Chapter 22, in which a swamp burns, and someone from the Brotherhood isn’t evil for once

Swordslasher Jon
Stumbling for a bit and tripping twice Jon finally got to his senses. Jon realizing that the fairy was still following the crowd only winked at it because the rest of the group didn't seem to notice him. Jon closes his eyes and sends a message to the fairy about his brother. Soon some of the others notice that Jon's been acting strangely.

Kalistra
"Yes this works very well Red Un. We are dragging 2 passed out dwarves with us, and I just popped out of thin air wearing a coconut and some grass." Kalistra said sarcastically, hauling Vodok along.

But to her surprise, the guards simply let them pass. Things must be pretty strange around here...

Swordslasher Jon
"C'mon we wasted enough time around here." "Let's get going!" Jon walks ahead of the crowd as he soon realizes that he was the problem earlier for sleeping. Well I want the fairy to be near me, but I want the others to think it's left behind. I can't use the excuse of someone falling from the sky, cuz that’s already happened. "Hey is that another person falling?!?" the fairy zips below everyone as they look up. The fairy goes to hide in Jon's robe inside pocket. Soon everyone notices nothing. "Well, I thought I saw someone. Maybe I'm still a bit tired."

Red Un
Red Un took the lead. He wanted to get as far away from that smelly swamp as soon as possible. They closed in on the bridge that marked the end of Venorian territory...

"Aaaw, CRAP!"

The bridge had been destroyed. There was no way to pass over the deep swamp. A small note laid on the ground. Red Un picked it up and looked at it. It read: "We will wait for you, half-dwarf" and was signed with an ominous black star. Red Un sighed deeply.

"There's only one way left..."

He looked towards the huge swamp to the north.

"Through the swamp..."

Vodok
The two dwarfs were lying on their backs, being dragged around. Vodok put his hand in his pocket for no special reason. Dwarfs often did pointless things when they were drunk. Something smooth was there... It appeared to be a ring. But it wasn't one ring. It was several rings. He put one on. Suddenly Vodok felt sober again... It was a dwarven ring. Now he remembered. He had swiped the rings, just before he got drunk. Vodok was now sober. But he didn't blow his disguise... Why walk when you can be dragged along...?

Red Un
Red Un looked out over the swamp. It was possible to travel through it, he had done it himself many times. But it was indeed a hard journey. And that note..."We will wait for you..."

"Right people, I hope your boots are tight and that you are used to bad smells..."

He paused and thought a bit.

"...well, considering we've had Vodok, Vodivir and myself along for quite a while I guess you are. Heh, I think they'll be pretty awake after being dragged trough the swamp for a couple o' hours..."

Kalistra
"Hey!" Kalistra yelled. "I've been enjoying fresh sea breezes on my little island you know! And now you expect me to go into this yucky, stinky, smelly, disgusting and gross slimy green swamp?!? I'm a lady you know!"

Seeing as no one was paying any attention to her, she stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. When still no one looked up, she gave a big sigh and looked at Vodok. "Well if you aren't gonna wake up, I'll have to float you through that stinky swamp! You'll wake up all gross and smellier than you are now, but I suppose it can't be helped."

She grabbed Vodok by the collar again and started dragging him towards the swamp...

Tujex
Tujex tucked his pants into his boots, and started into the swamp. He would've offered to carry Kalistra, but his shoulders hurt from carrying Jon. With his first step, he almost fell as he sunk into the mushy swamp water. He managed to grab onto a tall thick tree trunk, saving himself. He sighed in relief as he stood upright, dusting his hands and pulling his foot free from the mud. He turned to see if Kalistra had noticed, but she was busy with Vodok and Vodivir. He smiled and ran as fast as he could in the swamp, to Red Un.

Vodok
Vodok suddenly flew up from his lying position. "Noneedtochuckmeintanowate'!" Vodok yelled out as quickly as possible. He walked up to Vodivir and put a dwarven ring on his finger.

Kalistra
Kalistra looked at Vodok in mild surprise as he suddenly seemed entirely sober!

Wow! I'll have to remember that swamp air and the threat of swamp water sobers you up very quickly! Kalistra thought. Then she spotted Vodok again.

"VODOK!!!" the assassin yelled happily. "I've missed you so much on that Gods forsaken island!" And Kalistra ran towards him, arms outspread. However, she had forgotten that, while she was a small girl, Vodok was slightly shorter. And when she bowled into the dwarf to give him a big hug, poor Vodok staggered backwards.

Kalistra had just enough time to say "Uh-", when the disgusting swamp water hit her face...

Vodok
"I'll save yeh!" Vodok yelled, trying to grab Kalistra. But that resulted in Vodok falling in the swamp too. Vodivir quickly drew his rope, and threw one end to the sinking Vodok. Vodok grabbed the rope and was pulled up. Then Vodok took the rope from Vodivir and threw out to Kalistra.

Kalistra
Spluttering, Kalistra grabbed hold of the rope. After she was hauled back up on dry land, she glared at Jon, Tujex, Red Un and the two dwarves, daring them to laugh at her. Then she sighed.

"We are just going to have to walk back into that swamp again, you know." Kalistra said glumly. "Ugh!"

She grabbed Vodok and gave him a big hug anyway. She figured he wouldn't mind, seeing as they were both covered in goo already.

"I'm glad I'm back. Now lets go." The little assassin smiled.

Red Un
"If we're done with all the happy reunions, can we please get goin'?" said Red Un impatiently. "I wanna get through this swamp as quickly as possible, so let's move!"

He started to walk into the swamp.

Meanwhile...

"So, what is our plan?" said a robed man to another robed man.

"Oh, you'll see" answered the other. "You'll see..."

Kalistra
"You're just jealous Red Un! Admit it! You wanted a hug as well."

After saying this Kalistra grabbed hold of Red Un and gave him a big hug as well.

Red Un
Red Un laughed.

"I guess you're right, assassin. I needed a hug right now. But please, we gotta get goin' before it gets dark..."

Swordslasher Jon
Jon rolls his eyes. "Some team we have here. OK. Now if anyone wants to just stay behind, clean up, and reunite with one another please do so now. We need to be on our way." He slips through some of the green scum as he tries to take a few steps. "Oh yah. Never been here before. Which way?"

Kalistra
"Stop moaning you"! And let’s go that way!" Kalistra said, pointing straight towards the dark swamp. Uhm that’s, west I think?"

Red Un
"Let's make that northwest" said Red Un and started walking in that direction. Dwarves (and half-dwarves) have always had an uncanny sense of direction. Has something to do with living in tunnels...

Vodok
Vodok and Vodivir simply followed Red Un, even though Vodok was very wet. Vodok was pretty cold. "Hmmm... 'Ere's sum'in' in me EEEK! I mean ARGH!" Vodok yelled, as he tried to take his left boot off. "OW!" Vodok yelled, and started cursing. He took of his boot and put his hand in it, bringing out a snake. Held it's tail, and he threw it away as far way as possible. "Exana Pox." Vodok muttered. It cured the poison, but his foot still hurt from the bite.

Qunomus
Qunomus was sleeping in the swamp, (he could sleep just about anywhere) when a live snake came flying right at his head. He sat up very quickly, and jammed an arrow through the snake. "What in Tibia?" he said aloud. "Since when do snakes fly?" Brushing the swamp grass out of his long blue hair, he stood up and looked around.

Red Un
Red Un stopped.

"Oi, 'ello there! What's a blue-haired feller like you doin' in a swamp?"

Kalistra
Kalistra looked curiously at the blue-haired fellow that popped out of the marsh grass.

She stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes. Then she hid behind Vodok.

Tujex
Tujex studied the man who had just jumped up, an arrow with a snake on its end in his hand. "I don't think that's how you make Poison Arrow," Tujex chuckled as he neared the man. "And why exactly why were you sleeping in a swamp? Normal people don't do that," the elf joked with a smug smile on his face.

Red Un
Red Un shrugged.

"I guess we oughta leave him doin' whatever he was doin'..."

Vodok
Vodok took the lead, leading the way Red Un was taking them before. He clumsily cut down some jungle grass with his fire sword. Unfortunately the grass was dry, and caught fire. "Whoops!" Vodok yelled.

Qunomus
Qunomus had finished studying them. The young paladin couldn't be any trouble, he was an elf.
However it did seem odd that he would travel with dwarves. He desired to talk with the elf about his taste in company. However he jogged up to Vodok and asked: "Is this yours?" holding up the dead snake.
Then he stopped, for his memory stirred. "Erm, have we met before?" he asked, twirling a burst arrow between his fingers. He didn't seem to realize that the grass (and his cloak were on fire.)

Red Un
"Damn it Vodok, you wanna burn down the whole swamp?!"

Red Un rushed over to a small pool of non-swampy water and took of his helmet. Then he filled it up.

"C'mon! We gotta extinguish the fire!"

Meanwhile...

"Hmmm...it seems like that dwarf is doing the work for us."

"Yes, but let's help him a bit..."

Kalistra
The fire seemed to be localized to the small patch of grass that was dry. Seeing as they were in a swamp, Kalistra wasn't too worried about the fire spreading. She settled down against a tree to watch the fun.

"Err... Shouldn't someone throw some water on the guy that’s on fire?"

Suddenly there was an unnatural wind, seemingly coming from all directions at once. There was a great woosh, and the fire burned brighter and higher.

"Ah, Red Un... Don't want to interrupt the fun but ahm... Maybe we should get the hell out of here?"

The tree next to the assassin caught fire. Edging away from the heat, Kalistra looked at Red Un askance.

Vodok
"What the heck is goin' on here?!" Vodivir asked. Several dead trees close up caught fire and started burning. Suddenly there was fire being shot all over the place. Vodok dived into the swamp, dragging Vodivir with him. "Why'd you do that?!" he yelled. Vodok drew two bottles of beer. He drained them both quickly. He threw one to Vodivir. He took slime in the bottle and threw at the flames. This proved to be a rather stupid idea. Like fighting a behemoth with stones.

Red Un
"Not even Vodok could be clumsy enough to cause this. Let's get outta here!"

Meanwhile...

"They are fleeing from the swamp!"

"They won't get far..."

As Red Un peered into the flames, he saw...shapes. Suddenly, a burning fist descended and knocked him so that he slipped and fell.

"It's...it's fire elementals!"

As he rose, he saw that the fire came from all ways. They were surrounded.

Qunomus
Qunomus, having just put himself out, glanced around.
"Ohhhhhhhh, not good. On march the banners of the king of hell." He raised his runes, and started shooting.

Vodok
“Fire surrounding helpless victims... Done... Fire elementals... Done." one of the robed figures said. He started to circle the fiery area with a drawn sword, ready to strike at anyone who managed to escape.

Kalistra
"Err... I am so confused!" Kalistra said, looking at the fire elementals. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

Then she thought harder. "Ow, wait. Yeah I almost forgot. Supernatural Dark Star thingies. Ah well, fire elementals aren't so bad once you get to know them."

The small assassin shoved up her sleeves, grabbed two of her daggers and made a shallow cut in her wrists. Turning a full circle, she sprinkled drops of blood around her, smoking slightly wherever they fell. Slowly tongues of dark fire started to form from the blood, reaching towards each other, till a fully connected circle was formed around the party members. The black flames grew higher and higher until they blocked out the fiery red flames from the fire and the fire elementals.

"That should... Keep them out... For a while..." Kalistra panted. "Anyone got some ideas? Maybe a snowblizzard will help!"

Red Un
Red Un looked around. The elementals trashed angrily at the black flames.

"Do you always put up bloodcircles when you're in trouble? Not that I'm complainin' or anything..."

He peered through the fire and saw two shapes in black robes.

"Aha! Dark Stars! They always have somethin' new up their sleeve..."

He turned to Kalistra.

"Hey assassin, does the black flames only stop THEM from moving, or does it stop us as well? I gotta get through to those robed men..."

Meanwhile.

"That girl knows some powerful sorcery, I'd say."

"Yes, but not powerful enough..."

One of the robed men raised his arms high in the air. A huge black cloud started to form...

Vodok
Vodok jumped out of the swamp, slightly wetter and colder than before. Vodivir followed. Vodok tried to throw a great fire ball through the flames. It was only stopped by the black fire. Vodok looked up at the clouds, almost as black as the flames. The fire didn't give away any smoke. It simply trapped them. "The fire gives no heat nor smoke. I reckon they're trusting the elements and the elements to kill us." Vodivir said. No time for jokes, even as funny as that one... This is serious he thought, as if that simple choice of words was one of the funniest thing he'd ever said. And it was.

Red Un
Suddenly, it started raining from the cloud. But not water...

"...FIRE!"

Red Un held up his shield, trying to block the drops of fire coming down on them.

"Kalistra, get those black flames extinguished! We've gotta get to those robed men!"

Vodok
Vodok threw himself into the swamp-water, for the second time. A drop of fire hit his helmet. Once again my helmet saves me... he thought, and drew his shield above his head, hoping that Kalistra could get through to black fire.

Kalistra
"Dummies, you can walk through the flames if you want to. It simply keeps the fire out, and those nasty fire-elements. And yes, I kinda do feel safe with a huge wall of black flames around me!" Kalistra yelled at the others.

Concentrating, she made the black flames draw inwards, towards her. Soon they enveloped her entire body, shielding her from the flames.

Casually she strolled towards the robed men, holding up her sword.


Vodok
Vodok jumped out of the swamp, again. Shield over his head. He was very confused.

Red Un
Red Un decided to waste no time.

"C'mon people, we've gotta get the robed guys, or we'll be crispy fries with a swamp sidemeal!"

He drew his sword and slashed through a fire elemental.

Mario Heartwood
Mario started to summon a demon skeleton to take care of some fire elementals after that he ran to Red Un and asked nicely again if he could join the search.

”Can I join your search, Red Un? I wanna find the book as much as you want, please let me follow you and I will serve you well.”

Tujex
"Mario I think we should be more concerned on the fire that's destroying everything right now!" Tujex screamed as he slashed at a Fire Elemental. He sidestepped a ball of fire that exploded next to him. "Man, we better hurry up. I don't know how much long I can dodge like this!" he screamed as he rolled forward dodging another ball of fire.

Vodok
Vodok dodged the rain of fire and then dodged another one. Then another. And another... Then he decided it would be better to have his shield over his head than to jump around the swamp. Unfortunately he didn't have time to raise his shield, because his beard appeared to be on fire. "AAARGH! Me beard! Me beard!" Then he was pushed down into the swamp by Vodivir. The fire couldn't stay alive under that dirty water. Vodok got out of the swamp. “'Ow the 'eck did 'at fire set me beard on fire? T'was we'!" Vodok told Vodivir, ducking under his shield. Vodivir shrugged. "Magic fire?" he said, and was nearly blown to pieces by a by passing fire ball.

Red Un
Red Un ran for the robed guys.

"Mario, any help is appreciated!"

He reached the closest robed man and slashed out with his sword. The robed many dodged it easily.

"Aaah, the half-dwarf found us! But it's too late! Soon the flames will set fire to the swamp-gasses that fills the air we're breathing, and then there won't be any escape! Our work here is done..."

But then Red Un suddenly drove his sword straight at the other robed man, causing a big, nasty wound.

"Brother! Help me!"

The other robed man shook his head and smiled.

"How long have I not waited for this day. I still remember your betrayal. You might think you've fooled the other Brothers, but not me. You shall burn here with the rest of the fools!"

And thus, he uttered an ancient magic spell and disappeared in sparkles.

Vodok
The other robed man tried the same spell. But he was to wounded to make it. Vovivir walked up to the figure. The figure made an attempt the kill Vodivir, but it failed. Vodivir bashed the sword with his hammer, jumped forward and pulled off his helmet. "IT AIN'T HIM!" The robed man struck Vodivir in the back with his sword. Vodivir fell to the ground at once, still breathing, but barely. And blood was spraying from the wound in his back. He raised his blade for the final blow.

Red Un
Red Un grabbed the robed man by his throat.

"Lisn' pal, if ya wanna get outta 'ere alive, I suggest ya help us put out the fires, not kill us."

The robed man coughed nastily.

"I...will not fail...the brotherhood...you...shall all die..."

"The brotherhood has abandoned you! They don't care about their members, just their silly cause! Don't you want revenge?"

"Revenge...yes...they shall suffer for this...for abandoning me...I shall help you half...NNGH!...dwarf..."

He stretched out his hand, and cast a healing spell at Vodivir.

"Now...check under my robe...there is a...a...stone there...a blue crystal...throw into the swamp...then...then...rruuuuunnnnn..."

And thus, the man died.

Kalistra
"No Red Un, don't listen to him! Don't throw the stone in th-"

Swordslasher Jon
"Of course you should listen to him!" Jon says as he reappears from behind a magic wall. Jon grabs the crystal from him and throws it. "Everybody, remember he said to run!"

Red Un
Red Un ran as fast as he could, deeper into the swamp.

BOOOOM!

There was a bright light, and suddenly...

...it started raining! Huge drops of water fell. The fire elementals screamed in pain and terror, before being extinguished. The enormous flames were extinguished too, and soon there were only small fires here and there. Red Un got on his feet and extinguished one by stamping on it. He looked around. The robed mans' body was nowhere to be found.

"Well, I'm glad ya trusted him, Swordslasher. Now, let's get goin'. We've got a carpet to catch!"