The gentle rocking of the wagon along the stone road slowly brought the
Geltor back to consciousness. As the world became less hazy, the half-
giant became aware of his surroundings, the canvas above him, and the
throbbing of his temples. Then, all of a sudden, a high-pitched whistling
met his ears. A lively tune even... Getting up slowly, he moved the canvas
covering aside at the front of the wagon. He drew in a sharp breath, it
was a mere girl driving the wagon!
Letting the canvas drop once again, he started to formulate a plan. He didn't have much; nothing other than what he had on him really. He would just have to hope that she was alone. So, moving aside the cloth opening, he lunged at the human. He was surprised to find himself on his back and trembling from an electrical burst seconds later. Looking around, he could tell that the girl wasn't in the area. "Gah! Where are you child of darkness!?" The Geltor yelled in dismay. "What devil blessed you with such power?"
In response, he earned himself a kick on the jaw from seemingly a gust of wind. "Try to get at me will you? You big monster!" Came the childish remark. The taunts kept on coming, as a small form, maybe 5 feet tall slowly came into view. Suddenly, the girl seemed to notice the half- giant staring precisely in her direction. She began to clutch the smoky quartz in her hand all the tighter, but she remained visible. As her knuckles turned white, she finally realized what was wrong. "Master! He looks hungry...Stop with the sunstone!"
A familiar form then came into the Geltor's view, "Ahh, quiet Queraska, you had it coming to you. Don't worry though, he won't bite, although I would reckon that he's fairly hungry. Isn't that right, Dravidan?" The old man asked.
The half-giant scratched his head. "I...was in the arena, fighting. The other, he swung...all went black, but I...live?"
Regula Manset nodded. "Indeed you do live, child. When he went for his killing swing, I activated this little rock here," he said, showing him a smoky quartz. "It makes illusions, so I made it look like you were dead after he hit you. Would you have preferred me not using the stone?" he inquired.
The Geltor brought his hand down hard on the floor of the wagon, "Yes! A fair fight isn't won, or lost, by magic! Surely I could have taken him alone! The fool would have been no threat to the dance of my blade!"
Regula shook his head, "No! You grow overconfident, creature. I saw how you fought, and it was pathetic! If it was not for me then you would be in the dirt like the rest of your miserable kin, but you wouldn't be working in the quarry! In fact, if I hadn't taken an interest in your signs of the Redaignian power, I would have let that fool Brevin kill you!" he yelled in disgust.
At that point, though, Dravidan perked up. "What? Redaignian power? What do you speak of, old man?" The man shrugged, "You know, the powers of the gods exhibited through earthly things, such as yourself for instance. You know, like the Kolynian magics are channeled through stones? Some people, such as myself, are just better at accessing that power. The Redaignian magics, though, I believe are exhibited by one's primal instincts, similar to the affects of the tiger paw, but for not so tangibly." He finished, looking at Dravidan, who remained sitting there with a dumb stare. "Nevermind, never you mind. You'll understand later. As for now, I'd like you to say hello to my protégé, Queraska Sam'yil. She's training in the magic of Kolynia, but she's a roguish lass if ever I saw one."
The Geltor grudgingly nodded a greeting to the girl before turning back to the older man. "Still, what do you want with me Manset? You have told me something about sciences, but that excuse has grown tired." He admitted.
Manset muttered under his breath something before replying, "Fine, fine. All I ever wanted was a bodyguard for my protégé and myself. Who better than one of the formidable Geltor? Look in the wagon even, under the grain. There are two Geltor scimitars lying there. Take them, and use them well. Just stay within the wagon until we leave the populated lands. Now, I have to go scout ahead. "Queraska, keep a tight hold on the reigns, I'll be back."
Dravidan grudgingly sat down in the wagon, and tried to shake off the feeling that he was still being lied to, as the wagon rolled on into the hills of the Keldon Range.
Letting the canvas drop once again, he started to formulate a plan. He didn't have much; nothing other than what he had on him really. He would just have to hope that she was alone. So, moving aside the cloth opening, he lunged at the human. He was surprised to find himself on his back and trembling from an electrical burst seconds later. Looking around, he could tell that the girl wasn't in the area. "Gah! Where are you child of darkness!?" The Geltor yelled in dismay. "What devil blessed you with such power?"
In response, he earned himself a kick on the jaw from seemingly a gust of wind. "Try to get at me will you? You big monster!" Came the childish remark. The taunts kept on coming, as a small form, maybe 5 feet tall slowly came into view. Suddenly, the girl seemed to notice the half- giant staring precisely in her direction. She began to clutch the smoky quartz in her hand all the tighter, but she remained visible. As her knuckles turned white, she finally realized what was wrong. "Master! He looks hungry...Stop with the sunstone!"
A familiar form then came into the Geltor's view, "Ahh, quiet Queraska, you had it coming to you. Don't worry though, he won't bite, although I would reckon that he's fairly hungry. Isn't that right, Dravidan?" The old man asked.
The half-giant scratched his head. "I...was in the arena, fighting. The other, he swung...all went black, but I...live?"
Regula Manset nodded. "Indeed you do live, child. When he went for his killing swing, I activated this little rock here," he said, showing him a smoky quartz. "It makes illusions, so I made it look like you were dead after he hit you. Would you have preferred me not using the stone?" he inquired.
The Geltor brought his hand down hard on the floor of the wagon, "Yes! A fair fight isn't won, or lost, by magic! Surely I could have taken him alone! The fool would have been no threat to the dance of my blade!"
Regula shook his head, "No! You grow overconfident, creature. I saw how you fought, and it was pathetic! If it was not for me then you would be in the dirt like the rest of your miserable kin, but you wouldn't be working in the quarry! In fact, if I hadn't taken an interest in your signs of the Redaignian power, I would have let that fool Brevin kill you!" he yelled in disgust.
At that point, though, Dravidan perked up. "What? Redaignian power? What do you speak of, old man?" The man shrugged, "You know, the powers of the gods exhibited through earthly things, such as yourself for instance. You know, like the Kolynian magics are channeled through stones? Some people, such as myself, are just better at accessing that power. The Redaignian magics, though, I believe are exhibited by one's primal instincts, similar to the affects of the tiger paw, but for not so tangibly." He finished, looking at Dravidan, who remained sitting there with a dumb stare. "Nevermind, never you mind. You'll understand later. As for now, I'd like you to say hello to my protégé, Queraska Sam'yil. She's training in the magic of Kolynia, but she's a roguish lass if ever I saw one."
The Geltor grudgingly nodded a greeting to the girl before turning back to the older man. "Still, what do you want with me Manset? You have told me something about sciences, but that excuse has grown tired." He admitted.
Manset muttered under his breath something before replying, "Fine, fine. All I ever wanted was a bodyguard for my protégé and myself. Who better than one of the formidable Geltor? Look in the wagon even, under the grain. There are two Geltor scimitars lying there. Take them, and use them well. Just stay within the wagon until we leave the populated lands. Now, I have to go scout ahead. "Queraska, keep a tight hold on the reigns, I'll be back."
Dravidan grudgingly sat down in the wagon, and tried to shake off the feeling that he was still being lied to, as the wagon rolled on into the hills of the Keldon Range.