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Swords and arrows

Started by Anadwen, December 31, 2013, 03:58:16 AM

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Anadwen

Athran didn't make a sound despite feeling the wounds burning. It wasn't something he would not be used to, after all, and it was only as bad as if he would try to sew himself up alone. His mind was lingering somewhere between conscience and the sweet, cold sleep of losing it.

"I'm now in debt with you." he whispered. "I'm in debt with so many damn people... I should've been dead." Others saved his neck so many times that he was thoroughly convinced about the fact that alone, he'd be rotting under the ground for a century or two already. "I know it's going to kill me... One day... But I lost all interest..."

The wind felt as cold as ice on his bare skin, but he didn't even cringe, his clouded mind just pushed the thoughts away. All he perceived were the distorted lights of flames nearby, the silence of the night.

Lion

Dram peered at Athran with a perplexed expression.  "Then it seems we have something in common.  I am Dram.  Just Dram," he informed him and when his ministrations were done he took a flask of water and offered it to the momentary invalid.  "Drink and rest.  I have small rations that I am willing to spare.  Bread and dried meat."

After that Dram pulled out the map that had survived their battle and carefully unfurled it.  The parchment was delicate and Dram's touch was tender to it, using small rocks to hold down the tattered corners.  He inspected the map and frowned at some of the runic symbols drawn along the side of it.  The map showed a hidden path, or so it seemed into a ruin somewhere in the heart of the Thunderblack mountains. 

"The Golden Door...  What does that even mean," the dark elf mused to himself.  There were several symbols that he could not decipher beside the ones he could, symbols he was unfamiliar with.  He peered up at Athran wondering if he ought to ask, but soon became certain Flamehead just wanted to rest and recuperate.




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"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran took the water, but shook his head when Dram offered him food. "I couldn't eat... I'd throw up..." he muttered. "The water will be enough."

After a while, his mind started to clear, and he was finally able to think normally, without losing his thoughts and slipping to unconsciousness every now and then. He noticed the map, and how Dram handled it with great care. It seemed like most maps to him - a scrap of paper with runes and lines of ink all around. However, judging by the dark elf's expressions, he assumed that it was important to him.

He tried to raise himself to his elbows to look at the paper, too, but after a few seconds of effort collapsed back down. Fortunately enough, his eyes noticed what he needed to see - a sketch of mountains and a lot of runes all around. It appeared old and fragile, easily destroyed by a simple careless move.

"What is it for?" he asked.

Lion

Dram was interrupted from his musings and he peered up at the tired form of Athran.  Though he would have initially been defensive of his find, at this moment the Flamehead was harmless.  Dram moved and helped him up, at least until he could get a better view of the nearly ancient map.  "It leads to a hidden ruin somewhere in the heart of the Thunderblack mountains.  The Mynorian Ruins, I've heard them called.  And if the rumors are true, the home of a legendary treasure trove."

Dram's frowned deepened and pointed toward several runes that he could not decipher.  "These words do not make sense to me.  I know this one is 'golden' and the other 'door'.  Possibly the entrance to the ruins.  But I can't understand the rest of it.  I'm not even sure what language it's in.  Perhaps the rest of these runes can tell how to open the door, or at least a way around it."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran nodded. "Some seem familiar to me... Right now, though... I would hardly read normal letters... If you give an hour or two to sleep, I should be able to read them... At least some." The runes before his eyes still appeared a bit distorted, but their shapes weren't completely unknown to him. They reminded him of the old parchments from his father's library, which he was never allowed to touch as a child, but Elesian prized them greatly.

Once again, he peered at the map. "They're old... This type of runes... At least five or six centuries old..." he uttered. "Have you made sure... That there's no hidden writing?" It wasn't unusual for old maps and texts to have parts written in ink that couldn't be normally seen. "It may hide something else..."

Lion

"There might be.  I hadn't thought of that." Dram took a closer look at the map and gave a deeper frown at the paper as if staring at it for hours on end would finally convince it to reveal its secrets to them.  "In that case, perhaps it might be better for you to get some rest while I inspect it some more.  You look like you eaten and spat out by a wyvern."

Dram grunted and took a few pieces of bread for himself before taking a small candle he had taken from Bane's saddlebags and lit the wick, using it to get a closer light toward the paper.  But as he did so, the worst of what he feared happened.  The fire flickered and flying sparks toward the paper.  Yet as it struck the parchment, instead of going up in flames, the map flickered and rippled like the surface of water and just as Athran had guess, hidden letters suddenly revealed themselves just beneath the runic writings, spreading across the surface of the map, awakened by a touch of fire.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran growled. "I don't  just look like that... I feel like that, too." He dropped down. His eyes were starting to close, and yet as he watched Dram examine the map, his curiosity kept him awake for a little longer. He almost flinched when a spark of fire hit the map, but his lips twisted to a grin just a moment after.

"I told you... Can you read that?" he yawned. It wouldn't be the first map with hidden writing that he would have seen, but it was surely one of the more unusual ones - most revealed their secrets  under moonlight or when put against a flame. Before he could get an answer, however, he was already asleep. It was a relief to forget about absolutely everything and spend the few hours he could spare resting, and one or two hours turned to three.

It was already dawn when he awoke again.

Lion

Dram did not sleep and when Athran would awake, the dark elf would look even more haggard than he normally did.  He had studied the map for all those three hours, finding the flame-written letters easier to decipher than the runes that had covered it initially.  He was livid and was casting stones over the cliff's edge when he noticed the knight awakened. 

"All that for nothing!" he growled, kcking a rock over the edge.  He was fuming and when the worst of the steam had passed him he kicked a pebble toward the map and shook his head.  "It's no use.  I read the writing.  Some ancient Fae text to serve as a translation to the runes.  I read it once.  Then I read it again and I read it again and AGAIN!  And the same nonsense every time!  The door can only be opened with dragonfire...  At a certain date at a certain time.  I can manage the day and time but it's not like I can just ask a dragon to tag along with me.  What a waste of time and blood..."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran managed to raise himself to his elbows and then proceeded to sit, although he was still cringing in pain. It appeared that he was looking even worse than yesterday, deathly pale, and his hair was everywhere, filthy from blood and dirt, but he found out that he was feeling at least a bit better. He yawned.

"How convenient that I have a dragon." he uttered silently. "Maybe I would be even able to decipher the runes... I learned something when I was young. If I can get over the fact that my head feels like it's about to explode, I should be able to read some parts. I'm not a scholar, though... My knowledge is limited, mostly on forging weapons."

Despite the fact that on the outside, he really did look like eaten and then spit out by a huge beast, his eyes were once again burning with fire. He crawled towards the map and stared at it. "It says something about a gate on a mountainside. It has to be opened with fire, like you said... I can imitate dragon fire... I wouldn't even need Maigrod with me..." Athran narrowed his eyes, peering at the runes. "When the road of the moon crosses with the trace of the sun, golden door will glow in a dragon's flame. That's about how I'd read it. The time and date would be more problematic than the dragon fire."

Lion

Dram did not interfere with the other elf's reading for it would seem he had better luck with it than Dram did.  While he was not exactly accustomed to performing scholarly work, Dram would do whatever he must if it meant getting one step closer to whatever lied in those ruins.  Whether it was riches beyond dreams or anything else that was inside it.

When his temper passed and Dram took nourishment on a sip of water and some bites of food, he crouched beside Athran and inspected the paper alongside him.  "I can manage the time and date.  A solar eclipse is what they mean.  Then the door must be ignited  for the entire duration of the eclipse before it will open.  I can track the stars, the next eclipse is coming soon, about less than a month's time.  It's not that I knew it needed one, stargazing is something of a hobby.

"Does it say anything more?  Perhaps the fastest way to get to the door?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

"That wouldn't be a problem for me to keep it on fire... It describes a path through the ruins. There is said to be a staircase between two statues that will lead up the mountainside to a door. The door is half hidden... The path begins in the northwestern part of the ruins. There's something about water... A well I think. That's where it begins. There is an incredible lot of text here, and hardly any information. Just riddles." he sighed, and shook his head. "I don't see any other important bits... But there's only one way to the door, though there is another out. I don't understand that part, it's worded strangely."

His eyes kept tracing along the runes, but he didn't discover anything new. "After all... There's a path in the northwestern part of the ruins. It goes from a well or pool to a couple of statues, and then turns to stairs. The stairs will lead you to a door in the mountain, and if you set the door ablaze with dragon fire over a solar eclipse, it will open." he explained. His voice was silent, but clear.

After a while, he proceeded to stand up and find the directions, even though the sun was gone behind clouds. He turned to where he supposed the ruins were, and peered into the distance. "It's somewhere there. And... Do you have any food?"

Lion

Dram listened to the explanation very carefully, standing when Athran did and obseerving where he pointed to the ruins where the Thunderblacks began and would grow darker as smoke and ash cluttered the sky.  It was a start and it was good enough for him at the moment.  But at Athran's peculiar question he furrowed his brows at him.

"I have some..  Though perhaps not enough for the journey without stopping, if that is what you mean.  But I can forage as we travel.  Can't you?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

"I can hunt well. I don't know if I will be able to hunt like this, though... I can't even move my right arm... But I could still set traps." he replied. "I only need a little to keep going. I couldn't eat a lot..." He dropped back onto the ground and pulled his knees to his chest.

"Set traps, shoot wild animals, find plants that are edible. More of the first two... When I get better, I'll hunt for food." he muttered. His aim with a bow was deadly, but right now, he doubted he could even hold an arrow.

Lion

"Good.  Then I won't have to carry you," Dram replied with a curt nod.  "Here!  Try eating something.  Muscle it down, whatever you can."  Dram moved toward the bag of rations he had and offered them to Athran.  Then he moved bacl to the map and carefully rolled it back up to stuff it back into the tube for safekeeping.

"I will be back in a few hours.  Keep Bane company.  I don't think you two have been yet acquainted.  He is my mount."  Dram gave a nod to the bird and the eagle squawked before glaring at Athran with a stern eye as was befitting of eagles.

Dram took his blade and belt, equipping them before moving toward the side of the cliff and finding the narrow path that swooped down from it.  "And don't do anything stupid while I'm gone!" he remembered to yell back.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran replied with a nod and reached after the bag. His hand managed to pull out a piece of bread and dry meat. It was hard and almost tasteless, but right now, he would eat even his own boots. His eyes were glued to the eagle, perched on the edge of the cliff.

"Well, greetings, Bane." he uttered after a while, and stuffed another piece of food into his mouth. Bane didn't show any sign of perceiving his voice, but as he learned from Maigrod, that could mean about anything. Athran covered himself with his cape and continued eating. The wind was playing with his long hair, picking it up and blowing it into his face.

He ate slowly, and a small piece of food took him a really long time to finish, but in the end, he proceeded to pack Dram's bag back and stood up to move it to the safety of the cave. Staring more at the sky and rocks around than under his feet, he happened to trip over something on the ground and fall straight on his face.

Something cracked in his body, so loudly he though he could actually hear the sound. A silent scream escaped his mouth. His fingers slowly let go off the bag. He could feel tears rolling down his face, and groaned.

Trips over, falls on face, cries. I should be ashamed. He rolled over, facing the sky. There was one good thing on this - he could finally feel his right arm. The bad thing about it was that it was painful. Athran though he was better off before.

The eagle turned to him and squawked. The elf sighed. "Are you laughing at me?"

Bane remained silent once again.

"Well, you have a reason. A fool on the ground." Athran growled. The next few minutes he spent contemplating life and its struggles in silence.

Lion

In the hours that it took for Dram to return with the bloody body of a deer hanging over his shoulders and carefully climbing up the mountainside path.  When he reached the top, he dropped the animal down beside Athran and gestured to the animal.  "That should last us a while no?"  he gave a small shrug and half a grin.  "It's better than that horrid bread."

"Here, take a blade a show me how an elf-elf skins a deer.  Might as well make yourself useful.  Just don't turn the damn thing to ash, please."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

Athran glanced at the deer. "Nice one you got there... I promise I won't burn it, alright?" His left hand reached to his belt and unsheathed a short dagger. "It may take me a while... Eventually it will be done, though."

He begun to skin it and remove its thick hide from the meat underneath. While only using one hand, it was slow, but part by part, he proceeded to divide them completely. "How did you even get so much blood out of a deer? It's usually just an arrow to the neck and the beast is dead..." he wondered. 

The chunks of meat appeared crimson and thick, placed on the hide. Athran gestured towards them. "Alright. You can cook them. It's ready..."

Lion

"I don't readily have a bow, so killing is decidedly more difficult with throwing knifes.  The hide will be of use once the holes are sewn up of course.  I can wield a bow well, but I never put it into consideration to carry one with me.  Food is not always an issue when you are traveling with just a party of one.  And Bane can hunt well enough by himself."

Dram put some spare wood on the fire and stirred the flames with the larger stick before taking the cut slabs of venison and laying them down on piece of leather, rubbing them in salt and pepper until they were properly covered then skewing them on the stick, cooking it slowly and evenly.  "These are cut well.  Who taught you the skill?  Or did you learn on your own?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

Anadwen

"Alone. Like everything. Do I look like someone's apprentice?" Athran growled. "And for the next time, I'll hunt. I have a bow... As you may have seen. Although I may not be able to aim well... I could just borrow it to you. But you know how's it with borrowing weapons. It's not the first thing I'd do. And not gladly." He shrugged. His weapons were always precious to him, as he crafted most of them himself.

He carefully tightened the buckles that held the metal plates on his gauntlets at their place. "As long as this holds all together, I should be able to fight and fire the bow. It's not comfortable, but it'll do. I can't just stand by because of something so stupid..." He looked down. "I've been on the battlefield in a worse state. After all, it may not even come to any fight."

His eyes watched the meat, roasting above the flames, in silence for a while. "At least I hope it won't. I don't want to get stabbed or break anything else." he uttered silently.

Lion

Dram grimaced at his tone of voice and peered at Athran as if he were some strange creature that crawled out of the depths, sorry and pitiful.  It made Dram uncomfortable to view anything in such a way, and even more so that it seemed Athran had little else but to feel sorry for himself.  Perhaps it was not the reality, but it certainly was the impression.

"Of course it will lead to a fight," Dram replied grimly.  "And if it doesn't, always be prepared that it might.  Be aware of anything.  And everything."  Dram busied his hand with testing the tenderness of the meat and tasting it for himself.  "And no not worry.  You do not need to suffer lending your bow to me.  I wouldn't take it otherwise.  You're more than attached to your weapons.  I'd hate to see you parted with them."

"And you'll likely get more hurt with an outlook like yours.  Why do you seem to pity yourself so?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

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