It was the bright sun that caught my eye and woke me from my slumber. A slumber that I took in the lost caverns of the endless Oblivian Mountains. We were in mid hunt for the accursed Dahlekar. The plagued alchemist that nearly destroyed the population of my homeland. I didn't expect to wake up in sunlight. What happened? Where am I? I raise the upper half of my body off the ground with the assistance of my lower half, the legless snake half. The first thing that I see is a beatiful village about me that is highly unfamiliar to me. The next thing I notice is that the others are missing. This suddenly sets me on edge. Even Drakona is gone and she is what matters most to me.
I am Covallok Venat, sole survivor of the Yuan Ti Clan of Sudonia. My clan had undergone a mysterious destruction that no one could explain. Almost like the core of the village exploded outward. At least those were the rumors. I have almost no recollection of my past before I met RenDe and Syrus. My body consists of mostly blue scales. From my neck, over my chest, passed my underbelly, and to the tip of my tail is a darker blue than what most of me consists of. My back, from the tip of my tail, to the top of my head, has a yellow stripe that is very distinctive on me. I have the head of a cobra, so that is what usually sets me aside from the rest of the Yuan Ti species. Strapped to my back is my trusty Zweihander, a massive blade that has helped me through more predicaments than I could count. To my side is where I keep the Wolf Claw a godly sword that was entrusted to only one soul. The very soul that resides within me. This blade holds too much power for its own good. I rarely use it because of that. Only when it's direly needed would it come out of its sheath.
"What is the meaning of this?! Where are we?!" I call out to myself with my panicked tone. Only me and my friend know why I refer to myself as we.
That is something that not even I could explain, Covallok. The arcitecture of the buildings around us is deffinately something else. Deffinately not of Sudonia. It seems we may have stumbled into a different world of sorts. The internal voice of the soul within me speaks out to me. His explaination does seem a bit logical, but why us?
"Perhaps, Slash. Maybe it would be best to ask around." I reply to him. The only question is who can I ask questions to without scaring them off? I am a thirty foot Yuan Ti afterall.
A lone person walks a hill. “Not a lot of need for a exorcist these days, demons, and sprits are laying low.” The man is in a black rob covering all but his left arm. A dark blue rob covers most of the black one except for the same arm and the left part of his body. His left arm is covered by a purple piece of cloth; the only part of skin you can see is badly scared. He has short long hair pulled back into a ponytail and then a braid on the right side of his face down to his shoulder. His ears tell most that he is an elf but he is a half elf half human. The monk walks up to a rock face and rests his back on the cliff side. A few second later a voice is heard, “It sounds like a person in trouble,” He told himself. The monk stars to run to the voice caring this staff that he used in his exorcisms. He runs up to were he heard the voice and sees a large snake. The monk walks up to the snake, “Hello My name is Oskar, and how can I help you.”
Ah, I couldn't have asked for a better time for someone to show up. Here I thought my appearance in general would be too much for this world to muster. The stranger looks as if he's prepped for a ritual of some kind. That staff looks a bit out of the ordinary as well.
"Ah, good. I thought I was completely lost for a moment there. I am Covallok Venat and I am a bit puzzled by my surrounds. Are you familiar with this area? Would this happen to be part of the world of Sudonia?" Gods... I sounded like a befuddled tourist. Hopefully he won't think that way. At least Slash chose to remain silent. Who knows what would happen if he decided to speak up?
Oskar looks at the snake confused, “Sudonia, what is that place. You are in a world called Earth.” Oskar looks at the snake more carefully, “Well, I told you were you are, but I can sense something different about you. Your spiritual energy I different you have another inside of you.” If you want I can get rid of the sprite for you for I’m an exorcist. But I’m on any important quest and time I have is coming to an end.” The monk raise his left arm, you see a slow working poison is working its way through my body and I need to find and see that the evil is destroyed.”
A slight breeze rippled through the exorcist's hair, carrying with it the sound of a faint, strained elven voice that seemed like it was using its last strength to call for a help that probably wouldn't come. Dark Mage...Village... was all that was clearly audible before a gasp akin to someone being tortured was torn from the speaker, and then the voice was gone, and the breeze too.
Oskar looked at the huge snake, “I have to go someone needs my help.” Oskar turns and takes a few steps away. “Dark Mage Village, I don’t think I would be able to make it there on foot in time.” Oskar puts two fingers into his mouth and starts to whistle. A few seconds later a small dragon, but still bigger then a human, flies down and lands in front of Oskar. Oskar climbs up on the dragon, “Come my friend we must get to Dark Mage Village quickly.” In a blink of an eye the dragon takes off into the sky leaving the snake behind.
Earth? Not Sudonia? Oh great. This makes everything worse. Not only are we not in Sudonia, but we're lost in the middle of some world we've heard nothing of. Kinda glad that odd little fellow left though. He was going to try and remove Slash. that's the last thing I need.
What now, Covallok? Should we just explore this realm? Slash asks, a bit confused himself.
"I'm afraid that's the only option we have." I finish out loud before I begin to slither off deeper into the village.
Atura has been traveling for many days. She is tired - exhausted, in fact, and she stops on the outskirts of the La'marri village, and drinks her water. She stares at the sun overhead, wondering if her parents have been resurrected yet. The mere thought makes her want to start running again.
As she dwells on the things her parents would do to her if they caught up to her, her fingers start tracing over three large scars on her face, in an obvious habit. Her dark, ashy skin is marred by these scars, but she wouldn't get rid of them. In fact, she rather likes them. She drifts off into her own train of thought, when suddenly her attention is caught by a huge blue snake, slithering into the village. Curious, she gets up and follows behind the snake.
Covallok. We have a follower. Slash speaks to me internally. If anything, Slash's presence within me is all but a gift. The day he decided to inhabit my body is the day my life changed so greatly. I then turn my upper body around to face this new person.
"Well, hello there. Who might you be?" I politely ask, hoping not to scare the girl away.
Atura tries to walk behind the snake as silently as she can when she notices it slow down and turn, looking at her.
The dark-skinned Necromancer stops in her tracks, caught. She steps back a few paces and replies a little nervously, "I'm called Atura. I'm sorry if I bothered you, I was just... I've never seen anything like you." She gestures vaguely to his scales with one hand, the other reaching behind her back and twirls the ends of her black hair around the tip of her finger. She looks at the snake directly, hoping it wouldn't attack her, and reviewing spells in her head as quickly as she can to hold him off if he does.
Hehe, you're scaring her, Cov. Slash points out the obvious. Sure, he's right, but there are times when it's best to keep to oneself. I wanted to say something to him, but that would make me look a little more odd than I already am.
"I realize that my kind is unique in a sense, but I try to look at that aspect differently. I am Covallok Venat. It is my pleasure to meet you Miss Atura." I introduce myself. Perhaps this action could turn a new leaf, so to say. Ah, who am I kidding? She's probably going to run for it.
Atura is eyeing the swords in the snake's hands when he introduces himself. Atura blinks, caught off-guard by his politeness and his not-attackingness. "Pleasure to meet you as well," she murmurs. The woman considers taking her leave, but then figures having a giant sword-wielding snake by her side is a much better intimidation tactic for anyone looking for her than staying by herself; at least for now. She comes up closer, cautiously, and then asks, "Where are you heading, Covallok?"
Oh, good. Progress. She didn't flee. In fact, she approached me. Cautiously, but still. All that matters is that I can actually meet some people without being outcasted in this world. Her question isn't an easy one to answer though. I began to rub the back of my head with a sheepish smile.
"Uh... haha. Ya see... I'm not really headed anywhere because I'm new to these parts, so to say. I'm simply exploring what I can." I answer. Least this time I didn't refer to myself as 'we'.
"What about you, Miss Atura? You have any reason for being... where is this place anyway?" I ask my own question, finally realising that i don't even know the name of the earth I stand on.
"This is La'marri," Atura answers absently, trying not to stare too much at the snake's - she supposes it's a smile, but it is a very disconcerting sight. She blinks and tries to make her face blank. "I thought you might be new," the woman says normally, "I've never heard tell of your... species before. I'm not really heading anywhere specific," she continues, starting to walk again. "I'm just going away from Thanatos. It's the main city of Necromantia," she adds.
"So when you say, 'not from around here', where are you from then?" Atura asks curiously. "The mountains? Serendipity?"
La'marri, eh? Sounds fitting to such a lovely place, I'd say. That matters not though. I keep my ears open to this stranger who is slowly becoming a friend. Haha... it's funny how she mentioned my species. Especially since in Sudonia, I was the last one of my kind. If this is a different world than mine, then perhaps I'm still the only one of my kind. I tried not to cringe at the sound of Necromantia. Anything vaugely resounding the word 'necromancer' instantly reminds me of Dahlekar. That bastard took too many lives. If only there were a way for my to put him through justice at this moment. Alas, being away from my home world has its downfalls. Speaking of which, the question about my past whereabouts pops up and that leaves me in a stump. If I told her that I'm from another world, she'd probably think I'm crazy. Perhaps it's best to play it by ear.
"Oh, I'm from a very distant land known as Sudonia. I certainly like to travel, as you can tell." I finish off with a smile. Oh yeah. That's certainly believable.
"Sudonia," Atura repeats, rolling the word over her tongue. "Sounds nice. Necromantia's not so bad," she continued as she walked alongside the snake. "I'm fond enough of the country itself. It's the people in it that cause trouble," she says thoughtfully, running a finger along the middle scar on her face. "Though I suppose it's that way everywhere.
"Well, what brought you here, then, traveller?" Atura asks suddenly, with something akin to a smile. "Running from someone?"
Oh good. She believed me. As much as I hate lying to someone, it's entirely nessecery. I hardly know the girl, so I'd rather not make her think I'm a bit loony. The more I think on it though, I didn't really lie to her. Sudonia is rather distant from where I stand. I little too distant. Her comment about the people that cause trouble in places is too true. Sudonia had a bad reputation, but the landscaping was beautiful. The war-riddled plains were marvelous and expansive. The Marshes were luxurious before the drow poisoned the waters. The forests were amazing before Faydon tore them down. The wicked souls anywere turn beautiful grounds to ash. How unfortunate that everyone has to whittness these atroscious actions. Her next question threw me off from my memories. I studdered over my own thoughts before I could manage to come out with something.
"No, it's nothing like that. I wouldn't dare to run away from what I had. It's just... I don't even know how I ended up where I am. You see, these surrounding were nothing to me before I suddenly found myself here in La'marri." Oh great. That's what I call thinking before I speak. I hope I didn't confuse the poor dear too much.
Atura nods slowly, looking closely at the snake. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you had been running from something. Sometimes it's necessary. But... yes, I found that as I traveled I hardly noticed my surroundings as well, as you say." Of course, Atura didn't believe the last part of what Covallok had said, but rather than pry too much at once, the woman figures he must've had a good reason for misleading her; he seems like the trustworthy sort.
Atura had a knack for interpreting character - she personally thought it was from her line of work, but who knew. She shakes herself out of her reverie and says apologetically, "I'm sorry for my lack of conversation - I fear my journey has tired me." And the situation I'm journeying from, she adds dryly in her mind. "What are you seeking, anyway? Shelter, food?"
My jaw would have dropped if I allowed it to. Did she really believe everything I said? If it were me, I would have believed myself to be a bumbling idiot. Perhaps she's a bit naive. Hopefully that sort of aspect doesn't get her in trouble. I might have to look after her for the time being. That's the least I could do.
"You know, that's not a bad idea. I wonder if La'marri's Inns accept the gold from my region." I throw in my own remark about her comment on food and shelter.
The woman keeps a steady pace, sighting an inn up ahead. "There's the inn."
Atura glances at Covollak, and says, "I have enough money for the both of us if not. I was a necromancer in Thanatos; that brings in a large enough income. I just hope I can find work outside of Necromantia," she finishes speculatively.
A nine-foot humanoid alligator rounded the corner just in time to see Covallok slithering toward the inn. He was wearing light chain and a breastplate under a plain brown robe. A red-feathered guard was strapped to his left shoulder, and a huge sword hung on his back. So it was true. He picked up his pace and called out, "Covallok?"
Ah, good. She found an Inn. Hopefully, they will allow me to stay for the night. When Atura mention that she could pay for both of us, I couldn't help but smile in her direction. Her courtesy is much appretiated. If there's any way to pay her back...
Wait, that voice! It couldn't be. Not in this world. I turn to the source of my name being called to see a nine foot humanoid alligator lumbering in our direction. It is! He must have been transported to this world too. This is most pleasing to see an old friend is here too.
"Gorthen?! Is that really you?" I call out to scaled alchemist.
"Surely, it is. For a while, I thought I was the only one who had been taken here, but maybe there are others of our group in this world, as well. Never would I have imagined that such a climactic reaction could cause something like this to happen. However, now that I think about it, it was essentially the same as my harp portal spells..." the alligator began to ponder magical theory.
Oh no. He got started again. When he starts speaking in theoretical terms, he always loses me. Slash my understand him sometimes, but I'm always lost when it comes to Gorthen, whether it be magical or alchemic talk.
"Gorthen. What on this Earth are you talking about? I'm not understanding what you're getting at or hardly where we're at for that matter." I speak up so that he could shine some light on the situation.
Momentarily distracted, Gorthen looked to his old companion, "Don't you remember how we got here? I'll admit, even I am not certain as to where we ended up, but I didn't think the injury you sustained would have been enough to disorient you this much. I'm glad to see my wounds weren't the only ones healed during the crossover. What's the last thing you remember?"
Crossover? Injury? What in the world was Gorthen talking about? Nothing is making any sense to me. At least I half expect Slash to help fill in the blanks. No word from him though.
"Remember? Well, we recently finished the marvelous journey from the beautiful Celestial Valley. From there, we were going to rest up and head to the Fountain of Youth, but I woke up from my sleep in this place." I explain as best as I could. At least that's what I've come to believe what has happened.
Gorthen blinked in surprise, "You truly do have a knack for losing your memory, my friend. The Fountain of Youth was a simple acquisition, and a welcome one after its waters shaved off near-on 25 years of my life, but that was nearly two months ago. If you remember our plans before we set off for it, the fountain was a convenient detour to our next target. Lorya's temple at the edge of the Ingyar Plains was our next destination. When we arrived, we had Lorya call her patron goddess before us so that I could ask for a few tears. Initially, she refused me, but it was during this time that an undead being simultaneously calling himself Banefaust and Terror appeared. He attacked us, and never have I seen such a powerful being. It was all we could do to survive, but impossible for everyone. Lorya was killed by the horrible creature; her very life leeched away. Laughing, the fiend left us to mourn.
"However, fool that I am, I didn't want to believe that my closest friend was lost to us. I beseeched the goddess for her tears. With the reagents we'd gathered already, I believed I could create a shortcut ambrosia, not granting pure godhood, but creating in Lorya the power of an avatar and, hopefully, bringing her back to life. This time, she agreed. As I mixed the ingredients, I heard your Slash telling the rest of the group that he sensed in Banefaust the same spirit, perhaps the Terror, that his father had told us of in the Land of the Dead. He thought that Terror was the thing that had destroyed yours and my villages. When I finished the small dose of partial ambrosia, I gave it to Lorya.
"To all our horror, she awakened violently and began turning to undead. It was then that our ears were assaulted by the laughter of Banefaust, back again to gloat. Lorya went to him; there was nothing any of us could do to stop her. Her incubus master called, she told us. Just as abruptly as he'd arrived, they both left." Gorthen had slowly been growing emotional, and he wiped a tear from his alligator eye, "I remember breaking down, then, for the first time since childhood. It was all my fault. I asked the goddess what had gone wrong. Respecting my grief, she observed the ingredients I'd used and told me solemnly that the seeds I'd used weren't from the Tree of Life like we'd originally thought. If they had been, she agreed that my plan would have worked. It was by luck that the goddess held Lorya deeply in her heart, and felt grace enough to tell me a means to redeem myself. She told me about a different potion I could mix that might restore Lorya from undeath. It would require some of the sacred nectar we'd gathered from the Celestial Valley, a powdered vampire fang and an angel's feather dissolved in hydra acid, and, finally, a golden dragon scale.
"Pushing aside my emotion, I thanked the goddess and led us all to where we might begin collecting this new set of reagents. Shortly after obtaining the vampire's fang, we ran into a group that you vouched for, led by a woman named Drakona. We learned from her that she was actually in this country to track down the dragon sire of her tribe east of the Nevrean Sea. There was unrest in her village, and she was supposed to alert the dragon of the situation. He happened to be a gold dragon, so we offered to help her out. She would be the only way any of us would be able to find a gold dragon, since she had a ring that would lead her to him. The hardest reagent would be easily acquired with her help.
"It was shortly after our joining that Lorya and Banefaust came again as we were passing through a small village. They both attacked us, which was far more devastating than just Banefaust. Lorya had still gained the power of an avatar from my potion. During this conflict you were injured and had to retreat into one of the buildings. Come to think of it, it might have been a head injury, so you may have passed out. Lorya still had her white magic, and was using it to attack. RenDe, of all people, was countering her with his black magic. They were pushing enormous blasts of white and black power between them. I'm still not sure what I was thinking, but I threw a blast of earth magic into the fray. The next thing I can remember was being in an enormous explosion of magical energy. I think the maelstrom of opposed forces ripped a hole in space that sucked some of us through. As I was saying, this is generally how I created my harp gates, so I can kind of understand why. I have no idea how many of us wound up here from our group. You are the first person I've seen." Gorthen finished his recount of past but recent events with a sigh. He looked at Covallok, "Is it coming back at all? I can't imagine why Slash may have forgotten." Despite the sad story, he grinned slightly, "Unless he decided to be lazy and leave the explanation up to me."
Though my memory is atrocious, it is rather sad to hear of the events that had occured. I can't believe I forgot everything. Lorya... She never did anything wrong. Why has such a fate befallen her? Another thought passes my mind at the time. I wonder if Drakona was one that has crossed into this new world. I wonder if I will be able to see her again. When Gorthen brought up the bit about Slash, I couldn't help but look up at him with a slight smirk.
"Actually, the magic essence of the attack that made Covallok lose his memory affected me as well. Never thought something of that calibur would happen." Slash finally speaks out loud from my body. That's very odd indeed. Was it Lorya's magic perhaps?
Gorthen ran a hand across the bottom of his long jaw and thought aloud, "That makes sense, I suppose." Still, now that he'd told the story, Covallok should begin to remember events by himself. He looked at his friend, "I'm hardly embarrassed to admit it, but I don't know what to do from here. If you're here, than others may be as well. However, this place is as new and strange to me as I'm sure it is to you. I have no idea how to go about locating any of our other friends, if they're even in this world. Running into you was purely coincidental." He sighed, confused by everything, it seemed. "I've no choice but to defer to you. What should we do?"
"Well, the night is near and so is an Inn." Slash points out after Gorthen's question before I could say anything. This brings my attention to an entrance to an Inn that is hardly twenty feet away. It probably is a good idea to get some rest before any decision is to be made.
"Slash is right. We've had a rough time. I believe it's best that we rest, before we question our situation. Perhaps that may help my memory a bit as well." I announce as I turn my view to Gorthen. I'm sure he would agree to that.
The alligator sighed heavily and nodded his head. "There seems to be little else we can do, I'm afraid." He smiled then, "At least you managed to run into me. I'm not sure if you have any coin on you, and if they don't take Oblivian money, you'd be in quite a bind. I've got plenty of non specific valuables to cover inn expenses." Gorthen, of course, referred to his vast quantities of treasure that he kept in his magical cloak. Years of treasure hunting tended to contribute to his coffers. He didn't act like a wealthy person, but life cost money, and it was easier to take it all at once in several places rather than have to worry about getting a job that paid meager sums only periodically. He led the way into the inn, wondering if he'd ever see the Gryphon's Claw again.
I made sure to follow Gorthen close behind. It was just like him to willingly pay our way into any residents. Makes me wonder what he has done in his free time. Oh well, at least we will be getting some rest for a change. From his explaination of events that have occured, it sounds like it has been a long day. If only I could remember events for myself. At least for now, Gorthen is my memory. Although, I can always rely on Slash. Either way is good.