Sarah tries to smile, but her own heart is too sensitive to the magics that drown her. She wants to run away, throwing herself on the ground to cry, but something in her mind nags at her that this would accomplish nothing from an unnatural effect. She recognises this nagging feeling as a thought not her own, but from the strange Wee entity. With tears streaming down her face, Sarah lifts her head and laughes. The despair washing away from her, and the strange creature that rides her skin.
She smiles at Lightning, and comes toward her, wishing to reassure the girl. With her arms outstretched, she hugs Lightning, then pats the wolf's head, with the love of a mother for a favored child. Moving away from them, she approaches the wizard, and with her silken fingers, brushes his cheek lightly, smiling to him. Now, she knew all would be well... now the dark servant would not attack them again, for it had failed to make them despair, and that would anger it enough to make it retreat for a time. And by the time it returned, she knew they would be long gone from its territory. It would not get their blood, or their lives from them, and this makes her smile all the more.
Zephyrinus blinks at the woman's touch and the tears on her face. He smiles back at her, his mood lifting though he isn't quite sure why.
"Good man, will you tell me just what kind of powers you are capable of? Could you move this party from the cave we are in, to another on the other side of this vale, over the mountians?" Her voice seems to ask from far away, as if she were in a trance. "Could you teleport all of us, and yourself to the far end of the mountains, where a dark city lies?"
The wizard blinks at the question. "I'd need to know exactly where we'd end up." He thinks for a moment. "With good directions, I think I can manage bringing us across the valley. It will help if you have an image of some sort showing the location. I fear I cannot take us to the far end of the mountains without having been there myself."
With a sigh, the woman closes her beautifully clear eyes and sets her hands, plams down, at the surface of the pool of water. Zephyrinus sees her brow furrow with concentration, and then, the water lifts, and forms. It's liquid surface beginning to solidify into the shape of mountains, buildings and people. Then, it shifts and changes, zooming in closer on the doorway to one particular home, it's delapidated apprearance showing a rickety looking doorway, and just inside the modest home, the wizard sees a large dragoness nestled in a cavern just past the inner room.
Zephyrinus watches with the air of someone accustomed to memorizing details from just such a brief exposure.
Sarah nods, inwardly... she knew this wizard was a good intelligent man, and he was proving it now, as he studied the illusion before him.
"This is where we need to be." The woman states weakly, the water returning to it's normal pool with scarecly a ripple. "This is the house... can you take us there?" Her voice pleads with hope to the aged half elf, letting him know how important this must be to her.
"Aye, my lady." He looks around at his companions, measuring their sizes with his keen blue eyes, then turns back to Sarah. "May I take a handful of water from the pool?"
She lets the illusion, the vision, fall, the water sloshing slightly, as she lets her breath free from the strain; then she nods to him. "Please, do what you must... we have to be there quickly." After her words, Sarah lets her robe cover her form in a strange protective white armor, much like glossed, thick leather.
Zephyrinus looks sharply at each of his companions in turn, measuring their sizes with his eyes. He bends down and starts tracing a large circle in the dust with his finger.
Black Fang waits patiently, not really knowing what to do. Feeling like so much baggage waiting to have a purpose.
She moves to the draconic warrior's side. "Be ready for an attack, when the wizard casts his spell." The warns, in a whispered tone.
Lightning raises an eyebrow at this, and Heart-of-the-Storm seems to become an even larger wolf than normal.
The wizard looks up at Sarah. "Then it would not be advisable for him to be in human form, I take it?" He changes the arc of the circle, making it much larger, and scribes a few symbols in the center. "Step inside, please, all of you."
Lightning complies, though a bit hesitantly at first, the wolf at her side.
He scoops up a handful of water from the pool in his left hand. Moving around to each one, he dips his right thumb in the water and dabs it on their foreheads. He comes to Wee last. "I will need each member of you to come in contact with the water. I'm not sure of the quickest way to do that." Zephyrinus holds out his hand with the small amount of water left.
At a thought from Wee, the water rises from Zephyrinus's hand. It then expands into a thin globe and divides into a multitude of tiny droplets. It would take a microscope to tell that each droplet finally comes to rest on one of Wee's bodies, but Wee directs a thought at Zephyrinus.
"With the spell you have begun, Wee's annointing is now done."
"Right. Everybody ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be," Lightning says. She gives the others a 'thumbs-up' sign. "Now let's go kick some evil butt!"
Zeph bends down and scratches one more symbol on the ground. Reality seems to waver, blurring as if seen through the currents of hot air over a fire -- or swiftly moving water. When it returns to normal, the group is standing at the location pictured on the pool's surface only minutes before.
Surprizingly, Zephyrinus finds the spell slightly more easy to use than he had expected.
Still, there is a jerk and tug that the old mage feels when they move through time and space. Rain lets out with a gasp, as a shadow-like hand reaches for her, trying to rake her with claws. The hand expands to include an arm, then the head and upper torso. As she tries to back away, she falls against Lightening, the shade continuing forward, trying to strike at her, only.
Lightning quickly looks around, scanning for anything around that might qualify as an immediate danger to their health. Heart-of-the-Storm raises its head and sniffs at the air.
BF steps forward to strike at the apparition with his sword while Rain backs away from the thing.
He finds that the shade backs away from him, not willing to hit anyone else of the party. Within moments, the landscape changes...
The sky is dark, not the normal colour of blue and white, but more of a burning yellow, like sulferic smoke. There are shadows that move of their own volition, and Lightening sees the great dome of magical energies that cause the land around her to suffer and die, the magic of the world itself warping further each day. She can feel, deep inside, that it is the rudimental force of evil that twists this land, and instinctivly knows that the source of it's power is the spire above them, stretching like a crooked, withered finger of death toward the hazy greenish-grey sun above them.
BF looks up at the sky and the spire stretching out to reach for it, as if the 'finger' were of a body in its death-throes. Amusingly to himself, the skies look an awful lot like the skies of Plate-City from his home world. He watchs over the shadows warily and waits to see what the others are going to do while he prepares another weapon in his other claw.
As he turns his attentions away from them again, Rain cries out. A black figure trying to envelop her, raking at her protective robe and mystical armor. She tries to push at it, then hit at it, but her attempts do nothing but cause her to bruise herself. With a sudden, jerky motion, she yanks her eating dagger from her belt, and haltingly, shakily attempts to draw it across her own throat. With a gasp she cries out. "Do something... get it off me!"
A curse escapes LIghtning's throat. //No rest for the weary, huh?// she wonders as she tries to grab at the Shadow-being, trying to forcibly yank it away from her companion.
But even as she screams for help, Black Fang sees eight other shades race toward them, great black blades in hand, lighting and fire dancing around each one sinisterly...
Lightning "hears" a little warning tug at the back of her head from her guardian, and turns to see even more shadows. //Geez, won't they let up?!// she wonders. She steps back as Wee begins to glow, and hopes that he/it/whatever can hold the shadow away from Sarah long enough for Lightning to take care of the others.
The wizard lets loose a ball of light that explodes with a great flash upon impact with the dark figure attacking Sarah.
As he hits his mark, Zephyrinus sees teh shade evaporate into a thin whisp of smoke, then it is gone, nothing by a mutilated arm left. Another leaps at the wizard, hissing and spitting, while two more attack the woman, yet again.
Though it is obvious Rain is in trouble, Wee does not act hastily. The need to think before acting had been impressed on it, so it takes a moment to analyze the shadows and their attack.
The shades dart wildly amidst the group, slashing at them, distracting them from helping the blind woman in their midst. One strikes at Zephyrinus, while another tries to bite Lightening, and still a third swings his fists at the wolf. Two encroach upon the Warserpent, holding great scythe-like swords, one raising his above his head, while the other swings toward BlackFang's waist.
The one shadow's fist comes down, only to find the wolf no longer there; it had dodged the attack as if it had been wind. Now it is on the other side of Lightning, who's just attempted to slam the heel of her hand into the chin of the Shadow who's being rude enough to try and bite her.
She hears the warnings from her guardian as she dodges another attack, and swings out with a foot at another shadow.
Zephyrinus strikes back at his attacker with a dagger in each hand.
The dagger swipes through a mist-like chilling air, while Zephyrinus hand begins to numb with the cold of the wraith's substance.
Unfortunately, the patterns of the Shadows themselves are beyond Wee's ability to analyze. Their complexities invite an infinite regress into regions where nothing exists. (A part of Wee points out a complex dynamic between the patterns of Shadows and Rain, but the major view is that such things can be ignored for the time being.) The attack, however, is of a form very similar to what Wee would use to manipulate non-living solids. Once analyzed it is the matter of a moment to set up a destructive counter-pattern and send it at the force dominating Rain.
The form attacking the woman scratches at her armor; barely ripping the cloth, in it's frenzy to reach the woman's flesh, it takes no notice of the strange and foreign entity that covers the woman as well. As Wee's energies work on the being, a second comes upon the scene, setting to her armor in a like fashion with it's own claws. The first beginning to suffer the affects of Rain's own spell to be rid of the demon.
Though there is much that Wee could do, most would take too long to be effective in these circumstances. However, there is one thing which might be particularly effective.
The shades tear at the armor, now breaking through it's fibres to hit flesh, scoring it with agonzing wounds that immediately begin to seep with infection.
Splitting into several portions, Wee's bodies assume halo positions around each of its companions, and then begins to glow more and more brightly.
Zeph gives a brief nod of thanks and approval to Wee, hoping that the gesture will be understood.
The one attacking the wizard spits a trail of venom onto his coat, causing a strong odor of sulfer and making a vapor rise form the cloth that stings the eyes.
His face wrinkles at the pungent smell.
The entity/colony still goes unnoticed by the shades, as they concentrate on the forces they are familiar with dealing. As Wee glows, however, the shades hiss and back from thier foes, dispersing into the darkness that they came from.
Zephyrinus removes his cloak and rubs it on the ground in an attempt to get rid of the caustic venom, keeping his hands wrapped in the unstained portions.
With the removal of the shades, the party sees a small hovel before them, a pair of large blue eyes staring from the cloth covered doorway at them, near the ground level, like the eyes of a child.
The wizard looks to Sarah. "How badly are you hurt, my lady?" //I wonder if those eyes belong to someone she means to meet, or to another threat. We will shortly find out.//
Sarah stared ahead, not seeming to notice the wizard for a moment, then smiles and pats his arm, reassuringly. ~I'll be fine... it's just a few scratches.~ She pathes to him, spreading a light, mildly fragranced salve on wounds of the others in the group.
Lightning notices the blue eyes and, glancing at the others to see if they notice, approaches the hovel. Leaning down so she's closer to the level of the eyes, she says "Hello there?"
The eyes grow wide, as Lightening leans down and speaks, then the small form turns, running away, only the sound of the flapping of bare feet on the dirt floor heard from inside.
Lightning raises an eyebrow. "Friendly folk around here," she says with a smile to the others in the group, the slightest sarcastic edge to her voice. "Shall we investigate?"
With a nod, Sarah motions for Lightening to go ahead, then adds, "Be careful, they are more afraid of us... and that fear is what could make then attack, but not any other reason." in a whisper to the girl.
The small form backs under the legs of her sister, watching wide eyed out the doorway to see what the strange figures will do next. "Feregjorg?" She whispers, looking up at her foster-sister momentarily.
Lightning nods. Just as she takes a step closer, Heart-of-the-Storms appears at her side, only this time in the guise of a friendly white puppy with large brown eyes and a tail that is a blur of motion. Lightning raises one eyebrow and giggles, one hand covering her mouth. "Well," she says, addressing her guardian more than anyone, "we seem to have a sense of humor, don't we?"
Even as Sarah utters her warning, a new, larger, colder set of eyes appears in the shadows of the doorway.
BF shifts uneasily, feeling sure that this is yet again another inhabitent of this world that is capable of more then just physical attack.
Sarah puts her hand on BlackFang's arm, as if steadying herself with a moment of dizziness. She smiles up at him, hoping to put any sudden fears to rest.
"Keep back," a clear voice rings warningly. "Keep back and tell why you come."
He waits, watching everything but doubts this is an ambush.
Sarah nods, motioning for Lightening to go on.
"FEH!" The dragonette shouts, looking hard toward the door, her stance showing that she's ready to help her sibling if needed.
One large, splayed talon wraps gently about the young dragon's head and pulls her behind protective wings. "Get back, Fellie," her sister hisses quietly.
Lightning freezes, and the puppy steps back, emitting a tiny, questioning whine.
Sarah smiles at the pup's use of the features given to him, and the sweet whimper of his small throat would pull at her own heart, did she not know the truth and scope of his abilities. //Clever tactics, Heart of the Storm.//
As she touches the guardian's mind with her words, she gets the sense that it is mentally winking at her.
Lightning glances at the others and quickly decides that telling the owner of the voice that they're here to save the world would not only be farfetched, but also be less than discreet. So she opts for the ever-popular "Um, we come in peace," then glances at Sarah. "Hey, you wanna take it from here?"
"You two are doing well enough..." She tells the girl, showing the effects that she is still a bit shaken from the Shadow Attack while they were teleporting to this new place. //...and I'm not sure they would trust someone like me, in this situation.// She adds silently, knowing full well that they would see her as a sirine much like their mother had been.
"Umm, sure," Lightning says, and looks again at the door.
The large blue eyes continue to study the odd group. "Peace? There is no peace in this land. Speak the truth, or I will drive you from here!"
Lightning blinks, and Heart of the Storm emits another tiny whine. "All right, let me rephrase that," Lightning continues. "We're here to *make* peace. I know," and she waves her hand to indicate the group, "that we don't look like much against an entire world, but hey," and she shrugs, "ya gotta start somewhere. Maybe you could help us?"
Lightning's open query ends abruptly when Sarah steps forward.
"We do not lie, child..." Sarah moves forward, a bit unsteadily, "...you have my word..." she allows her item to cover her features, the hood sliding down to form a mask over her face, the tears glistening all the more through the strange cloth. "... know I speak truth, child. You hear the voice of Rain."
Lightning, seeing Rain moving with difficulty, moves forward to steady her.
Her footing unsteady, still she walks with a grace even Torrinah does not posess, and where the tears fall on the ground, plant-life sprouts with small budding flowers in their tender shoots and coils. "Have faith, Angel Arcryst... as we have faith that you will know right from wrong."
The crystal blue eyes go impossibly wide in recognition. "R-Rain?" the creature's voice chokes. "THE Rain? Oh, oh, oh!"
Lightning blinks, then puts two and two together. A goddess, of course, she'd figured that much. But she'd never take into account the idea of name recognition, because she'd been told using said name might be considered a Bad Idea.
The challenger finally slips into view. A modest sized dragon with shimmering white scales and crystalline wings hurries on her four powerful legs up to the group, dipping her head concilitorially.
Rain studies the figure with the help of Wee's abilities, not understanding what the problem was before she announced herself to this being. The young dragoness looked quite able to withstand any threat, even moreso than that of this party might be able to give her, at first glance.
//Well,// Lightning thinks, //this might not be so bad after all. Eh, Heart?// She smiles wryly. The 'puppy' yips in cheerful agreement.
"Goddess Rain! I didn't- I mean. Oh, please, come inside! Rest! Fellie! Get Snugs an' see these people fed and washed!" she frets, turning to offer a hand-like talon to the weary woman.
The dragonette smiles to her sister and with a wink hurries off to help Snugs get refreshment for their guests. With a few rushed toddlings back to her room for licorice ropes for the guests, as well.
BF blinks and sort of does the equal to, 'ok, well I guess that's settled' in the way he slumps his shoulders back to a more settled state.
With a gentle touch to the WarSerpent's arm, Rain settles back as well, resting her head against his bicep for a moment longer.
Glancing at Lightning, she ducks her head apologetically. "I didn't know you were a servant to the Goddess! Please, forgive my rudeness."
As BF passes, he smiles slightly, "Don't worry, I wouldn't let me in either unless I had a gun, judging by my looks." he states.
//These "guns" he speaks of are bound be a substitute for magic where he hails from. I wonder what became of the sorcerors of his world?// She muses, as she also passes the dragoness, a dip of her head to teh young female to pay respect for the hospitality.
"Hey, no need for apologies," says Lightning, shaking the dragon's talon-hand. "It was a simple misunderstanding. It could happen to anyone." She glances at Rain to see if the goddess needs further help moving.
Angel leads them all into the home, which immediately proves to be much larger inside than at first it seemed. Two short, pudgy, spotted dragonets help get the guests settled in a large parlor. The dragoness vanishes down one hall to reappear a short time later with a heavily laden tray featuring hot tea, breads and sweets. Snugs, the young male polka-dot dragon, sees to it that Rain has a nice fluffy pillow to lay her head on or prop herself up on.
Lightning smiles at the too-cute little dragons as they tend to Rain. Heart-of-the-Storm merely cocks an ear, but judges them to be harmless.
"Have you been fighting shades?" Angel asks as she serves their guests. "There are so many now." She glances towards the door, a worried look on her face. It's obvious that she has been worried for some time, she is so tense.
"Huh. They're everywhere. Shades, you call them? Do they bother you a lot?" she adds, wondering at the source of the young dragoness's tenseness.
Angel sighs. "Yes they do. They hound anyone who dares keep free will. SHE sends them."
The wizard listens without speaking, his mind wondering if these are the same beasts that attacked in his home.
Lightning raises an eyebrow. Her interests piqued, she slowly leans across the table, as if Angel was pulling on a string that was attached to Lightning's head. "She?" she asks. Heart of the Storm cocks an ear.
Zephyrinus nods, "Yes, please tell us who this foul woman is who controls such a noble and powerful creature, as yourself, in fear."
Angel shakes her head. "Not a woman. Dragon. Dragoness. Horrible, evil, and ancient beyond memory. She calls herself the 'Night Mistress' and it is her goal to rule all! She's ruthless and without heart!" Angel's voice rises slightly with her tirade. "It is she who enslaves all the folk of this land, she who commands the shades. She who kills those she cannot rule."
Lightning nods. "Sounds like a pleasant sort, eh, Heart?" she asks her guardian, eyebrow arched in wry humor. "So I take it," and she turns back to Angel, "she's the one we have to defeat. Well, then, rest assured it would be my pleasure to help give her her just desserts." She punches one fist into her palm for emphasis.
Lightning turns at the sound of a yawn from one door in the back of the room. A young man, perhaps in his late twenties, with sleep-mussed brown hair and brown eyes, strides into the room and rubs his face with the back of his hands in an obvious attempt to finish waking up. He catches Lightning's eyes, then notices that the room has a few other occupants that he hasn't seen before. He takes them all in, barely blinking.
"Um, hi," he finally manages. He looks at Angel and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, you didn't mention you were having guests?"
The voice is familiar, and Zephyrinus looks about for any more of the group, but not finding them begins to feel a sense of deep dispair, //I've lost them... Aranya, dear sweet lady, I'm sorry I failed you.//
Snugs hurries up to him, carefully balancing a cup of tea.
"They came unexpectedly. Like all our guests," Angel says, smiling slightly.
"Ah, okay." Travellers? Walking around with shades all about? And what were the chances of two groups of (apparently) mismatched travellers ending up on Angel's doorstep within days of each other? He was beginning to get the feeling that this, along with the rest of the events of the past few days, was more than mere chance. Things were converging, as if Destiny had just woken up from a nap and decided to catch up on what it had missed. He quickly files this away with other things that are way above his head to understand. Why does this always happen to him?
As the wizard thinks on his loss and demeans his abilities within his very heart, he remembers the boy, Corbyn's, bright eyes full of hope and trust as he had begun the spell to transport them. //What had gone so wrong, to seperate us so? How could someone have known my spell was in effect? Unless...// his head jerks upward, staring at Rain with a slack jaw, his eyes show not only fear, but a deep anger and pain like none would imagine from such a man.
He takes the cup from Snugs and pats the young dragonet on the head. "Thanks, Snugs."
She turns back to the others. "I should really introduce us. I am Angel, and the two little ones are Snugs and Felicia. This is Penri, another guest of ours."
"Hello." Penri blinks, then rubs the last of his sleep out of his eyes with the back of his free hand. He focuses on one of the travellers. "Zeph?" he asks, surprised.
The wizard starts, looking at the man who is speaking his name. "Y-yes... hullo, Penri, good to see you're alright." He says a bit absently, distraction making his face seem blank.
Penri is a bit surprised that after their unexpected separation, Zeph seems so....distracted. He can't quite explain it. But then, he supposes that if Zeph's been through anything like he's been... "It's--good to see that you're all right," he finished lamely.
Angel is startled. "Oh! How amiss can I be? W-what were you doing out there?" she asks the wizard, but turns when the goddess speaks.
"Greetings, Penri White-ear." Sarah says, her mask having fallen to reveil her strong elven beauty. "I am known as Rain, and know your search. You can find out what has happened to the boy-child Corbyn, when you seek your home, as well.”
Penri is a bit taken aback that this person knows so much. Then again, Angel addressed her as 'Goddess Rain', and there was something....unusual about her, a sort of air that made Penri sure that Angel's title for her was accurate. It just seemed....right that she should know.
"I know a way into the places that will lead you away from this land, though they are fraught with more danger than a mortal man can hope to fight against... but you are no mere mortal man, are you?" She smiles at the figure before her, wathcing him as if amused in some way.
If he'd been taken aback before, now he nearly stumbled in his shock and embarrassment. He didn't quite know what to say, either to this dire prediction of his fate or the formal acknowledgement of his little 'problem'.
From across the table, Lightning chuckles good-naturedly at his discomfiture.
"In fact, Angel, the child Jesren, your brother, is not about to awaken; his very soul was stripped from him, to be formed as one of the wraithes. It writhes in agony, even now, in her dread pocket of darkness..."
Angel moans in despair, a strange melodic tone.
"...but there are more powerful realms you must cross to find hers, those of the Great Destroyer. It is a dangerous journey, and will take much cunning and stealth... not forthright bravery, but the steady whisper of love and good to Jesren's mind and soul will win him back. And the same will be for the child Corbyn, Penri... when you offer him love and tenderness, he will know the truth and will allow you near to him. Then he may be set free to travel with you, Penri White-ear."
He can only nod humbly. He wants desperately to save Corbyn, but a growing fear gnaws at him that he might not be able to fulfill the role expected of him.
"But the dark forces will only be defeated, and Torrinah roused from her magically induced slumber, if both the Night Mistress and the Ebon Tower fall... for the dark magics that hold this land, and corrupt it's denizens will remain until both are destroyed." Sarah sits quietly, her breath a bit sharp in the silence that follows, as her eyes refocus to the here and now.
The dragoness stares at the goddess as the whispers of her prophesy fade. She is uncertain whether to feel frightened, angery or hopeful. Then she raises her head slightly.
"Magical slumber? Mother? Where?"
There is silence for a moment, then Lightningleans forward, as if even she is unwilling to voice the question that begs to be asked. "So," and her words come out barely above a whisper, "how do we go about doing that?"
[merges with The Shadowhunters.]
As if on cue, the lithe form of Torrinah enters. "Zephyrinus and I shall begin your journey."
Marada follows his mate, surprised at her awakening and eagerness to move off. He looks confused at the array of foreign faces. However, the discussion eventually describes who is who-- although not to a useful degree.
Penri looks up, surprised to see her, and wondering where she's been while he was asleep and recovering.
Next to Lightning, Heart of the Storm cocks an ear as if knowing that Torrinah is more than she appears.
Her magical rainment adjusts itself, to reveal a long dagger sheathed at her waist. "In our recent adventure," the feline woman says with a slight twitch at her lips in humor, "Marada and I were able to retrieve the one component required for the Wizard and I to send you into that dire land my Sister Goddess has told you of."
Rain seems surprised at Torrinah's arrival. With another twitch of a smile, the felinoid addresses her divine guest. "I fear, Sister, your visions were not entirely true. I am no longer imprisoned within the magical slumber our foe sought to bind me by."
Turning to the collection of odd beings, she announces, "It will be necessary to divide our numbers. One group shall enter the Shadowlands with the goal to seek out and rescue the soul of my son, Jesren, and that of the child Corbyn. The other will travel with me to bring an end to the reign of terror the Night Mistress has thus far enjoyed unchallenged."
She stops for a moment. "These tasks are equally dangerous. You must decide now if you will continue. No one will think less of any who will choose to remain here."
"Well, we came this far, and damned if I'm not taking this thing to its end!" Lightning says, nodding for emphasis.
"Right," says Penri. "If I've learned one thing in my life, it's when to recognize when there's no going back. I *have* to see this through, if not for myself, then for Corbyn's sake."
Torrinah nods, a sad smile on her face. //If only it were not so necessary to send these good people into the dragon's maw...// she agonizes within.
Giving the assembled time to think, Torrinah turns her attention again to Rain. "Sister, I fear these journeys both far to fraught with hazard for you. I beg of you instead remain here, and look after my precious little Felicia and her new friend, Snugs. Here I know you will all be safe."
Sarah nods slowly, tears streaming down her cheeks with no sign of sorrow or even joy to explain them. "I will stay, of course. I can offer no more aid for now. I fear some other power is attempting to misdirect my visions and dare not trust them any further."
Releaved, the felinoid hurries up to hug the elven woman. When they part, Torrinah draws out several small glass phials. "There is one other boon you might grant, one other favor you may bestow." Holding out the delicate vessels she requests, "Give us your tears."
Wordlessly, Sarah/Rain takes the phials and one by one holds them beneath her eyes to capture the glistening liquid that seems to perpetually escape from within her. Once they are filled, she offers them back to the Enchantress.
With the tear-filled phials in hand, Torrinah turns to Marada. "Beloved, my Mate. You shall lead those who enter the Shadowlands. With your wit you will succeed in finding the essenses of the two children in need of aid." She hands him one of the phials and all assembled see a gentle glow begin to emit from within the glass. "This will help guide your way and protect you. Each of you who go into those dread lands will carry one."
Marada feels comfortable with this choice of mission. It was the less dangerous-sounding of the options, from a cursory thought, although it grows worse by deeper examination. Moreover, it did not require an attack on the heart of the shades, for which some small part of him still cries, as evidenced by the outgrown Corbyn of recent memory. He looks at the phial [vial?] and puzzles as to how it is used.
Silently she hands a phial each to Penri, BlackFang, Zephyrinus, and Angel. "I choose you, Penri, to travel because of your great love for Corbyn. Lleu is locked in mind combat with the beast who holds his essense, and cannot travel physically. We dare not wake her, lest Corbyn be lost. She also will distract the monster so it will not be able to harry you directly.”
Penri accepts the phial silently.
“BlackFang, I choose you for your warrior skills will compliment the wisdom of the others, and your tactical knowledge will be of value. Zephyrinus, you go because of both your love of Corbyn and your ability to return your company to this world. Once the door has been opened within, you will know the door out."
Turning to Angel, her adoptive daughter, Torrinah's eyes grow bright with tears. "My sweet Angel. Your love must guide you to your brother, and bring him home. Only you of this company know the way through the Shadowlands, and what dangers await there."
Angel seems uncertain. "Mother, I-"
The felinoid shakes her head, silencing the young dragoness. "You know the way. Do you remember the game we have played all this time? The dark board, the odd figures? That was the Shadowlands, child. You know them, though you never knew what you were learning." Torrinah's eyes shut tightly. "I always feared a day would come when I would need to send you there. Whether to save a soul or escape this land altogether, I never knew. You must guide our friends."
Shaking herself quickly, Torrinah turns to the remaining travellers. "Lighting, you and your steadfast companion will travel across this land with me. The Night Mistress has turned to my traitorous apprentice, The Reaver, and he has stolen my arts to fill his pocket. It is he we must stop, for though the Mistress doesn't know it, he is an even greater threat than she. Once he is attended to we shall rejoin the others and assault the Ebon Tower, and fell the creature who twists this land."
Drawing the dagger at her waist, it's blade still darkened by shadow blood, Torrinah steps back into the open area of the chamber. Gesturing to Zeph, she says in a tone that rings with power, "It is time, Wizard. The Shadowlands must be touched."
Uncertainly, Zeph joins her. Torrinah begins to sing, her voice filling the chamber, the entire structure. The wizard finds the chant familiar, and suddenly realises he knows what must be done. Raising his hands, he chants in counterpoint to the Enticer's song. A biting cold wind rushes into the chamber from all three entrances, swirling around the group. It then begins to whirl around the wizard and the enticer, then concentrates between them. The light in the room fades, though the lights are still lit. A darkness begins to yawn open from the heart of the whirlwind. It seems to swallow all light around it.
At first, the dark-souled drake is reduced to shivering from the cold blast. Then the darkness appears, subtly enchanting and attractive. The burst of flame within that lacked warmth is fascinating to a man who did not study portal physics.
As the two magic-weavers continue their concentrated effort, another sound can be heard. Shrieks and angered roars erupt from the blackness in the room's center. The dark sphere begins to reveal more within itself that sheer nothingness. Fire suddenly erupts in the center, though there is no heat and it does not pass the whirlwind frame.
After several long, chilling minutes, Torrinah's song fades and the wizard's chant ends. The two step back, obviously drained, looking upon the portal they have opened. One last gesture remains, however, as the felinoid hefts the blood-stained dagger. With a scream that sends terror briefly into the hearts of all gathered, she lunges towars the dark vision and stabs into it, then tears a long gash down the center from top to floor. Suddenly the winds are sucked through and stop.
In the silence that follows, Torrinah turns, panting, towards her mate. The dagger remains on the floor, at the end of the ragged gash.
"Now. All who will go into the Shadowrealms must go now."
Marada walks to Torrinah and embraces her one last time, and looks at the blade, wondering if he should take it, before heading for the portal. As the others enter and don't take it, he finds this confirms that he shouldn't.
Torrinah looks again to her mate. ~I keep you with me in my heart,~ she says to him, mind-to-mind.
~You and I are one, now and forever.~
Angel, embarrassed as only an older child can be seeing intimacies exchanged by parental figures, hurried through into the dark realms beyond. She hissed as her talons touched the black earth of the strange world, and nearly choked on the foul air.
Penri stands, his features set determinedly. He looks at each of the others who are to accompany him. Attempting to quiet the thundering of his heart, he readies himself and steps forward.
With a final, uncertain glance at her mother, Angel follows Penri, joining him on the far side of the gate.
The white and crystal dragoness turns to aid Penri, should he find the passage difficult. Movement across the landscape registers in the periphery of her vision, but as the form does not approach, she takes no threat from it. She also tries very hard not to stare at her mother. Instead she focuses on Marada, waiting his entrance.
Back with the others, Torrinah gently urges Marada towards the gate. ~The sooner we begin, the sooner we shall be rejoined. Be true to me, my love. I shall never forsake you.~
Marada quickly waddles through the portal. As he arrives in the Shadowrealm, he instantly stricken. The thoughtspeech "background hum" of this world is different, heavy with horror and discomfort. It causes him to drop to one knee and grimace, covering earfans with forelimbs until it falls to the background.
[go to Shadowlands with Marada] [go to The Ebon Tier with Torrinah]
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