Hello once again! And welcome to a new chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy this one. It is the ending of my Christmas Special Editions (once again I apologize for bringing it up so late, but I make my best for them to be good). Anyway, before I begin, thanks to:
DemonDragonJ: Thank you so much. I am really glad that you are enjoying my story so much... Sometimes I don't know how it's going so; it is nice to know that at least someone likes the different pathways the story takes. Actually, it is really a blend of humor (my sister always says our campaign is a total joke, compared to those her friends play in... and it was kind of obvious ever since Timmy was invented), action (we have at least three interesting fights each Thursday and the rest... well, most of it comes from my imagination) and romance (though it is not very explicit yet, but soon it will be a little more obvious)... I'll make my best to keep it going that way.
I also thank you for the small note you left in Dime que No (I'm sorry, I just found it today). I had the idea that you were fond of Harry Potter ever since I began to read your story... Maybe someday with a little bit of time I can tell you what it is about. You know? It is funny... You have trouble with Spanish, and one of my best friends here has trouble with English, so it is going to take her a lot of time to finish reading IntentO. Maybe someday you'll really get to read Dime que No, and enjoy it as much as she does.
sara fenix black: Hey, girl!I didn't mean I couldn't finish Dime que No because of you! I just meant I need a little help and, since you are the one that always help me... Anyway, tell Ana to be patient, it will soon be done. I also think it is good for you to practice your English, since this year we have to take that English course at the University (se supone, yo lo voy a hacer por suficiencia)... When you read it, tell me what you think. You know your comments are always helpful to me.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Chapter 4: What Else Could One Expect on a Christmas Night?
(Christmas Special Edition – Part II)
-Wait!- said the young semi-elf as we walked back to our respective buildings. –I do not hear any annoying, complaining voice around... Where is Aramir?
-Aramir? Oops... We totally forgot about him!- said Árama. –We cannot leave him there! We have to go back!
-We really have to?- asked the girl again. –I was just saying...
-Yes, we have to... Come on, let's go!
We headed back to the place where we had been fighting when we ran into Bahamut, who was walking in the opposite direction.
-Hey! Where are you coming from?- he asked us.
-Take a guess- Árama replied. –Thank you for noticing the wounds and the blood streams and for asking if we are OK!
-Ok, I am sorry- he said. –What happened?
-We were having dinner when the dinning room was attacked- she answered. –The dinning room was evacuated but, as soon as we went out, we were attacked by an ice nefit, and then, Mashauri felt that something was going to happen in the gym, precisely where many people were hiding. We went to see what was going on and found this devil, who was really beating us until Aramir got rid of it, but ended up unconscious. Now we are heading back to pick him up.
-Ok, let's go. Maybe you will need my help.
-By the way- said the young girl. –Where have you been? We waited a lot for you when we first came here.
-We left earlier that day- he answered. –Because unlike others we did get up early, we got tired of waiting for you to wake up and went away without you.
-Hey! Thank you!
The discussion could have taken longer, but another ice nefit appeared right in front of us and attacked Bahamut with her ice breath. He recovered almost immediately, and, when he did, he fought her with his sword, finally leaving it wounded enough for Árama to finish her up.
-Hey, guys! Where had you been?- we heard another familiar voice approaching: it was Taltos. –I was on my way to the computer lab when I heard something and came to see what was going on.
As we explained the whole story again for Taltos, we kept walking until we heard something strange a little bit further ahead from us. It was another devil, just like the one we had fought a while before, but this time it was following a girl, maybe a university student. They were heading up to the closest building... Our building.
We could not leave her alone! What would that horrible thing do if someone did not help her? So, we followed them, but they were already inside the building... When we entered, each of us attacked, but did not damage the devil much...
The girl was also trying to defend herself; she attacked the monster with a set of really strange black lights... There was also some sort of little devilish black winged creature, which tried to help her, stinging the devil with its tail and biting it.
The rest of us kept fighting. Suddenly, Bahamut yelled something that sounded much like the word "book" before he attacked the monster again, but I could not see any book around. What would he mean?
Anyway, I kept attacking. Maybe I heard wrong... Who would not when everything we could hear was the roar of the battle upon us... and the sound of the water that was slowly starting to fall over us, since Taltos had activated the fire alarm with a burning arrow? (A/N: A wasted dice throwing, if you ask me. He did that with no purpose at all...).
Finally, it all came to an end. After the little devilish creature pierced the devil once again with its sting, Árama ended him up with one of her arrows.
But something was not alright with me... I felt this strange kind of energy running everywhere inside myself and watched as my own skin became darker, until it took that grayish color I hated so much and my hair became lighter, until it turned totally white. I had undergone the same change that Árama had a while before. Now I looked like a total drow.
It would be difficult to describe how terrible I felt when that happened, but I did not have much time to think about it because when I realized, Bahamut had seized a book, and the girl we had saved did something that made him let go of it. Timmy, who had just appeared in the middle of the room, hit the girl and got the book, but she casted some sort of spell and it hit him so hard that he had to let go of the book and was dragged outside the building, letting her recover it.
She turned around. I could finally see her face: it was Vanessa.
-Vanessa?- Árama asked a little scared as Vanessa turned to face her. –Take it easy, it is just us. We are not going to hurt you. What is this all about?
-You should be careful- was everything she answered. –I have to take this to a safe place.
Suddenly, someone else entered the room. It was a hooded figure followed by four ice nefits. He walked toward Vanessa and demanded her to give him the book. Since she would not let go of the book, he touched her face and began to drain her energy away: a Vampiric Touch.
-Hey! You cannot do that!- Árama yelled. –My friend still has to tell me something really important!
Taltos prepared his crossbow and attacked, piercing one of the creature's arms, but it was not enough for it to let Vanessa go. Bahamut and I, on the other hand, had to attack the ice nefits, who had stood on our way to get to their master. Timmy (who had just re-entered the building) also tried to get them but failed.
Someone else appeared inside the room, some kind of shadow which began to take form: Aust.
He stepped between us and took the two remaining nefits with his hands, killing them immediately. Then he turned to the hooded figure:
-Your job here is done. Go away.
-No- the creature replied. –Not without the book!
-I said go away!- he repeated. –Ian Strauss will be here in a couple of minutes. You know what he is capable of. Go away.
The hooded figure went away, leaving Vanessa a little dazed, but still alive. She was still holding tight to the book.
-That book is not for you, Miss Proudmore- Aust told her. –It is got a lot more power than the one you can handle. You should put it back where you found it.
Then, he turned to Árama. He walked straight to her and, when they were face to face, he scratched her cheek with one of his arrows, just like he had done with me when we met. Then, he gave her four bottles.
-Here you go- she told her. –Now that you are a complete drow you can use these- he pointed at one of the bottles. –Take this. It is the poison's antidote- he started walking away. –Your parents would be proud of you, my godchild.
He turned to me, then.
-I see you have got strong enough to turn into a complete drow- he told me. –I am proud of you. Now you have got the necromancer touch gift growing inside you...
-What?- I interrupted him. –You call this a gift? Ok, I really think we have very different ideas about what a gift is... This is the damn curse I bear because of you!
-I am willing to see it evolve as you grow stronger- he said, not even paying attention to what I had just said to him. –But I have greater expectancies to see you learn to control the Fire Domain and become a great firecaster. Now, I have to go- he said as he turned into a shadow again and disappeared but, before he did, he gave Taltos some sort of disk.
We were about to walk upstairs when Mr. Strauss entered the building. He scolded Vanessa for a long time (I did not get much about what he said, I just remember: "I thought you were more responsible, Miss Proudmore. Of all the books you could have taken, you took the most dangerous one...") before he went away, carrying the book, not without thanking us for what we did for Vanessa and sending all of us up to bed (it was around three o'clock in the morning).
When we reached our room, Árama finally got her chance to ask Vanessa what she wanted to:
-Vanessa- she said. –Where did you get that book? Why were you attacked because of it?
-Well, I... borrowed it... Stole it... Well, I took it from my father, Kuro. His private library is full of powerful black magic sorcery books. This one was full of enchantments, necromancy, and a few pages written in a language I could not understand; that's why they wanted it...
°°° (December the 24th)
There was a loud knock on the door. The mail had arrived... Both Árama and I received the same letter: an invitation. Mr. Ian Strauss was inviting us to a private Christmas dinner!
Wow! Just picture that! We had been invited to have dinner with the University's Headmaster... And you know exactly what that meant in Árama's language: Let's go shopping!
We walked out and ran into the young semi-elf, who was walking straight toward our building (I guess she felt a little bit lonely in the High-School building, since we were the only people she knew around there)... She had also received an invitation like ours and decided to join us on our little shopping trip.
We walked into this shop and, while the young girl and I started looking at what we could buy to wear that night (it was going to be a really special occasion, we could not go in our everyday clothes), Árama started looking for a black cape, a pair of sunglasses, a black hat and something to dye her hair black with. That was a really strange thing to see. I mean, why would she do that?
Anyway, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the campus until it was time to go up, get ready and walk to the building where the dinner was taking place to get there on time (the invitation said eight o'clock).
The room was magnificently decorated and, on the main table, everything was settled for the feast. Several plates full of very different kinds of food covered the whole table and, sitting at the head of the table, Mr. Strauss awaited, surrounded by Taltos, Bahamut and Timmy.
-Before we begin, I would like to thank all of you for your help... You saved the students that were inside the gym from the devil that was about to attack them and you helped Miss Proudmore when she was in trouble. This Christmas dinner is to thank you for what you did- Mr. Strauss said when we had taken our places and, then, he turned to Taltos. –I also have good news for you, Mr. Owlwing: You have got the job you had been seeking as a professor assistant. You will be starting next week and will receive fifty gold pieces each month- Taltos' expression suddenly changed: his usual smile broadened and the joy that could be seen in his eyes was indescribable...
We were about to start eating when the door was opened again.
-Hey, Aramir! It is great to see that you are Ok now!- said Árama, as Sianodell entered the room.
-Definitely not thanks to you- he answered and went to sit down at the far side of the table.
I felt something strange as he sat so far away from us... Maybe it was just sort of pity... He must have felt that we just used him and, when he was not useful anymore, we just left him there... Though I knew it was a mistake, I would totally understand if he would not want to talk to us or help us ever again. But I still felt bad about it...
We had a quite peaceful meal... as peaceful as you can have with a gigantic orc eating close to you. I mean... not a very peaceful dinner for Árama, who had to apologize for Timmy's manners and ended up saying that even her wolf would behave better than he did.
Anyway, when the table had been cleared, one of Mr. Strauss' bodyguards entered the room with a large bag and gave each of us a present (I got two since one of them was a letter from my mother, along which came fifty gold pieces). As each of us opened our presents, he explained what they were for... (A/N: sorry, but I don't want to make this chapter very long, so I am just going to say what each of us got and omit the explanations. I also apologize to my game pals if I may have mixed up any of the gifts we got, I do not write that fast). Taltos got a heal of comprehend language and read magic; Árama got a bag of tricks; the young girl got a rusted dusk of dryness; Timmy got a Murlying spoon; Bahamut got the boots of winterland and I got a pearl of power. None of us got to know what Sianodell received as a Christmas present because he just put it away without even looking at it.
-Árama- said Mr. Strauss, as we opened our presents. –You should be very careful now that you have turned into a complete drow. Many people know your story and they may start to look for you...
-I know- she replied. –That is why I had to dye my hair black and buy some other things to keep myself as hidden as possible.
-You should also be very careful about what you want to know... There are some things that are better left unknown... You could get a terrible surprise- then, he turned to me. –Miss, I have heard a lot about your family, specially about your father... A very powerful, troublesome man...
"Why does it always have to be him?" I wondered as he said those words. "I want to stay as far away from him as it is possible and he has to appear even in casual conversations!"
-But you should not worry about him. We will do anything we can to keep him away from you. You will be safe in here.
"If he only knew that my father has just been here the other night..."
°°° (January the 2nd)
-Yes... Of course we will... Tomorrow?... Yeah, I guess there will be no problem- I heard Árama speak to the small device that was our only mean of communication in between rooms. –Sure, just wait a second- she turned to me. –Gea, Bahamut wants to speak with you.
-Hi, Gea- I heard Bahamut say. –Look, Taltos is got a special assignment... You know... His new job as his teacher's assistant... and he wants to know if you want to help us with it. We will be departing tomorrow at 7 o' clock.
"Why didn't Taltos asked it himself?" I thought, but I had to say something, so... –Ok. Anyway, I did not have anything to do this week.
-Thank you. Do not worry, it is going to be something simple; not very dangerous. We will be back soon, I hope... and he is going to pay us for that! I also need your help for something else- he said. –Can you please locate the other samurai and tell her?
-Why don't you go and look for her?- I asked him. I did not like the sound of his voice that day... –The High-School building is only a couple of blocks away from here.
-Because you get along better with her- he answered. –Besides, I do not wish to go out today.
"Men! They are all the same!" –Ok, whatever, I will go. Besides, I had been looking for an excuse to go out today.
I went out and walked the couple of blocks it took to get to the High-School building... It was a very tall building, a little bigger than the ones that made up the University, but with kind of the same atmosphere around: very special people, like the ones I had sensed in the University... Lots of magic and other sources of power.
Anyway, I began to walk about the different halls, looking for the place where I could find the young semi-elf, while I thought: "Great! 'You get along better with her' How can he say that about a person whose name I do not even know!"
As I walked through one of those corridors, I felt this kind of strange energy running through my body, but it was just a small instant so, I did not bother to think about it a lot... Then I heard this small yell behind me. I turned around to see what had happened and, as I did, the young girl that had been staring at me with her eyes filled with fear broke into a run and disappeared behind the corner.
"Weird" was the only thing I got to think of before I found myself in front of the person I had been looking for.
I talked to her for a couple of minutes, explaining everything just as Bahamut had told me and she also accepted to join us... Now we only had to wait for what would happen the next day.
°°° (Next day. 7:00 a.m)
-Good morning- Taltos said as we got in the first ferryboat. –Well guys, thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it. This assignment will take us to what once was known as the state of Florida, in which was once known as the United States. Now this state is nothing but a great swamp filled with undeads- as soon as Taltos said the word "undeads", Árama began to scream (no one really understood why) and it took a couple of minutes to calm her down. –There may be a little town or two around- he continued. –But do not expect anything spectacular. Anyway, we have to find this abandoned Astronomical Research Area where I have to look for some information. That is all.
That is all? He said it as it was that simple. I should really have to remember not to trust Bahamut's "nothing dangerous".
The ferryboat went to a stop in a really desolate place. Taltos had really meant a swamp when he said it... Everything around was muddy and jungle-like, even the little town that awaited for us as soon as we disembarked.
Before we disembarked we had decided that we would walk in small groups. Timmy would take the lead alone, since he was the biggest and the strongest looking one. Árama and Bahamut would follow him and Taltos, the young girl and I would stay in the back.
We entered the small town. There was not much left of it: just a tavern, a restaurant and a few small houses that seemed like they were about to fall down. While Timmy and the young girl stayed behind, Árama and Bahamut went to the tavern to look for information on the place we had to look for and Taltos and I went into the restaurant looking for the same.
-I am going to ask somebody- I said.
So, I entered the restaurant followed by Taltos and asked the man that stood behind the counter, but he would not answer anything but: "This people from the big cities and their complicated words". So, Taltos had to make it sound a little bit easier, since I had no idea of how to do that.
-Ah, you meant that great abandoned building in the North. Well, I've never been there, but there is a guy named Paco who would surely take you up there, if you pay well. You may find him in the tavern.
-Thank you.
We both went out of the restaurant to find the others. Árama and Bahamut had already returned to where Timmy and the young girl stayed. But they did not return alone. A man accompanied them; a not-so-young man that seemed to have been drawn out of the tavern for he looked like he had drunk quite a bit... Our guide, Paco.
Not quite sure about if this man was trustworthy but quite eager to get done with the assignment as fast as we could, we started following him North, until the night fell upon us.
We settled our little camp and ate some of the soup that came from Timmy's Christmas present; the rest was stored in the young girl's dusk of dryness.
We were preparing to spend a quiet night, as quiet as we could so we would not draw any attention upon us. Árama had decided to take that night's watch. She said she did not need to sleep anyway. But things did not turn out the way we expected...
Timmy had just left the camp for a while. He said he was just going to get his dragon something to eat (A/N: Timmy's dragon and Árama's wolf had also come with us), but we did not think he would use the new gun he had bought (I still don't know when) to get it. The only thing we heard was a loud gunshot and, in a couple of minutes, our camping place was surrounded by zombie wolves.
Once again I apologize if I cannot say most of what happened during the fight. Among the few things I can remember about what happened before I fell unconscious, I remember there were two wolves for each of us. Bahamut got rid of them immediately; his large sword had no problem to destroy both of them together. Árama and her wolf, Timmy and his dragon and the young girl got rid of one of them each. Taltos... well, I should not talk much about Taltos' display of bravery as he ran and hid on top of a tree... I seemed to be the only one who was having a lot of trouble with those horrible beings, but I kept fighting until I could not fight anymore.
When I opened my eyes again, after Árama used one of her spells to cure some of my wounds, there were no more zombie wolves. They told me that Bahamut and Timmy destroyed those that remained (at least the ones I was supposed to fight, 'cause I guess Árama and the young girl ended up with theirs by themselves).
Anyway, now that the zombie wolves were finally destroyed, I could not think of anything else than going away to sleep so, maybe by the morning I would be fine. So, that is exactly what we did. We all went to sleep while Árama watched over the camp for the rest of the night.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Sorry to end things up this way, but that's how the game ended.
I also apologize once again for my pathetic display as a warrior, but the dice won't help much. I also know I could have used a very practical spell, but I got to see the spells I could use last Thursday. So, by the time we played this campaign, I didn't know I could Disrupt Undead. Sorry. And sorry if I write some things the wrong way. It is very difficult to play and write at the same time... I still don't know how to spell some things. I hope you understand them, anyway.
I don't know. I think this is the worst chapter I had ever written (except, perhaps, for the first part, up to January the 2nd).
Anyway, just tell me what you think about it.
I hope you keep reading. Next chapter will be: Of Vampires, Scientific Discoveries and New Companionships. What to do when one of your teammates is kidnapped by a vampire just in front of you? ... A great and very complicated discovery about the world we live in and... two new members join our little party...
Bye.
Ruby.