For my friend Meli, whose
birthday we celebrated
last Saturday. Well, Meli,
as every year since we met,
this year you also get a part
of one of my stories as a birthday present.
Let's hope this one has an ending...
Hello! Welcome to a new chapter of my little story. I am really happy! I have got more reviews than I got in the first story I uploaded! You know that reviews are what keep a good story going and help to correct the little mistakes we make so, before I start, I want to thank you for your reviews:
Meli Volio: Congratulations, Meli! You were really the first one to review my story. Thanks for reading all my stories, specially this one, since I know I'm like the only one in our whole group who's ever played a role-playing game and maybe you won't understand many of the things I write about in here. Keep reading and enjoying this one. And... If you need me to explain something, just tell me.
Sara Blackburn: Hey, girl! Your English is not that terrible, you wrote everything correctly (almost) and I understood everything you wanted to say. Next time, you can write your review in Spanish, if you want to (Meli did that) Take your time to read it slowly, or ask me or Geo what it says... Thanks for the review and please tell Ana not to kill me... I will finish Dime que No's second chapter soon, as soon as we get together for you to help me finish some details...
DemonDragonJ: Yes, I've noticed you're a great D&D fan... I guess everyone who's ever played even once becomes a fan... My friends say it is addictive. Thank you for your review and for the explanation of what I hadn't understand in your story. I hope you enjoy the chapters that follow! Keep on with your great work and I'll keep on with mine! Maybe some day we can work together...
KumoAmeYouKAI: Thanks for both your reviews. The prologue was just a translation of what my DM-GM told us the story was going to be about, so we are both glad that you liked it! As for the first chapter... I'll do my best to make Gea a great character, though my performing skills are not very good, but I hope she will be getting level two by chapter 4 and to make her story even more interesting as time passes by. Keep on reading and writing, I really like your story!
Drk Fairy:Thanks for your review. I'm glad that you enjoyed the beginning of my story. I hope you keep on reading, now that the real D&DBESM d20 game is about to begin.
Now that it's done, welcome to chapter 2. Enjoy!
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Chapter 2: The Party of Eight: Secrets
"What a terribly boring day!" I thought as I walked about one of Ionescu's dusted paths. "But... what am I complaining about? I should be used to this... Days are always boring at Ionescu!"
That day I had gone for my usual walk around the town, but it turned out to be very different from the walks I always used to have... As I headed back, I saw this strange group of strangers walking toward my house... Maybe they were just a group of travelers coming from the city, nothing to care about, but that odd looking lot really called my attention so, I decided to follow them closely.
They were six. A very elegant-looking elf male leaded them, followed closely by a semi-elf girl and a human male. Both of them carried an odd-looking sword, very different from the ones I had seen blacksmiths make, but his seemed longer, bigger and heavier than hers (A/N: they carried a Katana and a Daito, Japanese swords usually used by samurais). Behind them, I could see another elf, a woman this time, followed by a gray wolf. She looked a lot like myself, as if she had some sort of dark elf blood running through her veins, too, but she seemed far much younger (maybe a hundred years or so). Beside her stood a gigantic orc, which seemed to me like some kind of beast she had tamed, since she really treated him like a pet or something. The last of them was the most horrible vision I could have seen (I mean, if the vision of the orc could have scared everyone in Ionescu, that person was even more terrifying to me)... He was a dark elf.
They spotted me but I tried not to pay attention to them. I kept walking back to my house, but something stopped me...
-Excuse me- I heard one of the women in the group say.
I turned to face the one who spoke: it was the elf.
-Excuse me- she repeated. –We are looking for this person named Gea... Can you show us where she lives?
-What is it that you want with me?
-Well, my name is Árama and I have been looking for you because someone once told me that maybe you could answer my question... I can see you look pretty much like me, so maybe you can tell me why we do not look like the other elves.
-I can try.
-May I come over to talk in your house? I want it to be a private conversation.
-Of course.
-Timmy always comes with me, wherever I go- she said, pointing at the orc standing next to her. –I hope you do not mind having him listening to our conversation.
-His name is Timmy?- I asked, trying not to laugh. –Is it not a little bit of a strange name for such a... huge being?
-Well, he did not have a name when I found him, so I had to give him one...
-Ok. Whatever...
-Excuse me, but we must keep on our way before it gets late- said the elf that was leading them. –Good morning, miss- he told me. –My name is Aust Donnodel. I have read your aura and I can tell you are a powerful sorcerer. I wonder if you would like to join us in our quest. I will pay you well for the help you can give us.
I thought about it for a while. Maybe that was the chance I had been waiting for during my whole life, the perfect opportunity to leave Ionescu, even if it was only for a short while... And he was going to pay me for that!
-Ok. I will join you.
A shiver started to run down my spine after I said those words... The dark elf was starting to approach me... I did not like him at all, and it was not only because he was a dark elf... There was something else about him, something I could not understand.
-Good morning, miss- he said, taking one of my hands. –My name is Aramir Sianodell. It is a real pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady, and having her joining our party...
I did not like the sound of those words, either. He really made me feel uneasy...
-Ok. Whatever- I said as I took my hand away from him, trying to make him understand that I did not want anything to do with him... I really just wanted him to stay as far away from me as it was possible.
I told them to wait there for me, while I went home and got some stuff I thought I would need. I took my large compound bow and a set of arrows, along with my rapier and a small dagger, among other items... From what Aust said, I understood they were after a group of bugbears that had killed the families for which the young semi-elf and the human had been working. The last trail of them showed that they were somewhere inside the forest.
We walked through the forest for a while, seeing nothing more than the classical things you can always find around a forest: trees, animals, lots of insects... Until that group of nasty little kobolts attacked us in the middle of the woods.Nasty, little, stupid creatures, those kobolts... Anyway, after killing some of them, leaving others heavily injured and some others on the run, we kept on our path, following the trails of the kobolts that had been injured. Maybe they could guide us to something interesting...
We went to a stop as the creatures we followed entered a cave in the middle of the woods. Someone was watching over us...
-Who are you and what do you want inside that cave?- said a voice coming from the tree that stood right behind us.
-Who are you?- asked Aust. –And what are you doing here?
-I asked first- the creature revealed itself, showing its devilish appearance. It was not a complete devil, maybe half devil – half human (A/N: he is a tiefling). –Who are you and what do you want inside that cave?
-We were following the group of kobolts you just saw entering this cave- Aust answered. –We are also looking for a group of bugbears that had been seen around this forest lately... My name is Aust Donnodel and these are my companions- he said, pointing at each one as he introduced us. –Mashauri Kimsoa, Árama, Timmy, Bahamut, Aramir Sianodell and Gea Litvkah. (A/N: Mashauri Kimsoa young semi-elf, Bahamut human).
-I see... Well, good luck.
-You have not answered my question yet- Aust replied. –Who are you and what are you doing here?
-Well, my name is Taltos Owlwing and I work for Von Frederich University. I came here looking for something that is supposedly inside this cave, but I cannot tell you what: it is confidential.
-Even for someone else who works for Von Frederich University?- Aust asked and showed him some sort of identification. –What is it that you are looking for?
-Some kind of black box- Taltos answered. –It contains very important information and computer programs.
-Then, you should come with us... Maybe we can find what you are looking for.
We walked through the cave for a while. It seemed to be an eternal, dark, tunnel, but it also seemed that it was empty... there was no sign of the kobolts around the cave. Suddenly, we heard them again, but this time they had something prepared for us...
A group of giant scorpions was thrown to us from somewhere inside the cave. One of them fell over Sianodell, other fell over Timmy and another one over me; the rest of them were spilled around the cave.
I took out my rapier and tried to take off the scorpion that had fallen over my head. When I finally got it in the ground, I cut it's sting off but could not kill it. Timmy, on the other hand, took his scorpion off easily and smashed it on the ground with his giant club, leaving all the walls and most of us covered by the disgusting green color of the scorpion's blood. Sianodell took it off with his sword and slashed it into pieces...
The others were also immerse in their own fights. After trying to slay them, Árama changed her strategy and tried to use some of what I could recognize as druid spells to make the scorpions obey her and cease the attack, but she was not having any results. Taltos, Bahamut and the young semi-elf were also trying to keep them back with their own weapons (actually, Taltos left his knife inside the scorpion he killed). The only one that seemed not to be immerse in a fight was Aust, but why was that?
After ripping off one of my scorpion's legs with my dagger, I heard a small cry. The young semi-elf sat down on the cave's floor, crying, right in front of a giant scorpion that prepared to attack her directly... But she was never attacked, since Aust made a fireball that burnt the insect down into ashes before it could even move.
-I want you all to come and stand behind me!- he commanded.
We all started to move but, as we did, I felt something pierce my skin and fell to the ground: the poison was beginning to spread throughout my body... But I was not the only one in that situation: Sianodell had also been injured.
Was that the end of it? I felt my body slowly becoming numb, and everything became darker and darker behind the clouds that started to obscure my sight. I could not take the pain anymore, so I closed my eyes and decided to let myself die and suddenly, the pain was over...
Was that what dying felt like? No. I could feel my body again. I opened my eyes and everything was as clear as I could see it before the attack... Aust had healed both Sianodell and me.
-Now, stay back- he said, facing the remaining scorpions and, within a second, the part of the cave where the scorpions stood was in fire, killing all of them instantaneously.
After our fight with the giant scorpions, we kept on walking through the cave, looking this time for an exit. As we walked, Sianodell argued with the young semi-elf. They really seemed like little children with their: "At least I get to do something useful" "Something useful? You call sitting down and cry before a gigantic scorpion ready to attack you something useful? Come on, Achu!" "Stop calling me Achu! At least I did much more than you did!"
-There it is- Aust called as we came to a stop.
There it was? What? The exit?
No, it was still dark ahead before us.
On top of a large rock lied a small black box, which he took along with something else, that I could not tell.
He gave the box to Taltos, who examined it and took out something (I guess it was that something that the people from the city use to call computer, but I am still not sure, I had never seen one in my whole life) and started to work on it, but I guess he did not get what he wanted since he looked up at us with a worried look on his face.
-What is wrong?- Aust asked him.
-The information inside this box is protected by a security code.
Aust gave Taltos a hard, piercing look as he took the instrument Taltos had been working on and scribbled something on the keyboard.
-You do not work for Von Frederich University, do you?- he told him. –Maybe you are there, but you are nothing but a pathetic little student who got to hack one of the main computers in the University and found out about this box. Am I right?
-But please do not tell the teacher about this!- Taltos pleaded, as he saw his little theater fall down. –I just needed one of the programs inside that box! I swear!
-I'll tell you what. I am not going to tell your professor about this and I am going to give you a copy of everything inside this box that is not confidential information, but I am going to keep the box... It is a fair deal for the help you are going to give us now, to find this bugbears and fight them.
When everything concerning that strange black box and its contents was done, we kept walking, looking for the exit. Finally, after half an hour of walking, we saw a small, dim, light that started to grow larger as we got closer: the exit.
We did not go out at once, since we heard strange noises outside. Aust went to look at what was happening and told us that there was a group of kobolts fighting against three large bugbears. He also said it would be better for us to stay there and wait to see what happened, so we remained there and waited as we planned what we would do when it was our turn to face the bugbears...
It did not take long for the bugbears to defeat the small group of kobolts that attacked them and, as soon as they turned around to keep on their way through the forest, a huge fireball (Aust made it, obviously. I am still not very good at managing the fire domain) hit their backs (actually, it was kind of funny to see one of them running and dragging himself around the floor, trying to put off the fire that had caught its backside).
Those bugbears were far the most difficult creatures I had got to face up to that time. Even when we were eight against three (actually seven against three, since Taltos decided to climb on a tree and stay there, after saying he was a tech genius, not a fighter), they were giving us a hard time since our attacks damaged them little, but theirs seemed to be beating us.
I apologize if I cannot tell much of what happened during our fight with the bugbears, but when I said they were beating us, I meant they were really beating us... After trying everything I could do against one of those bugbears, not damaging it at all, it attacked me with all its strength, leaving me unconscious, while the others kept on fighting to try and stop them. A few minutes later, I was awakened again... Aust had healed me again.
Well, at least everything ended up fine for us... Sianodell bet one of them with his flaming sword, while Timmy and Bahamut got the other two, finally ending up the battle... When everything was finally over, Bahamut and the young semi-elf searched the bugbears' corpses to find something: two knives of a very special kind that had belonged to the families they used to work for. Finding those knives would mean they had kept the promise they made when those families died and they were now free.
And there they were: the two knives, among a small group of other valuable things. Bahamut and the girl kept the knives, as their price for what they had accomplished. The rest was distributed among the eight of us...
It was mid-afternoon when we finally started walking outside the forest. We had decided to go back to Ionescu and spend the night there. The travel back was peaceful and quiet, and the town remained still as we entered (terribly boring town, nothing interesting ever happened there until I found this group of people).
-Miss- Aust called out for me, as we walked toward my house. –I wanted to thank you for the help you gave us. Here's what I promised you- he handed me a small money bag. –Ten gold pieces, and our gratitude.
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-You can come in. You are welcome in my house. Make yourselves' comfortable- I told them, as we all entered my little house in the middle of Ionescu (except Sianodell, who stayed outside, cleaning his sword from the blood remains in it).
-May you all be welcome at my house- said my mother, as she entered the small living room. –If there is anything you need, just tell- then, she gave Aust a terrible look (if looks could kill, he would have died at least a hundred times) before she spoke again. –Mr. Donnodel, could you please join me in the kitchen? I would like to have a word with you.
I could not understand my mother's strange behavior towards Aust, since she had never acted that way before with anyone, at least not in front of me. And how did she know him? It was the first time I ever saw him, but she seemed to know him from before.
Anyway, they spent in the kitchen for a few minutes, which seemed a real eternity to me, who was not even able to pay attention to the conversation my companionships were having.
Suddenly, Aust appeared back in the living room and walked straight to me. When we were face to face, I felt a small cut in my left cheek... He had scratched me with one of his arrows. Then, he put two bottles in front of me and turned into some kind of shadow as he disappeared from the room.
My mother appeared then, carrying a tray with seven tea cups on it, and gave one to each of us. She stopped in front of me and looked at the wound that appeared in my left cheek. Then, she took a piece of cloth, wetted it with the liquid from one of the bottles and covered the wound with it.
-I demand an explanation!- I said, still confused.
-You shall have to wait, Gea- was the only answer I got from her.
-But... I want to know what is going on! I deserve to know it!
-Not now, Gea. Later.
-By the way, Gea- said Árama. –I wanted to ask you something. Can we talk about it now?
-Whatever it is that you want to ask, you should better ask me- said my mother, not even letting me answer.
-But...
-Leave it that way, Gea. Now, go and bring your guests some of the bread I left in the kitchen- I knew she was telling me that to keep me out of the way, though Taltos and Timmy had spent the last five minutes saying they were starving.
What would they be talking about? I remembered that, when I first met them, Árama said she wanted to ask me something about her appearance. Something about why she seemed so different from other elves... But I could not understand why my mother would not let me listen to that conversation, or even answer Árama's question, though I cannot say much about it.
If my mother's conversation with Aust had seemed eternal, this one was far worst. I could hear her speak, but I could not make out her words and that was killing me... Why wouldn't she let me participate?
When they finally reappeared in the living room and I thought I was finally going to get the explanation I was waiting for, the front door opened and Sianodell entered the house, as he took off his sandals.
-Good evening, madam- he greeted my mother.
-Good evening, young man- she answered. –Come in.
-May I have a word with your daughter, madam?- he asked her.
-Yes, you may- she answered, making a fireball appear in one of her hands. –But be very careful of what you are going to say.
Both Sianodell and I walked out the house; the night was starting to fall over Ionescu. The only thing I loved from Ionescu was its sunsets: when the sky turned light blue, purple and orange and the sun was a red round ball of fire, sinking behind the mountains.
-I wanted to ask you... –he began. –Well, I have noticed you have a great potential and I have been wondering if you want to learn some sword fighting combat skills. I could teach you.
-Sounds interesting, but... why me and not any of the others? Why not the little girl?
-I am looking for a student, not for someone who has already got the skills. She can handle it on herself. I am looking for someone to train, someone to whom I can teach what I know. I already told you that you have a great potential and I am giving you the chance to learn something new. Are you going to accept my offer?
-I do not know- I answered, unsurely. I did not like that guy at all. –Let me think about it.
-Ok- he said, as we entered the house again. –Take your time, consider it as an option. I will be waiting for your answer... You know where to find me. We will keep in touch.
-It is getting late- said Bahamut. –Do you mind if we stay here for tonight?- he asked my mother.
-I am sorry- my mother answered. –But we do not have enough room in here for all of you. I think you should be more comfortable at the town's inn.
And so it was... We bade the six of them good-bye and they went to spend the night at this poor, little, horrible town's inn. When they were gone, my mother called me to sit next to her, back in the living room.
-That man, Aust Donnodel, was your father, you know?- I gave her a terrified look. –Yes, it was him, he just took a different shape to get close to you. He had been watching over you all the time.
-All the time?- I asked, even more terrified.
-Yes, you may have noticed it... A shadow moving around the woods... He is able to blend in with the shadows and become one of them. He came to bring you these- she gave me the two bottles. –Poison and its antidote. Dark elves tend to use poison on their weapons, he thought you would like to have them and find them useful. Look, Gea- she said, a little worried. –I have decided to send you to the University.
-The University?
-Yes. I want you to be as safely away from him as possible. He has got some sort of special interest in you, but that place is full of forces he won't even dare to fight against- she made a brief pause. –You are going to go through a lot of changes, my child... And I am not only saying this because one of these days you will turn into a complete dark elf (I am sorry, but we both know that is really going to happen), but because your necromancy is going to evolve with you. Anyway, even though I cannot help you to handle with it, you know you can always count on me for whatever you need. I also want you to take this- she took a necklace out of one of her pockets and put it into my hands. It had a trinket with a red heart joined in the middle by a black triangle. –Keep it always. It will let me know how and where you are... The only problem is that he can also find you with it, but it is better if we both know where you are than if none of us knows how you are doing.
-But... what is going to happen to you?- I asked her. Now, my worries had changed... I had never left my mother alone, and I did not think I could be able to do it after what she had said.
-I am going to stay here, as always- she said calmly. –You can visit me on weekends and holidays, or whenever you like. You know this house's door will always be open for you, but I really want you to go out and start a life out there.
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Well, that's all for today. I hope you don't think this chapter is too long. I use to write short chapters, but D&D stories need a lot of space to tell what happens. Besides, we are on vacation and take advantage of it and sit down and play for six or seven hours on Thursdays. nn
I apologize if my fight scenes are not very good: I forgot most of what had happened during the game, so I could only write what I remembered. I promise that next time I'm going to write down everything that happens so this won't happen again.
Ok, see you next weekend! This time I'll bring you Welcome to Von Frederich University (Christmas Special Edition Part One).
Remember to make me happy and leave me a nice, long (or short) review.
Ruby.