"Tel-Silgulwath...." Carloseus repeated softly as if he was storing it in the banks of his mind, or perhaps he had heard it before?
"I, I remember you. From a battle. With a demon! A mage you are," Carloseus came closer, and spoke so only the mage could listen, "and a victim of demonic forces." he spoke as if his own words were forbidden. His presence was sharp and alert, stern. He felt a flush of light within him, and his body bothered him less with its constant warnings of pain and the remembrance of the damage it had taken.
"Tel-Silgulwath, I have a story to tell, but I fear the others are not yet ready to hear it. You however, I see and sense it, will understand it better than the others and will help me draw meaning from it. I ask your audience, and your help in figuring more to this puzzle before I explain to the others how it was exactly I stand before you still." he said quickly, so quickly and soft that he knew none but the mage could comprehend even if he had spoken it aloud. It never failed, nor hurt, to be cautious.
He then began walking to the closest exit from the Guild Hall. If the last of the Ennead accepted his request, he would walk with the mage at his side, outside where they could talk more privately.
Tel-Silgulwath stared for a long moment out the threshold and into the outer brightness of the city lights.
In the dark of the tunnels I could not distinguish man from man, but here in the guild hall he seemed somehow... Different from other people.
He stopped his mind a moment and took a step from the support beam, anchoring himself on his supporting staff. And what if he knows more of the forbidden magicks of demonkind? Did not the Ennead dabble in such restricted yet potent fields? What if he knows more of the Enneadan magicks, themselves?
It was an opportunity he could not resist. His whole purpose of existence at this moment was for the documentation and revival of the ancient and lost Ennead ways. He slipped out the door behined him.
Even as they walked out through the grand entrance, Carloseus seemed to grow stronger. His steps were stronger and better placed, and he slowly stood stronger. They exited, and began walking the neatly structured path of the gardens surrounding the great hall of the Radiant Heart.
After a few minutes of walking, Carloseus turned into the garden, and strolled into the garden itself. He approached two trees, and walked through them. His form disappeared. He knew where he stood now, and if his accomplice followed, he too would know the greatness of this discovery.
Tel-Silgulwath could faintly hear the conversations of Sir Elric, Belgarath, the soft-spoken Cinara, and the others in the entry hall as he quietly stepped through the courtyard gardens, past flowers, shrubs, and small trees of varying colors and species, and to where Carloseus had vanished-
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Vanished?!
He quickly looked all about the spot- two trees placed side-by-side- for a trap door or hidden entrance, but there was nothing.
Tel-Silgulwath had studied the ways of the Druids and the old ways of the primal magicks, but he could find no explanation for what had just happened.
His mind instantly broke in to flames it seemed- fowl power surging through the membranes and crevacices. The demon magic from the temple- the power that recoiled on me when I tried to attack the wraith with my power- it feels as strong as it did that night!
He tried his best to shrug it off and stumbled between the twin towers of nature.
"You see what I see?" Carloseus asked rhetorically. They stood in a plane who's color was far richer, and far sharper than those they knew in the other. Unfortunately, they were the colors of death, and destruction, and war.
"You, are in the realm of demons now. They cannot touch us, the temple just outside this portal shields us with its holy presence, however I'd rather not rely on that. This is where I had come through when I fled my prison." He breathed heavily.
"What happened in the temple before, was no accident. You see, after that fight with the demon he cracked a part of my wall, my shield against the demonic powers that have tried to control me before. I was forced not to act as my body turned itself on my friends, and Bastrom saw it before anything could happen and attempted to restrain me. My puppet masters did not like that. Powers demonic and arcane alike so strong clashed, and the holy defiance of the Light within me, that it caused that explosion, and we were sent somewhere here. I've no memory of it. All I remember is them dragging my already bleeding body accross the jagged rocks and the cold hard floors of the demon's hall." He took another deep breathe, it trembled slightly.
"There, we were beaten and tortured. Our spirits were to be broken and our wills turned to darkness. Dark knights. They would cleave swords, axes, arrows, anything into our flesh, and upon removing them the incision would heal, but not the pain it brought. Despite the lack of food, of sleep, or of rest from the days of torture we were enduring, I managed to outwit one of my captives into breaking free the chains that bound me, and I quickly dismissed them into eternal darkness. Bastrom, however, was hurried off away to stronger fortifications and I could not find him. Uising nothing but the crude sword used to torture and ironically free me, I fought with all I had away. Eventually I took so much damage from the clubs and the swords that every now so often landed a blow, but not enough as to kill me, I was forced to crawl away under all the confusion and every second felt like it was years."
"Then I came accross here. See that?" he said, pointing at a seal drawn by now dried blood. It was large, and very intricate, lots of time had to have been put into this, and apparently alot of blood as well.
"I drew that with my own essence. I routed it to the fastest available location on the other world associated with the holy and powers of Light. There, the demons could not pass, and if they could there would be an effective force to destroy them. However it went undetected, as we can now see, and I appeared suddenly to one priestess's horror, on the step of the entrance to the hall of the Radiant Heart. Later I would find out that it was Elric's very order, and the coincidence was amazeful, however I have not been able to be at peace. Bastrom is there." he pointed in the far distance beyond their sight.
And I do not know why I was chosen, for others too were cracked of their shields before they could mend, nor do I understand how, or why all this knowledge comes to me. It is not of demonic origin or will, no. The Light inside me is strong, I can feel it now in my veins. Tell me mage. What do you think about this place, and the story I have told you?"
His eyes were wide and bright, his hands trembling as swiftly as his lips.
"This...This is..."
All the world was cast in hues of sunset- scarlet, garnet, fiery orange- as well as those of the darkest smoke in the deepest cavern- black in all its beauty.
"We stand at the threshold of Hell! Do you realize- no, can you fathom what powers the loremasters store in their hellish libraries? The demonics were the epicenter of the more powerful offensive magicks- many that the High Heavens could not even, nor wanted to, dream of!"
The pain that coursed his mind felt now like a sharply warm yet invigorating pool of water upon flesh on a cold morning.
"And the demons- they are eternal! Surely they would have records of the disappearance of my people and their magicks- this is a gift you have been chosen to discover!"
He turned to face Carloseus, "Tell me, what is this place called?"
(To the Dungeon Master- will this require a different thread or is there one in existence that can hold it? Or PMs strictly?)
Carloseus was taken aback. He did not know what to think of this excitement.
"I do not know what this place is called. And we cannot venture into it further, for the powers of the church that shield it will not let us even if we wanted to. Nor am I in a condition to defend myself should we be attacked." He closed his eyes, and the entire realm dissolved. They were standing in the small grove in the garden just where the trees they had crossed between had been. However they were there no longer.
"For the moment going there takes much more from me than I can afford for too long. The seal somehow linked to me, everytime I've gone there since my escape I've noticed my energy depleting. Tell me. What do you make of this situation?" he asked earnestly.
Tel-Silgulwath felt a certain pang of disappointment as his hopes and dreams dissolved around him, then gathered his thoughts and turned to the miserable-looking Carloseus.
"Bastrom saved my life initially- he had healed me in the dark of the buried temple. I could not do my conscience justice by walking away from him when he is in such dire need, and is undergoing who-knows-what kind of torment. So, to save him would be only natural."
He thought a moment, leaning heavily against his make-shift staff.
"As for the condition of the gate's stability and our inability to pass very far under the divine protection of the church... It is a both a gift and a barrier. We must figure out how to breach it, but at that moment we would also need protecting from the hosts of that world."
"I would imagine that we only need you to have the gate stable for the time we need to pass through it and out of the influence of the holy power of the guild hall, at which point it could be closed. Perhaps once it is closed entirely the influence of the guild hall will vanish at the point of the seal in Otherworld and we would be thus able to move out and about."
"If that does not work, we might need to make ourselves seem to it as residents, by way of some enchantment. I favor the medium of the enchantment as a small thing that can be hidden away so as to keep it from being stolen from our persons- perhaps a dull-looking ring or amulet, or a charm of some sort."
I will not let this opportunity pass me by, he thought to himself, My searching could well be absolved within this gate, and I would be a fool to let it slip.
A thought briefly passed through him, "I do know of some enchanting that could do such a thing, come to think of it. There was a mage, I believe of the Horadrim in a far away land, that tampered with the power of transplanar and demon magic. He fastened his in the manner of arch ways with pendants embedded in their crux so as to act as a source of magic for the gateway to spread within its boundaries. However, in this case there is not a solid gateway- we probably would not want one so that demonkind would not be able to pass through the breach indefinitely- so perhaps we could apply the same magic and theory to our own selves, so that we are the receiving object. I do not know what the effect of having the enchanted object taken off would do to us while in the Otherworld, but I do not think we should chance it should we use this method."
"I know that Bastrom must be under incredible pain at the moment, but you must be strong enough to allow us to test the limits of your gate. You must rest tonight- first thing tomorrow morning we shall begin work. I will notify Sir Elric that we must part ways momentarily."
"The gate can only open when I will it to. And yes, we must venture into it eventually. However, I will warn you of the lures of power. They prey on it. Rest. Ease your mind of today's work. And next time I go there I want to be fully rested. I bid you good day, one of the lost Ennead."
Carloseus bowed politely, and before he left, he said one last thing. "And the portal is never the same place. It appears where I will it to. That should ease your mind about where we enter."
Carloseus went to clean himself, and then fell asleep after placing wards around himself. He felt naked without his sword with him. However he would rather spend all his life energy than allow anyone especially the demons to use him as a way to open a portal.
Tel-Silgulwath stood in the grove a while longer, lost in his memories.
He stood at the foot of the great tower hewn of a single stone, the wide steps before him and the threshold open wide like the maw of a hungry beast. He watched the great windows far above spew out magic fire and lightning, thunder rippling from the sagging frames as pages and parts of chairs and tables flew out. He heard the screams far above- those of his brother and father. He had used a vision displacement spell and watched the battle from below- the Aggermawg, Keeper of Ennead Magicks, throwing all manner of forbidden spells and curses at his last family members from its torn and twisted fingertips. He had watched as his father writhed in pain on the stone floor slippery with his own blood, his bones being twisted slowly about in his body, ripping muscles and tearing organs apart. He had watched as his brother Tel-SareggIther was shot through by a vicious bolt of lightning, the Aggermawg's eyes alight with pleasure.
He had watched as his father fell to his death, untold volumes of Ennead secrets falling to pieces as they fell with him. He had landed on a disfigured statue beside the steps, a single journal still in his hand, as blood poured down the statue's irregular surfaces.
"T-T-Tel...-gulwath... There are still things...to be found... Do not let our people die with your... last breath!"
And there he had died. And there, Tel-Silgulwath had made his decision.
He shook his head and took one last look at the spot where the gate used to be. Briefly, the temptation to abuse Carloseus' mind passed through him. He quickly dispatched the thought.
The next morning Carloseus awoke far more refreshed than he had felt in weeks. Many of the bandages came off as the wounds were fully healed, and only till after consulting with the priests did he learn they were healing him with their prayers, as well as his own energy. He found it hard to have no grasp over the arcane forces, however the powers of the Light prevailed even now. He walked with much more ease, and his mind was alot less at strife with itself, perhaps another reason for his speedy recovery.
Though many of the smaller wounds, and the small inflictions were the majority, had healed, there were still several thick as well as deep wounds in him. The demonic magics that had accompanied them were also not allowing him to heal as fast as he would, there would have to be something done about that. Along with these stubborn ailments his body was still weak, it would require more time to recover its natural energies and strength.
Carloseus spent the better part of the day talking with the rest of the party, however not bringing up anything of importance. They did not ask, and he told them they would know why he was still alive soon enough. After meeting with each and every one of them, he accompanied a priestess to a training area where the guild's fighters sparred and trained, and she helped him as he struggled to remaster simple movements besides walking and laying down. He insisted on doing his habilitation here, where the mood was on becoming better, and of determination. Here he planned on spending the rest of the day, though he did not mind any visitations.
The preists and preistess's were all extremely co-operative with him. In fact, they had treated him as if he were a high member of their order before they had even known about his friendship with Sir Elric. When he was well enough to stand, he insisted on walking around, and often every person in the room ran to his aid whenever he would fall out of instability and shaky limbs.
As if I were an old man... But I will earn this. I cannot become a member of their order, however I can become a friend. he thought to himself whenever he was reminded of their kindness. He knew this was not all free. The details of his arrival there, and the inflictions upon him were enough for them to know he was tortured by demons. Demons never tortured the weak and invaluable. And they never allowed for their prisoners to escape. Those facts alone told them that he was valuable to the evil they fought, and then they discovered that he too was a warrior of the Light. Perhaps they counted on him to join their ranks and become a fighter under their name. He however, in his heart, could not.
He thought about this as he did the exercises as the lady before him instructed, and he felt a stinging pain on his arm. He snapped out and noticed the priestess giving him a commanding stare, in her hand an arm's length thin stick, and the end of the stick over a bandage where he had a very large and still-nasty wound.
"Perhaps now, you will learn to pay attention to me and these exercises, instead of dozing off. Concentrate on this. You will heal faster and develop stronger if you put your heart, mind, and soul into this." she scolded. He knew she did not want to be harsh, it was just what was called from her. A temporary parent. He fought back a smile and nodded apologetically, resuming his exercise with full attention.
As the others prepared for their various tasks and quests, Tel-Silgulwath took a few of the Order's prime tomes of teachings, disciplines, and quazi-spells and read them over in a shadowed window overlooking the courtyards in all their flowered and neatly-trimmed beauty.
The books contained nothing of interest- at least, not the kind he cared about. His interest in unfaithful and temporal gods diminished with the death of his family and his isolation in the world. The "spells" that he found occasionally (and magic methods) were novice at best, aside from some healing spells and sealing enchantments for use only in the face of demonic magic.
Demonic magic...
The thought was so beautiful. The forbidden magic. Its abilities could be limitless. The demons knew the better part of the world of magic far more comprehensively than did the angelics, or man. Weak man. Pitiful, mortal man. A curse.
He noticed he was starring at the spot where he and Carloseus had traveled to a demonic plane, by way of some manner of strange mental wrapping of Carloseus' mind. Why should such a gift go to the unsearching?
He let the thought pass. He would be there soon enough. And when he got there, he would help rescue Bastrom. And then, well...
He might well stay.
The world was now empty of anyone he cared to be with- his family, friends, colleagues. There was less and less he could discover that meant anything to him. The possibility of the answers to his ancestral past and the promise of powerful magicks was too good to pass up or resist.
He put his hand inside his robe and pulled out his father's journal and wrote down all he had thought, wary of his vanishing and aging mind. And another thought hit him.
Age?
Do not the demons live eternally? Do they have some secret? Would I care the price I would have to pay for it?
From outside, he could vaguely hear the clangs and slashes of those practicing their melee skills. He watched as the flower beds waved in the breeze like a pool of water, as the trees and bushes rustled with contentment in the sunlight.
After his sessions, Carloseus met with the group at dinner, and excused himself to rest. He laid himself onto the bed and closed his eyes. Instantly he fell asleep. He dreamed of nothing in particular, mostly battles and old friends of his past.
A priestess who had been charged to care for the wounded soldier known as Carloseus noticed him stir. He had been fine throughout the entire night, and now he clenched the sheet over him tightly in his fists. Pain was clear in his face, though it was more of an emotional source.
She walked over to him, and felt his forehead, then his heart beat. She almost screamed in surprise when he opened his eyes suddenly, staring into hers.
"I am sorry." he said as soon as he realized where he was. Placing a hand on her shoulder and muttering a few simple words she fell fast asleep, and soon replaced him on the bed under the sheet.
He made his way outside, careful not to be seen nor followed. On the opposite side of the church where he had made the portal where he had taken Tel-Silgulwath he made another. And as soon as he passed through, he closed it.
Tel-Silgulwath could wait no longer that night. He went quickly to Carloseus' sleeping quarters and neared the bed. He arrived to see a priestess snuggled restfully in the blankets.
He shook her urgently awake, "Where is he?!"
She looked confused and a little scared, "I don't know- something came over me, and I fell to sleep..."
He grunted with annoyance.
"The gate can only open when I will it to."
And then it hit him. He summoned up a bit of Divination magic, "Accla, Callis, Dispicibo", to see his foot steps.
Shreds of light instantly flared to life leading to and from the door, the most recent being his, the second most recent being Carloseus'. He followed them as if they were a bridge to immortality.
He was too late. As he passed an open window, his aging hands grasped the frame as his staff fell to the marble floor in a clutter.
"Damn... Damn it all!"
He watched as Carloseus vanished in to nothing, along with all of his hopes and dreams.
After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, he silently slipped off back down the hallway, through the guild, and in to a quiet room to brood his failings.
He stared at a far away tower, he felt it to be where Bastrom was held. The barrier that had kept him and Tel-Silgulwath safe easily came apart as he smashed the seal of dried blood on the ground. He would have to make another seal if he wished to return. Quickly, and stealthily he made his way unknown, unnoticed by the patrols and the roaming monsters.
Though his body was indeed greatly healed by the excercises and the rest he had, as well as prayers of the kind and wise priests and preistesses, that is not what he relied on at the moment. The forces of Light flowed through him as if it were his own blood in his veins, and gave him strength and speed not unlike the one he would have when his body was fully mended. He felt no pain, not now with his senses so alert to moving on undiscovered.
Finally he made it to the tower, and huddled in a rather large crack in its north left corner. Assuming its entrance faced the North for there was no sun in this place. Now what? he asked himself. He thought for a bit, he needed the guards and the patrols inside the tower to be outside the tower.
After much contemplation, he thought of something. A diversion. Gathering as much as he could of his energies at one time, he looked off to the side where a large band of demons came patrolling.
"Veritas, Credo, Oculos." he spoke. The illusionary spell created for him a band of warriors. He spoke the words again, and more appeared. When enough were there to create an army, he stopped breifly, astonished that not one of the demons in the entire area had noticed it yet. "Incertus, Pulcher, Imperio" he then spoke. He channeled the spell so that it appeared to have come from one of the illusionary army, to attack one of the demons at the end of the group. It roared in pain and fell unconscious, and the others turned to see an army of men, standing ready to fight. They stood parallysed, and ran into the tower long enough to yell commands.
Carloseus was taking the spell hard, but he heard a tremendous roar of footsteps as he heard many running down the tower and outside to assemble. He concentrated on the spell, focusing his attention on it as to avoid losing more energy than before. When at last the final demon had assembled, there were others from all around that surrounded the army. "Incertus, Pulcher, Imperio." he said quietly. From the middle a man jumped and shot a bolt of energy into a crowd. The demons roared, and charged in for the battle. Carloseus looked around quickly to assure there was no one looking his way, then made his way to the tower entrance.
"Veritas, Credo, Oculos." he said one last time, and suddenly the army disappeared. One half of the demonic mob became human to the other just then, and they began cutting down their own kind in righteousness. That spell was easier. Instead of relying on his own energy, he simply stole a bit of the host's own energy to veil him as a man.
He ran inside, and up the tower. Yes, this is where he had come from. He stopped and opened a door from time to time, when he saw one, but found nothing but the remains of some unfortunate souls. When he reached about the fifth out of ten levels he came to a familiar room. Yes. This is where he had been kept. He ran to a table, his sword stood in the middle of many instruments. Hammers, swords, axes, and their shattered remnants were strewn all accross it. Apparently they were trying to find the secrets to its own power, and when that failed began trying to destroy it. He took it, a bit heavy and clumsily he swung it. He remembered his old strength, and its wieght, things a warrior does when grasping again his sword. He tossed away the thoughts of his reunion with his partner in battle, and continued up the stairs.
If he had been quick and strong before, he was moreso now. Sword on his back he flew up the stairs to his own amazement. Am i really faster than I ever was, or is this just due to the effects of being tired and malnurished for so long followed by resting? he wondered. The uppermost level he then came to, and struck open the lock with his tremendous sword.
To his amazement, he found himself in a room, with none other than Bastrom, wearing blackened armor fashioned as if of many skulls. "Welcome... Carloseus."
Tel-Silgulwath kept mainly to himself the rest of the day, besides occasional questions to the residing priesthood and guild members on locations of things within the town- book shops, enchanters, libraries, and the like- for studying purposes, and also for one other thing which had suddenly become an item of interest- channeling his magic through his staff to amplify output power.
Dreams of the demon-world plagued his waking mind, but he dared not dwell on it- it would destroy him. Regret always did that.
He instantly regretted his return to this place. He knew in his heart and soul what would have become of Bastrom. It would have happened to him, however he had managed to escape. And now he must do it again. He noticed the platform just behind Bastrom, and how it allowed for someone to look over all the land. An open platform, and his only chance for escape.
"Bastrom, I am sorry friend. Allow me to put you to your rest." he said. He raised his sword, and ran at the new knight of darkness. He swung at Bastrom from the side, and he was parried, however that was exactly as he had intended. Allowing his right arm to be sliced by his own sword, he then leapt into the balcony, and with a much more powerful leap, he leapt off of it. Quickly he hurried, Holding the gigantic sword with his right hand, and using his blood to draw on it with other, he drew the seal he had used before onto the flat of the blade, and when he was done he activated it.
He appeared out of nowhere, falling quickly before the Halls of the Radiant Heart. A hard thud was heard, and his body slowed to a halt at the steps before the entrance. He was again unconscious, and his sword did not hold the seal. Several guards found him, and were confused as to how he had gotten outside if they had not seen him exit. They brought him insde, and he was again put to rest, his sword this time at his bedside.
The next day Carloseus woke. He found Sir Elric, and explained everything that had happened, before and after their reunion.
"My path is now whole with that of yours and our friends. Bastrom has grown too powerful for me to fight alone, I must either grow stronger or be helped by others." he said.
"You have many books in your quarters Sir Elric. Such knowledge they must hold, and you have read all of them?" asked Balgarath.
"Most of them." laughed Sir Elric. "When you move up the ranks you cannot just fight all the time. But I read because I am interested in many subjects, history, religion, philosophy, chemistry, alchemy, strategy, culinary arts and other books on so many other subjects."
"It is no different from us followers of Rathma, I suppose." said Balgarath. "We seek knowledge of many things too."
"Sir Elric." said a man as he entered Sir Elric's room.
"Prelate Yurius. My Lord." said Sir Elric as he dropped to one knee and bowed.
"I have heard you were back. I have heard much of your deeds, Sir Elric." said the Prelate. "Garren speaks well of you, and he had a recommendation. His wished you to be recognized for your heroics. You truly exemplify the paladin spirit, and I would have you demonstrate it further."
"I follow the path that I must. There is no other for a paladin." replied Sir Elric.
"Quite right." said Yurius "The task of being a paladin is not easy. Many break under the demands of our path, and leave to pursue avenues of life more appropriate to their talents. Sometimes they bend instead of break, twisting their paladinhood to serve their own purpose. These are hard to detect, but when found they are quickly cast out. Recently one of our highest-ranking officers was implicated in smuggling slaves. His name is Beofer, and though he was once a friend, he was expelled from the Order. We thought that the end of it, but Beofer took others when he left. He is a charismatic man and some of the younger knights were swayed by his words."
"So he has stolen some of our members?" asked Sir Elric.
"We could tolerate their loss, but they masquerade as paladins, abusing our good name. They extort, smuggle slaves, and spit on all that we honor. The Fallen Paladins, as they're known, would recognize any of our Order, but while you are a renowned paladin in this Order, you duties have kept you away for many months, many here are new recruits and do not know you by your appearance, and some also fear conflict with former friends, so we need outside help in this matter."
"What do you want us to do then?"
"The Fallen Paladins always need warriors to aid their illegal activities." said Yurius. "We want your party to ally with them, especially Beofer. He's the key to them all. If you consider these men a threat, then do what you think is necessary. Do you accept?" "Yes I do." replied Sir Elric.
"Excellent." Yuris said with a huge smile. "Thanks to the gangs of thieves, Beofer has kept their activities localized in the Bridge District. I suggest you search there. May Torm be with you."
"Fallen or not, these men are former comrades of my own. I pity where their life's journey has taken them. This shall not be a pleasant task."
"Do you consider killing your former comrades, then?" Balgarath asked.
"The church is a harsh mistress, my friend. It is a sad task, but I shall do my utmost. This transgression against the Order cannot go unpunished." answered Sir Elric. "And if it leads to death then so be it."
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-Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.
Tel-Silgulwath stepped from the wall and approached Sir Elric. "I do not sympathize with your kind very often, Sir Elric, though I believe you are different from many would-be worshippers and paladins of your light."
He put his slightly-aging hand on the paladin's shoulder and held his gaze heavily, "But, a certain times, I believe that it is necessary to do so, simply from a human standpoint, even if said subject does not immediately realize that sympathy can be good for the soul."
He let go, "I do not envy your new task- I must say that a hypocrit of any ideal sickens me. I worry that because of the mistakes of a few bad men your religion may fall to ashes some day, but as you stand here, ready to do the work of your masters despite the great moral conflict that is immediate, I tell you that I believe you are of great courage, and I would be foolish to say that you will not draw great strength from it. You are a good man in face of many bad ones- do not ever let the evils of the world make you sorrowful."
He stepped back a few paces, "And that is all." He stepped from the room.
After falling asleep early on yesterday, Cinara awakens early the next morning and decides to take a walk around the grounds. She notices that even though she was up very early there are others up and about too, Priests and Priestesses going about their duties. One priestess she sees is carrying some new bandages and she assumes that they are for Carloseus, as the woman is heading towards his room.
The group has gathered for breakfast and she notices that all looked very refreshed, including Carloseus. He tells us his tale of what happened to him. After breakfast everyone went off on their own and Cinara decided to continue her exploration of the place. As she walks she goes over what he has told them of his disappearance below the temple, she could tell he was holding something back, and even though he did mention that he would tell us more later she could not help but think we would not get the whole story.
During her walk, she comes up the training ground and decides to take up arms and get some practice in. She stretches out her muscles and heads over to where they are training with poles. The trainers were relentless, she was sore everywhere, but grateful for the training she received for she had learned a few things that she was doing wrong and how best to stand. While she was watching two others go at each other she took the opportunity to look around at everyone else practicing, and off to the right she spotted Carloseus with a priestess and she had just hit him with her stick. Cinara gave off a little chuckle and went back to sparring.
Later on at dinner she noticed that Tel-Sigulwath and Carloseus were more familiar with each other than she had thought for they were glancing at each other knowingly, as if they shared a secret. She glanced around at her other friends, for after all they had been through together in the short amount of time she grew to like them all, and noticed that all seemed happy, even Sir Elric. She wondered if he had a chance to talk with his family. When dinner was over, she decided to walk to another garden she spied during her exploration and sat upon a bench, letting the cool breezes wash over her. Relishing the fresh air, she breathed deeply, letting the breeze flow through her hair.
She thought of her brothers and tried to establish some contact with them, sending them a telepathic message. When she was finally able to break through to them she saw blood everywhere. She gasped with concern but one of them was able to get through a message that they were feeding and that the blood was not their own. She was growing more and more concerned for her brothers, the longer they stayed in animal form the more humanity they lost. They had to find that foul demon that cursed them soon or they would never be human again.
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"I, I remember you. From a battle. With a demon! A mage you are," Carloseus came closer, and spoke so only the mage could listen, "and a victim of demonic forces." he spoke as if his own words were forbidden. His presence was sharp and alert, stern. He felt a flush of light within him, and his body bothered him less with its constant warnings of pain and the remembrance of the damage it had taken.
"Tel-Silgulwath, I have a story to tell, but I fear the others are not yet ready to hear it. You however, I see and sense it, will understand it better than the others and will help me draw meaning from it. I ask your audience, and your help in figuring more to this puzzle before I explain to the others how it was exactly I stand before you still." he said quickly, so quickly and soft that he knew none but the mage could comprehend even if he had spoken it aloud. It never failed, nor hurt, to be cautious.
He then began walking to the closest exit from the Guild Hall. If the last of the Ennead accepted his request, he would walk with the mage at his side, outside where they could talk more privately.
In the dark of the tunnels I could not distinguish man from man, but here in the guild hall he seemed somehow... Different from other people.
He stopped his mind a moment and took a step from the support beam, anchoring himself on his supporting staff. And what if he knows more of the forbidden magicks of demonkind? Did not the Ennead dabble in such restricted yet potent fields? What if he knows more of the Enneadan magicks, themselves?
It was an opportunity he could not resist. His whole purpose of existence at this moment was for the documentation and revival of the ancient and lost Ennead ways. He slipped out the door behined him.
After a few minutes of walking, Carloseus turned into the garden, and strolled into the garden itself. He approached two trees, and walked through them. His form disappeared. He knew where he stood now, and if his accomplice followed, he too would know the greatness of this discovery.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Vanished?!
He quickly looked all about the spot- two trees placed side-by-side- for a trap door or hidden entrance, but there was nothing.
Tel-Silgulwath had studied the ways of the Druids and the old ways of the primal magicks, but he could find no explanation for what had just happened.
His mind instantly broke in to flames it seemed- fowl power surging through the membranes and crevacices. The demon magic from the temple- the power that recoiled on me when I tried to attack the wraith with my power- it feels as strong as it did that night!
He tried his best to shrug it off and stumbled between the twin towers of nature.
"You, are in the realm of demons now. They cannot touch us, the temple just outside this portal shields us with its holy presence, however I'd rather not rely on that. This is where I had come through when I fled my prison." He breathed heavily.
"What happened in the temple before, was no accident. You see, after that fight with the demon he cracked a part of my wall, my shield against the demonic powers that have tried to control me before. I was forced not to act as my body turned itself on my friends, and Bastrom saw it before anything could happen and attempted to restrain me. My puppet masters did not like that. Powers demonic and arcane alike so strong clashed, and the holy defiance of the Light within me, that it caused that explosion, and we were sent somewhere here. I've no memory of it. All I remember is them dragging my already bleeding body accross the jagged rocks and the cold hard floors of the demon's hall." He took another deep breathe, it trembled slightly.
"There, we were beaten and tortured. Our spirits were to be broken and our wills turned to darkness. Dark knights. They would cleave swords, axes, arrows, anything into our flesh, and upon removing them the incision would heal, but not the pain it brought. Despite the lack of food, of sleep, or of rest from the days of torture we were enduring, I managed to outwit one of my captives into breaking free the chains that bound me, and I quickly dismissed them into eternal darkness. Bastrom, however, was hurried off away to stronger fortifications and I could not find him. Uising nothing but the crude sword used to torture and ironically free me, I fought with all I had away. Eventually I took so much damage from the clubs and the swords that every now so often landed a blow, but not enough as to kill me, I was forced to crawl away under all the confusion and every second felt like it was years."
"Then I came accross here. See that?" he said, pointing at a seal drawn by now dried blood. It was large, and very intricate, lots of time had to have been put into this, and apparently alot of blood as well.
"I drew that with my own essence. I routed it to the fastest available location on the other world associated with the holy and powers of Light. There, the demons could not pass, and if they could there would be an effective force to destroy them. However it went undetected, as we can now see, and I appeared suddenly to one priestess's horror, on the step of the entrance to the hall of the Radiant Heart. Later I would find out that it was Elric's very order, and the coincidence was amazeful, however I have not been able to be at peace. Bastrom is there." he pointed in the far distance beyond their sight.
And I do not know why I was chosen, for others too were cracked of their shields before they could mend, nor do I understand how, or why all this knowledge comes to me. It is not of demonic origin or will, no. The Light inside me is strong, I can feel it now in my veins. Tell me mage. What do you think about this place, and the story I have told you?"
"This...This is..."
All the world was cast in hues of sunset- scarlet, garnet, fiery orange- as well as those of the darkest smoke in the deepest cavern- black in all its beauty.
"We stand at the threshold of Hell! Do you realize- no, can you fathom what powers the loremasters store in their hellish libraries? The demonics were the epicenter of the more powerful offensive magicks- many that the High Heavens could not even, nor wanted to, dream of!"
The pain that coursed his mind felt now like a sharply warm yet invigorating pool of water upon flesh on a cold morning.
"And the demons- they are eternal! Surely they would have records of the disappearance of my people and their magicks- this is a gift you have been chosen to discover!"
He turned to face Carloseus, "Tell me, what is this place called?"
(To the Dungeon Master- will this require a different thread or is there one in existence that can hold it? Or PMs strictly?)
"I do not know what this place is called. And we cannot venture into it further, for the powers of the church that shield it will not let us even if we wanted to. Nor am I in a condition to defend myself should we be attacked." He closed his eyes, and the entire realm dissolved. They were standing in the small grove in the garden just where the trees they had crossed between had been. However they were there no longer.
"For the moment going there takes much more from me than I can afford for too long. The seal somehow linked to me, everytime I've gone there since my escape I've noticed my energy depleting. Tell me. What do you make of this situation?" he asked earnestly.
"Bastrom saved my life initially- he had healed me in the dark of the buried temple. I could not do my conscience justice by walking away from him when he is in such dire need, and is undergoing who-knows-what kind of torment. So, to save him would be only natural."
He thought a moment, leaning heavily against his make-shift staff.
"As for the condition of the gate's stability and our inability to pass very far under the divine protection of the church... It is a both a gift and a barrier. We must figure out how to breach it, but at that moment we would also need protecting from the hosts of that world."
"I would imagine that we only need you to have the gate stable for the time we need to pass through it and out of the influence of the holy power of the guild hall, at which point it could be closed. Perhaps once it is closed entirely the influence of the guild hall will vanish at the point of the seal in Otherworld and we would be thus able to move out and about."
"If that does not work, we might need to make ourselves seem to it as residents, by way of some enchantment. I favor the medium of the enchantment as a small thing that can be hidden away so as to keep it from being stolen from our persons- perhaps a dull-looking ring or amulet, or a charm of some sort."
I will not let this opportunity pass me by, he thought to himself, My searching could well be absolved within this gate, and I would be a fool to let it slip.
A thought briefly passed through him, "I do know of some enchanting that could do such a thing, come to think of it. There was a mage, I believe of the Horadrim in a far away land, that tampered with the power of transplanar and demon magic. He fastened his in the manner of arch ways with pendants embedded in their crux so as to act as a source of magic for the gateway to spread within its boundaries. However, in this case there is not a solid gateway- we probably would not want one so that demonkind would not be able to pass through the breach indefinitely- so perhaps we could apply the same magic and theory to our own selves, so that we are the receiving object. I do not know what the effect of having the enchanted object taken off would do to us while in the Otherworld, but I do not think we should chance it should we use this method."
"I know that Bastrom must be under incredible pain at the moment, but you must be strong enough to allow us to test the limits of your gate. You must rest tonight- first thing tomorrow morning we shall begin work. I will notify Sir Elric that we must part ways momentarily."
Carloseus bowed politely, and before he left, he said one last thing. "And the portal is never the same place. It appears where I will it to. That should ease your mind about where we enter."
Carloseus went to clean himself, and then fell asleep after placing wards around himself. He felt naked without his sword with him. However he would rather spend all his life energy than allow anyone especially the demons to use him as a way to open a portal.
He stood at the foot of the great tower hewn of a single stone, the wide steps before him and the threshold open wide like the maw of a hungry beast. He watched the great windows far above spew out magic fire and lightning, thunder rippling from the sagging frames as pages and parts of chairs and tables flew out. He heard the screams far above- those of his brother and father. He had used a vision displacement spell and watched the battle from below- the Aggermawg, Keeper of Ennead Magicks, throwing all manner of forbidden spells and curses at his last family members from its torn and twisted fingertips. He had watched as his father writhed in pain on the stone floor slippery with his own blood, his bones being twisted slowly about in his body, ripping muscles and tearing organs apart. He had watched as his brother Tel-SareggIther was shot through by a vicious bolt of lightning, the Aggermawg's eyes alight with pleasure.
He had watched as his father fell to his death, untold volumes of Ennead secrets falling to pieces as they fell with him. He had landed on a disfigured statue beside the steps, a single journal still in his hand, as blood poured down the statue's irregular surfaces.
"T-T-Tel...-gulwath... There are still things...to be found... Do not let our people die with your... last breath!"
And there he had died. And there, Tel-Silgulwath had made his decision.
He shook his head and took one last look at the spot where the gate used to be. Briefly, the temptation to abuse Carloseus' mind passed through him. He quickly dispatched the thought.
Though many of the smaller wounds, and the small inflictions were the majority, had healed, there were still several thick as well as deep wounds in him. The demonic magics that had accompanied them were also not allowing him to heal as fast as he would, there would have to be something done about that. Along with these stubborn ailments his body was still weak, it would require more time to recover its natural energies and strength.
Carloseus spent the better part of the day talking with the rest of the party, however not bringing up anything of importance. They did not ask, and he told them they would know why he was still alive soon enough. After meeting with each and every one of them, he accompanied a priestess to a training area where the guild's fighters sparred and trained, and she helped him as he struggled to remaster simple movements besides walking and laying down. He insisted on doing his habilitation here, where the mood was on becoming better, and of determination. Here he planned on spending the rest of the day, though he did not mind any visitations.
The preists and preistess's were all extremely co-operative with him. In fact, they had treated him as if he were a high member of their order before they had even known about his friendship with Sir Elric. When he was well enough to stand, he insisted on walking around, and often every person in the room ran to his aid whenever he would fall out of instability and shaky limbs.
As if I were an old man... But I will earn this. I cannot become a member of their order, however I can become a friend. he thought to himself whenever he was reminded of their kindness. He knew this was not all free. The details of his arrival there, and the inflictions upon him were enough for them to know he was tortured by demons. Demons never tortured the weak and invaluable. And they never allowed for their prisoners to escape. Those facts alone told them that he was valuable to the evil they fought, and then they discovered that he too was a warrior of the Light. Perhaps they counted on him to join their ranks and become a fighter under their name. He however, in his heart, could not.
He thought about this as he did the exercises as the lady before him instructed, and he felt a stinging pain on his arm. He snapped out and noticed the priestess giving him a commanding stare, in her hand an arm's length thin stick, and the end of the stick over a bandage where he had a very large and still-nasty wound.
"Perhaps now, you will learn to pay attention to me and these exercises, instead of dozing off. Concentrate on this. You will heal faster and develop stronger if you put your heart, mind, and soul into this." she scolded. He knew she did not want to be harsh, it was just what was called from her. A temporary parent. He fought back a smile and nodded apologetically, resuming his exercise with full attention.
The books contained nothing of interest- at least, not the kind he cared about. His interest in unfaithful and temporal gods diminished with the death of his family and his isolation in the world. The "spells" that he found occasionally (and magic methods) were novice at best, aside from some healing spells and sealing enchantments for use only in the face of demonic magic.
Demonic magic...
The thought was so beautiful. The forbidden magic. Its abilities could be limitless. The demons knew the better part of the world of magic far more comprehensively than did the angelics, or man. Weak man. Pitiful, mortal man. A curse.
He noticed he was starring at the spot where he and Carloseus had traveled to a demonic plane, by way of some manner of strange mental wrapping of Carloseus' mind. Why should such a gift go to the unsearching?
He let the thought pass. He would be there soon enough. And when he got there, he would help rescue Bastrom. And then, well...
He might well stay.
The world was now empty of anyone he cared to be with- his family, friends, colleagues. There was less and less he could discover that meant anything to him. The possibility of the answers to his ancestral past and the promise of powerful magicks was too good to pass up or resist.
He put his hand inside his robe and pulled out his father's journal and wrote down all he had thought, wary of his vanishing and aging mind. And another thought hit him.
Age?
Do not the demons live eternally? Do they have some secret? Would I care the price I would have to pay for it?
From outside, he could vaguely hear the clangs and slashes of those practicing their melee skills. He watched as the flower beds waved in the breeze like a pool of water, as the trees and bushes rustled with contentment in the sunlight.
I don't think I shall be coming back.
A priestess who had been charged to care for the wounded soldier known as Carloseus noticed him stir. He had been fine throughout the entire night, and now he clenched the sheet over him tightly in his fists. Pain was clear in his face, though it was more of an emotional source.
She walked over to him, and felt his forehead, then his heart beat. She almost screamed in surprise when he opened his eyes suddenly, staring into hers.
"I am sorry." he said as soon as he realized where he was. Placing a hand on her shoulder and muttering a few simple words she fell fast asleep, and soon replaced him on the bed under the sheet.
He made his way outside, careful not to be seen nor followed. On the opposite side of the church where he had made the portal where he had taken Tel-Silgulwath he made another. And as soon as he passed through, he closed it.
He shook her urgently awake, "Where is he?!"
She looked confused and a little scared, "I don't know- something came over me, and I fell to sleep..."
He grunted with annoyance.
"The gate can only open when I will it to."
And then it hit him. He summoned up a bit of Divination magic, "Accla, Callis, Dispicibo", to see his foot steps.
Shreds of light instantly flared to life leading to and from the door, the most recent being his, the second most recent being Carloseus'. He followed them as if they were a bridge to immortality.
He was too late. As he passed an open window, his aging hands grasped the frame as his staff fell to the marble floor in a clutter.
"Damn... Damn it all!"
He watched as Carloseus vanished in to nothing, along with all of his hopes and dreams.
After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, he silently slipped off back down the hallway, through the guild, and in to a quiet room to brood his failings.
Though his body was indeed greatly healed by the excercises and the rest he had, as well as prayers of the kind and wise priests and preistesses, that is not what he relied on at the moment. The forces of Light flowed through him as if it were his own blood in his veins, and gave him strength and speed not unlike the one he would have when his body was fully mended. He felt no pain, not now with his senses so alert to moving on undiscovered.
Finally he made it to the tower, and huddled in a rather large crack in its north left corner. Assuming its entrance faced the North for there was no sun in this place. Now what? he asked himself. He thought for a bit, he needed the guards and the patrols inside the tower to be outside the tower.
After much contemplation, he thought of something. A diversion. Gathering as much as he could of his energies at one time, he looked off to the side where a large band of demons came patrolling.
"Veritas, Credo, Oculos." he spoke. The illusionary spell created for him a band of warriors. He spoke the words again, and more appeared. When enough were there to create an army, he stopped breifly, astonished that not one of the demons in the entire area had noticed it yet. "Incertus, Pulcher, Imperio" he then spoke. He channeled the spell so that it appeared to have come from one of the illusionary army, to attack one of the demons at the end of the group. It roared in pain and fell unconscious, and the others turned to see an army of men, standing ready to fight. They stood parallysed, and ran into the tower long enough to yell commands.
Carloseus was taking the spell hard, but he heard a tremendous roar of footsteps as he heard many running down the tower and outside to assemble. He concentrated on the spell, focusing his attention on it as to avoid losing more energy than before. When at last the final demon had assembled, there were others from all around that surrounded the army. "Incertus, Pulcher, Imperio." he said quietly. From the middle a man jumped and shot a bolt of energy into a crowd. The demons roared, and charged in for the battle. Carloseus looked around quickly to assure there was no one looking his way, then made his way to the tower entrance.
"Veritas, Credo, Oculos." he said one last time, and suddenly the army disappeared. One half of the demonic mob became human to the other just then, and they began cutting down their own kind in righteousness. That spell was easier. Instead of relying on his own energy, he simply stole a bit of the host's own energy to veil him as a man.
He ran inside, and up the tower. Yes, this is where he had come from. He stopped and opened a door from time to time, when he saw one, but found nothing but the remains of some unfortunate souls. When he reached about the fifth out of ten levels he came to a familiar room. Yes. This is where he had been kept. He ran to a table, his sword stood in the middle of many instruments. Hammers, swords, axes, and their shattered remnants were strewn all accross it. Apparently they were trying to find the secrets to its own power, and when that failed began trying to destroy it. He took it, a bit heavy and clumsily he swung it. He remembered his old strength, and its wieght, things a warrior does when grasping again his sword. He tossed away the thoughts of his reunion with his partner in battle, and continued up the stairs.
If he had been quick and strong before, he was moreso now. Sword on his back he flew up the stairs to his own amazement. Am i really faster than I ever was, or is this just due to the effects of being tired and malnurished for so long followed by resting? he wondered. The uppermost level he then came to, and struck open the lock with his tremendous sword.
To his amazement, he found himself in a room, with none other than Bastrom, wearing blackened armor fashioned as if of many skulls. "Welcome... Carloseus."
Dreams of the demon-world plagued his waking mind, but he dared not dwell on it- it would destroy him. Regret always did that.
"Bastrom, I am sorry friend. Allow me to put you to your rest." he said. He raised his sword, and ran at the new knight of darkness. He swung at Bastrom from the side, and he was parried, however that was exactly as he had intended. Allowing his right arm to be sliced by his own sword, he then leapt into the balcony, and with a much more powerful leap, he leapt off of it. Quickly he hurried, Holding the gigantic sword with his right hand, and using his blood to draw on it with other, he drew the seal he had used before onto the flat of the blade, and when he was done he activated it.
He appeared out of nowhere, falling quickly before the Halls of the Radiant Heart. A hard thud was heard, and his body slowed to a halt at the steps before the entrance. He was again unconscious, and his sword did not hold the seal. Several guards found him, and were confused as to how he had gotten outside if they had not seen him exit. They brought him insde, and he was again put to rest, his sword this time at his bedside.
The next day Carloseus woke. He found Sir Elric, and explained everything that had happened, before and after their reunion.
"My path is now whole with that of yours and our friends. Bastrom has grown too powerful for me to fight alone, I must either grow stronger or be helped by others." he said.
"You have many books in your quarters Sir Elric. Such knowledge they must hold, and you have read all of them?" asked Balgarath.
"Most of them." laughed Sir Elric. "When you move up the ranks you cannot just fight all the time. But I read because I am interested in many subjects, history, religion, philosophy, chemistry, alchemy, strategy, culinary arts and other books on so many other subjects."
"It is no different from us followers of Rathma, I suppose." said Balgarath. "We seek knowledge of many things too."
"Sir Elric." said a man as he entered Sir Elric's room.
"Prelate Yurius. My Lord." said Sir Elric as he dropped to one knee and bowed.
"I have heard you were back. I have heard much of your deeds, Sir Elric." said the Prelate. "Garren speaks well of you, and he had a recommendation. His wished you to be recognized for your heroics. You truly exemplify the paladin spirit, and I would have you demonstrate it further."
"I follow the path that I must. There is no other for a paladin." replied Sir Elric.
"Quite right." said Yurius "The task of being a paladin is not easy. Many break under the demands of our path, and leave to pursue avenues of life more appropriate to their talents. Sometimes they bend instead of break, twisting their paladinhood to serve their own purpose. These are hard to detect, but when found they are quickly cast out. Recently one of our highest-ranking officers was implicated in smuggling slaves. His name is Beofer, and though he was once a friend, he was expelled from the Order. We thought that the end of it, but Beofer took others when he left. He is a charismatic man and some of the younger knights were swayed by his words."
"So he has stolen some of our members?" asked Sir Elric.
"We could tolerate their loss, but they masquerade as paladins, abusing our good name. They extort, smuggle slaves, and spit on all that we honor. The Fallen Paladins, as they're known, would recognize any of our Order, but while you are a renowned paladin in this Order, you duties have kept you away for many months, many here are new recruits and do not know you by your appearance, and some also fear conflict with former friends, so we need outside help in this matter."
"What do you want us to do then?"
"The Fallen Paladins always need warriors to aid their illegal activities." said Yurius. "We want your party to ally with them, especially Beofer. He's the key to them all. If you consider these men a threat, then do what you think is necessary. Do you accept?"
"Yes I do." replied Sir Elric.
"Excellent." Yuris said with a huge smile. "Thanks to the gangs of thieves, Beofer has kept their activities localized in the Bridge District. I suggest you search there. May Torm be with you."
"Fallen or not, these men are former comrades of my own. I pity where their life's journey has taken them. This shall not be a pleasant task."
"Do you consider killing your former comrades, then?" Balgarath asked.
"The church is a harsh mistress, my friend. It is a sad task, but I shall do my utmost. This transgression against the Order cannot go unpunished." answered Sir Elric. "And if it leads to death then so be it."
He put his slightly-aging hand on the paladin's shoulder and held his gaze heavily, "But, a certain times, I believe that it is necessary to do so, simply from a human standpoint, even if said subject does not immediately realize that sympathy can be good for the soul."
He let go, "I do not envy your new task- I must say that a hypocrit of any ideal sickens me. I worry that because of the mistakes of a few bad men your religion may fall to ashes some day, but as you stand here, ready to do the work of your masters despite the great moral conflict that is immediate, I tell you that I believe you are of great courage, and I would be foolish to say that you will not draw great strength from it. You are a good man in face of many bad ones- do not ever let the evils of the world make you sorrowful."
He stepped back a few paces, "And that is all." He stepped from the room.
The group has gathered for breakfast and she notices that all looked very refreshed, including Carloseus. He tells us his tale of what happened to him. After breakfast everyone went off on their own and Cinara decided to continue her exploration of the place. As she walks she goes over what he has told them of his disappearance below the temple, she could tell he was holding something back, and even though he did mention that he would tell us more later she could not help but think we would not get the whole story.
During her walk, she comes up the training ground and decides to take up arms and get some practice in. She stretches out her muscles and heads over to where they are training with poles. The trainers were relentless, she was sore everywhere, but grateful for the training she received for she had learned a few things that she was doing wrong and how best to stand. While she was watching two others go at each other she took the opportunity to look around at everyone else practicing, and off to the right she spotted Carloseus with a priestess and she had just hit him with her stick. Cinara gave off a little chuckle and went back to sparring.
Later on at dinner she noticed that Tel-Sigulwath and Carloseus were more familiar with each other than she had thought for they were glancing at each other knowingly, as if they shared a secret. She glanced around at her other friends, for after all they had been through together in the short amount of time she grew to like them all, and noticed that all seemed happy, even Sir Elric. She wondered if he had a chance to talk with his family. When dinner was over, she decided to walk to another garden she spied during her exploration and sat upon a bench, letting the cool breezes wash over her. Relishing the fresh air, she breathed deeply, letting the breeze flow through her hair.
She thought of her brothers and tried to establish some contact with them, sending them a telepathic message. When she was finally able to break through to them she saw blood everywhere. She gasped with concern but one of them was able to get through a message that they were feeding and that the blood was not their own. She was growing more and more concerned for her brothers, the longer they stayed in animal form the more humanity they lost. They had to find that foul demon that cursed them soon or they would never be human again.
Folks will always come and go, so enjoy them while they're meant to be in your life.