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Tales from the Atreblan Valley

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Topaz
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Post by Topaz »

“She will know soon enough. Even now her body seeks to remove the unliving part it had worked so hard to create.” His voice wrapped around her in a comforting caress.

Topaz turned around in Lucien's arms, needing to hold him as much as being held. “I hope she doesn't think two drops of food did this.” What she really meant to say was that she hoped Azjah would make it through this alive.

Lucien wrapped both arms around her. “She will know. “The words from his brother brought a frown to his features, but his voice remained soft. “Gabriel is taking her to Auriga to heal.”

”In the earth? Can she do that? Perhaps he can take the medicinal food along and get her to eat some? You will miss him.” Lucien had told her that the earth back home had stronger healing qualities. But Azjah was not Carpathian. Gabriel would love being home, though, even if the circumstances could be better. Perhaps his persistently asking her when she’d go to Auriga was due to his desire to see home again.

Lucien looked deeply into her eyes. “He is taking her to our homeland because there he commands more power than he does here. She cannot go to ground as I do, but his ability to use the powers of our kind are enhanced. Yes, I shall miss them both.”

”Good.” She sighed softly. “I wish him luck too, they'll probably need that, too.” Despite her chatter tears refused to be held back and they dampened her cheeks. “Don't mind those. That's just being pregnant.”

He ran his hands soothingly down her back. “I never mind your tears, they are part of what you feel.”

She rested her head against his chest and squeezes him gently. She felt his helpless wish to take the grief and worry from her. He would never voice it, though, and she admired and loved him even more for that. “You're so amazingly wonderful.”

”Your view is tainted.” He kissed the top of her head.

She chuckled a little and looked up to him again. “And so it should be. Would you like to taint my view some more before the sun makes you sleep?”

He gave her a slow smile before he scooped her up and, using his preternatural speed, took her deep into his rooms.
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Post by Topaz »

Halloween

It was Halloween night, the night of spirits and of new beginnings. Topaz wondered what it would bring as she walked up the beach on Twilight Isle and activated the decorations created for the evening.

In short order she set ghost to floating, bats flying, eyes glowing, jack-o-lanterns winking and animated the larger ‘decorations’. The Isle was indeed starting to look haunted. The goblins were dressed up in ghoulish outfits as well.

Dimitri appeared at the bar and peered at the glowing pairs of eyes staring back at him from the tree line before he turned to wave at Topaz and the wild looking man stirring what could be stew in a large cauldron.

“Quiet tonight.” He leaned back in his char when he was satisfied that the glowing eyes posed no threat.

“It is early yet, Dimitri.” Topaz smiled to him as she placed the candy for the trick-or-treaters in a bowl.

When a zombie-goblin offered him a tray of cupcakes, he took one. A gummy worm peered out from the treat and wriggled at him. With a grin he bit into it.

“I'm glad you could make it, Dimitri. We've not seen you on the isle as often of late as we used to.” She, too, accepted one of the dirt cake look-alikes and a cup of coffee and then almost dropped both when a wispy ghost floated right through her and the caller’s couch.

“I have been busy lately.” Dimitri grinned at the startled look on the fairy’s face. “Work. Travel. Well Diplomacy really.”

“Oh, that sounds a bunch of head aches.” Topaz said with sympathy.

“Yes it is! Trying to make everyone happy is.” He gave a mirthless laugh. “I have been to about 5 different peace talks this week. I needed a break today. ”

“That is a lot. I wish there were more duelers here already. A duel is usually just the thing to get one's mind off diplomatic missions.” But so far Dimitri was the only patron on the isle. The ghostly lady in flowing white robes that was casting spells in the otherwise empty ring was merely another decoration. He spells arced up over the ring and fizzled out before they reached half way across.

“I wonder what decorations the other mages will bring with them when they get here.” The jack-o-lantern on the bar winked to Dimitri.

“Yeah.” Dimitri agreed and watched the bats and ghosts and listened to the ghoulish sounds filling the air for a while.

Gnimish popped through the portal, sans one Drakhan. “Good evenin' folks!”

“Good evening, Gnome.” Topaz smiled while Unga looked up from the cauldron and waved with his free hand. “And happy Halloween. Did you come trick-or-treating before your shift?”

Gnim tossed a wave over then looked down at the goblin and his wormy cupcakes. “Er... Trick or Treatin'? Now I'm a busy gnome, fairy!”

“You are?” Unga hungrily looked Gnim up and down and licked his lips as if anticipation.
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The gnome nodded sagely. “Of course, quite.” He flopped down in a seat but kept an eye on Unga. The corpulent human was dressed in nothing but a skirt of grass and shrunken heads. His long dark hair was held up with a couple of bones.

“Yep, I'm a busy littl...ow, hey!” A small missile had hit him. The jack-o-lantern sitting on the table looked innocent of the deed. Gnim whipped his head around to look for the culprit.

The skeleton that had been leaning innocently against one of the dueling rings suddenly came to life and waved at Gnim, then pointed his thumb bone at the jack-o-lantern.

“That's not very ni...er...” Gnim saw the pumpkin grinning at him. “Hm, odd, it didn't look like that a second ago.” He raised his hand in thanks to the skeleton before he did a double-take at it. “And to think... I had almost forgotten what day it was.”

“Of course not.” Topaz giggled. “I guess coming here will remind everyone.”

A fairy princess skipped from the portal, complete with silver-blue wings, a cloth bag with fairy designs, and a trick-or-treat sign around her neck.

“Good evening and Happy Halloween!” Topaz waved to the fellow fairy. She recognized the girl to be Mystic, Xenograg’s ward.

Gnimish snagged one of those cupcakes and took a bite. “Hm, not ba...er...ew, they don't stop movin'!” He quickly swallowed and sat the rest of the wiggly cupcake down on the table. “'ey, its' that kid that glued Imp to the couch!”

Mystic waved back and then ducked the bat that came swooping down at her, a slightly scared expression on her face.

“Where's uncle Xeenie?” Topaz had to laugh when the jack-o-lantern spit another pumpkin seed at Gnimish.

Unga looked up from his cauldron of body parts stew and waved to girl. “Get yer treats here.”

“I bet he's scared of our mummy goblins.” Topaz winked to Mystic when she pointed back at the portal. As if on cue a mummy goblin offered a tray with chocolate cupcakes, looking like dirt cakes with gummy worms wriggling in them to Mystic.

Gnimish wiped the pumpkin residue off of his cheek and looked at the pumpkin, which now had a scary face on it. “Humfph...yer not foolin'
me.” He summoned up his mug and strategically sat it between his face and the pumpkin.

Mystic carefully grabbed the chocolate cupcakes then went over to Unga.

“What would you like? This tasty arm here, or perhaps rather a foot?” Unga pulled out first one than the other, each dripping with slimy goo.”

“Ewww.” Gnimish glanced over at Unga, who in turned licked his lips at the gnome.

Mystic picked the foot. In the girls hand the yucky looking foot turned into a bag of sweet Halloween treats. The girl grinned brightly and pocketed the candy in the bag.

“Oooo, that's a neat trick. Don't you think, pumpkin? What's that? I can't hear you through the mug.” Gnimish snickered as he heard the tell tale ‘plink’ of a seed hitting his mug.
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Post by Topaz »

“I've some chocolate for you, too, Mystic.” The fairy princess happily opened her bag for Topaz and ignored the wispy ghost that walked through her. “Happy Halloween.”

“So, what do you think of our decorations, are they scary enough?” Topaz asked as Mystic sat down next to her. She received an enthusiastic nod in response. “I am happy you approve. Have you been trick-or-treating anywhere else yet?”

“Where has my sneaky but beautiful fairy princess gotten to?” Xenograg stepped from the portal as Mystic was shaking her head with a positive reply. A bat promptly swooped down to greet him.

“She's in Unga's pot.” Topaz gave Xeno a wink. Mystic was already hiding under the couch.

“I just had some cake in the Red Dragon Inn. Thank you anyway.” Xeno declined the offer of dirt cakes with brightly colored wriggling worms in them. Then he turned his eyes to Unga. “My ward is not an entree.”

“Would you like a foot or this here tasty arm?” Unga asked in response and showed Xenograg the slimy goo dripping appendages.

“I already ate.” Xeno replied evenly as Mystic snuck up behind him and then pounced on him. “Ack! Who turned my fairy princess into a swooping vampire?!”

Xeno grasped Mystic’s candy bag. “Aha!” The girl gasped in shock and horror.

“Xeno! Stealing candy from a baby?” Topaz almost laughed.

“My baby.” Xenograg grinned back unrepentant and reached into the bag, taking a piece of chocolate, before he handed the bag back to Mystic.

“Eh, you could have taken something from the cauldron or come over here and have some chocolate from the bucket.” Mystic’s mouth formed into a shocked ‘o’. “I told you he'd be scared” Topaz winked to the girl, who nodded in agreement.

The three of them tried to talk Xenograg into offering a slime dripping treat from Unga when the jack-o-lantern spit a seed at Xeno. When Mystik poked at the pumpkin, a disembodied popped up just over her shoulder from out of nowhere and whispered, “If you keep doing that Unga over there will stick you in his pot.”

Mystic stopped poking the pumpkin in favor of poking at the disembodied head, which promptly disappeared again.

“Topaz, that is too much.” Xeno looked to be both, amused and annoyed.

“Good evening, Wyh and happy Halloween!” Topaz waves to the ice-princess as she ducked the swooping bat and approached.

Wyheree brushed a pumpkin seed from her hair and took a cup cake from the tray the mummy-goblin was offering. “Good evening!”

“I am so sorry to be late, Topaz!” She pulsed a small jolt of cold through the gummy worm to stop its wiggling before she ate it.

“We've been here waitin' for ya, Wyh...just leavin' us hangin'...” Gnimish pouted not all too convincingly.
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Post by Topaz »

“That is a fine illusion!” Wyheree shivered in appreciation as a ghost walked through her. “I am here for a short visit - I had to stop and see everything!”

“I am so glad you like it.” Topaz chuckled, she knew Whyeree was working a late shift today and would have to leave shortly. But the woman did accept a foot from Unga before she left, and looked relieved when it turned into a bag of sweet treats in her hand.

Xenograg took Wyheree’s departure and Mystic’s tired yawn as a cue for him and his ward to leave as well. The skeleton by the ring animated again as they passed it and waved a farewell.

Taneth tumbled from the portal then. She greeted the moving and animated decorations with a wide eyed stare. “Eek!” She skittered and scurried over to hide by Topaz.

“It's all decorations Taneth.” Topaz tried to reassure her.

“It's spooky!” Taneth blew kisses to Gnimish.

“It's supposed to be.”

Taneth stared at Unga. “Eew. Magic dueling is scaaarrrry!” Taneth scampered away mumbling something about fruit.

Rena, Syous, and Ana showed up a little later. They appeared impressed and appreciative of the decorations to varying degrees. Rena had just come from the temple where Aaron had gone wild with decorations and treats.

Syous and his date were dressed as a pair of gypsies and appeared to be getting along well. Syous looked relaxed and even happy at times. Rhaine looked like a traditional vampire in a tight black dress. She was even wearing a set of fake fangs.

Gnimish sent a little zombie goblin over to Rhaine, offering up a plate of what appeared to be dirt-cupcakes with little gummy worms sticking out of them.

Rhaine quirked an eyebrow as a large black cat with glowing flame-colored eyes brought what appeared to be a HUGE rat and handed it to her. “Thank you, but I would offend my cat if I don't try his treat first. Want some?” She gave Gnimish a sneaky grin.

The gnome shook his head at the rat. “Naaah, I already had some foot.” He pointed at Unga’s pot.

Ana turned her face into Syous’ chest and gave a little squeak as one of the wispy ghosts walked through her. Syous broke off his comment to the gnome and blushed a handsome shade of red. He blinked, watching the ghost pass by, before he glanced down, sounding a little scared himself. “Er, I think it's gone.”

Syous brought up an arm to gently pat her shoulder. “I think it's alright. I'm sure it's just for affect.”

Rhaine nodded to Gnim. “Rats are good for you.” She still took a dirt cup cake and handed the rat to Topaz. “Would you like some?”

“Is it anything like Unga's arms and feet?” The fairy accepted the rat and looked at it expectantly.

Gnim made a face at the rat. “I dunno if I'd chance it, fairy. I... uh... just think it's a rat.”
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“It isn't dong anything.” Topaz sounded disappointed. With another look at it she bit into it. “Mmm.” She enjoyed the taste with closed eyes. The cat rubbed against her leg and purred before it leapt away. “It's chocolate and nuts!” She grinned to the others after having swallowed.

Anushka recovered and glanced up to Syous. “I probably should have expected it.”

The gypsy-mage glanced down to Ana again and shrugged sympathetically. “It's not the norm around here on the isle, so I understand. It's all quite... strange.” He nodded sagely and pondered before he added, “Fortunate the isle isn't usually like this. It could get distracting.”

“Could pick a more appealing package.” Gnimish chuckled at the rat as an ominous howling sound in the distance faded into silence. “It's ok Syous, uncle Gnimmy is here to protect ya.”

Syous glared in the gnome's direction. “Is that right?” He glanced to Unga and then back to the gnome. Unga had been giving Gnimish hungry looks all evening. “I'm skeptical you'll be able to protect yourself.”

“Archmage? I have seen the person we've discussed.” Rhaine offered as the others attention had turned elsewhere.

“Oh. What happened, Rhaine?” Did Rhaine mean that she actually spoke with Artemus, or with the creature that possessed him, Topaz wondered and missed Gnimish’s reply to Syous.

“Nothing scary. He merely convinced me that we're correct.” Rhaine shuddered slightly. At length she continued, “What looks like Artemus, was here, at the Isle. While we talked, he did use mentionings of some facts that were in place before his ... first experience with the tome I mentioned. However some events that happened in the near time, escaped him.”

“Hmm, so it was actually Art you got to talk to rather than the thing?”

Rhaine shrugged. “I'd say I was scared if it was. At the same time it was him... and it wasn't. In any case, I have a set of things to do, and I will do them whatever it takes. For example, find that tome.” She spoke quietly, making sure her voice was directed at Topaz.

“He didn't say where, did he?” Topaz had to smile when she saw Syous and Ana standing hand in hand by Unga and his pot, trick-or-treating.

“Naturally. I'm of no importance to him - not enough at least.” Rhaine’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “But I have a tiny idea to use...” She knelt and with her finger drew a tiny feline shape on the sand.

The fairy studied the image in the sand. Her features brightened when she understood. “Oh! The one of heart. Can she do that?”

“We will see. Worth a try.”

“It certainly will be. Now we just need to get all the participants in one place.” Topaz smiled to Rhaine. The more she thought about it the more sense Rhaine’s suggestion made. Amaris fit the puzzle in just about every interpretation.

“I do not know if it's obvious... or not really... but there's little I wouldn't do or use in this case.” Her voice lowered yet more. “I'm indebted to Art, he pulled me out of a place worse than nowhere.

“I am sure 'heart' will want to help.”
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“Hopefully. Where do you think would be something ‘many miles away from everything’? I would say it's another dimension which would be same distance of many miles away. But perhaps it isn't that literal...?”

“’Many’ isn't very precise. In a way the isle is many miles away from everything, it being its own pocket dimension. So it could be any place, really.” Topaz pondered the description and examined it for a hidden name.

“Figured. And I can't make a compass-stone, I don't have the precise spectrum of the tome.” Rhaine covered her mouth with her hand as if she had blabbed one word to many.

A slight smirk curved Rhaine’s lips, an arrogant smirk of an asmodean knight, as if she heard something. “We will see if we can use ... third part of system.”

“Why am I suddenly thinking of the swamp?” She wasn’t about to admit that she had heard the suggestion, especially not that is was whispered in ancient sylvan. Someone or something really wanted them to go there.

“M-hmm. Hope you're not having hallucinations in audible form.” The fairy shook her head and the vampire continued with a fanged grin. “Hallucinations aren't a virus. I hope you've no fear of modern technology?”

“No, not fear. I find most of it incomprehensible and often downright useless, though.” Topaz already found it difficult to follow Rhaine’s conversation, rich in modern words and references.

Rhaine gave a quick look at the Archmage. “I'll make it as smooth as possible. I don't want magic to give us away.”

“What magic?” There were very view creatures that could detect fae magic, and even less that could tell when or what is was doing anything besides existing.

Rhaine rolled up a sleeve that concealed a bracelet with a device attached to it, and tapped it repeatedly before she spoke to it. “Keith, I need Dar. Be outside the temple gates in fifteen minutes.” She tapped the bracelet again. “Teleports or transportations. Rift is hardly detectable, but someone passing through one – is.”

“You're leaving now?” Topaz was mildly alarmed. Rifts were not a particularly comfortable mode of travel.

“And you are not? Hallucinations are no virus... we won't have the same hallucination.” She said with a fanged grin.

“Oh. I see what you're saying.” She also saw that Rhaine meant to go to Dark Moor NOW – without any further preparation. “My magic will not be detected and I should pick up my sword at least and change into something more befitting such an adventure than this sparkling pink monstrosity.” Topaz pointedly looked down her fairy godmother costume.

“M-hmm. Let's get moving, we have fifteen minutes and one portal ahead of us. Fourteen.”

Topaz chuckled at the absurdity of the idea. No way would she just dart off into the swamp in all hallows night. “The book will just have to wait. I'm sure it won't run off.”

Rhaine blinked in surprise. “Yeah, it won't. But I will. Quick action has advantage of being unexpected.”

The woman had a point. “It also has the disadvantage of getting one into trouble unprepared.”

“Calculate your risks if you wish. Unless we have Vanion or someone similar there, we're prepared. We'll have an hour before landing.”

Topaz had the distinct impression that Rhaine would dart off on her own if she continued to refuse to come along. She communicated that much to Lucien.

“Eleven. Archmage, I can't throw a rift to the Temple directly from here. And you'd change in something fitting for adventure onboard. More reliable.”

She could change outfits here. It didn’t take but a moment. “Onboard of what?” She wanted to know once she looked more herself again.

“Ten.” Rhaine counted patiently. “Keith and Dar will be waiting. Dar is a ship.”

Getting her rapier took a little longer. Rhaine’s count was down to three by the time Topaz had buckled it around her waist. “One of those air ships, I would hope.” It had to be; there was no water way connecting the isle or Rhydin to the swamp.

“In a way. She'd be offended if we're late.” Just then a rift opened in the air in front of them. “We'll go in two jumps. Security above all.”

Topaz watched as Rhaine walked into the rift and gave herself a mental push before she followed her.
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"I suggest to wear a hermo-suit, Archmage. It would keep you safe from the swamp beings and unnoticeable enough with the stealth mode" Rhaine suggested the moment they boarded the ship. She knew that Lucien would kill her if anything would happen to Topaz. "Brute force is the dumbest solution to use in the situation, you know."

”Thank you, I appreciate the offer and am heeding the warning, but no thanks.” Whatever a hermo-suit was, it probably wasn’t designed with fairies in mind and would turn out to be more hindering than helpful. “I'm far more comfortable with shields. It also would be very unwise to restrict freedom of movement and what I'm otherwise used to just when heading into something that's potentially dangerous.” She gave a short giggle at Rhaine’s last comment. “Yea - do I look like brute force would make sense in any situation?”

Rhaine shrugged, and stepped under what looked like a dark glass hemisphere. It stretched down to the floor, made a bubbling sound, and something sparked inside. From time to time a voice barked out an order. "No medikit. Servomuscle - add. Plasmagun-two-add."

None of the orders made any sense to Topaz and after a moment she stopped trying to translate the modern terms. Instead she took the opportunity to study the ship’s interior. As odd ships went, this one was even stranger than Destiny or Star Fox, and it had nothing of the expected comforts. In fact, the interior looked more suggestive of a modern torture chamber than a ship.

When Rhaine came out of the glass hemisphere, she appeared to be a statue of dark glass, with an additional sculptured pattern and several belts and tubes on the body and a sort of helmet covering her head. Transparent glass also shielded her face. If Topaz had known the creature to be Rhaine she may have been scared. As it was she was very glad that she had declined Rhaine’s offer of the torture suit.

"The offer still stands. If we don't sneak around unnoticed, we'd have to carve our way through. Scanners show the swamp as densely populated"

“That's quite all right, Rhaine, really.” Topaz suppressed a shiver.

"If that is what you prefer. I may be a coward but I take no extra risks." Her voice was slightly hushed by the glassy helmet.

“It looks like it hurt. A lot.” She had to grin at the idea that anyone would want to walk around like that of their own free will.

”Oh? No, it doesn't. In the slightest. It's like skin, you don't even feel it.” With that Rhaine stepped to the blue-grey opalescent wall and even partially through it and Topaz felt the ship stop.

“We're in. Here, take this, it will at least pull you out of swamp. Rhaine pulled herself from the portal like wall and handed Topaz a belt.

“Uhm. That's really not necessary.” Topaz, surprised at how light the monstrosity of a belt was, chuckled softly. She appreciated the thought behind it, but she certainly had no need for such a gadget. “I can tell you've never been in the swamp with a fairy.”

”I can tell you've never been on a mission with an asmodean knight.” Rhaine grinned back as she double checked her weapons. A living blackness floated around her wrist, and then took the shape of heavy long sword - a little too long for her height. The blade was black with violet sparkles on it.

“Touché.” Topaz, too, had been busy while they traveled. She had gradually unwoven a large amount of the shielding she surrounded herself with when among people. In the swamp though, she would have need of all her senses. “Can you still see me all right?”

“Of course. Nothing to hinder my eyesight as of yet.” Rhaine nodded and then grinned. “Just in case.” The comment obviously was in regard to the set of shields she had surrounded herself with.

Topaz followed Rhaine into the entry chamber, wondering what sort of trouble Rhaine expected to run into as she looked over Rhaine’s shields. They appeared excessive for a quick trip into the swamp.
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“So, were do we head, Archmage?” Rhaine asked while they both scanned their surroundings, each in her own way.

“Straight for the book sounds like a good idea to me. I'd rather not stay here any longer than absolutely necessary.” The swamp was thick with vegetation and teamed with wild-life. Quite a few of the carnivorous sort were on the hunt for food or enjoying an earlier kill. Topaz also sensed some humanoid creatures moving restlessly through the swamp.

“Good idea.” The crumbling stone temple in the heart of Blackmoor would be their destination. “I'd say - towards the structure way there. I wouldn't put a book into a chest and hide it under the swamp where there's a ruin to use.”

Topaz agreed with that logic and the women took off. Rhaine appeared transparent as started to move in the direction of the temple, plasma gun handy, and Topaz decided to abandon the illusion of walking and took to the air. They both knew better than to be spooked by the sounds of the swamp and at first their progress was swift.

But when Topaz sensed something intently watching their progress, she sent a couple small fairy lights into bushes that provided cover for the watcher. Rhaine had noticed the watcher as well, if the blade in her hand was any indication. A startled yell erupted from the bush and a mutation of what appeared more reptilian than human ran over the path and then off again into the brush.

“Nice. But our presence is now obvious.” Rhaine whistled.

“Poor creature.” Topaz giggled softly. It wasn’t as if the creature had not known that they were there. It had been watching them after all. “Because of a couple of wispy lights? Naw. Eh, watch out.” The soft yet sudden sound from just ahead did not match their surroundings. Rhaine, with her sword extended, turned around her axle instantly and almost before Topaz had issued the warning.

“Interesting, they are pretty much sentient.” She mused out loud as she glanced at the now cut up rope. Triumphant grunts and whoops from the bushes nearby were cut short as the trap didn't work.

Moments later a group of mutations rushed at the pair. Two of them, carrying a net, went after the fairy. But the fairy proved not at all easy to catch. The closest the net ever got to her was a bolo stone hitting her leg.

“Ouw. Stupid rocks.” Peripheral vision of the scene below allowed the fairy to take a quick count. How had she missed the danger? She dropped the rest of her restricting shields, politeness set aside. It had no place here, obviously.

In the best starship trooper style Rhaine aimed for the heads of the mutations with her plasma gun and sent plasma globes into two of mutant heads. The six still standing sent hesitant glances to each other. A loud grunt and a roar from the leader – only one wore a necklace of skulls - had the six rushing Rhaine.

Topaz released mage bolts at the two aiming their spears as they sprinted forward. A split moment she was glad that she had not opted for a spell that required aim, because Rhaine had moved herself into the line of fire, adding a stream of plasma to the effect of the bolts.

The mage bolts did minimal damage and only served to enrage the primitives more. One launched its spear at the fairy – which was so poorly thrown, she didn’t even bother dodging it - while the others fled from the strange weapon of the vampire.

Their leader though was behaving as if he expected severe punishment for failure. He whirled a scimitar over his head (How did a mutated native get such a blade?) and charged at Rhaine again.

“Idiot.” Rhaine muttered as she simply moved aside and slammed a pale cloud into the creature’s face.

“Sylus?” Topaz asked instead of answering, studying the blade that now lay on the ground next to the grunting and screaming man with the skull necklace. That scimitar even had the same intelligent aura as Sylus’ blade.

Rhaine turned to Topaz. “We have guests?”

“Well, that dolt there with all the little heads was swinging Sylus's blade. Maybe he's their guest?”

“And he'd allow them to use his scimitars?” Rhaine moved toward the fallen being and it stopped screaming. “Would you allow someone to ...hmm... wear your dresses, or your shoes? I doubt Sylus allowed them to take the weapons.”

“Never know, but the conditions would have to be some very odd ones.” Topaz almost never wore shoes and her dresses would not likely fit anyone. Though she had allowed others to use her blades before, the likelihood that she’d ever permit a stranger to do so was extremely slim.

Rhaine nodded. “I think we need to follow the tracks these beings left. I would be rather disappointed to see the first shifter there as a guest. Besides, I had to find him anyway.”

The fairy had been waiting for just such an opportunity to try out the Carpathian voice again. She randomly picked one of the creatures that had fled the scene but had not gone very far to be her test subject. She dropped her voice low and ever so compellingly asked. “Where is Sylus, the owner of this blade?”

To her surprise the creature did reply. The dialect was difficult to understand, but Topaz was able to translate enough of it. “Well, isn't that just too interesting.”

“Looks like we're here for two things, not one.” Rhaine frowned.

“Perhaps. He says they found it or Sylus in the jungle.” A smile spread on Topaz’s face. “Hey, did you see that? It worked!”

Rhaine quirked an eyebrow. "What did? Command-speech? M-hmm. We'll see. But what could bring Sylus here?”

“Yes. It sure didn't with the ghost I tried it on. This may come in handy after all.” Some of the Carpathian gifts Topaz still had problems with, others only proved impossible recently.
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Topaz tired the voice command trick again, telling the mutant creatures to go away. Her effort coincided with a roar that sounded like it belonged to a very large creature came from the jungle, too nearby for comfort, announced that company was coming. The commotion must have drawn its attention. Movement meant food to most carnivorous swamp inhabitants.

“No, make him show us where it found the blade.” But the scaly creatures had already run off. “I'll place it on mapper. We can take at least the general direction of where the wolf was moving.”

“Do you think it was me or the noise that sent them all scurrying off?” Topaz did not yet trust that she could force creatures into doing anything they didn’t really want to do.

“Heh. No clue. But we'd better go stealth and move out.”

But the leader of the mutants, still held lying on the ground by Rhaine’s spell, started speaking rapidly in his native tongue and Topaz translated as he spoke, “Giant, run for life, dropped sword.”

“Take it, Arch Mage. I've my hands full.” Rhaine did have the plasma gun in her left and the mist blade in her right.

“Good idea.” Topaz didn’t want to leave the sentient bade in the middle of the swamp either. “There got it. Well, sweetie where should you be?”

“I see one reason to come here - the ruins. But Sylus has never shown any interest in treasure-hunting.” Rhaine mused as they headed for the temple again. She kept her attention on the big thing that made so much noise.

“Who's the wolf king?” The fairy was still addressing the faintly glowing scimitar. “Maybe I should ask where the wolf king is.”

“Wolf king? No freaking clue. In some mythologies there was a deity of wolves.”

The hilt of the sword changed then and took on the image of Sylus. ”So do you know where he is, sharp one?”

Rhaine frowned slightly. “Wolf kin - that I'd understand.

“This here sword says, Sylus is a king and he got hurt and some dragon with a whip separated Sylus from his blade.” Topaz still puzzled out the cryptic replies from the scimitar, but she too remained aware of the approaching danger. “I guess looking for Sylus instead of that book makes a certain amount of sense. Are you sure you can't fly?”

“I can.” Rhaine gave a little shrug. “But do I need to?”

“Well, up with you then. Probably. Unless you want to be an appetizer.” They’d likely have missed the recent trouble had Rhaine admitted that sooner. But then they’d also have missed the news of Sylus.

“You think locals have a death wish?” She touched the belt around her waist and then glided in the air.
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Post by Topaz »

“If those we met so far are anything to go on, ayup.” Topaz grinned, but she didn’t miss the pained expression on Rhaine’s face as she pressed another button on her belt. “Of course Sylus won't be up here.”

“Certainly. But I'll see him if he's alive.” Just ahead of them the pair saw the temple breaking through the canopy. A monstrous statue of a dragon’s body with limbs of other animals sat atop the entrance.

“You know, that thing there looks to be more than rock.” Topaz had the impression that the statue was not always as inanimate as it currently appeared.

“Worse than rock, you wish to say?” Rhaine cussed under her breath. “I'd see why Sylus went here. That big son-of-a-mutation looks like their ancestor. At least based on description. I've never actually seen him.”

“Possibly, it doesn't exactly look friendly. Whatever possessed Artemus to bring the book here? Oh - never mind, don't answer that.” Topaz covered her nose with a hand. “Smells like a battle field.”

“And not the muties, Arch Mage.” They paused to assess the situation below. A line of fresh bodies covered the steps leading to the entrance. “Whatever did, it knew of Chimaera.”

A moment later Rhaine landed on the steps and inspected the bodies. “Wolf. He's been here. Always so... efficient.” She commented as she moved from body to body up the steps. “Okay, we know he's been here. Both targets are in the same place. How convenient.”

“Sylus did this?” Topaz was happy not to be asked to have a closer look and much slower in her decent.

“Or someone with matching manner of fighting. Too accurate, too assassin-like. Vanion usually loves bloodshed, like any of his brethren. Others would have no interest in this place, a pirate would be too sloppy. I've seen Sylus kill - the manner matches this one.”

“Then you know more than me about Sy's manner of fighting.” A simply yes or no would have sufficed, but Topaz tucked away the volunteered information in case she needed it at a later time. She was rather pleased that Rhaine was willing share secrets.

“I don't know more than you about his manner of fighting. I merely know his manner of killing.” With a burst of speed Rhaine went to examine the blood trail leading into the temple. “Topaz... something's seriously bad here.”

“Obviously.” Topaz nodded at the second of Sylus’s blades that was lying in the general mess. “Can you tell which trail is his?”

“Sylus's been wounded, and seriously... too much blood. Of course.” Rhaine nodded and gave a fanged vampire smile. “I know the taste of shifter blood. Not Sy's but are there any other shifters around? And would they be wolves? I know it's Sy's, okay? Do not ask for answers that can bring in more questions, please. We've no time to argue.”

Topaz thought that arguing was preferable to rushing in. Those bodies looked fresh enough to suggest the battle had merely moved inside rather than be over. Nonetheless, Rhaine was already at the entrance before Topaz could reply.
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Post by Rhaine »

Rhaine rushed, using a a burst of speed to touch and look at the blood trail. It was clear for Bound - the blood was Sy's. She knew the specific markers, but how to convince Topaz that her data were correct? The blooded trail led inside... too fresh.

The minute she passed through the entrance door, she felt her connection with magic slowly fade. It was like diving and being unable to resurface... like stepping into sporadic hi-gravity field on the remaints of Fieras... Rhaine stepped back, bending as if someone kicked her in the stomach.

Turn back? The resolution flared inside her. Would all this be in vain? Dragging Topaz into the swamp, killing the living beings that tried to stop them... would it be for naught? Would some damn magic-suppressor trap force High Priestess, former Commander of the Legion to admit defeat? Activating the servomuscles, she rushed in.

"Sylus!" she called aloud. Even if every move was painful, she did not allow herself to show it. There will be time to whine - when back home and in safety. There was no answer coming to her words just a trail of blood, bone, and bodies. The deeper she went, the more the oppresive feel of her magic being kept at bay grew. No stimulant in medikit could affect her - she knew it well enough.

Navigation in the darkness was easy. The spell of the Chimaera Temple did allow some minor abilities. Her inhuman eidetic memory, as sharp as ever, gladly pushed some images towards her, as she leaned on a wall to rest a bit.

... Saelbain shook his head negatively, bronze chitin of his exoskeleton shimmering in faint light.
"You have to realize, Rhaine, we do not expect reckless actions from our mortal partners. You will be nothing but yourself inside the spacewarp. Not the Bound, the Gierre you are now."
"You'll have to kill me to stop me"...


She rushed on. Along the path would be bits and pieces of torn cloth. All signs showed that despite keeping a cool head, Sylus began to fight out of desperation. Every breath inside the null-magic field was a struggle. "Sylus! Sy!" she screamed as loud as she could. Nothing. Only echo of her own voice. The sound of fighting could barely be heard even to her heightened senses somewhere off to the left. The body of a mutant impailed on a spike trap, dropped out of a side hallway. The reaction was momentary. She dodged the object, and sneaked close to the wall. Hermosuit took the color of the wall, making her almost transparent. She checked the cells in plasma gun. Ready. Accurately vampiress moved, guided by the sound.

The path of bodies continued, lessening with each new trap that had been sprung. She was careful - as careful as she could be. Anything capable of cutting through the suit and skin, would be... she didn't wish to think of this. She called Sylus again, hoping he'd hear. No answer. Around a corner she found a dropped journey sack. Most of the contents had been looted except for a tiny figurine that was partially burned and blood spattered food rations. Rhaine picked up the figurine, wondering if it'd be any clue...

... An image of Sylus in full shifter form carrying Alais on his back running through a forest with a pack of wolves around them sniffing curiously and nipping playfully ad werewolf and elf. The figurine radiated genuine, true happiness...

The effect of the figurine was surprising. But... what could make Sylus drop it? she went on, stepping with great care - but as fast as she could, taking into account the feeling of double gravity. She only took the statuette with herself, knowing it would mean a lot to Sylus. The sound of fighting grew louder as grunts and a ver recognizable roar shook the stone walls. Now it was screams of terror that filled the interval silence. It felt like moving in thick syrup and under ridiculously high gravity for someone so used to absolute freedom like Rhaine. The mutants triggered the remaining traps in their frenzied rush to get away from something that scared them more than anything their life in the jungle had caused.
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Post by Rhaine »

Inside the screams of battle got louder as Rhaine pressed on, many mutants ran past her just wanting to get away from what was ahead. An occasional "whack-whack" of plasma globes cleared her way when there were too many mutants. Rhaine wasn't in the mood for asking someone to let her through, and null-magic field didn't make her any nicer. She merely tried to maintain the maximum speed .

A sudden wounded howl was loud enough to be heard outside the entrance, the howl sounded somewhere between human and wolf. Rhaine shot down two more of mutants. "SYLUS!"she yelled again, at the top of her voice, expected at least minimum response. This reminded dreadfully the myr'khul temple... where's Vanion to try to annihilate her?

A large blurred, smeared spot showed against the wall in the room just ahead, the image of a spear piercing its shoulder and staggering back from the light.
Vampiress muttered something angrily, but "rushing in guns ablaze" was rather a foolish idea. She sneaked in, making sure to keep away from the light. The stealthmode made her transparent, only eyes glowing faintly. The cells weren't half spent in the gun, and she had a spare pack naturally, so a boiling mix of blood and fire was something she actually hoped for.

Sylus was in fully shifted form. Something she had seen, and could not fear. His multiple wounds were slowly mending. However it was clear that Sylus was tireing by his movements and how he was taking more and more hits. The mutants that circled him kept him pressed, a spear lunged into his back around the kidneys, one in his hip, and a fresh one in his shoulder. Dark amber eyes blazed with rage and defiance as the large black werewolf kept fighting.

She tried to weave a spell instinctively, but the energy of the temple choked her. She could only cuss in her normal voice, and aim carefully, taking out the mutants and trying not to hurt Sy. The black blade was too heavy for her hand now.

We will feed, Glaeddyv Sierthii... if I can manage to lift you... But will you object if I let Sylus use you?

It felt like weighing a ton... she managed to burn her way to the werewolf, and offer him the longsword. But the shifter seemingly did not recognize her. He threw her across the room, easily, like a weightless rag. The hermosuit wasn't ripped by the claws, luckily for vampiress.

"Sylus, idiot..." that was closest to roar as she could do - and blasted several more mutants. Rhaine inserted a fresh pack of cells, and continued on frying weirdo's who didn't pay enough attention to her for some reason.

The mutants were confused now as to the bigger threat. The woman with the strange weapon, or the wounded shape changing thing? Splitting up two others kept trying to pin Sylus down while the others engaged the vampire. At least it was better - safer now for Sylus. Vampiress backed off, and gladly fired one rapid succession, aiming at heads (faces?muzzles?). Dodging spears and at the same time aiming - that could be instinctive if not for illusionary high gravity. Several lizardmen dropped with heads basically burned off. Two more lizardmen were sent staggering as a third founds it's head ripped off via wolven teeth.
The werewolf looked around and saw its opening to run out of the room, obviously hoping to find a place to lick its wounds. Several spears slammed into Rhaine, almost making her lose balance. She reacted on instinct - thrust back with the black blade, that seemingly screamed in delight, and blasted off another couple of heads. There was one more left, and Rhaine thought he'd be an idiot to continue attacking. "What kind of idiot carries a gun and a sword?" well, Skyler may have considered it idiocy....

She checked her wrist. Standard hermosuits included a type of stimpack, which couldn't do anything to her. But it could be of some help to Sy. She moved towards the werewolf. "Hey, Sylus..." She noticed he went deeper into the temple, and followed the reddish trails she could see/sense.

The large werewolf paused just enough to lean against a wall tiredly before rushing off again hearing pursuit. Rhaine continued speaking aloud, hoping that her voice would keep him still. "Sy, I've found that figurine you lost... Don't run.. It's Rhaine, not some lizard brat..."

She checked the mapper. No, she was not lost yet in the temple... not a labyrinth it was. She looked into wolf's eyes. Not a single trace of a human mind. But she still had to try.
"There you are..." rushed with the figurine in her hand. "Hey, Sylus, you've forgotten that one."

When her hand came to close he snapped at her growling low in his throat and taking a attack stance on all fours. Amber eyes were glittering dangerously. Nothing she could do made him relax, or at least recognize her. In the end, the werewolf simply ran away through a broken door sending it completley off the hinges. Rhaine stood up and rushed after him.

"Sylus, stop!!! We need to talk!"
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Post by Rhaine »

Every step was a pain. What happened to this silly shifter? is it Kurgen tradition to need someone to babysit them?!.

"SYLUS!!!"

He ignored the yell and kept running crashing through doors and in some cases whole crumbling walls. Rhaine kept running. She checked indicator of servomuscle charge. Still almost full. Good. She felt foolish chasing the werewolf through the temple, but was there any other way? Damn stimpack... and damn Bound metabolism that made her immune to it...

"Sylus, run all you like, but Art needs your help," she made another try.

The running wolf stopped then and looked back at her something flashing through amber eyes. "I know no Art." and he was off again crashing through a set of double doors into a brightly lit chamber. She stopped for a split second. What in the name of Nessus could happen to Sylus to cloud his brains enough to forget about his brother? she rushed into the chamber following the wolf.

In the chamber the wolf was nowhere to be seen however a locked chest sat wedged into an out of the way crevise in the corner of the room. A trail of blood went the other way through another smashed doorway. She looked around. "You won't get away too far, fuzzy. But that's odd... temple should have been raided long ago. Why - a chest?..."

It wasn't centuries old... She took a close look at the chest. Putting down the gun, she used the black blade to slide under the lid, and turned it. Servomuscles screamed from sudden load. A small crossbow bolt flies out narrowly missing her neck, if someone had been kneeling in front of the chest and opened it they'd be dead.

"Such a trap won't last centuries..." Rhaine mused. Inside the chest a black cloth sits over a large square object with a green serpent slithering around the inside, with the lit open beady eyes looked up at the one who opened the chest readying to strike. However, even if the Bound was stripped of spellcasting ability, she remained poison-immune... and if anything dared to bite her, she could only pity the aggressor, it would either break its teeth on the hermosuit, or get poisoned from incompatible organics. A move at maximum of servomuscle-added speed and precision to catch snake right under the head, to immobilize it... She crashed snake's neck, and retrieved the square object inside the chest, pulling off the cloth covering it.

Well, you son-of-a-cat, enjoy your vacation...

She took the book, and followed wolf's tracks. Finally getting out, Rhaine took a deep breath, and took flight using gravbelt, gliding towards the entrance.
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Post by Topaz »

“Bad idea.” Topaz muttered to herself. The temple itself had been screaming danger at the fairy’s senses since they got close enough for her to sense such warnings. But it was more than ‘just’ what the smell of death warned of. Though she did not know why that would be so, she did know that for her to enter that structure would mean certain death.

“I'll go in, Arch Mage.” But instead of stepping into the building Rhaine stepped back, bent over as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. “Crap, is this some gravity trap?”

A voice echoed around them and in their minds. "Those of the blood are welcome here their power absolute. Infidels are tolerated but their freedoms minute."

“Be careful.” Rhaine had adjusted her suit and was standing upright again, appearing ready to press on. Though Topaz didn’t like the idea of letting Rhaine go by herself, there was no way Topaz would come within a body length of the entrance to that temple. The magic that is part of her would not have permitted it even if she had tried.

“I always am.” With that Rhaine rushed through the entrance and away from Topaz’s sight and senses.

Topaz looked around for something to occupy her time. There really wasn't much to do. A closer "look" at the surrounding swamp, becoming familiar with the creatures and plants, and redirecting those she didn't wish to encounter was as natural thing to do for her as breathing, and did little to keep her from getting bored.

She also took note of reptiles crawling past the base of the temple. They were exceptionally large with whip-like arms. She did watch them for a while – there was little else to watch as the normal swamp inhabitants seemed to avoid the temple. They appeared to have the one minded goal of entering the temple, and their bodies changed into more humanoid shapes the closer they got to the temple. Though it would have been interesting to see what the creatures would look like once they crawled up the steps, Rhaine probably had enough to keep her busy and did not need another problem entering the ruin.

So Topaz had taken back to the air and started to erect a barrier around the temple base. Before she could check the effectiveness of the barrier her attention was drawn by a roar and the noises of smaller animals fleeing from a larger one.

Animals scattered from the surrounding jungle as a giant moving shape knocked down trees. Its approach was fast. From her vantage point Topaz could already make out a large bald head through the canopy of trees and a moment later that bald head came out of the tree line. Its leathery face sported a single eye just under the forehead. The face was followed by a massive body of muscle, wielding a large tree as if it were a club.

Topaz had seen such a creature before, if a somewhat smaller version. Talking to it was worth a try. “Hello there.”

The singular eye swiveled to look up, but the first words out of its mouth were "Oh...pretty...bug." just before a hand lifted to grab the fairy.

“Not a bug.” Topaz nimbly kept out of reach. The greeting put her in mind of the troll girl she had met a few years earlier. The troll had been friendly and lonely and very sad over having squished her up to then best friend. Eventually the fairy had found a new home for her with other trolls far away from Atrebla and Rhydin. “I'm Topaz. What's your name? Did you come to help the wolf king?”

"What a wolf king? And you is bug, have bug wings, fly like bug. So you bug. Ulgu say so." The bald head gave a nod as if that was the end to the discussion then looked around. "Ulgu hear fighting, Ulgu come fight too. Ulgu eat.”
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