The Curse of Calamus II

[The GrandMage]

Richard - Beats Unemployment

He looked at the man as he pulled the scarf up, having already taken preperations towards that thought. He took the wooden box, and handed it to the wizard. "Here, take it. This is too bulky. Be back in a jiff."

He moved off the road, blending into the forest. He was better at this during the night, but it was the right time of day, and the shadows moved nicely through the forest. He moved as quickly as he could around towards where the giant was while retaining his stealth.

He found nothing in the immediate area, and was close enough that no giant, no matter how stealthily they tried to move, could escape anyone's attention. He checked for other creatures, too, but couldn't find anything. He spotted a little group off in the distance, but he didn't think they'd be a threat.

He moved back around to where the wizard waited, stepping back onto the path just behind him and pulling the scarf down under his face again.

"Nothin'. Saw a little group back down the road where it's comin' from, but it ain't got anybody moving with it."

 

[poohlive]

Sabaka gave a bit of a chuckle as he put his axe away, bending down to pick up the apples he had dropped. Thi was nothing more than a child. A little whelp of an elf, no more than 70 or 80 years old. She needed help finding her parents or some shit. He took a huge bite, spitting out pieces of apple when he spoke.
"Fine then, I know how rough and tough the forest can be. We'll go find your friends then. This way you say? To the city? Yeah, come on, follow me."
Sabaka set off at a brisk walk in the forest, keeping an eye on the young pup, but also at the outlying forest. Elves never were a dwarf's friend, but they did share common enemies, and if something was lurking about, Sabaka would want to know about it.
"You don't seem to know this forest, are you native here?"

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The wizard and the thief

"No threat, eh?" He returned, nodding. "Well, we might as well approach and announce ourselves, yes?"
He didn't wait for an answer, but started forward, his hand kept carefully near the side of his robe that hid his axe, just in case it was needed.
"Hello, there," he shouted, forcing a smile to his lips. When his eyes found Gallion and Holgen, he took in a deep breath. He didn't quite remember how things had gone with them before (it seemed months ago instead of days) but being cautious still felt right to him.
"Might I ask your names?" He concluded, moving closer and seeing that the two humans and the giant accompanied by an elf. He scanned her features, but found her unfamiliar.
"I am Pennindar of the Wizard's council. And my companion here is Richard....um, Richard the Brave to some," he added with a more genuine smile. Richard should get a chuckle out of that.
Then again, he might not.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

DaSanda

"Native, me?" She returned, walking briskly as well, and catching up to him relatively easily on longer legs than his. "No. I'm from much further south. I came here with a wizard and some other companions if you could believe that. But it seems we've been separated. WHat about you? Are you local?"

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Jocca Jolidotter

Jocca slowed when she actually saw the village.

It wasn't ...right. The smell was off or something.

Maybe she'd made a wrong choice?

She fingered the bone on it's thong and tried to think. Then shrugged. She wouldn't know it was a wrong choice for sure until she went actually INTO the village, now would she.

So, whistleing through her teeth, she conintued on.

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard - Brave, Who's He Kidding?

He tried to stop from laughing, but only succeed for a moment before breaking into a laugh. He took the hat from his head, bowing low as the braid of his particular religion fell down over his shoulder. He stood up, replacing the hat upon his head.

"Now, now Pennindar. I've only been called that by one person. And I'd prefer having you say my full name to that. And I detest my full name."

He turned, looking at the others, fingers curled around the hilt of his Fang.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The giant en route to town

She didn't get too close before they saw her, appearing until then like a crowd gathered near the edge of town, milling about mindlessly. Then, they turned on her, moving in a herd up the hill the path wound up as it left town, thier feet seeming to barely miss one another with each step. A hum of groans stirred among them as they came.
As they neared her, their faces became more and more clear, the skin pale, the eyes aimless yet focused on her somehow.
They were human, or had once been, but now, what would have made them human, what should have shown them to be so, was gone. No individualism remained to separate them from one another.
As one came within reaching distance, it groped wildly at her, groaning hungrily as it swiped its fingers at her like claws.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Holgen and the tree elf.

He'd been grinning shyly, unlike his usual demeanor. Holgen was the authoritative leader it took to keep men like Gallion from getting out of hand, but there was just something about elves, the elegance of thier bodies and the kindness in thier faces, that always got him.
"Where am I from?" He returned, "Well, many miles South of here, in the tamed lands, though they aren't so tamed now as they once were."
THen the wizard and his companion had made themselves known.
"We know your names old man," Gallion shouted back. "I remember you all too well."
"Hello again, Pennindar and Richard. What say you?" Holgen shouted, ignoring Gallion again.
"It seems things have not worked out for the best," the wizard returned, managing to sound humble somehow.
"It would appear not," Holgen agreed. "And the witch?"
"Dead," the wizard returned. "And most of my companions now missing, save for Richard here, and another elf named Mironel, I believe. Our enemy was not acting alone it would seem. I believe our challenge might well just be beginning."
Holgen nodded grimly.
"And the crystal?" Gallion insisted.
"Gone," the wizard returned. "Turns out it wasa key to a very important doorway. It vanished within the enchanted wood and the rest is history. You have been of great assistance, Gallion, in helping us recieve the item.""WIll you accompany us back to camp, wizard?" Holgen asked.
"My thoughts exactly," the wizard returned.
He made a short note and left it posted to the tree, should the female warrior or any other wander past, then they headed to the dragon hunters encampment.

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard - Over the River and Through the Woods...

Richard tucked his Fang back into it's hiding place, following along the wizard. His eyes roamed across the forest around them. He didn't know what those people had been, but he was in no hurry to let them just wander up again.

He looked over the two men, and the elf. He grunted, and continued looking around.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Jocca Jolidotter

"Ugh." Jocca kept the human away from her with the tip of her club. "What is wrong with ya, plague?"

She shoved against the man hard enough to make him stumble back a few feet and looked at the rest of the mob shuffling toward her.

None of them looked healthy, but all of them looked determined. And she didn't see any healer's running after them or red flags at the town gates to warn people.

"Definitely a wrong turn." She muttered to herself, and ran back the way she came, easily out distancing the walking dead.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The dragons

They moved overhead of the Hunters camp, seeing far fewer men there than they had in passed days. What the...?
The men below scattered, seeing them flying overhead and moving in to ready thier equipment. They had no time, and the two moved quickly passed them, seeing what they were searching for ahead.
The fallen trees, not many of them, but enough for them to see from above.
"The Serpents?" Constance asked.
"No," Destiny responded. "Not out in the open like that. If they're awakened, then they would have been somewhere better hidden. But what...?"
"They might know," she replied. "It was near thier encampment, whatever it was."
The water dragon had informed them of its movement, but being so far form the water, Fargwyn could do little more than guess what had caused it.
"He said it appeared to be a small dragon, possibly an Elemental Dragon," Constance stated."Hopefully, it'll just be a renegade of some sort. An angry dragon. If nothing else, he can be taken down. But if it's something more..."
They lost sight of its trail, continued thier search for signs of its passing, then Destiny finally resigned himself and turned to Constance.
"Alright, we'll try and speak with the humans, but I have my reservations, and if there's so much as a singular sign of aggression, you've got to leave right then. Return to the young."
"Agreed," she returned, and they turned back, heading toward the dragonhunters camp.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Boguras, alive and well...

He stopped short when he saw her, the large giant moving toward him with all the grace of a frightened workhorse.
Fortunately, he knew why she was running.
"Quickly, hide here," he insisted, trying to wave her attention toward him.
HE stood off to one side of the path, half-hidden by an overgrowth of vine and low-hanging branches.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The wizard, the thief, elf, and the dragonhunters

As they reached the camp, they saw that many of the men were missing. They were calming down, as if something had just startled them. Holgen immediately questioned his men.
"Sir, two dragons just went by overhead," a soldier replied. "We couldn't get set up in time."
"It's all right," holgen replied. "For now, we're ceasing our hunting expedition, save the use of weaponry for defensive purposes only."
"What's happened here?" Pennindar asked.
"Last night's what happened, most likely due to your little encounter with the witch," Gallion replied.
"Before the sun rose this morning, some sort of bat appeared in the skies. We thought they were nimbles, and we took basic shelter, not wanting to risk injuries that weren't necessary. For the most part, the nimbles would leave us alone if we were hidden in our tents. These bats...they were faster, and a little smaller, and they attacked us, literally, attacked us. Those bitten seemed to develop a fever, then the chills as a result, then their breathing became shallow. Then..."
The wizard watched Holgen closely.
"They died," Gallion finished, more humble than the man seemed capable of being. He genuinely cared for his kind, Pennindar saw, but his selfishness was hard for him to resist at times. "Then...then opened thier eyes again..."
"What?" The wizard was astonished.
"They stood and began to move around, though clumsily," Holgen took over again. "They attacked us."
"Like the people in the town," The wizard thought aloud.
"We killed them, every one of them. Had no choice." Gallion explained.
"But these bats have infected more than just our men. The town ahead..." Holgen trailed off, seeing the old wizard nodding his head.
"We've been to the town, and narrowly escaped. The issue is, what now? With the witch dead, the mystery is just in its beginnings, if there's anything was can do to stop this at all."
"And there's worse news yet," Gallion began. "Last night, before these bats attacked, something moved in the trees, past the camp. My guess, it was a dragon, come for revenge, but it didn't attack. That I can't understand."
"A dragon? Their main purpose in attacking to begin with was to stop our progression into thier territory. But to move past, with no aggression at all?" Pennindar was thinking out loud.
"There was aggression," Holgen stated, "Just not toward our kind. Perhaps you should look."
Pennindar nodded, then followed Holgen, Gallion and three others past the edge of camp and into the trees, all moving with weapons drawn. Beyond the trees edge, several hundred feet beyond, they finally came across the remains.
"A Rock dragon?" Pennindar said, in awe. "A dragon that attacked it's own kind?"
The Serpents came to mind, but it didn't feel right to the old wizard. They would have had purpose, and this seemed the opposite. But what?
"Let's get out of these woods," Gallion said. "It's giving me the creeps."
Pennindar scanned the body of the fallen dragon taking in what had happened. Whatever had attacked it did so with razor-sharp claws and teeth.
Then he followed the men to the clearing again, seeing the two dragons move overhead.
"Perhaps our answers lie with them," Pennindar stated. "If you could instruct your men to allow them to land, Holgen?"
Reluctantly, Holgen gave the order as the two circled overhead and Destiny cautiously began to descend.
"If anyone has problems with dragons, now might be a good time to hide," Pennindar warned.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

DaSanda

She moved alongside the dwarf, wondering what they might come upon and feeling oddly comfortable. He wasn't very talkative though. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if he'd respond to her again at all...

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Jocca Jolidotter

"Quickly, hide here," he insisted, trying to wave her attention toward him.


Jocca glanced at the person offering shelter, the hiding spot, and the dauntless crowd behind her.

Shrugging, she ducked in and down.

And waited.

 

[The GrandMage]

Richard - Look, Dragons!

Richard followed along, glancing dirtily about the camp. He didn't mention he felt their 'expedition' was a violent act against nature, nor did his voice his thoughts that the deaths of their comrades was well-deserved,... both of them.

Instead, he kept his mouth shut, knowing the religion he had, where a number of Gods ruled and had created dragons to be guardians of nature, was seen as crazy by many, and stupid by more. He followed along, lingering behind when the others left, saying a small prayer for the departed soul of the Rock Dragon.

He hurried to follow, staring up at the two forms in the sky. Dragons. He smiled broadly, and snatched the hat from his head, giddy with glee. He held his hat behind himself with both hands, waiting for the dragons to land so he could see the majestic creatures up close.

 

[poohlive]

Sabaka grunted at her words, taking them at face value for the time. He didn't exactly trust her, but she wasn't much of a threat either. It was more like distaste for her as a race, nothing personal.
"I lost my way the night last. Something came out that I didn't know about. I"m trying to go home now, although I'm not sure where that it. Things are so much more confusing above ground... perhaps."
They left the trail in the woods, and came to the apparent clearing she had talked about, with the village on the other side.
"Here you are lass, your rendezvous. I thought you said your friends would be here though..."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

In the clearing...

"Here you are lass, your rendezvous. I thought you said your friends would be here though..."
"Well, I'm here," the voice came from the trees nearby. Elves have a way of blending in, it seems. Mironel stepped into the clearing, eyeing the two carefully. An elf and a dwarf? Together?
THen she recognized DaSanda.
"We thought you were dead..."
DaSanda shook her head. We got separated, and I wound up in the woods throughout the night. Luckily, I wasn't found by any of the creatures roaming about.
"Where are the others? Is Richard still...?"
Mironel nodded when I saw him last, and that was only a while ago.
"This is Sabaka," DaSanda stated, looking at the dwarf wearily. "I met him a short while ago and he was kind enough to accompany me this far. Perhaps we can help him find his way home?"
SHe glanced to the dwarf, wondering if he'd snap at her for implying he might need the help of an elf.