King and Country

[Jonas]

Mansard turns hearing music. Standing, he walks softly to Vixen. She continues to play undisturbed, while the small man watches. "Is it her music, or her low cut blue dress that holds me?" Mused Mansard.

Vixen stopped playing, startling Mansard back to his senses.
He follows behind the woman to hear the exchange. As Vixen and Glorianna walk away, he steps forward to the King.
"Your Highness," bows and continues, "Thank you for choosing myself, to accompany the mission. I have no needs at this time. If I may be pardoned, I wish to return to my Inn to prepare for the journey."

Bowing, Mansard turns and walks toward the door. He hears Brzen's offer, "It might be worth some time....." He calls
"Thief! Wait, I shall accompany you." Mansard shuffles after Brzen.

 

[ShyGoddess]

Glorianna:

"You should find all the herbs you require here. My aunt makes sure her garden is well tended." Glori couldn't explain it, but she felt a kinship with this woman, like they were both lost looking for a place to belong.

"Thank you. Herbs can be very useful at times. They heal many things, but can also be used as poisons. My name is Vixen, by the way." She gave Glori a soft smile. Glori returned it.

"I tried to learn, but I just had no head for gardening. I prefer to sit in my Uncle's councils, and assist him when I can. It is why I wish to go on this mission. I think I can be of service."

"I'm sure you can." They sat in companiable silence while Vixen gathered what she needed. "I think that about does it."

"If you like you can accompany me to the library. I'd like to take a look at some of the maps. Maybe I can help plot a course. I know the lay of the land pretty well."

"I would like that. Shall we go?"

The two women walked together through the castle until they came to two large doors. "This is it. This library has some of the oldest books known to exist. It is one of my favorite places to be. Come, I'll show you." Glori pushed open the doors, and heard Vixen's little gasp at the sheer size of the place. "Isn't it wonderful? Let us find the maps." She turned and saw two men leaning over what looked to be the maps they saught. "Excuse us gentlemen, we wish to help you plot our journey."

They men could only stare at them.

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen covers up her amusement at the men's expressions. She herself had no head for geography, she relied heavily on her insticts whenever she travelled, thus it paid to have people around who knew where they were going. She stood at the grand table and watched as Glorianna sat herself between the two men. The men seemed to quickly realise that Glorianna was not like other women and seemed to allow that she may have good knowledge to add to their own. The three of them poured over the maps.

Vixen let her gaze take in the awesome spectacle of the library. It was truely magnificent she thought to herself. So many books, and the style of the room itself was so unique, it gave the impression that the books went on for infinity. She inhaled deeply, the scent here was musty, the smell of old books as well as the hint of the new. The smell of the ink still fresh and tantalizing. She walked to the nearest shelf and let her fingers caress the spine of the book before her. She felt a warm humming sensation, that seemed to run into her fingers through the book herself. She lifted her hand quickly, the sensation faded. She frowned to herself and let her hand touch the spine again. Again she felt the book vibrate at her touch. She disliked magick. Although Roland had done his best to teach her, her natural distaste for anything "otherworldly" held her back. She had only managed to master the magick of light. She could create simple electrical charges from the air around her, and she could illuminate areas when she needed to. Still, Roland had been an insistant teacher, convinced in his own mind that she had a natural talent if she would just put her mind to it. She smiled at the memory of his frustration with her.

Carefully she slipped the book out of the shelf. It was a rather boring looking volume, simple in design and thin. She opened it up and held it in her palm and watched facinated as the pages ruffled and turned by their own power. She smiled as the pages thrummed until they reached the spot they wanted to open at. She looked down at the page revealed and almost laughed. A spell for finding information. Without thinking about it she breathed the words on the page quietly, and made the gesture as indicated with her free hand. She felt a warmth fill her mind and eyes and fingers. It faded quickly. She put the book away and thought about what she wanted to find. Information about a particular song, a fabled verse that had been lost for several decades. Immediately she felt drawn to something. She let her feet take her towards the sensation until she stopped before a shelf full of dusty volumes that clearly hadn't been touched for awhile. She let her finger tips brush lightly over the spines before her and felt a jolt at one book in particular. She pulled it out and again the pages flickered of their own will as she passed her hand over it. Her eyes felt warm again and as she glanced down her focus quickly found the very verse she had been searching for. 'My, my, my," she thought to herself, 'if only all my studies had been this easy!' She smiled memorising the verse and putting the book back on the shelf. She no longer felt the charm about her. It must expire once used she thought. Shrugging she returned to the three at the table and leaned over to look at the map while standing next to Mansard.

She assumed it was her sudden nearness that caused him to look up suddenly at her. He seemed to breath in quickly. Her perfume, was of her own making, unique. It smelled of wild flowers and sunshine. She smiled down at him and he hurriedly returned his attention to the map. Vixen smiled to herself, he seemed tense. She took this chance to look him over more carefully. She had noticed earlier that he had been intrigued by her music. He was quite a handsome man once one got over his slight stature. He seemed strong for his size though, and she did like his direct nature. She mentally shook her head. What was she thinking?

She smiled as Glorianna made a precise comment about a certain area that was hard to discern from the map. She was a smart one, Vixen admired smart women, she could already tell they would be good friends.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

Roland: i hit myself a few times before i reconsidered my options...plan b is out ...c?? no..too risky....is he wearing that bloody helmet now?no thank goodness...well at least i can wield the royalsword...but i needed to quit the mages guild....damnit all..at least they gave me my staff to keep......sith..the bahstad....i will get him...the last time we fought i stopped because of vixen....this time he wont be so lucky...damn that helmet....damn myself for being careless.......i need to focus now....no thinking that is unessisary...damn i need a beer......or a Scotch...somthing to calm my nerves...blast it....what...oh no...well.. i guess....i should have expected this.....the battle with sith...the snake venom...its overcoming me in the only way it can....its making me.....one with the venom it self.....no........i must fight it....no not now not in the most important mission of my life! wait... its subsiding...its fading for now...gotta relax...gotta keep steady...gotta let sith know ....he has to belive me.....he has to belive the tales....it is said...when i visited the wydyn oracle....she said...that i woud become that witch is my greatest adversary.........no....i thought it was poppycock ....until i felt the effects...the hisssing....this occasional venom out of my fingertips...the scaly skin....i checked every known sickness book in the world...and it all points to one thing...im becoming a snake man......and only sith can stop it......i gotta get some air...i gotta.....

i stumbled out of the library..into the street i wandered around town for a while...he wont ever help me...i thought...eventually i made it to my room....i siad the last rites of the mages guild...as from this moment on..i was no longer a mage.....an offical mage that is....all the work....all the years.....coming to this...the kingstopper.......the ultimate power of a warrior....i have the lineage.... i have strength..i am well with my sword..dragonsting...huh?i still have that scrying glass sith gave me long ago ......sith.....my equal....my rival....myself....soon enough...i will be like sith....Shadow....snake.......this is too much....too much i need sleep...sleep.....'

were my last thoughts before i drifted off into a deep slumber........

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen:

Finally bored with the library and maps, Vixen stretched cat-like and yawned softly.

"I'm tired, I think I'll go and get some sleep, it might be the last time I get a chance to sleep in my own bed for a while."

She smiled her goodnight to the three at the table and walked to the Library entrance. Something small and shiney caught her eye to the right. She looked closer. It was a small gem, an amethyst if she wasn't mistaken. One of her favorite stones. It was sitting on the shelf as if someone had left it there. She moved towards it but didn't touch it. It glittered enticingly and she could feel a strange pull. She frowned. Something didn't feel right. She let her hand hover above the gem and incanted a simple spell. The air about the gem wavered. It was enchanted. She continued walking to the exit and finally outside she took a deep breath of the cool night air. It had gotten dark quickly, but it might have been that she was in the library longer than she had thought. Libraries were notoriously timeless places.

She hummed to herself as she walked along the path that would take her past the monastary and to the town centre were she kept permanent lodgings at the Snake and Feather Inn. However as she passed the Chapel she noticed Sith inside. She smiled happily. That old rascal, he had said hello earlier but she had had to rush off after Glorianna who was rather quick on her feet. She hurried into the Chapel and tried to sneak up behind him. When she was perhaps 2 feet from him he spun around and said, "BOO!"
Vixen squealed in surprise and then laughed flinging her arms around her old friend. "I could never sneak up on you old friend, I don't know how you do it!"
She smiled at him. "I was planning on taking a meal down at the Pumpernicle Tavern. Would you care to join me darlin'?" She asked, "it has been a while, and I'm eager to hear your news." Vixen slipped her arm around Sith's fondly and gave him a little squeeze of affection, before dragging him out of the Chapel assuming his consent.

 

[Morgoth]

In the light of dawn while every body was eating breakfast, a scream erupted through the hall. A swooshing noise then suddenly became visible throughout the comotion, it became louder and louder, and finaly, a fireball larger than a house smashed through the gargantuan doors. A cold, cruel laugh, came through the door. Suddenly a laccolith(it is a monster which loocks something like a turtle except it shoots immense streams of fire hot enough to boil an elder dragon legend in seconds)entered deing ridden by a young man in complete black armor and red cloak bearing the symbol of Taros, the dark hidden nation which no map could contain, in his hand he held a opal staff with an incredibly large ornate gem on the tip. A closer look would reveal to all that in a scabbard was the infamous bastard sword, whose slightest graze gave instant death, also this was the sign of kingship among the dark Tarosians.Suddenly he began to bellow,"I wish to join thee on thy quest not for petty money but the very pleasureable experience of working ,strangely again with all of these people who destroyed Mikba and then even though I extended a hand of warmth, they didn't take it, but instead tried to kill me and loot and raze my castle. Yet I learned quite a few useful spells from that encounter and came off with Grond, mace of the Underworld. Although I must warn thee, Sir Paladin, let me not go and I shall have your roasted head on a stick and your entire kingdom razed!"

 

[Moneytalks]

There was silence in the great hall. Everybody looked at the man on the strange beast. Vixen finally stood up carefully and smoothed her hair from her face. She was dressed this morning in tight leather breeches that hugged her slender legs and a simple white shirt with opened flatteringly at the neck allowing a view of her cleavage. She also wore a tight leather vest that accentuated her waist and bust. Her boots tapped against the hard floor as she walked calmly over to the beast and rider.

The beast lowered it's head and eyed her menacingly. She could smell the sulphuric scent of it's breath. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. She lifted her hands and held them near the beast's head in the universal motion of greeting. The beast seemed curious and extended its head closer. She puffed a short burst of air from her own nostrils across the beast's. The beast tested the scent of her and decided she was not an enemy. It lowered it's head calmly and Vixen let her hand rest on it's forehead. She smiled... "good boy"... she whispered.

The man riding the beast slipped down and faced her. He glared at her and stood in an aggressive stance. Vixen seemed unpreturbed. "I recall you from that fateful day before Mikba's castle, and indeed you seem to be more learned in the magickal arts than before. However, your manners need a LOT of work."
She smiled and slipped her arm around his. "M'Lord, allow me to introduce you to the rest of the team..."
She pulled him along and they stopped at the head of the table. "Everyone, this is... err... " she paused realizing she didn't know his name... "well umm... holder of the great mace Grond" she finished.
"M'Lord, you seem to know us already, although I must admit, I don't recall burning anyone's castle or rebutting any hand of friendship, so you have me at a disadvantage... however, those who did not attend Mikba's castle that day are... the Great King Morbius, his Queen, his son and daughter, his niece Glorianna, Mansard, and Brzen."

She turned to face him again, "would you care to break fast with us? And does your beast require any food?" Her eyes sparkled at him as she awaited his answer...

 

[Morgoth]

"Must I repeat it, I am Lokken, the one who sent the demon to help you, you did not burn my castle nobody did, although Sith tried and Roland almost killed me when I had my back turned and I would love to have breakfast, I haven't eaten for days and I thank you verily for thy kindness".Then, with that he stooped down and took her hand to his lips and handed her a large bag of gold.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

Roland: i stumbled sleeply into the hall where poeple were eating breakfast..."mornin....." man i am so weak...it must show the king has a bit of a worrisome look...i am weak..that virus....that damn poison...the venom.....i cant hold this stuff off much longer..needed to apply some skin makeup so the scales wouldnt show.....how long can i hold this stuff off for?how many waves of attacks does the venom have left in its system....arrg where is Zeratul when i need him.......oh lokkien is here...great why dont we call up gardeen and then everyone can get together and have a good laugh......except me...im tired of the ego shitck....im
tired of this power...that cant bring me friends....or love...everscince that day in brimston...i have alwase seemed to have this thing for vixen...i never knew what it was until now....it....is...i cant think about it he putting that helmet on again...breakfast is over...time for the good bye and good luck speech..i guess i'll listen..gotta shake this off.....and the king begins...

 

[Morgoth]

"Will Roland do us an honor and sit with us, after all, you, the one who started the waves of dissent among my followers. Luckily for you, I forgive easily, so instead of doing on my new spells or nailing you to the wall I'll annhialate every last trace of the poison in your body". Said Lokken, suddenly pulling the bastard sword out lightning fast and holding it against Rolands neck, and then retracting twice as fast. "I am not a mage to be interfered with."

 

[Sith]

_So it is happening at last. The venom is affecting him. I hope he deigns to humble himself a little and as for my help, it can still be undone, but he can't wait much... He thought he had the upper hand in our last battle, but, snakes can kill you a lot after you find them..._

As he was thinking this Vixen came to him. She had ignored him before, and he thought maybe he had offended her in the past. But she seemed friendly now. Maybe it was just that she was in a hurry before.

"Hi, Lokken. Your help is welcome. You'll get what you are searching for: knowledge and experience. If the group keeps growing our neighbours will think we are a war party..."

"Well, darling " he said offering his arm to Vixen "shall we go? I have to coment you about one or two new spells I have developed and may be of use to someone in your profession..."

Sith waited to see if Vixen had changed her mind.

 

[Morgoth]

"Excuse me, but I, like a knight, would enjoy a form of transportation other than bodily parts. No one would mind if I rode Nicol Bolas, one of the strongest elder dragon legends of time?"Lokken thoughtfully rumbled.

 

[Roland Gilliad]

Roland: gotta tell him...gotta tell sith now....
"sith....(Cough)sith will you come over here for a moment away from the prying mind of the king...(Cough)sith...the venom....isnt killing me......like it would most....it...is having an adverse affect on me.........it.....is making me.....into what you are....a snakeman.....(Cough)....not that thats a bad thing....i figured i had to tell someone....(Cough)so.....please...understand when i say this....i am Sick..and tired....of being this powerful....my magiks...dont allow me .....to have too many friends.....but you.....i have alwase considered ....my friend.......AHHHH!!!!"

it was happening...there and now...infront of king contry god and everybody......i was in the final stages.....

"SITH! i need to teell you a secret....tell Vixen...i loved....her i have alwase loved her..ever scince i first saw her.....and now...that can never come true...AHHHH!"

i started to convulse as vixen looked very worried wondering if sith had dome somthing....i was shaking and standing up ....and then i literaly flew out of my skin...i landed on the ground in a thump...now...a snakeman......

BUM BUM BUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ShyGoddess]

Glorianna:

She stood in her room, packing the rest of her things. She didn't have any type of pants to wear, so she had chosen a few of her more comfortable gowns to take. She could just hear that thief laughing. He had humored her last night, but she could tell he didn't take her seriously. Most men didn't, not even those who knew her, not even the ones on her uncles council.

Glori turned toward the mirror to put on her pendant. She never went anywhere without it. It had been her mother's. When she wore it, she felt her mother with her, and it gave her comfort. Suspended on the long silver chain there was a silver rose. The stem of the rose wrapped itself around an amethysit tear drop. At the moment it matched her gown, which was a deep purple, making her eyes come alive. She pulled her hair back at the nape tying it with a ribbon, grabbed her cloak and bag and ran from the room. She entered the great hall just as Roland changed into the snakeman.

A scream lodged in her throat and she couldn't move another foot. She was frozen by what she saw.

 

[Morgoth]

Probably the only calm one in the room was Lokken. He stepped up to Roland,"would you like me to turn you back into a human, you won't be as powerful, but you'll be human".

 

[Sith]

Sith awaited to see what Lokken was going to do. He wasn't as powerful as he thought, this Lokken, inside the Cathedral of The God of Order... Maybe Sith would be better leaving for his shadow plane, closing himself in and never again having anything to do with any adventures...

 

[Morgoth]

"Oh Sith, as the God of Death, my god, is on the Council of three, in case you don't know what that is, it's the three top gods, he signed a deal with the God of Order saying that as long as we are on peaceful terms with the Order worshippers, we retain full power, not 75% percent. Paladin, tell me, could I mind read if I had only 75% of my power?" Asked Lokken.

 

[Sith]

"Of course. The artifact works this way: it can read anything's mind. And the Trinity is Order, Chaos and neutrality. The God Of Death is only a small part of neutrality..."

Note: are you sure you want to ride the legendary dragon? The moment he reaches the border he is dead... and probably the rider will take a good fall...

 

[Morgoth]

"Does not thee knowest the true god orders as they are life, death, and motherhood, and I hast said that can I read minds without the helmet at 75% power in this room?"asked Lokken

Note: The dragons till the border, there he sadles up on a horse.

 

[Sith]

"Yes I know the gods... life is just a part of order. Death is a part of neutrality, and motherhood is a part of chaos..."
"As for mind reading, of course you should be able..."

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen:

"Excuse me... GENTLEMEN..." Vixen interrupted Sith and Lokkien her clenched hands resting on her hips as she glared at the two... "it's all terribly facinating what you are discussing I'm sure... but there is a man here who needs help... if neither of your are capable of helping him... at least let us find someone who can!"

[ooc: Morgoth... you didn't mention your name in your first entry... thus I had to ask... ]

Vixen looked down on Roland's prone... now snake-like body. She shivered with distaste seeing his once human face transformed. She looked at Sith and frowned, he was a friend, surely, but was he capable of this? Vixen wondered to herself. Possibly, but she didn't want to believe it...

 

[Morgoth]

" You're wish is my command my Lady." Suddenly the writhing snake grew human legs, then sprouted arms, then the body became human, and last the head turned back, a fully human and non-poisoned Roland stood in front of them all."As I said, your wish is my command", he said grinning.

 

[Jonas]

Mansard woke to noise in the inn's hall. "Not much rest last night,' he thought. 'Brzen seemed aloft in the library. Then there were the ladies. Oh my!' A smile came to his thick lips, 'I can still smell her scent....When she brushed against me, my strength betrayed me. And Glorianna..., to young? Maybe to Royal. Ah, too many maps not enough rest.'

Mansard dressed for travel. Green tights, brown leather boots and sleeveless leather vest. Around his neck hung a bag the size of a fist, he secured it tightly to his chest. He slipped the twin curved short swords into the scabbards on the back of his vest. Strapped his knife to his forearm and tucked the garotte into his boot. He strapped his crossbow to his back, carefully checking the bolts given him by the Grey One.
'Only three left, I must use them wisely.' Throwing his pack over his shoulder he rushed to the meeting.

As he entered the great hall..."By the Gods a laccolith! And it's on Vixen!" He dropped to a knee slipping a bolt to his bow but..."Ha! The beauty has tamed the beast."
He grinned as he restrapped his bow. He hoped for a meal.

However before breakfast.. "My gods, a snake man! Mages, demons, beasts what a company."

 

[Moneytalks]

Vixen watched as Roland transformed back to human form.

She frowned, still not sure that that was the real Roland.

She looked down at the bag of gold Lokkien had offered her earlier and she handed it back to him. "I don't take money unless I've earned it, and as I don't know you that well yet I will let it pass this time..."

Lokkien took back his bag of gold in surprise. "As for YOU Roland... " Vixen watched as he stood shakily to his feet, "you pompus ego-maniac..." she smiled at her friend taking the sting from her words... "in future when you need help don't be so stubborn and ASK for it..."

She turned to walk back to the group of soon-to-be fellow travellers. She paused and looked back over her shoulder... "and for goodness sake, if you're going to tell a girl you love her, perhaps telling the girl herself rather than the whole world?" She giggled.

She walked over to Glorianna who still seemed frozen to the spot in fright. She gently rested her arm about the girl comfortingly and guided her to the table. "It's okay dear, you'll get used this kind of thing, really you will." She helped Glorianna sit and offered her some herbed wine to help calm her nerves.

Vixen also, sat back down at the table to finished her meal. Vixen turned seeing Mansard enter... she hailed him by raising her arm in greeting. "Come break fast friend," her eyes sparkled warmly, "it could be our last decent meal for a while..." She patted the seat next to her on the long bench.

[Edited by Moneytalks on 07-13-2000 at 05:58 PM]

 

[Morgoth]

"Goodly sirs and ladies, I suggest we move out, now!" exclaimed Lokken, after the breakfast was over.