Hazardous Times - Part III

[mistral4543]

Isaura

The pain remains raw despite the years that have passed... that much is apparent. Choking on her tears, she gasps for air and wipes her hands hurriedly across her eyes ~ What would Raymond say if he saw me thus? ~ A sense of uneasiness descends upon her anguished heart, and she whips around to see him peering out of the tent.

"No!!..." ~ A single cry escapes her parted lips, and she staggers backwards, her hands desperately covering the lower part of her ashen face.


Sorsha

At the sound of Jaime's alert, she turns in the direction of the alleged intruders, feeling her irregular heartbeat in resonance with the thunderous sound of hooves galloping across the gravel path they have been taking.

"It can't be..." ~ Whispering to nobody in particular, she reaches down to cradle Puka into her arms. Around her, her companions have unsheathed their weapons in readiness for yet another bloody fight. Balancing the puppy with her left hand, she reaches into her pocket with her right and clasps it around the amulet ~ Ah, Legolas! You're no longer around to rule my instincts... ~ Yet the hand trembles slightly.

Gritting her teeth, she grips it tighter and extracts it from the pocket. Flinging the chain over her neck, she lets the pendant hang loosely now, exposed for all to see.

As the riders approach, the crystal bursts into a blinding light, stunning all but herself...


Eliza

She glances in the direction of the brilliant rays, her emerald eyes widening in shock as they catch the glittering trinket. Momentarily stunned, her quick mind nevertheless continues thinking ~ The power... I feel it... ~ With an effort, she tears her eyes away from the glowering gem but advances towards Sorsha without hindrance, secure in the knowledge of all others' (excepting Sorsha) delayed recovery.

"That's a lovely necklace you have there, Sorsha..." ~ Her voice melodic, she casts her a sisterly smile ~ "May I take a closer look at it?" ~ Her eyes avoiding direct contact with the powerful artifact at all costs.


Sorsha

"..." ~ Too late does she realise the abrupt advance from Eliza, and notes with horror that Galadria and Rrang, her protectors are still half-paralysed by the magical powers of the amulet ~ Legolas, is this what you were worried about?... How I have wronged you... ~ Puka yelps ferociously as Eliza now draws herself towards the pair.


Eliza

Cursing softly, she eyes the pup with venom ~ "Shut up!" ~ Swinging her left palm round, she smacks him across the cheek, ignoring his piteous whining ~ "Now, Sorsha, you know I would mean you no harm, but... I must see... that... amulet..." ~ Her voice strangled, she reaches to grab it.


Sorsha

"No!!" ~ She screams, remembering the fate of a character, one who had attempted a similar feat - how long it had been since that first encounter! ~ "You'll die! Get away!" ~ Panic shrilling in her unnatural voice.


Eliza

She jolts out of her possessed state, shaking in her rooted spot ~ "Wha... what happened?" ~ Then realises that everyone else has finally snapped out of their trance ~ "Hey, don't look at me! I don't even know what happened here..."

Her voice dies off as the riders now stand right in front of the group.

[mistral4543]

Dalben

The hungry flames having devoured what had been a leatherbound book, they now flicker occasionally, reverting back to that comfortable state of providing a gentle warmth.

He looks out of the window, feeling the sudden pessimistic draught inside the room ~ Something's not quite right... ~ For the first time in many years, he moves towards the shelves briskly. With a practised gesture, he reaches for a red-covered book and pulls it lightly out.

The ground begins to shake with tiny tremors, and the shelf moans unwillingly. With impatience, he mutters ~ "Hurry up, old chap!" ~ For what seems like eternity, the shelf continues to drag itself towards the left...

At long last, the movement ceases. He eyes the revealed flight of steps emotionlessly. Reaching for the quarterstaff, he murmurs the words of enchantment and the crystal at the tip begans to glow in a subdued light. Striding forward, he continues on his descent, pronouncing a different set of intonations.

Outside, the bookshelf creaks again as it returns to its original position, concealing the hidden passage once more...

[Galadria1]

GALADRIA (shakes off the last effects of the paralysis spell, draws sword) (To the lead rider) "Halt, who goes there? Come no closer without parley, or taste our steel."

[Larry_OHF]

"Kill the men. Leave the women unarmed and alive."

Suddenly, six men on horse back broke out from behind thier leader and drew their shimmering long swords. Jaime could feel a large lump in his throat. He had never been this scared before. There were only 2 men in this party. He and the monkey-man. That put three riders to each of them. He had only a second or two to decide on a strategy. That was not long enough for a thief to get himself outta danger. He could run, but that would leave the women to their mercy. He could die, knowing he had done everything he could to protect the very ones that brought him outta the slums and given him a reason to live.
He knew what he would have to do. He would fight like a man, and not run. He would die, at least fighting. He raised his sword and yelled, running towards doom itself.

OOC>>>Could somebody help this poor lunatic?

[Galadria1]

OOC>> Fear not, reinforcements are on the way!
GALADRIA (Sheathing her sword, she grasps her lance and spurs Gold Top. Her lance transfixes the leader, pinning him like an insect, killing him immediately, but tearing the lance out of her hand. She outs with her sword, again, and with a mighty swing takes the head from a second. His horse carries him past with his body grotesquely still upright, foutaining blood. She notes with approval that Delita has killed his man, and is engaging two more. She attacks her next opponent, buthe hides his head behind his shield, and while she duels with him, another attacks her from her other side. She causes Gold Top to rear, and she does, lashing out with her hooves at the other horse, tumbling it over, sending the rider sprawling. She then attacks her other opponent.

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>Oops, Kinda forgot about ol' Delita being here!

IC>>>Seeing that this might be an easier task than first assumed, Jaime charges on, his spirits renewed with hope. He runs up to the mounted man that he had charged and leaped straight up and onto the horse, knocking the guy off it. The horse galloped away, being spooked. Jaime and the guy wrestle on the ground a bit until his enemy breaks away and stands up, aiming to retrieve his dagger from his boot and stab Jaime as he was getting up. Jaime was the quicker. As the man kneeled down to retrieve his dagger, Jaime kicked the horseman's knee, bringing him bck to the ground. Reaching over and taking the man's dagger from his own boot, Jaime flipped over and slashed the man's throat, leaving him gurgling, and dying fast.
Jaime cleaned the blood from the dagger and added it to his inventory. Looking back at the leader of this group of slain horsemen, Jaime smirked, and spit his way.

[Legolas]

Rrang

As his low growl grew louder by the second, legmuscles tensed while his fingers gripped the spear. His growling suddenly stopped as one of the attackers came into range, a grey shape looming overhead, holding a simple but highly functional sword back, poised to strike.

Rrang was an unusual oponnent, in that he did not fight like ordinary men and women. He never had weapons training, and while he usually avoided contact with hindwalkers he had crafted his spear and learned touse it, simply because he could, and it worked. And to have an edge over his claw armed brothers and sisters.

Instead of holding back and using the length of the spear to his advangage, he thrust himself into the air, spearpoint first. A snarl on his face, as well as his already wild appearance, caused the swordsman to hesitate. The point neatly drilled a hole through his neck, an he slowly toppled backwards out of the saddle.

Not bothering to pull his weapon free, Rrang jumped the next man, diving just under the thrusting sword. Nails and teeth he had also learned to put to good use, but this was different from hunting with pack.
Here he had he could trust to watch his back, and the price for that was a slash across his right shoulder. He winced in pain a moment, before ignoring the attacker behind him and trying to get a grip on the other man's throat with his teeth.

[Galadria1]

GALADRIA

(As her last opponent staggers, she reverses her hold and knocks him out with the pommel. She turns to help Rrang, smashing his attacker on the helmet, dazing him. As Rrang finishes him off, she goes and binds the unconscious rider's wrists and ankles. To a surprised Jaime, she growls, "We need answers. Who sent these men, and whence from. A pity that I had to kill the leader."

[ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: Galadria1 ]

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> Reaching 150-post limit, so...

...this thread is closed.

Starting a new one soon