TS - Day 04 - Tharagyan Peninsula.

[Kalamos]

Sleeping Under the Stars.

Active Characters:
- Cassandra,
- Sethos,
- Vega.


You wake up a couple of hours before daybreak.
The ground beneath your back was hard and lumpy, and the bedroll you improvised from a torn cloak and tattered rags is now soaked with dew.

You struggle to rise to your feet; you can still feel the chill of the night in your bones.
Spring has come, but season has not bloomed yet, this year.
Times are not ripe for countryside camping, and from the nearby foothills you can feel the cold mountain breath, sending a shiver down your spine.




Threading the Woods.

Active Characters:
- Stappleton and Mokambo.

Inactive Character:
- Night Raptor.


Stappleton and his friend and familiar, Mokambo, part ways with the half-dragon warrior.

They travel through the whole night, stopping briefly only to rest or to regain their bearings.

Stappleton vaguely remembers shrines being dedicated to sacred streams and river deities.
If memory serves him right - if the compiler to the Orvys was correct, that is - such a Phanos should rise close by, in the proximity of a waterfall.

None in sight, or within hear-shot, yet, but Stappleton shrugs fatigue off, trying to stay out of the trodden way and avoid contact with potentially dangerous strangers.

The shrine must be near - he can almost feel its presence.

 

[Kalamos]

Started Day 04.

 

[cassandra1]

OOC: I would post but both TNTickle and Ksilrebu have not posted for some time. TNTickle did PM me that he will not be around at this time, but I don't know about Ksilrebu. Maybe because it's Christmas and almost everyone is busy shopping?

 

[Kalamos]

Quite likely. 🙂
I got PMs and mails from other players; they are either busy or on vacation.

No need to worry, folk. This game can be as fast or slow paced as we all make it.
I hope you have fun - and a safe, sane and consensual christmas. 😉

 

[Ksilrebu]

(( Ahh, Christmas. Time for...humidity...err, palm trees...Somehow, it doesn't feel like Christmas in Florida. All the same, thought you all deserved an explanation. As I mentioned before, I'm moving. To Florida, back to New York, then to Florida again. I'll not go into details why. All the same, sorry to have held things up so. ))

Though not a fan of the chill himself, Sethos couldn't help but feel a certain comfort in knowing that he would not be the coldest. While going about shirtless with steel chains wrapped about his torso did tend to keep him want for warmth, his leather pants and gloves kept the most of him warm, and what little magic he could devote to the task kept up the rest.

Usually, he enjoyed watching others feel a bit of pain. It was a special delight of his to see them suffering that torture which he hated most; something projective, that seeing it eased his fear of feeling it. Something about that girl, though, nearly brought sympathy to his heart, which beat warm in his chest only because the air outside was cold enough for it to be called warm in relation to. He almost thought it was a pitty to see her, so scantily clad, suffer in this morning chill.

"Why don't you wear this," Seth asked as casually as he could, throwing his cloak at Rachel and exposing his mostly bare torso to the morning mists. "I'd rather you be warm now before you...start whining about the chill." For a moment he closed his eyes and focused hard on being warm. 'Ere a minute had passed he was surrounded by a pale pink aura, and the cold didn't feel quite so hard as it had before. The warmth, however, was only a secondary effect of the spell. In truth, and far greater in his mind, was that under the spell the whole of his skin looked pink, and could not be differentiated from the face.

(( I'll likely not be posting again until after Christmas. As such, Happy Holidays to you all. ))

 

[cassandra1]

Whining about the chill huh? Rachel hated being treated like someone who could not survive in the wilderness on her own. Nevertheless, she took Seth's cloak and wrapped it tightly around herself since she was in fact feeling cold. It must have been her revealing outfit.

She looked over at Seth and noticed that there was an aura around him, possibly as a protection from the cold. That was probably the reason why he gave her his cloak; he did not need it to stay warm. Rachel held it around her body while waiting for either one of the men to make preparations for whatever journey they wished to embark on.

(OOC: I won't be posting during the holidays either. And Happy Holidays to you too.)

 

[cassandra1]

OOC: Kalamos, I got an idea. I am going to have Rachel kidnapped by an NPC and brought to the slaver's city (Arthenas, right?) to have her own adventures until TNTickle and Ksilrebu return, so that I won't get too bored in such a tickle-free situation. While I'm thinking of a way to do that, let me know if it conflicts with anything you already planned.

 

[Kalamos]

I can provide you with a plot device. 🙂

Sethos has reasons to reach Asperum, the main slave market. Arthenas lies in-between.
Vega too, might want to steer clear of Bisanthium for a while; he was there when Night Raptor broke loose. Guards probably connected him with the murder, since he wasn't able to protect his master.

You don't have to leave your companions behind: just "autopilot" them so they tag along.
You can part ways once you reach Arthenas.

About the plot device... you could run into a farm or a saw-mill. Countryside is dotted with several. You could find help, and a passage to Arthenas.
Or you could try and steal horses... a capital crime in most imperial regions...

 

[cassandra1]

OOC: That's not what I had in mind. The purpose of getting Rachel kidnapped is to lead her to bondage and tickling, which is what I'm looking for. Separating her from Vega and Seth also eliminates the possibility of me misusing them during their absence.

 

[Kalamos]

I might have a "quick and dirty" solution.

 

[Kalamos]

Trackless Threads.

Inactive Characters:
Sethos;
Vega.

Sethos shoves dirt on the smouldering embers.

They could really use some warmth, and a nice hot breakfast, but Vega insisted on covering their tracks, and a large campfire would have given their presence away.

The warrior wearily clambers to his feet; the arrow wound looks bad and probably hurts worse. He wouldn't admit it, but his face is pale, and his eyes glazed. He might develop a fever soon, unless treated by a surgeon.

Clenching his teeth, Vega gives brief orders to Rachel and Sethos:
"Pack stuff... we must... leave soon" he whispers "Must head north... avoid patrols."

"I can't follow you." replies Sethos, while gathering his meager possessions.
"I must go west."

Vega shakes his head, while holding onto a broad stump.
"It... will be dangerous."

Sethos scratches his head, fiddling with equipment.
"I k-know." he mutters, trying to avoid Vega's gaze "but..."

"Hold there! Stop!"

"Damn you, boy..." gasps Vega "You lead them to us!"

"What!? No, it can't be!"

A handful of Bisanthi vigiles walk out from the woods, into the clearing.
They wear the trappings of Aygosian trackers.

"I said stop there."
A slender man, wearing a large, hooded cloak, steps forward.
"And shut up."

He briefly gestures to his men.
"Arrest them."

Sethos lets out a scream of pure anguish as the first vigil tries to get hold of him.
"Away! Do not touch me! Leave me alone!"

He violently shoves the startled guardsman aside, and runs for the woods.

Two vigiles raise their weapons, but the cloaked man shakes his head.
They nod, and without a word they start chasing Sethos.

Three guardsmen tie Vega. He puts up a token resistance, before collapsing into a heap, hissing elaborate curses below his breath.

A fourth vigil approaches Rachel, without actually touching her.

"Dominus Vega, you are under arrest." proclaims the cloaked tracker, with a faint Aygosian accent.

"You have been found guilty of assault, resistance to arrest and failure to honour your contract," he lists, in a toneless voice "which lead to your employer's death by murder."

"You are also under suspicion of kidnapping" he finally seems to recognize Rachel's presence "and theft of human property."

"How do you plead?"

Vega gives back a defiant gaze, grinning painfully.
"I only plead to my gods"

The Aygosian tracker flashes a brief smile, before nodding to his vigiles.
They start scrounging a makeshift stretcher together, ignoring Vega's searing insults.

"Forgive the rude interruption, Domina."
The cloaked man gives a quick bow to Rachel.

"Would you mind explaining your presence in this uncivilized area," he elegantly gestures, encompassing the forest around "with an escaped criminal..."

He vaguely points to Rachel's immodest garments "... wearing such a peculiar attire?"

 

[cassandra1]

At the risk of supporting the accusations that Vega had failed to honour his contract with his employer, Rachel told the cloaked man, "Vega rescued me from a slaver yesterday, when I happened to be wearing this dancing costume for a performance. I did not have any other clothes to change into when I was kidnapped by him." She tried her best to convince the tracker that Vega was not a criminal. "But he was only carrying out the orders of the slaver and had no intention of harming me. When his employer was attacked, he carried me out of Bisanthium and into these woods."

The tracker nodded though he did not appear to believe her. He had a look of elegant courtesy that was almost smarmy, filling Rachel with a sense of unease. "So you're saying that Dominus Vega abandoned his employer, whom he was contractually bound to protect with his life, and stole one of his slaves? Sounds like our suspicions have been confirmed."

"And you. What will you do now that you are an escaped slave with no one to protect you in this dangerous environment?"

"I am NOT a slave! And it would be best if you keep your hands to yourself." Rachel snapped, slapping the tracker's hand away when he began reaching for her large breasts. That would prove to be a mistake, as she sounded like someone of noble or royal blood.

The cloaked man was perceptive enough to notice that Rachel's tone was unlike that of an ordinary slave or even a commoner, a unique find indeed. Under the pretense that she was still bound by the local laws of slavery, he said, "Regardless, you would have to come with us."

"No!" Rachel screamed, knowing that these men were not going to simply question her. When she turned to run, she felt a stiff blow to the back of her head. The man had rendered her unconscious using a blackjack.

(OOC: Is that okay with you, Kalamos?)

 

[xtxlx]

(ooc... just to mention that Tandy and Rilina would be somewhere not so far off - perhaps Rilina and Rachel should have an unfortunate reunion? I think Tandy could find something to do with an "escaped slave" that doesn't act like a slave. An interesting question like that would need answering.)

 

[Kalamos]

Royal Bounty.

The Aygosian tracker nods again; the vigiles tie up the now unconscious Vega to the stretcher, then snap to attention.

"Maybe we found more than we were looking for..." muses the cloaked man, examining Rachel's possessions.

"You are not a simple ankyra dancer." mutters, kneeling beside the motionless girl.
"So, who are you?"



Unforeseen Resistance.

Several piercing screams from the woods wring the tracker out of his reverie.

The vigiles reach for their weapons; the cloaked figure gestures briefly: the men wait nervously.

Finally, the pursuing guardsmen emerge from the wood, hobbling back to the clearing.

"I am sorry sir." murmurs the first, helping his colleague.
"We lost the boy."

"What happened?"

The second guardsman grimaces in pain: his hand looks twisted and scorched.

"It was like touching sharp needles." he gasps
"Thousands of them, through my hand."

"We reached the boy, but as we were trying to tie him up, he let out a shriek, and suddenly he was painfully bright."

The tracker checks the nature of the wounds.

"It was like... petting a lightning" pants Faravos "I felt... a jolt... and fell over."
"It was painful... and my hand feels numb now."

"Probably some kind of rogue practitioner of the Arcane Arts." murmurs the tracker, carefully examining the warped extremity.

"It should heal, eventually."
The tracker pats his vigil on the shoulder.

Outwardly the cloaked man looks calm and detached.
Inside, he feels furious over his failure. His superior sent him and his men after a runaway slave and her lover, and they turned out to be rogue mages.

He risked the life of two well-trained vigiles, because they were not prepared.


"Adonai, Bedas. Search the campsite."

"Erebos, lead Dekyos and Roden where you and Faravos lost the boy."

The vigiles snap to attention.

"Look for tracks. We can't allow a rogue mage to wander about Bisanthi countryside."

The men nod.

"Be careful, you know the drill: just follow him. Do not try to stop or hinder him in any way."

The vigiles nod again, then run to their tasks.


"Faravos?"

"Hoc, Dominus Denwyn."

"We have a prisoner to interrogate."

The vigiles replies with a nod, and a wicked light in his eyes.



Tied Up.

Denwyn and Faravos quickly prepare an improptu restraining device.

They tie Rachel's wrists and ankles together; then they tie her elbows and knees too, for good measure.
She is finally hung to a pole, not unlike some captured beast of the wilds.

"I hate uncooperative quarry, Faravos" casually quips Denwyn.

"Dominus?"

"Cooperative quarry usually affords its own means of transport."



Imprisoned!

Active Character:
Rachel.

Your head throbs painfully. You carefully open your eyes, but you see nothing but darkness.
You are sick, and feel all upside down.

You try stretching your arms, and you realize you can't. Slowly adjusting your sight, you realize you are hanging from a pole, held in place by sturdy wooden beams.

You are currently held in a small, dimly lit locale with wooden walls.
You try and regain your bearings, but it is clear you are not in the woods anymore.

Last thing you recall, was the angular featured man with a cloak. He was yelling at you. How did he dare!?

Now, you must get free and explain the mistake. You must ... get free.

You try tugging and weaving. To no avail.
The knots are fast, and your extremities feel numb.

There must be a way out! Somebody let me out of here!

 

[cassandra1]

(ooc... just to mention that Tandy and Rilina would be somewhere not so far off - perhaps Rilina and Rachel should have an unfortunate reunion? I think Tandy could find something to do with an "escaped slave" that doesn't act like a slave. An interesting question like that would need answering.)

OOC: Good idea. Maybe Tandy can reveal her true intentions to Rilina first, then express interest in buying another slave, or offer to take Rachel off the vigiles' hands.

At the moment, we don't know where Rachel had been taken. I will probably make it Asperum since that's the slave market. I just checked an earlier post and read that Tandy and Rilina are going to Bisanthium, which means Rachel won't immediately end up in Tandy's hands.

 

[Kalamos]

Northern Tharagya - A Watch Tower.

Dominus Denwyn checks the prisoners' possession for the hundreth time.
Something doesn't make sense.
He has an ominous feeling, about the both of them.

The dancer is not what she claimed to be. There is a subtle aura of authority about her, and her gaze is too fierce for a slave.

The wounded warrior is now well and sleeping. Denwyn personally treated him, and Vega is recovering.
No point in returning a dead prisoner. He must face trial and punishment, before.

There is something is wrong about him too.
A faint, dark vibrance. Not the arcane power. Something wilder. Savage.

For good measure he had Adonai chain him. Ignoring the omens is courting disaster.


Tharagyan countryside is dotted with outposts and watchtowers. While severely undermanned, a well trained group of trackers can still use them to quickly send signals and organize search parties.

Denwyn is waiting for Erebos to report back.
The sun is high, on the western sky; a signal is due anytime soon.

 

[xtxlx]

(ooc... Yes, I agree. Rilina is one post away from finding out Tandy isn't nearly so wonderful as she might think. *wills Rilina to post* ...darn that never works)

 

[Hue]

Day 4 in the Woods

Night Raptor was getting more and more ready to leave. Late in the afternoon and early evening posed uncertainty of how much longer this spot would remain unchecked. NR had a few wins, as well as Waylander in their gambling game. Albert had woken up around midnight as made some noise that forced Night Raptor to silence him. Katie forced herself to remain quiet out of fear of what might happen to her if she made the slightest noise. Katie saw Night Raptor pace back and forth like a caged lion and tending to his weapons.

"Excuse me sir," Katie said, "But can you release me now, my limbs are very achy."

Night Raptor turned, snarled, and said, "Let's bet on that shall we?"

"Fine," Katie said, "I bet my freedom, and you on side 'H'."

"I see," Night Raptor stated, "I'll bet your boots, your job, your money, and your freedom on side 'T'."

"I'll bet Albert on side 'H'," Waylander chimed in.

"Okay Waylander," Night Raptor stated.

Katie's eyes went wide, and gasped as the coin flipped. Katie got real confident when Night Raptor's face shown displeasure when he had placed the coin on top of the back of his hand.

"Think that you have won eh?" Night Raptor commented as he stared into Katie's eyes.

"Yes I do," Katie replied, "Now show me the coin!"

"Okay Katie," Night Raptor said as a smile appeared on his face, "Here is your answer."

Once NR started smiling, Katie had a feeling that she lost, and the coin confirmed that fear.

"Damn," Waylander said, "No Albert slave for me."

"Noooo," Katie stated with tears in her eyes as she saw the 'T' face up on the back of Night Raptor's hand, "Best 2 out of 3."

"Sorry my dear," Night Raptor said as he took possesion of Katie's purse, and he bent down and started unlacing Katie's boots, "A bet is a bet."

Night Raptor enjoyed looking at Katie's horrified face as her feet were lifted off of the ground and her boots were slowly peeled off of her feet. Katie shivered as the cool air kissed her bare feet. Katie was still frozen and she could not move any part of her body without NR moving them for her.

"Please," Katie whimpered, "Please let me go."

"I think not," Night Raptor said, "You belong to me now and I am wondering something, and that is just how ticklish are your pretty feet Katie."

"Very ticklish," Katie gasped and she watched in horror as Night Raptor's wiggling fingers came closer and closer to her bound, beautiful, and hypersensitive feet, "Please, don't tickle me, I'll do anything you want, all I ask is that you don't tickle my feet."

"Anything eh," Night Raptor said with interest as he pulled back, "All right, 'H' you will spank yourself, and 'T', you will kill Albert."

"I can't do those," Katie said.

"Okay then," Night Raptor said as he resumed his inching towards Katie's feet, "Don't say that I never gave you a chance."

"Okay, okay," Katie stated in horror, "I'll do it, I'll do it, just tell me what I have to do."

"Much better," NR said as he flipped the coin, showed Katie the result and said, "You have to kill Albert."

Interrupted Action.

"Okay," Katie said, "I'll do it." Katie was released from her force field prison, stretched out, took out her dagger, and walked over to Albert, raised the dagger and said to him, "I am sorry about this."

"Go ahead," Albert dared, "Do that beast's dirty work!"

"I have no choice Al," Katie snapped, "He is my master."

"Pbth," Albert snorted, "This coming from a slut like you who said that 'I have no master', what now Katie?, and look at you, barefooted and at his mercy."

"How dare you," Katie growled as she plunged the dagger into Albert's heart.

"Well done my slave," Night Raptor said as he watched Katie clean her dagger and made sure that Albert was dead, "Well done indeed."

Night Raptor removed his freezing spell from Albert and Albert's limp body fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Katie got her boots back on and was about to sneak off when she couldn't move again.

"Damnit," Katie said to herself, "Caught again."

"That was not smart my little slave girl," Night Raptor said, "What to do about that? I know, TICKLING."

"NOOOOOOOO," Katie yelled, "NOT THAT!"

"Yes," Night Raptor said as he place Katie's legs and feet behind her so she could not see, but feel what was to come, "That!"

"At least let me see how close you are to my soles before, during and after your tickling of me," Katie requested as she felt the loosening of her boot laces and the cool air against the soles of her bare feet.

"Gee let me think," Night Raptor said sarcastically, "Umm, NO."

"Teehehehehehehehe, hahahahahahahaha, "Katie laughed as her soles were stroked from heel to toes and from toes to heel, "Stahahaop plehehehehehease, no more."

"Tickle tickle tickle," Night Raptor cooed, "Cootchie cootchie coo."

For the next few moments, the woods were filled with Katie's sweet laughter. Night Raptor stopped, allowed Katie to calm down to catch her breath, released her from the spell long enough for her to get her boots back on, put her under a sleep spell, collected his belongs, and said to Waylander, "Want to come with us or head on your own way?"

"I think that if you are going to leave by air," Waylander began, "Then I should go with you."

"Sensable of you," Night Raptor said, "The woods are becoming unstable, very unstable. Follow me."

Night Raptor carried Katie while Waylander followed him to the spot where Night Raptor entered the woods.

"Take ahold of Katie while I transform to my full dragon form," Night Raptor said to Waylander.

"Okay," Waylander replioed as he took ahold of Katie, "She is a real cutie, damn that's impressive."

"Thank you," Night Raptor hissed friendly like, for he was in his full dragon form, "Climb up and hold on to Katie and the spike in front of you really tight.

Waylander did just that and off they went soaring throughout the air in the direction of Port Kaphraktos.




Pending Review.

Reason #1
We need to hear from Country. Please send PM.

Reason #2
We need to review Draco's and Raptor's powers, before.
Traditionally, Half-Dragons can barely support their own weight in flight.
They are not full-sized Dragons; they shouldn't be able to carry passengers.


Previous Edit by Hue:
Yesterday at 03:51 PM. Reason: Adding Waylander's actions into the post (Have Country's permission to control Waylander 'til Country is able to do so again)!


[OOC: I did get Country's permission to control Waylander as Kalamos knows from a PM that I sent him. 2nd thing - Half dragons are smaller than the full size dragon, but they are still quite capable of carrying passengers. That only lasts for a little while though, full sized dragons can carry passengers for the entire duration of their flight. Half dragons, in their full dragon form, look like a young dragon instead of a full grown dragon, therefore, the half dragons are quite capable of carrying passengers in flight.]

 

[cassandra1]

Rachel started to panic. These men not only believed that she was an escaped slave, they had also tied her wrists and ankles to a horizontal pole like a captured animal. As soon as she fully regained her senses, all kinds of condescending insults came to mind. But it dawned on her that maybe she should keep her princess-like behaviour in check. She would have to act like a commoner.

Looking at her body, she noticed that her shoes were missing. They must have fallen off while the men were bringing her from the woods to this place. Rachel examined her surroundings and noted that the place appeared to be a cabin. She was in a small room with wooden walls and a wooden table, on which only a pair of candles had been placed for light. Through a rectangular opening in the sturdy door, Rachel could see a guard standing outside.

She called out to him, "Hey! HEY!"

The guard mumbled something inaudible, unlocked the door and stepped in. His face was mostly covered by the darkness, but Rachel could see that he was a fairly well built man in the same clothes as the vigiles who arrested Vega back in the woods.

"Can you tell me where I am now?" Rachel asked him, trying her best to keep her usual tone hidden even though she probably gave herself away by screaming at the cloaked man prior to being knocked unconscious.

"You'll end up in Asperum, the country's center of slavery." the guard replied in a gruff voice.

"Look, there must have been a mistake. I'm not a slave. I've never been a slave." Rachel protested, "Please let me go. My hands are getting numb."

The guard laughed. "Oh, no. Dominus Denwyn has taken a keen interest in you. He thinks you are not just a dancer, and he has ways to make you confess your true identity."

"I can assure you that I am a dancer, nothing more. I perform at Bisanthium... hey, what are you doing?" Rachel queried when the man pulled a large ball of white cloth from his pocket. "Please. You don't have to gmnnrrrmmmrrpph."

The cloth was stuffed forcefully into Rachel's mouth. "I will await further orders from the Dominus." the guard said, grinning evilly as he left the room, closing the door noisily behind him. He had heard stories of prisoners who talked their way into being released, leading to an uncomfortable situation for the guards on duty when questioned by their superiors. The gag would prevent that from happening.

 

[Ksilrebu]

(( Hey, I aught to be active from now on - for the most part. As a closet-case, and currently without my own private computer, it may be a little choppy. I'll try my best to keep up with things. Rousing good job on the NPCing so far, though. Kalamos sure seems know where his towel is. ))

The woods were, as they were when he first ran, cold, dark, and wet. Things had again taken a turn for the worst; this seemed to be his lot in life. Trying not to feel sorry for himself (when, after all, he had managed an escape), he turned his thoughts to the dancer girl and the other fellow. Try as he might to do elsewise, he could not bring his thoughts off the subject.

"They would have gotten it one way or the other," Sethos reassured himself. "I didn't lead any guards...I didn't..."

He kept a fairly slow pace, because moving any faster would disrupt the simple glamor he had put up to help him blend in with his surroundings. True invisibility was a taxing feat, and could only be maintained for a short while, where a simple chameleon effect could take him far greater distances, with nearly as much effect in forested areas. When the forests were gone, however, he had to contend once more with chance. Fortunately, where grasses grew tall he could almost all but walk unseen.

After a short time, he came across the Watchtower, where upon noting the guards he took to the notion that they were keeping at least one of the two he followed. At that point he cursed himself for his own ignorance; it only then had occured to him that he had been actively following them whereas he had not long ago resolved to leave them to whatever fates awaited them and continue with his own mission.

Without further thinking over the proposition, he focused all his efforts on remaining unseen, and thus vanished for a bit. Fortune smiled upon him then, for the door to the tower opened for a moment and gave him a chance to move in quickly. He saw the scene before him, and was at once both pleased and displeased with what he saw.

"I can assure you that I am a dancer, nothing more. I perform at Bisanthium... hey, what are you doing?" Rachel queried when the man pulled a large ball of white cloth from his pocket. "Please. You don't have to gmnnrrrmmmrrpph."

Looking about for anything that might let him stop the current going-ons of that room, he slowly krept about the outside wall. An odd thing happened then, and one that left him largely afraid for his own well-being: Rachel caught his eye. Sethos' immediate reaction was that this thing was impossible, for at the moment his eye would be invisible. Upon an immediate inspection of himself and his current state of visibility, it became obvious his earlier escape had been far more taxing than he had been willing to admit, much to his own undoing. It was not more than a half-second before the large one, who had been in the room with Rachel, noticed him.

"Hello then," he offered, turning to face the near-petrified youth. "I don't know how you got in, but I've got to thank you. Saved me a neat bit o' trouble."

Mustering up what list bit of courage he had and letting it mingle with a flickering spark of the eldrich, Seth' stepped forward and let glow his anger about him visibly. His eyes silvered over, and orange sparks fell from his hands.

"If you value your life," Seth growled as best as he could for his age, "you'll leave right now."

The guard chuckled and stepped forward, offering no more response than a swift crack across the boy's temple. He smiled down at the unmoving mageling, and nudged his bare shoulder with his boot.

"Sorry, gov, but I'm not quite as stupid as the rest of them."

 

[Kalamos]

Ah! A coup de theatre! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I'll post a suitable Action later.

 

[Kalamos]

Northen Tharagya - A Watchtower.

"Dominus! Dominus Denwyn!"

The sharp featured tracker lifted his head, giving Adonai a dry look.
"I presume Erebos finally reported in."

"Not quite, Dom."



Failed Rescue.

Active Characters:
- Rachel.


You fiercely protest, but the vigil forces a gag nearly down your throat.
You desperately fight against the choking feeling, and try to remain calm and collected.

This is all so wrong, this is going terribly wrong. You must explain. They must listen to you. They...

Sethos!
Somehow he managed to track you down: he is creeping behind the guardsman; if he could only strike the vigil down, you could free Vega and...


No! Sethos! No!!!



Struck Down.

Active Characters:
- Sethos.

Last thing you remember, was the burly vigil smacking you right in your head.

You curse your unreliable powers; you nearly fried a man, back in the wood, when you only wanted to repel him away.

Now you needed to give the captor a good jolt, and your energies unexpectedly waned.

You feel frustration building up. They tied and threw you up in a cabin not unlike Rachel's.

You are lost, but you are not alone: you can hear a soft snoring, close by; struggling against the jingling, elaborate bondage, you turn to your side and recognize a familiar shape.

Vega!

A perverse pleasure fills you: there he is, the blundering, trustless warrior.
He accused your leading the guards in, but he couldn't fight for his own good.
There he lies, in a well tied heap.

Spite subsides, and despair gives in to rational thought.
He could still help you: it is only a matter of time, before you can release a new burst of arcane vibes.

You are so furious you could melt iron!
To your chagrin you realize they actually bound you with metal chains.

This is going to be thougher than you expected...



Aching Head.

Active Character:
- Vega.

Oh, cursed kids...

Whyever did you choose to save the pampered brat...?
Whyever did you allow the skinny boy to stay...?

Ouch, your head throbs.
You feel your limbs numb, incapable of movement.

Oh, no! Not this!

For a brief, awfully long, heartbeat, you believed you were dead, or, worse, paralyzed.

You saw fighters with sundered spines reduced to motionless husks, helpless and cursed with a fate worse than death itself.

Luckily - relatively speaking - you realize you've been tied. Chained, actually.
You can struggle against the bonds, and your limbs promptly respond.

Even the wounded leg seems in working order: it hurts, but it is nowhere as painful as it was before.
Somebody tended it - and from the spinning head and the urge to throw up, sedated you as well.

You try and regain your bearings. A twisted shape is dangling from a pole, in the middle of the room.

It cries through a cloth muffle; its voice sounds sharp and strikingly feminine.
You turn to your side, fighting to sit up.

Rachel!

Your body finally stops cooperating.
You slump back, drained.



Imprisoned!

"I hope you enjoy being together."

With a clang and a creak the door is open, and a slender, cloaked figure strides inside.

Rachel, Sethos and Vega struggle to glare back at their jailer.


"Very considerate of you," chuckles, addressing to Sethos "to join us, young sir."

The man allows himself a laugh.
"As it seems, you tricked my men into believing you were headed north, to the Barak Sea."

He steps toward Sethos, rubbing his hands together.

"It was a cunning and daring plan."
He kneels beside the boy.

"Unfortunately, whatever luck you had, abandoned you when you arrived here."

He delicately caresses Sethos's forehead, where the vigil struck him.
"Gods know what possessed you into facing a guardsman twice your weight, in unarmed combat."

Sethos cringes at the touch; the cloaked man stands, chuckling to himself.
"Or maybe, you simply got lost. You bungled into our outpost, and hoped your trick would work twice."

Sethos stares at the man, throwing curses through his gag.

"Don't do that. You don't know what you are playing with, young sir."


The cloaked man strides over Vega, ignoring the dangling body.

"Dominus Reynaldus."

The swordsman glares at the Aygosian tracker.

"I apologize for the uncomfortable accomodation."

The figure kneels beside Vega, shaking his head.
"Let me check the bandages."

Vega jumps as deft, prying fingers palpate his recovering leg.

"Hoc, it should heal nicely. You shouldn't exert it too much."

The cloaked man stands again, tapping his hand on the chin.
"We want to you to arrive at full health, where we are sending you to."

Vega growls, and for a short, blissful moment, he can feel his muscle bulge.
Unfortunately, the chains hold fast.


"Ah! Dulcis in fundo. The mind of the covenant."
The tracker steps over the tied dancer.

"You claim you are no slave. Yet you dress up as an Ankyra and your travel in the company of two rogue practitioners of the Arcane Arts."

Denwyn shakes his head, in mock disappointment.
"Do you realize the dangers of wielding powers you don't fully understand, young lady?"

The tracker approaches Rachel's feet.
"Ah, this is all so dark, in here."

"Adonai!"
The vigil peeks through the door.

"Hoc, Magister?"

"Adonai, bring me a Lapis."

"Hoc!"

Denwyn caresses Rachel's soles; his touch is surprisingly soft - Rachel must fight to suppress the tormenting sensation of stranger hands fiddling with her extremities.

"Dominus."
The vigil brings in a small, roundish object, covered in a black cloth.

Denwyn nods and Adonai gets out, closing the door behind.
The cabin is now completely dark, save for a blade of light from the setting sun, filtering through the uneven door panes.

The Aygosian Magister opens the pouch, and places a cold, smooth stone on Rachel's soles.

The object feels like a well-cut gemstone. Rachel stares back at Denwyn, quizzically.

Denwyn flashes a smile: the stone is getting warmer.
Rachel can feel a tingle, almost a tickling through her feet.

To Sethos's and Vega's disbelief, the Lapis is also getting brighter: it looks like a tiny round candleflame, in the tracker's hands.

Denwyn gently brushes it against Rachel's feet, slowly going from heels to toes, balls to arches, back again on the soles.

The tingling is becoming stronger: Rachel yelps and fights against her bonds.
Denwyn finally releases the stone, and raises it for everybody to see.
The sensation lingers on for a while.

"Thank you, Domina."
He winks at Rachel, and kisses her toes.

"Behold..."
Denwyn narrows his eyes.

"The Power of the Ancients."



Doomed.

"This is why I cannot let you go."
Denwyn concluded, juggling the Lapis between his fingers.

"Aygosian Elders * hold nature to be composed of tiny particles."
He repeats, gazing into the gemstone.

"They called them... 'atoms'".
His hands clasp over the small stone.

"With proper rituals, the atoms' natural inclination, the 'klinamen', could be adjusted." he raises his hands. "Even changed."

He closes his eyes, muttering to himself.

"And the embridled power..." he points the stone towards the wall "released."

The gemstone flashes briefly, then a bolt of light gushes forth, striking the wall.

"This was just a small fraction of your own power, young lady."

Rachel stares at the smouldering hole in the planks.
A scared vigil peeks through, checking all is fine.

Denwyn gestures back.
"With all my efforts, I am barely able to scorch it..."

"You," he points at Rachel "could pierce through it."
He slumps back, almost drained.

"Ah... experienced Varamynes can wield great powers... they devote their life to the Art."
He is almost speaking to himself.

"But they can affect only so many atoms, before their klinamen is switched, and the power in a given area effectively spent."

"But you..." he clambers to his feet.
"And you... even you!" he gestures at Sethos and Vega.

"You are different!" he stares at Rachel like a madman.
"You can fuel atoms with your own natural power, renewing them, and allowing their klinamen to be exploited times and times again!"

The gemstone's glow slowly subsides; Denwyn's face is shrouded in darkness once again.

"This is why..." he delicately removes the gags "I cannot let you go."


* See Lucretius - De Rerum Natura. 😉

 

[cassandra1]

This was all too bizarre for her liking. The tingling on her soles did not bother Rachel as much as hearing Denwyn talk about the power she had. The beam burning a hole through the wall showed that she had more power in her than she cared to know. But how could this be? She only took lessons in low level magic when she was younger. Perhaps there was more to it than meets the eye.

When Denwyn removed the gag from her mouth, Rachel took some deep breaths. She saw that Vega and Sethos were chained up in the same room, but refrained from calling out to them. As she had noticed when light from the gem filled the room, her two friends were alright though Vega's wound was still present and Sethos appeared to have been struck on the head. She glared at Denwyn, unable to do anything but frown at him.

"I didn't know about these... atoms and klinamen you spoke of." Rachel said, hoping to annoy the Dominus by being clueless. "But whatever it is you want me to do with this power, I will never do it. Not if you treat me and my friends like slaves, trussed up in a dimly lit room somewhere in Asperum."

(OOC: Kalamos, you will be controlling Denwyn, right?)

 

[Kalamos]

Yes.
I'm waiting for Sethos to act. Vega is currently inactive; we'll assume he is too groggy from sedation to react.

 

[xtxlx]

In The Meanwhile...

Northern Tharagya - The Road to Bisanthium.


(ooc... a bit of force used here to move things along slightly. I doubt Rilina would mind but if so we can edit it.)

Tandy watched Rilina fidget and put on a concerned frown. "Stop fidgeting... it's very distracting."

Two minutes... and more fidgeting later. "Rilina! You aren't taking this interview seriously at all... STOP fidgeting!"

One minute... the poor dear was just deliciously sensitive, wasn't she? "I said ST--... no..."... Tandy's look shifted from fake anger to fake concern. "You obviously have been under a lot of stress and need to relax. And as it happens I know a good way to deal with all that excess energy you have..."

With a often-practiced motion, she took the leather cuffs from the drawer and quickly restrained the fidgety apothecary by the wrists. Rilina's eyes widened in surprise, giving Tandy time to place the cuffs over a nearby hook attached to the ceiling of the carriage. Closing and locking the hook (gosh, it was a metal ring after all), she sat close to Rilina and started to gently poke and tease through her clothes.

Still with a look of concern, she purred softly to Rilina. "Shhh... now Tandy will get allllll that nervous energy out of you. Don't you worry, we can finish the interview later. That's right... say, you never did say just how ticklish you are? Well... we can find out together."

Eventually settling on poor Rilina's underarms, Tandy lightly rakes little circles with her nails and begins to learn about her newest victim.