OOC>>Hi, all. We just got back on. IC>

ILLEK "My Princess, scouting out the den seems to be a good idea to me. If you are invisible, surely even if he scents you, and be sure he knows well your smell, how can he find you? You could dash away. Now, if you made me invisible, I should be glad to do it."

[ 11-02-2002, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Attalus ]

ooc- sees how much i keep up with events, i didnt even know you were gone [img]tongue.gif[/img] , wb anyway :D

IC- <font color=pink>Verloren
She blinked, but then smiled gratefuly at him, "What a wonderful idea Illek," she wasted no time in casting the spell. As he blinked out of apperance, she stuck a hand out and touched what felt to be the center of his chest, "Be careful, please" she whispered "I do not know what I would do if I lost you too," she stepped back and leaned on Avalon's silver paw.</font>

<font color=AACCFF>Legolas

The gnolls push the elf in further. The inside of the pallisade is dominated by a large wooden building which could easily encompass the farmhouse a dozen times.
To either side of it, and nearer the entrance, stood two smaller buildings, although they each had to hold at least four large rooms. The central positioning of the 'palace' indicates that it's either deep, or blocks sight to a fourth building behind it. There are several smaller tents spread out between the buildings.
Although there are guards of all races inside, most are in their tents. Not even the entrance to the 'palace' is guarded by more than two at a time.

The elf isn't given much time to gather his thoughts, though, as he's dragged off to the structure on his left hand side. A rather broad hallway waits behind the crude door, but Legolas doesn't get to see where it ends. He is taken into a room with a terrible smell, and several dark red stains of the floor. It's sparsely furnished with but one desk, a handful of chairs and an uneven table.
He is then made to sit down while the gnolls wait for whomever is in charge. </font>

OOC>Sorry, Jen, but have been really busy IC>>
ILLEK *Invisible now, he creeps into the den. There, to his surprise, he sees not the huge bulk of Kinn'zuwannik, but a much smaller dragon. Black, but only just above his head. He rushes back and tells Verloren and Avalon.*

ooc- np Bill [img]smile.gif[/img]

<font color=pink> Verloren
She frowned and looked up at Avalon,
"What do you say, is there any way you could incapacitate it so that when we do find Kinn'zuwanik it won't rush to help?" Perhaps she could sneak in and rid it of its natural enchantments and cast something like Imprisonment on it before it could react.</font>

<font color=silver>Avalon
Blinking is silver orbs, he gazed down at his princess adoringly, though neither of them could decipher that on his draconic features, "Perhaps I could fill the entrance with an ice barrier, but there is the risk of him waking," he tossed his head and scratched the ground, "And if I did fight him, that would most likely draw others," he paused, then shrugged his massive shoulders, then dipped his head to the ground and blew a torrent of ice around the edges of the cave entrance. Soon, it would be completely blocked.</font>

OOC>>> I'll be waiting for Cerek to post before I do so for Sorsha ;)

<font color="lightsteelblue">As the gnolls pushed the elf into the compound, Sorsha and Hunter followed close behind. Once inside the gates, the half-elf paused to look over the inner compound thoroughly. The large wooden structure in the middle was the most obvious place to find his prey. He made a mental not of the other buildings and the relative positions. He was already mentally mapping several possible escape routes if needed.

He hurried forward a couple of steps to catch back up to Sorsha. He knew she would follow as close to Legolas as she could, so he watched the ground until he saw the tell-tale depression made by her footstep. He quickly moved up behind her and leaned forward. She tensed as she felt his breath on her neck and suddenly stopped. Her abrupt halt caused the Bounty Hunter to actually bump into her, but not hard enough to knock either of them down. Aric leaned even closer, then spoke softly into her ear.....

"It's been fun, princess, but I will be taking my leave now as per our agreement. Good luck to you and the elf. I have a feeling you will need it."

He then turns towards the main structure and heads in that direction. Sorsha can hear the squishing his feet make in the mud as he walks away. She then takes a deep breath to steady her nerves and heads for the building the gnolls are guiding Legolas towards.

Hunter walks a little way towards the main structure, scouting for a suitable entrance into the building. Then he remembers something he heard in a tavern concerning this Julano...that he could change his appearance at will.

"That does complicate things a bit" Aric thought. What if he has some lackey he uses as a "front man" while he remains in the background. I could very well kill the wrong guy and be exposed at the same time."

He ponders what to do for a moment, then looks back towards the building the gnolls were leading Legolas too. He sprints quickly to "catch up" to them. He waits for them to enter the building, then silently slides through the door behind them before the door closes. He finds himself in a hallway that runs the length of the building with doors leading to rooms on each side. The gnolls push Legolas into one of the first rooms they come to.

"Very well, I know where the elf is. It will probably be some time before Julano arrives to interrogate him. Might as well have a look around till then. Who knows? I may even find his friend for him."

The Hunter moves down the hallway and pauses at each door. They are made of wood and aren't particularly sturdy. While there is no opening in the door like some cells have, there are plenty of cracks in the wood that are large enough to look through. It only takes a few minutes to "peek" into each room. All the rooms are empty, except for some small puddles of blood. "Oh well, elf - I tried", he thinks to himself.

Aric retreats to the far end of the hallway and waits for the arrival of Julano. Hopefully, he won't be long in coming.</font>

[ 11-20-2002, 09:59 AM: Message edited by: Cerek the Barbaric ]

<font color=silver>Sorsha

Slowly and silently, she tread her way towards the castle, wondering just how she could save her beloved from all this ugliness, an ugliness which he willingly walked into and which she had to respect.

Now, facing the mini-fortress, it was all she could do but to throw her hands up in despair ~ How do I get in?! ~ The bounty hunter's words were beginning to take their toll on her, for he was right - could she truly expect a group of beasts to ignore her if she were to cast a sanctuary spell now and open the door, walk right in and rescue Legolas, lah dee dah?!

Yet, there did not seem to be many choices left. And her inner fears were wrecking havoc on her peace, each time she visualised the elven ranger being tortured ruthlessly.

Glancing around, she heard Aric's last squishy footsteps and whispered the words of magic, feeling herself being enveloped by a tingling glow. Shutting out her thoughts, she now proceeded towards the gate, cringing as it creaked open to just sufficient space for her lithe self to squeeze through.

It was time to be a heroine, for once.</font>

[ 11-25-2002, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]

<font color=magenta>Isaura

At daybreak, her light feet hurriedly made their way towards the exit of the village and she nodded her hasty farewell to the dumbfounded guards. There was an urgency which ate into her. An urgency brought about the terrible nightmares she had been having. It was almost before her now, that hideous laughter and cruelly charismatic face. She ran, faster and faster, escaping from the nightmares that seemed to hound her so...

<font color=teak>There was something sinister about the woods; the trees seemed to be shifting every few seconds, some whispering restlessly, others moaning their repentance. Yet the beauty of the woods was almost too great for its beholder, as if blood and tears had been sacrificed to create such a wondrous realm.

<font color=yellow>"Welcome to my little world, Isaura."</font> ~ The smile on the towering lady's face frightened her ~ <font color=yellow>"How do you like it here?"</font> ~ Then she chuckled softly ~ <font color=yellow>"I see you're quite... speechless at the sight of everything here... including myself."</font>

Before she knew it, she found herself compelled to gaze upon the mistress of the woods, for everything else was spinning; she was in a merry-go-round of greenery and the only chance of survival was to look her in the eye.

<font color=yellow>"Good... at last, you are paying me due attention."</font> ~ Melpomeme drawled on unhurriedly ~ <font color=yellow>"I brought you here to let you know how Raymond is faring in his training with... me."</font> ~ There was a touch of finality in her voice that pierced her to the core ~ <font color=yellow>"He has quite forgotten who Isaura is, and all credit must go to me."</font> ~ Her lazy, malevolent smile was sucking the will out of the illusionist and now, the latter staggered backwards, unwilling to accept the truth.

<font color=yellow>"He will NEVER remember who you are now... and if you are so foolish as to try to find him here..."</font> ~ She let her raucous laughter speak for itself and clapped her hands. A pack of wolves now bounded forward, their fangs bared and hostility etched across their vicious faces.

<font color=yellow>"Remember her face, my pets."</font> ~ And she disappeared, they all disappeared, the greenery fading into nothingness.

Everything was gone. Including Raymond...</font>

No!!! ~ She panted as she sprinted breathlessly ~ I cannot go without a fight! ~ All her petty desires of rulership crumbled to dust as the truth now struck her across the face.

Wait for me, Raymond... wait for me!!!</font>

OOC>>> Looks like this little baby of mine is going to reach its <font color=lime>1st year anniversary</font> [img]smile.gif[/img] *Starts to prepare for some significant event* :D

<font color=white>ANNOUNCEMENT</font>

<font color=gold>The plot from Dark Clouds will be merging with some of those in this thread, now that Isaura's new plot is starting.</font>

<font color=lightblue>The merger will take place at the soonest convenient time or when Dark Clouds reaches its 300 post, which is earlier.</font> <font color=yellow>And for some of us, it'll be one big happy family again.

Details will be released later.</font> [img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

[ 11-17-2002, 02:08 AM: Message edited by: mistral4543 ]