Rescue

[Khadgar]

Dreant Firebane

Dreant stood out of his crouch and tried on a small smile. "yes, i've been following, eating too. join you? yes.... maybe i will.
where is this castle? why are we going there? what are we doing?"

Dreant fell into step with the others, and listened to their chatter

 

[vbabe2001]

- Bunny's attention turned towards the chanting, she heard it... yes, she did.. -

Bunny: "He must be close, summoning some spirits.. or warriors.. or creatures of the night. We are just feet away from his turf, whoever wants to turn back now... is free to do so"

- Hotaru looked at Logan... and nodded softly.. squeezing his hand, and in turn, squeezing Tamra's... -

Hotaru: "... i.. thank you.. so much Logan... "

- She had grown so close to him, her eyes admired him so much.. she looked at Dreant, Zarl, Bunny, Tamra.. all powerful, all warriors... unlike her. She almost felt useless in this group.... -

Bunny: "Lets Brace ourselves..."

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan looked to Dreant.. "We are going to that castle in the distance," he pointed showing Dreant the castle he was speaking of, "to rescue Hotaru and Bunny's father. He is being held captive there as a lure to get Hotaru into the clutches of the evil mage there."

"Bunny I don't know about the others, but I've come this far, I am not turning back now. I don't know if what Lavaste said about us being brothers is true or not, and I don't care."

He looked to Hotaru and then back to Bunny. "Honestly, I really like Hotaru.." There you said it finally. "and I am going to do my best to make sure your father gets rescued and she has the choice to stay with Lavaste or leave if she wants."

Logan drew his sword as they walked he had no clue what Lavaste was capable of and he wanted to be ready.

He smiled to Hotaru, "You don't have to fight, just stay close so you can be protected."

 

[n00n3y0ukn0\/\/]

Tamra

She smiles as Hotaru squeezes her hand, and looks to Bunny.

"No, I'm not going anywhere either, I still want to help."

She looks up ahead to the ominous castle, wondering what's in store.

 

[Khadgar]

Dreant Firebane

Dreant nodded and kept walking, running things through his mind, andthen his brain hit a barrier. wait a minute.... huh? how does this make any scence at all?

"so.... this evil man has plotted a scheme to have Hotaru come to him. and you know this, but you're still going to do exactly what he wants? wouldn't it make alot more scence to have her hidden, and other people go get her father?"

it just made no scence, and the castle did look very ominous.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan looked to Dreant. "If she doesn't show up with us, this mage will kill her father." He would not refer to Lavaste as his brother, he didn't believe it anyway, not as different as the two of them were.

"It may not be the best course of action, but right now it is our only course of action."

 

[vbabe2001]

- Still, the group walked on... and finally, they reached the lands surronding the castle.

Hotaru was shaking, but she tried her best to hide it... Bunny was holding onto Zarl's hands.. and carrying what she could in her bags.

The sun was setting, but it was dangerous to camp out... but did the group have any choice? -

 

[The GrandMage]

Zarl, of the Macrai-Itoche

Zarl held Bunny, glancing around to little party. He'd heard the odd sound. He knew a little of the old languages that made up spell chants. But that one confused him. Nothing was happening.

It would be a very nasty trap. He didn't know whether to suggest camping away from the castle, of charging on ahead. Either could spell death.

"So, ummm,....do we have a plan, or were none of us expecting to get this far?"

 

[n00n3y0ukn0\/\/]

As the group stops to gather their thoughts and such, a strange rustling begins to be heard. Then as Zarl speaks, Bunny is grabbed by the ankle and pulled to the ground, more vines and root heading towards the group.

Tamra

"What the hell?"

She grabs her dagger and looks around and slices at the vines as they near her and Hotaru.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan turns as he hears the rustling just in time to see Bunny dragged to the ground. He pulls his sword and moves to hack at the vines holding her.

"We'll get you loose Bunny."

As he hacks at the vines holding Bunny, he can feel the vines creeping up his legs, he tries to pull them away with one hand while hacking at the other vines with his sword in the other.

 

[vbabe2001]

Hotaru: "Tamra! Bunny! Logan!!!"

- Hotaru reached out for them, and a wall of vines moved up to block her from them. She stopped short....

Bunny grumbled, reaching for her dagger as the vines continued their ruthless climb. -

Bunny: "They are trying to hold us I bet, try to get out if you can!!"

- Bunny tugged at the vines, but they kept her pretty secure.. Logan's sword had managed to free her, and she had managed to get her dagger out to work at the veins again... -

Bunny: "Protect Hotaru! She is the one he wants!!"

 

[n00n3y0ukn0\/\/]

The vines continue their push on the group, building a wall between them and Tamra as well, as the group attempts to free themselves and the others, the onslaught only gets greater. The vines actually begin to box around Hotaru. A few seconds pass and a small hole opens in the box around Hotaru, out of view of everyone else, and Tamra steps through, something different about her. Something evil. The wall closing behind her as she steps in.

"Now my dear. We shall go see Levaste. So that he may have you for his own."

She gives Hotaru a wicked smile.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan continues to fight off the vines, making his way towards Hotaru. Not getting too far as the vines pull him back and a wall grows between the group and Hotaru, blocking him.

"I can't get to her..the vines are too much too fast."

He notices the vines have aslo blocked the group from getting to Tamra, but for some reason are not doing that to Bunny, Zarl, Dreant and himself.

"Damnit....." He slashes at the vines."HOTARU!! Everyone keep fighting them... we can't let them take Hotaru or Tamra."

Why Tamra?? Doesn't make sense.

 

[vbabe2001]

Hotaru: "T... Tamra?!!"

- Hotaru stepped back, she bumped into more vines.. her eyes wide as she looked at her.. something was different about her... -

Hotaru: "This.. this is just a trick right? Lavaste just has you under some mind trick.. right? Your going to snap out of it soon? RIGHT!!???"

- Bunny saw Tamra walk in, she could sense the evil... but she couldn't get away from the veins.. -

Bunny: "NO!!! HOTARU!!"

 

[n00n3y0ukn0\/\/]

Tamra pulls a piece of rope and ties up Hotaru's hands, and pulls her to her feet.

"Now it's time to go see your new master."

She drags Hotaru from the box, as all the vines and root that comprised that, crash and attack the others, grabbing and holding them tight.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan fought hard against the vines, finding them only holding him more secure.

"Tamra...No...What the hell are you doing?"

He watched helplessly as the vines held them all secure and Tamra led the bound Hotaru away off towards the castle.

He fought even though it was useless he was held tightly. He cursed Lavaste under his breath.

"If you harm her....I will kill you, if it is the last thing I do."

 

[vbabe2001]

Bunny: "HOTARU!!! HOOOOTTTARRRUUU!!! NO!!!!"

- Bunny cried out in anguish as Hotaru kicked and tried to get out of Tamra's grasp -

Hotaru: "Let me go Tamra! What is wrong? You are better than this.. please Tamra!!!"

- Bunny was so angry, she felt tears she struggled to get her attack going.. -

Bunny: "LIGHTING STRIKE!!"

- The lighting cut through the veins, and shot towards Tamra.. but would it be enough? -

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan struggled against the vines as he watched Bunny gather her spell energy..."Bunny wait, something isn't quite right." But then it was too late she sent the lightning strike in Tamra's direction.

He could only watch to see what happened next.

 

[n00n3y0ukn0\/\/]

Tamra turn and looks back as Bunny yells out. Staring at her as the lightning races towards her and Hotaru. And just before the lightning gets to them, the two diappear, with only a small puff a smoke to mark their last position.

The vines and roots then start to let the rest of the group go, recessing back to where they came from.

Logan begins to hear in his head, garbled words, then they begin to clear as he hears Levaste's voice.

She's mine now brother. Come if you want. But don't expect to make it back out alive with her, or any of your other friends.

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan shook off the remnants of the vines as they released the group.

"Damn him. Levaste has them. He just sent me a message in my head, along with a threat. He said I can come but not to expect to leave alive with her, or any of my friends for that matter."

He looks to the group. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going. Bunny I told you both I would help save your father, after this I trust Lavaste even less to keep him safe, I am going even more so now to save Hotaru from him."

He looked towards the castle. "You all can camp if you feel it necessary, but I'm going on."

 

[The GrandMage]

Zarl, of the Macrai-Itoche

Zarl didn't move during the attack. He waited patiently, letting the vines creep around his body and hold him tight, bound. The other hacked away, but it was futile. The vines would grow back as long as the origional root that the spell controlled remained alive.

He could have, in theory, located it, but it would have been dangerous. The vines were gone now, the dark mage being too stupid to understand threats. But it was that way with humans. They seemed to be blinded by their egos once they thought there were no challenges left. They got sloppy.

And now Hotaru was gone, and so was Tamra. Better that. It showed who was more likely to be worthy of trust. And even if she was only under a spell, it showed who was more powerful against such magics. He doubted if the mage chose her for any reason besides being the easiest to control, if she wasn't already in his employ.

He drew his katana, and sighed. "Okay. I'll help save the damsel in distress. But I'm only doing this once, okay. So no mercy, no quarter, and no sentimental bullshit. We go in there, we're drawing blood, okay? Don't want your screwwy human emotions to turn this into an annual affair."

 

[vbabe2001]

- Bunny growled and looked away from the group for a moment to gather her thoughts -

Bunny: "I'm going on"

- She looked at Zarl and nodded to him -

Bunny: "Its just us against him.. lets finish this"

 

[NyghtRayne]

Logan looked to them..."I'm ready now.." With that they headed off for the castle in the distance.

Lavaste you hurt her and I will make sure you pay for it..

 

[Khadgar]

Dreant Firebane

Dreant was confused, there were vines, and then there wern't. he had been squeezed a little, but had crawled atop them, trying to weave between, and then they dissapeared. this was all very confusing, but Dreant walked along after them.

 

[n00n3y0ukn0\/\/]

After their little teleportation bit, Hotaru awakes in a cell, chained to the wall, with Tamra chained right beside her, and her father in a cell across the hall. Levaste comes into the cell, and wakes Hotaru up.

"Hello my dear."

The others press on towards the castle, and then find themselves not encountering much, until they reach the moat area around the castle. There are many goblins and orcs on partol.