Worlds Apart

[silverwolf]

Sorian

As we stood there i instantly recognized the enrgy waft over me, like a sudden inflation of my magickal abilites.Still not being tired i did as the others and searched around for anything that might be of use.Picking up a red crystal i feel as tho a flame of unimaginable power has just vowed to do my bidding.Then i think about things that were said.'if shes a sorceress then most elementals will barly hurt her and no healing will' i thought as my attention went to each of the group'pure brute force will not do but there may be a way.' it hought as i awaited fo us to depart.

 

[intriguess]

Mic

"Something about this seems too easy," I muttered unheard by most as some picked up weapons. I felt an oddly black energy from them and merely stood aside and thought that the only thing that would work against this evil would be some sort of containment spell. I walked over to Sorian to talk things over and noticed he had picked up a red crystal. I backed away and turned inward. I could hear the sounds of a voice saying,

"Turn them against each other it will."

I swore I was hearing things and began pacing.

 

[cremebrulee]

In the weapon room I saw every kind of weapon imaginable. Our curiousity pulled us in , each in a different direction. That should have been a clue right there.

Sorian had picked up a red chrystal that he (thankfully) put back down and continued to "feel" more than think about what was going to help. Loki had placed a silver shield on his back. That seemed good enough, but Jack had chosen a shining sword with a word I didn't understand on it, although I could read it.
"The Metamune" I told him after he asked what it said.
He was almost too happy to have it in his hand.

Then the thundering voice of the demoness pealed through my head like a giant bell about to shatter. She was trying to get Gorleb's attention.
"Quickly!You must turn them away from one another!" she said, then corrected herself in the ancient tongue.
"Ee'n, ee'n. Hoo kadh hoo'y ith-tha lwthan!Khadh khadh, khadh khadh..." (Yes, yes. He himself has come to us/closer to us. One at a time, one at a time...)
But it wasn't Gorleb who got the message, it was me.

Not Jack, no...not Jack.

"Take the bandages off Gorleb's eyes" I said to Loki.
"It's time we got his attention and got him working in our favor."

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Jack

Jack brandished the powerful sword in his hand and walked up to Gorleb. Loki undid the blinds and Jack placed the powerful blade by the creature's neck.

"Okay, Gorleb. Let's be clear with each other. You answer the questions and most of your body stays intact. Now, where is the sorceress?"

Gorleb didn't answer; possibly because of loyalty, possibly because of fright.

"Do you want to feel the edge of the Metamune?" Jack growled, his red eyes becoming like beacons. "Where is she?!"

 

[SecretDesires]

Kelly was feeling rested, the aches in her body gone and she was sure it had something to do with Mic and her healing powers. She wondered if the other woman was feeling up to this. It seemed that she and her powers had been called on every time they turned around.

The weapons room was fabulous and Kelly went about picking up and testing the balance of the knives she found. What her instincts told her was right for her, she put away in her pouches but something was bugging her about the convience of this room.

Stooping to look inside a chest, she noticed a shimmery material under some swords and she dug it out. A cloak that seemed to appear and disappear with the flickering of the torches lay in her hand. She needed a new cloak but the thought that this was all too convient wouldn't leave her mind.

"Why?" She mused to Dan who was beside her looking over the other weapons. "If she wants to defeat us than why arm us? With her powers I am sure she could have hidden this room from us. In fact, with her powers I am sure we would be dead if that was really what she wanted. So...why are we alive?"

 

[Emotionless]

Dan shrugged at Kelly's line of questioning. "Maybe she doesn't want us dead. Maybe she needs us to do something before she can exert her full power."

His eyes slid over the array of weapons. "Thies could be here to help us do this task she requires or could be here as a dupe."

He turned away from the racks, "Either way, all I've ever needed was the sword at my hip and the armour on my back. I'll not take anything from the hord."

He looked at Kelly, "Don't depend too heavily on those knives you took, I'd hate to see them fail you when you need them."
Dan left the rest of his thoughts unsaid "Even if they do, I wont."

 

[silverwolf]

sorian

having thought it over i put the crystal back down and i felt normal again, not as fun as when i had it but alot purer.Walking over to mic i whisper"i cant help but feel one we are being watched and two that this is way to convenient,yeah they make you feel cool when you hold them but something just aint right.That crystal i had made me feel like a flame of unimaginable power had just vowed to do as i wished but it felt so wrong.I put it down and i felt normal again.What do you think" i said as i took a breath after saying all of that in one breath.something made me look at jackand the others that had taken weapons. Lookin rather closley at each of them from where i was i thought i saw jacks eyes but they were red.dismissing it i awaited mics answer.

 

[SecretDesires]

Dan's words had a ring of truth to them. Taking out the knives she had pocketed, she looked them over. With his words ringing through her ears, she could feel a difference in the metal now. Cool...almost cold...and something in it was pulling her to them, asking her to use them. The cape seemed to have that same effect.

Dropping the knives and cloak down, she nodded. "You're right." She said to Dan. "We have gotten along fine without all this..." She waved a hand to include everything that was in the room. "And maybe that is the problem. Maybe, just maybe, we have done too well and she is trying to throw a road block at us in the form of very pretty packages."

Having gotten rid of the cloak and knives, Kelly realized that she felt much better. Going up to Dan, she placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it tight.

"Thanks for helping me keep my head," She said with a warm smile,"I knew I could count on you."

On impulse she stood on tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek in gratitude before giving him another smile, mischievious like the one she had given him at the feast, and then turned her attention to Jack and their toady guest.

Shaking her head she said,"They won't get any answers out of him that she doesn't want him to give. The problem is we don't know if whatever answers he does give us are the truth or false. Without knowing that he could lead us anywhere."

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Jack

Jack grumbled and stood up, turning and walking from Gorleb. "Kelly's right. We'll get nothing from this bottom feeder." He removed the old sword from his scabbard, letting it drop to the ground with a metallic clang. He sheathed the Metamune in it's place. The minute it left his hands, he began to stumble a bit, as if he just lost half his energy.

He quickly recovered and straightened. "Gorleb isn't going to give us the information we need..." He mused. He tapped his toes while watching each member of the group. His eyes settled on Sorian, who was rooting through his scrolls. He suddenly had an idea.

"Sorian! Mic!" He shouted. "Look through your spells...do either of you have a truth spell?"

 

[kamalw1]

Loki was watching over Gorleb when he heard some of what Dan and kelly were saying about the weapons being a little too convenient. He thought about it and remembered the sense of near immortality he felt when he put the shield on his back. That's when he thought about the boxing training he had been through and remembered his trainer telling him about being cocky and feeling like yo can't be beaten. Tha's when you underestimate your enemy, the trainer had told him. Loki reached back and removed the shield. Almost instantly, the feeling he felt left him. He was able to think a little straighter now. As he snapped back to reality, he heard jack inquire about a truth spell. "You mean like the sodium-pentathol solution spies us in interrogations? That's a damned good idea." Loki said. "Maybe then we can get a straight answer out of this little beast."

 

[intriguess]

Mic

I let my fingers brush across Sorian's cheek, I had not blessed him because his magic ran counter to mine and I hadn't wanted to mess with his Mojo as it were. I simply smiled and whispered, "they feel very dark."

"I believe I could get Gorleb to tell the truth, unfortunately I would have to touch him to do so and I don't think I can, perhaps Kelly has something in her thieves tools. Besides I get the feeling the weasel is protected from white magic." I move silently and step closer to the creature. It was like approaching slime, the closer I got the harder it was to get closer until I had to step back in order to breathe. I took a few deep breaths and shook my head, "I can't get close enough to him. Perhaps we could rig some sort of lie detector?" I offer up as I step back and put my hands inside my cloak ready to move on a moments notice.

 

[SecretDesires]

Kelly hadn't thought about her cornicopia of vials. Sure, thieves...depending on their line of work...would mix up something to get information from their subjects, right?

Searching into her pockets, she came across a vile looking concoction and, uncorking it, she put it up to her nose. "Whew!" She said, looking at the description. A slow smile spread across her face as she tossed the vial to Jack.

"Have him drink this if you can," She said,"I think that was what you were looking for. I just hope I read the description right. I have alot of nasty things in here and giving you the wrong vial could cause our friend there to stop breathing."

She flashed a wicked smile at Gorleb and shrugged. She knew she had given them the right vial. She just wanted to see the little toad sweat.

 

[cremebrulee]

Jasamine

I hated seeing Jack that way and knew in my heart is was not him in control. Gorleb smirked an evil grin when Jack tried to get him to talk, but Jack was numb to it. He only saw his newly found power.
When he let go of the original sword he had, his whole demeanor had gone dark and cocky. He was exuding tons of arrogance and failed to notice how the rest of us were getting away from the weapons as fast as we picked them up.
He staggered around a bit and then tried to find out who might have a truth spell or serum. He asked everyone but me, as if he were avoiding me. Loki agreed that it was a great idea. Kelly reached for a vial that she tossed to Jack. He wavered for a minute, looking like he didn't know whether or not to use it.
"Jack?" I said.
He didn't turn towards me. He ignored me and kept joking with Loki about getting Gorleb to fess up about where the demoness was and what she was up to.
"JACK!"
He turned slowly and I saw the firey red in his eyes for he first time.
"Jasamine..." Mic was trying to tell me something, or was it Kelly?
"Look at me." I told him. "Look at my eyes Jack"

"What the hell are you trying to do now, Jasamine? I've got Metamune and this vial, he'll never get past us, that little sneaky groveling piece of-"
"STOP!" I said in the most commanding tone I had ever heard from my own voice. Something was about to go terribly wrong.
"Let go of the sword Jack" I tried to get through, but without his eyes... I was growing physically weak and he began to chuckle.
From behind me I could hear the others closing in. First one, then another, touching each other to form the inseperable unbreakable bond we had a while before the cave.
Gorleb was watching and bobbing back and forth as he did before. Glee. That was the only word for the expression on his face. Sheer glee. He was bound well enough and we knew it, so now (for the time being) our focus had to be Jack.
All at once, in one fluid movement, Kelly drew forth another vial, Mic placed her hands in the open position I had seen them in before and Dan and Loki grabbed Jack by the shoulders with Sorian behind him.
" San-aa eethe'yk. STOP NOW." (She that you are with is the adversary/enemy. STOP NOW)
He opened his mouth to speak once again, but a horrifying scream uttered forth from what seemed to be deep somewhere beyond his soul.
Tears fell from what were once fire-red eyes. This time I was the one who gave comfort.

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Jack

Jack stumbled back, the sword dropping from his hands. He took another step back trying to regain his strength, but instead he opened his mouth and a scream from beyond whatever soul he had echoed through the room.

Jack fell to one knee, then crumbled to the floor. His eyes stung with a few tears. What the fuck? W-What's wrong with me?

He felt Jasamine put his arms around him. He tried to pushe her away, but he felt like he lost something by holding that sword...some energy or some part of his soul...but he didn't have the strength to leave her embrace. He just drooped his head.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?"

 

[silverwolf]

sorian

"what the fucks wrong with me" he asked afetr his ordeal.I as usual just stepped back and watched,keeping an eye on everything."come on lets get out of here before that little creep has another fit of total glee.We will make do with what we have."walking over and picking up jacks original sword and handing it back to him."i belive you lost this" i said as he took it from my hands.Then i went and stood by mic.No i dea why just happened to make my way there.

 

[intriguess]

Mic

I had this odd feeling she was testing not only the strength of our resolve but our mastery of our new skills. Never underestimate the enemy I thought and I decided for the moment to play the fool. I held my hand out to Jack and nothing happened. It took an amazing amount of concentration to hold back and the intensity of my face must have puzzled everyone.

"I must be tired," I said hoping that they would not feel disenheartened but noticed the wicked gleam in Gorleb's eyes.

Later when no one was watching I would deal with Jack, right now I let my weight sway and I leaned against Sorian. I also made up my mind to reorganize the stuff in my cape and to try and test everything out before we met HER. It would be quite amusing if the one thing I had not tried ended up being untested and the one that did not work.

I did get a sense that SHE wanted Jasmine, and I was bound and determined that should never happen. I felt protective over her, as if she were a sister I never had. I had no idea why I should feel that way and noticed the way she looked at Jack and he at her and hoped that their feelings would be a strength and not a hinderance.

 

[silverwolf]

Sorian

I felt mic lean against me which surprised me and scared me but i was carful not to let her know that.i had no idea what to do so i stood thereletting mic lean on me.I think i was starting to like her.

 

[Emotionless]

"Well, that settles it." Dan said once the ordeal with Jack was over. "Everyone who took anything off the racks put it back now and let us be away from the temptation." His eyes fell on Gorleb. "We can get some answers out of the rat elsewhere."

 

[cremebrulee]

Jasamine

I held Jack close to me for as long as I could. It felt so good to be needed and it was part of my gift, I think, to give...
He needed his strength back,every bit of it, and I would doo all I could to help him.
I caught a glimpse of Mic with a concerned look on her face, but hell ~ we were all concerned . I brushed it off and decided that it was best to focus on the enhancing of whatever strength Jack had left.
I leaned in close and could smell his hair as I stroked it. The closeness of him was an exhilirating feeling I had not felt in so long... this man who had saved my life many times was now weakened and trying to hold back tears.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?"
"It's not you... shhhhh. I won't leave you" I said without thinking.
I felt almost guilty as a began to enjoy it, but was interrupted by Dan's voice taking charge and suggesting we leave anythin we had picked up there and move on, questioning Gorleb later.

"I need to talk to him as soon as possible," I siad quickly," He is some kind of key to our winning this battle."

The other's faces seemed to freeze,looking at me strangely as I spoke.
what NOW, what the hell is going on NOW I thought, but then the looks broke their frozenness and We got together, bandaging Gorleb's eyes, and moved down a narrow ledge along the chasm wall. This time Dan was in the lead and Loki bruoght up the rear.

 

[Tantrikenetic]

Jack

Jack gasped slowly, trying to catch his breath. His head was pounding like crazy. You're weak Phoenix. His mind taunted him. Weeeeeeak.

Jack regained his composure and eased his way out of Jasamine's arms. His face expression was once again stoic and any evidence that he had shown any emotion was gone.

"Dan's right. These weapons are just trouble." Jack nodded. "Let's just go to the next room." He noticed everyone was watching him. "I'm okay." he assured them. "But we have to leave soon if we want to stay that way."

As he turned to go, the Metamune seemed to call his name. Phoenix....This won't be the last time we meet Phoenix...This isn't over yet...You have the rage in you...You will be mine...

 

[intriguess]

Mic

I felt Sorian hold me and I relunctantly pulled away and wondered about the pull of magic user to magic user. I shook my head perhaps I was just looking for any connection, after all Kelly and Dan had been with me from the start, Jasmine was like a sister and Jack a brother by proxy, Loki was a mystery to me right now and I noticed how the party slowly moved on.

I straightened my shoulders and walked along aware of everyone's life force even the slimy toad Gorleb.

 

[silverwolf]

sorian

As mic pulled away i wondered if i had done something wrong.But being to worried about what was to come i just concentrated on the group.

 

[cremebrulee]

Jasamine

"Chaos, my pet, breed conflict and chaos!" I heard the voice hissing through the cave. Looking around I thought there was a sign that some heard, but I couldn't be sure. I was trying so hard to get to Gorleb, but it was like nobody got it, and I was getting starting to get frustrated.

"Listen, does anyone have any idea WHERE we are going?" I said.

Gorleb began his bobbing again. Still nobody answered.

"STOP, DAMMIT!"

My words rang angrily through that chasm, bouncing off of the walls and coming back as if to haunt me.

"What the hell is up with you?" Loki chimed in.

"Hey, man ~ don't talk to her that way!"
Great, Jack the hero to my rescue again, as if I needed HIS help.

"Knock it off, you two" Kelly had to threw in hers.

"I can take care of myself" I added.

"Oh, yeah, I've seen how you do THAT" Jack taunted.

What the hell was going on here?

 

[silverwolf]

sorian

Having backed up a bit, i hadnt heard anything till they started bickering.It comfused me then it dawned on me'how would you break a group apart.Bickering at each other'so i searched my pockets and found a scroll with a repel majick spell.turning to mic"wait till i start chanting then try and talk sence into them i dont know how long i can keep it up."then i started chanting the spell hoping it works'i really dont want mic caught up in it i kinda like her' i thought just after i started then i put my full concentration into it

 

[intriguess]

Mic

"Don't tell me what to do." I snap and then I blink a few times and before I can apologize I step in the middle of them and slap Jack, and then Jasmine before she can tell me not to hurt him, and slap Loki before he can raise a weapon. Then spinning I block Dan as I give Kelly a slap and then Dan for good measure. Everyone seems stunned at what I did and looking at each other and then me again, a few of them rubbing their cheek. I burst out laughing.

"Next thing you know SHE will try to subvert us more subtly, as I think this only brought us closer together." I offer Loki a hand as I had knocked him on his ass. I have a bad feeling that our small company will be split at some point.