The Curse of Calamus II

[Quiet_Cool]

Gabriela and the dragon hunters

"I'm Gabriela and who are you to so rudely interupt my time in the tree? I mean what pray tell are your names?"
Gallion looked to Holgen, his eyes suspicious.
"The old man had elves with him, Perhaps this is one of them."
Holgen ignored his comment. Gallion had taken to the belief that the crystal he'd handed over had been of some great value, and that the wizard and his companions had merely stolen the item, not intending anything but thievery. Holgen was not so convinced the group had been inclined as such. Who'd have believed a wizard to be evil? Nonetheless, elves?
"I am Holgen, and this man is Gallion. And you, miss, are not in the kindest of places as of late. What, may I ask, are you doing in such a place? It seems the dangers of this area far outweigh the benefits of being here."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The warriors in town

Pennindar raised his axe, swinging it downward as the nearest reached for him, then turning and slicing through the air as another came too closeat his side.
They'd closed in more quickly than he'd expected. It seemed they were everywhere at once, and if he guessed from past experience, Richard was more than ready to leave, if he hadn't vanished from sight already.On this occasion, the wizard agreed with the thief's ideals. Running beat dieing.
"Retreat," he shouted, slashing at another of the staggering human monsters and sending its arm to the ground without the rest of its body.
"To where?" The female asked.
In the ten or so minutes the battle had laster thus far, the enemy had surrounded them, crawling from everywhere at once it seemed.
By skill, they were useless, but in sheer number...
He glanced around, doing so quickly, but seeing no exit. There were gaps here and there, and those could be exploited for escape, but not by everyne at once.
"Wherever you see room. We'll split up and run, that should separate them as well. Then we'll meet up outside of town again," he ordered. "Just follow the path into the woods and don't stop until you feel you're safe."
He waited, fighting off whichever of the "creatures" dared come close enough to give him the chance (and they showed no fear! As though death and pain were concepts they couldn't understand) and waited, glancing around now and again to see if his companions remained. Once the two elves were gone (that Richard as far too difficult to keep a steady eye on) he slipped through the crowd, swinging here and there when the enemy got too close, then broke away and headed for the edge of town.

 

[Paendragon]

Xur

His eyes snapped open, and he felt a flash of irritation at having fallen asleep. He had been mixing in meditation time during his watch to keep him frewsh, and rest his body. The Masters were able to go without sleep for days by using only meditation.

He, unfortunately, was no Master. Luckily, the few minutes of sleep seemed to wash away most of his fatigue.

He stood, and walked twoard his horse, who snoozed on his feet. The forest still felt odd to him. Like there was something out of place. Something wrong.

It was an uncomfortable thought.

He mounted the stallion, and sheathed his short sword, all the while keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings. There was a small village near here, and he would head to it.

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard

Well, this was shaping up to be a happy day. Just run where you can, every man for himself? Well, Richard was more than happy to comply. He was also more than happy to have started before they said anything. As soon as they started closing in, hed run up to the house the man had disappeared into, and climbed up onto the roof. He sat up there, watching the elves and the wizard battle a little before breaking and running away.

He hoped they made it. He also hoped those freaky bastards couldn't climb. He was begining to feel that ever since he'd met the man, he'd been looking down at danger from a rooftop. "Well, it's better than facing it head-on, I suppose," he mused to himself while watching those down below.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Gabriela shrugged "I like adventure and danger doesn't bother me. Though... " she paused shivering "Whatever was out last night was not something I would have wanted to run into. I have a feeling it's not safe even now" She glanced back at the two men "What about you two?"

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Around her the woods froze into a deep stillness, deeper than just her passing could cause, so Jocca froze also.

Turning her head left and right, sniffing the air, she sensed nothing that would cause even the sparrows to stop in their restless flight.

Above her a glitter caught her eye, and it was there she found the answer. Two winged shapes, massive and serpetine, glittered in the sun heading East. The same direction as she was.

Since changing her course wasn't something Jocca did easily, she merely waited until the woods settled back into normalcy before continueing on.

Eventually she came to a thinning of the woods and saw before her armed men chatting with an elf in a tree. Intrigued she moved forward after slinging away her club. Men were funny in that way, when they saw someone coming at them with weapons they thought they were being attacked.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Gabriela and the Dragon hunters...pt 2

"We're heading back to our camp, after searching the area for a few missing friends. It seems they've either run off altogether, or they've been taken by...well, the enemy I suppose I should call them..." Gallion stated, still eyeing the elf suspiciously.
"It isn't safe to be out here alone," Holgen stated, ignoring his companion altogether. "Perhaps it would be best if you came with us."
"Holgen..." Gallion began, obviously disapproving the suggestion.
Holgen raised a hand, stilling his friend and making clear who was in charge.
Holgen's head turned suddenly, the gesture repeated by Gallion, who stepped back, drawing his sword when he saw the giant.
"SHe's not armed," Holgen stated, but he too was clearly on his guard.
"Stop where you are," Gallion insisted, but kept his sword at his side, not raising it but not resheathing it either. "Announce yourself!"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The wizard and friends

He slowed to a stop as he neared the small clearing. If those creatures were still following him, they'd fallen far enough behind for him to catch his breath. Hopefully, they stayed that far behind.
He glanced around. The trail headed off North, and South, then East and West. He was facing East just then, the town to the West behind him.
He lowered his axe, using it as a cane and resting his weight on the head of the weapon.
A few moments rest, and the female elf came running up the path behind him, her feet moving nimbly, hardly making a sound.
She stopped behind him, not waiting for him to turn.
"Where's Boguras?" She asked."I'm uncertain. Have you seen Richard?"
"No," she returned, moving around in front of him, barely winded.
Had it not been for the battle the night before, Pennindar might have been less tired. But he greatly needed a moment just then.
"What's your name, young one?" He asked.
"Mironel," she replied. "And you're Pennindar, the wizard."
He nodded. "Yes, very good."
"What now?" SHe asked.
"We'll wait here for now, see if they catch up to us."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

DaSanda

Separated form the others, she'd takne back to the woods, and now, looking down on the small fellow, she watched him move along the path toward the South.
A dwarf. Not the best of friends for an elf to find, but better than being alone, if those were her options.
She waited until he passed, then crept along behind him, not announcing her presence just yet. If she remembered correctly, there was a small clearing not too far ahead. If he went that far, perhaps he might continue into the village. She didn't want to go there alone, but with a companion, it might be a wise choice, if she could convince the dwarf to go there...

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Jocca Jolidotter

"Hail Humans!" Jocca cried out happily, hands held open and wide, large smile of gap-spaced teeth in place. "I am Jocca Jolidotter! Just passing through, thought I'd see ifa there was any trade ta be done atta village!"

Of course she wasn't as happy to see them as she pretended, but, humans seemed to be more at ease with a jolly giant.

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard - Sittin' and Waitin'

Richard looked down from the roof as they gathered around, flopping against the walls. After about ten minutes, when the ones that had moved off after the others returned, they milled around aimlessly for a bit, and then moved off. After he was certain they were gone, he ran across a few rooftops until he got to the end of the row of buildings.

He jumped down, and ran off after the wizard. After a while, he spotted the old man and a woman. "Hey!" He waved an arm over his head as he yelled, and ran up, looking at the two of them.

"Heya. Have fun?"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Pennindar, Mironel, and . . . Richard?

"Heya. have fun?"
The old wizard looked at the thief, who appeared pretty much rested and relaxed. How did he get out of such situations without breaking a sweat?, the old man wondered.
"Hello, Richard. Nice to see you again. haven't seen our other friend have you?"

 

[poohlive]

Sabaka grunted as he chopped into the tree. His axe, cleaned from the recent fight, stuck deep into the trunk. A few tugs made sure it would stay, and Sabaka had himself a perfect little foothold.
He used it to grab at a few apples. Fruit, something the dwarves didn't usually get to eat. It was a delicacy among the ground dwellers. They relied more on potatoes and the food under the soil. Still, when in Rome...
He wedged his axe out, with a handful of apples now, and continued on the path.
A smell came to him, making him stop dead in his tracks. He turned around, half expecting to see someone there, but the forest stood before him, open and airy.
Had his nose mistaken him? No, he didn't think so. It was sweat, of that he was sure, but something else made it undistinguishable.
The smell of... the forest?
Could that be right?
In the middle of a forest, he was sniffing for the forest. Sabaka gave a loud roar of laughter, and continued on, muttering small nothigns to himself.
The muttering stopped though, as did his pace. He turned on his heel, looking back once more.
A smell of the forest? That could mean his nose was going on him... or it could mean an elf. One of those forest dwelling little rampscallions. That made sense, since he couldn't see whoever was out there.
Sabaka dropped the few apples, bringing his battle axe out. An elf... probably had an arrow pointed to his head as he stood here.
"Come out then, no use hiding anymore. I know you're around here."
He spoke to the empty forest.
"Somewhere...."

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard

"I saw a bunch of wierdos with limited muscle control, and so did you. Then I saw you all fighting your way out and running why I just stayed in town. After a while, it looks like they just gave up. Either that or they went to get friends."

He looked around, and grunted. "So, we're one short, eh? I'm not sure which way 'e ran off, wasn't exactly high on my list. I was more or less worried about whether the weirdos from town could climb."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Pennindar and Richard.

"Yes, one short," the wizard replied. "I guess one short isn't so bad, given the odds. The question is, where did they come from, or what made them that way?"
He thought for a moment, not actually expecting an answer to his question, more voicing it so as to get his aging mind moving.
"We'll have to see what other information we can gather about this. Perhaps the dragon hunters can shed some light on all of this..."
He glanced at Richard.
"I think that might be the best course of action, to find our old friend Holgen and ask what he knows."
"I'll stay here," Mironel suggested. "Just in case Boguras is alright."
The old wizard agreed, but reluctantly. "All right, but only for a while, and if any of those...whatever they were come wandering along, make haste to the dragon hunters encampment."
SHe nodded.
"Will you be coming with me, Richard?"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Jocca and the dragonhunters

Holgen didn't like the grin on the giant's face, but why pass judgments so soon. They'd just met. Besides, inviting her back to camp would be advantageous. His men there, she would be easily overtaken should she get aggressive.
"You're both welcome to come with us," he announced. "If you wish."
He glanced between the giant and the elf, awaiting thier replies as Gallion reluctantly resheathed his weapon.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

DaSanda

She saw him stop, and knew as he dropped his apples and readied his weapon he'd sensed her there.
Best be honest, she felt, and carefully revealed herself from behind the entaglement of brush she'd taken cover behind, not drawing her short sword and raising her bow, but not disarming herself either.
SHe bowed slightly, hoping thier differences could be overlooked for the time being.
"My apologies for my secrecy, but I wished you no harm and knew of you not well enough to show immediate trust. I am DaSanda. And you?"

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard

He rolled his eyes. "No, Pennindar, I want to hang around here and see if I can scrape by death again"

He followed after the wizard, his Fang at the ready. "Really, man. You think I'm gonna decide to not go to where there are people with people to fight for me are? I mean, I have a knife! Not exactly the weapon of choice for dealing with those freaks who seems to feel no pain. Hell, who knows, I might even be able to pick up a sword."

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Jocca Jolidotter

Camp?

Armed men in a camp seldom came to any good.

"Thankee, but it's the town I was after." Jocca said. "Nuttin' tradeing goes on inna camp, and I'ma caravan guard by trade."

She glanced up at the elf in the tree; since the men had put away their weapons and the elf didn't seem very much disturbed she started walking in plain view towards the road. Mustn't look sneaky now!

 

[poohlive]

Sakaba looked at the elf, the damned elf who appeared out of nowhere. What was this all about, some sort of ambush? Were others waiting?
Elves were not commonly known among the swarven cultures, their habits or anything, but they knew enough to both hate and detest them.
"Sabaka," The name came out gruff and harsh, "What be your purpose with me? You following me back to find my cave? Is that it?"

 

[Lady_Siren]

Gabriela merely hopped down out of the tree and watched the giant curiously. She wan't afraid of giants, they may have strength but her speed and agility could easily beat that. She shrugged at the humans offer smiling. "Sure I"ll join you. I haven't had any social interaction in a while. So where are you from Holgen?" She asked politely completely ignoreing the rude Gallion.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

DaSanda

SHe almost chuckled at his response. Follow himback to his cave? She wasn't sure if he was threatened by her, or propositioning her. In either case, it was a funny thought.
"If you ask if I mean you harm, I'm a healer by nature and trade, though i can fight if needs be," she replied, not wanting to reaffirm the idea she meant harm, but afraid to appear weak as well.
"I intend you no harm, Sabaka," she returned. "Truth is, I've had what you mihgt call a rough week, and didn't want to be alone. My companions seemed to have lost me, or me them. In either case, I was hoping to make friendly acquaintence with you, if you planned on venturing to town, that was, or somewhere else where my friends may have gone."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Pennindar and Richard

He'd been glad to see the thief at first, but now, he was remembering how much the man got on his nerves. Sarcasm...the man knew the trait too well.
And he spoke as though his actions were ever clear in thier intentions...
"Come," the old man said, "We'll move quickly. Hopefully, some of our old companions have made it back to there as well."
They moved along the path at just more than a jog, as Pennindar was still quite tired. Old age was a bitch, as they used to say, and he was beginning to realize the truth in that statement.
It wasn't long before they could see the large woman standing in the path ahead.
A giant?
He slowed to a walk, glancing to Richard in question.
"Are you ready, should this situation be a hostile one, and the giant not be alone?"

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard

He looked to the wizard, pulling out his Fang and looking around. He looked back to the wizard, and tehn at the giant.

"Look, if you can distract them so I can get behind them, I'll slice as many throats as I can, but I don't do too well against more than one opponent at a time, ya know? I'm a thief, not a warrior. By skills are involved in not getting into these kinds of situations, so I'm not too good at dealing with tem. But I can try....I suppose..."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Pennindar and Richard

"Yes," he replied, noting the man's words. "You're right. A confrontation might not prove to our advantage. Perhaps, instead of slicing throats, you should sneak around and take a look at things, see if there's anything we should consider hostile about the situation before we proceed."
He doubted he would ever get used to having a thief around, but if there was going to be one, the least he could do is attempt to use his skills accordingly.
"Would you agree to that?"