Hytorax

[Mathron]

Aasinav stood up suddenly, running a hand through his hair. "Wait until morning? You would abandon one of our companions to the darkness that surrounds us? I have long studied the barrows and their dangers - if we wait until morning, all hope for her... may be lost."

He grabbed his walking stick, and pulled his cloak tight about himself as he stepped away from the fire. "I know more than any of you about these lands and the dark things that lurk here. I shall retrieve the hobbit girl, rather than abandon her to whatever dark fate lies in the barrows." For a moment, his eyes flashed with anger, before he looked out upon the darkness.

With that, he turned and strode into the shadows - and was instantly lost to sight.

[Sicirus]

ic: We cannot leave her at night. Yet if she is like her brother then strength is in her as her brother."
I ran after the disapearing Aasaniv and took out my dagger in preperation of a fight.
The mist was thick and I reached out for a sighn of Aasaniv but only found a rock. I cried out as loud as my quivering voice could muster for an answer but so far heard only a the beating of my heart reaching for my thraot as though also trying to escape the mist and heavy feeling of fear.
Finally I found the hem of a cloak and pulled at it. nothing answered. Fear went through my body again and a shiver ran past my spine. I looked at the cloak and saw that it was Adrians but the only problem was that Adrian was not wearing it. I cried out again much louder then before.

[elvishfaerie3088]

"I do not fear this as much as you do...I have been through this before," I spoke unsurily as if i was still in wait for something. I pulled back my hood and letting my cloak fall to the ground. "Your friends shall not make it, call them back, you must believe me, i know you have no reason to believe me but i shall tell you later or Aralle will, Please let me go, don't let your friends find their death in there," I spoke solemnly looking hopeful and pleading at the other elf. I began to let my past surface slowly.

[Lief Erikson]

"No, this is madness," Hruad said angrily. "Foolishness! Gil, get back here!"

A few seconds later though, he appeared to change his mind. "No, it is too late already. In the Barrow Downs, the living cannot continue. I fear they will kill Adrian if we wait till day. Come, we must all go. Now, if we are to catch the others before they are dead from their own foolishness."

Elise lit her staff, her face showing the forbodding she felt. "I warn you, we are not likely to be able to succeed in this way. But if we must, then we must."

They ventured into the darkness again and it wasn't long before they found Gil, trembling, in one hand holding Adrian's cloak.

Hruad nodded to Boulderhead, who scooped her up and they kept going.

The night was complete about them and they could sense something alive out in the stillness, watching them from the darkness.

"Calling for them will do no good," Hruad said softly as he looked ahead. "Elise, do you know the way?"

"I know how to enter the deeps," she said, turning her face toward him. "But I have never done it before."

"This will have to be the first time, then," Hruad said. "Aasinav knows where to go; he's the one who first located the Hytorax."

They slowed, being more careful as they came to a place where their surroundings seemed no longer green, but gray and musty. The grass looked dead and they could feel the haunting of the spirits. A large slab of stone, seven feet long lay embedded in the ground.

"Lift it," Hruad said hoarsely.

Bushbark and Boulderhead moved uneasily forward, bending over to dig so that they could make room for their fingers to get under the slab. For a minute they remained thus occupied, but then they had their grip. With ease, they lifted the heavy stone slab into the air and threw it to the side.

A dark pit lay before them.

"It's death for any of you to go in there," Glistenfae said. "Let me go."

"No," Hruad answered. "Elise?"

He motioned forward with one hand for her to proceed, but suddenly another shape ran ahead of them. Glistenfae leapt into the darkness and was gone.



*In case anyone's wondering, I'm not making major decisions for Glistenfae without Elvenfaerie's consent. We discussed it over PM.*

[Earniel]

Imarwyn watched the company's movement from a distance. She and Athalt had made camp on a safe distance from the Barrowdowns. But they could still keep an eye on the doings of Hruad's company. The both of them kept watch on turn during the night. They had lit no fire so they would stay unnoticed. Though Imarwyn suspected that at least Glimdrell knew exactly where they were. The two horses were tied for the night. It was too dangerous to let them stray so near to the Barrowdowns.

Imarwyn shook Athalt's shoulder. The commander woke almost immediatly. "Hruad's company has entered the Barrowdowns," she said.

Athalt frowned. "At this time of night? A strange time to search for the Hytorax now that the spirits of the Barrowdowns are in their element."

"True," said Imarwyn with a nod. "Though I do not think the Hytorax is their main objective now. The two hobbits and the boy entered the Barrowdowns earlier. The boy got back soon and the sorceress' magic guided one of the hobbits back to their camp. The other hobbit, however, did not return."

"Then they will search for her, undoubtedly," said Athalt.

"As they are doing right now," replied Imarwyn. "And in searching for the hobbit, they might find the Hytorax. What shall we do?"

[Arat-Falathion]

"Glistenfae!" Glimdrell cried out as he reached out for her in her leap and looked after her as she dissapeared into the darkness. "What is up with her and everyone!?" Glimdrell sighed and shook his head. "Allright, so I suppose we are at the point of no return here, we should all be doing what we do best..." Glimdrell looked around at the company. "Should I merge into the shadows or stand by your side?" Glimdrell looked askingly over at Hruad who had seemed to take the leader role. "I shall follow your command!"

[Tessar]

"Fools!" Elise said with a frown.

"everyone follow me and stay close or you will perish!" She commanded, suddenly seeming... larger and stronger. More commanding certainly.

With a cry, Elise charged into the barrows after Glistenfae, the time for stealth was past, thanks to her foolish companions, and even though she had no TRUE reason to help them other than that they reached for the same goal, Elise now felt protective of any of them. Plus she wanted the satisfaction of hitting Aasinav over the head with her staff.

A mist began to appear around them but Elise waved a hand and caused it to dissipate, the barrow's first and weakest attack was easily beaten by a Miar. But Elise knew there were greater to come, and only a few more would be so easily waved away while others would require all her strength, if she could even beat them at all.

{bah, sorry about no spell check, I have to run for karate though!}

[Sicirus]

ic: I was lifted up by aq giant figure and my hand still held on to the cloak. I shivered.
"were is she?" I cried over and over again. Glimdrill only gave me a look of concern then we stopped at a certain point. Glistenfae
ran off into the mist and was gone.
: Our company should not be parted." I cried out.
"that is what the Barrows want. They want us to be all to be away form each other so they can have a better chance at getting us." I said before struggeling to get out of Boulderhead.
I jumped down and attempteed to runafter the elf but was jerked back by Glimdrill.
"Like you said we must stay together. You will not beable to find the three missing people." He said pulling me by his side.
Elise ran after the elf and used her power to shield the evil of Barrow downs.

[Lief Erikson]

Athalt turned his eyes upon the campsite ahead of them, and then he glanced at the darkness of the Barrow Downs that lay beyond its light.

"Taking their horses is the first thing that comes to mind, but that would be of little use. They could go to nearby settlements to procur new horses before we could make good use of our advantage, and they'd also be put on their guard against us.

"I'm unwilling to follow them now and keep an eye on them. If they survive, they'll be back for their horses and we can take the Hytorax from them as they return to Néred. If they don't succeed in their endeavor though, our problem is already solved.

"I actually think that we must simply wait and see what happens."






"Elise is right," Hruad told Glimdrell. "It's too dangerous to go after her now. I think that Gil also has a point; they're trying to break us up."

Elise's light flashed for a moment, flickering and dimming momentarily. Her footsteps faltered, but then she moved forward again, her staff bright again.

They could feel the presence all about them, watching them, testing them and probing for weaknesses.

A minute later, Elise slowed again, her staff's light fading. It came back to full power in a flash, but she walked more slowly.

"How far have we yet to go?" Hruad asked Elise anxiously.

"I cannot tell," she murmered, her face showing the strain she felt. "But they are a burden on my shoulders and have struck twice now. We are getting close to the Hytorax; I can tell that by the fact that their power is growing stronger. It is the magic of the Hytorax that they are using against us."






I watch them with interest. We have laid out the girl upon the floor a few paces away from me, ready for death. Yet we cannot send her to join the people of Tyrn Gorthad yet; she still has another purpose to serve. As long as she is here, these opponents will not give up. And I want them all. My fingers flow through the Hytorax's smooth surface. They are still some distance away, but already begin to feel the danger of my power. This is an interesting game; I wonder how far they will be able to continue before we overwhelm them.

It was clever of us to have the Hytorax right in the place where the girl is; they cannot get her without coming to the source of my power as well. And that will mean their certain destruction.

[elvishfaerie3088]

ooc: *breathes deeply* here goes nothing.

ic: I ran as fast as i could using what little magic i had to keep myself safe while letting more and more of my past rise from within me. My past began to pound in my head, making me very familiar with the place around me. This is the place i probably should have died so so long ago. i hope the other havn't followed me or maybe i do hope they followed me. God i'm not letting Adrian go through this, i've got to get to her before they do! I'm not letting Adrian go through the same thing i went through, i won't let anyone. I can do this, i can do this i'm stronger now. "Curse you, leave me alone, you will let me pass!" I screamed aimlessly. "I have delt with you before and made it out once and i plan to get out again you can not stop me!" I screamed again but louder this time, i was becoming less afraid as more and more of my past seeped into my head. "Adrian? Adrian, Adrian!" I hollered into the vast darkness around me. I hope she's all right. "Adrian, Adrian!" I came to an abrupt stop suddenly. I saw light ahead of me. It was faint but it was there. I peered around the corner, Adrian! There she was but who was that? Probably that sorcerer they were talking about earlier. Could i take him, no probably not but i had to get Adrian out of there. I drew out my sword and let it flash a little in the dim light. I jumped out into the dimly lit place. "Let her go! Let her go and you won't have to deal with me," I screamed keeping my sword in front of me, i crept closer, "Adrian, Adrian get up, I demand you to get up! Adrian," I pleaded while mummbling a few elvish words under my breath letting them slowly rise to the surface of my voice letting them fill the room.

[Lief Erikson]

The darkness was all around Adrian. She saw burial stones, places where dead things lay. Skulls and bones littered the ground; she could see them, and she drifted among them, terrified to join them.

Then words pierced the dim gray sky. They rebounded through the darkness, blasting through Adrian's head, offering a glimpse of a world that she had once known, but which seemed endless distances from the one that she now dwelled in.

Nevertheless, despite their distance, she grasped at them, blindly and in tears. "Help me!" she cried.




Adrian's lips didn't move, but Glistenfae heard her. She reached into the hobbit's mind and touched her head with one hand, still barely holding the sword up to the towering dark form before her. Between its skeletal, dark fingers she saw a blazing green light.

Adrian's mind was returning, rushing along the pathways back to the light.

Her eyes burst open and she raised a hand to her mouth, letting out a cry. Reaching out with both arms, she clung to Glistenfae, weeping, but the elf woman's eyes were locked upon the unmoving dark form before her.




I stare at them, contempt and anger burning through me, but with it a cold separation. They resist us foolishly, yet somehow they managed to reach all the way to our heart. I will destroy them.

The elf is stuck where she is, Adrian clinging to her, still not fully recovered from our power. Neither of them has a hope.

The power of the Hytorax pours from us, from me, and I lay the two out with ease.




The power blasted Glistenfae and Adrian back to the earth and the sword fell from Glistenfae's hands, ringing on the stones.

The Barrow Wight stepped forward and one of its hands left the Hytorax's surface, going to its side. A long, pale blade was drawn.

It stepped forward, approaching them, and brought its sword down.

Something leapt from the shadows and a weapon flashed, blocking the pale blade. It was a man- Aasinav.

[Arat-Falathion]

"Caugh!" Glimdrell cried in an instant. The company turned towards him. "What is it elf?" Hruad asked quickly, "what do you feel?" Glimdrell met his eyes painfully. "Glistenfae has fallen into shadow... I can feel it!"

"I feel it too!" Elise said firmly. "We must hurry!"

[elvishfaerie3088]

Get up you fool! Get up! You can not stay here! Get up, get up, get up! Snap out of it! Get up! Find your sword, quickly now! Get up! I reached out fumbling all about, where did it fall? I touched something hard, ah ha the hilt of my sword. Confounded thing, how could i let it fall? For that matter how could you have let yourself fall? I gripped on to at tight as i could wincing with an extreme pain, what had hit me? Adrian, you fool! Adrian what about Adrian? I felt around again and quickly found Adrian lying closly beside me. "Adrian, Adrian? Are you alright? Adrian..." I whispered quietly to her. "Come on Adrian you've got to get up, we've got to get out of here! Adrian come on, get up! Get up!" I pleaded with her and then faintly heard a moan, well at least i knew she was alive, hopefully she would awaken completly soon. I staggered to my feet, clutching at my sword. Anger began to shoot through me, i hated who ever had struck me down it was like a reminder of my previous pain years ago, it had struck me once hard, and now it had struck again, but i was stronger now, i will not let it defeat me! I crouched down, gently picked up Adrian and moved her nearer to the way i had come in. I staggered forward towards Aasinav, should i help? Or should i stay back and let him fight alone? Pure anger shot through me again faster and harder this time. Stupid thing, "You may have caught me once but you shall not catch me again! And you shall not have Adrian! Do you not know who i am? Do you not know? You shall not get me nor anyone else that passes through that enterance!" I screamed. You idiot why'd you go and do that!? Suddenly i heard footsteps, many footsteps, faintly at first but they were getting louder. Was it the rest of the group or more evil things in search to destroy us?

ooc: no i believe it shouldn't mess anything up, just watch your step,LoL.

[Mathron]

OOC: Aasinav's a 'he', by the way.

Aasinav's staff held beneath the Barrow Wight's attack, but only for a moment. He staggered backward as the wood was sundered in twain, and the sword swung again, towards the sage's head. He managed to duck under it, and suddenly the creature screamed - whether in rage or in pain, he could not tell.

Glistenfae stood beside him, her sword having cut into the creature. Aasinav took a deep breath, and then ducked past the creature. It spun around, blade singing through the air towards him, slicing into his robes. A sharp flash of pain echoed through his side, but he kept from crying out.

A bright light flooded into the room as Elise and the others entered. The Barrow Wight shuddered, but strode forward, unafraid - even as they all noticed dark shadows around the corners of the rooms. The Barrow Wight was not alone. The creatures circled the party like a pack of dark beasts, even as Glistenfae and Adrian retreated into the light emanating from Elise.

"Stay back, dark creatures!" she spoke, her eyes flashing. "You shall not triumph against me!"

The Barrow Wight seemed to laugh, and took a step forward into the light. For a moment, it seemed to be protected from her power - and then it froze, as if in shock. A shudder ran through it, and it turned to look behind it - where Aasinav stood, his hands placed upon the Hytorax.

Aasinav spoke, and his words were deep and forceful. "This power will feed you no more, phantom. You are a shadow of a distant time, a place that no longer is. Return to being only memory. Begone."

The Barrow Wight suddenly seemed to feel the full weight of the light upon it, and crumpled to its knees. A wordless scream arose from it, and the other shadows fled, and vanished into the darkness as their leader fell.

[Arat-Falathion]

Glimdrell lowered his bow and unfitted the arrow that had just bent the string an instant before. "So much for going into the shadows... I didn't even have time to let a single arrow fly." He snickered and fit the arrow back in his quiver and consealed the bow on his back again. "So we finaly have what we came for..."

Glimdrell picked up his surcoat that had left his shoulders as he drew his bow, and threw it around him, his face showed his approval of momentary victory.

[elvishfaerie3088]

ooc: oops *edit* there fixed it.

ic: "We must get out of here! Quickly now, do not stagger!" I screamed. I leaned down again picking up Adian. Now why hadn't she awoke yet? She should have awoken by now. You'll have to check later, not now, go now! GO! "Hurry it up!" I screamed.

[Arat-Falathion]

*wopsy*

[elvishfaerie3088]

ooc: Wopsy?????

[Sicirus]

ooc: An rpg that is actually getting somewere. This is a great story with very good writers.

ic: Elise led us to Glistenfae and found her holding a limb body that appeared to be Adrian. The Barrow Weights came and found that Aasinav held out what looked like a glowing object of great power. It lit up the dark corners and the faces of the many ghost and memories that stood before us.
They fleed from the power and I guessed in my mind that it must have been the Hytorax(sorry if that is not to the story completely but I want to make it short so I can catch up)
I rushed over to my unconcious friend and shook her trying to bring her back to life. She did not respond so I grabbed her under her arms and attempted to lift her. Instead Boulderhead grabbed the limb hobbit and carried her with ease. We rushed back to the camp not wishing to stay in the barron lands. We finally had what we had been searching for but what then?
"What are we going to do with the Hytorax now that we have it and not the enemy?" I asked Glimdrill.

[Lief Erikson]

"Take it to Néred," Hruad answered immediately.

Gil turned her attention from Glimdrell to him.

"There is a sorcerer there whom we must oust from power; that is the very purpose of our coming here. We have no reason to suspect that they will know of our coming. We threw off Athalt Cranain, partly from the help of unforseen assistance," he bowed his head to Aralle and Losillewen, "and partly through some incredible strokes of luck. Let us hope that that luck holds."

"Won't the sorcerer be on his guard now?" Gil wanted to know. "He knows we've escaped by now, probably."

"You're right," Elise told her. "But we have no choice. There is a kingdom at stake."

"And a more subtle plot than we often see," Hruad remarked.

He looked back at the Barrow Downs. "I can still sense some turmoil there, but I don't think they will venture out to strike us. I believe that for tonight at least, we can expect a peaceful night's sleep."





Athalt watched them from the shadows as they all lay down and one by one, drifted to sleep. He kept his eyes on them for quite some time after, and even after it was plain that they were asleep, he still watched them, thinking now.

He had listened in on their conversation; it was plain now that they all truly believed that what they had told Glimdrell. These different representatives of the races all had allied and bonded together on this common purpose.

Athalt got to his feet and walked over to the company, hesitating beside Aasinav. Reaching down, he carefully removed the Hytorax from the man's coat and stood there, considering it. His duty to the king was to take it back to them, where it would be safe. But was that his duty?

He hesitated longer, fingering the brilliant green crystal.

His duty was to prevent them from using the Hytorax against the king. How could he know for certain?

Walking past the rest of them, he walked over to their horses. He searched through the saddlebags quickly, searching for some other clue that would ease his decision.

Then he found something. He pulled his hand from the saddlebag and unfolded the paper.
Narashgul,

My master has raised you above all other orcs. Given you knowledge and a mind that no other orc ever had.

Your task is one of great importance. Find a green stone, a hand tall or a little taller, and bring it back to me.

If you return without it, your soul shall scream for all the ages of Middle Earth.

There are others searching for the stone. Some are with us, but some for the cursed Blue Flame. If you find any that are with the Blue Flame, slay them.

Plainly they had intercepted this from some orc or other. They would have no reason to keep a letter to an orc unless it had some bearing upon their own mission. And their stopping him seemed logical, if they were of this enemy group that was mentioned.

He shook his head slightly as he looked at the picture of the stone, and then looked at the exact replica in his hand. They certainly knew what the item looked like.

He remembered again the icy cold eyes of the councilor who had stood beside King Vahatres, the man to whom he'd taken an instant dislike. But Athalt could do nothing to help them here, even though he was now quite sure that they were telling the truth.

His instincts hadn't ever led him wrong yet; he'd best start paying attention to them now. Turning away from the company, he walked to its edge and dropped the Hytorax on the edge of Aasinav's cloak. Then he strode off into the night.

Rejoining Imarwyn, he woke her and they set out again, heading for Néred.