RPGWW

OOC: Yep, it LIVES!

The only thing is...well...where were we?

(OOc - Weren't we just about to go and face (duh duh duh) the Master?)

(OOC: Indeed we were.)

Morning arrived once more - unfortunately, so did the rain. Alastair awoke to find himself soaking, something he wasn't best pleased about.

'Damn...Illastrial, wake up!' He reached over and shook her gently by the shoulder. 'Come, we still have a way to travel.'

He slowly got to his feet - clearly last night's events had weakened him, both in body and in spirit.

'Squintz! Dan! Mobius!'

He looked around for the others. He saw Squintz and Dan, but Mobius and Squintz' friend had both disappeared. His heart fell - two companions lost to the road already...

(SS, Squintz, Dan, and myself are the only people I know to still be here. >.>)

"Ah...I'm soaking! Bleaurg...I think something died in my mouth last night. Everyone okay?" She sat up, shaking her hair out of the mess it had curled into and pushing it out of her eyes. "Can anyone make a fire? I know I could certainly do with a bit of warming before we start."

<.< ^_^

'You know, I was berating myself on not knowing how to make a fire or having any fire magic just before I met you guys. Maybe Squintz can do something, though what with the weather its unlikely...'

(OOC: Yay, I'm glad to see this is going again!)

Molokidan sat up, one eye open, groggy as ever. "Yah. . .egah. . .marshmallow. . ." he mumbled, and fell backwards, slamming back onto his pillow, and also back into sleepy land.

Alistair grinned at Dan, and went to stand next to him. Reaching up to grab a branch over the boy's sleeping form, he shook it, causing the water on the branch to spray over Dan and himself.

'Rise and shine, Dan. We've a long way to go yet.'

"Heh, boys on the road..." She looked around at all their groggy eyes and sleepy yawns. "So Alistair...do you think todays the day?"

He looked around, mouthing, before he worked out what she had meant.

'What? No. We still have to go under the mountains. If we keep up our current pace, it should only be a matter of days...Come on, Dan. Get up! I don't know about the others but I won't think twice about leaving you.'

"Waah, but I'm so tired. . ." Dan moaned, licking the water off of his face. "Ah. . .good water." he said, jumping up. "So, guys, were are we off to today? I mean, you know, being attacked by all those people yesterday. . .I don't really remember what it was exactly that we were doing out here. . ." he scratched the back of his head unsurely, and then slipped his olive green coat over himself, which had been hanging on a nearby tree. "Ahh. . .what a pretty day." he said, looking around, and stretching his arms. "I wish every day was like this. Not sunny, but not dim, and a nice cool breeze. . ." he spun around, his wild blue hair getting tossed around by the wind.

Squintz snickered. Dan was really energetic, and that was good. He reached into his pack, withdrawing some more rations. He had been surviving off of them for the past 100 years..so he was used to them. He chomped down, realizing that other elves probably wouldn't like him eating beef jerky, with most of them vegetarians. Squintz sighed. He had been amongst humans for too long.

(OOC: I believe that RK is still alive here somewhere...)

(OOC: I'm here alive, fine, not dead, breathing, typing, eating ice cream that was made with Tabasco sauce (oddly tastes like pumpkin). But if you want me to go crawl into a hole and die I'll do it(figuratively))

(OOC: No, don't do that yet...)

Ryken was perched in a tree watching the others get ready for the journey ahead. Though it occurred to him that they may want help, food was his first priority. Eating the little bit of food he had on him he realized that it might be a good idea to forage for some food some.

*lunchtime activity no need to do it now*

He continue to watch them get ready.

Illastrial pulled her pack from under the bush she had hidden it in the night before. Luckily hardly any rain at all had got to it, and so it was almost completely dry. She grabbed a bit of food, just a couple of handfuls of nuts and berries. She had always preferred to constantly snack while travelling, rather than have huge meals. At home however, she usually had both.

"Where's Mobius got to?"

Squintz stood up. "I dunno. However, we probably don't have the time to look for him. I suggest that we get going as fast as possible. I don't want any of those...things coming at us." Squintz shuddered. He didn't want to think of the Bodun.

Alistair licked his lips nervously and looked around. He didn't want to see any more of them either, if he could help it.

'Come then! Onwards!'

He set off out of the eaves of the wood, heading torwards the tunnel that would eventually lead them to Greywall...

"Ok. . ." Dan said, starting to trudge down the path. "Although I'm kind of confused. What exactly IS this Greywall place? Oro. . ."

'Greywall is the Master's fortress in the mountains, Dan.'

Alistair was now staring off torwards the nearby mountains.

'There he holds my parents captive...we go to rescue them, and to finish all this.'

Squintz was worried. "Exactly how powerful is this Master?" Squintz knew that he must be powerful. It worried him to know that this person had such fearsome beasts such as the Bodun at his command...and that he had taken hostages. This "Master" was worse than Dhargun. A vile, vile man....but to call him a man was an insult to mankind. Squintz vowed that it would end there. No matter the cost.

'Powerful enough to fool my parents. Powerful enough to fool me. Powerful enough to control beasts and fell creatures from the abyss. Powerful enough to manipulate magic like none since the dark mages of old have. Powerful enough to rule the world...if he gets the sword.'

He sighed.

'But I cannot leave my parents to him. I will not.'

Illastrial nodded at Alistair's vow and shouldered her pack. Looking at the mountains she shuddered slightly. I've never liked being underground, I feel as if the walls are always thinning, heming in on me, blocking my escape, cutting off the air around me. I need to see the sky above me...but I must continue, for Alistair.

Sighlently following the group Ryken wondered about his own parents.

*Such foolish thoughts, why can't they leave me be? If my real parents wanted me they would have kept me. I don't even know who they were. As for the families that kept me afterwards, they're all dead. I have nothing to live for except my sword.*

(OOC: Character development, WHEE!)

"Alright. . ." Dan said. "I'm sure we can do it. . .if he's that bad of a guy, there must be a reason. . .we can do it!!" he said, looking courageous. . . "It's scary, however." he said, walking over to Squintz. "We have to protect each other. . .teamwork!!"

"Teamwork...yes. We will need it." Squintz thought through his options. Justice....well....Justice was too powerful to use at random. He would have to keep his wits about him, but he could always protect the others. He knew that he had the most experience of all the others. He had his honor to uphold, and part of that honor was to protect those that were his allies.

Illastrial smiled, "Enough of the vows and promises, we've got people to save, let's get moving!"

'Illastrial's right. We don't have all day.'

He set out at a forced march from the woods, his jaw set in a determined line and a steely glint in his eye.

My parents...if hes done anything to you, he will know the true meaning of wrath at my hands...

'Master! Master of nothing!' He shouted to the hills, 'I am coimng for you! I hope you are ready!'

"How much further to Greywall? Will it take a day or two?" Squintz was trying to analyze everything, just like he always did.

Dan looked up at Alistar, who seemed to be heavily troubled. "Cheer up!" he said, grabbing Alistair's arms. "I know you're worried, but it's ok. Everything will work out! It always does." he smiled, trying to make the person feel better. That was the least he could do in these days, that was for sure. . .for at any time, he could snap. . .

'Yes, Dan. I just hope that it works out for the better. Come on! If we keep at this pace we only have 2 or 3 more days worth of travel to Greywall!'

The smile returning to his face, he took Dan's hand and set out once again over the hills.

"Let us make haste." Squintz followed the group, moving as fast as he could.

Ryken pondered what he could actually do for a team. He had always been alone, worked alone, the only one who understood him was the sword. Still he would try to work with them. He was one who had nothing left to fight for, maybe these people could help him find a cause.

After a day's hard march over the foothills of the mountains the party found themselves at the bottom of a chalky cliff face on a mountain's side. It was bare other than for a few trees about halfway up, clinging doggedly to their source of life, defying gravity by merit of their roots. And right in front of them, hidden from the view of an uncareful viewer by a number of tall rocks, was a cave...

'This is it... The last chance for any of you to turn back. If you want out, I suggest you go now.' Alistair's words were like heavy blocks dropping onto their minds. He felt the weight of reality too.

'If not, then we camp here tonight. Darkness approaches, and we've travelled further today than I should have decently expected of you. Indeed, Dan looks to be asleep on his feet, and I share that feeling.
'

Squintz stood tall. "I fight with you until the end. I'm not backing down."

Alistair nodded solemnly to the elf.

'Thankyou Squintz. I'm sure that having you with me will make the task less of a burden.'

Illastrial put her arm around Alistair's. "I'm in this until the finish. I couldn't stop now even if I wanted do, and every part of me is telling me to continue."

(OOC: *points to the subject in SS' last post* HELP! I'm in tea! *drowns*)

'Illastrial...you have given me your own quiet strength when I could not rely on my own, and showed me how important my friends are. I thank you with all my heart.'

A tear welled in his right eye, and he hastened to wipe it away.

'Come, we must move ourselves from this spot. It wouldn't do to camp with the cavern system to our backs. Let's settle ourselves in that copse of trees over there.' He pointed, and led Illastrial off by the arm, gesturing to the others to follow.

Illastrial walked off with Alistair to the trees and sat down beside him. "Alistair...how far is it underground, through the tunnels? I've...never liked the dark much...I feel exposed, vulnerable...alone."

'It's probably a day's journey. Half a day if none of the routes are blocked. You won't need to worry, Illastrial. I'll be there, and so will all the others. And my hand will be empty, if you need it.' He winked, and lay back, looking up through the branches o fthe trees at the night sky beyond.

He would stay even if every part of him told him to go, to prevent himself from trusting anyone, to keep him the way he was. These people, even after just this short amount of time, made him feel like he was part of something. He could feel emotions inside of himself again dreaded emotions. His sword was happy.