's just the wind."
"There is NO WIND!" Jumping up on the stump, his swords ringing as they fly from the scabbards on his back, Mansard watches as the sky turns black. "The green Mage..."

A lightening bolt strikes at the man's feet, flashing a green glow. A tree root rips from the ground striking Mansard in the chest knocking him from the stump. Tree limbs and roots close in on the companions, whipping and grasping. A root wraps around the small man's leg, he cut's it in one slash only to have another grip his other leg. A large oak limb swings down slamming him onto it's trunk, pinning him. He watches as Vixen dances, dodging branches and roots. Roland, large blade in hands, chops viciously. But the trees feel no pain, they don't tire.
Mansard looks into the darkness and sees the glowing green eyes in the deep woods.
"Landstaff!" Maniacal laughter echos from no where and everywhere. Breaking one arm free from the tree, he cuts furiously with his dagger. "Garret, the sack...my bow..Garret!" The man lay on the ground unmoving. "Goddess, give me the power." His cry goes unheeded as the oak pulls him deeper into itself.

 

[Sith]

"I sense another powerful magical surge near, Lokken! Finish Fuge now." shouted Sith, trying to get heard over the gurgling noise of Fuge's tearing meat.

Lokken threw again his pointed disk, this time it didn't have to go through any Liches, so it sped directly towards Fuge, who even being under unbelievable pain was already casting his retaliatory spell. Fuge finished his intonation and a double pronged lightning bolt went towards Sith and Lokken, as the disk hit Fuge. The disk, together with the tearing shadows that for some reason Fuge had decided not to fight to be able to cast his attacking spell, cut the mage in two. His body, all his magical energies now left, quickly decayed into dust.

The lightning bolt hit both Sith and Lokken, as they also had been casting offensive spells. The protective shadows around them deflected a bit of the attack, but they where both injured.

"Ummgh... we have to go now, Lokken." With a quick glance at his mirror he saw the situation the group was in. "The group is devoid of any magic, and they are being attacked by powerful magic. We have to get there now. I will shadowwalk us there, but I wont have much energy left after it. You take the magic battle from there on... if you can."

Thus said their protecting shadow engulfed them, taking them through shadow plane, and they appeared near the chaos that was their groups camp.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

OOC: i am making this my last post on this particular thread. after this i will turn the Role Of Rolando Gilliad over to my good friend MoneyTalks, who scince we first met in the town of Brimston, has grown to be my most trusted friend. Thank you and Au Revior!

 

[Morgoth]

Lokken appeared next to Sith in the camp."Sith, thank you. But I feel that the battle still isn't done", said Lokken.

 

[Sith]

"I know. We didn't destroy the dust. He will probably regenerate if he had a simple contingency spell. But we needed to come here, and that Fuge wont trouble us for some time now." He said all this in a very low and sibilant voice. He scaned around trying to find where the attack on his mates was originating.

 

[Morgoth]

"Right, now let's kick some serious ass", he said, pulling out his bastard sword."They are that way", he said pointing north. After a few minutes, they ran into their friends' camp.

 

[Jonas]

Mansard, completely pinned to the oak, felt his body begin to bond with the tree. He could only watch now as the battle continued. Rorthran crossed his field of view. The Paladin struggling with roots covering his body. He could her Vixen's shouts, and he thought he heard Glorianna.
Another flash of brilliant green light illuminated Lokken and Sith in the distance. His vision begins to blurr.
He hears Roland shout, "Don't quit, keep fighting!"

 

[Sith]

Once the situation was clearly seen, Sith saw that the one most in danger at this moment was Mansard. He was melting into an oak, that didn't seem to nice. Sith knew there was not much he could do, except give Mansard more time. He regretted not having studied herb magics, but well... He cast a tendril of shadow at Mansard, the shadow would give air to him.

 

[Sith]

Rorthrar kept hacking with his holy sword at the damned creeping plants. For every plant he cut two more took its place, but he had to persevere, he had to keep moving in the direction of the evil that had caused this attack no matter what.

 

[Morgoth]

Lokken quickly mumbled to himself."Stop, don't move unless you want to be roast goodguy!" he shouted. Then he launched a fireball it hit and exploded. Then it began to quickly spread over the battlefeild. It crept around the others but engulfed the vines in flames. Lokken was sustaining it with all he had left. He was begining to gasp and choke as new cuts and gashes opened across his body. Sweat poured off himas he went to the most desperate effort to save his friends. "He is sacrificing himself!" the others thought. Still he continued the spell.

 

[Moneytalks]

"By the Goddess, what evil magick is this?" Vixen cried. She was using her speed and agility to move out of the way of the cloying branches and vines, but even she had to use her knives repeatedly as a stray creeper wrapped itself around her ankle or wrist. She didn't have time to notice the others, she did look up to see the slender robed figure, it's eyes gleaming with malice.

She turned to see Glorianna restrained by persistent vines. "Glori!" She called out... she made her way towards her friend and slashed at the vines... they were tough and her knives were not meant for this kind of work. Finally she freed one of Glori's hands. "We must try something... can you try and channel your magick with mine? I have a spell, it is sly but it might work... but I need your strength to help it carry to the mark!" She pointed to the robed figure which continued to control the trees and vines. Glori's eyes were wide with fright but she nodded. Vixen noted the pained expression as the remaining restraints tightened on her friends limbs. She gasped as she felt a young branch wrap itself around her thigh. She didn't have time for it know they had to concentrate on her spell.

She muttered the words and Glori quickly held onto Vixen's free hand. Vixen shouted, "NOW GLORI!" they raised their combined hand and pointed in the mage's direction. A thin spark of light radiated from their hands and spiraled towards the figure. It seemed a harmless enough spell. He waved his arm as if to brush it aside. The trendil of light wrapped around his arm instead. He seemed startled but the light quickly disappeared. Vixen fell exhausted and immediately the vines wrapped around her neck choking her. She gasped as Glorianna screamed out "VIXEN... FIGHT IT!!"

The mage staggered. Suddenly he started to scratch at himself. A powerful itching infected his skin. The onward assuault of the tree's progressed slower as he was distracted by itching. He scratched at himself as the itch became more pronounced, however although the trees and vines slowed to a stop they didn't retreat. Vixen's face went pale as she struggled for air, her body exhausted. Mansard almost totally consumed by a tree... Glorianna helpless to escape the tight bonds...

 

[Jonas]

Mansard, unable to move, shuts his eyes tightly and holds his breath as Lokken's fireball washes over him. He feels the blast of heat hit him like a wall, then fade as it rolls past. His beard and hair were smouldering, but the trees hold felt somewhat lighter.

"Hey, help! My dam hairs on fire! Goddess! Three years growth and overpriced oils up in smoke." Mansard with renewed effort manages to break his left arm free from the trees weakened hold. He rubs his head in a desperate attempt to blanket the fire.
"Well..at least I can breath again."

 

[Morgoth]

The rest of the trees and vines smouldering, Lokken collapses on his knees and then face first into the ground. The others are all free and standing. Lokken lies there, bleeding, gashes and cuts covering him and his armor in perfect sight of everyone.

 

[Lady_Aline]

The Patrician was not a happy man. Sitting in his office, staring at his secretary, he fumed. But he did not let that show.
"Ku-artra is not... pleased about this; why have you only got one member of the royal kin? All three were part of the deal."
Indigo tugged his shirt sleeves irritably. "Is the heir to the throne not good enough for you, Sir?" Indigo looked up at the painting of Daleland's forest above his head.
"No."
Indigo bowed mockingly. "And what Ku'athra wants, Ku'athra gets. Am I right, Sir?" He added sarcastically.
"You may think he is controlling me, Indigo, but I control him. It is best to make friends with a bear, rather then be his enemy. especially such a powerful bear like Ku'athra..." The thin, bird-like figure of the Patrician rose and stared out the window. "Don't let me keep you," he said to Indigo without looking. Indigo stabbed a look of daggers at his back as he left.
***

As Varden returned, he saw Pierce slumped on the floor. Serenely he knelt down to him, gently shaking him to wake him up.
"Your majesty... please, wake up." Piere woke up to his delicious scent and gentle, kind face.
"Where is the key?" He asked.
"I am sorry... but only Indigo can release you. It is a special lock- magic."
Pierce hit the floor in disgust, bruising his knuckles. Varden stopped him hurting himself even more by grabbing his wrist and holding it to himself until he calmed down.
"I will try to get you out," said Varden, leaning into him. Pierce sighed in relief.
"Did you... heal me?" He asked.
"Yes. It is my talent." Varden rose with a half-smile. Pierce watched him go with mixed emotions.
***

Marietta pulled Rothrar to one side.
"My parents..." She said through her burn-scarred, disfigured mouth. "They should know Pierce is missing. And we know who has him."
Rothrar sighed, then ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "I know, Princess. It's just that I've been putting it off..." And he left, off to send a message to King Morbius. This would mean war, an open battle between Ku'athra and Morbius. Many lifes would be killed. Glorianna knew what it meant too; they had failed -she had failed- at trying to make this mission a peaceful one; no one wanted bloodshed. But since the kidnapping of Pierce, Glorianna knew deep in her heart that a war was coming.

 

[ShyGoddess]

Glorianna:

She bowed her head in defeat. Her friends were bruised and battered, and a war was coming. "We must take care of Lokken, he did much to save all of us. Vixen, bring me a blanket from the pack on Jafar. We cannot travel until he is healed. Rothrar might be able to help." She sat and laid his head in his lap. "Thank you my friend." Glori gently placed a kiss on his forehead, and felt a small current pass between them. Lokken opened his eyes and smiled at her a little. It was the first time she had ever seen him smile.

"I'm going to find something to bandage your wounds. Please be still."

She got up and walked towards Jafar and Maven, but never made it. One moment she was in a clearing with her friends and the next she was in a great hall, in a castle she had never seen before.

"Ah, Princess Glorianna. How good of you to join us." Glori looked up and saw a very smug Indigo sitting on a golden throne.

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen went to fetch a blanket for Lokken as Glorianna had asked. She was finding it hard to talk and swallow so she had been quiet for the most part. She didn't want to see the wounds to her neck, she was sure it wasn't a pretty sight. Her once pretty voice sounded raspy and upleasant to her own ears.

When she returned everyone was in a panic, Gloriann had disappeared... vanished. One minute there, the next gone. "What?" Vixen croaked out. She tried to stay calm. Roland grabbed the blanket from her and gently lay it over Lokken. "Vixen... what should we do now?"
Vixen shook her head. In frustration Roland turned to Rothrar. "We must find her!"
Rothrar nodded, "I know..."
Everybody looked dejected, beaten. Roland couldn't understand it. Valdor stepped forward, "Roland, don't be angry with them, a lot of the strength of this group came from Glorianna, her light... her passion... it will take a while for them to adjust."
Valdor's own eyes were pained, but for Glorianna's sake he knew he must hold them all together so that they could find her again.
"Sith," Roland said, "maybe you could find her, would shadow magick be able to trace her or at least give us some idea which way to go?"
Sith nodded thoughtfully. Valdor shook Vixen gently. She seemed in a daze but her eyes focused on her brother. "You and Rothrar are the only true healers we have, Rothrar must look after Marietta, YOU must try and heal Lokken."
Her eyes closed briefly before opening again. There was a strength in that look. She nodded. Mansard was checking his beard for signs of salvagiabilty. Vixen didn't speak, she grabbed her herb satchel and thrust an empty water skin in his hands. She nodded towards the nearby stream. He grinned and grabbed up the skin in understanding.

Vixen knelt beside Lokken and soothed the injured man's brow briefly before she started mixing together the necessary herbs.

 

[Jonas]

Mansard splashes the cool water on his still smouldering hair, as he fills the skin. Still feeling a little wooden, he walks stiffly back to the others, handing the skin back to Vixen. She begins to mix some herbs. He tries to touch her neck, but she shakes her head.
Mansard kneels next to Lokken, taking his hand.
"Thankyou, My Lord, I owe you a life debt. I hope that I can repay this someday." Lokken tries to acknowledge, but is to weak. Valdor, kneeling on Lokken's other side, hands Mansard a small bowl and soft cloth.
"Here, you can start to repay him by rubbing this on his wounds." The small man complies, applying the mixture as he watches Valdor begin to focus his power.
"You and Gloriana...your close aren't you."
"Not now, Mansard!" Valdor looks up at the small man. Mansard meets his eyes and smiles warmly, gripping his shoulder with a firm hand.
"We'll get her back Valdor, that's all I ment to say. We will find her."

OOC: Congratulations to the story contest winners. I hope to have the opportunity to read your works.


[Edited by Jonas on 08-21-2000 at 09:01 PM]

 

[poohlive]

Garret woke up, shaking the sleep from his eyes. Finally the sleep that seemed to grab him was gone, he felt revived, and alive again.
He looked at himself, completely unscarred and healthy. He could have spent a few hours in a nice pool, that is how good he felt.
Everyone else was humped over Lokken, who didn't seem to be doing too good. Garret looked him over, not good at all.
Vixen looked at him, "You don't have any cuts or bruises."
Garret blushed, looking at her face, it looked terrible.
"I guess I was out of the way is all," Garret didn't know what happened, must have been a ferocious battle, and he missed it. Well there are more to be had, the night is still young.
Garret took a few drinks from a nearby stream, washing his already clean face. What a night.
"and it is only the beginning...." the water seemed to say, Garret agreed.
It was only the beginning.

 

[Lady_Aline]

To Shygoddess: I hope you are OK with what I'm doing with Glorianna...

Indigo laughed as Glorianna opened her mouth wide in shock. Swinging one leg lazily over the side of the throne, he watched her with sarcastic eyes.
"Where am I?" She yelled in indiganation. With a click of his fingers, he swept her up in a telekinetic hold, flying up and up the dome shaped palatial room.
"The astral plane, dearest princess. Do you know where that is...?" Indigo lifted himself lazily into the air, using his mind to control his body. "What you see is what I created in my mind. Really we are of no forms... our minds meeting in a place where psyches are born."
In a blink of an eye, both were transported to where Pierce was held. He looked broken and defeated, slumped on the floor. "Poor little princey..." mocked Indigo.
"How DARE you!" Yelled Glorianna. She imagined lashing at the form of Indigo, her hands turning into long, elongated claws. Madly she slashed at him, trying to kill him with every ounce of her body -or her mind, in this form. Indigo was shocked- but he hid his shock by laughing.
"You lack technique, princess. But I must say... you have spirit." with a toss of his head, Indigo encased himself in psi-armor, defending himself from Glorianna's blows.
Glorianna was angry; her thoughts raced around her. Here on the astral plane she could be anything... do anything. So she did. She turned her body into a weapon, thinking it to be as sharp as a paladin's sword, as fast as a shooting arrow, as brutal as an axe's swing... slowly she raised her hand-- it was her turn to grin-- and as if in slow motion, hit Indigo. The shock registering in his apperance made her smile more.
"I- I- did not realise how strong you would be," he muttered.
"Anger is a good fuel for strength."
"Very well." And with that he diaspeared in a gentle light, rather like that of a shooting star, his tail between his legs. She was left on the astral plane.
Glorianna realised then that she was floating, floating in an abyss that only her mind could touch. She was not in her body; she wanted to be, missing the sense of unity between her psyche and her limbs. If her companions asked what the astral plane would be like, she would say nothing, finding no similes to describe such a beautifully wierd place. It would be -she would say- like being reborn... seperated from the womb and arriving in a strange world so utterly alone and feeling so seperated from a safe, warm place. But even then that would be only describing an inch of a mile of what she was feeling now.
"Glorianna..." a voice whispered. She knew who it was.
"Mother?" She asked, trying to pin point the gentle voice.
"I am here." And her mother was presented before her, hair flying behind her back, encased in flowing robes that moved to an invisable breeze.
"mother..." she floated to her mother, welcomed into a scent and touch that she knew so well.
"There is no time. Here," said her mother. Pointing her finger, she created a door for Glorianna. "Go there, and return to your body."
"But..." As the door opened, Glorianna saw herself, hidden in a bush. Obviously Indigo hid her body from her companions so he could confront her without inturruptions on the astral plane.
"To go is to return," said her mother. And with a gentle push, Glorianna was floating towards the door, then...
...she felt like driftwood one a rushing river, bumped and tossed against the water's pull. And as if the river had come to a waterfall she...
...fell deeper and deeper, the tunnel she was riding narrowing. She woke up into the real world -back into her body- screaming. Vixen found her.

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen was searching among the bushes for a particular plant she knew was native to this area, something that would ease the pain of Lokken's wounds. She heard the screams and rushed to a clearing finding Glorianna's lying on the ground. "GLORI!!" Her croaky voice was emotive, relief and hope evident in the tone. She rushed to her friend almost afraid to touch her in case she was injured. Carefully she rolled her friend over. As Glorianna opened her eyes and focused, she managed a tentative smile.

"By the Goddess Glori, you had us so scared..." Vixen's sore throat making the words seem harsher than she meant. With a self depreciating smile Glorianna managed to whisper, "you look about as bad as I feel Vixen."
Vixen finally let go of the tight control she had retained on her emotions. The relief of seeing Glorianna back with them was enough. Tears fell freely down her face, her crying was silent as she rocked her friend in her arms. Her brother, Valdor, more in tune with her now that they had been travelling for awhile approached the clearing. His heart almost stopped.

"Glorianna?" His voice whispered. Vixen looked up and smiled through her tears and nodded 'yes'. He sank to his knees and bowed his head, overcome with emotion. He'd never felt so useless before, but finding Glorianna gone without anyway to find her again, he'd truely felt useless. Vixen beckoned him over. He stood up wearily like he'd suddenly aged. He came forward and took Glorianna up in his arms. The love he felt for the woman evident in his eyes and his actions. Vixen smiled sadly at her brother. Knowing that such dedicated love would be hard to bear if it wasn't returned.

Vixen heard Mansard calling her. She had to get back to Lokken. She swallowed and winced at the pain this caused. With a sigh she stood up again to walk towards the others. She would tell them of the news after Valdor and Glori had had a chance to be alone for a bit.

 

[Sith]

Rorthrar

Rorthar had started to go away to send the message to King Morbius when he heard the commotion behind him. He had turned, and discovered that Glorianna was missing. He had to vent his anger somehow, and he did so in one of the strange ways he had, by communing with his God and casting spells. He cast a powerful healing spell on Marietta. Seeing her look better and the communion with order had lessened his anger.
He got back up in his warhorse and with a "I will be back. I'll meet king Morbius and I will get to you after that."
Thus said, he rode like a bat out of hell towards the capital. Now on top of telling king Morbius that Pierce had been kidnapped and Marietta had been burnt, he had to add that Glorianna had been kidnapped too.

 

[Sith]

Sith

Sith started the magical search for Glorianna. He contacted the Shadow Lords, and bargained with them to find where Glorianna was. He just got the not very useless "she is here and at the same time she is not in the world."

He was still pondering about this enigmatic words when he heard Vixen shout she had found Glorianna. He raced there, wanting to know where she had been, how she had been here but not here at the same time. He had many questions for Glorianna.

 

[Jonas]

Mansard held tightly to Lokkens arms as he began to convulse. The mage's eyes opened wide, the pupils rolling back into his skull.
"Vixen, My Lord Lokken is in need of you...steady Lokken..it's going to be..Vixen!" Lokken eyes focused on Mansard, his body relaxed, and he pasted out. Vixen returning kneels down.
"What happened?" Her voice rough as a seaside bar maids.
"I'm not sure, he was in seizure...then he past out." Vixen went to work on the mage. "Gloriana is back, she's fine." The small man raised what was left of his eyebrows.
"Blessings of the Goddess, how My Lady? Where had she gone?"
"Not...umm..sure." Mansard offered Vixen a drink from the water skin. She sipped wincing. The small man stood, he touched Vixen's hair with his hand. She looked up at him.
"I'll build a cart to move him. There is evil here...we must...move on as quickly as possible."

 

[Moneytalks]

...

[Edited by Moneytalks on 08-22-2000 at 10:22 PM]

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen nodded in agreement. She was speaking little finding it hurt too much. She finished wrapping Lokken's wounds and stood over Mansard and Roland as they carefully moved him to the cart. Vixen had confiscated any soft clothing and blanket's she could from everyone and used them to make the make shift bed as comfortable as possible.

"H...his..." she swallowed hard..."recovery... will be slow" She sighed. Roland frowned as he noted her wounds. "What about you then?"
She shook her head and did something complicated with her fingers... Roland nodded in understanding causing Mansard to look at him questioningly.
"It's a language I taught her using fingers... it's little known, but is used in some communities where... shall we say... spoken words can be considered dangerous?" He grinned.
"You must teach me this language!" Mansard exclaimed, "this could indeed be quite a useful tool. Roland shrugged as if it wasn't so difficult a request. Mansard thanked him before Vixen pulled on his sleeve impatiently. She flickered her fingers intricately at Roland who laughed out loud.
"She may be silent, but she won't be ignored!" He nudged Mansard in the universal language of men knowingly. Mansard grinned good-naturedly. Vixen applied a balm to the burns on her face. He saw the twinkle in her eyes as she inspected his notable lack of facial hair for the first time. She nodded as if in approval and sent him off with the empty water-skins for replenishment.

Vixen found Garret and sent him to collect extra leaves from the plant she had found in the clearing. There was no point in waiting for Rothrar to return, at any rate their progress would be slowed considerably and he should be able to catch up with them eventually. Vixen dragged Sith away from Glorianna who still seemed shaken from her ordeal. The look on Valdor's face was deadly as the man pestered her with questions about where she had been. Vixen shook her head, "later" she croaked at him. He seemed to suddenly realise his need for information could perhaps wait and smiled apologetically before mounting his own horse.

Vixen checked on Marietta, her pain had lessened due to Rothrar's prayers, but the scarring was still severe. It was as if a spell locked the scars in place. She was still easily tired though and Vixen offered her a small vial of liquid to keep her energy up. She drank it greedily and her eyes sparkled with renewed vigor as she mounted her horse which she was to share with Garret. Garret apon returning didn't need to be told that he was to care for the injured princess. Vixen dragged him to Marietta and her horse and basically left him to figure it out.

Once everyone was mounted, they made slow slow progress towards where Mansard thought they might be able to find shelter. Vixen's horse pulled the cart, she walked along side it keeping a close eye on Lokken's condition.