(I'm getting evil...oh dear...my poor poor characters...anyway. Been working on this chapter for a while. Had to change the rating from G to PG 13 due to the blood, guts,gore and death. I still don't own EQ, just play alot alot. Please R/R. I WUV REVIEWS!)
The Lord Protector of Felwithe paced back and forth as his troops assembled just outside the city gates. Many things were weighing heavily on his mind, why were the tier'dal invading the sanctity of the Greater and Lesser Faydarks so suddenly? More importantly, why had they taken a rogue? He was merely a thief, of no consequence to the hierarchy of Kelethin except for his relations with the druidess Larah. What did they want him for? He couldn't possibly have information. Suddenly, a soft voice limned with heartbreak tore him from his thoughts.
"Lord Stormsiege? I am Larah of family Cloudwhisper. Master Ailur told you I was coming?"
"Yes, Lady Larah. We will be setting out shortly; the sun is only beginning to rise."
Larah turned towards the east and stared at the magnificent sunrise.
"Tunare's marvels never cease to amaze..." she murmured and then turned back to the koada'dal. "Do you think he is still...al-alright?"
Stormsiege looked the young druidess over. It was obvious enough to him she had started to ask if he thought Klarias was still alive but couldn't bring herself to voice her fears. Her slender hands were held against her chest, tears lining her deep green eyes. What could he say? The likelihood that the orcs, vicious creatures that they were, would keep the thief alive unless he had information was slim, but he couldn't bring himself to break her heart, to remove from her all hope.
"There is still a chance, but let us hope Tunare is with us..."
"Or rather, with him..."
"NO! Rianum, I am not leaving this spot! I refuse to! I don't mix well with water!"
"I never said you had to get in the water, just come look at it."
"No...no...I don't...I won't..."
Rianum's hazel eyes danced merrily as he smiled at her.
"You're not scared, are you?"
"N-no! I'm...I'm not scared...What would make you say that?"
"Come here then."
Rravenn sighed and walked towards Rianum, her hood now down and her flowing white hair fluttered in the breeze behind her. Her dark blue cloak billowed around her in the breeze as she stood beside him. He put his arms around her and their mage cloaks swirled up together in a purple and blue haze. Mikanna sat leaning against the mast and smiled at them. Rianum smiled as he gazed into Rravenn's eyes as she looked out over the water whose color changed as the light of the rising sun played on its surface. She turned to face him and pulled him closer to her, holding him in a passionate embrace.
"Do ye li'l folks need to be gettin' yerselves a room?"
Rravenn whirled around, ready to lash out at whatever fool had dared to address her so and saw the barbarian, Ahloru. Her eyes narrowed to a glare and the dark mage walked down the stairs to the cabin level. Rianum sighed, shrugged at Ahloru and ran off after his love. Mikanna looked up suddenly and pulled a magicked pendant out from under her silken clerical robes. It was glowing a soft shade of blue as she spoke into it.
"Morning Lord Stormy." It flashed a rainbow of other colors before settling back onto the sky blue it had started out. "Klarias, eh? I know him...Larah's—? Just as I thought...The Orcs, you say? Poor lad...How's Larah taking it? I see...I see...We should be docking soon...Of course I'll come! It's my clerical duty or something! I'll see you when I see you, Lord Stormy." Mikanna tucked the pendant back under her robes and sighed. "Poor Klarias...poor Larah..."
She stood slowly and walked over to the edge of the deck. Ahloru stood beside her.
"Is that Kaladim?"
"Yes, land of the dwarves."
"Aye," Ahloru's features brightened momentarily, "The great li'l warriors who brew the finest mead..."
The boat pulled up to the dock and Mikanna went to get her mage friends. Ahloru walked down the path to the great dwarven city of Kaladim to refresh her packs.
"Be silent, don't allow yourselves to be seen as we enter."
The paladins and warriors bowed before their Lord and then set off for the orc Citadel. Larah walked along with the clerics and mages who would accompany them. The young druidess was nearly to the entrance when she turned and saw dark elven soldiers attacking her fellows. She knew they had been ambushed and that someone knew they were coming. She growled under her breathe and quickly muttered a shape-changing spell. The grey wolf ran through the entrance as the orc guards joined the melee. Klarias, she thought, I know you're here somewhere. A scream broke what was, other than the nearly inaudible footfalls of the wolf, silence thick enough that it could be cut with a knife. It was coming from the castle. Larah ran there as quickly as her wolf-form could take her.
Stormsiege cursed under his breath as yet another young paladin was felled by the cursed blade of a dark elf. His blade cut through foe after foe, trying to force a passage through to the entrance of the Citadel. He slashed out, his blade slicing through the orc standing before him and then called out to his fellows.
"Charge through!"
They rallied to his cry as the clerics siphoned the last of their mana into a spell of healing on their entire forces, bringing each and every paladin and warrior back to fighting form. The elven charge caught the dark elves by surprise, having thought they had the upper hand and they were forced into a pell-mell retreat into the Citadel.
Larah dropped her shape-change spell and stood before the castle. He was in there somewhere, he had to be. In one of the top rooms, she could see two dark elves talking. That looked like the right place. The sounds of battle suddenly filled her ears as the paladins and their fellows came charging in to the citadel. Larah quickly brought up a spell of camouflage over herself as the orcs guarding the palace ran down to meet the intruders. As she crept into the castle, she didn't notice the silent shadow following her along. She was careful to not use her spells or make too much noise or movement so as to retain the enchantment. She walked into the tower room through the partially open door. His eyes caught her immediately. Klarias lay limply on the floor, only barely bound. Her blonde hair matted with his own blood and his breeches and vest torn and stained, cleaved to him as though part of his skin. Tears came to her eyes as she dropped to her knees by his side and allowed her spell to falter.
"Kl-Klarias?"
He looked up at her, his breath labored, and smiled.
"La...rah..."
She began to channel her mana into a spell of healing but just as she began to speak the words, a dark elven blade slid through her ribs, barely missing her heart. She changed her words to a call for a lightning and felled the dark elf behind her.
Stormsiege breathed heavily as he found himself facing the ambassador from Neriak, Dvinn of the Indigo Brotherhood. Their blades crashed against each other and they darted and weaved in and out in a deadly dance of skill. The lord protector slashed out wide with Retribution and caught Dvinn's side, leaving a long gash through his flesh and armor. Dvinn thrust forward with his dirk and tore through the high elf's armor, ripping the tendons in his shoulder. Stormsiege grimaced in pain, forcing himself to keep his blade up and finish the battle through. He thrust with his good arm and ran Dvinn through. Dvinn fell forward on the blade, using the last of his strength to force his dirk through the elf's armor and into his chest. He coughed, blood spraying out of his mouth, as he fell pushed the dark elf off of him and summoned his limited healing powers. The wounds to his shoulder healed over but the tendons were still stretched and raw, leaving his arm essentially useless until he could find a proper cleric. Hefting his blade in his off hand, he began to walk towards the castle, hoping to find Larah. He had seen her spell castings in that direction during the battle.
(Thought I'd pop a poll down here: Should Lady Larah Cloudwhisper die?
1. YES!
2. Yes, slowly and painfully by poisons
3. almost, but Storm saves her
4. NO! )
