The Curse of Calamus

Kyleen

"NOOOO!" the cry was torn from Kyleens lips as she saw Richard fall, pierced with arrows. "Stop! STOP!" She shouted, trying to turn back the tide of destruction that had begun to rain down.
An arrow flew by her, narrowly missing her body and embeded itself into the flank of her valiant horse. With a pained scream, it reared, and plunged off into the trees, Sharp securely strapped to its back. A second arrow flew out of the trees grazing her arm deeply, causing her to drop her own bow from her numbed fingers.

"STOP!!" she shouted, "We will go to the west and find this thief for you! Stop shooting!"

Turning to Pennindar, Kyleen laid her good hand on his arm, and with pain in her voice said "We have to go.. We will return as soon as we may. Be careful"
 
Jurax

Even as Richard fell, pierced by many arrows, Jurax was moving. Before he could grab the reins, the horse plunged off into the brush, an arrow stuck in it's flank. As more and more arrows came flying among the group, he rushed to Kyleen's side, and grabbing her arm, began tugging her towards the direction the horse had fled all the while yelling. "Go, us must now, go! Ar.. umm.. sharp thingies fromsky hurt unless we go!" as he finished he prepared to hit her if need be to place her over his shoulder and run if she didn't flee with him.
 
Kyleen

Kyleen gave a sharp cry of pain as Jurax tugged on her injured arm. Unable to resist Jurax any longer, Kyleen picked up her bow with her uninjured hand and followed his lead, making off into the trees.
 
Raining arrows

"Stop!" Pennindar shouted. "Stop this at once. They've agreed to your task...now call off this attack."
The troll smiled at them, then waved his hand in the air. The arrows ceased at once.
Raising her head, DaSanda saw Richard, laying on the ground, pierced with arrows.
"No!" she shouted, rushing over to him. She gripped at the arrows in his back, trying to pull one out.
"No, wait,"a voice said, from the bridge. Tellion stood near the wooden frame, pointing to Richard. The wounds will bleed worse if you remove the arrows."
SHe began to panic, then checked his pulse, then, finding none, she checked again.
Her head slumped and she began to cry quietly, as Jurax and Kyleen started off.
Pennindar reached into his bag, pulling out his spell book, then shouted to Kyleen. "Here, take this with you."
He tossed her the bag, Talbot inside.
"Perhaps it might come in handy."
"This one is gone," Boguras said, pointing to the injured Barriste.
His body lay still, one arrow in his gut and one piercing his eye."Pennindar looked to Uwef, "They may need a thief, Uwef. Will you go with them?"
 
Uwef:

Creeping out from behind a large and well placed rock, the dwarf answers his wizard companion. "Indeed, sir mage. If we let Richard die in vain, all the worse. I will go with this group and retrieve the goods for these nasty creatures."

With that, the short thief looks up at Bob with a scowl. Wondering if the disgusting half will tell them where to go.
 
Bob and the Stone

Bob grinned down at them.
Pennindar scowled back, then moved toward Richard's prone body.
"I can try a spell, but it may not have the effect we would want it to, if it has any at all. Such magic..." He trailed off, knowing it wasn't something he wanted to think of. The magic of life and death was dangerous, almost forbidden, and rarely worked at all. But he had an odd feeling that Richard had a purpose for being there. Something that couldn't be parted with without an effort to save it.
"Well," Bob began. "First, go along the river's edge, and about three iles down, you'll see a watch station. Gain admittance to the camp, and figure the rest out from there. The man you're looking for is named Gallion. Good luck to you, and return by sundown tomorrow, at the latest, or your friends shall perrish."
Pennindar ignored the troll as it shouted its orders. He was examining Richard's prone body.
"Remove the arrows, DaSanda, then heal the wounds before I go further."
 
Uwef:

"I suppose this is going to be a bit dangerous." The dwarf says under his breath as he begins to walk down to the river bank. After a few paces, he looks back to see who will brave the challenges and accompany him in search of Gallion and the stone.
 
Richard's Soul

It was odd, the way the world looked now. The only clear image was of his own body laying before him. Even the qarrows that pierced his back were blurred, jutting at odd angles. It was like that, the bridge, the rocks, the dirt, clothes. But everything alive glowed, and was curved, edges poorly defined. The trees and grass glowed a dull green, and those he knew around him glowed a bright white. Except, except for the silver. Most of it was on the bridge, with a large spot near him. The elves, he mused. In the trees and where the troll was were twisted spires of a dark, dull orange, that tilted away from the bright light overheard, he knew it was not the sun. Around him, a few well defined of those who had killed him burned in the light, retreating into a welcoming shadow that opened for them. Their screams echoed long after the gates to the Hells had closed behind.

Then he saw him. Standing tall and proud. Barriste looked at him, then raised a foot. As if stepping onto a stair, his foot hung in the air as he lifted another. It was after only a few that he shone golden, and was gone. Richard gulped, and looked up toward the light. Then, he heard it. It came from all around, but he knew it was from the light. A voice, decidedly female.
"Hello, Richard."
"Who are you?"
"I am who I am. The real question is, who are you? Most head towards me, or flee. This is natural. But you, you seek direction. Why are you lost, child?"
"I am not yet ready to die."
"Then don't."

Whith that, the light was gone. The world dulled, and Richard knew he had turned from paradise. The shadows opened wide, welcoming.Richard turned from it, looking down at his body as even the Gates were closed to him. The world jumped into the recognizable one he had left. He heard screams, and turned to see the lips they came from.

"Huh. Interest-AAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" The world shifted, throwing the Earth from beneath his feet as his soul once again joined his body. He heard the old wizard end his sentence as his eyes jumped open. Pain tore through his body, and several arrows, those who had hurt his most important of internal organ, shifted either to the side or back, Making his wounds just barable enough for his body to survive, but not for long. His mouth opened, releasing a scream that would shake even the most fearless of warriors.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
 
Richard the Arisen?

"Is there time?" DaSanda had asked.
He thought on that for a second, then decided there was not. He began a spell, one which would take time, and must be cast in patience, but before he got through the first verse, a sound cut him off, in mid-thought, not to mention mid-sentence.
He looked down, amazed.
"Richard?"
The response was a loud, pained scream that sent the old man flinching back, on his feet without even trying.
"Oh, goodness," DaSanda spat, amazed. Tears of joy were already dotting her cheeks.
"It worked," she said, looking thankfully at the wizard.
"No," he replied. "I had no time to finish the spell, nor really even begin. This is of some other doing."
SHe looked to Richard again, not caring what had brought the man back.
"Quickly," the magician instructed. "Remove the arrows and heal the wounds. I pray our friends succeed in their quest, or we shall all share the fate that Richard has somehow justescaped."
 
The path to the encampment.

Along the river banks, the water flowed gently by, making a soothing sound to anyone who might be passing. Here, just outside the view of the chaos left behind at the bridge, the world seemed all well and perfect. Birds were whistling in trees where, back a short distance, goblins hid in, silencing nature.
Ahead, however, other obstacles waited. In the brush just a few miles away, the creature waited, watching for anyone unsuspecting to pass by.
 
Kyleen

Clutching the bag Pennindar had tossed to her, Kyleen followed Jurax through the bushes. A scream of utmost agony reverberated through the trees from the direction they had just come from, causing her to stop and turn to the sound. Seeing Uwef following behind she beckoned him to hurry, then continued after Jurax.

Looking at the ground, she saw the prints of her horses hooves, and was reasurred that they were still following the right path.

Kyleens arm ached, and she could feel the slow warm drip of blood leaving a trail behind her.
 
The little man in the bag

"Hey," Talbot mumbled, "Wanna lossen your grip some, lady!"
He struggled to get his head out of the top of the bag, then saw the ground moving quickly by. He saw the hoof prints and guessed them to be the prints of the horses they'd ridden.
"Wait!" He shouted. "We're headed South. The camp is to the West, like the troll said. We only have until nightfall, we can't make the mistake of moving in the wrong direction!"
 
Startled Kyleen looked down at the Brownie in the bag.. "No, we are following the trail of my horse, he was hit by an arrow and is running to the west.... look at the sun, you will see"

Looping the bag strap over her head so it swung at her hip securely, Kyleen continued.
 
Uwef:

Uwef is disappointed as he looks back. No followers. As the dwarf turns westward once again, he gasps and then muses to himself, "Oh, I suppose they were ahead of me all the while." Wondering if fate is playing tricks on him, Uwef hurries towards his two friends.

Meanwhile, not too far away, fate is indeed spinning three threads into a tangled braid. What fate awaits the poor dwarf.
 
The creatue in the bush

As they move by, it watches, hearing their feet thump against the ground. Once they have passed, it moves silently into the trees behind it, out of their view, and follows, taking long silent strides, following the sounds of their feet striking the ground.
Ahead, it knows the Slayers' "village" awaits, and it stops as it hears the voices of men in the distance. It creeps into another bush, peering out at the travellers who have jsut passed by it.
 
The Slayers' camp

The tents are arranged almost without reason, one set up here and one there, random. Often they are not so much as five feet apart from one another, though sometimes, one sits nearly alone, twenty feet at least from the nearest neighbor.
The camp stretches on into the distance, some of the tents hidden by trees and bushes, others in the plain view of the clearing the path opened up into. Men are gathered here and there, some talking and laughing, some praying, some just sitting and eating. Not one of them stands out in any way.
Gallion sits near the center of camp, chatting with his crew and bragging with his friends over the crystal he has found.
"I will not part with it, thogh my missus might think to make a ring of it, if she'd get her paws on the damned thing!" He muses to his friends.
They laugh heartily, not aware that the visitors were on their way.
 
Jurax

He moved with purpose now, his horde leader had given orders, and he knew to follow the horse to the west. As the dwarf joined them, he nodded his acceptance of his help and kept striding forward, now remembering to let go of Kyleen's arm. When the Brownie spoke up, he ignored it, trying his best to stride quietly, all the while straining to sense any danger.
 
Kyleen

All her senses alert, Kyleen keeps one eye on the prints of her horse and one on the trees and bush around. She notices that the prints are coming closer together. The horse has slowed down.

She let out a high peircing whistle like a bird, and hears an answering whinney not too far in the distance.

Turning to Uwef who has just caught up, she too nodded in acknowledgement.
 
Uwef:

Suddenly, the four mismatched creatures watch the trail end with the treeline. Stopping, they survey the open clearing and the various sounds of men laughing and the like.

Looking up at Kyleen, Uwef points across the field. "I daresay that the horse noise came from over there. Should we chance mingling with these strangers? Or is there, perchance a way around this attroupement?"
 
Jurax

Looking at the small dwarf he merely grunted, and pulling out Gorefiend, he said to Kyleen "I voteum we hack our way through." and with a grin started to walk towards the camp "Me could use good fight with real thing.." was his last words heard...
 
Uwef:

"Ahhh, Shit." The dwarf moans as he pulls his large axe from behind him. Following the large barbarian, Uwef utters a silent prayer, Oh dear Mer save us now.
 
Jurax

As he left the cover of the trees, he was happily humming the Battle Hymn of Calchor, Mightiest Warrior of the Galdor Hordes. Swinging the sword up and around and over his head, he loosened muscles up for the impending fight, all the while the humming got louder. As he entered the cleared area around the camp, he broke out into song, and the spinning Gorefiend started a whislting sound that seemed to accompany the song. Even as this happened, Jurax thought, "Me happy nows, me kills many, me go to Gralding Hall where Juntar resides, and me be welcome.."
 
Kyleen

"Wait!" murmered Kyleen, her hands restraining Jurax and Uwef. "They havn't noticed us yet, but I think they might be friendly. They have my horse there on the far side and they are getting the arrow out. Listen to what they are saying! someone over there just suggested they search for me to rescue me. They think I may be injured somewhere where my horse took his wound. Also, they look more like a hunting party than a war party. Besides, I'm injured, I wouldn't be much help in a fight, and neither would Talbot. You cant go up against them!"
 
Richard

He was having trouble breathing, and could feel his own blood running across his skin. He gave a shiver, whimpering at the pain of the arrows stabbing his back, and at those who were being removed. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he tried his hardest to stay alive.
 
Uwef:

Knowing that Jurax would listen to Kyleen, the dwarf restrains himself. Looking back at the woman, he asks, "What do you suggest?"
 
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