Slugs and Ants

[Rune]

OOC: I am not sure how you guys RP, but this is just to goof off really. I made something up, proof read it once..and posted it. There are ALOT of errors in grammer and spelling, but frankly im trying to avoid noticing them. Wanted to have a bit of fun, and if I stress out over pronouns and adverbs and all that it makes writing tedious at times and I avoid it. This is a way just to sort of write for the heck of writing.

 

If anyone wants to continue the story, feel free to tack on a response. No need to take ownership of a character..if you can only post once thats fine. All that I ask is that you attempt to tie up any loose ends from the previous poster or you keep the previous post situation running. (i.e. dont suddenly warp from a battle to a house and all that good stuff). Dont worry about spelling or grammer, and feel free to have fun with it. ^__^ If no one responds, I will just continue on myself..so dont feel pressured.

 

oh and no the title doesnt make any sense either.

 

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It was bright and early on Sunday morning when a particularly loud bird decided to make it's existance known to the inhabitants of the pen keep's northwest tower. Rune had stumbled upon a discarded moving crate that was filled with packing straw and after having slain the blood thristy troll that had taken up residence in the very back of the crate and the countless other adventures her imagination had came up with she had settled into the mini theatre of her mind for the night. Her plans were to sleep in until at least noon so that she could stay up to hear the late night readings in the Banquet Room.

 

The bird appeared to have a different idea in mind. It sqawked like mad while sitting in the little arched window to the room. Rune mumbled and proceded to back out of the crate rear first. Her tiny feet appeared from within the crate followed by the rest of her 3 foot self, her head emerging last. Rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes she yawned, then stretched...internally beaming at herself for adding at least another foot onto her height during the exercise and then scowling when she realized it didnt stick.

 

She wondered over to the bird, which surprisingly didnt budge at her approach.

 

"What do you want master bird?" she inquired. The bird cocked it's head to the side at the question.

 

"are you hungry?" the child grew excited at the prospect of discovering on her own what the bird had wanted without any clues. "i can get you some bread, ill be right back."

 

She bounds across the floor of the tower room towards the stairs but stops when the bird begins to violently squawk and then flies into the room. Rune flenches at the mayhem of the flight and waves her arms about. The bird materializes in a cloud of black smoke, slowly forming the outline of a man in the eye of the smoke storm. As the vapors disperse, an older man, clad in crimson robes and supporting himself on a staff of oak, appears. Rune stares wide eyed at the man, then rushes towards him.

 

"Hullo!" she said, brightly. The man glanced at her and opened his mouth as though fixing to talk...but before he could say anything he began to cough. As his body shook from the hacking more black smoke went everywhere, aparently having settled into his clothing and hair it scattered when shook. "Damn smoke" the old man managed to say between hacks.

Edited January 31, 2003 by Rune

[Peredhil]

Rune watched as the smoke increased, until it poured from his nose and mouth as well.

 

"Blow smoke rings!" She bounced excitedly, "That is so coote!"

 

The man tried to glare at her, but his streaming eyes blunted the effect nicely. Finally after several long moments, as he coughed in small clouds, he was able to draw a long shuddering breath.

 

"Meep!" He exclaimed dramatically, one long spatulate finger held pointed toward the sky. A confused expression transfixed his face and his eyes blinked rapidly. He coughed thrice (with no smoke, much to Rune's disappointment,) and tried again.

 

"Aerp," he stated with great conviction. Slowly his eyes crossed and with the inevitable slowness of a great timber falling, he fell forward to the floor, bouncing twice before laying to rest.

 

Rune cautiously approached his prostrate form and carefully peeled back an eyelid.

 

"Mister? Are you in there?"

[Rune]

Rune pulls her hand away from the rather cold figure of the man.

 

"Kip!" She squeaks. "I think my cuteness killed him!"

 

Edited February 4, 2003 by Rune

[Peredhil]

As her words washed over him, his eyes rolled back down into view.

 

Very very blue Demonic eyes of innocences looking into bloodshot brown eyes full of tears and wisdom.

 

Rune spent a moment looking at the little tiny lines of lighter brown like sun rays in his eyes, and then pictured herself diving down in the the black centers with a *sploosh!* and then-

 

They blinked.

 

And bulged with effort. (looks at the way the little tiny red lines pulse!)

 

"Urgle," he croaked desparately.

[Rune]

"urgle?" she remarked. She stood slightly off balance on her left foot and tried hard to figure out the meaning of the word.

 

The man appeared to be in serious pain at this point, he was groaning slightly and waving his right hand around.

 

Rune smirked, and then shrugged. She stuck her tongue out at the air and responded. "I dont understand you mister."

 

"excuse me" he managed to form the words slightly, although they were hoarse. "could you get off my hand.."

 

Rune gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. She jumped backwards. "oh my goodness, oh my goodness" she repeated. She looked at her feet as though they had commited a crime. "shame on you" she said, wagging her finger at the ground. "you should be more careful feet..." she continued, matter of fact like.

Edited February 4, 2003 by Rune

[The Portrait of Zool]

Grimacing, the man pulled his hand to his chest and messaged it feebly with the other.

 

"Wa..." he started, but a cough hacked it off.

 

"Yes? Yes what is it?" asked Rune.

 

"Wa..." he started again, but this time it caught in his throat of it's own accord.

 

"Wa - wa - wass up?" guessed Rune, trying to be of any help after her crushing embarresment. "Just you, at the moment. Well you were, before you fell over..."

 

"Wa... water!" gasped the man hoarsely.

 

"Oh! Right!" She immediately spun around and retrieved a tall glass of water. Kneeling down she helped him to drink the glass, well over half of which he managed to drink.

 

"Thanks you," he said after three more glasses. "That is much better, thank you" He was sitting up now, his breathing easier.

 

Runes concern was declining, but in it's place was rising a strong curiosity. "What are you doing here, and why were you a bird? Where did all the smoke come from?

[Vlad]

The man gazed at Rune with intrigue, but did not repond to her question.

 

"Could I have some cheese?" he instead replyed. As Rune gave him a quizzical look, he added, "And a few crackers if it's not too much bother..."

[Rune]

"Sure!" Rune giggled, and ran downstairs to the kitchen to grab some cheese..and some crackers..luckily the kitchen was nearby and she returned quickly. "Here you go mister, hope it makes you feel better!"

 

The man woofed down the cheese, crumbled up the crackers and swallowed them whole then gulped down some more water.

 

"Ah, much better" he exclaimed. "Worms and grubs might be healthy..but their taste is ap'pauling!"

Edited February 4, 2003 by Rune

[The Portrait of Zool]

Rune opened her mouth to insist he this time explain what he was about, but quick as a wink he had leaped to his feet and was practically loping for the door. Though surprised, she was not one to be so easily evaded.

 

"Wha... Hey! What's your name? What are you... Where are you going?!" She ran to keep up with him. As she came through the doorway he had just exited she saw he was already half way down the hall. She ran to keep up, faster this time. "Hey Mister! Slow down!"

 

Though an old man, each of his strides seemed to cover yards as he swung the oak staff next to him, swallowing distance like a starving man attacking pizza with everything, his long white beard trailing behind like a streamer. Desperately she dove for his robe, catching it at the helm and dragging him to a stop.

 

He turned around with the demeaner of one who has just snagged his clothes on a log. "Young girl, I have important business to attend to. If you would just LET GO, I will be on my way and you shall also be free of me." As the old man said the words 'LET GO', he jerked the tail of his robe out of her hands, then he turned to resume his trajectory.

 

"Wait!" cried Rune, "Maybe I can help." Her large liquid blue eyes peered up at the old man with innocent honesty so touching it even gave the obsessed old man pause.

 

"Young lady," he began in a patient, regal tone, "Unless you have information of the whereabouts of the firebird of paradise, which I highly doubt, then you can realistically be of no help, let alone use to me."

 

Then he gave her such a withering stare as to cause Rune to wince, but being of a stout heart she did not lose her voice. "Sir, I am afraid it is true that I am rather young of years and even new to this keep." Her voice came out in a squeak, but having spoken without incident, she soon found the rest of her courage. "However," she continued sweetly, "I have heard some murmerings of the firebird of paradise in these halls - perhaps I could be a help to you, though if you continue to glare at me I couldn't possibly be of a mind to help you now, could I?"

 

The old man's eyes grew wide with indignation. "What's this!? The young wisp of a girl speaks to me thus? What impertinance! Were we in my own castle I should have you flogged for threatening to withold information."

 

He bent down to look Rune in the eye. His face was wide and weathered, framed in white, and though the tone in his voice was stern, the look in his eyes was... concern. And when he next spoke, his voice did match his eyes. "Do you think... do you think you really could help me find the firebird of paradise?"

 

"Well," answered Rune slowly, "I'm not sure - but I sure could find out in short order if you would follow me."

 

"Oh yes, of course." The old man moved to help Rune to her feet, and was left reaching for the ground as she bound to her feet like a spring. Grabbing his hand she began pulling him down a side corridor. His back straightened up with a *Crrrrick!*.

 

She led him through the small dark corridor which let out into a kitchen, which led through another small hall through to a dining room, which then went to a large sitting room, which then... On and on and on she led the old man, through a maze of interconnecting hallways and rooms in the giant Keep of the Pen is Mightier than the Sword. The old man might have been moving extremely fast, but he realized he may never the less have never arrived at his destination.

 

As they walked, they talked. "I'm Rune. What's your name?

 

"They call me Josh," said the old man.

 

"Why do they call you Josh?" asked Rune inexplicably.

 

"Because that's not my real name. All right, I'll tell you my real name. It's KJxzhr."

 

"Whaaat?"

 

"See, that's really why they call me Josh."

 

"Oh," was Rune's response, the painful memmory of his real name still ringing in her ears. 'What in the world posesses some parents?' She wondered to herself.

 

"Sorry about that," said Rune, turning to the old man and looking up at him with he big empathic eyes.

 

"Oh, That's all right," said the gruff old man softly, averting his gaze.

 

They stopped. In front of them was a large fireplace with a small fire in it. Above that was a full size standing portrait of a man. He stood regally, dressed in black leather trimmed in red, one hand resting on a silver handled walking stick, over his other arm was laying a...

 

"Is that a rubber chicken over his arm?" asked the old man, half to himself - and then he looked at the figures hair. Over a meter tall, swooped up in an oily wave that ended in a curl to end all voobah curls, and lamb chop sideburns to match.

 

"ZOOL!" yelled Rune, with such force that the old man was startled nearly out of his robe.

 

"Sometimes he's a little preoccupied," explained Rune. "Zoooooliooo!"

 

To the old man's astonishment the figure in the painting suddenly took on an animation of it's own. it was as if it filled out, giving a near perfect three dimensional representation, though he could still see the brush strokes, and when he looked at it from the side the canvas was still quite flat.

 

"WHAAAAAT!?" Roared the painting. "Jiminy, can't a portrait catch a few winks now and... Rune! Oh, sorry, didn't see ya down there." Zool glanced at the old man. "Don't know you, so you get what you deserve," he said with a smirk.

 

"Oh Zool be nice!" scolded Rune. "This is... this is Josh. Josh just came through the window. He was a bird, and then he was smoking and choking but he gave that up and he's all better after I gave him some water and cheese because he says the grubs and worms weren't at all satisfactory and he's a good friend of mine and we really need your help so will ya, huh?"

 

Zool followed this calmly, then said, "What?"

 

"What the child means to say," interjected Josh, back to his regal tone, "Is that I have come from afar in search of something which may not interest anyone else at all, but is very precious to me. Rune seems to think you may have some information of it's whereabouts, I think..." Josh looked sideways down at Rune, having had the sudden realization he was talking to a painting, looking, no less, for rare and desirable information. Rune looked back with calm satisfaction. She seemed to carry every confidence in the painting.

 

Zool thought for a moment. Though the processes inside his painted skull were only representations, they were very well oiled. "I see," he said. "What is it you seek?"

 

"I seek information on the wherabouts of the firebird of paradise."

 

Zool looked to the heavens, fingers to chin. Josh and Rune stood silent. The great clock that stood near the door ticked, then tocked slowly, ominously, then it ponderously gonged the hour.

 

Zool thought. Rune and Josh stood. The clock ticked. Planets turned in their orbits as the stars swung through the night sky. Zool thought. Rune fell into a nearby chair and went to sleep. Joshes feet fell asleep, first one, then the other. Zool thought. Clouds scurried hurriedly from mountain to mountain as the moon ambled from horizon to horizon. Rune dreamed. Josh stoically waited, trembling. Zool thought.

 

Josh fell over with a crash just as the first rays of the sunrise slipped through the shutters of the enormous room.

 

"What was that!" cried Zool, startled, waking Rune in turn. Rune jumped up, ready to go. Seeing Josh on the floor, she shook him awake. Groggily, he ratcheted himself to his feet.

 

"Oh," said Zool apologetically, "It's you guys, you're still here. I forgot all aobut you - was thinking about something else entirely. I'm sorry."

 

"But..." gasped Josh, huge purple bags under his eyes, "But... Do you know... about the firebird of paradise?"

 

"Of course. Well, I know the local legend, anyways. Everyone does."

 

Josh said nothing for a moment. Resignedly, he looked first to Rune, then back at Zool. "And what is the legend?" he asked simply.

 

"Well, word is, if you go way down in the catacombs of the Pen, below even the sealed off lower levels, through to the deepest part of the maze, there is a sealed chamber. It is stone and cement, you know, pit and pendulum like."

 

Zool paused. "Yes...?" urged Josh.

 

Well, carved into the stone, the entire width of the doorway, is a representation of a firebird of paradise.

 

Zool paused again, dramatically. "And...?" urged Josh again.

 

"And? What do you mean 'And?'? That's the legend. If you want to know more, you will have to go and look, though there is mention of a curse of horrible mysterious death to those who enter the chamber - but I'm sure that's all a bunch of silly nonsense - DON'T YOU?" Zool leared down with as menacing of a look as he could muster.

 

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic Zool - but thanks for your help! Bye now!" Rune waved as she spun and dragged Josh along with her.

 

"Erk, weren't you scared, just a little? I was pretty frightening, wasn't I? Err, bye now - good luck! Have fun! Watch out for the curse!" Zool kept waving, even though they had already gone out, Rune skipping, and Josh abysmally, as though he were exhausted and his feet really, really hurt.

[Peredhil]

Rune thought to herself, "Kipi! This old guy either goes too fast or too slow."

 

With an appraising look at his limping form, she led him to the kitchen. He had a pained look and stomped his feet trying to get the needles and pins feeling to pass.

 

"We need food and stuff for our adventure!"

"Just show me the way to the catacombs."

Rune popped out of a cupboard, covered in flour, to reply, "I wanna see the mysterious death thingie!"

"But it might get you, I wouldn't want to see you hurt."

"Naw," Rune descended from an upper cupboard with a pineapple and three raisins, "if you just run slower than I do, I'll be fine."

[Gwaihir]

Meanwhile, the shadow glared, and t he bird of paradise shrieked.

 

the bird backed into the corner, adn the shadow advanced.

 

The bird stepped back, but finally it ran into an old heater that hadn't been used in decades.

 

The shadow kept advancing.

[Rune]

The bird kept shrieking.

 

The shadow kept advancing.

 

The bird kept shrieking.

 

The shadow.. well you get the idea.

 

The bird conveyed it's terror through a series of short and fierce squawks. They echo'ed through the chamber creating an eerie effect.

Back upstairs, Rune, still covered in flour and now clad in a backpack filled with fruit, prepared for the journey ahead.

 

"Here, let me clean you up first." Josh replied and reached over to grab a towel. "No wait!" Rune said. "I can do it." She stuck her tongue out at the man who rolled his eyes. "Well do hurry up will you."

 

Rune bowed her head and closed her eyes. Holding her hands together she stood on her tiptoes and began to scribe symbols into the air. Her tiny fingers left trails of light to reveal what she was writing. "There" she said, beaming at the man. "What?" he said, looking around for some change. "Oh, just give it a minute..im small..and so my spells are small and take alittle while to be noticed!" Before she could say anything else the flour lifted off her skin and hovered slightly as though it were forming a smoke cloud. "Oh great" Josh thought, "more smoke." Next thing he knew there was a pop, and suddenly the room was filled with several hundred flowers.

 

"Rune!" he shouted as he was buried under the flowers. "What did you do??"

 

"Oh.. sorry, I think I spelled flower wrong in the spell." She giggled slightly and blushed at her mistake.

 

Several minutes passed as the 2 attempt to wade out of the mess before they are safe in the hallway. "We need to find someone who really knows what they are doing.." Rune said matter of factly. "Hey, I know what i'm doi.." Josh began but was intur'pted. "Lets head downstairs, I want to ask Peredhil.. He is an Ancient..so I think that means he is older than dirt. And if he is older than dirt he must know something about this place having been around for so long." Rune beamed at her logic and pulled Josh along.

Edited February 4, 2003 by Rune

[Vlad]

While Rune bounced and skipped down the stairs, Josh tried to follow close behind but tripped.

Rune happily danced down the halls, Josh groaned and moaned because his body was in a knot.

Rune sang a happy song, Josh muttered a few obscenities.

 

OOC: sorry about the lack of substance

[Rune]

OOC: No worries, that was great! There doesnt always have to be some sort of advancement in the storyline, even just adding details like you did was important. Edited February 4, 2003 by Rune

[Zadown]

Meanwhile, in some place completely different (but very close) ...

 

The Dreamer stood on top of his Astral pier and glared at the runes of blue fire glowing above him in the darkness. Something was missing, he felt it in his lines of power, but all the runes that had been there last time were there again. He sat down in a lotus position, letting his eyes slowly fade to first grey and then to deep dark blue. Diving into his own mind, he started examining his stronghold.

 

... the portals, all locked and stable ...

 

... runes on the door, intact .. or wait ...

 

The planewalker frowned and ended the trance. He got up, helping himself with Pain's scabbard, and walked briskly to the ordinary looking wooden door that connected his Astral harbour and the Pen Keep. He opened it and stepped out, accidently knocking down Wyvern in the process but not even noticing the almost-dragon, and stared at the door. The runes were still there. Except one of them had been altered.

 

Muttering to himself something about things possibly escaping if he wouldn't have noticed that, he quickly corrected the rune and stepped back inside. The "WHAM!" of the closing door sounded very final.

[Peredhil]

Peredhil started as he felt a psychic slam.

 

Could be so many around here, coming or going.

 

Not Yui-chan. She was a whisper of velvet night across his senses, a shadow more felt than seen in his Ring.

 

Not Ozymandias. His monuments still stood, but the King was not yet seen.

 

Not Valdar or Astralis, although they're rapier thrusts of power poked in to visit now and then.

 

Tzimfemme? Rydia? Rosemarie? Befuddled as he was, this didn't have the distinctive twist of any of them.

 

Minta was a fire engine of nether energy's innocence, leaving chaos eddies where ever she went.

 

The feel was raw power, brutal in its subtle overtones, arrogant in its power.

 

He recalls the Planeswalkers of his 23rd incarnation and sighed. Zadown.

Please don't let someone have messed with Zadown.

His immense power graces the Pen with its rare stories and underpinned certain contructs.

 

Peredhil set off to investigate.

 

The Shadow dance with the Bird continued apace. The Bird dodged desparately with consumate grace. The Shadow was limited by sources of light and darkness interlaced, straining against the physical impossiblities, hungering...

The Bird flailed unable to unfurl, cramped in the confines of forgetten relics and antiques.

The room remained sealed in concrete stone and concrete spirits and concrete powers balanced in check.

 

"Hey Lil Rune," Guido greeted the tiny demoness.

"Hi Guido," Rune looked up and batted her eyes shyly, "New suit?"

Guildo adjusted his wide lapel carefully. "Youse like? Da Boss t'ot I was wearin' hole in da joints of da old one."

"it's bootiful," she assured him gravely. "I'm lookin for Per'dil cause he's lookin' for the Bird but he was a bird then he coughed smoke and he put his hand under my foot but I moved it and we need to find a room."

Guido blinked.

"Da Boss went ta check on sumthin Hon'. Youse need some muscle for backup?" he looked hopefully.

"NO!" said Josh, desparate to assert some type of control over HIS quest. The idea of a 6'7" Guinea Pig in a black zoot suit with an ash grey fedora and obvious weapon bulges did NOT suit his idea of a proper quest.

"Youse loss," shrugged Guido with a ripple of lightly fatted muscle. "Onna da boys, El' or 'Dan might know where da Boss went. I don't. Wait, 'Dan's still at da old place, wit' his paint thinner." Guido shuddered slightly at the thought of Peredhil's son Elladan. They'd all moved just in time.

When Elladan found out they'd moved, he hoped he'd have a sense of humor about it.

 

The Questing Pair continued looking...

[Rune]

Rune muttered to herself. "Well this isnt working, guess ill have to do it the hard way." She stopped suddenly in the walkway. Josh, paying more attention to the paintings and other things in the hallway, tripped over the little girl creating a grand accident worthy of news coverage. Rune giggled and pointed as Josh groaned. "Your arms not pose to bend that way silly." she chuckled to herself before stomping her foot. "Enough playing, we have got to find Peredhil." Josh rolled his eyes and attempted to straighten himself out.

 

Rune stood on her tiptoes once more and fell into a slight trance. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her eyelids fluttered across the white area that was now exposed. A few moments later she blinked and appeared to be back to normal. "There he is.." she said to herself. "Hey .. Hey Master Peredhil, I have a question for you.. Are you lost? and if so..do you wish to be found?" Josh looked around for some sign of the stranger to which Rune was speaking.

 

Peredhil, now making his way through the many hallways of the pen keep to investigate the unnerving slam he had felt earlier, stopped dead in his tracks. "Rune?" he said, looking around the hallway. "Where are.. Oh, i keep forgetting you can communicate like that. No, I am not lost.. I know where I am going." he said with a smile.

 

"Yes, yes you do." Rune continued in her telepathic state. "But you see, I do not know where you are..and since I do not know, then you are lost!" Her voice reached a high pitch on the last note as she thought herself quite brilliant figuring out such complicated things. Peredhil couldnt help but chuckle slightly. "Right Rune.. I am lost, Do you wish to find me?"

 

"Oh yes, I do very much wish to find you sir. You see i have a question and its entirely too dramatic to ask you this way... talking face to face would be a much more grown up thing to do." Rune noddled to herself, once more proud of her decision making.

 

[edit] keep forgetting to turn off my siggie [/edit]

Edited February 5, 2003 by Rune

[Tasslehoff]

* as Rune continues to talk with Peredhil in here trance, still trying to get the lefts into right

, and the right lefts Josh had a brief encounter with a little kender fella who happened to be wandering where he most likely shouldnt have been...as usual*

 

 

 

" Well Hello Good Day! " Tasslehoff mutters as he continues on pouches bouncing and slowly putting a small crystal ball into another one.

 

Knowticing such an important item missing, right away of course, Josh immediatly turns to the kender and shouts: " Theif!! Theif! Give me back my ball! "

 

Hearing such a ruckuss in the backround was causing a slight disturbance in Rune's Force, and hence she yells " Hey Josh, you want to find this bird thingy, or not! SHUUSH! " With that said, Rune continues with the directions to where ever they lead.

 

" WHAT? Oh fine. I will take care of him myself " mumbles Josh.

 

Just as the kender rounds a corner he feels his feet stop moving, adn he slowly turns around ( not on his own mind you ) and starts floating back to where he was before.

 

" Hey! Wait.. Feet, listen here " yells the kender as he stares at his feet, " I dont want to go there, we have to go that way! Flint is that away.. HEY! Stop.. Arg. I hate when they do this.. It always seems to happen around a wizard or something.. Darn them sometimes.. Hey speaking of wizards and such, I wonder where Raistlin is.. HEY FEET! You listening, come on.. stop with the games. I want to see Raistlin, Flint can wait.. "

 

After a short minute the Kender stops struggling and finally knowtices he is floating face to face with a really scary ugly guy..

 

" Excuse me mister.. Could you tell my feet to let me do the thinking? "

 

 

OCC: How was that? =X

[Rune]

OOC: That was great Tassle! hehe, so cute. Thank you for replying and adding a little bit of yourself into the story! Edited February 4, 2003 by Rune

[Rune]

Josh mumbled about how long this was taking while glancing at Tasslehoff, He stopped his interaction with the kender for a moment when Rune finished her conversation.

 

"I will come and find you." and with that Rune ended the telepathic channel.

 

"Did you find out where he was?" Josh asked, a hopeful look in his eye.

 

"Oh, hmm..Well he isnt that great at giving directions... Plus, He is lost..so i dont where he is. Lets go find him, Come on... lets go!" She grabbed Josh by the hand and headed out towards the Cabaret Room.

Edited February 5, 2003 by Rune

[Rune]

Peredhil smiled to himself as the conversation with Rune ended. “Such a silly girl” he thought aloud before suddenly grabbing his head. Something had struck him, in a psychic sort of way. He stumbled before passing out for several minutes.

 

Josh had let Tasslehoff go with little more than a tongue lashing about how it was improper to borrow things. Rune and Josh were making their way through the keep towards the Cabaret room. They stopped once or twice to ask a few people some questions and to properly introduce Josh to the locals. Josh, rather angry at the length of time this whole ordeal was taking, didn’t want to be introduced. But Rune insisted.

 

“You have be respectful mister.” She wagged her finger in a motherly way.

 

Peredhil woke with a start. His brow dripping with sweat and his hands ached from attempting to stop his fall automatically.

 

“What just happened?” he thought to himself. Standing up on unsteady legs he grabbed hold of the wall for support. “There’s something nearby that is very powerful, either that or the shrimp scampi I had for lunch is getting to me.” With the last word he felt himself losing grip on reality once more as his vision went black and he fell backwards. Tumbling down the stairs he landed in a heap at the foot of the staircase he had been climbing.

 

“meep!” came a sound from under the unconscious Peredhil.

 

A few moments later Tasslehoff came scambling out from under the pile of Half Elf. “Hey, you should watch where your going feet!” he said as he waddled around to get a better look at whatever had fallen on him.

 

“Peredhil!” he screeched. “Are you ok?” Helping the dizzy and bruised Peredhil to his feet the kender did his best to support him.

 

“I’m not sure what happened.” Peredhil responded as he rubbed his aching temple. “But I do know something has got to be up those stairs. We should really figure it out, last time something like this happened we were cleaning slug juice from that giant gnome eating slug monster from the third realm for days.”

 

“Is there anyone we can call?” the kender asked. Looking around for some sort of brave warrior or knight in shining armor to appear.

 

Before Peredhil could get his thoughts straight Rune and Josh appeared in the hallway.

 

“Peredhil!” She danced happily. “but what on earth happened to you? You look like you fell down some stairs.”

 

“That’s cause he did Rune.” Tasslehoff responded matter-of-factly.

 

Josh moved forward and touched his hand to Peredhil’s head before he could move. Unaware that the Half Elf was a master healer himself, he continued his spell. A soft blue glow came out of the the older man’s hand and bathed Peredhil in it’s light. His bruises disappeared and he suddenly regained his composure. Rune boggled at the ordeal.

 

“What was that?!” she half shouted.

 

“I am a druid” Josh responded, now it was his turn to be matter-of-factly. “Did you not wonder why I was able to transform into a bird?”

 

“I thought druids could only transform into wolves” Rune responded.

 

“Only in everquest my dear.” He patted the girl on the head playfully. She giggled at the small sign of affection.

 

“Well that explains how you controlled Tassle, cause he is sorta like a pengie.. well at least he really likes pengies so maybe that’s how you did that.” Rune rambles on to convince herself that nothing is out of the ordinary in the entire situation.

 

Peredhil, now having regained himself, looked towards the small party. “Well” he says, startling Rune who was busy concentrating on making everything work, “We need to figure out what’s going on.”

 

The party discussed the details about the bird, and Josh’s arrival, and the dizzy spells that Peredhil was having.

Edited February 6, 2003 by Rune

[Peredhil]

"Really all this is getting beside the point." Peredhil started.

Rune looked around the floor for the point so she could be on it instead of close.

Josh interrupted with, "No no! The point is you are all useless fools if you don't take me to the Bird at once!"

"What bird," Peredhil queried, holding his head. He was slightly distracted to discover neither his Ring nor his centuries of studied Arts could Heal his dizziness.

"The flappy bird w'it the pair of eyes!" Rune piped up helpfully. "He flapped in and then charmed Tas' and then..." She ran down at Peredhil looked at her strangely.

 

Reaching down, he wiped her pert nose, coming away with a flour stained thumb.

 

"Erm. I cleaned it all up." She looked up with a wide-eyed innocent gaze and Peredhil melted.

 

Thump, he sat on the floor.

 

"Kipi!" Rune had never had THAT effect on someone trying to get out of trouble before.

 

Peredhil realized that the dizziness was coming from without, not within.

 

"Something is Wrong at the Pen," he muttered.

[Rune]

OOC: Now if only I werent so busy I could add more >__< Well in the near future.

[Rune]

As the tiny group of pen people sat around trying to collect their thoughts and figure out a plan Tasslehoff noticed something small down the hallway a bit. Being a curious kender he moved towards it leaving the others clueless as to his investigation. Rounding the corner in the direction he thought he had spied something he stumbled slightly. After regaining his balance he returned his gaze towards the direction of whatever had caught his eye. Hovering about 5 inches from his a nose, a tiny red ball of light flashed. He blinked, then opened his eyes as wide as possible to attempt to catch another glimpse of the object, or creature. It flashed into existence once more, only to disappear as soon as he realized it was present. Reaching out to grab the air in the general area that the flash had occurred, he was quite disappointed when he realized that he had come up empty handed.

 

“Hmmm” he thought to himself, when suddenly the red light materialized right in front of his face. It took on the quizzical look, about as quizzical a ball of light could take on, before flashing once more then reappearing as a tiny floating penguin.

 

‘Oooo” Tasslehoff said, suddenly mesmerized by the spiritual sign of the great penguin god Pengorus. He followed, his nose practically touching the floating penguin as it skipped and hopped along the halls, leading him out of sight from the other pen pushers who were searching for whatever was going on within the keep.

 

The two adults went over the facts while Rune waited impatiently. She turned to chat with Tassle about how adult like the two men were being when she realized he was gone.

 

“Wonder where Tassie went” she thought aloud. The two men continued to talk very dramatically about the bird and the dizziness Peredhil was feeling. She barely caught wind of words such as “great power” and “paradise.” Shrugging she skipped along the hallway towards the end of the hall hopeing to catch a sight of Tasslehoff but was disappointed when he was no where to be found. Suddenly a blue light flashed in front of her eyes.

 

“Ooooooo” she said, mesmerized by pretty things. Especially pretty blue things that twinkle. “wass dat?” she said out loud. Putting one finger in the air to poke at the light she giggled to herself when it disappeared from view on contact. It suddenly rematerialized and seeing her chance she smacked her two hands together as hard as possible to “catch” the creature. Blue dust and light scattered. Running back towards the two men with her hands held outstretched she impatiently tried to get their attention to show them the creature. When she pulled apart her hands, the creature was gone. All that remained were a few blue smudges on her hands.

 

The two men went back to discussing important details. Rune pouted, having lost something she was sure was worth countless amounts of geld when the same blue light suddenly popped into view and took off down the hallway. She gave pursuit, leaving Peredhil and Josh behind, as fast as her little demon legs could carry her. About half way down the hall she tripped on her pant legs, which were entirely too big for her smaller than her feet, and skidded until she bumped head face into a wall. But the problem was she went through the wall, apparently it was some sort of illusion and disappeared.

 

OOC: If anyone wants to add, feel free to do so ^__^ If not, then lets see what I can come up with.

Edited February 19, 2003 by Rune

[Rune]

Rune cringed as she half expected to hit the wall but didnt. Opening her eyes slowly she realized she had bumped head first into a pair of knobby knees.

 

"Oh, im sorry" she said to the knees before realizing they may be attached to a body.

 

"Who you be?" the knees said.

 

"I am Rune, and I think it should be Who are you, not who you be..although im not quite sure."

 

The knobby knees shook with anger. "How dare you correct myself!"

 

Rune reached out to touch the closest knee, it was quite intriguing to her. "You are an interesting set of knees" she continued.

 

"stop them!" the knees shouted to her. "them be my knees, they none of your bees knees." Rune giggled at the words. "bees knees?" she said, still moving towards the set to get a closer look. Unaware that the poor set of knees obviously had a grammer problem and some sort of accent that caused its speech to be spelled quite funny in her head.

 

The knees moved back to reveal that they were in fact attached to a body...and even a head as it moved further back and into her line of vision.

 

"Oh hi" she said, now adressing the head of the creature. "Who are you?" she questioned. The creature shook with anger, before dropping to the floor in a fit. Tiny tantrums sprung out of it's body and ran around Rune tickling her feet. She giggled and tried to catch one, which enraged the knees who then began to cry. Whales formed in midair, smaller than normal whales obviously. As they plopped on the ground they squished the tanturms. Rune was rather disappointed, Whales werent at all as interesting as Tantrums.

 

"What are you doing?" Rune said, frustrated that her fun was gone.

 

Between sniffles the knees looked up and responded "what it look like?"

 

"Looks like your crying." Rune answered, matter of factly.

 

"crying!" the knees shouted. "how dare me, I not crying, I whaling! Can not you tell a whale stupid gurl"

 

Rune was not at all pleased at being referred to as stupid, so she simply waved good bye, curtsied slightly and turned to leave. Unfortunatly she bumped into a much larger pair of knees.

Edited February 19, 2003 by Rune