Anthem

[Finnius]

Life is funny. Most times it drags ever on, day by day, only slightly variating to give the illusion of the passage of time. Time is a lie. Every day is the same day, endlessly repeating. People grow bigger, their bodies expanding with useless, meaningless tissue, but they don't get older. The sun rises and falls over town and village, city and sea, but it's just a ball of fire and heat.

 

This was the world I was born into. A world of dry heat and dead cold. My life was begun on this day, and will end on this day. I am a warrior by trade, a mercenary whose only concern is whether or not I will eat and survive the night.

 

Life is funny. Sometimes it throws curves at you, like when a new day actually dawns, when the world decides it's time to move on, and for you to move with it. This was such a day. My morning had started early, and a new job with it; I was to obtain a trinket, some jewel or other, from a wealthy and supposedly powerful merchant. I would need help...

 

Taking my sword and meager belongings, as well as a healthy sack of gold which was my payment, I headed off into the town of Eelix to see about hiring some help.

 

-Finnius Mustardio, year 1

 

OOC: All right, anyone who wants to enter is welcome! Start yourself where ever you feel comfortable; setting-wise, I'm using the old AMUBB stuff and a good but of Mighty Pen. Not that that matters, or anything. Have fun, I'll check back in a while and update in a day or two.

[The Big Pointy One]

Dropping his pack to the floor, the ranger known as Sliver stretched and took a seat. He was in a tavern in some town called Eelix. He hadn't heard of it before, but it didn't really concern him. The room seemed to have a friendly atmosphere, not to mention a fair selection of cute serving maids. Waving one said maid over, he ordered himself a glass of wine and whatever the cook was offering for lunch. After she left, Sliver kicked back in his chair and rested his feet upon the small, round table he had picked out. The rhythmic beating of a dulcimer accompanied by the smooth trilling of a flute put him at ease and the ranger took a moment to recall his journey thus far. He had only been a few weeks out of The Mighty Pen's Keep, and it put him at ease. He liked residing there, but he also liked wandering on the open roads, not to mention the lush forests the surrounding area had to offer. He was itching for an opportunity, and he hoped he'd get a chance to do something interesting soon.

[Solivagus]

The blind mans staff tapped gently infront of him as he walked down the path to the city of Eelix, seeiking out obstacles that might cause him to fall. A ragged and dirty bandage covered his eyes, and his hair was wild and unkempt. His torn and dirty brown robe fluttered in the wind. In time, he came to the gates of the city, passing through them without challenge. After all, what harm could there be in a blind man?

 

This thought ran through Xaviers mind, traced with a hint of bitterness. Still, if this was what it took to remain alive, so be it. He sent his mind out into the air around him, searching the heads of the villagers for the location of the tavern. Thier minds were weak, easily broken into. After finding what he needed he made his way to the drinking house. It would be good to be in the company of others again. There would be new emotions for him to savour.

 

OOC: This is the first time I have used Xavier, Dream Assasin. Let me know if he doesn't fit, and I'll run Heinrich past you instead

[Finnius]

The Inside of the Tavern

 

The serving maid brings bread, cheese, and some sort of thick brown stew-like substance. The odor, while foul, does little to ruin the excellent taste of the mish-mash. There is a stage opposite the door, in one corner, and many small round tables are spread out across the main floor. All in all, it is a comfortable atmosphere, welcoming to strangers. The rest of the city, on the other hand...

 

Eelix is a middling town, half-way between prosperous and poor. It rests on the edge of a desert to the west, and a somewhat overgrown forest. Eelix is the last bastion of civilization, or the first, depending on which direction one is travelling. In any case, it is a town that is not well suited to its present position. The people of Eelix founded the town long ago in order to drive visitors away, not draw them in. The forest had other plans. It expanded to the border of the tiny desert town, and with it came travelers.

 

With the travelers, came trade, and Eelix grew. Now it is a loose conglomeration of ethnic and social backgrounds, held together only by the disinterest of its people and the sometimes stifling heat which wafts off the desert. A nice place to visit.

 

Meanwhile, on the streets leading up to the tavern...

 

Xavier's walk is suddenly interupted by a flash of pain. Half a block over, an old woman is being slowly cornered into an alley. Her pursuers are two large young men... with no minds. It feels as if these two are puppets, being controlled from somewhere in the town. The threads that draw these two towards the woman are stretched tight, coiled around their brainstems like adders. It also feels like the blind old man was not just allowed, but willed, to feel her pain, and theirs...

 

Back in the Tavern

 

A short man wrapped head to toe in dusty brown leather enters the bar. He wears a curved sword on his back, and a long black duster. His face is covered from the bridge of the nose down, and from the eyebrows up, by a tightly wrapped black cloth. What skin is visible is covered in a thick layer of trail-dust, giving him the appearance of a desert nomad. The man quickly scans the room, and takes a seat at the table just next to Sliver. The two are sitting at opposite tables, halfway facing each other. The man glances down at the pack sitting next to Sliver's chair.

 

"You appear to be a fellow traveler," he begins in a low rasp. "Would you be interested in some work?"

[Merelas]

Alric walked through the market, with slight contempt. Nothing there suited his tastes. As he walked from the food vendors through to the clothing, he looked around. People were staring at him from all directions. People staring always made him nervous. Perhpas it was his clothes--he wore only the best, and he was always a spectacle when he appeared in sleepy towns like this.

 

The tents that contained various brown cloaks, leather armors, and dresses did not interest him. As one patron pointed at him, he pulled the hood of his own emerald green cloak up over his head. The cloak was of fine wook, and was trimmed with a strip of white. Under the cloak, he wore a white comfortable shirt, and green pants that matched his cloak. His eyes were the same color as his cloak and pants--a bright, emerald green. Fire gleamed in his red hair, and the cloak complimented it nicely. All in all, he was (to say the least) a figure who drew attention.

 

Next he came upon a stand with clothes items much the same as the last, and was about to turn away until he found one item that seemed to fit his tastes. It was a scarf of green silk, and if he hadn't known better, he would have said it had been custom made for his outfit. Immediately, he picked it up, and felt the fabric. It was fairly high-quality... perhaps not the best silk, but nearly so. He held it up to the edge of his cloak, and saw that it was a mere shade lighter; enough so that it could be seen, but still matching. It was about seven feet long, and six inches wide. Turning to the vendor, he said to the woman, "I'll take this. How much?"

 

"75 Geld, sir," she said. Alric reached down to his pouch, and counted out the money. As soon as he paid, he realized that he was running low. Hopefully he would have enough to pay for his meal that night. As he turned to go, he saw a scuffle a few vendors away, and hesitated.

[Quincunx]

ooc: Only Mustardio? Wow, this IS prehistory, almost before the Reign of Lunatics, Blitz One. . .pre-Rydia. . .*thinks hard, trying to recall who walked then*

 

Iron-eyed Tanaquil snatched back the water jar on the point of pouring it out. The fig tree by which she knelt whimpered and strained to bring its roots out of the dusty soil. From horizon to horizon, there was nothing but dust and the middens of the town, Eelix--nothing else grew.

 

"Curse you anew, caprificus," she rasped, staring at the trunk as though she'd split it open with a glance. "Useless, stranded, starving just as I am. What good does it do to escape the armageddonite's treants now? That's my inheritance they'll be burning to the ground once they catch her, the incompetent hag! Deal-breaker! False numina! I'll abandon you!"

 

The tree's trunk twisted even further, straining and popping audibly. Tanaquil listened without blinking, finally relaxing her grip on the water jar and letting the treant drink. It shuddered and gulped and shivered and forced a blossom, which Tanaquil grasped by the stem and harshly addressed. In her hand, it withered and grew into a single fig, which she ripped from the tree.

 

"Accompany me, numina," she told the fig, putting it into a fold of her belt and replacing the water jar on her head. "I will travel with a caravan and deliver you to rich lands beyond the desert where you and your descendant trees will multiply--if you deliver possession of those lands to me." She adjusted a shoulder brooch of polished wood and set off towards the town, a druid without a home.

[The Big Pointy One]

Sliver did his best to eye the mysterious traveller without letting on that he was doing so. Whether this was accomplished, he could not tell. Regardless, a smile came to his face.

 

"Indeed, you are correct, sir. I am looking for some work, but first..." Sliver raised his wine goblet and pointed at it when he caught the serving maid's attention, indicating he wanted one for the new arrival. "...you sound like you could use a bit to drink. Anyways, I've been wandering around rather aimlessly of late, and I've decided I wouldn't mind a bit more direction." Taking a sip from his own wine just as the serving girl arrived with the new one, Sliver continued, "Before we discuss conditions, I should inform you that I don't need payment. The only exception that is if I find anything that is of no major importance to your mission, should you have one, that I may keep it. Not that I plan on hoarding treasure, mind you. I just like to... collect... certain items that catch my eye."

 

Sliver eyed the still-veiled arrival cautiously, gauging him for any readable reactions as he waited for the response.

[Solivagus]

Meanwhile, outside the tavern...

 

Xavier let out a small hiss of rage. Only long years of mental practice kept the pain from being more than irritating. No one had the right to cause him pain in his head! All he had to do was break the lines driving the men like...a bright lance of mental thought shot into his head as he tried to sever the connection, and only his strong will power kept his knees from buckling. His hand moved to the jagged knife at his side. He despised melee combat as a rule, but there was no other choice. Ordinarily he would have left the woman to her fate, but the attacks on his mind were annoying him.

 

Quickly he burrowed into the womans mind, hunting for the optical area of her brain so that he might use her sight...

[Katzaniel]

Shanna, the young serving maid, brought the men their drinks without complaint, but she couldn't help hovering nearby as much as possible to overhear what she could, for they looked to be interesting.

 

Long experience had taught Shanna that rarely did anyone pay attention to the serving girls, but that acted to her detriment too. She dreamed often of travelling, adventuring, and she heard the most intriguing stories via careful eavesdropping on clients, but she had never been outside of Eelix.

 

Being careful to serve the other customers and not bring attention to herself in any way, Shanna continued to listen to the two travellers. She wished she had enough courage to say something, do something, make them bring her with them. But she just kept bringing drinks.

[Finnius]

"You can have whatever you keep your hands on. The only thing I require is a small red stone." The dusty nomad accepts a glass of wine and removes the black winding of cloth from his head. This exposes several pieces of information to Sliver, the first one being that the traveler's skin is a sun-dark shade of tan, almost matching the leather in which he is clad. Almost a sure sign of desert upbringing. The next is that this traveler's eyes are a deep shade of blue, like the open sky or the shining midnight sea. His hair is dark, almost as dark as the black cloth which was previously wound around his head. He appears to be grinning as he drinks. He appears to be between sixteen and twenty years old. His voice when it comes out, though, rasps dryly.

 

"And thank you for the drink. Might I inquire after your name? Mine is Finnius, and if we're going to be working together, it might as well be on friendly terms."

 

The desert wanderer swings his chair over to Sliver's table and motions for food.

 

"Haven't eaten in two days..."

 

Outside the Tavern, on the streets where a woman is being attacked

 

Xavier's mind races out across neural pathways busier than any city street, only to be tugged and tugged, slowed to a near crawl. It feels like trying to run in waist-high water. As he gets into the woman's eyes, he sees the two men, sees the blank expression on their faces. He sees a gleaming knife, point-first, as it enters the eye...

 

The desert surrounding Eelix, the sky above Tanaquil

 

It had been harder to find a caravan than it should have been... almost like the desert itself was working against her. But find one, she did, and from there it was a short trip to Eelix. Or it should have been. Three times the sun had gone up and down, three times had the caravan's master promised that the town would appear the next morning. The sun was becoming intolerable, hotter and hotter as the days went by. At least there was a steady supply of water in these wagons. For now.

 

The third day brought with it three surprises:

 

First, at mid-day, the town did, indeed, appear. It looked dusty and only half-way finished, but there it was, ringed by thick adobe walls.

 

Second, while she couldn't be sure, it seemed that something had flashed overhead shortly after the town had appeared.

 

Third, when the caravan had come up closer to the walls, a strong wind had kicked up, and heavy clouds, thick with water, had appeared on the horizon...

[Katzaniel]

As Shanna was behind the bar grabbing another round of drinks for the table behind that of the strange travellers, one of the other barmaids stopped her.

 

"You're listening to the clients again, aren't you?"

 

Shanna shrugged, a little embarrassed. "They tell such good stories."

 

"Well, stop being so shy, girl. I've worked here all my life and I can tell you it doesn't get any better. He's about your age, he's really handsome, and he can take you out of this town. I'll cover for you - go see if they won't let you join their conversation."

 

The young serving girl was surprised, but happily. "Okay, I'll take you up on that."

 

She started to walk toward the table, then by chance looked right into the ranger's eyes. He was watching her. She stopped, heart pounding, fear rising. A poke from the back and whispered encouragement made her force her legs, though.

 

Shanna made herself walk right up to their table. He already knew she had listened. If she didn't talk to them now, she might get a knife in the back later anyway. The thought of which didn't help much.

 

"Um.. sir, and sir." Shanna made a small curtsy. "I overheard part of your conversation as I was serving." The one who had introduced himself as Finnius began to say something, but she went right on. "I would like to come too."

[Quincunx]

The caravan master kept a wary eye upon the stormclouds as he supervised Tanaquil, with her water jar held impudently sideways under one arm. She had haggled her payment down to a mending spell upon the ancient pair of wagons and frayed harnesses, and kept her eyes downcast upon their axles as she prayed.

 

"Fortuna come to my call, settle in these ignorant foreign woods, stifle their cries of pain," muttered Tanaquil, scattering a handful of sand over the axle-joints for show. "Let their beast-spirits serve the need, you will fulfill the desire, and once you have lodged in this merchant's heart, he will pursue you with his life. Greedy numina, can you ask for more than a man's life, spilled out over the decades?"

 

Satisfied with the gloss that had appeared on harnesses and wagons, the caravan master relinquished the water jar, and Tanaquil set her face into the wind. Heavy and humid, the wrong wind for a desert, it repulsed her from the gates of Eelix; when she gained the safety of the town walls, the sudden calm almost made her stumble. She steadied the water jar and glanced down the streets, seeing stables and merchants' tents, run-down barracks converted to poor quarters, and a young dandy folding himself into a green turban of sorts. The fig in Tanaquil's belt pouch touched her mind and whispered like pollen grains rubbing together in the wind.

 

She drifted down the street until almost level with the dandy, loosened her air of command, then looked sidelong at him and let her dark pupils continue. He was already preening, but found for a moment that his hands simply had forgotten what to do with whatever he was holding. Tanaquil caught the trailing end of the silk and turned her eyes to it with feigned delight. "I always wondered what happened to my family's weaving!" she cooed, touching it to her cheek. "Do take me along with it. I don't want only my silks to see the world!"

 

Somewhere, a ragged old voice shrieked, but died mid-wail. The dandy didn't immediately notice. Tanaquil smiled, her true superior smile. He was hers, entwined like the grapevine on the tree, a token with which to start bargaining in this town.

Edited April 8, 2004 by Quincunx

[Solivagus]

Xavier staggered back as the knife point entered the womans eye. Hastily he withdrew his mind, glad that the death of the body was making the leaving quicker. He turned from the two men, thinking himself lucky he had not gone towards them, and reached for the tavern door. Before entering he sent a message out into the night, a vow that he would hunt down whoever had caused him pain...

[The Big Pointy One]

"And thank you for the drink. Might I inquire after your name? Mine is Finnius, and if we're going to be working together, it might as well be on friendly terms."

 

The desert wanderer swings his chair over to Sliver's table and motions for food.

 

"Haven't eaten in two days..."

 

The ranger nods as Finnius swings over to his table and offers his hand, "My name is Aidan Serradin, but those who know me call me Sliver. I also prefer Sliver, but you may address me as you please..." he took a sip of his wine and continued, "I won't inquire into the value of this stone you mention, or its value to you, and I thank you for accepting my meagher terms, if I may call them so. Anyways, enough with the formalities. When do we set out?"

 

Finnius was about to respond when the serving girl, Shanna, approached the table nervously. Sliver pondered if there was something wrong with the food, the way she was looking, something had to be wrong...

 

"Um.. sir, and sir." Shanna made a small curtsy. "I overheard part of your conversation as I was serving." The one who had introduced himself as Finnius began to say something, but she went right on. "I would like to come too."

 

Sliver opened his mouth as if to say something, then quickly shut it. On this journey, he was a follower, not the leader. He did very much want to inquire about the girls skills and abilities, but decided on silence. It wouldn't make for a very friendly journey if he tried to take charge, especially before they even left.

 

 

 

(OOC: Just to clarify, the stuff I put in italics there are just paraphrases from previous posts... I figure it kind of helps me link them together and stuff... yeah...)

[Merelas]

Alric heard the scream, and turned to see if he could tell where it had come from.

 

"So, where are we going?" the girl asked.

 

Alric tore his eyes from trying to find the source of the sound, and looked at her. She carried the water jug on her head still, and her balance appeared to be impecable.

 

"This is your family's work?" he asked, eyes wide in admiration. The girl's only response was a nod and anotehr bright smile. Something about that smile drew him in, and made him want to trust her. He removed his hood, and glanced down hat her. She was quite a bit shorter than him... but the pot made up for it.

 

Suddenly, there was another scream, much closer this time. Alric turned quickly, saw two men dressed in black chasing a young woman towards them. Immediately, the streets around them cleared. As Alric watched, one of the men drew a knife from his hip, and flung it at the woman. She screamed again, and fell to the ground dead. Quickly, Alric reached to the second pouch at his belt, and dipped into it. He took a handful of something, and waited.

 

The men in black immediately looked down the street, and saw the two of them there. Alric glanced to the girl with the pot of water on her head, and gulped. It was his responsibility to protect her... but could he? He hesitated.

 

The two men walked towards them. If he was going to act, it would have to be now. He glanced behind him once more, and then flung the contents of his hand outward in a line, and then the girl saw what it was-- they were seeds, and the wind suddenly sprang up behind them and spread them outward.

 

"BRAMBLES!" Alric screamed, as the seeds reached the ground, and held his right hand out towards them. Instantly, they began to move. Roots sprouted and wound their way into the ground, and they grew together. They became a wall of thorns quickly, gorwing higher and wider until they couldn't even see through to where the men were. He turned away, and looked to the girl. He searched her face for some sort of reaction--

 

But before he could tell, there was an explosion behind them. Part of the Wall of Thorns Alric had called had been blown away. As he looked on, the smoke and flames dimmed and the men in black walked through. His eyes widened. He raised his hand, and immediately it filled with light. Before acting, he looked to the girl once more, and was taken by surprise...

[Vanessa]

Above the town of Eelix, a great golden Roc beat it's wings occasionaly, mainting its height. Riding upon its back he elf princess Mara had a perfect view of all of the city, but she couldn't see the Dream Assasin anywhere.

 

"Probably in the tavern." She thought to herself, shuddering at the thought of having to talk to Xavier in a place with so many minds he could bend to his will. Trying to put of the moment when she would have to land, she examined the town carefully. To her amazement she saw a disturbance in the market, and an immense wall of thorns seemed to sprout from the ground. Her curiosity aroused, she soared in for a closer look.

 

OOC: If I'm entering too late let me know

[Finnius]

Inside the Tavern

 

The desert nomad identified as Finnius looks the barmaid up and down.He considers her posture, her face, her innocent eyes. He glances across at Sliver. A slow smile spreads across his face.

 

"Yes. Yes, I think you'll do fine. Now back about your business. We leave after I eat," the smile becomes a wolfish grin. "If that's all right."

 

On the streets, where people scream and panic, and where stormclouds are gathering in the skies

 

One of the burly men strides out of the partially destroyed Wall of Thorns, towards the glaring form of Alric, long knife held underhand, ready to slash upwards or flip into a throw. The other circles around to the now-dead woman and retrieves his knife. Then, slinging her body up onto his shoulder, he darts into an alley. A flash of light and smoke trails after him...

 

Xavier...

 

A voice in the back of his head, like sandstone grinding against granite. Images; hundreds of sun-dark people tethered to a giant block, dragging it across the desert floor. A lash rises and falls, red welts form on sandy skin. Two figures cloaked in shadows, light streaming from behind them. One resolves into a tall man wrapped in green, with flaming red hair, the other is a short woman with a water jug on her head. The blackness overtakes them, then resolves into a small red stone, flashing and spinning, emitting heat and drawing light into itself.

 

Thunder cracks overhead and Xavier feels the fat wet raindrops drowning out the visions. He hears them splatting against the streets and the canvas awnings of buildings and merchants. The noise of wings and the cawing of ravens can be heard in the distance...

 

Back in the Tavern

 

"...so I said that if he wanted to dance, he'd have to get a prettier dress. And then he stabbed me!" The nomad sighs and scrapes his seat back across the stone floor. "Ah, I feel mch better. Shall we?" As he turns from the table, the door crashes open, admitting blinding rain and howling wind. Unattended tables flip over, unused chairs are slung through the air, smacking into walls, and sometimes people. Glass shatters, and lighting races downward, shattering cobblestone outside...

[Katzaniel]

Shanna was incredibly happy that the man was going to let her come. She would have to do everything she could to make that decision the right one. She nodded curtly and practically ran back to the bar, her green eyes sparkling with joy. She nodded, smiling, to the other barmaid, and whispered, "But not until after they've eaten."

 

"I'll cover for you for the rest of today, but by tomorrow they'll have to be told you're gone for good."

 

"Thank you. You are truly a good friend."

 

They both went back to work after that, and Shanna reflected on the two or three people she would miss. Mostly people she worked with here, as she had grown up with just a mother, no siblings even, and her mother had died about two years ago. Nothing in Eelix to hold her back. She wished she'd left long ago.

 

As Shanna was serving a table across the room from the two travellers, the door flew open. She shrieked and hid behind a table. What was going on? Then she realized that she wasn't looking too useful by doing that. She didn't want them to change their minds about her.

 

Standing, Shanna faced the door. "Who is it?" she said more bravely than she felt. That's when she noticed the uncharacteristic wind and thunderstorm. If this was even a person at all, it was no normal person. Shanna backed up against the wall, too scared to speak again.

 

Edit: Was interupted.. had to edit to add the last paragraph.

Edited April 12, 2004 by Katzaniel

[Solivagus]

Xavier staggered into the inn, frantically trying to shut away the visions appearing in his head. He had intended to twist the minds of the people in the inn, but the strength of the visions had thrown him too much of balance. He found himself unable to even express his wishes to whoever had called out. Instead he ignored the female voice and followed the wall gingerly, hoping he would find an empty table in the corner of the room.

[Merelas]

The rain began pouring over Alric as he stood looking at the girl. He was extremely surprised by what he saw: she did nothing. Her expression was blank, and she said nothing to him. She simply watched the assassins as they advanced, giving no hint to Alric of what he should do, or what she would do.

 

His eyes moved back to the cloaked figure, as the lone man (after the other had dragged the body down an alley and left), walked slowly towards them, dagger at the ready. The light still occupied his hand, and again he hesitated. He could mold it into so many things... what was right?

 

Perhaps nothing, he thought, and he flung it as it was at the man. When it reached its target, Alric snapped his fingers, and it exploded into an even brighter, blinding white aura. The man shielded his eyes and looked away from the apparition, temporarily disabled.

 

Taking advantage of the time he had bought, Alric spun quickly in the rituals and rites of his next move. Reaching outward to the fury that was the storm above them, he connected with the natural energy and aggression that drove the rain to the ground and brought the black clouds to the sky. He thought furiously, and as he did so, the clouds above him concentrated into one area. The pure mana that was flowing from the storm was harnassed by him in that moment, and a bolt of lightning struck downward at the earth.

 

As it fell with terrifying speed, it was tempted to draw to higher targets--the tower on a temple nearby, a tree, and a flagpole. With denials of these temptations that went as quickly as they came, Alric directed the bolt to the assassin. It surged into his body with awesome force and brilliance. The aura that had blinded the man only moments ago was drowned out in the roar of light that came with this newest offensive weapon.

 

The electricity coursed through his veins--it was adversity in the extreme. Soon, it was too much for his heart to handle, and so it stopped. The man died not from the damage of the lightning itself, but from the reaction his body had to it--a natural reaction.

 

"Thanks be to Lady Nature for sending us this storm," said Alric, as he performed the gesture that only Nature's true followers knew, and he turned away from the still convulsing body of the man in black.

 

"I must find an inn... if you wish to follow me, you may," he said to the girl, and he replaced his green hood over his now soggy hair. Not looking back to see whether or not she would actually accompany him, he trudged out of the marketplace and back to where he thought he had seen that inn.

 

There couldn't be too many in this Godless place... he thought, and he strode on. The rain fell around him, and lightning cracked again, echoed by the rumble of thunder. In the moment of the lightning, he was an eerie figure, his cloak darkened by the rain on wool, and the moon being covered by the clouds.

[Finnius]

The Tavern

 

As Shanna backs into the wall, and Xavier stumbles into an empty table, as glass crashes to the floor and wood splinters againts the wall; the desert nomad lifts himself from off the floor, where he was thrown in the confusion. Again, thunder crashes outside, chasing the flash of lightning which illuminates the scene of carnage in the tavern. Bodies lay twisted and broken, some crushed by flying tables, some impaled on chair legs, or peppered with shards of glass. Then darkness takes control for a moment.

 

Another flash of lightning, another crash of thunder. The door is darkened by a vaguely human shape. There's just something wrong about the arms, the way they seem to stretch just past the norm, and the buckle of the knees, ready to pounce. There is a sound like sand flowing over steel as Finnius draws the sword from his back, slowly. Lightning flashes again, and the creature vaults, leaping easily over tables and bodies, arms outstretched, towards the form of Shanna. The desert nomad rolls over a still-upright table to place himself in front of the barmaid.

 

Lightning flashes again, reflecting off the curved blade, and the deadly faceoff taking place in the remnants of the bar. Darkness falls once more...

 

The streets of Eelix

 

The rain flows in sheets over Alric, soaking through clothing and slicking his hair to his scalp. The storm rages overhead, growing in intensity by the minute. Bolts of energy race to the tops of buildings, but far too many seem to dart in between them, following unnatural paths to strike the streets. Three bolts in quick succession dart down in front of Alric, the first just a few feet in front of him, the next a bit to the right, then one to the left. A fourth and final bolt slams into the cobblestone with a sound like the roaring of a waterfall over jagged stones. The blackened char and torn stone forms a rough arrow, pointing Alric down the street. Further on, lightning crashes into an intersection... four bolts in the same pattern. The storm, it seems, is trying to lead Alric somewhere...

 

The Tavern, once more

 

"Aiden Serradin..." A low voice, rolling like the thunder from outside. Whispers form in Sliver's ear, promises of power and glory, wealth and fame. They speak of monuments to be built, kingdoms to rule. The whispering voices entreat for a favor, a token to show his devotion. Lightning flashes once more, outlining a small man with a curved sword, motionless in front of a hunched form, considering and waiting. The voices pull away, settle into the draped form of darkness that sits, unnoticed, in the one good chair left in this place, sits next to the door and watches...

[The Big Pointy One]

As the door crashes open, Aidan immediately readies a pair of throwing knives he had placed in his shirtlsleeves, ready to throw them in the blink of an eye. Xavier staggers in, finds his place, and the ranger relaxes slightly. Just slightly. He notices the other form behind Xavier, and before he knew what happened the thing had launched itself at Shanna, and Finnius was in the middle. He watched carefully as he looked for an opening when all of the sudden he heard the voice in the back of his head. They whisper to him of these promises of power and glory. His eyes glaze over momentarily as he considers the options, but it is only a momentary lapse in will power. A grin slides across his face and he throws the pair of throwing knives with alarming speed. The blades flash momentarily in mid-flight as a lightning bolt strikes the ground outside then land exactly where Aidan had aimed them.

 

At the shadow-filled corner by the entrance. The ranger isn't completely sure whether someone is actually there or not, but he goes with his instincts and hopes for the best...

[Quincunx]

Tanaquil's eyes are wide with horror, almost shining in the dark between lightning bolts. "The Fury of God," she mouths, but no one is listening. She stumbles after Alric with soaked robes tangling and sticking to her legs; sometimes she dips her hand down to her belt, then jerks her hand away and flicks her eyes around to all the lightning strikes. Still her mouth is moving--no spell, but a plea to all the numinae of winds and stormclouds, to the numina that lurks where lightning lands, a vow to pour five jars of wines on all the charred earth, if only the bolts will forebear from striking her. . .

[Finnius]

The Streets, A Bolt of Lightning

 

I curve down from the charcoal sky to strike at who knows what. There is a tower, a tree, a flagpole. There is a man with red hair who asks a favor... There is a man with a knife and a woman with a jug of water. I wish to strike the woman, want desperately to destroy her, hate her like no other. But the man asks me to strike the knife-man. And so I do. His heart beats faster and faster, his lungs burn from the inside out. His eyes turn into bubbling pools of jelly, and I am satiated for the moment. I return to the the clouds and the charcoal sky, and await my next turn to strike.

 

The Tavern, Darkness

 

Outside, lightning flashes. Twin knives flash into the corner. The creature jumps, there is darkness. Sounds like scuffling, and scrapes of metal on stone resonate from the area where Finnius faced the creature. A warm liquid spreads across the floor, coating Shanna's feet.

 

Lightning flashes again and throughs a black outline of Finnius hunched over the beast, sword raised above his head, one arm twisted behind him at an unnatural angle. Time seems to slow down for a moment, and then thunder crashes, and there is darkness again. Sounds can be heard again. Cracking bones, shifting flesh. A soft whimper, and another crack.

 

"Everyone get down!" A hoarse voice tears through the dark room, moments before...

 

Outside the Tavern, Where the Bolts have been leading...

 

The lightning bolts have lead to a bar, and there they stop for just a moment. For just a moment, there is silence, perfect calm. The rain stops, there is a slight rumbling. And then, quicker than thought, a pure white bolt of lightning, distinct from its naturally purple siblings, spirals down from the dark sky, darts toward Tanaquil, comes close enough to barely scorch her eyebrows, then twists at a ninety degree angle to slam into the side of the bar. Glass shatters outward, spraying, but miraculously not cutting.

 

As the bolt passes, a voice seems to whisper in Tanaquil's ear, "...next time, my love... next time... and I expect that wine..."

 

Inside the Tavern

 

The wall explodes outwards, admitting gray traces of light, slowly filtering through charcoal clouds which seem to be moving rapidly towards the open desert, trailing a few final bolts of purple death into Eelix. Glass sweeps outwards in the sudden gust of exhaling wind. Pinned to the leaning corner by two silvered knives is a dark red cloak, trimmed in black. The throat is clasped with a golden eagle clutching a lightning bolt in its claws, and in the side pocket is a folded piece of parchment, dry and untouched by the elements...

[Merelas]

Alric gathered energy about him, ready to expend it in any way necessary... except that it wasn't necessary. He dissipated it instantly with a wave of his hand, and entered the inn, not through the door, but through the hole that had been created by the lightning bolt. A moment later, Tanaquin was still standing in the same spot, eyes wide as saucers, from the closeness of the lightning strike.

 

Seeing the blackness, Alric waves, and light spreads throughout the room, filling the corners and the walls, causing them to glow briefly. He examines the scene, and everyone stares at him blankly for a moment. Eventually, he looks around, and sees the cloak in the corner. Moving swiftly, he walks to the wall, and removes the knives which hold it there. Dropping them to the floor, the takes the cloak, and examines it more closely.

 

Alric squints, and after a moment, his mage sight activates, and he opens his eyes normally again. Under his mage-sight, he cloak glows a dull, brownish red, indicating some minor enchantments, but nothing major. Slowly, he turns it, and he looks away for a moment. Quickly, he is blinded by the brilliant red of the clasp.

 

He blinked. The mage-sight was gone now, and he looked at the clasp. It was a gold pin in the shape of an Eagle, clutching furiously at a lightning bolt. Alric got a terrible sense of fear within him, such that he had not felt in ages.

 

FLASH!

Alric was back at his home town, and he was just a boy again. The fire was raging, and he was trying desperately to put it out. He screamed with the agony of it all. His parents, his brother and sister, his friends... they were all in the meeting house that was currently in flames. He looked on, helpless agains the crackling chaos that was currently the orange-red mass of fire consuming the building. Suddenly, they began to scream with terror and pain.

 

Alric dropped the bucket of water he was carrying, and fell to his knees in agony. He began to bellow with them. It was a long, mournful howl that would have terrified even the bravest of souls--it contained anger, sorrow, fear, hatred, mourning, and so many other emotions. His mind was racing in over-load, and his brown hair tumbled around his face, getting into his eyes and all around his face.

 

In desperation, he flung his hands towards the meeting house. He kept screaming, even louder now. His eyes felt as though they would bulge out of his sockets, and veins were popping out on his nceck. An angry red crept up his neck and claimed his entire face as he continued to yell, bout hands outstretched, fingers reaching for the building.

 

Then it happened. The flames shifted in the building, and lurched. Still, Alric screamed, and it moved even more. They lifted into the air, and removed themselves from the building entirely. They shifted and swirled faster and faster. In a tidal wave of molten fury, they swooped down over the boy and aligned themselves with his hands, streaking towards them. In an instant, the fires were upon him and swirling over his body. His screams changed now, and his hands dropped. Alric curled into the fetal position as they swept over his body, swirling and twirling in a furious maelstrom of fire.

 

The pain was unimaginable. It consumed him, damning him to immobilization. He could only sense the pain and scream as a result. It coursed over his body, and then, in a sudden surge of energy, it entered his body. He yelled even harder now. He writhed on the ground, and his body surged and swelled. he opened his eyes and looked up to the heavens, praying for healing to every God and Goddess he had ever heard of.

 

No help came. He lost consciousness at some point, but he couldn't recall when. All he remembered later was sifting through the ruins of the meeting house with tears streaming down his face--he had been too late.

 

There were no scars on his body anywhere. The only knowledge he had that the incident occurred at all were his memories, and the fact that his hair was now red--flame red.

 

FLASH!

 

Nathaniel reached out for the pin, blindly. He held his hand out palm forward, and touched it.

 

He screamed in pain, and drew his hand back quickly. On it was a burn in the shape of the emblem--an eagle clutching a bolt of lightning. He pressed his hands together, closing his eyes. When he pulled them aparta gain, the wound had healed, and only a scar remained, but it held the same shape.

 

Slowly, he picked up the cloak, folded it so that the clasp was inside the fabric, and tucked it under his arm. As he did so, he noticed the paper that was folded into the pocket, but decided that it would be best to examine that later.

 

"I am Alric. I believe introductions are in order."

Edited April 29, 2004 by Merelas