A World of Danger: Part One

[Tessar]

ohhhhhh! very smoothe lief, VERY smoothe.

[Mathron]

OOC: I think it's fine. It is only in the beginning of the story, really, when many characters can be confusing. By the end, I think, things are well developed enough to have more plot revealed with minor characters.


----


Tal slowly straightened, and sheathed his sword. He glanced back at the others, cold determination in his eyes - but the rage that had flickered there now gone.

"The camp is defeated, though I do not know where the captain is. And now I find, I no longer care. My quest seems farther from ended than I had imagined. And if my sister has survived, she may well be worse off than this one. The slaves we freed are fleeing, and the mercenaries unable to rally. I plan to go onward. To find my sister. And free her, in whatever way possible."

He stopped and stared into the darkness around them. Flames flickered around the camp, where fires had started in the fighting. Shouts and cries still arose, but few real sounds of battle still rang out. Wolves prowled among the bodies, looking for foes.

"Who is with me?"


----


Sandor drew his blade as he watched the scene below. The one fellow, Arcon, seemed to be revelling in his newfound physical prowess and stealth. He stalked the girl, Shelina, through the trees as they approached the camp. The fighting in the camp had died down, and Sandor doubted his men had won, from the sight of things.

Sandor glanced at those beneath him. The strange lizard creature was returning. It seemed familiar to something he had met before, another servant of a dark master... but he had met it only briefly. It paused as it drew closer. It likely knew of Arcon's following, and possibly even his own, if he guessed it's skills correctly. Whatever the case, he planned on seeing what occured. All of them, below, he suspected served the dark lords in some manner or another. If they fought it out, he could capture the survivor, and see if they knew anything connected to his situation.


---


Mal felt himself hit the floor. He felt it, because the sudden shock hurt more than the dull, constant pain he had felt since being imprisoned. His power was nearly drained, simply keeping him alive. Whatever sorcery Sauron had worked had left him nearly mortal. Yet as he fell, gentle hands caught him and brought him to the ground. A warmth seemed to flow through him, and he felt the pain, if not fade completely, draw back from him. Enough to let him open his eyes, and look up.

A face stared down at him, fine, beautiful elfin features. A woman's face, that he thought he may have glimpsed long ago when he lived among the Valar, though he could not put a name to it.

He opened his cracked and parched lips, and breathed out, "Who are you?"

A soft, sweet voice whispered back, "I've had many names. Silmian, Finare, Syntia, Celia are but a few of them."

Mal stared up, trying to rise, then let out a shudder. The healing continued to flow through him, but his body was still not whole. He knew what she was - an elven lady of ancient time and ancient power. Strong enough to penetrate Angband, though he knew not why.

"But who are you?"

"Call me Elenia."

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid nodded. She stepped forward and said:

"I'm with you. I can be fast enough to follow a horse."

She had felt a strange being in this forest. Or more like strange beings. She knew it were wolves, but not the same wolves that were here with her now. Bigger... Fiercer, but they were good. She sent out a thought, and they came upon her call. The leader came to her, his withers almost as high as a big pony. She didn't see how the others stepped back a little, away from these animals. She was explaining the situation, and asked the leader if he could miss his best runner. He said that was ok, and another wolf came forward. His name was Flyer. The wolf Runner would come too, but the rest of the pack stayed in the forest. The leader just asked that she and the others wouldn't talk about their presence, for then they would be haunted by mankind. She agreed with that, and told the others of it, as the big and little wolves disappeared between the trees.

[Lief Erikson]

"I'll come with you," Steward told him. Anything to get away from these pursuers. "And I suggest we leave soon, in a hidden direction. Erenfor says that he knows the way," he glanced at the elf doubtfully, "and I could contribute my skills as a tracker in finding the easiest routes."

[Tessar]

The elf boy came out of hiding and sheathed his dagger saying "I'll come too. I really have no where else to go anyways" he said "also i can get more skilled at my magic powers doing this" he grined "I think that im alredy getting more powerful" he paused for a moment "hummmmm... i wonder just HOW powerful i have gotten" he closed his eyes and consintrated for a moment, then, he suddenly levitated about 2 inches above the ground. "cool!" he exclamed "to bad this is as high as i can go". "but anyways i'll come too!".

[Lief Erikson]

"I think that that goes for all of us," Steward told Tal. "We set out on this goal, and we'll see it through to the end."

[Mathron]

A cold wind stirred the camp, and Tal's hair was ruffled by the breeze as he lowered his head. Speaking softly, he said, "I thank you."

A moment passed, and the wind faded away. Tal looked up, and glanced to Erenfor. "Lead the way."

[Tessar]

OCC* hey throny! n/p dude! happy to help man! need a tishue? lol sorry

[Selwythe]

Arcon fell silent and his mind grew peaceful as he thought longingly for the tranquility of his home so far away. No, he could not think of times past. Shelina was his enemy, he knew that ever since she first threatened him with a knife.

His eyes grew piercing as he detected the slightest movement of the tents. His ears grew clear as he captured every billow of it, and he sub-consciously realised that one of these tents had an occupant. In a fit of anger, he caught up a burning stick in the fire and threw it at the tent. It burst in flames and he heard a shriek from within, but it was not of a woman but of a beast. He saw a shadow flit out.

"Shelina," he bellowed in rage before chasing after her, she now within his sight and he with the speed and ability to pace and catch up with her. He raised another burning stick, knowing that Glamdin could catch sight of it.

"Burn these tents, ALL OF THEM!"

Arcon screamed in bloodlust, despite knowing Glamdin knew the signal. Glamdin descended like a wraith of doom on the camp. In seconds, he would release a breath of fire and reduce the camp to a burning blaze, and all that would be left inside, far away from the sanctuary of the woods, were Arcon and Shelina.

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid looked up as she saw the dragon fly nearer, and screamed: "No time for emotions now, get OUT!!!"

She jumped on Flyer, who allowed her on his back, and screamed a thought at Runner to honor his name and run. They flew away from the camp, and Irid hoped the others had found the time to get away. They reached the edge of the trees.

[Lief Erikson]

*Joe, this Arcon is supposed to be turning good? Going insane looks more likely at present.*

Steward glanced back in surprise as the camp they'd just begun leaving started irrupting in flames. A wall of fire, bursting apart every tent was coming unrelentingly toward them.

"Run!" he shouted, unnecessarily. Everyone else was already running.

They scrambled into the trees, getting out second before the last tents irrupted in fire.

The flame bellied outward, catching to dozens of trees and bushes in every direction. Steward, Angar and Tal were crouched on the ground behind a fallen log and for a moment they simply stared at the blaze. "A forest fire will be certainly caused by this," Steward whispered after a moment, his voice nearly drowned out by the crackling fires. "We'll have to be well away before it begins in force."

"This isn't forceful enough?" Erenfor asked from the shadows behind them as he ran a finger along the length of his blade.

Steward glared in his direction once before turning back to the fire. "We'll have to be going. I'll see if I can find Irid or Dain, they're still out there somewhere. Hopefully not lost."

"We have little time," Erenfor hissed from the darkness. "The enemy are closing the trap on us; we've had nothing but fighting for too long. The next attack will be even fiercer, and that one we will not escape. Let us go now. Likely none of the slaves or other members of the company survived the blast anyhow. We cannot wait, or none of us shall escape."

"We cannot go without the others," Steward answered angrily, pausing a second later. That had sounded like an almost sane argument. He frowned in Erenfor's direction but saw only the gleam of his two eyes shining in the darkness like twin crystals. "Tal? Angar? What do you think?"

[Irid al'Menie]

Irid heard the voices, and asked Flyer to go to them. As they came to them, she said: "Good argument, Erenfor, but I think we still need to find Dain. He would be good company. And lets not forget that elfboy...."

[Mathron]

Sandor froze as he crept through the camp, looking for any survivors, and perhaps, any answers. Every few feet a patch of ground would be slick with blood, or a fallen body staring sightlessly into the sky.

A sudden scream filled the camp, and Sandor spun around, whipping out his long black sword and dropping into a crouch beside a tent - and grimacing as he saw the shape in the sky growing closer.


A drake, he thought, they must truly want me dead.

He still didn't know why, but he couldn't let them have him. He'd been a survivor all his life, and he would remain so. As the flames started to light up the camp, he clenched his sword tight, and began to dart between the tents, heading for the drake.


----

Dain grimaced as he felt his beard sizzle and singe. "Where are ye, boy?" he cried out, through the fire and smoke.

He heard a soft cry echo back, and began forging his way towards it, through the black smoke. He heard another sound, a few words chanting hesitantly, and broke out of the smoke just in time to see a stream of water fly from the boy's hands into the flames around him, letting him break free.

"Quickly, this way! We need to be getting to the others!"

[Lief Erikson]

*Selwyth, I'm a little confused as to where Shelina and Arcon stand in all this. Is Arcon chasing her in the forest or what?

Also Mathron, I think Tal is the leader of this quest, as the rescue of his sister is its goal, so it's his cue to decide what is to be done.*

[Mathron]

Tal clenched his fist, and took a step towards the flames, before freezing. He couldn't leave them behind, but he couldn't waste time now that he knew where his sister was!

His indecision was broken as two figures broke out of the ring of flame, Tessar coughing up smoke and being nearly carried by Dain, who was not in much better shape. Tal rushed to his side, and gently place the kid on his feet, as Dain stumbled to a stop.

"I can go a bit farther," muttered the dwarf, and Tal nodded to the rest. The boy, beside him, nodded his head fiercely as he got back to his feet.

"Then we have to move, and now," said Tal, "before the entire woods go up in flame."

[Tessar]

Tessar wished that he had just tried to use one of his wind spells instead of trying the water spell I need to stop using spells that i haven't used before when I'm in trouble he thought I'm so tired i can hardly stand. but i cant let the others see that I'm tired if they do they might try to leave me some where "safe". but dont have anywhere to go now, by following them i can avoid to problem for a bit longer. he smiled for a moment thinking of his fathers favorite thing to say. he said it quietly to him self "besides, this is more fun!"

[Selwythe]

Arcon dodged another burst of flame, Shelina still in his sights. She too was hampered by the wildly spreading fire and he was making ground on her. He quickly let loose an unpoisoned dart. She stumbled and fell. Yes! Within her grasp! He took another burst of speed and reached out.

He stared in horror as a piece of burning wood became detached from its scaffold and flew towards Shelina. The left hand he stretched to catch her went off course to deflect it, and it went aflame. He gritted his teeth and caught up Shelina, the pain from the unextinguished fire on his hand virtually burning him hollow. He stuck his hand in his mouth, extinguishing the fire with his breath.

He looked desperately up at the sky and called for Glamdin, only to see an expanse of blue. He turned and saw Glamdin flying low and behind him...

"NO!"

Arcon watched horrifiedly as an iron-clad man behind Glamdin crept up slowly and crouched, poised to slash and stab with his long black sword.

He turned away and caught up Shelina. It was too late and he had to escape. He could throw her to the fire but that was not good enough. Death would be a blessing to her. No, He would show her what it was to switch places, what it was to lie weak and defenceless, and to be stabbed in the back by he who could save her. If they got out alive.

---------------------------------------

Sandor swung the sword but he paused mid-stroke. Yes, he remembered this drake. It was once at his command. Yes, he was positive that he had worked with this drake before in deeds of evil many years ago, in the days after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, when he, like so many other servants of the Dark Lord, had been wearied of war and tempted by the havens of the Two Kindreds.

He blinked his eyes and left his mind blank. The memories still hurt, and he was forced to be numb to them. Nay, he now fought with the blessing of the North once more, that was past.

He slinked away. A dragon would never attack his master, past or present, and he did not feel inclined to reverse the tables, still emotionally attached to the drake despite the passing of years.

[Lief Erikson]

"Let's go then," Steward said, turning and leading the way through the trees. Erenfor could take over soon enough, but the first goal was to escape this forest fire with their lives, and he wasn't willing to place his in the hands of a madman. If he led them on a wild goosechase later, there was always something afterward. But this would lead to a firey death.

He moved through the wood as quickly as his aged frame could carry him, the others following close behind. The trees around them were waving wildly and smoke filled the air, causing them to have to duck lower to avoid its fumes.

[Irid al'Menie]

While they were running, Irid sent a thought out to all the wolves in the forest, to escape now, before it was too late. Then she concentrated on running.

[Tessar]