Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

Dayn curled his lip in a half snarl. <She certainly gets her snark from you as well. I do appreciate the honesty, from both of you. I just wanted to make sure though. I didn't want you to be upset later on if a few grandpups happen to occur.> Dayn smiled, enjoying the joke despite it's corny delivery. Although it had been laying out the whole time, Dayn suddenly took notice of the shield Allistair was leaned up on. <I've seen that shield before. In the armory in Riverbend, there is a shield that looks exactly like that. How did you come by it?>

 

[Dragongal]

Alistair smiled. "Grandpups? Ha! That would be interesting, but I doubt lycanthropy is passed from generation to generation. Besides, she's not going to have children any time soon, methinks, knowing her. My shield - well, actually, this isn't the real thing, just an image of it - same as myself at the moment, unfortunately - her shield, is a family heirloom, passed from generation to generation. I was supposed to be able to train her with the sword and shield, as well as in our lineage, however... things happened, obviously."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I don't think I'm ready for another child any time soon. Seeing as how we haven't....well, done "anything" yet, I don't foresee children in our near future. Not that I'm complaining mind you.> Dayn felt awkward talking to Allistair about such personal things, but not nearly as much as he would if Arryn were awake.


<We are talking about buying property and building a home though, somewhere that we can winter together.>

 

[Dragongal]

Alistair shrugged; it was neither here not there, for him. Grandchildren would be nice, but were not of immediate concern to a dead man. The idea of their getting a house was much more interesting. "Not a bad idea, seeing as how she spent her last two winters in half-destroyed lean-to's, using her shields to keep the heat of the fire in. Didn't even have a sleeping roll, just curled up in her cloak."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn tried his best to grimace, though it probably looked more along the lines of a snarl or a smile <She won't be spending another winter like that again. I'll make sure of it.> Dayn suddenly yawned, his lips curling back and flashing his rather large teeth before ending with a sneeze. <I hope you don't mind, I think I'll catch some more sleep before day comes.> Dayn curled the rest of the way around Arryn and within minutes was sound asleep.


Elsewhere, on the outskirts of Riverbend, one of the huskarls that served House Braegland was patrolling his route when he came upon a horse drawn carriage that had stopped for the night. "To Hel and be damned.", he grumbled. The gypsy people had come and gone through the fief over the years, but under the law they could only stop in specific areas around the fief designed to keep them under watch until they left. Obviously this carriage driver had either not been through or was blatantly breaking law. The huskarl stopped his horse and dismounted before marching up the carriage and pounding on the door. "In the name of House Braegland open the door!" A crack, a twig being broken behind him, the sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Whatever the cause the huskarl turned around just in time to see a masked figure cudgel him into unconsciousness.


When the huskarl awoke there was the masked figure and a woman standing over him. "He has seen too much already. Dispose of him." The masked figure raised the cudgel, though in his last seconds the huskarl paid more attention to the woman. She wore a shall around her face, a strange look he'd only seen in books describing.....wait.....no.....not here...

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn woke up a few hours later, a little after dawn, nudging Dayn gently. "Dayn, wake up... it's dawn. Let's see if you can't shift now." Arryn sat up, then looked around. A few seconds later, she jumped, Alistair having reappeared, still sitting nonchalantly on the boulder. "Good morning." Arryn nodded to him with a smile, reaching up and running a hand through her hair, and hearing the crackle of static. "Damn Samhein, makin' me spark like this."


"Yes, that is an unfortunate side-effect of Samhein, but hey, I'm here at least."


"While that is wonderful, I still would prefer not to spark."


"Afraid that can't be helped. There's a lot of things wrong with the planes today - more than just a deadman talking to his daughter and her buachaill, and mages sparking. Samhein's a day for staying indoors, that is certain.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn stood up and stretched, his lips pulling back in a yawn before he shook and looked around. <Good morning love. Sir.> Dayn began to root around, rubbing his face on the ground as he tried to scratch an itch. Finally after a few moments Dayn stood back up and focused. <Alright, lets give this a shot.> Dayn closed his eyes and focused, hoping that his relaxed half awake state would help. After holding it for a few minutes Dayn opened his eyes to behold. <I'm still a wolf.> Dayn pouted, growling in agitation. <Sorry love, I think I'm stuck like this until Samhein is over.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn shrugged, running her hand through his fur. "It's alright. I assume we're just to hide here until the day's over...?" Arryn glanced around and closed her eyes before burying her face in Dayn's fur. "I hate Samhein." Images were plaguing her again, and she was certain that they were images and not like her father.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nuzzled her gently as he wrapped his arms around her lightly. <It's okay. We're here for you today.> After a few moments Dayn nuzzled under Arryn's chin and pushed up to lick her face and gently nibble at her neck. He playfully pushed her over before rubbing his head on her and tickling her mercilessly. <What are you gonna do now that the big bad wolf's got you? You're all mine!>, he joked as he continued the "torture". He knew that sometimes the best medicine was laughter, and it had been a while since he'd played with her like this and let his inner kid show.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed, trying to push Dayn away so she could catch a breath, before accidentally casting a shield between them. "Gods damn!" Arryn focused, trying to drop the shield, but instead she just changed it from clear to opaque blue and back. "Teacht ar, tá sé ach sciath!" Alistair looked at her with concern, and said, "Iníon, b'fhéidir gur mhaith leat a calma síos agus díriú níos mó..." Arryn quickly replied with, "Tá mé calma , tá sé Samhein!" before focusing more, and managing to lower the shield after a few seconds. "Sorry Dayn. At least we know I have some mana now.... Even if I can't control it much."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's ears laid back against a lowered head, his eyes squinted as he felt the ache from the sudden appearance of the shield. He had been moving to playfully nip at Arryn when the shield came up, and now he could taste blood from biting his own tongue when the barrier came between them. He opened his eyes finally to see if it had disappeared. He gave a bewildered look before spitting some of the blood out of his mouth. He thought about making a comment but decided against it, figuring it was better saved for a later day. <Ouch.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn walked over to him and took his head in her hands, as much as she could, anyway, and did her best to heal him, despite her low mana and difficulty healing him, with his lycanthropy and all. Alistair hesitantly said, "iníon , ní fhéadfadh a bheith ar an smaoineamh is fearr..." Arryn replied, "Tá sé ar mo locht. Is féidir liom é seo a," before returning her attention to healing Dayn, which she luckily did flawlessly despite the day. "I'm so sorry mo chroi..." she sighed, then ruffled the fur behind his ears lightly.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn licked Arryn's neck. <There is nothing to apologize for love.> Dayn sighed as he leaned his head gently into her hands. <I'll just have to try again after Samhein.> Dayn felt his stomach rumble. If he was hungry then he could only imagine Arryn would be as well. <Arryn, you've got to be hungry. Why don't you head back into town for food? I can handle myself here until you get back.>

 

[Dragongal]

As much as she hated to admit it, she was hungry. Arryn looked from Dayn to her father, then back, before nodding. "Maybe I'll buy a chain while I'm out too, for the gates when we practice... or a day like today. I don't like the idea of people walking in on us. And I'll stop by the inn and grab you some clothing, too." Arryn smiled before ruffling his fur again, then she looked to her father. "No scaring him off while I'm gone, okay?" Alistair laughed, "Arryngale, now why would I do that? I'm going to pop back to the spirit plane. I noticed something odd there before I left... more odd than a normal Samhein. I'd like to go investigate." Arryn nodded, then kissed Dayn lightly on the head before heading out, back to the city. Alistair watched her leave, then commented to Dayn, "You be careful today... something's off on the spirit plane, and I don't know what it is. Anyway, have a nice hunt," before disappearing.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn didn't like that. If Allistair had noticed something rather odd about a day that was odd to begin with.....Oh well, he'd find out more later. Dayn turned and followed his nose off towards the herd.


Outside the garden, sitting atop the gate leading into Riverbend, one of the guards gazed out lazily into the fields beyond the gate. As a rule during Samhein the gate remained watched from the night before all the way through until the day after. Oddly, though, something was on the horizon. A figure stumbling about clad in familiar armor. The guard squinted as he tried to focus, only to realize that it was one of the huskarls, and he looked injured. "We need a rider! Now!" One of the guards rode out, followed closely by a select few. As they neared the huskarl they could see the dented helmet and blood on his armor. "Hold still, we need to get a look at this." "H-help me...k-k-k.."


"Just stay calm, you're gonna be okay."


The guards brought the huskarl into Riverbend and to the infirmary, leaving the gate open long enough for four shadows to slip in unnoticed. They kept themselves cloaked in shadows, invisible to anyone save for mages or those blessed with the sight. To them they would appear as ripples at first, though if one focused they would see darkly cloathed masked figures.

 

[Dragongal]

As Arryn walked through the streets, she suddenly felt a splitting headache hit her. "Fucking Samhein, making me see illusions when I don't want to - gods, I normally only get such bad headaches when it's a trap." She glanced around, keeping her hood up, when she noticed something odd. The Hel was that? Arryn looked closer, keeping her eyes hidden in the shadow of her hood, and suddenly noticed the black figures. She glanced away, then glanced back, and they were gone. Okay, that is not in my head. I only see things I have seen before... I have never seen that. After only a moment's hesitation, she nonchalantly followed the ripples, making it look like she were just browsing and using alleys as shortcuts.

 

[BookWyrm]

The four shadows moved with inhuman speed and coordination. The one with the sword seemed to be leading the group. Occasionally they would stop and look around, talking among themselves in hushed voices. "sem huskarl er á sínum stað. truflun mun halda þeim burt slóð okkar nógu lengi að við ættum að vera fær um að finna þá réttu. við verðum að vera tilbúin áður en tunglið er í hámarki og það er. ætt okkar í ironcrest verður að skila trúarlega eins og heilbrigður." The other three whispered the same phrases in unison. "hagl í nótt. hagl blóð!" The group was on the move again, this time with renewed vigor as they stalked the streets for something. But what were they looking for?


Dayn stretched out, relaxing in the sun where they had spent the night. He had taken one of the deer from the herd, a powerful stag this time. The only thing that remained of it was the antlers that he chewed on as he waited patiently for Allistair and Arryn to return.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn watched from her position on the roofs as she slowly, quietly followed the hidden people. Damn, they're speaking another tongue. I can't even tell which. I do not like this at all, but that is not the point - I can't kill any of them without due cause. I can't attack them because there's four and I have almost no mana. I could take them out - if I could surprise them, and keep focus to see through their illusions. Best follow for now.





Alistair reappeared next to Dayn, saying, "Dayn! We've got a problem right now."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn jumped when Alistair appeared, but quickly focused. <What is going on? It's not Arryn is it?>





Back in town the four had arrived in an alley just outside of the main square. "muna, þá má ekki spilla." The three nodded before dispersing to other corners of the square while the leader turned, looking back over his shoulder. He felt like something was following them. He looked left, right, even scanned the roof tops, before finally turning back to the mission.


In the square Adalind skipped around cheerfully, humming some tune known only to her. Mother had brought her and sissy into town for something dull and boring, and of course when mother wasn't watching Addy decided she had other ideas. She skipped happily through the town, humming away with a smile on her face and pigtails flopping on each skip, before she suddenly heard something. It sound like a noise coming from an alley way. She peered into the tight corridor and spied a small sweet roll laid out on a plate, the icing still moist and running down the layers of pastry. Addy smiled widely before trotting down the alley, still embracing childhood ignorance over the intellect Rasrik did his best to teach her.


She neared the roll and bent down to grab it, licking her lips as she smiled with anticipation. A strong hand suddenly reached around and covered her mouth and nose as another wrapped completely around her waist. Addy tried to scream, but nothing came out but muffled sounds. Tears slid down her face as her vision began to fade, the last thing she saw being a strange smelling back come over her face. The four grouped up again right about the time several people ran out of the infirmary. Several of the guards and the huskarl came shambling out of the door, their eyes milky and jaws slack. "Undead! Undead!", one fearful citizen cried before turning to run. The four shadowy figures raced towards the gate, Addy in tow in an enchanted bag made to blend in with the shadows. Now all they needed to do was return to the carriage and their lady before finding a place to conduct the ritual that night.

 

[Dragongal]

Oh no you don't - Arryn thought, jumping a roof to keep up with the kidnappers, just as the undead attacked. She hesitated for only a second, then made a shield around the undead that they could not pass through - but weaponry and living humans could. She then returned to the pursuit, and watched her targets as they neared the gate, then a carriage. I swear on all that there is that I will kill them. But I cannot keep up with a carriage. Arryn noted a Guard on the ground below her, and jumped to the street level, pulling his weaponsbelt off of him while saying, "Tell Japhet to rally the Guards! Addy's been taken!" Arryn ran off before he could ask questions, buckling the weaponsbelt with the silver-coated sword around her waist as she ran to the Elven Garden. She knew one thing that could keep up with that carriage. She pushed the gates aside, yelling, "Dayn! Addy was taken! I don't know who or what they were, but they had strong illusions. They grabbed her and got into a carriage on the main road outside the gates. The guards are busy with some undead, they won't see you. The bastards are going to leave. You can keep up with them in this form. We can catch them."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn heard the gates creak, but before he could say anything Arryn ran into the garden wearing a weapons belt and yelling that someone had kidnapped Addy. Dayn's ears slicked back as his lips curled into a snarl as he growled. <No one is taking my sister!> Dayn ran forward and grabbed Arryn, letting her just get her arms and legs around him before charging out of the gate and back into the city. Right now he didn't care if anyone saw him or not, his sister's life meant more to him than his secrecy. As he neared the gate he picked up Addy's scent, but when he ran out and over the bridge it vanished, no carriage in sight. <Dammit! I can't find her scent! They must have stuffed her into the carriage, it's gone! I can't smell anything but......wait.> Dayn sniffed around carefully before looking off towards the woods with a growl. <I can smell the horses that pulled the carriage.> Dayn ran forward a bit, realizing now that he was exposed in front of the gate. Finally finding a decent hiding spot a few meters inside the tree line he stopped and let Arryn off his back. <I wish we knew who these people were. Why did they take Addy? Are they trying to ransom her? What did they look like, how did they act?>

 

[Dragongal]

"Dressed in black, they had masks, they had intense illusion spells - they weren't Black Market, I can promise that. I'm doubting that the undead attack from inside the city was an accident at all, it happened just as they nabbed her. Don't worry about the city gates, all the Guards are fighting the undead at the moment. They were trained, there were four, one was a leader, the other two definitely followers. They spoke some language I don't know. Their distraction's biting them in the ass, since that means we can follow them without worrying about Guards for a while." Arryn got back onto his back and said, "Follow them - remember, only bite if you intend to kill them - and I'd rather not shed much blood in front of Addy. I'm saving my remaining mana for healing her, just in case."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's pursuit lasted longer than he had originally thought it would. Several times he lost the trail, only to find it again leading off into some other direction. Had they planned on being followed? The diversions proved to be frustrating and effective at killing time, but Dayn eventually found the scent trail time and time again as they pushed further into the forest. As they continued on the sun began it's downward path towards the horizon as the night animals began to wake up. Owls hooted off in the distance, loons called out in their haunting voice, and all around things began to become disturbing. Dayn came up over a hill and looked down, shuddering when he saw what laid before them. A old wall and shattered gate had once blocked off a strange and dark, twisted portion of the forest. <They've taken her into there. Gods, of all the places to be on Samhein. Those woods are haunted. There used to be an old.....>





It finally occurred to Dayn. <Oh gods no. There was a necromantic cult that once had a coven in that forest. My great grandfather, along side several inquisitors and clerics, stormed their hide out on a Samhein. They had kidnapped a young child from the town. They were trying to use them in a ritual human sacrifice. I...I thought they were gone, destroyed for good. The inquisitors were supposed to have purged the cult from Trulane.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Maybe their children picked it up. Let's finish your great-grandfather's work. I hate to admit, these assholes got my bloodlust up a bit. Remember, go for Addy, no matter what you want to do first, get her to safety, then kill the necromancers. But no bloodshed in front of Addy. Not more than necessary. Get me close to her and I can get her from there. Let's hope... Well, let's hope their numbers don't seem too large, then I may... lose it. I couldn't heal her if I did that. Just get us in close."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn slowly crept through the gate and into the woods about the time the last rays of sun sank below the horizon. He carefully chose his path through the twisted trees that surrounded them. The scent was getting stronger, and within mere minutes they found the horse carriage. Dayn sniffed around the carriage before picking up Addy's scent again. They pushed on further, Arryn now beside him so that she could use her weapon. They crept further until they saw a slight glow further on in the woods. They came upon the makings of a fire. There, the four figures stood in full view, now joined by a woman in a black cloak. Addy was tied down on a makeshift alter looking slab. The four were chanting in their dark language, apparently preparing for some kind of ceremony. All around them in the forest sounds of an unearthly sort began to arise. Dayn growled quietly, uncomfortable about this whole situation. <This must be a ley line. Not the same one from the garden, but it has to be one. That would explain why they are trying to do the ritual here.>