Re: Tales of Riv'nar: The Chosen -- Book 2

[Klikxx]

“SHOO! SHOO!”

The command while issued with great authority was seemingly ignored. He thought at first that they may not have understood his directions but after careful deliberation he assumed the hand gestures would have given it away. Maybe, they were simply ignoring him. He soon found himself armed with a handful of pine cones which he launched in their general direction.

"Master says don't kill this guy!"

Jackson was relieved at the thought. “Listen to him. Don’t kill me!” He exclaimed. “Listen to…….”

The red haired youth stopped what he was saying when he realized the truth. It was not the gobbo that issued the statement but a rather peculiar mammal hovering nearby. One thing was for sure was that he didn’t want anything to do with either of them. Anything that deemed itself master over goblins and bats couldn’t be promising.

He launched a pine cone in the direction of the new intruder. The large black bat simply moved to the side dodging the projectile. The situation only seemed to be getting worse by the minute. The goblins ignored the command from the furry flyer and were closing the gap. Options were now limited as Jackson slowly crept further out onto the branch.

What he hadn’t taken into account was the thinner limbs were unable to support even his lightweight frame. Panic began to set in as the disturbing crack sound grew louder. It wasn’t long before the branch totally gave way sending him on a sudden downward decent. Jackson now found himself with a totally different enemy. That enemy was gravity.

The first thing he came into contact during his decent was the much smaller gobbo below. Jackson’s arms flailed wildly trying to latch onto something to stop his fall. Desperately he searched for something to cling to. He found it. The only problem was it was now falling with him.

Together the two crashed through branch after branch as the continued on their fall towards the forest flood. Jostling for position they tumbled and turned each vying for the enviable position on top. The branches ripped deep into his soft flesh as the downward spiral continued. The wounds themselves seemed superficial to the destiny that was looming below.

Just before impact the wiry young acrobat won the battle for supremacy. A loud umphhh was exasperated as the downward journey came to an abrupt end. It took a few moments before the wounded red head was able to orientate himself enough to catch his bearing. He was alive. At the moment that was good enough for him.

Remembering his earlier plight he grabbed the motionless figure below him and shook it vehemently. The gobbo’s head bobbed to and fro from the assault bouncing helplessly off the forest floor in response. Dark blood spewed from the grotesque mouth of the olive skinned victim. The smaller humanoid was not as fortunate in his landing. A broken rib had pierced through a lung and his heart.

There were two Jackson reminded himself. Looking back towards the tall pine he could see his adversary making his way towards the ground. Jackson quickly ripped off the loose fitting shirt and the boots from the feet from the corpse below him. Quickly he sprang to his feet and made his way back into the forest he had run through hours before.

He wasn’t sure if he was being followed or not. He wasn’t looking back to find out either. As he neared the river once more something caught his attention. He could see a small billow of smoke rising about the trees on the other side. Were there was smoke there was fire.

The cool water burned at the fresh wounds covering his naked body. Now that much of the adrenaline had subsided he could feel the pain overtaking his body. He held the articles of clothing well above his head as he waded across the chest high waters of the rushing river. He also took the opportunity at this point to look back. Jackson was relieved to find out that he seemed to have lost his pursuer.

Reaching the far bank he took the opportunity to catch his breath. The sun was already beginning its downward arc to settle away for the night. The rough worn boots he had grabbed in haste fit surprisingly well. They were a welcomed addition to his aching feet. The top which had fit its former owner loosely was tight against his much larger frame. It also carried with it a horrid stench.

It was now time to investigate the smoke. Making his way along the river he soon came upon a small clearing. It was a camp alright. From what he could make of the situation they had just set down for the evening. He caught what seemed like the tempting aroma of food. His stomach roared angrily at disappointment he had not provided its desires.

Leaning forward to get a closer look the distracted young lad soon found himself making an impromptu entrance. After a short forward roll he quickly found himself back on his feet. Extending his arms wide and presenting a warm hearty smile he put his best foot forward. The blank imposing expressions did nothing to ease the already tense situation. He strained to keep the wide smile as he fought back the fear that was once again over taking him.

Tah Dah! He expressed in a somewhat musical tone hoping someone would crack a smile.

[Guest]

The camp fire, the scenery, the tone of their surroundings. It reminded Fredric about the civil war between the northern Riv'nar cities that broke out few years back. It was a war he did not participate in but it was a war he observed with his father, the king. Fredric decided to post-pone his weapon maintenance to gather fire wood for their camp fire. Zephyr would be back soon with the night's hunt and it would be rude not to have the fire built and waiting at that point.

Off into the woods Fredric went again, like before, to procure the materials necessary to keep their fire burning for hours. After a short period of time Fredric had returned with a bundle of wood under his left arm – the task took him no more than ten or fifteen minutes to complete. The pile was dumped near where he originally sat. It was Fredric that took the wood he found, small as the amount is, to help start the fire. Everyone needed to rest, some more than others, but Fredric was hungry. The paladin prince skipped breakfast and found himself lacking energy to do many other things if food was not placed inside his belly.

Another task was needed to build the fire: stones. Not just any sized stones but stones large enough to fit inside his hands. Those were always the ones perfect for making fire pits with. So the paladin left again but things time with one of his bags strapped to his horse. He wanted everyone else to relax while he got the camp fire built. It seemed as though in around ten minutes of procuring the fire pit stones, Fredric returned and placed them in a circle in the middle of their camp site. Time to create the fire now.

As the fire started to smoke lightly at first, Fredric was careful to feed it dry flammable materials a little at a time. It was a baby fire, just barely born and the creation had to be carefully tended to or it would not survive. Light blows on the tiny embers were given, to ween the small life off the careful and tender eye of the prince. In minutes time the fire was growing large enough that more wood would be needed in a short time.

It was coming apparent that whenever something needed to be done that the prince wanted done, it sounded more like an order than a request when he asked someone. Perhaps it was because he is indeed a prince or their group's supposed leader. There was not much the young prince could do about it nor did he think trying to force something that would just worsen the situation. A better approach might make him look more like the well-rounded leader he was taught to become.

“Would anyone care to help gather some fire wood with me?” A query to anyone that could hear him in the camp site or was even paying attention. It was not a request directed towards anyone but an invitation for others to help out if they decided to.

It was no big mystery that they would require a lot of fire wood for the rest of the afternoon and evening hours. Day light hours were beginning to escape them and it seemed like more time had pasted by them than he originally thought. It was this realization that made his stomach grumble loudly and very unbecoming of a prince or future king. Fredric's typical reaction was to place a hand over his stomach in a pointless effort to muffle the sound.

Silence crept over the camp as Fredric's question loomed over it in the air. Either they were going to decline the offer or ignore him. Although Magus' words of Fredric's condition were not heard by the prince, it was something he had realized he should avoid. It was within his belief that a leader's military strength is as strong as his physical condition. He failed to uphold that basic rule and it could have cost all of them greatly.

Fredric's attention immediately came to the oddly clothed man and with abnormally shaped physical features. Large nose, bigger than average ears, tiny eyes, and that strangely skinny tall stature. It was hard to decide whether the gods were cruel in his creation or drunk with amusement of the idea to bring a man into this world with such an odd appearance.

Eying the man's choice of clothing kept the paladin distracted long enough to let the awkward silence creep upon him from the darkness of his mind. It was unclear if the man was from Riv'nar or some kind of spy sent by Soryin to throw them off course. Fredric had no patience for such games and his fatigue would not allow none either. So his right hand moved to its respective sheathed sword, along the back, as he stares at the man.

“Speak and before you do, wield them correctly or never wield any again!” Chances led to mistakes. Mistakes could get everyone killed and it was something Fredric was learning quickly. The threat was real and a light glow was coming from the hilt of his weapon as he stares at the almost completely naked man.

Everyone else in the camp seemed to either be at a loss of what to say or found their camp's intruder rather comical. It came slowly but Fredric conduced that if the stranger were an enemy it seemed more likely that the person would have attacked them during the night rather than so openly. However, little was known about Soryin and how he waged battle through others. Fact still remained to Fredric that this bizarrely facial featured, tall, skinny, half naked man could be a spy for Soryin. Anything is possible with a psychic warlock with demons at his beck and call. Tense situation indeed for all of them.

[Gadreille]

"Thank you," Amelia said to Raine, who had offered to share her bedroll. She was grateful for having come across a group of people so willing to help her in her dire situation. Adding to the kindness, Darke came up to her and deposited a bedroll, most likely a spare one he had. He said nothing, just gave her a nod and walked away, and she returned the gesture. They were all tired, and embellished formalities weren't needed. Food, however, was needed. The shaman had gone to get meat for them, but she didn't have to wait. She pulled out some of her more basic spices, and a couple of dried roots she had gathered. She used her dagger to chop up the roots, using a rather flat iron bowl with a short handle on the side to hold the finished product. She held it over the beginnings of a fire that the Prince had built, using her cloak to cover her hand and keep it from burning. The smell of the spices filled the campsite, and though there was no meat to put it on, it was enough to make even her stomach grumble. The roots could be eaten alone, but they were far better when stuffed into or slathered on a rabbit or deer. Since whatever animal was likely to be roasted, cooking the roots on the side was her best option.

The prince asked if anyone would help him collect firewood, and she felt guilty that she could not yet help. If only she had not been so ambitious with her cooking, she might not have been stuck sitting over the fire when extra pair of hands were obviously needed. Just when she thought she might have to just give up on her half cooked vegetables and help him, just to break the awkward silence, it was broken for her by a stranger rolling into the camp, and a strange looking one at that. He jumped up from his roll, with a loud ‘Ta-da’ and a smile, wearing nothing but boots and a small shirt. She tried not to let her eyes drift downward as she stared at the half naked new comer, whose smile had disappeared after the Prince's harsh interrogation.

Even before anything was said, the Prince had already backed off, upon the realization that this man was definitely not going to harm anybody. Even she, having little combat skills, could fend herself against the man. She felt embarrassed for him as they all just stared at him, offering no words of encouragement, or invitation. Finally, she gave up on her cooking and set the pan on the ground near the fire, and stood up. As she walked over to the man, she unclasped her cloak and held it out to him. She felt bad that she had nothing else to offer, but even if she had spare clothes, they wouldn’t fit him. Though with what he was wearing so far, she wondered if he wouldn’t mind wearing women’s clothes.

She tactfully averted her eyes as she offered the cloak to him. Her eyes found the Prince, who was standing next to her, and they exchanged questioning glances. She wasn’t sure if she should have made any contact with the new man, but she was sure that everyone in the camp would agree that he needed to be covered up, regardless.

[Alphariusthemad]

Before Magus could think of words, Erik was dodging a pine cone, and the situation descended out of his control; somehow, the gangly guy managed to land on a goblin and start wrestling, all before he could even try to pacify Riv'nar's new allies. He left Erik and returned to his body; the bat decided to keep an eye on Jackson, as nothing else interesting had shown up in its scouting run. As his glazed eyes suddenly began looking around, his first sensation was the smell of cooking and the sight of a gryphon in the air. It could only be Kalus flying, and likely as much for fun as for practical reasons, and why not? Himself, Magus was not so wont to take recreation time while nominally at work, but he got his rush from the same source as his payment.

With his attention span returned, he finally spurred Sunny on to the new camp, where Raine and Amelia were already setting up a tent or two. He overheard Raine mentioning her lack of a spare bedroll; he didn't have one either, so unfortunately, he was unable to assist. Then...
Master, the gangly guy's killed a goblin!
Let's see the goblins spare him now...
Provided that the goblins are reasonable, he can owe me the blood-gold. For the rest of his life.
Even funnier! I underestimated you.
He's coming now Master! Watch out!

In came the oddly featured man, into the camp, with naught but a poorly fitting shirt and worn goblin boots, with a great "TA-DA!" as if to mask his fear. There was still no knowing what he was, but Soryin surely had better means of spying than oversized comedians. While the Prince raged at him, threatening death if he so much as said the wrong words, Magus put a hand over his mouth and chin, in what he hoped looked like a thoughtful gesture; it served in fact to cover the grin on his face at the sight.
"Prince, I doubt that the mere threat of death would loosen the lips of Soryin's servants. Also, there's a spare robe in here somewhere..." He took the hand from his mouth as the grin faded, and opened a saddlebag, then took out another black vestment like the one he wore. It was pretty loose, and hung low on him, so it would certainly cover up Jackson's manhood.

[Klikxx]

“Speak and before you do, wield them correctly or never wield any again!”


He did feel comfortable to be greeted by the tip of a sword. The blade glowed lightly, before him stood a man of power to wield such magic. A man of power yes, but he was definitely wound too tight. True, he was an intruder but he had come before him half naked and open handed. What could he possibly be hiding?

The tall, odd looking, red head stood motionless as he began to formulate just what words to expel. The words were not coming easily on this day. He could feel his knees begin to knock together under the stress of the situation. It wasn’t until a slender reddish-brown haired girl offered him a cloak did he relax enough to speak.

“Thank you” He said humbly accepting the gift with a short bow.

Jackson folded the small cloak in half and held it in front of him. Where to begin, he thought as he turned his attention back to the man with the sword. Still, the man at arms did not smile but his guard seemed a little lower. Once again Jackson’s tongue became thick and heavy. He was a performer and he had run into tough audiences like this before. So why the problem now?

“Allow me to introduce myself” He began “My name is Jax, Jumpin’ Jax, as people like to call me.”

It was a somewhat inauspicious beginning but it was familiar and helped calm the nerves. Usually he would have something to occupy his hands by now while he spoke. Today he simply held them firmly in front of himself covering his package. A short courteous bow and he was ready to begin.

My day in a nutshell. Beaten, stripped of my clothing and possessions I was left carried off by two thugs under the bidding of their ruthless leader for a misunderstanding over a pipe, left for dead in the middle of nowhere naked and alone to die a horrible at the hand of who knew what, after hours of wandering lost in the wilderness tired and hungry I stumbled upon the who knew whats in the form of goblins, they were seemingly unhappy I was walking away with their catch of the day and chased me until I was ready to drop, not willing to fall victim to such a fate I climbed a tree to weigh my options and imagine my surprise when I found out that the foul little creature could in fact climb, up I went and up the followed the options looked bleak, the looked even bleaker when a talking bat started referring to Master trying to convince them not to kill me, afraid even further I climbed out on a limb only to have it snap and come crashing to the ground along with a goblin I met on the way down, swiping his boots and shirt ass he appeared not to be in need the items as much as I was I hurried off upriver to where I came upon your camp, still hungry and mesmerized by the wonderful smell I tumbled in and Ta-da! I find myself standing on the opposite end of this pointy sword.”

Jackson took a deep inhale to refill his lungs. Reaching out slowly he gingerly touched the tip of the sword before retracting his hand quickly. It was in deed as sharp as he had imagined. All the while he was rambling a dark cloaked figure took in the proceedings. He kept his hand cupped over his mouth and chin the whole time Jackson spoke.

"Prince, I doubt that the mere threat of death would loosen the lips of Soryin's servants. Also, there's a spare robe in here somewhere..."

“PRINCE?” Jackson exclaimed in surprise feeling it was appropriate for a much deeper bow.

“I can assure you your majesty it’s not what you think.’ He said without exiting the curtious stoop as he began to connect the dots in his mind.

"Soryin’s servant? Is that what this was all about?”

[Guest]

Jax's introduction was brief and the man's day long story was wrapped full of bad luck. A grip extinguished from the sword and arm rested along his side. It was Magus that placed a grin on his face with him revealing who he is to the strange tall man. Fredric nodded to the man as he gave his smirking gesture of amusement.

“So you find it alright to call one of Riv'nar's leaders ruthless? I'm not sure if my father would approve of such reckless words being spoken.” Fredric proclaimed without any notion of actually punishing the man for that. However, it was the fact he was a thief and had stolen from the king, which it sounded like, and from some goblins.

Jax's questioning about Soryin did not surprise the prince nor did it seem to surprise anyone in the camp. That warlock operated very mysteriously and it seemed as though much of Riv'nar was not aware of how dangerous the warlock is nor do they realize the demon caster is even in Riv'nar. So many lives have been destroyed by Soryin and it was no big secret that strange disappearings have been increasing over the last couple weeks. To practice the demon magic Soryin possesses requires fresh humanoid sacrifices to the lord of all demons, whose name is not known to anyone other than spellcasters like Soryin.

“Yes, with us being so close to Soryin's castle we cannot be sure if any we meet are loyal to Riv'nar or to that evil warlock. We are not sure how he operates nor do we have time to investigate such matters. Our task is to destroy him.” Fredric answered in a firm commanding tone with confidence that their mission would be a full success.

Fredric moved onto more immediate matters that were caught by his attention. “I'm sure you know the crime for theft in his kingdom.” Fredric said shortly after his brief pause. “If it truly is not what I think it is, then please explain why you stole and my blade of retribution will not find it dirty from bringing swift justice to an agent of crime.” Fredric said while crossing his arms at the chest and waiting patiently as he could for being exhausted. It was never a good sign from a leader to show impatience.

As time passed, Zephyr was stomping back to camp through the forest, deer on shoulder and vouge in other hand. As the large Vindy looked at the oddly figured man and then back at Fredric, no words were given to the situation. All Zephyr did was work on the deer in getting it ready to be ate by everyone in the camp. One more mouth to feed would not matter as there was plenty to go around anyways. Silence seemed to loom over the camp site in the chance to hear Jax explain himself and his thieving ways.

Clouds were beginning to darken and thunder was rumbling from the distance. Rain would be upon them within several hours. Fredric knelled down to feed the fire more wood to give Jax more time to explain himself to everyone. There was little reason to steal from others in Riv'nar because of how the kingdom's economy was on the rise. Perhaps there were underlining reasons for the crimes he has committed but whatever the reasons were, Fredric would find a solution to the problem.

After Jax's explanation, Fredric simply looked at him briefly again from his crouched position next to the camp fire. It was a task in and by itself to put the words together In order to make the man more useful than harmful to them and their cause. What use could they use a thief for? An oddly figured and tall thief at that.

“What is your profession Jax?” A simple question that Fredric decided was best calculated to help probe for the information he needs. A question that would reveal potential other questions from the answers he would get.

Fredric proceeded to feed the fire a couple more pieces of wood before the pile he had originally collected was getting low. More wood would be needed if a storm was to come. Rain water generally made everything very cold and dark, making combat near impossible to perform. Perhaps it would be a mere thunder storm instead of the full menu of what makes a rain storm into a rain storm. Nevertheless, it meant someone would be sleeping on the forest floor tonight as there was no spare tent for Jax to use. No one had planned on their group growing in size by two people and as a result it meant someone was going without a tent.

[Denyala]

The smells of Amelia’s spices were tempting, but Raine remained quiet and stayed far away. She seemed to have a black hand when it came to food; spices turned bitter, food charred black, and tender morsels became like pebbles. It made her miss her father, a kind and strong; he had not looked down on Raine for her inability to do something that all women seemed able to do. Instead he merely told her that the gods had given her many gifts, and it would make Raine far too blessed to receive that talent as well. The girl knew that her father was only trying to make her feel better after another failed attempt at some sort of cooking attempt, but she was thankful for the kind words none the less. Since her mother passed, it was up to her father to be both strong and kind. He’d risen to the occasion remarkably.

The prince was requesting firewood. Well, now that was something she couldn’t mess up. Plus, she spent so much time in the trees she had a sneaky suspicion that her talent would be needed. Wood that remained on the ground too long could be rotted or too wet to use for a proper fire. Some small limbs from the tender tops of the trees made for good starting wood. Well, sometimes. Picking good firewood was a feat all in itself.

Standing to go perform the task, Raine opened her mouth to tell the camp when she came face to face with… well… a naked man. Giving out a startled cry of dismay, Raine’s face instantly became red and she flung herself around, covering her eyes. Raine was not a child, but in the ways of men she was still far too innocent for her age. Stumbling back to the fire with her eyes shut, it was a wonder she didn’t catch herself on fire.
Amelia, quick thinking like always, offered up her cloak and Raine was able to at least open her eyes again. The young man introduced himself with flare and more than a little tweaking of the facts of his stories Raine thought. He had a way with theatrics, that was sure. Jax. What an odd name.

Again the firewood was posing a problem according to the prince.
“Let me fix the firewood problem,” Raine said, hurrying towards the trees, “I hate sitting around camp feeling useless.” The woman didn’t say she wouldn’t accept help by any means, but she also seemed to make it clear that she wouldn’t fail in this simple, but very important task.
Besides, she wanted everyone to interrogate the newcomer while she wasn’t there. That sort of thing was always best left to other people. Raine was too trusting and was best not left up to that sort of task.

[Kalon Ordona II]

"Shiny-man missed fun fight, hurr! We fish, baby-man take fish, baby-man kill Glog," the goblin pointed to the fire, or rather the greenish-golden-brown shape of meat on top of the fire, which was presumably Glog, "and then I chase baby-man into go cry in woods." Brilig, the live goblin who had greeted Kalus, seemed very proud of himself. "Hurr, hurr, hurr."

"Right then, uh... good job. I see that you're, eh... well supplied for the day, er, night, so... I'll just be run--er--flying along now... then." Kalus wondered if he should go try to look for whoever had escaped from the goblins. Then again, if the person managed to kill one of them, they'd probably be fine. Kalus decided he might as well resume his flight, and he did. The odd encounter soon faded from his mind, along with the rest of his cares.

Kalus and his gryphon enjoyed the sky for a long while. Eventually, however, stormclouds appeared on the horizon. It was about time to get back to camp anyway, so Kalus cut the frolic short. Not, though, that he was in a hurry to return. They glided and weaved gently this way and that, gradually covering the distance back in the direction of the camp. When camp drew near, Kalus nudged Aron into that same long, shallow spiral they had used to land at Brilig's spot. Once, twice, three times round the wide circle of trees before dipping below the canopy, then making a shallow dive toward the rocks below, pulling up with much beating of wings, and settling to the ground in a soft, easy landing.

Kalus slid off and petted Aron's face, taking a moment to smooth the feathers on his neck. The first think Kalus noticed when he entered the camp was the new fellow sitting near the fire, jabbering away in what at first sounded like nonsense. He was wearing a very small, very dirty shirt, with boots to match, and a folded cloak about his midsection. Kalus couldn't even imagine how he'd managed to be garbed thus, so his brain just skipped over that bit for the time being. Kalus walked up to the fire. "Well hello there; what's your story?" he asked.

Several members of the group gasped or put their hands out as if to retroactively stop Kalus from asking that in particular. Though of course it was too late. The fellow's face had brightened like a child who is told they can eat as many sweets as they like. Kalus didn't know what he was in for, but he had a feeling it would involve a good deal of regret on his part later on.

[Guest]

Darke was lost in thought, idly cleaning his weapons, when the man burst into the campground, standing up from a roll and shouting out "Ta da!" with his arms raised in the air. Immediately regaining his composure, Darke stood and held his sword out in front of him, moving closer to the prince. Though the man, barely even dressed as it was, probably posed no threat to the prince or the rest of the group, Darke had learned not to take chances. Fredric was obviously thinking along the same lines as he pulled free his own sword and pointed it toward the man, issuing an ultimatum. While the man blurted out a long story, Darke took the moment to study him.

With a mess of red hair, a very unfortunate face, a shirt several sizes too small for him and a pair of boots as his only clothing, as well as several deep scratches along his body, Darke was inclined to believe that perhaps this man, Jax he had said, was more in danger himself than he was a danger to the group. Halfway through the story, Darke had lowered his sword. Though he did begin to doubt the man's intelligence when he reached out to actually touch the point of Fredric's sword.

As Jax realized the precarious position he was in, realizing that Fredric was the prince and that he had offended the king through thievery, he dropped into a deep bow, holding a cloak around his midsection that Amelia had brought to him during his story. Another short explanation later, Jax and Fredric were sitting around the slowly dying fire.

“Let me fix the firewood problem,” Raine said, hurrying towards the trees, “I hate sitting around camp feeling useless.” Darke watched as she hurried away, her face beating red. Zephy was still gone, and if he didn't show up soon, he would probably accompany Raine. It seemed to Darke that something strange was going on. How in the world did they end up crossing paths with this strange man? If even half of his story was true, then it seemed almost as if he was meant to accompany him, as if fate herself had thrown him at their feet. Darke wasn't comforted by that idea.

Jax continued chatting away in response to Fredric's question concerning his profession. The rest of the group had drifted away, already tiring of the man's antics and showy performance. Darke looked up as a shadow appeared overhead. Kalus had returned. His gryphon slowly circled the camp before setting down near the edge. Kalus dismounted and walked toward Fredric and Jax, eying the stranger the entire way. Jax and Fredric looked up at Kalus as he reached them.

"Well hello there; what's your story?" Kalus asked. Darke smiled as Amelia held out her hand to stop Kalus just as the question left his mouth. Jax beamed a large grinned and took in a deep breathe of air, obviously preparing to retell his grand story with plenty of new embellishments concerning his heroics with the goblins. Darke shook his head. He had had enough of the man for now. Wondering if Raine needed help with the firewood, or if Zephyr needed help with catching their dinner, Darke followed Raine's footsteps into the woods.

[Klikxx]

Even while Jackson contemplated how he would answer the Prince’s pointed question regarding the King he was hit by a similar blow.

“I'm sure you know the crime for theft in his kingdom.” Fredric said shortly after his brief pause. “If it truly is not what I think it is, then please explain why you stole and my blade of retribution will not find it dirty from bringing swift justice to an agent of crime.”

Here we go again Jackson thought to himself, once again finding himself on the wrong end of the sword. He was well aware of the consequences for theft in the kingdom. He was to witness the effects first hand himself had he not escaped. Still there was only so much the young Prince could know of his situation, right? With that in mind the skilled story-teller began.

You seem to be reading much into my words my young prince. For I only spoke of a misunderstanding over a pipe. It seems sometimes things go missing and I have no recollection of the hows or whys and .Whether or not your father would approve of calling a brigand ruler if he were to set eyes upon one as ruthless or not I cannot say.”

Jax was walking a fine line here. The young prince was already skeptical of his original story. If he was to assume I was calling his father a brigand there would be hell to pay. Still, the young lad warranted this approach to the alternative of telling the truth. He could not figure just where he stood at the moment.

”Now the fish, that I will admit to pilfering. Not that it was right mind you but I can assure you despite your moral purity you too would find yourself walking away with someone else’s bounty listening to your stomach not your heart.

Once again he did not express himself with choice words. Instead he tried to turn the table around and put the Prince into his shoes. He could see the impatience grow upon the young leader’s face. Things were not going well at this point. The Price seemed to ease his position slightly as he released another question.

“What is your profession Jax?”

“I’m an acrobat by trade. Thespian by nature”. He began.

His explanation was cut short distracted by the landing of a Gryphon knight. He had heard stories of such warriors but had never encountered one himself. Jackson stood somewhat mesmerized as the warrior gracefully slid off the magnificent beast stroking the feathers on its neck. It was at that moment the man suddenly took notice of him. He could tell by the look in his eye.

"Well hello there; what's your story?" he asked.

“My day in a nutshell. Beaten, stripped of my clothing and possessions I was left carried off by two thugs under the bidding of their ruthless leader for a misunderstanding over a pipe, left for dead in the middle of nowhere naked and alone…….”



It was then everyone in the camp seemed to scramble. A young embarrassed girl could be seen darting off into the wood to fetch fire wood just to escape. The Prince’s guard following quickly behind shaking his head in disapproval that the whole thing was about to start all over again. Several members of the group gasped or put their hands out as if to retroactively stop the young knights from asking that particular question.


It was in deed too late. With a deep breath Jackson began to recant the day’s events His face glowed as he told the story not wavering in details from his first rendition. The gryphon knight may have just bee the best thing that had happened to him today. Even the Prince showed little enthusiasm over listening to the grand story once again.

Jackson took the opportunity to change while he spoke. Stripping of the wet gobbo rag he slipped into the smooth black robe that was handed to him. He didn’t miss a beat while he spoke. He swung the cloak over his shoulder as he was finishing up his tale.

”……I came upon your camp, still hungry and mesmerized by the wonderful smell I tumbled in and Ta-da! I find myself standing on the opposite end of this pointy sword.”

By the time he had finished most had totally lost interest. Perhaps he would get through this after all. One thing was for certain he was definitely hungry. The sweet aroma coming from the fire pit spoke volumes to him. Grabbing his rumbling stomach he turned to the knight and quiried.

“Perhaps I can hear of some of your adventures over a hot meal?”

[Kalon Ordona II]

Kalus listened intently to Jax's recounting of the day's events thus far. At one point in the story, it occurred to the gryphon knight that this was the person who had killed that one goblin... Glog... and who Brilig chased into the woods. An absurd smile took over Kalus's face as Jax's tale drew to a close. Against all odds, Kalus was beginning to like this hotheaded fellow.

By this time most everyone in the camp was long gone, but Kalus had sat down near the fire, not quite opposite Jax, to listen. Food was being cooked on the fire, beginning to give off a delicious aroma. Jax's stomach rumbled, but instead of asking for food (it wasn't ready anyway), he turned back to Kalus with a query. "Perhaps I can hear some of your adventures over a hot meal?"

Kalus perked up. He certainly had plenty of stories to share. It had been a while since someone had asked him for one as most did of gryphon knights, whenever they had the chance--Gryphon knights were often busy doing what gryphon knights did, or else flying. "Well, since you asked..." Kalus said through his smile, "there was this one time, on the borders of Heathsborough--which is a small county on Schaeiria, one of the Crystal Islands--a flock of maeiraketes... well, I really should start at the beginning."

Kalus inched closer to Jax, to better tell the tale. "It was just over six years ago... seven of us went to the Crystal Islands to investigate changes in the fishing around Schaeiria and Pharylica. The two northeasternmost isles, you know. They petitioned the king of Riv'nar for help, since we gryphon knights were known to them. Anyway the order was given and we flew out there. What was happening, see, was the fish weren't at all doing what they should. Sometimes there would be hardly any fish in a spot where there usually were, or the schools would be in a completely different area, where they had never been before. The townsfolk all said something must be happening in the water that nobody could discover, which is why they called us. (Gryphons know about fish, you see.) It turned out, maeiraketes were the problem. See, a whole flock of them had settled just off the coast of Schaeiria and were eating or scaring away all the fish and disrupting the normal cycles. They can swim and fly, you know, maeiraketes. They're blue, and they look something like fish and something like dragons, except... here, you have to get this picture in your head. They've got this long neck and tail, and the wings......" Kalus proceeded to draw a picture in the soil.

"......almost exactly like that: big wings, you know?" Kalus articulated 'big' by gesturing with both arms. "They've no legs at all, but those teeth are something else. You'd really have to see it for yourself, though." The drawing didn't quite do it justice. It was hard to do teeth with a stick in the dirt. "So here they come, before we know it-- er, wait, before that was the townspeople. The seven of us landed at Finsport--which is a play on words, you know, because they actually play sports with overgrown quicktrout and swordfish--anyway that's in Schaeiria, so we stayed at a slow inn where there was plenty of room, and for the next few days we flew around getting information, but all that's not really important.

"The main thing is we didn't know it was a bunch of maeiraketes until they pop up at us out of the water as we go flying over there to investigate where people were saying the fishing was all messed up." With one hand, Kalus vaguely mimed popping up out of the sea. "So there it was, mystery solved, but now we've got real trouble with the blue beasts coming straight at us, dripping wet and roaring like... something between a, well, a goblin--their battle cries--a goblin and... a whippoorwill. Yes, that's almost exactly what it's like." Kalus did his best to imitate the sound and failed marvelously. "Something like that, only more high-pitched. It's the sort of sound that sets your teeth on edge. Anyway here they come, shooting out of the water right at us, faster than you'd think a thing could fly upwards. We and our gryphons knew what we were about, though. Aron and I went immediately into a rolling dive, and then..........."

[Guest]

Fredric surrendered in questioning Jax. There was not much point as the man was more irritating than actually useful. At least the man could tend to their horses, look after supplies, and clean their weapons, maybe. Naturally they did not have many possessions with them so it was not like the thieving acrobat could get away with their stuff. It was not like the group had much of value to steal anyways, probably just their weapons though.

Right as Kalus paused in telling his story, Zephyr stomped back into the camp with a deer over the left shoulder and spear in the right hand. Zephyr stopped for a moment as the large Vindy stared at Jax in confusion while dropping the deer corpse to the dirt camp site floor. His expression simply read 'Do not talk to me.' and it caught Fredric's attention with a slight chuckle. Zephyr went ahead and started gutting, skinning, and preparing the deer to be cooked.

Fredric drew his other sword and handed one to Jax. “I see no reason to bring justice to someone that has committed no crime in front of me. It is not my place to judge a man that tries to survive in the world. However, please keep those fingers under control or las they be no longer a part of your hand.” Fredric said while Kalus had paused and then quickly added. “Clean my weapons, take care of our horses, look after our belongings and I'll talk to my father about what happened to you.” Fredric did not care much for thieves, but there was probably an under lining reason for what had happened to the man. The story about the pipe confused the prince and it was not something he would probe answers of. Jax was irritated them enough already.

The prince went to help Zephyr gut and clean the deer as Kalus and Jax shared a story together. “Do not ask my Vindy friend. Also, be for warned he probably has never seen one of you before.” The prince said as he extracted some organs from the deer's insides while Zephyr cut the head off slowly and then roll it out of their way. It was a messy process and the prince did not care about getting dirty. They had stopped just past a river bank to setup camp. They were no more than a three or four hours away from Castle Dovin and Soryin, the evil warlock himself. Although danger was looming so closely to them, Jax seemed to stir a more entertaining atmosphere in the camp. Things were so dull and boring with the tension of battle creeping after each minute. Probably a good moral boost for everyone.

Fredric stood from the dead deer, completely gutted and cleaned after ten minutes of cooperative work with the Vindy battle shaman, and walked to his horse. A white towel was taken from a saddle bag and there he stood wiping the blood off his hands with the towel. Although not all of it wiped off, both Fredric and Zephyr had exited the camp to go to the river and clean up. It was rude to eat with bloodied hands and it was unbecoming of a Riv'nar prince to eat like a dirty uncivilized savage.

So the paladin and shaman did not exchange words at the river, none were needed. Warriors did not often share their more personal feelings with one another nor did they express them very openly either. Zephyr was often silent of many things and kept to himself for the most part. Fredric, being a human, was more social and hostile about questioning situations. So the two of them returned to the camp in as much silence as they left.

Sitting down at his spot at the dying camp fire, Fredric drew his other sword and began cleaning and sharpening it. There was little to do but maintenance on his weapons and armor. Darke and the prince could cook the food if necessary, so could Zephyr. All were trained to survive off the land, to eat things that were other wise destructive to consume under normal circumstances. Although hunger was well set in everyone's stomach, Fredric's fatigue and crankiness was becoming unrested. He just wanted to be back home and the world at peace. He did not want to save the world nor did he care about any land but his home land and her people.

[Kalon Ordona II]

Jax tried not to pout in an overly conspicuous fashion as he was roped into doing all the camp's grunt-work. Having the prince intercede for him to the king was nice, but it might as well have been an empty promise. Jax intended never to go near the palace ever again ...except at greatest need.... Hm? What was I? Oh, right: Never ever again.

The gryphon knight had resumed his story after Jax was handed the weapons to clean. Jax's hands were used to working without him looking, so it was no trouble to polish the blade and listen to the gryphon knight's story. The man was a horrible storyteller, but the story was riveting regardless, and it was just getting even more so. The descriptions of the aerial battle were obviously pulled from extensive first-hand experience. The amateur telling pointed to a true account, but could his story really all be true, devoid of embellishment? If so, then it wasn't a story at all... yet... and it must be made into one. By me! Jax began to think of all the ways he would improve the account in his retelling.

"......and the neck comes straight across the saddle, and me just barely hanging on, trying to dodge. Of course this was a rare opportune moment, so I heaved myself up and, slice!, deep into its throat. Blood sprays everywhere--splattered my armor beautifully, so much that the others were jealous." Kalus chuckled at the memory. "Anyway, the blue beast tries to roar, but it comes out low and gurgly, falling the whole time. Aron and I don't let him get away, though." He held up a finger. "Sometimes you can't at first tell for sure when your opponent is finished, so it's always wise to land a second strike, if you can. And we can; and we did. We dive straight down at the maeirakete, gaining fast because the beast's wings are dragging against the air. Aron lines me up perfect and I make a clean hack at the base of his jaw. Hyaa! Sword goes clean through, head cut right off."

Kalus paused for emphasis and nodded several times to himself, recalling the feeling. "After that, of course I have Aron pull out of the dive and back up to rejoin the fight, only to see that the last three maeiraketes are winging away--back to where they came from, I guess. We don't bother to go after them; it's not like they're horrible monsters: ever creature has its place. But we did it: problem solved, crisis averted, livelihood secured."

When Kalus didn't say any more, Jax looked up. He hadn't expected the story to end there. "And then?"
"Hm? 'Then,' what?"
"What happened after that?"
"Nothing very interesting, really, just the usual. You know: mission accomplished, back to the towns-folk, back to the inn, back home to Riv'nar, back to our eyries."
"But you said your fellow knights were jealous about the blood on your armor."
"Oh, that. That was over at the inn when we came back. We always compare notes and discuss how everyone fared in the battle."
"Is it important?"
"Comparing experiences of a particular battle? Of course, very much so. Why, withou--"
"No no, I mean the blood thing."
"Oh. Well, I suppose it's not so very important. It's just sort of a way to keep score, I guess. You can tell if someone tried to cheat and smear blood on themselves, so getting a lot of blood means you've seen a lot of action, played a major part in the fight. Of course it's mostly all in fun, because it's possible to play a major role and not get any blood on you--especially in aerial fights."
"I see... Well, Mr. Knight, that was one of the best stories I've heard in a long time!"
"Oh, er--" Kalus only now realized he'd never introduced himself, though Jax has mentioned his own name earlier. "Kalus is my name. Kalus Koune, son of Calanon the Golden."
"Kalus, then?" asked Jax, to which the knight nodded. "I'd just like to say, Kalus, that you really must improve your storytelling. So much more could be gleaned from such experiences! Why, it boggles the mind that such an adventure could be retold in so bland a fashion!" Jax afforded a dramatic pose.
"Oh... I never really thought about it like that. ...Is it truly... bland?" Kalus didn't think his story was bland at all.
"Well, you do tell the action bits rather well.... But the rest of it was lifeless. Not the story itself, mind you. Just the telling."
"Oh, I see. ...Hm." This was a fairly serious matter to the gryphon knight. After all, what was the point of having adventures if nobody ever heard about it? And what was the use of telling people about it if you didn't tell it proper? "Jax, my young fellow, I think the two of us are going to be great friends."

[Guest]

Fredric listened closely to Kalus and Jax talk. His gryphon knight seemed to show some kindness towards the acrobat. It might give the talkative man the chance to clear himself with the king or at least be granted a pardon for whatever crimes he had committed recently. Tired and weary with problems, the prince stood and went to his tent. A few moments of rest would benefit him greatly if their leader was to bring them through their mission alive. Amelia proved to be of use and Jax had an interesting assortment of talents as well. Their group had officially increased by one more person. A group filled with the rich array of skills and talents between the eight of them. Future is never certain for anyone and it certainly is more mysterious for each of them now.

Inside the prince's tent, he stripped the armor and remaining weapons from his upper body to rest comfortably, back to the ground, and closed his eyes. Darke or Kalus would wake him once his meal was cooked so there was little to worry about in missing the grand meal about to be prepared for them and it would taste much savory than breakfast had. As the prince fell drifted to sleep, only the quiet fluttering sound of chatter entered his tent to him. Jax? Maybe Kalus? Probably the two are still chit chatting about the story. It mattered not to the prince but it seemed as though his gryphon knight had found someone to carry conversations with as he relaxes.

Drifted to sleep completely now, the prince entered a world similar to the one before that robbed him of sleep. An illusion perhaps? No, this was appeared more like a magic induce dream. It was not gray and fuzzy, like dreams normally are. No, it was clear and crisp with bold, smooth colors. In the distance was a woman, dressed in a black dress, blond hair draping down her back and flowing with the breeze that swept through the area, and a black veil over her face. Instantly the landscape seemed to change as he took one step closer to the woman. As Fredric approached her, she raised a hand to her mouth and giggled.

Fredric stood in front of her, yet not in the same donned armor or weaponry as he currently has. No, his armor was heavy and thick of black steel. He could feel the weight of a tower shield and sword on his back, but for some reason felt it did not hinder movement at all – as though it was light enough for him to sprint. As the two stood in the castle courtyard, the woman pressed her body against his armored figure and wrapped both arms around him.

Looking up at Fredric, the woman spoke sweetly but very affectionately. “My king, you have returned! I'm glad you are safe!” King? It definitely was a dream. Fredric did not know why the dream was being played out like it was a future scene in life. Was this moment in history going to happen or was it a possible future that he was experiencing?

A response was necessary to continue this magic induced dream state. “Aye, I have returned. How have you been?” The deepness of his voice alarmed him of how far into the future he was. He sounded old, old enough to be in his late thirties or early forties. Mysterious indeed this dream of his is and the source of where it was being induced from was something he was pondering about himself. The woman seemed to react as though she was his wife, his queen. “How have the affairs of my kingdom been for my queen?” It was a probing question to the dream state he was in. Perhaps this was the future or something someone wants him to see.

The woman pushed away slightly and continued to look up into Fredric's sharp blue eyes before replying. “My lord, everything is going as planned. Expansion is growing, the people are happy, and the lands are maturing fast.” She pressed her body against Fredric's armored body once more and then embraced by Fredric's arms. It was too obvious of a sign that this world is fake and not real.

Minutes passed as the two held one another but the landscape and woman turned a gray fuzzy blur. A man appeared in front of him. It was not just any man, a man dressed in a brown cloak that had white feathers tied to the edges of it. He had white long hair, pointy ears, and green eyes. The man opened his mouth and spoke. “What you have seen before you is a scene cut out of a possible future. A future you can change for a better future to your lands and people. This scene you saw does have illusion to it. An illusion fabricated through ignorance of how that future is forged.” The man walked closer, circling Fredric as he eyes him from head to toe.

A judgment seemed to be placed upon the prince about choices he was not aware of quiet yet but this stranger, this pointy eared man seemed to know a lot about it. “You doubt my words mortal?” A nod was given as a response from Fredric. “You have already made the core decision that would cause the ripple in your life. To cause a discard of your Paladin half to your darker half, a half that will tear this these lands and this world to sunder.” Fredric looked confused, confused enough to want to ask the question of what he meant. However, even the stranger had predicted this and immediately spoke to prevent interruptions. “There is another future for you though. One that will not bring you to self-destruction. No, one that will unite your people, make them stronger. One that will not cause your Riv'nar kingdom to grow into an empire that stretches over the vast seas.” The gravity of the words weighed down heavily in Fredric's mind. If the words were understood correctly, Fredric had turned into a tyrant warlord by seeking power. The very power he was trying to obtain in order to protect Riv'nar from the exact evil this future scene had revealed. Yet, why had he not felt evil?

A response was necessary. “I understand not of the entirety of your words but I understand the point in which they addressed.” Fredric paused to see if the pointy eared man would say anything. No words were said. “I wish to protect my people. At my present strength I cannot succeed in this. Even with help I might not succeed. To ensure that I accomplish my quest in destroying the Titans, I must obtain power by any means. Power that I will use to destroy them, protect my people with, and bring peace to my kingdom. I desire not these other things you speak of. What proof do you have of my evil deeds?” Fredric proclaimed that this evidence was superficial and conjured illusions made by a trickster.

The only response that the stranger made was a nod. With this nod everything turned white and wavy. Fredric's armor and weapons remained the same during this transition between dream state scenes. He looked at where he thought the ground was and saw the landscape wash into detailed color. It was a forest or maybe a swamp? In the distance a battle could be heard and as Fredric moved closer to witness the battle he saw himself, battling someone he knew: Zephyr. The exchange of attacks was amazing and the magic being deployed on the Vindy was amazingly flashy with an assortment of green coloring. Even in Zephyr's transformed Vindy state, the mighty shaman was no match. Quickly after a couple clean and decisive slashes to the shaman's body, the warrior fell to the ground lifeless – blood soaking the ground beneath the corpse. As Fredric witnessed the Vindy transforming back into his humanoid self, but naked, the dream state Fredric reached down to the corpse and picked up a small object: a Power Orb. Soon after the prize of battle was claimed, Fredric witnessed himself laugh menacingly through the bloodlust.

Once again, the scene went dark and fuzzy with the stranger reappearing in front of him. “In this future scene, your lust for power had driven you mad with your power. It was at this point you claimed your fifth Power Orb. They drove you towards the edge of a deep precipice that nothing but complete self-destruction could solve.” Fredric looked at the ground is disgust of himself. These things could not be real but deep inside he felt that truth lingered around what he was seeing and heard. “Prince Fredric, the queen you saw in the first scene is a woman you will meet regardless of which future you take. You two are destined for each other. Do you not want a peaceful world for her? Does your children not matter to their father as their father did to his father?” It was hard enough to that he was going to kill once of his own allies in the future, but to know the woman he was to marry was something else.

Fredric knew what he was being told was the truth and the stranger did notice this, with a smile that is. “I see you invaded my sleep to tell me these things. I feel as though what I've seen and heard are truths I was not aware of. Show me more, show me one more scene and I will find another way. A way to protect my kingdom and people from the wrath of evil.” Everything went white again and as a wash of color swept the landscape it was the throne room in Fortress Rounin.

Knights were lined up in front of the columns with King Delryn sitting on the throne, waiting for something or someone. Moments passed and the doors to the throne opened by two guards on the other side. Fredric swiftly walked into the room from the hallway and to his father, stopping only ten yards from the chair. He drew his sword, with shield remaining on his back, and rested the tip on the floor as he knelled before the king.

Fredric noticed that the knight he saw kneel was indeed himself, but with gray hair and the armor and weapons his dream state avatar was equipped. “Father, I have returned from destroying the might Lich. Northern Riv'nar is safe from evil once more.” The words struck out as odd. If this was a scene to help convince him of straying off a path of power, then the message of this dream state scene was going to he horrific. “My son, you have made me proud. Proud that my legacy will continue on after I'm gone. To know that our family name will live on through our children and to maintain peace with our allies and mature these lands for the good of the people.” Fredric stood up and raised a hand up, instantly a green wave burst forth from the paladin's body, knocking the guards in the room down and unconscious.

The prince walked up to the throne chair quickly. “Son, what are you doing?” Fredric had one knee up towards the chair and the other leg stretched down the stairs. Sword pulled back into a thrusting motion. “Claiming my birth right, father.” A quick, precise, and flawless thrust was given. It pierced all the way through the king and the chair. The crown fell to the floor and as the sword was drawn from the corpse, blood was absorbed through the blade as if it fed off it. Crown was claimed and placed upon Fredric's head by the time the guards woke and stood up. “I'm your new king. Obey me and your lives shall not be destroyed!” Every soldier in the room knelled to their new king. The scene went gray and fuzzy with the stranger returning like before.

“I hope the prince of Riv'nar understands the gravity of this future.” It was clear to the prince how he would become king with that path. Power was necessary to complete the quest but all power comes with a price and the prince was not sure if he could control such strength.

“What of my other companions? What would have been had of them?” Fredric queried to the stranger. Pointy eared man closed his eyes and sighed. “They will all die by your hands. In this future set before you, the power you lust after is never satisfied. You end up destroying them all and yourself for the sake of an ideal that can be accomplished through other means. But for now, I leave you to rest your mind and body. Sleep Prince Fredric, sleep.” The scenery faded away with the stranger and everything went dark. Fredric would awaken to someone stirring him for meal time in an hour or so and be fully rested.

[Gadreille]

Amelia quietly helped the shaman finish preparing the deer for cooking, after the prince took his leave for rest. It wasn't her aversion for conversation, nor his, that kept her silent. She was engrossed in her work, trying to take the minimal supplies she carried and create a feast. She reached in her bag to find some dried fruit that she was sure she had left in there. As she rifled through it, she made sure she angled it in such a way so that no one could see into it. She didn't have anything to hide, persay, except the bag itself.

She didn't want anyone to know how truly precious it was. Though it was an bland, dull green on the outside, to look within it would reveal the magic of her truly exceptional pack. A bag of holding, the man who sold it to her father had called it. It could hold much more than the average pack, having a special magical ability that she did not quite understand, other than it made her able to carry far more than with a normal bag. Her father had given it to her, after she had returned from her training as a healer and a chemist. It was especially useful when carrying flask upon flask of ingredients, potions and the like. She had asked her father how he could afford such a bag, but he never did answer her. She was careful not to pull out everything at one time, or let someone glimpse in, or it would give away the secret. She didn't know what the bag was worth, but with its sentimental value that it held, she just couldn't ever have it taken from her.

Amelia found the fruit and pulled it out, a nice complementary dish that would make everyone feel refreshed and full. She busied herself with dividing the fruit equally among the group, frowning as she realized each serving was quite small, when split among the eight of them. Still, it was more than nothing, but she was certainly grateful for the deer that was roasting above the fire. She realized that the meal was almost ready, but the prince had yet to emerge from his tent. She looked around for someone to go wake him, but everyone was either gone, or preoccupied in conversation. She thought about doing it herself, but she didn't feel that it was appropriate for her to enter his tent. She had just been suspected of harming him, and with her luck she would walk in and find his dead body. Amelia shuddered at the thought, and realized she was worried that it might be true. She decided to ask the Shaman if he would wake the prince. It was the first words she had ever spoken to him.

"Pardon me, ah, Zephyr?...Would you mind waking the prince? I'm going to search for Darke and Raine and let them know food is ready." She waited for him to acknowledge her request, and then set off to find the rest of the group.

[Alphariusthemad]

Magus showed not even a hint of irritation at Jax' apparent decision not to stop and thank him for the gift of clothing. Truth be told, it was as much help to the rest of the group as help to their new tag-along guy; he, for one, had no desire to find his eyes drawn downstairs ever again on this quest, and certainly not because he - or anyone else - had failed to be generous. The conversation was getting boring anyway, although Fredric's increasing rage was of some concern; maybe he was too stressed, maybe it was something worse, the kind of dark ambition that could derail the quest. Or turn a teenage failure into a servant of the Old Ones...

"Master, what about the dead gobbo?" Yes. There was something he could attend to, post-haste. Guiding Sunny away from the scene with Jax, and tearing his attention away from the story of Kalus' earlier quest, Magus headed to the corpse at a trot, while Erik flew to the goblin camp, where Dronas would be ready to give or deny permission. Unsurprisingly, the captain was awake; fortunately, he was not on guard duty, and could answer a request.

"What the... What's a bat doing at this time of day, out here?!"
"All right, Erik, land in front of him, look in his eyes, and repeat after me..." It was hard for Erik to pick out the captain's eyes from the rest of him, but a few seconds of ultrasound and it had managed it.
"My name is Erik, I am a familiar spirit attached to Magus." So far, so good, and Dronas seemed to believe it. After all, but for the pitch, the bat actually sounded just like Magus.
"...I see it and don't believe it, a talking bat. Go on, 'Erik', what does your master want with me?" The tone was not entirely spiteful; that Magus had this kind of trust in the goblin camp was a good sign for continued alliance.
"There is a goblin dead, near here. He and an ally of his chased after a thief, who is now in the Prince's custody. Do you know about this?"
"Some thief has killed one of my kind?"
"...Yes. I gather he had no intention of doing so, however."
"...A pity. But all things must come to an end, and at least Soryin cannot touch him now. What was his name?"
"Ah..." Magus hadn't caught that bit, so he fed Erik a desperate bluff. "Unfortunately, I did not have time to..."
"Then what good is it to report his death? How am I to know how to react, knowing only that one more soul has left this world than before?"

Meanwhile, Magus came to where the goblin had fallen. There were some bones nearby, and another goblin eating what looked like goblin flesh. Cannibalism. Whatever the pointless moral stigma attached, Magus knew only that it was a component of a few dark, dark rituals, spells he hoped never to see much less use. That didn't make it evil in any way, and he'd already seen how the goblins thought of this as revering their dead.
"Hail."
"Scary-man? Shiny-man was here already!" And so, Brillig repeated to Magus the gist of what he'd told to Kalus, of which only one word actually mattered.

"...Glog. The soul that departed today was Glog."
"Very well. I am guessing your stake in this is that you would raise him with your death-craft, and seek my permission. Thank you for asking, but no, I'll not permit it." Interesting. He showed surprisingly little revulsion, given the nature of the refusal. "If I felt we needed the services of the dead, I'd have asked your aid after the battle in the river. The fight is not nearly that desperate, and thank the heavens, I sincerely doubt it will get that far. If that's all, then please get out of my camp." Remarkable restraint, but Magus had just strained the alliance. As he ordered Erik to return to him, as he led Sunny back to the Prince's camp, he berated himself inside; how could he be such an arrogant fool? To assume meddling with the dead would be allowed, easily requested? The best he could hope for now was that maybe Amelia's cooking was faintly good.

Disappointed, are we?
We understand. It's not every day you get a chance to turn a corpse into a zombie.
"It would be more helpful if you could suggest how I fix this mistake and the alliance!"
That's simple enough. Deliver proof of Soryin's death to Dronas, and I'm sure he'll forgive you any offence you might have caused. Anything rather than live under the heel of a mad warlock. It sounded a good enough plan of action.

As it turned out, food was already done, if Amelia stating that food was done to Zephyr was anything to go by.
"Erik, very minor change of plan. Find Raine, and tell her that food is ready." A few seconds of scanning the camp revealed that Kalus, Zephyr, Amelia, and the new guy... Jax, wasn't it?... were most definitely present and accounted for; Fredric had vanished, but Amelia had said something about waking him, so he was accounted for; and Darke, like Raine, was nowhere to be seen. "Darke, too... No, wait, if you find them, tell Amelia first."
"Why, master?"
"Because she is looking for them. It would be foolish indeed to spirit them away from under her nose."
"Ah, got it master." Erik flapped into the forest, high over Amelia's head, while Magus dismounted (at last) and tied Sunny with the other horses.

[Eternity]

Zephyr had been busy with the meal, and now the meal was ready. His eyes had occasionally drifted from the dirt to see Amelia dividing up fruit, making sides for the meals. Then it returned to the deer meat roasting quickly over the fire. It would be enough for them each, and it would be filling. It was eight of them now, he mentally noted. Jax, the new one. Ah, he'd remember that one after a while. For now he'd just think ''the new one'' about the man. He heaved a long breath, pushing up from his position to a towering height after she had asked him the favor. And the favor was to wake the Prince. And so he would do. His time was better spent doing something than nothing. And it seemed that with all these people about now, he'd have little time to communicate with nature need he find some other use of his time. So the large man nodded, a silent and simple gesture, before turning.

He walked like a mammoth, but he tried to do so quietly. He was a hefty man, of course. Zephyr just tried to manage getting to the Prince's tent without startling him at the thoughts of an earth-quake; should he have come running to him. At the tent, Zephyr stared momentarily. His mind processed how he'd wake the prince. A nudge? A destructive blow to the tent? A loud ''wake up"? Somehow he'd find a middle ground of these given options.

Zephyr dipped down, to his knees, and reached into the tent. His head poked in, and he saw the sleeping prince.

"Wake up." Was all he said. The voice had such a bass to it that it rolled through his broad chest like thunder, surely enough to wake Fredric, even if he had not spoken loudly. He supposed the man should've been a light sleeper anyways. Current matters didn't call for deep dreaming these days. Zephyr pulled his head back out of the tent and stood back to his full height, his head almost hitting a tree branch overhead. He folded his arms across his chest and faced away from the tent, waiting. The man had a few minutes, and then Zephyr would see if he had even woke at all. When the Prince stirred, they would be back to camp to eat.

[Guest]

Plentiful rest and refreshing feeling until night time was rewarded to Fredric's couple hour nap. As the prince stirs to Zephyr's deep echoed words, the young paladin sits up in the tent and dons the leather armor and weapons onto the body. Moving out of the tent and standing next to the shaman, he stretched the arms and legs while groaning from the relief. It was clear the rest was more needed and greatly enjoyed than any of them originally would have thought. Fredric held in high hopes that the Raine and Darke had came back with more fire wood and food was ready to be consumed.

It was not very long before Zephyr and the prince returned where everyone else was nor did it much had transpired since he was resting. Jax seemed to have finished maintaining the sword he was given to take care of. A sword that would be replaced with some other items for the acrobat to use in times of danger.

Fredric took his seat once more at the camp fire quietly and peaceful – a clear sign the prince is in a good mood to the small few that know him. It was very characteristic of Fredric to take such small matters seriously as sitting in front of a camp fire. Image was much of his role as a prince and leader of his people. An observation was made of the camp fire's growth since he took a leave of absence for rest. Raine and Darke were still gone, but there was more fire wood than before. Food was almost ready to eat. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits so very little was needed to be said or asked.

Looking to the ground, Fredric's face seemed troubled. It was an expression of loneliness. Despite being around his comrades and companions, he still felt alone. Alone in a the knowledge of a future that he was warned about. How could he gain the power needed to save his people, to protect them danger, and rule honorably as a wise and powerful king? It was more important to find these answers than to worry about that beautiful woman from his previous dream. A woman that robbed him of his rest and brought him to a condition unfit to be the group's leader. A decision would need to be made and it was a decision that weighed heavily upon not just his future but the future of an entire kingdom. Fredric strained to come up with a solution to this problem but it was clear one would not come so easily to him.

Dwelling over a future full of death, destruction, and chaos was important. To avoid such a fate of self-destruction and pestilence to the land would grant him much trust with his people. So much weighed on his future decisions and in time the answers would reveal themselves to him. So Fredric looked around the camp, as fire wood crackled and snapped, and realized that guilt rested inside him as he looked at Zephyr. In the future of his quest for power, the battle shaman was to fall to his blade. Such a fate needed to be avoided if their Titan slaying mission was to be completed. Darke and Kalus would need to be informed of his dream experience – it was real and needed outsiders to help address the problems residing around it. They were the two best qualified for such private information. Fredric could not predict how the others would react to said information when their very lives were foretold to be extinguished by his mighty blade.

So it was at this point the prince would speak. Not of his dreams but a probing question of another matter. “What is the condition of the camp?” A question, much like a paladin commander would ask and was given in a tone much like a military leader. Fredric could not hide his underlining frustrations as well as he would like and his two military friends, Darke and Kalus, were always good at noticing their prince is troubled with something. Still the question was asked in a generalized sense to any who dare answer it. It was a question that could also be answered in many directions but still, it was a question also meant to spark conversation and slay the silence that has fallen upon them all.

Fact remains true that Fredric has been growing more frustrated and annoyed by the increasingly more dangerous plight on his kingdom's people. With his mother dead, father busy with the kingdom's politics, it was left onto his shoulders to maintain the peace across the lands. Fredric knows he has made mistakes in the past and with the weight of the kingdom resting upon his shoulders and crumbling between his fingers, he worried him greatly the condition the people are in. Such is the duty of the Riv'nar prince.

[Kalon Ordona II]

"So you have to be really dramatic when you express scenes and when you're describing places and characters and what they're feeling with a certain thing or time or whatever's going on and when you do that you'll really have the attention of whoever you're telling the story to. You're pretty good at that, but you have to emphasize words that are important and choose all your words carefully because you don't want them to be confused by stuttering or trying to think up how to describe it and it's best to think it all up beforehand so that you don't have to worry about coming up with it all on the spot. It takes a lot of practice, sometimes, but you develop an instinct eventually so you don't have to worry too much about all these little details after you had enough experience like at festivals or carnivals or just sitting around campfires with friends, kinda like this here. Really the main thing to be careful of is not overdoing it or emphasizing the wrong words because if you do that you'll shatter the illusion and make them think you're just trying to get their attention which you are but you don't want them to know that. You have to know who you're telling the story to too to make sure..." Jax laughed at his own 'to' triplet, "to make sure you're doing it right because it's better to tell it differently to different kinds of people, like you wouldn't tell a brothel story to kids... very often." He laughed again.

"Also when you're taking care to get your words right you have to pick ones that sound good like... 'departed' instead of 'went' and 'slew' instead of 'killed' and 'acquired' instead of 'got' and 'devoured' instead of 'ate'... unless he didn't devour it... then you'd say 'picked at' or 'relished' or," Jax couldn't help sniffing the air coming from the stew-pot. "Um, where was I... oh right it was about good words like you should never use a short word when a really long one will fit because the long words always sound a lot better when you say them out loud. It also makes your story last longer, which all the listeners like even though they might not realize it. Their bottoms should be hot and sore by the time you're done, heheh."

Kalus had been talking with Jax about storytelling when the prince returned from his tent. Or rather, Jax had been talking to Kalus about storytelling. Jax had many fundamentals and several tips to offer, and Kalus knew that this was just the tip of the iceberg. He might never be as good a storyteller as Jax apparently was, but he could always improve. So engrossed was Kalus in the conversation that he hadn't noticed Magus trotting off, or even Zephyr waking the prince. When Fredric asked after the condition of their camp, however, Kalus was jolted by a sudden remembrance.

"Four Winds, I've forgotten!" the gryphon knight exclaimed, his palm smacking his forehead. He had intended to report this earlier, as soon as he landed. He turned to Fredric. "It's going to rain. I saw stormclouds on the horizon when we were flying, and the wind will be carrying them almost straight to us. They'd still be quite a distance off," he glanced at the sky--blue with scattered clouds of white, "but I'd say we only have a couple of hours before the rain starts."

[Gadreille]

Amelia wondered if it had been truly wise of her to march into the forest without so much as a clue of the whereabouts of her companions. She had not been thinking clearly while she was cooking. She was so focused on gathering everyone for the meal that she didn't take a second to think it through. She was no one special and did not have expert tracking skills necessary to hunt down her companions. She didn't want to call out to them, sure that it would be unwise to make such a ruckus in a dark and foreign forest.

As she walked, the voices of Jax and Kalus became muted by the trees behind her surprisingly fast. The silence enveloped her, and she hoped that she would hear one of them in the distance. At the same time, the idea of hearing a twig snap without seeing the person causing it frightened her a little. Still, she wasn't going to turn around and ask for help. She was too proud.

There were subtle things in the area that made her confident that one of them had gone this way. Small twigs littered the floor, but dents in the duff where branches had lain were missing. Spiderwebs lay torn on the trunks of trees, suggesting someone had unknowingly walked into and broken it. Amelia commended herself on her awareness. Perhaps she was a better woodsman than she had originally thought.

Amelia heard a flutter, and cried out as a bat crossed her path. He didn't hit her, just surprised her as he flew from where ever he had been to where ever he was going. She put a hand to her chest and laughed a little at being scared so easily. The feeling of safety had forever been ripped from her person after what she had been through.

Just then, she heard a rustling of leaves in the distance. She wanted to believe it was Darke or Raine, but she wasn't sure. She put a hand to the hilt of one of her daggers, just in case. One never knew exactly what was traipsing out of the dark woods. The sound became louder, and she was certain it was headed toward her. She let out a small breath as she realized that it was just Darke, and relaxed her hand, along with her mood.

"Dinner is ready. Where is Raine?"

[Guest]

Darke left the ruckus of the camp behind him and headed into the forest. Along the border of the forest, the trees were more spread out. Borders for forests were rather inaccurately named, Darke thought, as no forest he knew of actually had a well-defined border. The trees were thickly packed, and then began to spread and thin out as they reached the "border area." The border was actually somewhere between the dense area of trees and the lonely trees farthest from it. Darke was never really sure where exactly, unless he had a good map to look at.

As he approached the dense pocket, well into the forests supposed border line, he began to notice places that would surrender good, dry wood for their fire. Heading to one spot in particular, Darke didn't notice the tangle of webs dangling in front of him until he was forced to peel them from his face. Waving away the last strands in frustration, Darke moved on, albeit with a more wary eye. Several of the trees were lined with broken branches that had fallen from the heights above, either from animals capering across the branches that were too heavy, or from rotting inside of the wood itself. It didn't really matter. Wood was wood. The important thing was, this wood was dry. Darke began piling it in his arms.

Looking around him, Darke wondered where Raine had gone off to. He hadn't seen her since he left the camp. He wouldn't mind having a private conversation with her. They hadn't really talked since the group got together, and Darke wasn't good at making conversation with others around. It obviously wasn't going to happen, however, as she was nowhere in sight. Darke moved further in to search for more wood. Toward a darker spot in the forest, Darke saw a large pile of rotting branches surrounding a fallen tree.

Leaning down and resting the pile of wood on his outstretched arms onto his bent knees, Darke reached down and piled a few more branches on. With just enough room to see over the pile in front of him, Darke began to make his way back to the camp. It was getting dark, and it was already hard to see in the forest proper. With a rather thick canopy, any of the sunlight was being filtered through the dense leaf covering high above.

Darke wondered how long they had still before they reached this castle, where they would have to put an end to the Warlock. He was getting frustrated with their speed. The goblins had caused quite a delay in their original plans. While an alliance with the goblins had the potential of eventually turning out to be a boon for Riv'nar, it was far from their mission as of now. More than a day had been wasted from the original battle, and then the time spent in their camp. Without a full regiment of goblins marching behind them when they reached the castle, there wasn't a whole lot they had gained from the encounter for their immediate use.

And then there was Amelia and Jax. Darke had to admit that Amelia was quite beautiful, and she was a skilled healer and alchemist. But he didn't know enough about her, nor did he have the time to learn. He couldn't exactly pull her to the side and interrogate her on her motives. Not only would the prince likely interject, but it would at the moment only do more harm than good.

And then there was Jax, strange man that had so ceremoniously dumped himself into their too-open arms. What exactly were they supposed to do with this man? How was he going to help them dispose of Soryin? The man likely had no skill with a weapon. Darke wasn't even sure what the profession of acrobat entailed, but it didn't seem to be anything useful. Unless, perhaps, they used the man to scout the perimeter of Soyrin's castle. Maybe search for hidden entrances or scout out the interior of the castle itself, if they found a sneaky way inside. Yes, Darke would have to mention that to Fredric when he got back to the camp. If, of course, the prince had had enough of a rest. He wouldn't wake him before they needed to. The man needed sleep. As their leader, it was very bad for his image if he was the cause of the delays.

Almost out of the dense pocket of forest, Darke stumbled upon a stunned Amelia, who had her hand resting suspiciously over her dagger.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked. He immediately chided himself for the question. Despite how much he felt the need to discover her motives, he felt ridiculous at the same time for assuming an ill will from her. She seemed innocent enough, and certainly looked beautiful enough. But that was the way of women: clouding your mind so that when you weren't looking...
"Sorry..." he said quickly.
"Dinner is ready," Amelia said quietly. "Where is Raine?"
"I haven't seen her," Darke said. "I looked when I first came out here, but I've seen no sign of her. I'm sure she will turn up before long." Darke knew he shouldn't be worried, though doubt still gnawed at the back of his mind. Whenever someone disappeared, from his experience, it was never a good thing. Trouble almost always followed. They didn't have time for more trouble, so Darke hoped it wouldn't be so.

[Gadreille]

Raine heard voices in the distance, and figured it was about time to return to the camp. Surely by now the new guy was decently covered, and she could return to her business as usual. She had picked up some material she thought she could use to make arrow shafts. She was familiar with the materials, having used it at the goblin camp. However, these were raw materials, not prepared at all like the materials at the camp. Still, she was confident she could put it to good use.

She made her way quickly to the voices, and stumbled upon Darke and Amelia. "Hey guys. I - " She stopped, noticing the tense atmosphere between the two. Evidently, Darke still didn't trust Amelia, and Amelia was on the defense. Before she could say anything, Amelia spoke up.

"Glad we found you Raine! Dinner is ready." Amelia waved them forward, and made her way back to the camp. Raine followed behind, giving Darke a questioning glance. He needed to search her down and be done with it, or give in and start treating her as an equal, not a suspect.

Darke said nothing to her, either not understanding her body language or pretending to do so. Raine gave an internal shrug and continued on her way, making her step a little quicker so she could catch up with Amelia. "Smells good." She said, hoping to strike up some casual conversation to ease Amelia's obviously grated nerves.

"Yea, well I wouldn't eat it. I'm sure I've poisoned the lot of you for no greater purpose than my own sadistic pleasure." Her face darkened, and the sarcasm wasn't in humor.

"Darke doesn't put manners first, Amelia. You'll get used to it." Raine wasn't sure if that was true, but she knew that convincing Amelia to ignore Darke was much more probable than doing vice a versa.

"I suppose." Amelia responded, but without much enthusiasm.

They returned to the camp, the ladies first and Darke following soon after, and the smell of the food overwhelmed Raine. She had been hoping Amelia could scrape up a meal, but she surely outdid herself. Raine's mouth watered, and she anxiously approached the fire, where the food was sure to be.

[Alphariusthemad]

Erik fluttered back to Magus' side once he'd realised Raine and Darke had been found independently of his actions. Pity. The mage had achieved a sum total of nothing so far today; he could tell some part of him was glad that Soryin was so near, happy to know he'd have to fight again soon. Or was that one of the spirits? Certainly such impatience would be in character for a number of them.

Why was Darke so distrusting of Amelia? Anyone could be an agent of Soryin, but surely someone would have seen through her charade if that was the case, and the goblins would not have confirmed her story of being a prisoner. Or would they?... no, that way lay madness. Dronas at least was trustworthy, and he was lord of the goblins for the time being at the very least. Besides, what could Soryin threaten her with that was worse than the enmity of the whole kingdom, or the Titans being allowed to destroy everything she knew?

Nonetheless. As the trio returned, Magus acknowledged the healer with a nod; she had done nothing to earn any grudge from him, save that she feared the next world, and human nature was not an offence. Not to mention the inevitable philosophical debate would fill several nights at the campfire, in case he got bored of looting Soryin's library.
How could you tire of such knowledge?
"By learning it all." That quieted them. Well, all but one.
Since you're on a roll, go ask if you can taste the food. If anyone can survive being killed with poison...
"Don't put me off lunch." There went the mood of good humour. Magus didn't exactly plan on taking much time to appreciate the food with a warlock still to assassinate, but it was a fair bet that one of the others would, and that would mean he had no reason to rush. Or perhaps Sleeping Beauty would almost fall off his horse again, or the other newcomer, Jax, would somehow slip and stumble and slow the group down... no. Whatever else he was, he wasn't clumsy.

As Amelia finally served up, Magus decided he might as well take a little time over the food after all, it smelt so good. And it tasted so good, too. He'd not have counted on this quality at a well-stocked inn, let alone on the road. Erik, meanwhile, being somewhat biologically different, got his fill slaughtering a certain convocation of nearby ants that threatened to approach the human food.

[Guest]

A glare to the ground was made, thinking, processing, formulating strategy, and calculating the group's next move. He had learned to prepare ahead of time and their enemy was much different than the typical army or legion of darkness. Soryin is simply too big of a mysterious threat of unknown origin to be left alone. Even if it was not their task to kill him, Fredric would have led a couple paladin companies to crush the warlock and drive him from Riv'nar lands.

Kalus gave his answer to the question. "It's going to rain. I saw storm clouds on the horizon when we were flying, and the wind will be carrying them almost straight to us. They'd still be quite a distance off," The golden gryphon knight said while thunder roared in the distant skies. Rain, yes, that could very well pass right over their little camp. Darkness was growing over them cause of the clouds anyways, it was still mid-afternoon.

Fredric nodded to the knight, “If it rains our fire will be snuffed out. We did not bring a war tent with us.” Fredric said as his stomach growled at him in anger. Time to feed the body with substance and later feed the mind with rest. It would help the group as a whole if their leader was fully rested for the next day's ride.

A since of calm and peaceful atmosphere was weaved throughout the camp with the snapping and crackling sounds of wood burning. Fredric had already started eating a slab of deer meat on a stick with his eyes closed. The sound of the incoming night was soothing in its respective way. Fresh cool water was nearby to drink from. A mind on one thing, a target, a goal, a person: Soryin. It was the person they needed to slay and take back one of the Riv'nar castles and surrounding resources in the region. So there they ate in silence, for the moment, and the paladin's eyes glared around the camp at everyone enjoying their meal. It had seemed the most effective way to shut the acrobat up was by giving him food. A dolly noted observation but it still did not stop the man from attempting to converse with Kalus, a comical scene at most that left a smirk across Fredric's weary face.

Fredric was amazed at the cooking ability of the alchemist. She had really went above what he had expected of her or even asked, which was nothing since he expected to do all the work with Zephyr. Still the meat was perfectly spiced and cooked tenderly. Its juices swished around in Fredric's mouth as he chews and swallows the meat. Not to thick in spice, not to hot against the tongue, just right.

Conversation was something she avoided, but a little small talk never seemed to hurt. Perhaps it was because he was royalty that made him seem intimidating? “Where did you learn to perhaps such splendid meals?” Fredric asked for the group to hear. Without another word he went back to eating his small portion of deer meat on his stick, slowly, savoring each bite like the last.

Swallowing and clearing his throat, Fredric spoke again to any that cared to hear. “It seems I was wrong about how far we are from Soryin. It will be a little over a day's ride to the castle.” It was simple important information that needed to be clarified. They were behind a day but there was nothing they could do about it. In time they would meet face to face with the warlock and battle him, slay him, or die trying.

[Kalon Ordona II]

"Mmphthsh... Sho Kalush..." Jax chewed and swallowed, but instead of continuing his sentence unobstructed, he took another bite and went on chewing while he talked. "MDo you shuppozhe... dthe rain'll wait'ntill we pfinish eatching?" He seemed to be torn between finishing enjoying his meal and being able to enjoy all of it before the rain started. It was comically ridiculous enough to make Kalus half-sneeze a laugh.

"Well the clouds are moving in faster than I expected..." Kalus replied, looking up, "but I should think it'll still be a while after we're done eating before it starts." Just in case, though, Kalus made sure he got a large portion of the meat now, in case the rest somehow ended up less savory. The food was well cooked and well seasoned. Kalus made sure to compliment Amelia for putting such marvelous skills to such marvelous effect.

Kalus watched everyone else a little as they ate. He noticed there wasn't much cheer, despite the quality of the food. Of course, perhaps that was to be expected. They were after all practically camping on Soryin's doorstep. Still, Kalus thought there must be some way to liven things up a bit. He nudged Jax playfully. "Hey, do you know any word-games?"

Since Kalus had said they'd have plenty of time to eat, Jax finished chewing and swallowed before answering. "Why certainly! There's this marvelous game called 'Tell the King a Rumor.' I guess we can call it 'Tell the Prince a Rumor.' Anyway one person next to the Prince will whisper something into the ear of the other person next to him, if we all sit in a circle. And then the next person passes it on, trying to get the message right. By the time it gets all the way around to the Prince, the Rumor will probably be all garbled. And then the first person says what it started out as. It's very fun especially if you make the Rumor long and complicated."

[Eternity]

Zephyr returned to the camp, taking a seat next to Fredric. Even in sitting, the man loomed over the others in both height and size. He stared at the ground for a bit, finally taking a bit of the deer meat and dried fruit that Amelia had fixed. He ate slowly, seeming to be without concentration within the group around him; but he was listening. He admired the spices as well as the fruit cooked into the meal and thought he would give thanks to Amelia, just not right now. He was engrossed in the simple conversations that bounced back and forth between the others.

Fredric then asked Amelia where she had learned to cook like she had done this evening. Zephyr looked up, his light eyes resting on her. His face was at ease, not in some hard glaring gesture or a questioning expression. He looked at Fredric then, and returned his gaze to Amelia.

"It is good." He said simply. Zephyr wasn't simple minded beyond good sense, he just didn't find much reason in elaborating things that could be said, well, simply. He then found himself catching words elsewhere; coming from Kalus. A game, at now of all times? Call him old fashioned, but Zephyr did not think that now was the time for games. He then heard Jax cheerfully talking about a game called 'Tell the King a Rumor'. His head turned away from Amelia and set upon Jax. The redhead was definitely elated, or so it seemed. But Zephyr was the kind of person who enjoyed his silence. Peace was his best friend, silence his most trustworthy companion. He sighed, standing up and stepping away. He didn't move far away, just to a nearby tree. There, he leaned back against it, folding his arms across his chest.

He then stared up to the sky. Zephyr watched the gray billows twist and move at an extremely leisurely pace. Indeed, something was coming weather-wise. Be it a small drizzling rain to a much more troublesome storm. The sky was a weary sight, and somehow seemed to drag his mood down a bit. While the others spoke- some in cheer and some more somber- Zephyr began to drift, not into sleep but into thought. The journey ahead was a long one, and they were only a day's ride (give or take) to Soryin's...

[Gadreille]

Amelia was pleased with all of the compliments she had received, though she merely gave a smile and a nod to each person who had complimented her. She wasn't ever quite learned in proper manners and etiquette, and she admittedly wasn't sure how to accept a compliment graciously. So, she said nothing at all, letting body language do the work for her. The prince's compliment ended with a question, and she knew she would have to answer.

"Ah, well...I suppose I picked it up while I was an apprentice for alchemy and apothecary work. My master was a wonderful cook, and she taught me everything she knew. I always felt that I should excel, since it had been my mother's duty to feed the family, and she's no longer here to do so." She shrugged, refusing to let the ghosts of the past haunt her. "It has become a useful skill."

Before the prince could respond any further, Jax announced a game of words called 'Tell the King a Rumor'. She looked at him, incredulously, not sure how to respond to such a proposition. There was silence, which was broken by the large Shaman getting up with a heavy sigh and walking out of the camp. She remembered the game in question, it was a game that she had played when she was very young. But that was years ago, and there seemed to be no fun in it now. She imagined that even more of an awkwardness would fall upon the group, should they decide to play.

Still, the look on Jax's face was a classic mix of excitement and anticipation, and it was like trying to tell a child that they didn't like their idea. She gave a quick glance to Raine, who looked like she hiding a smile; then Amelia looked back at Jax.

"Um, well..." She sputtered, "I guess..."

____________________________________________________________________

Raine had been stuffing her face, nodding along to the compliments to their new companion, Amelia, as she devoured the meal. She was content in her own little world, thinking mostly about the upcoming battle and how she should prepare for it. She had just ripped off a sizable piece of deer meat when Jax proposed the game, and she nearly choked on her food at the shaman's reaction. Amelia had glanced at her, but Raine couldn't respond; her mouth was full and she was trying her best not to spit the contents everywhere in a lively burst of laughter.

Raine chewed vigorously as Amelia gave an affirmative response to Jax, shaking her head all the while. Shouldn't they be making battle plans and discussing tactics? She blushed a bit when she thought of it, remembering how she had fallen asleep during their last meeting. She decided she would wait and see what the others thought of Jax's idea before she gave her opinion on the matter.

[Guest]

Darke sat close to Amelia and Raine. He wanted to apologize to Amelia...but now simply wasn't the time. Not with Raine sitting next to her, and the others so close. He could hardly make simple conversation with the woman without sputtering. Having to apologize, with everyone listening...it would be too much. No, it could wait. He enjoyed sitting next to them though. It had been a long time since Darke had been in the company of women.

And the food was absolutely great. Darke was used to infantry rations, served by infantry cooks. Darke was no great cook himself. The last time he'd had a meal this was before they had left on this strange quest. The quest was certainly unlike anything he had ever undertaken for the prince before: a group of seemingly random people, journeying to kill a crazed warlock as what seemed to be a test of their abilities, and meeting strangers and goblins that seemed attracted to their group like magnets. But at least the food was good, now that one of them knew how to cook.

Unfortunately, Darke lost his taste for the meal when Jax spoke up. The man wanted to play word games? Now? They were little more than a day away from Soryin, and the man wanted to play word games with them. Darke stood, setting his plate on the ground. He walked over to Jax, standing over him and staring down into his eyes.
"Listen here, Jax. I don't mean to brag, as it really isn't much to brag about. We were chosen to do something important, something no one else can do. We aren't out here to trade banter and liven moods. Before two cycles more of the moon we will likely see combat with a warlock, a crazed man who we know next to nothing about. That is what we should be focusing on."
Darke pulled a sword free from the scabbard at his waist. He held it out to Jax, hilt first. "If you want to play a game, I can teach you how to survive." Darke knew the man would decline, but he only wanted to impress the seriousness of the situation. He also realized he was probably the only one who cared. But old habits die hard. Harder than men unprepared mentally or physically for a battle.

[Guest]

Finishing the first portion of food on his stick, the prince stood and decided to prepare himself another peace, without spices this time. Deer was great with or without extra seasonings and the fat always seemed to drip and roll right off it. Kalus and Jax seemed to be cooking up a scheme of their own but the prince could not hear what was actually being planned. It was when Jax blurted out the idea of playing a word game. Zephyr stood immediately and sat by a tree, probably to converse with nature and it was a good opportunity for the shaman to – he would find little opportunity in the next few days.

Elbows perched on the knees, eyes closed, fingers laced together. Fredric smiled while hearing the sound of sizzling meat and the crackling of wood burn. Thunder roared in the distance but it seemed to fit nicely with their camp setting. Fredric opened his eyes as the infantry captain stood, approached Jax, then spoke, "Listen here, Jax. I don't mean to brag, as it really isn't much to brag about. We were chosen to do something important, something no one else can do. We aren't out here to trade banter and liven moods. Before two cycles more of the moon we will likely see combat with a warlock, a crazed man who we know next to nothing about. That is what we should be focusing on.", and the captain was right about combat, but there was certainly nothing wrong with relaxing as much as they could.

It has been a while since the prince had the chance and it would be good practice for the both of them. “Captain, stand down. There is no need to get worked up over an acrobat's words. He is an entertainer first and foremost, we must not forget that.” Fredric paused and stood while looking at the captain with a smirk. “However, if you wish to have an opponent then I shall welcome the challenge.” Of the years Fredric grew a friendship with Darke, not once was he able to best the captain. It was good practice for the paladin, even if it was a sparring match. Rules were always simple: no magic or special accessory items. A nice clean sparring fight with one of Riv'nars best swordsmen.

“Remember these words well captain, a game is useful in restoring a soldier's moral. Have you not remembered the days during the rebellion when we both played cards in my tent with other officers? Was not the idea of a word game on par with a simple card game?” Fredric was stretching for the little sparring match, in case the captain accepted it or not, he wanted the body to be awake enough to respond quickly if necessary. “I still await your answer to my challenge.” Fredric drew his remaining sword and looked down at his other near Jax.

It was true that they had picked up stragglers during their testament of strength and ability. Each new member of their group increased their odds in some way of success, at least that was how Fredric viewed it anyways. There was little reason to deny extra help nor safeguard those that need it. It was not within Fredric's character to deny one of his fellow citizens help of any kind. If his blade could protect them, they would be protected; if he could use his royal status to grant them shelter of some kind, he would do so; if someone proved to be useful to the kingdom through righteous deeds and actions but committed crimes against the kingdom, they would be pardoned. In whatever way Fredric could help, he would find the solution and carry it out. It was simply not in his character to deny one of his citizens help. So these stragglers would become strangers to him, in time become friends, and over greater time become companions. Everyone had something to offer to them.

[Kalon Ordona II]

Crestfallen, Jax looked down at the sword in his lap, the one he'd been polishing, and waited for the dark-haired captain to withdraw his offer--along with the sword-hilt waiting two inches from Jax's head. Then the Prince intervened, and as Jax listened he took heart. But still, the captain's words rang in his head. This wasn't a game to him.

Jax looked up to watch the exchange between the prince and captain, wondering whether Darke would accept the Prince's counter-offer of a sparring match. The captain, however, didn't seem too keen on the idea. He just kept staring down at Jax, as if determined to wait for some kind of response. It irritated the young hothead to be thought so little of, and at the same time Jax admired the soldier for his resolve. It was something Jax himself had never really known.

By the time Darke seemed about to accept the Prince's offer, Jax's courage finally surfaced. "Wait," he said. His brows were drawn down. Jax got up, standing a full head taller than Darke--and looking all the taller for the short length of the black robe he was wearing. He hefted the polished sword. It was a bit heavier than most of the things he used to juggle, but it felt lighter because of its fine balance.

Jax stared straight into the captain, with a most original look in his eye--something on the order of determination. "All right," he said, simultaneously looking down on and looking up to Captain Darke. The acrobat tossed the sword end over end, high into the air. A second later he crouched and sprang into a forward flip, catching the blade by the hilt in midair and bringing it down in a vigorous downward strike. The ugly, lanky youth locked eyes with the captain. "Teach me."

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