Tavern Tales: Come on in and Have a Drink! Part V

[charlescrowe]

Arwin couldn't keep his mind off of Raurke. What was it he didn't like about the man? He had seen his mouth as he talked, and hadn't seen any obvious signs of vampirism, the fact he was walking around in daylight proved that.

"Is something troubling you, Arwin?" Raurke asked, sincerely. "Did something happen to Jean?"

"No, all is well, friend." Arwin said cautiously. How did he know Jean?

At this point, Grond spoke up. "Red, I suggest you keep that bow of yours handy. Vermai hit heavy up close, but are vulnerable to pointed objects. Everyone else, ready what ranged weapons you might have, dun' let'em close."

"Aye" Raurke and Serenity said in tandem as they pulled throwing knives from their packs.

Red frowned slightly, she had been looking forward to wearing down the edge of Obsidian Rose. With a sigh of disappointment, she readied her bow, nocking an arrow, but keeping the bow loose.

Raurke handed Arwin a set of beautifully crafted silver knives. "Best be prepared. Got those from a very talented smith in Anvil." He whispered to the father-to-be. "Besides, you can't die yet, you've a babe on the way.

Arwin frowned. Raurke's knowledge of his family was... disconcerting.

[WhoGuru]

Red led the way through the underground passage. Dimly glowing mushrooms dotted the way here and there. Rider had taken several torches from a crate she'd left by the entrance and carried one now just behind her, lighting the way. Passages let off the main tunnel and Raurke and Seren peered down each of these as they went.

"Red." Arwin said, coming up beside her. "I'm going to pretend I know nothing of this tunnel I think."

Red laughed. "That would be best, friend Arwin." She glanced at him, smirking. "I'd hate to be responsible for the capture of fellow thieves." Her face sobered slightly. "I did not show you this lightly. The guild would never forgive me." She laughed again, shaking her head. "Though I suppose I'm no longer a member, eh?"

As she spoke, her voice began to echo along the tunnel. "There's a cave ahead. I used to keep some supplies there for...anyone." She smirked at Arwin again and could practically see him planning how he would stake the place out to capture escaping thieves and then shake his head with a sheepish exp​ression. "Thank you." Red whispered to him and made him chuckle.

"Does it always smell like that?" Raurke asked, pinching his nose.

"Good grief, lass, what did you leave in here that's been fermenting for months!" Grond exclaimed.

"Well I've hardly been able to check on it!" Red growled, somewhat embarrassed and passed into the cavern. Holes in the roof above allowed light to filter down to the cave floor in dusty streamers. As well, there were several pilfered white raw welkynd stones placed around the wall that shed silvery light into the space. Red stopped a few feet inside the door and raised her bow, pulling the string tighter. "God's blood." She breathed as the others came in behind her.

The cave shelter had been defiled by creatures, turned into some sort of nest. Piles of hay and straw, refuse that looked to be from the sewers of Sutch dotted the floor. The walls, once solid but for the two tunnels had been riddled with new holes, some small, some large.

"The Vemai." Grond and Rider breathed, moving out to either side of Red. Arwin strung his own bow, feeling his nerves give a warning jangle.

"This is a bad place to be caught." Serenity commented, looking at all the many holes in the walls around and above them. "They can swarm us in here."

"We should go on, quickly." Raurke growled and began preparing his spells, sure that trouble was soon to find them.

"Which tunnel, Red?" Rider asked as there were too many to choose from now.

She nodded to the one directly across from them. "That one leads to Sutch."

"Where in Sutch?" Arwin wondered. At that, Red began to chuckle and wouldn't look at him.

"The southern guard tower of course. Where else?"

Rider began to laugh, as did the others and clapped Arwin on the shoulder. "Last place a guardsmen would look for an escaping thief."

"Red!" Raurke shouted suddenly. Before she could turn, he vanished, reappearing beside her and knocking her to the ground with him, grunting from the impact. Where she had been standing, a Vermai thudded to the cavern floor. It had been hanging from the ceiling above them, waiting. They scrambled to their feet as Arwin loosed his first arrow into the creature and the sounds of strange growling began to echo within the cave from the myriad tunnels leading into it.

"They're coming!" Serenity shouted, readying her throwing daggers and faced out toward the walls with Grond and Rider, waiting.

[grond]

The growls intensified. Arwin looked at Rider. Grond looked at Garulf. Seren, Red and Raurke exchanged glances. All of these looks ended in sharp nods. A moment later, a screech exploded from the holes above their heads. Then Rider, Red and Arwin shouted a single word:

"Run!!"

And the companions ran as, from above, and from the sides of the cave, hundreds of Vermai suddenly exploded through the tunnels after the group. Grond came behind and as he ran with Garulf, he risked short looks behind. "Don't do that!" shouted Garulf. "You'll slow yourself down, and yer a snail as it is!"

The creatures, Grond saw, were not as fast as the companions, but there were hundreds there, loping along the floor, and some ran up the walls and along the ceiling in pursuit. Sounds of the screeching and clicks and growls filled their ears. The sewer tunnel had a shallow stream running through its center, and the companions splashed though it, for here there was no walkway, only sloping stone sides. They had let the torches fall, favoring running empty-handed. Grond was about to shout to the twin elves, who were in the lead, when they abruptly stopped, pointing ahead of them.

In the light of far off torches they could see that ahead came another vast number of the Vermai. "What will we do?" shouted Seren.

"On!" replied Red in a thunderous voice which acted like spurs to them all. "There's a side passage ahead! Let's beat 'em to it!" So ahead they raced, splashing through the dark water. Behind and now before them came the Vermai. As Red, running now in their lead, saw the monsters, she raced ever faster, for their faces were alien, with clamping mandibles for their mouths, which clicked as they lumbered along floor or ceiliing. And above the mandibles sat slanted wide eyes which glowed with silver fire. Hard armored shells they had for hide, divided into sections or segments, like ants. And they had short arms which they held up as they scuttled towards her, with wide pincers that sprung open and closed.

It seemed as if they would not make it.

Grond called out, "Ready yer blades, friends!"

But Red shouted, "No! Come on!" And the others saw that with even greater speed she burst away from them. "That's my girl!" laughed Garulf, and as he passed Grond he shouted, "Pick up yer legs, Grandaddy! I ain't diggin' yer grave!!" The others ran unarmed; poor Grond took up his hammer and raced along with it in both hands. He saw them each splash around the stone corner into the side tunnel, and saw also that the Vermai ahead had nearly reached it. So the Nord raised both hammer and voice and bellowed, "Stendarr!" With a final burst of speed he came to the corner, just as the first of the Vermai reached it.

He swung at the nearest and missed, but his speed sent him towards the far wall of the new tunnel. It was a cistern, and they had come out into the middle of it.

The Nord was relieved as he saw what befell those Vermai who came from their fore. Each of them turned as he had, and each Vermai ran headlong over a short ledge, and fell into the cistern, which was empty. Grond's momentum had carried him beyond the edge of the wide circular chasm, and into the walkway that wound round it. The walkway went in a long stair which hugged the sides of the mammoth cistern. Great lengths of chains hung down from high above. Water dripped and occasionally ran in streams from above; but this one had long been sealed from the main sewers of Sutch. The Nord looked across and saw his friends standing beyond; they had nimbly turned or halted before the precipice, and now waved at Grond, from higher up on the far side. Every Vermai that had been running towards them had fallen into the giant well, and all who fell met a crushing fate. For the fall was more than their bony hides could resist.

"Which way now? Up or down?" Seren asked. Rider and Red, at the same time, said both "Up!" and "Down!"

Grond bellowed a laugh as he heard the screeches which echoed to silence. "They're stupid!!" he called out. But his laughter died as the first of the Vermai came to him from behind. These turned wildly and they headed straight towards the Nord.

So Grond hitched back his hammer and leaped into the chasm.

His leap carried the Nord nearly halfway across towards the others. As he fell, Grond grabbed the nearest chain. Multitudes of Vermai fell into the chasm, for their pincers and tiny brains could not grasp the chains. There was an instant of relief for Red and the others, but it lasted less than a breath, for the chain Grond had grasped began to fall, with the Nord dangling from it.

"Grond!" they shouted, and their direction was chosen. They raced down the stair toward the bottom of the cistern, to save their friend.

Grond plummeted. As he fell he watched as Vermai roared and clicked past him, to a watery end. He held onto the chain tight as he could, for more than a few times, one of the doomed creatures would strike him as they fell, and these almost tore him from the chain to his death. Then the Nord saw long metal rails and old ledges, broken from neglect, which jutted out at intervals from other waterways or tunnels. Without a thought he flung himself from the chain he held to another chain that was closer to the side, barely missing a collision with a falling Vermai, which snapped its pincers at him, narrowly missing him. The chain he caught, and he swung now as he fell.

"Uh-oh!" he shouted as the wall came close and he grit his teeth and tensed. He smashed into the wall and bounced away, shaking the stars from his head. Still he fell. He looked down, giggling a bit as he watched the creatures fall past. Then his breath caught, for another ledge was speeding towards him, but it was on the far wall. So the Nord left his soul to Stendarr and swung, and he caught a chain, and he flung himself again, and then another time, each time catching the chain. Finally he dove and he crashed into the rail, and Grond rolled and tumbled along the entrance to an old tunnel, landing with a final hard thud against the wall.

"Holy beloved Stendarr," he groaned, rubbing his head.

Meanwhile his companions ran down the curving narrow stair. They were heartened by the things which fell, but they feared for the Nord. Garulf led them, and he leapt five steps at a time. Red came next, shouting for her Nord to be careful. The twins and Arwin followed, and Rider kept up the rear. They passed the side ways which had flashed past Grond, and from these occasionally sprang other Vermai. But in their haste to reach their friend, the companions simply slashed at them or in Garulf's case, threw a fierce shoulder into them, and the insects would be sent over the edge of the landings, and follow their brethren into the abyss.

But such was the constuction of the waterways that at each of the landings there was a dangerous edge, and a drop of no little height, which gave them pause. But then, after another landing and another waterway or tunnel, the stair would continue below. So Arwen led them, jumping to the next ledge below; and Rider and Red followed; and the twins made the leaps; but Garulf was loathe to do it, and furious at himself. For like his friend's fear of close places, Garulf dreaded the high places, especially these, where he knew his weight was likely to break the ancient ledge to which he leaped. But he went anyway, for his concern outweighed his trepidation.

Once, after his leap, Arwin turned and began to back to the opening of a tunnel, to make room for the others. But they cried out to him as a Vermai sprung at him from behind. Red leaped after it. Rider closely followed.

Suddenly Raurke was there, between the monster and the Altmer. He ducked under the Vermai as it lunged, and swiftly stabbed at its soft belly, killing it. The creature slid past Arwin and over the edge. "Thank you," said Arwin, turning and racing down the stair before he heard Raurke's "You're welcome".

After some time, the companions came down to a ledge where, with relief, they met Grond.

"Hiya, me friends!" cried the Nord.

"You!" cried Red. "Do you know you almost killed my Garulf!" And after helping the Nord to his feet, Red threw two stiff arms into his chest, sending Grond down again, into the darkness of the tunnel behind. The rest laughed, until Raurke said, "What do we do now?"

[DarkRider]

After a day’s ride Jack arrived in Anvil and saw the banner of his ship, The Longwinter, blowing gently in the breeze. She appeared to have been berthed in the port town for only a day or so; most of her crew had scattered ashore to drink their fill of ale and women at the local pub while a few porters remained to resupply the ship. As he led Galleon aboard a familiar laugh greeted him.

“Why Calico Jack you seadog, you must be a ghost since only death could keep you from the sea so long, or so you always says,” he first mate John “Jolly” Thatcher shouted to him from the top deck.

“Ahoy, Jolly,” he replied, allowing one of the porters to take Galleon’s reins and lead him below deck. He climbed to the top deck and briefly clasped forearms with is longtime partner, “Tell me, Jolly, any word from the Charlotte?”

Jolly shook his head, “Old Bootleg? No, no, he ent been to this port in a long while, heard he missed a drop off in Skywatch though. Ent he due around Haven this time a year? Why? You thinkin there’s trouble Jacko?”

“Don’t know,” he said, his eyes drifting out to the horizon, “Have the porters round up the men, we sail for the port at Haven with first light.”

“Aye, Cap’n. You heard the Cap’n,” Jolly shouted at the nearest porters, “Git yerselves ashore and round up the men! We’re leaving this bilge hole town!”

The next several hours were a flurry of activity as the crew returned to the Longwinter and joined the porters in boarding the rest of the supplies. As the first rays of the sun broke the darkness on the horizon, Jack appeared at the ship’s helm.

“Stow the gangplank,” Jolly ordered, sensing their departure.

“Mr. Thatcher, let’s raise anchor,” Jack said.

“Raise anchor,” Jolly shouted to the crew. The Longwinter groaned in her berth as the heavy weight was lifted from depths setting her free. As soon as the anchor lifted the sleek ship began to glide out of port on the strong current of a waning tide.

“Hoist the mizzen,” Jack relayed to Jolly.

“Oi, you lot, hoist the mizzen,” the first mate shouted. As the small sails were raised a strong south wind caught hold and propelled the ship further out of port and into the Abacean Sea.

Jack felt the wind whip his face smelling of the salt air that bred him, “Jolly, raise the main sails.”

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Only a few hours at sea and the distant shores of Summerset Isle came into view. Jack had turned the helm over to a crewman and had perch himself at the base of the foremast to watch the seas for signs of the Charlotte. A shadow came to stand over him as Jolly leaned against the mast just behind his shoulder.

“I’ve known yer dad a long time, Jacko,” he said quietly, “if any pirate was devil enough to live forever it were him.”

“I know it,” he replied, “we’re all acquainted with the price for this life at sea.”

“Aye,” the first mate agreed, “she is a fickle bride these waters, a lover one day, a hag the next. Just don’t worry on it is all.”

Jack glanced up at him, “I won’t, Jolly.”

“While yer watching the waters there, keep your eyes peeled for a little red sea giant. They say there’s no luckier sight, and we could use that sort of blessing on this run I think,” the first mate clapped him on the shoulder once.

Before Jolly could walk away, an eruption of commotion exploded behind them, drawing them both away from the deck and over to where the crew was gathered around the entry to the lower holds. Three crewmen were struggling with someone in the doorway shouting that they had found a stowaway. The crew parted for the captain and first mate and a slight form was deposited unceremoniously at Jack’s feet. For a moment he couldn’t believe his eyes as the goggle clad youth stood, clutching a satchel.

“Echo?!” Jack half shouted in surprise, “What the devil are you doing here?”

Echo raised his goggles to rest on his forehead and blink up at him eagerly, “Pirates have shiny things I like.” he answered.

Jack frowned, “Bring him to my cabin.”

With Jack leading the way, the crewmen hauled Echo to his feet and half dragged, half carried him to the captain’s cabin. Once they were alone inside behind closed doors Jack towered over the mousy fellow with his arms crossed.

“Alright,” he said, “out with it. You didn’t tail me all the way here and aboard this ship in hopes of finding shiny things now did you?”

Echo straightened and seemed to be considering his reply before he finally said, “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. I go where I wish to find what I like,” he seemed pleased with his own bravado.

Jack leaned back against his desk, there was something amusingly curious about Echo, and he couldn’t help himself but to surrender to this thief among thieves, “I should toss you overboard and let you swim back to Anvil, might teach you to be more careful where you trespass. The crew out there will expect just that you know.”

Echo didn’t look at him with fear, but simply shrugged, “wet things dry,” he answered in a cryptic wisdom. Jack nodded and eyed him carefully. It really wouldn’t do any harm to allow Echo to remain aboard, and he always believed that when he crossed paths with someone it was never by chance.

“Fair enough,” he said finally, “You can stay aboard with us and search for your shiny things on this voyage, but you don’t steal from me or the crew, only at ports. If you get caught, I’ll not risk my crew to save you, and you keep out from underfoot. Agree to the terms?”

Echo offered a hand forward and they shook on it, “Agreed.”

“Good,” Jack replied, “There’s a spare bunk here in my cabin, you may use it while you’re aboard.”

With that he strode back out onto the open deck. The crew waited a moment to see what, if anything would happen, but when Jack returned to his place at the foremast they resumed their duties. Jolly gave him a jab and motioned back toward the cabin, where Echo had appeared and was making his way up the mast to one of the nests.  

“Friend o yers?” he asked.

“In a way,” Jack answered, “Echo and I met ashore and let’s just say we both have a passion for things that aren’t ours. He’ll be sailing with us for a time, tell the crew.”

The first mate said nothing further but offered a nod and returned to supervising the sailors on deck. Jack turned his eyes up toward the crow’s nest where Echo had vanished within. He shook his head, knowing it was likely that’s where curious thief would ride out most of the trip to Haven.

[Jheuloh]

Vnuku surveyed the plains where he last pursued Rebecca, and lost to her in combat when she came close to cleaving his arm off. Although his memory of individual folk and beasts was blessed, his memory of landmarks was depressing in comparison; he had almost forgotten where the last chase happened. He quietly crept through the dried grass which led into the forest which surrounded what he deemed the mystery inn; Vnuku had never heard of this inn before. Surely there must be at least a circle of friends who have informed the outside world of this place, or perhaps a party which resides there?

He pushed the minor questions aside, however, and returned to the question he previously had; where is Rebecca, and who will be the victor of this private war? While Vnuku mindlessly repeated the above question to himself, his mind slowly drifted to a faded memory of his now deceased friend; Eijhmand. While Vnuku crept through the grass towards the Tavern, he eventually began to wonder of where his old friend had 'gone to' in the afterlife. Could Eijhmand be 'watching over' Rebecca and himself as he became sidetracked by his drifting into the past?

[grond]

"What do we do now?" asked Seren.  

"Well, we get to walk back up, I suppose," began Rider, smiling grimly, "thanks to the Great Flying Ape from the North here."  The Dragon Balieal, Rider's Drake Father, gave Grond that name after the Nord had leapt to try to save Rider.

Arwin sighed.  "Yes.  These waterways have long been cut off from the main.  We could flood them but we would need to find the gates which hold back the lake, or else find the connections to the current waterways, and open them."

"Any chance you have a map of their location?" smiled Garulf.

Arwin shook his head and with a rueful smile said, "None exist, save perhaps in some dusty closet in the Castle.  No, friend Garulf, I think we are on our own in this affair.  The locks cannot be too far away, but at which level it is impossible to guess.  We might be in this place for some time, and still not find the correct level."

"We could be down…" began Raurke, then Seren finished, "… here forever!"

Red shook her head. "No.  I don't think so. Wouldn't these locks be somewhere near this main cistern?"

Arwin nodded.  "Yes, most likely.  We could climb and search, but it will take much time.  But not forever.  Though doing this thing would certainly lay waste to the Vermai.  Or at the least we would destroy those nests or hives which threaten Sutch, as we are now beneath the city.  Otherwise, we've a long climbing walk ahead of us, and then there are the vile creatures.  We would have to deal with them as we came upon them."

Red and Rider nodded their agreement that they should open the gates, as many as they could find.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," complained Garulf.  "Just what will we do if and when we find and open these locks?"

"He's right!" added Raurke.  "We'll drown!" said Seren.

Arwin turned to Raurke.  "All but one of us might drown," he said, reminding the Raven elf that he'd witnessed his flitting.  "We will find a way to return to this cistern," the Altmer Guard Captain continued.  "If we can do it, then the water should lift us to the top!"

Garulf suddenly understood.  "So we'll float like corks to the surface of the tub!"  

Red laughed and turned towards the mouth of the tunnel.  "Grond.  Couldn't you have just run up to us back there?"  There was no response from the Nord.  She peered towards the darkness where she had decked Grond.  "Grond?"

 

There was no one there.

"Now where'd he go?" muttered Garulf.  

For the answer they heard his voice some distance down the darkened tunnel.  "OI!" cried the Nord.  They heard the clash of weapons and guttural growling shouts.

Rider spun and raced down the dark waterway.

"Goblins now?!" cried Red, drawing her Dark Rose, and giving chase.  And Garulf followed fast.  Seren ran behind, but as Raurke made to chase after, Arwin stood before him.  "You've saved me, and I thank you," said the Altmer, "but when this is finished, we must have a conversation."

"Surely!" replied Raurke and the Raven Elf turned and ran past Arwin.  He called out as he ran away:  "If you can find me after!"

Red raced towards the sounds, following Rider along the waterway.  She and the Ranger came out as the tunnel opened into a wide cavern, lit by a bright fire off to one side.  In the center was the broken shell of a great water wheel.  It lay on its side, and there were planks leaning against it.  On the flat side more planks had been laid, creating a deck or a stage, and the great axle poked out from the middle of it.  Along the walls at varying levels were mouths of caves, linked by more narrow planks, and on the far wall, high above them and brightly lit by raw welkynd stones, there was a wide stone door without a ledge or stair to it.  

And below the door stood Grond, swinging his hammer as a number of Goblins attacked him.  They watched the Nord, for a moment.  Grond leaped over the head of an approaching Goblin, who swiped at the air.  The Nord swung as he landed, taking two others down with the swing. Three other Goblins charged at the Nord, but these ducked or rolled away from the mighty hammer as Grond swung.  Then he seemed to bounce to the side, to escape the jab of the first Goblin, and smashed into a fifth, sending them both down.  Arwin brought out his bow for he saw an archer drawing on Grond.  He fired rapidly and the Goblin fell.  

The Nord and the Goblin wrestled on the dirt floor.  Raurke saw the club of another Goblin, raised to strike the Nord - then he was at its side, pulling his dagger from the creature's belly.  Garulf roared and charged, for a number of other Goblins rushed from the caves above them.  And so too came Rider, Red and the others.

Spying the Goblins racing to stop and stand on the great wheel, Rider himself came to it and leaped, and he landed on the ends of those boards the Goblins stood upon.  His weight upended the planks and the creatures were sent screaming into the air, and Arwin shot several arrows into each.  Rider leapt away, to join with Seren.

Red began a song as she swung her Dark Rose, singing with a fiery voice.  She followed Garulf, running up the planks which led to the caves, meeting the Goblins who came out.  Garulf suddenly stopped as they came to the creatures, and Red jumped to the Nord's shoulders, then seemingly weightless, she sprang from Garulf to a plank above them, landing with ease, and she fell and spun, tripping those Goblins she met so they fell from the higher planks, and Arwin filled them with arrows.  Then the one-time thief raced up the planks to the next level, singing strongly, while Garulf simply knocked the creatures with his hammer, and they fell to receive Arwin's sharp flying gifts.

But then Arwin was out of arrows, so he drew his short sword, and wherever he went, his blade sent electric fire into his foes.

Seren cast bolts at the Goblins coming from the side opposite Red, and she swiped at those she could not hit with her magick.  These fell with hands clutching open throats.  Then she felt a glancing blow from behind, and her arms were pinned as the Goblin held them.  She felt breath on her neck, but before the creature could bite her, Seren threw her legs up and they fell, and her head snapped back into the face of the Goblin who thought to taste her.  The creature's arms themselves went limp and she rolled away, landing at the stinking sandalled feet of another goblin.  She looked up in time to roll away again, for Rider came and swung.  The creature's head fell to Seren's belly.  She rolled away a third time, this time standing.  "Thanks!  How revolting!" she called to Rider.  The Ranger saluted Seren in return.

But then from the higher caves came the Vermai.  They issued out of them, some simply falling, others coming down the narrow ramps.  The Goblins squealed and raced away from them, for the Vermai cared for none of the two-legged things.  Grond had only just managed to smash the face of the Goblin with whom he struggled, when he looked up and found another Goblin prepare to jab his spear into the Nord.  As Grond fell away he saw the Goblin grabbed by the foreclaws of a Vermai, and that creature was ripped in two by the dark insect thing.

"Stendarr!" shouted the Nord.  "They want us all!"  And he swung his hammer back then forth again, and crushed the Vermai facing him.  

The Goblins either saw the Nord's attack or heard him and understood, for soon they left behind the fight with the companions, to turn with them and battle the Vermai.  Foes became allies; the Goblins aided the companions wherever they could.

Meanwhile, Red, sitting high above the fray, had just kicked out the scaffold of planks which rose to the highest of the caves.  The vermai which came out of that cave fell or clung to the walls and scuttled down them.  She sat for a moment atop a lone plank which stretched between two outcroppings.  She peered at the door, which now was level with her, and she saw below it a wide gear.  Set into the stone of the cavern wall, it was connected to other gears.  And she looked down to the floor below, and saw that there was a long lever directly below the stone door.

"A gate!" she cried, but the battle below drowned out her words.  So, putting the Dark Rose blade into her mouth she leapt to a lower outcrop, and from there, to another, and taking the blade in hand she began to sing again, and joined in the battle with the Vermai.

[charlescrowe]

"That's five creatures what felt Glass Rose's thorns this day, Seren!" Raurke shouted.

"Fifteen here, Raurke!" Serenity shouted back gleefully.

Suddenly. she saw Glass Rose flash beneath her arm as Raurke killed the Vermai she had been struggling with. "Who's the mage, and who's the rogue here?" Raurke whispered as he shot out bolts of lightning from Glass Rose like some deadly magickal wand, striking 3 more of the vile beasts.

"You tricky bastard!" Serenity chimed, jabbing Raurke's rib with her elbow, then growling like a mad lioness as she bowled over the next vermai, punching it full of holes with her dagger. Raurke watched the show as Serenity discarded the now broken knife for her twin swords, dancing amongst the fray, vermai falling at her slightest movement.

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Red had just downed her seventeenth vermai when Raurke appeared behind her. "May I borrow this?" he said, as he grabbed her bow and quiver, then appeared on a high vantage point, channeling magicka through the arrows as he loosed them. A volley of sparks, embers, and shards of ice surrounded the vermai near the goblins.

"That's thirty, Seren!" he shouted, as he returned Red's bow.

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With a thunderous bellow fit for the men and gods of old nordic legend, Grond swung his hammer through the air, taking down no small number of vermai with each swing.  With a mighty crack, the nord's favorite hammer broke at the base of the handle, where it meets the hammer's head. "Blasted Imperial smiths..." he muttered as he grabbed a war axe from a fallen goblin. "Give me a nice nordic weapon any day, and i could slay ten thousand men before it breaks!" With that, he layed into the nearest vermai, opening it wide like a lobster at a fancy restaraunt.

[WhoGuru]

Red shook her head in high humor at Raurke's flitting ability. Having him appear behind her so high up had been a shock and then vanish again to reappear below. A very handy ability. She swung out once more, leaping down to the next outcropping and came to rest on the long, jutting finger of an old support. From there she could see the furious battle below her. She drew her Welkynd Bow in a fluid movement, stringing an arrow and taking a Vermai in the back of the head below before it could rake the Rider's back with it's claws. He spun quickly, cleaving it's head off with his katana and tossed a happy salute to her before wading back in with the twins.

Red chuckled as she fired at the phalanx of Goblins fighting alongside her friends. Certainly a stranger sight she'd never seen, the fierce Goblins actually working to aide the humans and they taking care not to strike the smaller fiends. She began to hum to herself as her arrows thrummed downward, thinking this would be a song worthy moment when they returned home to the Tavern.

As she sent her last arrow into the fray below, she slung the bow over her shoulders once more and looked for her next perch. A scrabbling from above drew her attention and she turned in time to see a Vermai clinging to the wall just above her. Giving a high pitched growl, it sprung from the wall at her. Red dropped her legs over the side of the support, catching the edge with her hands and swung out as the Vermai came to a sliding landing where she'd been. Using her momentum to carry her, she swung beneath the strut and up around the other side, planting both her feet in the creature's chest and sending it flying to the ground below.

She ended straddling the beam and gave a short bow, hearing the others cheer from below. Grinning fiercely, she jumped to her feet and leaped to the next, and the next below that. Finally Red dropped to the floor of the chamber and found herself grabbed up by Grond as she drew her blade.

"Lass it's good to see you've lost none of your talent at giving old men heart attacks while you were gone!" Grond set her back on her feet and used his borrowed Axe to cave in the skull of a Vermai that had followed Red down.

"Hands off my woman, ye bag of old bones!" Garulf shouted with a grin. "Get yer own!"

"I'll deal with you later, dragon bait!" Grond roared back and Red was left laughing as several of the Goblins tugged suddenly on his fur greaves and pointed to a closing group of Vermai as though the giant man were a comrade.

"Oh I have to write a song about this!" She laughed and went to stand with her Garulf and Rider, back to back with Raurke and Seren against the few remaining Vermai in the chamber. The fighting was furious, as the last Vermai fell, skull crushed by the haft of Grond's axe and heart spitted on Seren's blade, the friends took a collective breath and then simply stood for a moment, unsure what to do.

The goblins stood about them, the twenty or so remaining. They stared at the interlopers in their world, seeming as confused as they. There was a moment of tension, Arwin tightening his grip on his sword as he wondered if they would be finishing the battle they'd started before the Vermai had come and them, to their shock, the goblins turned as one and scrambled away into the tunnels.

"Huh!" Grond snorted. "Never too old to see something new!" He chuckled and slapped Garulf hard on the shoulders, knocking him forward. "Now, what were you yelling up there before, Red girl?"

[grond]

Red smiled and pointed towards the back of the cavern.  Grond nodded, and Arwin cried, "There is one of the main Locks!  The lever controls it!  Quickly now - everyone prepare to…"

But Grond raised his hands.  "Aye," he said, "but 'tis broken.  I threw the stick both ways and she didn'a budge!"

And Rider said, "There's a small problem, mates."  He pointed and they followed his gloved finger to midway between them and the gate.  Along the way from floor to door was a line of gears set within a stone shaft, buried in shadow.  They saw the gears now, for they were close, and weak light spilled down and shone into the shaft.  There was a wide space above where they saw a missing cog.

For his own curiosity, Arwin tried the 'stick', as Grond had called it - the lever shifted easily, and those gears near them turned, but nothing happened above the gap, though Garulf flinched, half expecting a rush of water.   "This musta been where the great wheel sat," said Garulf, peering into the gap.  

"Brilliant, my Nord!" snapped Red, smiling.  "But how do we get the door to open?  Do we look for the gear, find something else, or try to force the door somehow?"

"Well," said Arwin wryly, "if we happened to find the piece, perhaps our friend Raurke here could travel up there, place the piece and come back down unscathed."  

"I could, too," replied Raurke with a defiant smile.

They stood together and debated their next course of action - would they search, replace, or force?

[charlescrowe]

Raurke walked to the wall and sat, thinking. Suddenly, something tapped his shoulder.  Raurke was startled to see the face of one of the smaller goblins mere inches from his face. "GAH! What do you want?" He gasped.

"Dem save-ed it, it is thankfull. It follows you fa-evah!" the goblin said, much to Raurke's, and everyone else's surprise.

"It spoke!" Serenity said, stating the obvious.

"Of courses it spek! It is intellerjent!" the goblin said proudly.

"Yes, you are. Have you got a name?" Raurke obliged the goblin.

"Name? It's name is Toady. Toady follows dem fa evah!" The goblin said, pointing at Raurke.

Raurke merely put his palm to his face. "Wonderful."

[grond]

"I say we blast it!" said Grond.

"I say we find the wheel we need!" came Red's reply.

"It would be almost impossible to find!" cried Garulf.

Red smiled.  "Maybe not, it can't have gotten far."

"Unless it was stolen!" exclaimed Seren.

"But who would want it?"  Arwin asked.  "Why that one piece?"

"That's why I want to find it," replied Seren with a shrug.  "Somebody thinks it's important."

Red shook her head.  "Unless it wasn't stolen, and is laying around here someplace - maybe under the big wheel!"  She turned to Rider.  "Well?  What do you propose we do, O silent Ranger?"

"Here's my proposition," said Rider, and spinning, his cloak whirling, he turned with outstretched arm and flung golden fire at the door.  The flare hit and scorched the great stone door, but did not damage it.  "Now," said Rider, "we all have the flare spell.  Correct?"  Smiling at their nods, he said, "Then I propose that we all hit the door at the same time."

"That should do 'er!" cried Garulf.

"But let's get far away and get ready to run, eh?" added Grond.

This they did.  They went across to the mouth of the cavern, where they had entered.  Standing together, Rider said, "On three: one, two three!"

They cast their fire towards the wide door.

[charlescrowe]

when nothing happened, Raurke brought his quick mind into action. "Try it again!"  As the numerous fireballs impacted the door for a second time, Raurke cast a snow spell at the superheated spot. With a mighty crack, the door exploded into shrapnel.

[WhoGuru]

Splinters of wood and larger chunks flew out into the chamber, forcing them to duck and still they didn't evade everything. Bristling with splinters, they rose quickly, expecting a rush of water and instead were met by little more than a trickle.

"What?" Raurke went cautiously to the door, listening for a tell tale flood and heard nothing. "Now I'm confused."

"Ow. This is not our day." Red groaned, taking hold of a large splinter of wood in her arm and yanking it free. Grond and Garulf both were taking great pleasure in pulling splinters from each other, daring the other to make a sound of pain.

"Glad I wore black." Seren said ruefully, brushing dozens of little splinters from her arms that came away tipped in blood.

"Why is it you escape the lot then?" Red demanded of Rider, smirking at him. "That's just not fair."

He chuckled, understanding that she meant as an immortal he could have handled the damage and healed it. "I ducked faster than you, obviously. Hold still." He picked several more hunks of wood from her shoulders. "Next time perhaps we find a less destructive way to open a door."

"Your idea." Red laughed at him. "Now. What happened to the water?" She stepped to the blasted tunnel and peered into the darkness. "Still have a torch handy anyone?"

"I simply don't understand this." Arwin mused quietly. "We should have been swimming by now. I'm sure this is one of the run off cisterns for the city above."

"One way to find out what happened." Red grinned at him and took the lit torch Rider handed her. "I hate not knowing things. Spoils my whole day." She vanished down the tunnel to a chorus of laughter.

"She'll leave us in the dark if we don't follow her." Rider stepped in after Red, sword still ready should they find something in the tunnel. The others filed in behind him and they followed the glow of Red's torch ahead.

"I think you've gotten a bit more reckless than you used to be." Rider said softly to Red as they walked. "Not sure I like that."

Red shrugged. "I nearly didn't come on this little adventure." She said and surprised him. "I thought, I don't want to risk dying again after paying such a price for this second chance." She walked on silently for a minute and he let her. "I can't live my life that way, always afraid what the next moment will bring. I can't be that person."

"I understand." He smiled at her in the torchlight. "Even if you do worry me." and he laughed to take any sting from his words. "You aren't the only one who has trouble facing the thought of losing you again."

She spared him a glance, and another back at her dragonhunter and smiled. "I know. I will try not to be careless. Though with you watching my back, I'm afraid I fear little." She gave him her impish crooked grin, making him chuckle.

"Best not let you down then. I doubt your Nord would let me by twice." He replied and waved her off when she looked a question at him, wondering what he meant.

"See anything yet?" Grond came up with them, the others close on his back. "While you're up here yammering away." He smiled.

"Not yet, but do you hear that?" Red asked and, listening with the others, could hear the sound of water dripping steadily ahead. "I'd say we're nearly there."

They went on in silence then, listening to the water and for sounds they were not alone. The water seemed to be all that was in the tunnel and soon, they rounded a curve and gasped as one. Red's torchlight flared up to show them a massive earthen barricade, blocking the whole of the massive sluice tunnel. Water dripped and ran in small streams from various places in the dam and Red drew her sword, poking at the bottom experimentally.

"Less careless, remember?" Rider said on an uneasy laugh. "Even I don't like being drowned."

Red chuckled and resheathed her sword. "Well now what? We blow this up and we're swimming for sure. The pressure will shoot us out of this tunnel like bullets from Jack's pistols."

Raurke and Arwin both stepped to the damn and began studying it, the others waiting, thinking of how they would release the water without drowning themselves in the process.

"Busy little buggers these Vermai." Garulf muttered. "I'm going to enjoy wiping them out." He gave a toothy grin and wrapped an arm about Red's shoulders, subtly moving her back from the dam.

"We'll think of something." Raurke said surely, pulling a chunk from the dam and studying it in the torchlight. "There must be something."

[grond]

And something soon was found.  While they stood or sat near the great dam, discussing possibilities, Raurke was teaching the Goblin Toady the game of Stone, Scroll, Shears.  Grond watched them.  Toady, of course, was having difficulties grasping how 'scroll' - a flat hand -  could beat 'stone' - one's fist - by merely covering it.  The Goblin would cry "ba-rahk!", in customary Goblin fashion, whenever Raurke won; each time, the others would flinch, or put a hand to their weapon, for the cry of a Goblin meant to them approaching foes.  

Grond had a sudden insight, because ( or in spite ) of the fact that he had not had anything to drink for some time.  "Hey Raurke lad," he called, "whyn't ye ask that varmint - this is his house down here anyway!"

Red and the others looked to Raurke and his new chum.  They moved to gather round the Goblin and the Raven Elf.  "Splendid idea, young lady!" said Garulf, slapping Grond's back.  "OUCH!" shouted Grond, for a burning chunk of the door had driven into his turned shoulder at exactly the place where his friend slapped him.  So Grond threw an elbow into Garulf's midsection.  "Ooof!" was Garulf's reply, and he bent forward.  He quickly straightened, a fire in his eye, but found Red looking up at him, her hands on her hips.  She drew her finger across her throat and Garulf was unclear whether she meant "end it" or "you're close to death".  But the emerald fire in her eyes put out the fires in the Nord's.  He did not question the meaning of the gesture.  

Grond towered behind them with Garulf, as the others stood round the unlikely pair.  "Ask him where the water went," said Grond.

But Arwin interjected, "That's not so important anymore.  I believe we simply need to know if there is a quick way to the surface."

So Raurke asked Toady that.  "O me!" the Goblin began.  "No more top fer us!  Bugs took over the way.  Why not stone smash through scroll Rokey?"  Evidently, that was the name Toady chose for Raurke.  "Gobbies gotta make new holes topside now.  Work round bugs - big'un most.  Ba-rahk!  Big'un!  Saw it Toady did…dropped dooky right dere…brr-ahk!"  The Goblin looked surprisingly embarassed by its confession.

"Where's the water, Toady?" asked Raurke.  "Behind this?" The Raven Elf gestured towards the wall of clay and rocks.

"Nope," Toady shivered and cowered some.  "Dat dere houses.  Mud make us quiet but dey over dere in mud but dey can't hear true mud.  But shhh anyways.  Big'un listen.  Listen hard."

"A queen," muttered Rider.  "Is big one close, Toady?"

The Goblin nodded and Grond thought it looked terrified.  The Nord hoped it would not 'drop' anything here, where there was so little airflow.  

"Can we get to her from here?" asked Arwin with vehemence.  "For if it is a queen, we must kill it!"

"No!" cried the Goblin, then clamped both its hands over its own mouth, stifling another "brr-ack!!".  Then it said, "No way.  No how.  Take a million Rokeys to.  All the blades everywhere.  Big'un's a fatty.  Guarded by bugs.  Sit on us!"

They waited, surprised at their sympathy for the Goblin, who took to shivering again.  Raurke looked up at the companions, then back to Toady, and he forced a gentle tone:  "Where is she?"

The Goblin pointed to one side of the dam.  "Over dere and up some.  Where da water be.  Babies need da water.  Lotsa baby bugs dere."  And it was the last thing Toady would say.   It clamped onto Raurke's legs and would not let go.

"So," said Red, "we flood this place and they swim after us?"

Rider said, "Maybe.  Consider our informant.  Fear changes memories."  The Ranger peered upwards as he had at the wall of gears.  "At any rate, I imagine that a flood would not have killed these things, but scattered them instead, so that we and Arwin's comrades above could then do battle.  No, we do need to find the queen of this mob.  And we need to pop her with our blades.  A million we don't have, so we'll use the few we do."

"And we must do it soon, or all of Sutch will fall!" cried Arwin.

"Not to mention the fact that I'm gettin' hungry!" added Grond.  "And I too!" said Garulf.

So they searched the stone floor near, at the wall, and far, along the dank tunnel.   After several minutes Seren, who had climbed the wall where it fell to a muddy pile, cried "Hi!  There's a stair beyond!"

They came to her and peered through the small opening and saw that indeed a stair climbed through dim torchlight beyond.  Apparently the wall builders had blocked a turn in the tunnel, for the stair rose to the right of the wall.  "Okay, hungry Men," said Red.  "Time to go to work!"  

Growling a bit, Grond and Garulf shoved the bigger rocks away, and tore at the mud which blocked the stair.  When they had opened the way for the rest to walk through, they looked at each other.  They were nearly covered in the mud, which bore a foul odor of decay and mildew.  Garulf pointed to the floor before Grond.  "What's that?" he said.

When Grond looked down, Garulf ran two great handsful of mud upwards from Grond's chin to his forehead.  "Aack! Phfftt!" cried the Nord, sputtering.  Garulf danced away as the blinded Nord swung at him.

"You two!" shouted Red, but Garulf had already ducked through the new hole to follow, leaving Grond to pull the mud from his eyes.  "Never have I wanted a bath so bad," he muttered.  "Phew!"

And he followed the others through the hole and up the stair.

[WhoGuru]

Garulf led the way up the stair, lighted only with the torch Red had handed him. He looked back to the others and found Red several paces behind him. "Will you not walk closer to me, Lady Thief?" He asked, amused.

In reply, she pinched her nose and shook her head, laughing. "No bloody way. You're sleeping with Savior tonight. If he'll have you."

"Oh is that right." Garulf snorted, went up another step and stopped waiting. Red was quickly beside him, smell forgotten.

"Something here?"

"Hmm." Garulf quickly snatched her up, giving her a massive and messy hug and then deposited her back on the stairs sputtering. "Now who's sleeping with your boy tonight?" Muffled laughter followed him as he headed up the stairs once more along with Red's muttered comment.

"Lucky for you my assassin days are over." She plucked her shirt away from her chest and groaned. "Gods what a smell!"

"Less play and more stealth if you please." Rider smirked as he passed her on the stair. In reply, she passed on the impromptu hug Garulf had given her. With a satisfied nod, she headed up after her lover. "Teach me to open my mouth." Rider chuckled, wrinkling his nose at the smell now clinging to his armor.

"We don't need hugs." Raurke commented as he and Seren came up behind him.

"Nor me if you please." Arwin smiled, stepping past the Ranger. "I'd hate for my babe to born with that smell on his father."

Grond gave a snort from behind them and following the others, clapped Rider messily on the back. "Arlow will never let us back in the Tavern like this you know." He laughed as Rider cringed as more of the mud stuck to his back. "We'll all be sleeping with Red's boy."

They met the others at the top of the narrow stair and found Garulf, Raurke and Serenity by themselves.

"Where are Red and Arwin?" Rider asked, ready to go to their aid.

"Here." Red hissed as she appeared around the corner with Arwin and smiled. "There's a tunnel, big one, leading to another cavern I think." She pointed to her muddy shirt and grinned. "This is actually a good thing. They can't seem to smell me."

"She speaks true." Arwin nodded. "The Vermai seemed to scent me as I drew closer so I stayed back but Red was able to go quite a bit farther unnoticed."

"Oh that's just not fair." Serenity moaned and ran a hand down her black armor. "That stuff will never come out, I know."

"Hugs all around I think." Red grinned at them and at Arwin shaking his head. "If we're going to get close enough to that Queen to do something about her, you'll have to."

"Are you sure the Queen's ahead?" Grond asked, draping too mudcaked arms about the twins and holding on as they squirmed and cursed.

Red smothered a laugh at the disgust on their faces as Grond's arms smeared the foul smelling gunk across their shoulders. "Not sure, no. I heard water though. A lot of it. Sounded like a lake. Didn't want to venture closer without backup." She winked at Rider's smile and turned to Arwin. "Just you in need of...anointing, friend Arwin." She said softly and gave him a crooked, evil grin. He backed up a step, hand raised to stop her.

"Now, you'll need someone to stay back, keep you from getting cut off." He argued, trying not to raise his voice lest the creatures overhear. He gave a very un-Arwin like squeak when Garulf grabbed him in one of his Nord hugs, making his ribs creak before setting him down once more, now covered in the smelly mud. "Oh. Well that was uncalled for." He sniffed, decided not to do that again and longed for a bath and his wife.

"I sympathize." Rider said ruefully, trying to ignore his own odor thanks to Red. "But she's right. Even watching our backs, you need to be hidden from their sense of smell. If they were too come up behind you..."

"...as they likely will..." Serenity broke in.

"...without you realizing I've no doubt." Raurke added.

Rider chuckled, shaking his head at them. "Yes, as I was saying, you wont want them scenting you out."

"Let's get going then." Red drew the Dark Rose with a feral smile. Toady squeaked from behind Raurke then. "You don't have to come." Red knelt down in front of the small goblin, watching him cringe. "You shouldn't come. Stay back where it's safe."

"No, no, no, no." The Goblin grumbled, shaking his head and latching on to Raurke's leg again. "Must go with Rokey. Must keep him safe."

"Gods." Raurke groaned, wondering if he would ever be free of the small, clingy Goblin. "Stay back, Toady. I'll be fine. You wont be in there." He pried the small fingers from his leg and set Toady back against the wall. "You stay here, watch for more of the things. We need to be warned."

"Very important work." Seren smiled, lending force to her brothers words.

"Importan?" The goblin asked, eyes wide.

"Very." Raurke stood up finally and stepped away. "Keep us safe."

"I will. Toady will." He danced in place and then skittered back down the stairs and back up again. "Will keep watch for the bugs for Rokey!"

"Now can we go?" Red whispered to them as the Goblin headed down the stairs again. "Before he changes his mind."

They stepped out into the tunnel, leaving the small Goblin behind, Red leading them toward the large Cavern she had spotted and the sound of water.

[charlescrowe]

h! I nearly forgot something!" Raurke mumbled, startling Serenity, who had been on edge the entire time.

"What is it 'Rokey'?" Red jabbed, amused at the goblin's pronunciation.

Raurke reached into one of the many pockets of his robe, producing a particularly wicked looking hunting knife.

"Toady might need this... just in case" With that, Raurke shimmered out of sight, leaving a faint after-image.

The details of the after-image were fuzzy at best, but Arwin's keen eye detected the faint traces of vampiric

features. A chill ran down his spine as he realised he may be in debt to something unsavory in nature.

Red glanced at Arwin, catching him off-gaurd as a look of worry crossed his face. Serenity must have caught it to,

as she caught Red's eye in the gloom, flashing her own look of concern. Not missing a beat, she placed a hand on

Arwin's shoulder. "What's the holdup?" She piped, flashing a smile to put Arwin at ease. "Come on, he'll catch up

soon enough."

"Er, yes..." Arwin muttered, trailing off into deep thought.

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

As Raurke reached the room where they left Toady, Raurke slowed, shimmering back into Tangibility. Now in the

center of the room, Raurke glanced around for the diminutive goblin, who was no where to be seen. "Bah, little

cretin must have run off." He muttered to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of pallid,

glowing eyes. "Toady?" his voice probed into the darkness.

A hair raising cackle came from the darkness. "Hah, the little cretin is through that cespit of a stairwell" An

oddly familiar voice spouted, full of spite.

"By the nine and all the Daedra, it can't be!" Raurke choked out as the owner of the voice stepped into his vision.

"No, it can't have progressed this far." Raurke muttered to himself, as his shade-self stepped into the dreary,

pallid light.

"What's wrong, Raurke-y?" Shade-Raurke cackled. "Afraid of a little shadow fight?"

Raurke drew his sword, brandishing it at the manifestation of his own internal strife and darkness. "B-b-back!" The

words stumbling from his lips. The shade merely cackled again, drawing it's own darkened, twisted manifestation of

Raurke's sword.

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

Serenity's ears perked as she caught the faint sounds of Raurke's voice. "Strange." She thought. "Why am I hearing

two Raurkes?" he had been feeling uneasy since the start of this little foray into the underground, constantly

feeling as though their group were being watched. It had only just gone away moments before, as Raurke disappeared

down the corridor. She suddenly felt a dreadful sense of forboding as her elven ears picked up the faint ringing of

swords.

"Come on slowpoke!" Red shouted after her, urgiung her forward.

"Quiet!" Garulf shushed at the women. "Need I remind you that we're kinda in a little danger right now?" The big

man groused, somehow sounding like the old beggar woman back in the Temple District.

Red turned to Grond, putting word to Serenity's observation, to which the big ruffian gave a hearty chuckle.

The group continued on, deeper into the nest of those vile creatures called Vermai.

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

Raurke was giving it all he had, already driven to remove his arcane facade; freeing up his available pool of

Magicka, pumping it into Glass Rose.

To an onlooker, it seemed as though mist was filling the cavernous chamber, arcs of arcane energy and sparks from

mundane sources exploded at random, which is exactly what the dimunitve goblin Toady was seeing. "Two Rokeys?" The

goblin exclaimed quietly, eyes as wide as saucers. "And what is 'Cretin' meaning?" Confused, the goblin sat in the

entrance to the stairwell.

"Face it Raurke-y, I'm your entire existence!" Shade-Raurke shouted, bringing his sword downward at Raurke in a

two-handed grip, which Raurke barely managed to block. Amidst the crackling of energy and sparks from their swords,

Raurke snarled, baring a mouth full of wicked looking fangs, his face growing darker as his shade's features began

clearing up.

"Argh! I'm still on control here!" He scowled, his voice a symphony of hatred and self loathing. "Oh, but you seem

to be losing every bit of it!" Shade-Raurke cackled again, pallid, red eyes glowing in the gloom behind lenses of

darkened glass. "Isn't this FUN!?" It rejoiced in a fervor of maniacal violence and savagery.

Their swords flashed again, Raurke stopping the shade's swing just as it bit into the flesh of his shoulder. "How

cliche`," The shade barked. "'You're your own worst enemy.' HA!I know you're every move, I'm you, you foolish

bastard!"

Raurke snarled again, pain ebbing into his shoulder, though he was glad Serenity wasn't witnessing this. At that

though, his shade seemed to grow less defined, less powerful. It may not have been much of an advantage, but it set

him into a brain storm as he fought back the ghastly form. Shade-Raurke must have noticed it as well, for it was

suddenly talking again, throwing every bit of effort it could into it's words, trying desperately to throw Raurke's

mind into moral strife.

As Raurke was deep in his thought process, the shade seized a chance attack, catching Raurke's arm again with the

dark blade it wielded.

[charlescrowe]

Toady blinked as the two Ruarkes shimmered into the goblin's vision. Wide eyed, Toady gasped, falling backwards.

Raurke glared at Shade-Raurke, eyes wild with fury. His hand flashed out and caught the shade's face. "Die, NOW!" he growled. The shade's luminescent red eyes grew wide as Raurke loosed a fireball point blank into it's face.

There was a loud, unearthly shriek as the shade faded from tangibility, shaded glasses falling to the ground, the dark glass shattering on impact. Raurke shuddered as, from the depths of his mind, the shad'es voice cackled. "You win this round, Raurke-y, but I'll be watching."

Toady jumped up, running to Raurke. "Ye Gads! Toady thought Rokey was a dead'un!" He said, sniffing the tall elf to make sure it was him. "Oh yeah... what is 'Cretin'?" the tiny goblin asked, as though nothing had happened.

"Come, Toady." Raurke said, regaining his arcane facade. "I'd prefer it if you'd come with us" He said, tossing the hunting knife to the goblin. "Tell no one what you saw."

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

The nagging feeling of doom lifted suddenly from Serenity's mind as Raurke and his diminutive goblin shadow appeared in the midst of the party. "Have a mishap whilst running with an unsheathed blade, Raurke?" she asked, noticing her brother's wounds.

"Perhaps, and I'm a bit worried at what will happen if we don't find a bath soon." Raurke whispered, hissing as he wiped his arm clean with bandages he'd rummaged out of Serenity's pack.

[WhoGuru]

Red reached the edge of the Cavern, Grond at her side and scowled at the smell. "You ever notice how many big uglies seem to make their home under Sutch?"

Grond snorted. "Like that thing you and Will killed beneath the castle." He hefted his borrowed Axe and grinned. "What say we send this one to meet the other?"

Garulf nudged Red in the back. "I heard about that one. How about we keep you in one piece this time?"

Red laughed softly, turned her head to give him a wink and danced ahead of them.

"Monster beneath the castle?" Raurke and Serenity whispered together as they came alongside the Nords with Rider. "Sorry we missed it."

Red came pelting back to them of a sudden, eyes wide and sword drawn. "Company!" She hissed and was soon followed by several of the largest Vermai they had yet seen. "Walked into a patrol I think."

The creatures rounded the corner into the tunnel, stopped for a moment as they surveyed the party in front of them and then roared as one and charged.

"So much for stealth." Rider groaned, swinging his katana and taking the legs of the first Vermai to reach them. "The fates are not smiling on us today."

[charlescrowe]

Serenity's swords flashed in the dim light as she twirled and slashed at the aggressors, a smile playing across her lips as she danced her deadly pirouettes and twirls, striking a foe at every turn.

Raurke dropped back to a safe distance, goblin companion in tow as he loosed arcane lightning at the Vermai. His arm wasn't up to the task of swinging a sword, thanks to his delightful shade. Toady ducking between the legs of those Vermai that got too close, hunting knife flashing in the pallid darkness, sinking deep into undersides and legs.

A vermai's head exploded into gore as the hefty Nord Grond swung his borrowed axe down with a mighty battle cry. Swinging it around in time to catch another hapless creature square in the chest as it snapped at the diminutive goblin racing around.

In an amazing display of grace fit for only the queen of thieves, Red vaulkted up the wall, flipping and twirling in the air as her persuer ran headlong into the wall, coming down with a heavy blow from her sword.

Toady, having lost his bearings, jumped on Arwin's shoulder. "Toady can help the funny yellow big'un!" he chittered. "And just how do you think you'll help?" Arwin shot back as he dug his sword into another Vermai. "Just throw Toady at one and Toady does the rest." the goblin said, smugly. Arwin gave him a confused look, then grabbed him by his scruffy shirt and threw him into the nearest vermai. Toady howled as he soared through the air, then latched onto the face of one of the vermai, stabbing it ferociously.

[Yevic]

(We randomly see Yevic get run over by a horse)

[grond]

Arlow shooed the horse back into the corral.   Helping poor Yevic back to his feet the barkeep said, "Come on in stranger.  I'm making a venison stew."  He led the dazed Yevic back in to the Tavern.

[_echo]

*Add-on part to Dark's story earlier. I know its been forever, lol, im slow.*

Echo is a very effective traveler. He tends to tail behind caravans, letting them trigger the highway men, and then slips around them. Occasionally, the caravaners would kill the highway man, and not care for his belongings, so Echo had a nice treat every now and then.

With such a travel method, the destination you find yourself in can be quite interesting. Echo once found himself in Mournhold in the Morrowind province at one point, took weeks to get back to familiar land. But on this day, Echo found himself far to the west, in the port city of Anvil, stopping place of many, with shiny things...

Getting into places such as a bustling port city can be a trivial task, but not for Echo. Although not a real magic user, he has acquired a few useful magical trinkets and scrolls throughout his travels. Once such scroll being a handy chameleon spell, but if only he had known he acquired if off an Arcane University student, because half written spells tend to not work properly all the time. If you can imagine the shock of someone seeing a floating head.

With getting into the city behind him, Echo proceeded to sneak among the crowds, picking from any pocket he could get his hands into; a coin or two here, a bite to eat there. He found himself at the docks, generally not a wise place to be. Some of the pirates seem to be able to see through Echo’s spell. Walking cautiously, Echo though this a perfect day to check out the innards of a ship, they always have shiny things.

Looking among the docked ships, the only one that stood out was one dubbed “The Longwinter”. A spark struck somewhere in Echo’s head, it sounded familiar, but Echo was too busy watching boxes being loaded onto the ship. This was the ship Echo was going to check out. He made his way to one if it’s anchoring lines, and climbed over to the stern, hopped on board, and ducked into the hold.

What seemed like hours of digging around, Echo heard voices from above. Franticly, Echo grabbed a bag and put it over his head.

“Oy, whats this? Think yer funny do ya?” Said one of the voices. No one replied. “Oy, I’m talkin to you.” Still no answer. Echo was suddenly forced to the ground, and the bag pulled from his head. “What be this. A pick-pocket on our boat? Let’s see what the capin thinks of you.”

Echo was dragged up to the deck and thrown once more to the ground. Standing before him was a man, presumably the captain, as would suggest by the fray of sparks going off in Echo’s head, but none would catch until he heard him say “Echo?!”

[charlescrowe]

As the last of the Vermai fell, Raurke winced, he had over-worked his damaged arm, and was now paying the toll.

"Are you ok?" Serenity and Red chimed in unison at the elf's look of pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but not of much use at present." Raurke replied weakly, the two battles leaving him winded and weak. "What I wouldn't give for a decent healer right now, though." He added with a smirk.

"Well, what now, Red?" Grond asked, his voice sounded odd in his hushed silence.

[WhoGuru]

A rumble of roars sounded from the cavern beyond them and Red shrugged. "Seems our stealthy entrance has been blown." She kicked one of the Vermai carcasses in frustration. "Bloody oversized bugs." Red muttered and hefted her sword. She cast a glance to Arwin, making his way along a high shelf into the chamber and saw him flick a salute at her before vanishing round a corner. "Let's go do some damage and find that queen."

"Just what I was hoping to hear!" Grond swung his hammer, matching the feral grin on Garulf's face.

Rider stepped up beside Red, katana in hand and gestured toward the cavern. "Shall we?"

Raurke hung back as the others and his sister began a determined jog into the cavern and drew his bow instead. It was bound to be less strain on his injured arm than swinging his sword. With a thought, the tunnel dissolved about him and then reappeared and he smirked, now standing on the ledge Arwin had taken. He ran quickly to find the elf as the sounds of battle erupted below.

Red, Rider, the Nords and Seren charged into the chamber as one and met a force of Vermai that had obviously been heading to see what all the ruckus in the tunnel was about. Side by side, with practiced swings, Rider and Red cut the legs of the leading Vermai out from under them. They fell, tangling the creatures behind them and the Nords quickly leaped on the still twitching bodies with war cries, hammer and axe sweeping heads from the shoulders of those they could reach.

A hail of arrows rained on the rear guard of Vermai then and beyond them, in the center of the cavern, the great hulk of the Vermai queen roared in rage. Spread about her in a circular pile were gently glowing eggs. Some small, some large and rocking feebly as they nearly hatched vermai inside tried to break their way out. There looked to be hundreds of them.

Red lopped several arms off a Vermai soldier, pushing it down ahead of her and using it's back to spring toward the one behind it, she sent it's head flying to rest at the feet of it's queen. "We need someone with real magic down here to burn those things!" She cried out to the others. Seren nodded, wiping green Vermai blood from her face.

"Raurke!" Seren yelled above the battle and then turned her attention back to the Vermai trying to flank her. Both went down with matching arrows in their heads and she turned to see Arwin wave even as a cold slap of wind announced her brother's arrival. He looked somewhat better now, his arm moving more freely and shouldered his bow to draw his blade.

"That elf has a way with healing so he does, sis." Raurke grinned. "You called?"

[WillieSea]

Arwin grimaced, his magical reserves were getting low from summoning so many magical arrows in conjunction with healing the injured Raurke. But he knew it would be a sad day when he did not help one of his companions, no matter what he may think about them, they were still a team and he would never break that bond for anything.

The secret tunnel into the city had been a surprise to him, but he had suspected as much with the ease that some people on the shadier side of the law made it into and out of the city. But with the collapse of the tower, this tunnel would certainly be found during the towers reconstruction.

Arwin quickly reached into his magical waist bag and pulled out a vial. He still wondered at the amazing and unique bag that was tied inside his clothing against his body, a gift from William. He need only put his hand in it and whatever he wanted that was in the bag would be within his grasp without searching for it. The vial was quickly opened and its contents drank. The empty vial then traveled quickly through the air to smash into the head of a Vermai soldier below sending shards of glass into its compound eyes. It shrieked as the goo that was their blood oozed from its eyes. It then thrashed about where it was, crushing many of the glowing eggs below its clawed feet.

With renewed strength, arrow after glowing arrow shot down on the mass of Vermai as they swarmed into the room, not unlike ants when you disturb their ant hill. Arwin was growing tired and he could see his friends below were also getting winded.

Raurke stood near the queen as Seren and Red keep the clawing Vermai soldiers at bay with their wonderfully crafted blades. Raurke knew his investment in the blades would pay off some day, and this appeared to be the day. He raised his hands into the air and summoned mighty magics. A static charge seemed to infuse the very air of the room as the outstretched hands of Raurke started to glow a deep amber color. He coolly looked at the queen as he summoned the power to him, the flaying claws and mandibles of the stationary queen did little to distract him as he concentrated.

Arwin felt the hair on the back of his neck raise on end as Raurkes hands glowed so brightly that it illuminated the room and threw cruel shadows on the far wall of the thrashing queen and her soldiers.

The queen was taking notice of the magical power concentrating on one of the living food bags that were attacking her army. A sudden electrical blast to her midsection caused her much pain and she turned her attention away from the now glowing one to see another arc of lightning come down from the ledge above her and blast another blackened spot on her hardened chitin.