Rashemen IV

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Sepp drifted in a dark void. It was warm, and peaceful. It was inviting him to stay there, forever, and he longed to do so. No more sad memories. No more toil. No more anything.

Then, from far away, he heard someone urgently calling to him. The darkness held him for a moment, but then he was forced to listen.

"Sepp, dear cousin. You CAN NOT leave us!"

Sepp opened his eyes, a dull ache burning the side of his head, and looked into Nakia's tearful eyes. Many other friends were looking over her shoulder, the rest of the group were mopping up the last of the hobgoblins.

"Don't worry, Nakia. I haven't accomplished my task yet. How could I leave you?" he managed to ask.

He tried to get up, but found he was still bound up in the moss. "Uh, can someone help me out of this stuff?"

 

Delinos and Kelvados danced, oh did they dance, while bodies flew around them in every which way. This was the intricate and beautiful display that the Drow were known for. Their Dance of Death was merciless, especially with the Brothers' altered point of view. The monsters were no match for the weaving blades and blurred images that were the two. Delinos noticed himself smile, although not at killing. He was puzzled with himself. Why was he smiling so? Perhaps it was his newfound love for his friends, and the pride and glory of protecting them.

 

Nakia heaved a sigh of relief and began removing the glowing moss from around Sepp while muttering comments about Powers who demanded the impossible. She also managed to smile a thank you to Elendie and Atten and looked over at Ciana.

She was also aware that Kongol, Jex, Perim and the Brothers were finishing up what was left of the Hobgoblins.

"Where are Maron and Daie? Ye gods, I hope they didn't get caught in the rock fall."

She looked around, "Del! Where is Del? Gads, what a mess!"

 

Jex pulled his blades from the ribcage of a hobgoblin. He was covered in blood and gore. The faerie fire had long worn off and all that was left was the half drow. He stopped and watched Kongol, Perim and the brothers finish their fights. He took along look around the cavern and wondered where they were.

 

A few hobgoblins remained; most of them were being take care of by the Drow brothers, Jex or Perim. After a while, only one was left and it had lunched an attack towards Miranda, however Kongol step forward blocking his blow with his axe and with another heavy swing of his axe it strip the sword from the hob, knocking him back in the process. Kongol attempted to grab him to question him and find out what there intentions were or who did they work for, but Miranda seized a dagger and tried to pierce the hob's heart.

“Wait…”

Kongol said while he tried to stop her, but the swift move of Miranda was too quick, by the time Kongol got to her the blade was already deep in the hob's chest. Kongol eyes could not believe the speed at which she had landed the attack.

“I must apologize, but I could not let him live, I being running for far too long, if he was allowed to live I'm certain that the running will continue.” Miranda stated while she pull out the dagger of the lifeless body of the last hobgoblin.

Kongol replied, “I understand, I merely wanted to know, why are you running for, but I should have ask you first. Please tell me why have you called me after so many, many years?”

“It is not save to discuss this matters here, I do not know if we are in the clear yet, there might be more ‘things’ position around here. I know you're eager to know why I have summoned you, but with time you and your friend will understand... please get all your friends ready, we must move on”

It took a few second to get his mind set, he was much impressed by Miranda, it was difficult to sort his emotions thru et all, it feel different and new. Regardless he needs to move,

“Nakia, is everyone okay? We must move on.” Kongol said without taking an eye of Miranda.

 

Kelvados rolled his eyes, many were wounded and it was no time to move on. If it was so important for them to keep moving, then why is there no explanation.

"Kongol my friend, I know you have the best intentions in mind. But we are injured, and tired. No doubt you have the stamina to go on, but there needs to be a rest. And we don't even know where everyone is! No, I think we should stay, unless *she* has dire news that we do have to go on."

Kelvados sat down on a flattened stone, and wiped his blade. He sighed, he knew Kongol had good thoughts, but he would have to think of his friend's sagety, before a girl's, who he has barely known.

 

Jex strolled amongst the bodies of the hobgoblins. He found the occasional trinket that could be useful and a fair amount of gold coins. He found one hobgoblin and closely examined the beast. He found a noticeable emblem engraved on it breastplate. Searching a few other of the beasts he noticed the same emblem on all of them. Unfortunetly he knew what it was. They had seen it a lot in the last few days. Especially when it was scarred into the foreheads of two halflings. Pulling the plate from the hobgoblin he grimly walked to where the others were gathered. Throwing it at their feet he said "Gruumsh's reach is long."

"Kongol it appears that your problem ties into this quest we are already knee deep in. Perhaps it is time for Miranda to explain what it going on."

 

"Kongol. Ciana and Sepp have been injured. Del, Daie and Maron are missing. Delinos and Kelvados haven't explained what happened to them and it would be nice to have an explanation from Miranda."

She walked over to Jex and examined the emblem. "Does anyone else get the feeling that we are caught in a war between gods?" This last was stated rather sardonically.

 

"Now that you mention it, that's exactly what I've been feeling for awhile." Sepp said. "I must admit I was quite unsettled by it at first, really felt kind of like a rope used in a tug-o-war, or the cat's paw that the monkey used to fetch things out of the fire. It's rather unsettling, being a god's tool. I say it's time we start being a god's servant instead. Take things into our own hands, at least as much as we can." He stood up, wobbling just a little.

He tried to phase back to flesh and bone, and found that he couldn't, which was also quite unsettling, at least it was his whole body and not just his brain that was stuck this time. Several small clumps of the moss Atten had wrapped him in still clung to him. He decided to leave them on, it blended nicely with the dark grey stone.

He lay down on the floor and felt through the stone for a while, then got up again.

"I can sense Del, Daie, and Maron on the other side of the rock fall. They seem to be all right. As I said before, the passage is filled and really unstable. I don't see a way to connect with them for now, but it should be okay." He wasn't sure why he said that, but after saying it he felt sure that it was true.

He sat back down and leaned against a wall. His head hurt a little less than before.

 

As the brothers cleaned the bodies of any gold pieces and or trinkets, the trudged over to the group, in a slight withdrawl from their adrenalin rush. Delinos bent over and helped Ciana from under her moss coccoon. "So now what?" Delinos questioned, while removing the last bit of moss.

 

"Thank you Delinos" as he removed the moss with his help she stood up; and finding herself quite steady on her feet she moved purposefully towards Kelvados, she stood in front of him and looked at him.

“The next time you wake me with a kiss, don’t walk away before I can decide whether to kiss you back” saying this she put her hand behind his head and pulled it towards hers. Their lips met, she bit his lower lip and as he gasped slipped her tongue into his mouth, kissing him thoroughly and then pulling away. As she walked away from the stunned Drow, the others could see a satisfied smirk on her face.

She picked up her sword and checked it before putting it away; she looked up and calmly asked, “What’s next?”

 

Kelvados eyes widened, that was the last thing he expected. He brushed his lips with his fingers and felt the moistness. He looked over to his brother, he didn't blush, Drows don't blush. But he felt embarrassement, something he hadn't felt in awhile. He secretly vowed never to save someone like that again, if that was the outcome. But Ciana.... he never felt anything about her before, but now. He didn't understand, ironicaly Kelvados didn't like things he didn't understand. He turned around and pretended to be busy.

 

'Nope, we're not getting through that,' Maron patted the rockfall, and shrugged her shoulders. She turned, and limped back to Daie, who was slumped against the wall of the tunnel. As she stepped past him, he took hold of her ankle gently, and healed it, then taking her hand, pulled her down to sit next to him.

'So, what do we do?' she asked him, rested her head on his shoulder.

'Sit here for a bit, I imagine. Don;t worry, we'll be fine,' Daie's tone was calm, almost flippant. Maron looked up at her oldest friend, and could see the strain of the siituation on his face. While he looked calm, his teeth were clenched. While she no longer feared undergorund spaces, the prospect of being buried alive didn't exactly appeal to her sylvan.

 

Jex was worried about Del. He didn't notice that she hadn't made it through the tunnel before Perim tripped the trap. He slowly examined the fallen rocks that closed the entrance and knew there was no way through.

"We should hurry through here and find out if our friends are alright." He said "So that means Miranda must explain what is going on and we must move, soon."

 

Delinos stood with a smile plastered on his face, eyes widened, delighted in his brother's embarrassment. Not that he had hostile feelings, and that he wanted to hurt his brother, but he was happy his brother had experienced this. It let him show a weakness. Women.

Delinos had already known this weakness from their life in the Underdark, Kelvados always had secret crushes on the priestesses who whipped and abused him. The sore, tired Drow let out a chuckle and slumped to the ground, letting his muscles rest while the group planned their next move.

 

Miranda stepped in the middle of the group while they sit down to rest,

“I must apologize for my abrupt introduction, but I haven't being in this kind of situation before. I understand that all of you deserve an explanation for the reason I summoned Kongol. I'll do my best to do so, although this might not be the appropriate place, however I know that you all need rest from extended fight.

I'll try to make this details as short as possible, I heard some of you mention Gruumsh the Orc god, I don't know how you guys know him, but he is the one responsible for the destruction of my home and therefore the reason I'm running and why I called Kongol. I came to hide in this caves, I never thought that they will found me here, but I was wrong, if it not for all of you I'll be dead and I could never be able to see my kind Kongol here”

Miranda looks over Kongol and shows him a big smile.

“I know a way out of here, as soon as everyone as rested and ready to go I will lead you to the exit. Please know that I'll do my best to help any of you, after all you saved my life”

 

Nakia nodded looking around at the others. They were tired but her rogue danger sense told her they should move.

"I think we should get out of here. The others can go back to where we came in. Out in the desert maybe we can get together."

Gathering up her things she moved over to Miranda and Kongol.

 

Sepp walked over to Miranda, she was somehow more than he had expected her to be.

"I am Sepp, a friend of Kongol's. I am glad we were able to help you."

"I, um, you are very, ah. Well, glad to be of service to you, your highness," he bowed clumsily and backed away to the wall.

[ February 11, 2007, 03:00: Message edited by: Scot ]

 

"I'm ready" Jex said. "I'm always ready."

A little bit of the fire had returned to the half drow. Finally something that he believed in. He hated orckin and the followers of Grummsh, they were a bane upon the goodly ones of the world. He felt at home fighting orcs, goblins and their ilk.

Pulling some healing potions from his pack, he handed a vial to Ciana and Sepp. He motioned for the others to take on of they wished, he only had a few maybe a dozen, but they would help for the day.

"If we are ready. Let us go."

 

Ciana nodded thanks to Jex and took the potion the last crinkles were takem out of her body, if only she could sort out her head now. She couldn't believe what she had done with the handsome drow, or the fact that she had enjoyed it. She had never willingly kissed a male before, she had never even considered it; she remembered Robin tellling her to try it first before condemning it out of hand. maybe she was right, she would take it one day at a time and see what happened next.

She inwardly shook herself, squaring her shoulders she faced the rest of the group, nodding at Miranda she said;

"Welcome, I'm Ciana, and I'm ready as I'll ever be, let's go"