by Talon Starblade » Fri Oct 03, 2003 11:02 am
(occ: editted for our sanity.)
Buzya held onto Eathan tightly as he ran. "I don't suppose you'll tell me where we're
going?"
While Eathan was carrying Buzya, the dark cloaked man ran by. A bit of blood was dripping from one of his arms.
[MX:] By now, the crowded streets were gripped with chaos; having some experience with
living in a town rich with magery, people weren't hysterical, but they certainly weren't calm and reserved.
"Right now, the only place I know is the harbor. Unless you got a better suggestion?"
Buzya would have shrugged if she'd been able to. "I can only assume it's the best place to go for a fire..."
[MX:] The pillar of flame behind them had stopped growing in height, and the bulging eye on the tip was now a golden orb of fire with a black, slitted pupil. It was twisting and writing, as though ready to topple, but remained upright.
The cloaked man made no note of it, and still kept running.
[MX:] One thing did catch the Cloaked man's eye; the mage he had seen before, the one who had placed this trap. he was walking down the docks at an extremely brisk pace. He was alone, heading for one of the smaller clippers.
The cloaked man did not do anything to threaten the mage...there were more important things. He continued running towards the dock.
All Eathan could do, was keep running... But inside, he prayed, //Great Odin, please let my feet be be swift.//
[MX:] Eathan could see the caravan up ahead, parked next to one of the larger merchant ships; the crew was tossing things aboard at a frantic pace, and the riggings and sails were almost flying onto the masts. Kenery was allready onboard, tossing a gang plank off the side for them. The cloaked man was only a few meters away, but Eathan still had some considerable distance to go.
The cloaked man just swiftly got onto the ship, and looked for any sort of bandaging tools.
[MX:] The crew was in total chaos; nobody noticed his wound, and even if they had, probably would have been too busy getting the ship underway.
The cloaked man just looked for the medical supplies.
Eathan growled through his teeth, as he pushed himself to the limit. He'd never run with this much weight before... Then again, he'd never been chased by a giant firey eyestalk before... As Daffy Duck once said, "You never know what you can do, till your life flashes before your eyes."
[MX:] Without any warning, a deafening explosion filled the air, and the ground shook hard enough to throw Eathan's balance.
[Eathan Balance Roll: 10 of 14-3 = Sucess]
[MX:] He barely managed to keep his feet under him. Buzya let out a short scream. "What... what was that!?"
[MX:] The towering pillar of fire had split into three stalks from the middle down; each of the three massive 'legs' had slammed onto the ground. The creature's fiery skin began solidifying, becoming something tangible.
"Probably Hell saying 'hello,' knowing MY luck," Eathan yelled to her.
[MX:] The eye twisted ever closer to the dockside, and it took another great step. it covered an entire city block with the casual motion. By now, eathan was onto the wooden dockside, and only a few dozen steps from the plank leading onboard. The cloaked man had managed to find a strongbox of medicines and bandages.
The cloaked man used the ointments and bandages to get his wound patched up then.
[MX:] [CM First aid roll: 7 of 12 = sucess; takes 30 minutes, 2 HT recovered]
Eathan never looked back. His sole focus was to get them on that ship.
[MX:] After a few moments that seemed to stretch like years, Eathan reached the unstable, rickety plank. Kenery was on the other side, trying to hold it steady as possible. As Eathan began to run up, a shadow blotted out the sun. A split second after jumping onto the ship, another huge tremor shook the city, sending the plank clattering down the docks, and into the waters below. The massive fire giant had taken only two steps to reach the docks; it's eye stalk leaned out over the water.
"Where's the motor on this thing?!!!" Eathan yelled, finally getting a solid look at the thing he'd been running from. As the sight registered in his mind, he found himself wishing he hadn't looked.
[MX:] The man who had first showed Eathan his runes patted him on the back as he ran for the prow of the ship. "I have it covered, little dragon..." He held up a pair runes, and a bright flare of light flashed from his palm. The wind suddenly turned into a powerful gust, sending the ship ahead at an impressive speed.
[MX:] After only a few minutes, they were safely away from the coast... even this distance didn't comfort them. The sheer size of the thing became readily apparent.
The cloaked man watched this scene from an unnoticed section from the ship.
[MX:] It was towering over the docks, stretching it's eye directly above the other ships
docked. It stared straight down, and light and fire gathered around it's staring orb. A line of fire fell down from it, falling like a viscous , gooey teardrop. The liquid inferno smothered one of the larger cruisers, reducing it almost instantly to flames and ash. The monster systematicaly advanced, destroying each of the ships in the port as though they were made of folded paper.
[MX:] Much of the ships crew had stopped to stare at the sight; it was obvious to Eathan that this was far from an ordinary occurance... even in this strange place. They were all witnessing something truly terrible.
"Buzya, are you alright?" Eathan asked. "And could somebody, please tell me what in the hells that THING is?"
[MX:] The girl was holding her shoulders, shaking just a little. "I'm fine... the explosion was just... unexpected. I can assume that since the floor is shaking, we've boarded a vessel... was that really nessecary?"
[MX:] The rest of the crew began gathering beside Eathan, watching the huge, tripod-like monster as it meticulously destroyed the docks.
[MX:] The mage was standing beside Eathan, looking nervous. "That's no ordinary
monster... It's clearly a demon, though I couldn't tell you what kind. It was obviously summoned for a specific purpose..."
"It's using the docks and everything still tied down for kindling." Eathan turned his gaze to the mage, unable to watch anymore of the carnage. "Who'd be crazy enough to summon something like THAT?!"
[MX:] The captain stepped foreward, and turned to the mage. "You don't think this has anything to do with that damn sword everyone is scrambling after, do you?"
[MX:] The mage shrugged. "Could be anything... though it went directly for the docks after it finished forming. We'll certainly haveless competition on that particular quest. As for who's responsible... I can't imagine. Those who are most familiar with demons are probably the least likely to summon them... They best the danger."
"I can think of much SANER ways of taking out the compatition, than calling Cathulu there."
[MX:] The mage blinked a bit, and looked at him. "Who?"
Eathan mentally hit himself. "He was an elder monstrous being, described in an ancient tomb back home, called the 'Necronimicon.' He was said to be a dstroyer of worlds."
[MX:] A rolling peal of thunder interrupted them; the sound was a mixture of a raging typhoon and a the crackling blaze of a fire. No ships remained intact, and the creature had stretched it's eye-stalk in their direction. The reverberating roar echoed out over the sea. And while Everyone heard the same bestial groan, Eathan heard something else... He could actually feel the translation runes struggling to put words to this monstrous cry.
[MX:] He felt a hand on his shoulder, and heard Kenery's voice. "hey... you alright? You look like somebody gut-punched you..."
Eathan gulped, as he strained to understand. "I can hear what it's yelling about," he said, a little dumbfounded.
[MX:] Buzya responded, holding his arm. "What? it's speaking? You can't be serious! The thing isn't even alive... it's a mindless machine!"
[MX:] The thing roared again, but the distance between them muted it greatly. Only two words filled his mind; he couldn't tell if they were translated properly, or still in the demon's own tongue: The words were "Angcarch Gondheru." They echoed in his mind, until it seemed his head would split open.
[Eathan Will roll 12 of 10 = Failure]
[Fright result: 13 + 2 = 1d fatigue, 1d stunning]
[1 pt fatigue; 1 round stunned]
Eathan clutched his head, shaking a mumbling for a few seconds, his heart pounding into his ears... Over and over, two words were repeated from his lips... "Angcarch Gondheru."
[MX:] Buzya put a concerned hand on his back. "Eathan? Eathan, what's wrong?" She just stared at him for a moment, obviously worried.
Finally, Eathan's senses came back, and he turned toward Buzya. "I heard that thing... I heard what it said..." He was still shaking.
[MX:] Her eyes were no longer squinting shut; her expression changed from concern to confusion. She pulled her hand back, now looking notably frightened. "I... But..." Without any warning, she turned and ran, heading for the hatch below deck.
Eathan looked away, turning to the pocked that held the runes. He watched her run. He didn't know what to say.
[MX:] By now, the ship was well enough away that the demon wasn't visible. Only a dim glow remained on the horizon. The crew had dispersed and resumed their duties, but nobody could help but whisper about the event they had narrowly escaped.
"Where are my things stowed?" Eathan's voice was shaky, but determined.
[MX:] Kenery held his shoulder. "Right this way... we have a room for you below deck. I suggested you could stay in one of the scrivner's rooms, with a desk and everything... figured you'd like that best. I can take you there now, if you want."
"It'll come off useful. Thank you." Almost numbly, he let himself be guided to the room. "Kenery," he finally said, "check on Buzya. I don't think she'd want to see me right now."
[MX:] Kenery kept an arm around his shoulders, to keep him steady. The trip below deck was quick, and Eathan was soon standing in the door to a somewhat cramped room. There was a desk and bookshelf along one side of the wall, with a strongbox in the corner. All of his belongings had been stacked next to the box. There was a small, fold-out bed along the far wall, with a marginally soft matress.
[MX:] Kenery helped him to the bed. "Your lucky... the rest of us get hammocks. You sure you'll be alright?"
"I think I'll be fine. Right now, I'm more worried about Buzya."
[MX:] Kenery stood by the door. "I'll talk with her... but I'll need to know what to say first. Mind sharing your worries?"
"Well for one, she can't see all that well... Second, I think things just got way complicated. Ask her if she'd be willing to talk to me."
[MX:] The soldier nodded. "That should be easy enough. Oh, and I still have her glasses... or what's left of them, anyways. I'll try and talk to the mage and see if he can fix them. It's worth a shot." He turned to go, but paused. "Uh... before I go... could you tell me what an 'angcarch' is?"
"Do the glasses, definately... Angcarch was part of what that thing was screaming."
[MX:] Kenery arched his eyebrows. "Maybe it's best that we never find out then... sounds pretty nasty. Anyways... i'll go find Buzya. We'll probably be eatign soon; I'll come down and get you then." Kenery closed the door as he left.
Eathan watched the door close, then he pulled out his notepad, and wrote those two words down. Angcarch Gondheru... Those words shook him deep inside, but he didn't know why. He had so much to learn. He just hoped he had the time.
The cloaked man only stood at the bow of the ship. He had patched up his wound, and made sure the tear in his cloak was concealed. After an hour had passed since their hasty retreat from the harbor, the cloaked man went down from the bow and searched for the captain of the caravan if he was still around.
[MX:] The search took little time; he was standing at the wheel, shoutign orders to a number of crewman. People were constantly coming and going with quick questions and reports.
The cloaked man waited on the side, the captain probably had more problems on his hands from the hasty retreat, and he probably didn't need anymore.
[MX:] It was only half an hour before the constant stream of orders slowed to a more leisurely rate. There were still a number of people around him at any given moment, but the captain waved them aside for the moment, and gestured at the cloaked man.
[MX:] "I suppose you've waited long enough... what weighs your concience?"
The cloaked man stepped forward, and nodded. "I would say our hasty retreat from
the harbor was...targeted at Eathan. I left the caravan shortly before the incident happened. Eathan appeared to stand out too much in the public." The cloaked man continued, "That same group of people set up the summoning spell in which I was not able to stop. It appears they have the same intentions as most protectors of legendary weapons."
[MX:] The captain frowned. "The boy... I can believe that some greater force would try to stop anyone on this quest in mind..."
"The typical story about a cursed sword and how it must not fall into anybody's hands, for fear of the sword twisting the wielder to it's own will. And the odd thing was, these men appeared to be rather of prestigious rank."
[MX:] "Prestigious rank, hm...?" The captain chewed his lip for a moment, lost in thought.
"The mage who casted the summon spell wore garments of the upper class, and his guards were fanatically loyal. It appears they have been around for a long while."
[MX:] "Upperclass garments... fanatic guards..." The captain paused. "Was he dressed nearly in the manner of a soldier, with red cloth and decorative steel trim?"
"Closely."
[MX:] The captain frowned as he continued. "Did he have a strange pair of rings, connected by afine steel chain? The rings would have been set with large jade stones. And did he wear a steel circlet, similarly set?"
"Almost a perfect description."
[MX:] The captain grimaced visibly. "The man you encountered is named Lokemus... he runs a goodly-sized cult of battlemages, all of them as fanatical as you described. I didn't see him at the Gathering of Fortune, and I sincerely doubt Karuzhe would have invited him there... Though I have reason to suspect he may have invited himself, without anyone's knowledge."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Battlemages? His two guards carried rondaches and throwing knives."
[MX:] He rubbed his chin. "Common flunkies, no doubt... He reserves his magical gifts for his acolytes. He has no shortage of soldier-trained fools. Actually, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he and Karuzhe have clashed before now."
The man just shook his head. "Whatever it is, it looks like the prince of thieves is purposely setting the competition to be one against another. To what end, I know not. Lokemus told me he intends to destroy the sword."
[MX:] The captain stared at the cloaked man in surprise. "Destroy it? Really now... Rumors fly about the nature of his magical power; many suspect it is demonic in nature. I imagine this disaster cements that particularly theory. Though I cannot fathom why he woudl wish to destroy the sword." he shrugged. "Maybe he just wants to keep it from Karuzhe."
"He was also spouting stuff about how one look at the blade, and you will be entranced by it's glamor. Perhaps he's right, perhaps he's not. And perhaps there's more to this... That little girl that gave Eathan his runes. Perhaps we can ask Eathan if the girl seeks the sword also."
[MX:] The captain rubbed his chin again. "Not a bad idea... we know they talked about something at length."
"Shall I go retrieve him?"
[MX:] The captain shook his head. "We'll be eating in a few minutes anyways; you and he can join me in my officer's dining room."
The cloaked man nodded. "Alright. Until then." The cloaked man walked off, but he suddenly clutched his shoulder, as a drop of blood fell on the deck. "I need to change the dressings, it appears."
[MX:] The captain nodded. "One more thing, though... what's the deal he made with that girl he dragged aboard? We don't allow bed-mates on sea voyages."
He replied, "Apparently, an acquaintance of Kenery."
[MX:] The captain rolled his eyes. "Any ladyfriend of Kenery's is garuanteed to be of questionable moral fibre... ask him about it next chance you get."
"Will do."
[MX:] The captain waved and shouted at a rewman. "OY Show this one to his room, and see that he gets whatever medical stuffs he needs."
[MX:] The man nodded. "healing or room, first?"
The cloaked man replied, "Healing. I need to change this dressing."
[MX:] The man nodded. "Right this way then." He led the way to the ship's healer's room.
The cloaked man already looked through a few of the supplies as he came on the ship and used the supplies for the first time, so it did not take very long to find what he needed. He only raised his cloak's sleeve up to shoulder level, and started his redressing.
[MX:] he was interrupted as the healer put a hand on his shoulder; she was giving him a Severe Look. "If you'll have a seat, I can bandage that right up for you."
The cloaked man looked back. "Alright. But the cloak only goes up to the shoulder."
[MX:] She nodded curtly, sat him down on a bed, and got to work. "This may sting a little..." She dabbed something onto the wound. The healer paused a little as the medicine failed to get a reaction. "Right... silly me." She began placing another bandage.
[MX:] As he sat, he noticed the girl sitting across from him. She was holding a cloth against her head, and holding her stomach.
The cloaked man gazed at the girl across, and asked the healer, "Seasick?"
[MX:] The girl turned away by only the slightest degree, but grudgingly nodded.
The cloaked man look at his bandage to see if it was done yet.
[MX:] The healer was wrapping the final layer of cotton cloth around his shoulder, and was done in a moment.
The cloaked man nodded, and said, "Thanks."
[MX:] The healer nodded back, but said nothing. She then glanced over his shoulder, at the door.
[MX:] Kenery entered, with a ripe, recent black eye. he and the girl exchanged dirty looks.
[MX:] The healer said nothing, and gave Kenery an icepack.
The cloaked man recovered his arm. As he glanced back and forth, he only chuckled. After he was done with his own satisfaction, he approached Kenery. "Captain's wondering what are we going to do with the girl."
[MX:] He eyed the girl a moment longer. "At least it's obvious what we WON'T be doing tonight..."
[MX:] The girl threw a bottle of cotton balls at Kenery, which he barely ducked.
"Ironically, the captain made a small comment about not allowing bed-mates on voyages."
[MX:] Kenery opened his mouth with a sarcastic roll of his eyes, but glanced at the girl; she'd picked up a small container of scalpel-blades, and was glarign at him. Kenery thought better of his comment, and exited the room, gesturing for the cloaked man to follow him outside.
The cloaked man promptly followed.
[MX:] Kenery talked as he walked. "From what I can tell, Eathan had some kind of falling-out at the library; she was caught up in whatever happened. We'll have to decide how useful she can be, before we decide to drop her off at port Adia. I can certainly attest to her skill in the fields of history and lore, so she might actually be helpful."
"How much she knows about the surrounding islands that Dalis has directed us to and the sword itself will be of importance here...when she's over her seasickness or she has fallen to a lesser degree, I will go see to if she can be of any use...by the way, do you know where Eathan is?"
[MX:] He nodded. "I was just on my way from his bunk; he wanted me to talk to miss-high-and-noble to smooth things over between them..." He rubbed the ice against his eye. "I guess he could have picked a better diplomat... His room is right this way." He led the cloaked man through the corridors, and came to a door.
The cloaked man nodded, and knocked.
Eathan heard the knock, and opened the door.
[MX:] Kenery nodded apologetically. "Sorry... I don't think she was interested in listening to me."
"The captain invites you to eat with him at the officer's dining room in a few minutes."
Eathan tilted his head, studying Kenery's black eye. Unfortunately, he didn't understand what they were saying again. He put his hand into the pocket, holding all three stones, and gently chanted the magic to activate them.
[Eathan Rune Roll: 10 of 12 = sucess]
"Let me guess," Eathan said looking at Kenery, "was that for you, or me? And
would you guys mind repeating what you two said?"
[MX:] Kenery sighed. "Just me... you're in the clear."
The cloaked man cleared his throat. "The captain invites you to a meal at the officer's dining room within the next few minutes to discuss a few things."
"Thank you. I will be there. I guess I should at least go to apologize to her, for dragging her into this. Oh, were you able to get her glasses fixed?"
[MX:] "Dining in the blue room?" Kennery blinked, and turned to Eathan. "Actually, maybe she should be invited to the dinner as well." He shook his head. "Not yet, afraid... the mage has been tired all day from pushing us away from the port."
The cloaked man bowed. "Well, I shall see you within the next few minutes, while I settle in then. If you wish to get the woman into the dinner, go talk with the Captain. I need to go check if my saber needs some wax."
"Right then. See you there." Eathan looked back the Kenery. "Mind pointing me to the
Blue Room?"
[MX:] Kenery nodded. "Right this way. Will the lady be joining you? The captain mentioned her as open to invitation. I'm thinking I could ask a neutral party to invite her... She wouldn't be too pleased to see either of us."
"Right. Neutral party. Please do. I suspect I may be wearing colors to match, in the new future. Let's get moving. And keep talking to me... These stones cut out, if I don't hear or say anything for more than a minute."
[MX:] "Oh... alright then. Hrm..." Kennery led the way. "...well... on the subject of those runes, did that dragon tell you anything interesting?"
"My Ancestor's Runes? Kind of. He said they were ancient, and that there may have been some references in some of the history tombs. The odd comment he made, was 'That damn Tree.' He might have been talking about Yggdrasil, the World Tree. But we'll never know. I pulled out the runes that girl gave me, and nearly got my head ripped of. I landed about a minute before you did."
[MX:] "Hmm... yes... very interesting..." Eathan realized he was nodding in a rather mechanical way. When he mentioned the World Treen, though, his manner changed. "A World Tree? That could be nothing special after all; there are a lot of stories about runes being brought to this world by trees, or being seen in the patterns of their branches."
"Buzya tried to calm him down, and got tossed on her ass for her trouble. This is NOT proving to be a good day."
[MX:] "Buzya usually manages to calm people down. He must have been pretty steamed." He stroked his temple, lost in thought. "Actually my home-country has a legend about how a mighty tree sprang into being at the roof of the world."
According to her, the language the Runes I was given were based off of a Demon Language of all things."
[MX:] Kenery's eyes widened. "Demons? That pretty, white, one-armed girl gave you demon stones!?"
"Apparently. Buzya said neither the Runes themselves or the magic is actually Demonic. Just the language that they were based on."
[MX:] "Buzya knows about these runes?" He blinked. "And right after we fled a city, besieged by demonkin... no wonder she fears you." Kenery paused, and gained a well hidden nervous look. "There's... no reason to fear you... right?"
"Afraid?"
[MX:] Kenery puffed his chest out a bit. "of course not... i'd just hate to have you walk the plank over a misunderstanding. That's all."
"Oh, that would just be the cap I'd need for THIS day. Without these Runes, it could be months before I could actually hold a conversation with anyone."
[MX:] "You'll have to take that up with Vesper... he's the runecaster in our little band, and i'm sure you've met him before." He lifted his hands. "If he says they're safe, then that's good enough for the rest of us."
[MX:] By now, they'd reached a short hallway, with a blue-trimmed door at the end. Kenery opened the door, and gestured inside. "By your leave, Dragon-knight."
[MX:] Eathan paused... he had a sneaky suspicion the translation runes hadn't substituted those words for the neares approximation; Kenery had meant to kall him 'dragon knight.'
"Right... Maybe he can help me awaken my Ancestral Runes... Thank you." Eathan walked inside. He wasn't wearing his Sunday best, but it should do. But what did Kenery mean by "Dragon Knight?"
[MX:] The room inside would have matched any continental dining hall, though it was perhaps a little more ruggedly furnished. True to it's name, much of the ornamentation was blue tinted, making for a pleasing atmosphere. A large-ish oaken table was the main feature, at which the captain and his commanding officers were already seated. Eathan counted five in total, though he recognized only the captain himself, and the rune-mage he'd met earlier.
[MX:] The mage's extravagant feathered hat was set aside, but he retained his strange-looking pipe.
[MX:] The captain nodded, and gestured at a seat. "please, have a seat... we don't often have guests."
"Thank you, Capitain," he said with a bit of a bow. He then walked to and sat into the appointed seat.
[MX:] The captain arched an eyebrow, perhaps a little impressed. "I suppose some minor introductions are in order... My name is Chromelich, though everyone besides my own Second calls me Chrom. You've already met Vesper, our resident geo-mancer and rune mage." The man nodded to Eathan as his name was mentioned.
Eathan nodded back.
[MX:] "Continuing in that vein are Vorheen, my second in command, Braddoch our navigator, and meredith, who has the unfortunate curse of being both our requisitions officer and head of personelle."
[MX:] The three nodded as their names were spoken. Eathan was rather taken aback as he saw the second in command; though he was dressed like the others, his head resembled that of a reptiles, or a dinosaur. His hands were equally styled, suggesting he was something similar to the humanoid dragon that had tossed him out of the library.
He again nodded, to each of them in turn. So much to learn about this world. "It is a honor to meet all of you."
[MX:] Braddock, the shortest and stockiest of the group, nodded. "Kenery was right... he certainly has some gallantry on him."
[MX:] The woman, Meredith, eyed him critically. "A little too much, to my eye..."
[MX:] The captain waved casualy. "Settle down, Merry... he's here because I think we can help each other."
[MX:] By now, food was being brought in, and piled onto the table. The room's only door opened, and a crewman brought Buzya in. "Ah... another guest. have a seat, girl."
[MX:] Vorrheen immediately rose, and helped the girl to a seat, apparently sensing her limited visibility. he then took a nother seat for himself.
Eathan had been about to say something, when Buzya had come in. He suddenly felt very nervous. "However I can be of assistance, Captain, please ask." His voice while formal, was definatly revealing his nerveousness. His dreaded shyness, was rearing its ugly head once more.
[MX:] Buzya let out a little gasp when she heard Eathan speak. "Er... I didn't realize you were... I should go..."
[MX:] The captain cleared his throat roughly. "Have a seat, young lady... you can worry your nerves later, after we discuss the matter at hand."
[MX:] Buzya sheepishly returned to her seat, her head down.
Her's wasn't the only head angled down. He felt like he'd almost been slapped. He likely deserved it too.
[MX:] The captain continued. "Anyways... that dark friend of ours told me something very interesting a while ago. Seems this entire mess was caused by a cult leader named Lokemus
Loghingrahm."
[MX:] Vesper leaned foreward slightly. "Lokemus? I knew that snake had begun gathering military force to match his political clout... but... demons?"
[MX:] Meredith frowned. "I never knew he had the ability, let alone the inclination... he must be gettign desperate indeed."
[MX:] The captain shrugged. "I'm not sure if this has anythign to do with his political machinations. Seems he's more interested in getting to this blasted sword before anyone else."
[MX:] Vorrheen shook his head. "If Lokemus can already summon demons, what need has he of a simple sword?"
[MX:] The captain waved a hand. "oh, that's an easy one... he wants to destroy it. If what our cloaked friend said is true."
[MX:] All was quiet for a moment. Vesper broke the ponderous silence. "Awful lot of trouble to go through to destroy one artifact..."
"Not to mention all thoughs deaths..."
[MX:] Vesper shook his head. "Bah... Lokemus has no regard for human life... or any other kind, for that matter. He's hatedthis city ever since he was reassigned there, after losing his military comission."
[MX:] Meredith shook her head. "no, the boys is right in a way... Lokemus is a manipulative schemer, through and through... this is absolutely against his style."
[MX:] The captain sighed, exasperated. "Who knows what goes on inside that twisted little
brain of his... anyways, it was also brought up that the demon may have had some connection with
Eathan here."
That got Eathan's attention. "Me?"
[MX:] Meredith arched an eyebrow. "Really... he must be worth something to Lokemus, then..."
[MX:] The captain continued. "not sure what... he said it seemed like the demon was following you personally. You DO stick out like a fifth wheel in these parts."
"No contest there."
[MX:] Meredith turned to face Eathan full on, leaning towards him a little. "Perhaps there's something you haven't told us... something that would catch the eye of such a fearful behemoth...?" If Eathan's shyness had been brought about by Buzya, in her simple, chaste librarian's robe, then it was utterly ignited by the look that Meredith wore. It didn't help that she was a very comely woman; and her outfit was as far more form-fitting.
Eathan gulped. Was it getting hooter...HOTTER in there? his train of thought had deffinately been derailed.
[Will roll to to maintain eyecontact; 10 of 14-6... Failure (Like he had a chance)]
[MX:] Eathan was silent for a moment as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. The woman waved a hand in his direction.
[MX:] "Hey... I'm up here, little boy." She wore a very slightly mischevious smile.
Part of his silence was also his desperately trying to recover his willpower, the rest was trying to tare his eyes away from her cleavage.
[MX:] Meredith's outfit didn't actually reveal any skin, but that region of her uniform was some kind of tight leather bodice. Somehow, it only made things worse.
[MX:] Vorrheen pointed a fork at her, which still had a bit of meat on it. "Quit scaring the poor thing."
[MX:] The reptilian turned back to eathan. "It's still a valid question... could there possibly have been anything about you that would grip the demon's attention? Anything at all?"
Eathan shook his head a little, not in answer, but to knock his brains back into alignment. "Ah, the only thing I can think of, thanks to Buzya, is perhaps the runestones I was given."
[MX:] The entire table turned to look at Buzya, who bit her bottom lip nervously. She darted a quick 'why'd you do this to me' look at Eathan before clearing her throat and speaking. "He was in the posession of some runes from a demonic language set. That was the reason he was thrown out of the library. I was thrown out for trying to argue his ignorance, but the custodian wasn't in any mood for it. Kenery was thrown out soon after. That's about when the... explosion... happened."
[MX:] The table was silent for a moment as everyone considered her words. Only Meredith was watching Eathan, though.
Now, Eathan's shyness was hitting him full and hard. He looked almost like a cowering puppy, sitting before the pack.
[MX:] Vesper broke the silence this time. "Demon runes... demon tongue... it stands to reason that those translation runes would be able to filter whatever that beast was roaring. Did you experience any such thing? Or did you try to use them against the demon? That would certainly be grounds for it to follow you closely..."
"I only could make out two words, when it was roaring at the docks... Angcarch Gondheru. Even with the stones and the magic I activated with them, that's what I 'heard' it say. There might have been more, but it's all I could make out. I didn't know anything could shake me up like that."
[MX:] Vesper and Meredith shared A Look. Even from within his crippling shyness, Eathan could sense that they rarely agreed on anything, or shared any kind of thought. The captain stared at them both in turn, and lost a bit of his patience. "Well? Spit it out already, you two!" The mage and the lady glanced at the captain, almost in unison, and shared another look.
//This is NOT good,// Eathan thought.
[MX:] Vesper put his elbow back on his table, and resumed eating. Meredith, however, dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, and stood. "I'm sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to. Please.. carry on without me." The captain stared as Meredith exited the room. Eathan was also somewhat transfixed, but not because of her attitude... it was only now apparent how tight (and slightly shiny) her black leather pants were.
//Oh my God... And I thought it couldn't get better. Or is it.//
[MX:] The captain turned back to Vesper, who ate with a bored look on his face. "Would you mind explaining that little profundity?"
[MX:] Vesper shrugged, and waved his fork casually. "Oh... probably nothing. I don't want to say anything till we know for sure. Though I believe the words are something in the Elven tongue..."
[MX:] Braddoch spoke then, after remaining silent. "Elven!? Why would a mindless hellspawn be speaking in elven?"
[MX:] Vesper shook his head. "Bit of a moot point, really... demons can speak ANY tongue with ease."
[MX:] Braddoch pointed at Eathan with a finger. "You there... you said your runes allowed you to understand any language... right?"
[MX:] The effects of Meredith's outfit still lingered, but had faded slightly; Eathan found his tongue a bit less paralyzed.
"Ah... If I'm right about it, but I'm still a novice with real magic. But why would I hear
THOSE elven words, when the thing was howling?"
[MX:] Buzya interjected then. "He should have heard them in his own native tongue... there's no reason for him to hear anything in Elven."
"Exactly. Between the three stones, the spell is suppose to Perceive and Convey Meaning."
[MX:] Vorrheen looked at the rune-mage. "Your the rune expert... how can this be explained."
[MX:] Vesper shrugged again, but this time more genuinely. "Well, it could be a number of things. They could have been words with no equivelant translation. Or they could have been proper nouns; names of people and places , or the names of runestones or spells would be conveyed without alteration. Or it could just be some bizzare demonic thing. I'm no expert on them myself."
"Right.. That's happened before, with something Kenery said to me before."
[MX:] Vorrheen blinked a set of transparent nictitating membranes under his eyelids. "What is this word. This confusion kenery said to you."
Eathan thought for a moment, remembering the conversation from BEFORE the chaos had hit. Then it came to him. "'Quelah.' That's what it was. He said, 'No hard feelings, quelah?'"
[MX:] Vesper nodded. "That would do the trick... there's no real translation for it."
[MX:] Vorrheen turned back to Eathan. The tone of his voice changed completely; Eathan could tell he'd switched languages. "Perhaps thy enchantment doth indeed posess limitatiosn heretofore unmentioned by the giver. Dost though fear their nature?"
"I don't fear them. I barely understand them. She just gave me the knowledge of these specific stones, and their set. I afraid I'm not a linguist. Though I'm beginning to wish I was. But you're right, there does appear to be limitations to the spell I awoke. I had to find out the hard way, that I needed to use all three stones at once, to have a two-way conversation."
[MX:] Vesper swallowed another bite of meat. "Probably stems from the nature of the runes themselves; you obviously don't understand them yourself. I'd actually like to discuss that with you later... It's in everybody's best interests to get you some real knowledge about runes. Borrowed power of that magnitude doesn't mix well with ignorance."
"Makes two of us. If these things are gonna keep dropping me in trouble, I'd just as soon work as fast as possible to reawaken my ancestural Runes. The girl who gave them and the knowledge to me, did so when she learned I had a gift for magic, and knew something about runes."
[MX:] Vorrheen continued from there. "There is one other detail. I am sure we all think it. The runes conveyed the words of the demon. Perhaps they can work against it as well. Like defeats like."
[MX:] Vesper rubbed his chin quietly for some time. "I'm not sure I like the idea of facing that thing again, in ANY form of competition." His face grew a little darker. "The decision to use the runes as a weapon rests entirely with Eathan. None of us could take them from him, and we can't really force his actions."
"I wouldn't want to face that thing again with an entire armored tank division. She also told me that the knowledge would fade over time, more than longe enough to pick up my own Runes, or another Set. With the right practice and help, we could likely get me talking in your common language without all THAT much difficulty. It's just gonna take time."
[MX:] Buzya nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't be that hard... I'm a decent linguist myself, and I spent a year as an english teacher." Eathan couldn't help but be surprised at the idea of Buzya being an "english" teacher... it must have been an odd choice of words from his runes again.
[MX:] Braddoch grunted an agreement. "The sooner he stops using those infernal chips of stone, the better."
[MX:] The captain nodded. "Well, unless anyone else has something to bring up, I think we've touched on all the major points. Shall we get back to the meal portion of this dinner?"
[MX:] The decision to focus on the eating was easily made; the table was already coverd in serving trays and bowls, and everyoen started to dig in. Eathan wasn't entirely sure what to go for first; none of it was remotely familiar, except for a bowl of the green fried rice he'd had at the caravan's campsite. Actually, there was one unusual smell that caught his attention. Something smelled sweet and spicy; he just couldn't tell what it was, or where it was coming from. It had been hanging in the air for awhile now.
Eathan started with the rice, then took little samples of the different dishes, before really digging in. He kept looking for the source of the sweet and spicy smell, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. His eyes kept falling on Buzya as he ate. he just couldn't help but feel completely responsible for her being trapped in all this. He just hoped he could find the way to properly apologize.
[MX:] Some time passed as the table's occupants gorged themselves. Eventually, Buzya looked in his direction. "You look a little muddled. Is there a specific dish your looking for?"
"Ah... That sweet and spicy smell. I can't figure out where it's coming from."
[MX:] Buzya looked at the table for a moment. "Hm... could be the Gaja berry sauce... or the pilne wine..." Eathan was fairly certain neither of the dishes were the source.
[MX:] Vesper glanced over. "Whatcha looking for?"
[MX:] Buzya eyed the table. "Not sure... he said something smelled sweet and spicy..."
[MX:] The captain coughed into hsi hand. "Ah... sorry, but that's nota dish... though none of us can figure out where Meridith gets her perfume either... it certainly is distinct."
Eathan blinked at him. "That was her perfume? I have to admit, it's definately different. You wouldn't believe some of th stuff people use back home."
[MX:] Vorrheen came perilously close to a light sneer. "I approve of anything that advertises her prsence. The woman is too conniving for her own good."
[MX:] The captain gestured at him with a leg from one of the roasted birds. "Your just sore cause she beat you at a game of 'Nine fingers the first day she showed up for the job interview. Ah, those were the days..."
Eathan's mind raced, as he thought about what a game called "Nine fingers," would be like. But being accepted by a group, was definately nice.
[MX:] The rest of the meal was spent eating and talking; much of the latter were stories or gossip. Though Eathan still had little to say, it ws refreshing to just spend time being accepted by the group. After almost two hours (and a very full stomach) the officers rose from their seat,s leaving for their rooms one by one. Kenery arrived, and waved at Eathan and Buzya, to take them back to their rooms.
Eathan got out of his seat, then offered to help Buzya with her seat.
[MX:] She seemed a little reluctant at first, but accepted the help, and took his hand. She seemed almost apologetic.She glanced at kenery. "I'll take Eathan to his room; I can find my way to my own from there."
MechanistoX: Kenery rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Riiiight... you'll be going STRAIGHT to your room after his. I believe you!" He jumped as she triet to stomp on his foot, and quickly left the room.
[MX:] Buzya took Eathans hand, and led him off. "Sorry... he's as obnoxious as always."
"That's alright. I've got a few friends like him back home. I... I want to apologize for getting you involved in all this. Sometimes I think the fates try to use me to entertain themselves."
[MX:] She chewed her lip a little; a mannerism she'd performed often. "Well... if what everyone else says is correct, you may have saved my life by getting me out of that city. And... I suppose I owe you an apology as well... I should not have jumped to conclusions about your runes and that demon. I guess I was just frightened at the possability."
"I truly had no idea these things had that kind of history. I had a feeling I was getting into some questionable dealings, but from the moment I arrived it seemed like something was up." He pulled out the pendant with the rune in it. "I still don't know where this came from, or how I feel the power in the rune on it's back. I just hope I can find some answers."
[MX:] "Seems like you'll be talking with that Vesper fellow quite a bit... With him for runes,
and me for language, you'll probably have your entire voyage scheduled out."
"I... I would be honored, if you would help me learn your language."
[MX:] She blinked a bit. "Honored? Well..." She paused and smiled. "I'd be more than happy to." By now, they had reached his room. Buzya took him completely by surprise, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you tomorrow then, Eathan Drake." With that, she left down the hallway.
"Until tomarrow then, my lady." His words were more than a whisper, but he didn't know if she'd even heard. He just moved into the room in a kind of daze. He found himself falling to sleep, with a smile on his face. As messed over as the day had been, it had turned out to be a good one.