Hazardous Times: Chapter X "Where Hidden Dangers Lurk"

[Galadria]

OOC>> Sorry, Ar-Cunin, things have been so chaotic that we kind of had to sort evey one out! IC>>
ELIZA (Proudly carrying Blandamour's banner, she leads the expedition to the gates of Korup-Shun. Going through, she notes haow much deeper the shadows are than outside the walls. Indistict shapes scuttle through the dark places. She finds an open inn, and inspects it, finding it very dirty andvermin-infested. To Blandamour) "Dear my Lord, this place looks horrid. Do we have to stay here? Cannot we camp outside the walls?"

[Cyril Darkcloud]

The Steeplewood Forest

As Miriam chants over the basin images dance forth from the water into the grove. Her voice is strong and there is real delight in the way she intones the notes – for a spell such as this has as much art as magic about it. Ullalume moves silently among the images touching them and feeling the past which stands behind them. Claudia moves beside her, her own magic opening what Ullalume sees to the sight of the others. The battle with the demon unfolds before them but not as mere vision for the emotions and concerns of that day are brought forth as well.

Iphigenia turns a moment from her studious gaze upon the participants in the battle and speaks softly to Ligeia, “It is a surprisingly diverse group, this band whose company the woman has joined. Their strengths are many.”

“Yes, many indeed,” Ligeia agrees and then, noting once more the unspoken tensions and confusions obtaining among these same people that earlier scrying had indicated adds with a smile, “as are their weaknesses.”

The studious probing of the recent past continues a while longer until present concerns demand a pause. Iphigenia rises from her place and calls to the others, “Come. It is time. The Lady would have us meet her within the wooded part of her grounds.”

The visions fade quickly and the grove falls silent save for the songs of the evening birds. Ligeia is first to the tree. She whispers a command and steps forward into the large and ancient oak. After Miriam and Claudia have followed, Iphigenia takes Ullalume by the hand and guides her movement into the tree. Their swift movements into the tree are followed by an equally swift emergence onto the grounds of the estate.

[ 06-06-2002, 10:43 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[Legolas]

OOC: Okay, to clear up the confusion, this is about what happened since Bazguul's defeat:

TAO dissapeared into the woods
Kishin started to leave town
Skye was lying about losing her memories
Ni Deng showed Addison where and how to destroy the amulet
The others went to either the inn or the town gates
Kishin decided to return to the group after all

Addison couldn't make up his mind just yet and so Ni Deng and he went to the inn as well to think things over
Then he decided to destroy it, and went into the catacombs of Bazguul's lair and destroyed it. Mostly everyone came running towards the explosion and picked Addison up from the floor.
Skye rejoined the group too

Everyone was about to set out, but it was getting dark
Raymond decided to find TAO in the woods
The others rested at the inn
Raymond and TAO rejoined the group
Everyone set out to Korup-Shun (that probably includes Madman, too)

If anyone wants to change anything, or not go to Korup-Shun, just say so

[Legolas]

Legolas

He grins at her touching his nose. It's a most odd gesture, but he could probably get used to it. Sorsha appeared shy, sometimes even unsure, but that never did stop her from being unpredictable. If anything, it made whatever she did seem more spontaneous.
He sleepily touches his own finger to his nose, to where hers had been just seconds ago.

Pushing the blanket somewhat aside, he rolls out of the bed and straightens. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sees Sorsha still has dried-up mud clinging to her face. He realised he must look much the same. It only serves to widen his grin.
Thinking about the journey ahead, he turns more serious.

"We'll find her, Sorsha. Right after we wash up and retrieve our stuff we can be on the road. It shouldn't be too hard to find that bard, and then she can point us to your sister. But we'd better get moving."

[Galadria]

ELIZA (Just as Legolas says this, she feeels a strange shiver go up her spine.) "Like someone walked over my grave," she whispers to herself.

[mistral4543]

Sorsha

At long last, they finish packing and set off on their way. She feels the faint stabs at the temples of her head after a while, but smiles wearily at Legolas' look of concern ~ "We must press on, or lose her forever." ~ The glow on her cheeks deepening as time passes. At the peak of her exhaustion, they reach the outskirts of a forestry area and pause in their tracks.

Right ahead of them, a beautifully carved tablet is marked with the following words: Steeplewood Forest.

[mistral4543]

OOC>>> It's not that I don't appreciate your help, Elif, but the party moved off without a chance for ol' Isaura to probe into her past [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

IC>>>
Isaura

To her discomfort, she finds her legs shaking slightly as they near the gates of Korrup Shun ~ Seems that they remember my past more than my head does! ~ Taking a step back behind the front-liners ~ "Eh... hi." ~ She nods in embarassment to those around her ~ Well, I'm not going to die so soon after I've been rescued... and really, I haven't any skills that I can remember, so to speak... ~ Yet her mind is filled with a whirl of voices, screaming, yelling, echoing in her ears.

"No..." ~ Moaning, she cups her ears with both hands in despair even as her lips part. Body shaking and perspiring, she tilts her head towards the sky and chants the incantations helplessly. Her eyes widen as she finds herself holding onto eleven fiery globes in her palms.

Now, how did I know how to do that...

[Cyril Darkcloud]

THE ESTATE

“The grounds seem more beautiful each time I walk within them,” Tobias marvels as they move slowly along a shaded trail. “And the trees! Each of them so tall and full and with such bright colors emerging on their leaves .....”

“Yes, Claudia and Miriam have been rather inspired in their care for the grounds of late,” she smiles.

“Tell me, my dear,” he smiles slyly as he speaks these words, “what manner of tree are we to select for your artists?”

She returns his smile. “Ebonwood. They shall have nothing but the finest for their work.”

“But there are no such trees on your property. How are we to select an ebonwood tree when there is none to be found?”

“O but there soon will be!” Ligeia’s laughter rings out from under a nearby tree. Claudia and Miriam are seated near her, their backs resting against a tall maple. Ullalume and Iphigenia walk slowly over to stand with Cora, the pale Ullalume again showing Tobias her mysterious smile.

“What do you mean ‘there soon will be?” He asks, beginning to grow nervous.

Ligeia simply laughs and her two companions rise to their feet softly singing a curiously beautiful melody. “Time is a strange thing,” Ullalume’s voice is low and tranquil, “always it is in motion. Never resting, always moving forward and never turning back upon itself. Or so it is believed. But time can stop and time can run out and tomorrow does not always arrive.” The smile leaves her face and her eyes flash with anger. “You hurt her who was the one whose voice freed me from the madness my gifts brought to me. Where others hated me and saw only a curse, she saw a gift and showed me beautiful things. And you hurt her!” Just briefly her voice breaks with emotion and the others look nervously to her. “You hurt her and it is time for that to end.” Her eyes narrow and time simply stops for Tobias. No sound is registered within his ears. No sensation is felt by his skin. His open eyes see nothing and even the air he has drawn into his mouth hangs motionless, suspended in mid-breath.

Claudia and Miriam sing with greater intensity, their voices filling the air around Tobias. Iphigenia then steps forward touching the man torn violently out of the movement of time, the words of an ancient and terrible hymn upon her lips. Color and warmth wash over her as she chants and nature itself grows strangely quiet at her words. As the chant is completed, Iphigenia steps away from Tobias and Cora nods to Ullalume. The placid woman simply moves her hand and Tobias is pulled suddenly and violently back into the rushing movement of time. The spell grasps him and roots plunge painfully downward out of his feet anchoring him to the earth. Change moves rapidly upward through his body and his torso begins to lengthen even as it takes on the aspect of a tree trunk.

“Cora! How? Why? You can’t! Nooooooooooooooo!”

“But I can and I have, my dear Tobias. They do such beautiful work, my girls, do they not?” There is a maternal fondness in her eyes as she looks at them. Her aspect changes then and despite his pain Tobias’ eyes widen at what he sees. “Yes, now that there is no time even for your craven selfishness, now you can see what you should have seen so long ago. You refused me, Tobias, refused even those things I would have given you freely. You refused me for her. But she has in turn refused you, has she not?” She steps forward running a slender finger along his chest. “And now none shall have you, save my artists. You whom I could not inspire shall become the material upon which the dreams I have inspired in them shall be expressed.”

“No, Cora, please .....”

“It is far too late, for ‘please’, Tobias. Too late by a badly wounded heart. But do not worry, I shall see to it that your dear little Isaura shall know the pain that comes when love is stolen by another. A pity you shall not see, but as my dear Ullalume said in such a lovely way, time can run out and tomorrow does not always arrive. Time has reached its end for you, Tobias.” She rests her hand affectionately upon Ullalume’s shoulder, “It seems, however, that time is very much in my favor.”

Iphigenia intones the final words of the chant and the transformation hurries to its completion. As the last blush of sunset leaves the sky, Tobias is no more. A tall and beautifully formed ebonwood tree stands in his place.

[ 06-06-2002, 10:40 PM: Message edited by: Cyril Darkcloud ]

[Larry_OHF]

OOC>>>Note to Cyril and for all to read: I am so happy to have you participating on this part of our story, because I know you will give us all an adventure like none has ever dared live before. I do not assume that I will live through this, for I know very well what I am up against. I will give battle, if it is presented to me...and I will fight to live and to win...BUT...I will accept death, if that is the way it is to be. I am more concerned about seeing a wonderful story develop instead of my personal pride. I can only hope that the others will feel the same and not assume this will be an easy task, even for all eleven of us united! For I am sure that your plan will not involve keeping us together...you will probably try to find a way to separate us and pick at us individually, you old devil you...

************************************************** *******************

Raymond

Raymond was feeling a bit unsettled being near Isaura. She did not really know him, and maybe feared him. That was a bit too much for him to breathe in. He paced back and forth pondering his feelings and how to manage them. Every so often, he would look to the darkness of the trees, begging for a glimpse of his teacher, TAO. He needed support and comfort, and she was the only one that could do that for him. He was like her son, or something, for she had taken him in upon his birth to the life of a panther, and helped him grow into his new way of living. He owed her his very life, and now she had left him alone. Was this a test? Was this a way for her to try his wits and see if he could do it on his own? And how could she possibly beleive that he could concentrate on anything except winning Isaura's heart back. Maybe he needed to re-prove himself. Maybe if she got into trouble and he saved her, she would remember...but...that meant being around her so that if something did happen...he would be there. Yet he could not possibly bare her presence now. It hurt too much to receive those cold glares that mocked his feelings and asked in their own way..."what is this thing that is tormenting me?"...No...it was best to stay away from that.

Raymond shifted himself into his panther form and ran through the cold black forest. It was his only comfort, leaving humanity behind...even if but a little while. His senses improved greatly and he was able to circle the camp without notice, staying only near enough to keep an eye on things. Maybe he would play guardian cat that protects the men and women from dangerous beasts tonight. It was his favorite game to play.

[TAOWolf]

A mournful howl fills the woods, mountains and the tavern......... continuing for hours......

With silver eyes glowing, she scans the woods below her and the tavern, looking for threats.......an unseen wind blows thru her fur, her hackles raised as she lifts her nose to the moon again, howling.....

The moon plays along the silver in her fur, creating rainbows of sparkles upon the night, the stars reflecting from her glowing eyes as she slowly steps towards the tavern, transforming in a whirlwind of dust to human......

The twinkling of her staff hitting the ground with each step reaches the tavern before she is within sight...........