The Battle for FableWood - Battlefront

Takeo was simply standing at the entrance of the tent where he could see both in and out of the area.   He listened in on the conversation but had no input as of right now.   He had his own concerns as he hadn't gotten a report on how his men and women were doing.   How many of the Rouges returned from the field?  They were scattered out during the battle, he knew it would take time for them to regroup.  Still it was unsettling to not have that report yet.   Rubbing his face he looked at the injured in the tent with a solemn look before a small scoff left him.  Not a rude one, but one of light disbelief.  'This is my normal now?  Gone from over crowded family boy, to a general in a month....or maybe more.  How did I get this far without dying, or even much whining?'  A small chuckle left him his eyes moving to Leia for a moment, his shoulders relaxed and a light sigh left his slightly chapped lips.   Moving his gaze he looked around the tent at the soldiers that were getting healed.  'Focus on the here and now.  It's not time for reminiscing,'


His eyes now locked onto Leo he listened to the lion as he walked into the tent.  "You got a point, but if she ends up freezing any of my guys/girls.  I won't be as calm as Lunness is being."  His tone was pretty  nonchalant.  "I guess, I'll have to train my soldiers how to not look at glowing eyes that are coming from behind him.   Though its hard to train against basic instinct."  After saying that the tent opened and Atla entered.  Quickly Takeo to a step out of the way so he wouldn't get run over by the incoming person. 


Again he went back to listening to everything that was being said, and at the mention of ghost he got an unsettling feeling.  Once all was said and done he scratched the back of his head and then headed to Leia.  "Think I could tag along? I don't like the idea of facing an enemy which a blade can't hit usually.   Also, starting today I'm claiming to be allergic to a marsh.  After the leeches from last time I really am not interested in going back to one."  He said with a light chuckle still rubbing the back of his head.


@zCrookedz@SilverFlight@Lioness075
 

Embrace the fray with iron mettle; we leave naught in our wake but transient mounds of ash.
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How wonderful, and how rejuvenating; bypassing the healing process altogether was something the wyvern had not experienced in some time, but as Leia's lively water spirit finished tending to his wounds, Kale found himself very pleased with the reassuring dearth of pain or soreness. There was a lingering exhaustion stemmed of energy spent, of course, but this was readily put aside when the wyvern made to flex his limbs uninhibited, rolling his neck and lifting his leathery wings in an invigorated, almost exultant manner. He felt far better now, without doubt.


*Thank you.* He projected to Leia and her spirit as Lee drew away to see to the basilisk, his tone as cordial as it was calm. He nodded his consent to the Prelate's warm speech and stood idly for the next few moments, wondering if this indicated that he might depart except it seemed, with Leia's guidance, that the small group would be heading for the tents now regardless. Blinking down at the congregation, Kale followed as they ventured shortly to the camp, his tail whipping behind him as they plodded along at a fair pace; flying would have been an easier form of travel, of course, but it unsettled Kalevi to think that he might alight in the camp of his allies and startle them that way, especially after they'd only just battled his sort. Even so, as they neared the medical tents (perhaps best distinguished by the multitude of pigs swarming the place at the moment), he realised it'd be smarter to revert to his human form before they'd arrive (to avoid knocking into people and structures, as large beasts of his kind often times do in crowded places). Kalevi thus transformed whilst walking, rolling his shoulders as he felt the weight of his armour upon him once again, ebony hair falling messily into straitened eyes. His human form was quite a lot less intimidating, but there was certainly a sense of imperviousness about him all the same, in his austere expression and the near rigid manner with which he carried himself.


Their congregation entered in on the tents and Kalevi spent his initial moments surveying the area, stepping aside with little change in expression as a leather-clad pig barreled past his ankles. It was a fair bit of organised chaos, which Leia did well to put into words; Kalevi looked from the squealing swine to the individual who addressed him, a brunet who seemed quizzical in having not seen him before. It was true that Kale had joined the army unobtrusively... it was easy for him to find place among their warriors, quiet yet dedicated as he brought his blade to the throats of the unwanted. Furthermore, it seemed from her response that the basilisk was new to their forces as well. At Suak's banter he simply averted his auburn gaze, not quite agreeing with the questionable nature of his worth (to her standards, at least). Even so such jesting did little to damage his confidence; he was still rather firm on the fact that it'd take more than a little struggle to make a trophy out of him. Kale was never kind when it came to solid attempts at challenging his honour, but this was something he need not mention; in time, it would likely show on its own.


"I suppose," he responded evenly then, meeting the brunet's gaze. "The battle prior was certainly my first."


Admitting this, Kalevi followed the group into the main healing tent, where there appeared to be a bit of an argument happening... regarding none other than their basilisk companion, it seemed. Kale did not recognize the werecat or the lion warrior (nor the black pig in robes everyone appeared to be poking fun at), but it was clear on what those present were butting heads about. Several warriors had been petrified; the one named Luness did not appreciate this, and the individual who had admitted Suak to fight, Leo, attempted to justify the situation. Nyr, with a very open-minded approach, also appeared to be in favour of the basilisk. Kalevi, of course, said nothing on this, but he personally believed Suak had transgressed very few bounds. Indeed, just as Luness had alleged Suak to have earlier said, this was war. Sacrifices are meant to be made. Slay many for the price of a few... a few who could have lost their lives in any other way, and who had been prepared to lose their lives. Kale believed solely in a matter of consequence; with authoritative permission, Suak had saved a large number of their warriors from many trying battles with her gaze alone... was that not of commendable value to them? Moreover, it was not as though their soldiers were unable to be salvaged, according to the healer present. There were much worse things their allies could have been subjected to, irrecoverable things... things he had witnessed, things he had inflicted upon others when he, once upon a time, was driven by iniquitous instinct and aggression alone. Kale therefore did not see this to be the issue it had been made out to be and, ultimately, he was unmoved by it.


Even so, the wyvern moved to the edge of the tent and listened intently to what was said, eyes flitting between those stationed about the space. Leo's argument was well-put, he could admit. Kalevi admired his valour, that he held his ground even as the others opposed him, without losing composure and in presenting a firm and unwavering argument. Perhaps most notable that he acknowledged the typical nature of beasts like he and her... Basilisks, Wyverns, these were creatures far from compassionate notions such as conserving civilizations. More typical that they choose to ravage and plunder, if only for the mere thrill of it. The fact that either of them, and any other similar beast in their army, had devoted their strength to the side of good was not something to be ungrateful for. It seemed Leo understood this, of which Kalevi wordlessly appreciated, his expression quite relaxed as he watched the Ozite commander swiftly leave the tent. Worthy of investing trust in, the wyvern quietly decided. Almost certainly so.
 
Quincy gave a grimace as the argument continued, not liking the confrontation in the group. They had worse problems right now, bigger things to worry about, bigger enemies than each other. Quincy chose to keep her two cents out of it; while she could understand Luness's upset, in her opinion, it had a lot more to do with her harsh temperament than with the actual situation. She tried to understand Luness's attachment to the members of her pack, but it was hard as a solitary being, and, given the fact that the personification was reversible, she found the whole argument rather pointless. Maybe Luness was just mad that her "other half" was now a pig. Certainly, they had better things to do than fight each other over a moot point.


Thankfully, someone presented such a better thing. The herb needed to cure their predicament, or at least one of them, lay in a marsh somewhere to the North. The kelpie gave a grunt and the corner of her mouth twitched as they spoke on the manner of creatures living in the marsh. Spirits of those who had their life ended too soon by the waters there. Vaguely, she wondered if there were kelpies living in the place. The corner of her mouth twitched, knowing the others of her kind were very, very unlike her. Running into them would not be her first choice, not knowing how her companions would react to an original example of her kind.


Quincy took note of the instructions and gave a nod. "I'll go get my bow." She said, resolutely. If they were headed into a less-than-friendly swamp, they might need some strong shooters. Or swimmers.


@All the people
 
The basilisk hadn't expected to stir up so much controversy. She understood all of the arguments being made against her, the potential for her allies to be turned to stone. But the arguments seemed so one point Suak began to question whether they had even seen how many of the enemy had been slain by her during the skirmish. Petrification was reversible; she knew that, the old werewolf knew that, and yet, for some reason, Suak still seemed to be at the centre of this persecution. And it wasn't just verbal either, Suak noted as she saw Leia give her a weary glance. Mentally, Suak sighed; perhaps she had chosen to be on the wrong side of the war, especially given that her kind were apparently more evil than good. How very tempting it was for the basilisk to slither over to the other war camp and swear her support to her supposed enemy, provided that her home would be protected. Perhaps it would be where she belonged.
She hadn't expected anyone to argue for her, at first, but soon the lion and the dread raven both came, in a sense, to her defence. Both the speeches seemed impassioned and the basilisk couldn't help it as the edges of a smile began to tug at her lips. As silence entered, both sides seemed to fall into it a moment of tense quiet before it was broken by the elder werewolf who wanted a plant so she could reverse Suak's petrification: it seemed, at least to the basilisk, that she wanted her to help in the fighting. She made a quick mental note of it. She let Leo walk pass her, nodding her head as he spoke to her before he left the tent. Glancing between everyone else who spoke, Suak sighed, "Regardless of whether or not you want me here in the future, it appears I have already turned some of your soldiers," she briefly glared at Luness, "albeit accidentally, to stone. I understand the... inconvenience. But I would like to volunteer to help find this plant to compensate for my actions, and prove that I am here to defend my home no matter the cost, much like the rest of you. If you would accept this proposal, I'll be with the Ozites," she fixed her eyes on Luness, for longer this time, "I wouldn't want to provoke more hostilities, would I?"Suak bowed her head, turned and exited the tent, nodding quickly to the wyvern on her way out.


Suak hoped to catch up with the one named Leo, and perhaps get directed to where she was supposed to be staying. After briefly losing sight of the commander, Suak caught up with the lion. Her eyes were slowly transitioning to a bright, ruby red. The basilisk's voice was somewhat monotonous as she spoke, "I can clearly see, ser, that many of these Fabled leaders do not want my assistance. Yet you and the Dread Raven both defended me, a deed I won't forget." The basilisk paused, thinking for a moment. "Officially, I haven't pledged myself to the side of the Fablewood creatures." Suak paused again and let out a breath, "Nor shall I: if so many of their commanders' decisions are ruled so badly by emotion, then I can't ally myself with them. However," she said, looking the lion in the eye, "I would humbly, and happily, pledge my allegiance and services to you and the Dread Raven Nyr, exclusively. I won't accept orders from anyone but you and your trusted advisors."


@zCrookedz@DawnAntalios@SilverFlight@GoldenBlight@Lioness075@Peaceswore@Flutterby
 
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Not looking back towards the medical tent as he made his way through camp, Leo watched as the continued chaos of the squealing soldiers seemed to have lessened just a bit as a great deal of the soldiers had been herded into little clusters so that they could be treated. Thats was a start, but there wouldn't be much progress until Kallin was returned to normal and he and Grenwin could fix this. He would need to make sure that the Ozites soldiers where on they list to get returned to normal, he would be far less effective in this battle with an army of pigs. 


As he walked and thought, he only returned to his stride when he felt someone approaching him. It was the Basilisk, and as she got closer she began to speak about what had transpired in the medical tent. She was very upfront with her thoughts, a trait that Leo respected but knew some might find a bit abrasive. She had much to say, and Leo was interested to hear what she had to say, so he continued to walk towards the Ozite camp and listen to her. 


As they entered the camp, Leo caught the woman's eyes with his own and finally stopped. He placed a hand on the hilt of one of his ax's and reached up to stroke the underside of his mane. He chuckled with a kind smile as she finished and he motioned back towards where they had come before talking.


"The group back there, is by far, the people I trust most in this world my dear. Luness, Leia, Takeo, Nyr; I trust every one of them with my life.  While many of them do let their emotions rule their decision, Those emotions have saved myself and the rest from certain death on multiple occasions."


He nodded into camp for her to follow him again before he continued. 


"I do not expect you to pledge your allegiance to any one that you yourself do not trust. So I am honored to have earned that trust so quickly.But there is more I need to say before we continue."


As Leo seemed to trail of, he reached the slightly larger tent in the camp and opened the flap for her to enter before him. Once she had entered, he followed behind her and made his way over to a chest set at the back wall where a bed would have been should Leo require one. 


"While every word I said in the medical tent was true, I have placed myself in a very precarious situation taking you under the Ozite banner. I understand that what happened today, will most likely not be the last. So I must ask that in the battles to come, your gaze be more controlled on the battlefield. It is an extremely powerful ability, one that could bring us many victories in the coming battles. But those battles will be much harder to approach should our soldiers be stone."


Leo's tone was direct and understanding, while also trying to convey the importance of his feeling towards her abilities. He reached into the box and retrieved his satchel that had traveled with him through many adventures and tossed the bag over the golden pauldrons on his shoulder before turning back and meeting her gaze once more. 


"You are now my alley, and I yours. In time, the others will be happy to call you the same. For now, we will head for the swamps and retrieve the Lacewort to return the soldiers to themselves."


Leo stepped forward, extending a paw towards the basilisk with a smile.


"I'm sure by now you have pieced together that I am Leo, but I have yet to be privileged with your name."


@Baconhands
 
Nyr saw that right now Luness was a bit too much on the edge but it was understandable. The temporary loss of her ally must have been something that she took very personally and with good reason as well. She was a pack leader, responsible for her own flesh and blood - she shuddered to think how she would react should one o her ravens would have been the victim. Would she think the same? Would she be still so calm? The answer, as usual, was clouded behind things she could not pierce.


She retracted her hand back to a relaxing position but still kept her smile, hoping to make Luness a bit more at ease. She recognized the voice of Alta and she turned towards the elderly wolf to listen to her voice. If what she said was true then there was still a very good chance at regaining the consciousness of those who were paralyzed, one thing which filled Nyr with hope and was glad. She nodded.


" I shall prepare immediately for the departure. " she said with a resolute voice, glancing once more towards Luness as she prepared to leave. But before she could have leave the tent she saw four enigmatic humans enter, all of them wearing specific armors and arms with them. Ther eyes and expression were weary and tense, the youngest one, a girl, clutched her bow so closely that her knuckles turned white. Their leader, a muscular, enigmatic man stood before Nyr, bowing deeply.


" Prelate... " he began with a calm voice, his firm grip on his massive sword tightening " We are here as you requested. "


vQqSAkw.jpg


From left to right: Gnuutar, Rathia, Einu and Valdimar
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Nyr smiled, nodding at the commander looking raven as he spoke with respect. She put her armored hand on his shoulder as she nodded. Turning around she spoke to those still in the tent.


" My friends, may I have the pleasure to introduce the bravest and fiercest of my dread ravens personally: Valdimar the Ravager, Einu the Spirit-Singer, Rathia the Windborn and Gnuutar the Fist of Aiisher. "


The dread raven squadron tensed up as they were so light heartedly introduced to everyone but when people began actually greeting them back they all let out a heavy sigh. They were not used to warm welcomes, let alone praises for helping people. It was a strange - but not bad - feeling, something that actually made them to be... less worried about this fragile alliance they made.


Nyr turned to Valdimar with a firm but soft look as she talked to him.


" I will go after my friends to see if they are all right. You all may rest here and regain your strength, we had a long journey after all. "


" But my Prelate... " Valdimar said " My blade thirsts for battle. These weaklings were no match for us. I thought we were fighting a full scale war. "


" That we do, dear Valdimar. But patience is the key. We need to travel to a swamp where spirits linger and ghosts rest. I do not want you to fall prey to things even I do not understand. "


Valdimar bit his lips but Einu's eyes actually lit up, though she said nothing just yet. It was common courtesy - and a sign of respect - among them that only their leader may speak and the rest listens.


" Very well, Prelate. We shall recuperate as you ordered. " Valdimar finally sighed as Nyr left the tent, leaving the four of them there with everyone.


@SilverFlight @Lioness075 @Everyone_else_in_that_tent


Nyr was a bit relieved from the pain and the stress. It was not easy to live in these war torn times, especially when she was used for the peace and quiet. Solitude used to be her guise, her life. It used to help her cope with all the situations, be it fear, anxiety or other problems. And now here they were, leading an entire army against a deranged, power hungry madwoman who threatened to obliterate the piece and the harmony of FableWood. How times changed... it was actually shuddering to think about it.


She finally caught the glimpse of Leo and Suak and she smiled. The basilisk seemed to be rather fond of Leo which made her happy. She of all the people knew how it felt when someone was exiled and not accepted, she wanted to make sure for Suak to know that she does not have anything to fear here. Walking up to the duo she chuckled.


" Making good friends again, my beloved? " she asked Leo as she walked up to him, giving the bulky lion a smothering hug. She looked up at him with beady eyes as she laid her head on his mane briefly " I missed so much. Every day I spent with venturing through the horrors and the clutches of evil it was your image which kept me going, to fight until the bitter end. You inspired me to push on. "


She sighed and released Leo for now, still smiling at him - and now she turned to Suak.


" I am very happy that you have chosen to join us, Suak. " she said with a serious, but radiant expression " You have a special, invaluable gift, something that is very hard to control - but once you do know who is friend or foe then... well, you will undoubtedly become one of our fiercest warriors. And deep down, below that fierce and resolute expression of yours lies not a heart of stone - but a heart of gold, I know it. "


She offered her hand for a shake.


" Know that you can always come to me for help or when you are in need - we are not just allies... we are family. "


She smiled.


" Welcome home, Suak. "


@zCrookedz @Baconhands
 
Upon Leo's decision Leia closed her mouth. She didn't like it, but she trusted the lion, and believed in him. If he thought it wasn't a mistake to accept Suak so readily then she'd believe it, until Suak gave her a reason not to. Despite the decision however she remained uneasy. Lee had remained close to the basilisk for the majority of the time spent in the healing tents, a fact which made Leia more than a little curious.


She was distarcted for just a moment while Nyr introduced her dread raven squad. The others may have looked curious but Leia just grinned broadly. "Oh you guys are cool." She said.


As Leo left and Suak followed she started to follow Kallin to where Grenwin had set up his spell. "I sure hope we don't regret this..." She muttered.


Kallin's tent was a little taller than the others, but in terms of space it was only as big as he needed. He'd chosen it specifically so he wouldn't have much more comfort than the men and women he commanded. Grenwin had ordered his cot and the small desk put into the grass just outside it and Kallin had noted that the old wizard had taken care to keep Kallin's books and notes in the exact order he'd left them. The courtesy of one magic user to another.


The inside of the tent would permit only three people (and one pig) and Leia held the flap open for Luness after Kallin had trotted inside. A circle was drawn in red sand on the fine, purple carpet that lined the floor.


Grenwin sat on the other side of it, his blue magelights throwing soft light over every surface.


It seemed Kallin knew exactly where to stand and was careful not to disturb the sand lines as he took his place in the center. Outside Leia could see several soldiers herding their porcine comrades toward the tent.


Grenwin regarded the pig in the circle with mild amusement. "I've not known Caraboss to be so...forgiving with her enchantments." He said, the curiosity evident in his sandpaper voice.


Leia shrugged, "I dunno, maybe she put one of her minions in charge of it...we can always hope."


Grenwin raised an eyebrow at this, as if he wanted to say more, but he didn't.


The spell was not an overly long one, but there were several parts, careful phrases in a language Leia didn't know followed by throwing more sand over Kallin. The entire circle began to glow in a faint light and Kallin crouched as a pig suddenly becoming taller and broader. The spell finished just as the sun vanished over the horizon and Kallin was left completely human and clutching at his robes, which had fallen out of place since he had become a pig. To Leia's great relief his trousers had not. 


Kallin stood, adjusting his pointed hat carefully and brushing fine black curls out of his ocean-blue eyes. "Now that was an experience I'd rather not have again...ever."


Leia grinned, "If you ask me you looked better as a pig."


"Its a good thing no one asked." Kallin shot back teasingly.


He collected his staff from her and flinched as she faked trying to hit him with it.


"I think I'll be more use helping Grenwin undo this crazy transfiguration curse." He said finally, glancing with chagrin at some of the papers on his desk outside which were blowing away in a breeze.


Leia tried not to look uncomfortable, "Y-yeah, ok, sure. We can go pick flowers without your help....in a ghost-infested bog...at night..."


"Night, is exactly why I'd be useless out there." He gestured through the tent flap.


Grenwin waved at him dismissively. "I don't need help with this. You're likely to know more about what dangers lie n the swamp Kallin."


Kallin gave this some thought, but it was Leia's pleading look that made him sigh and give in.


"Oh all right...but I'll have to change, my robes may be ragged but I won't be able to move in a bog if I wear them."


Briar was already there when they approached. She was holding several strange torches which blazed with a pale blue light, much more ghostly and dead than Grenwin's magelights. Spark, who had been quiet with the rest of her spirits up until now growled angrily at them.


"Phantom candles." Briar explained without prompting. "They'll help you evade notice by some of the spirits inhabiting the marsh."


"Some.." Leia repeated, noting that there would be others who wouldn't be duped.


Briar also offered up pouches of crushed herbs and a few silver coins.


"Some of the spirits can be distracted by shiny things, and some don't like purifying herbs." Kallin explained. He was wearing a black tunic and breeches, and a black collared cloak over his white fencing shirt. His gnarled oaken staff was held firmly in one hand. "And some will ignore coins and herbs and try to drown you instead." He added in a teasing tone that was not altogether unserious.


Leia found herself feeling better after the explanation. "At least we'll have someone who knows what we're up against...even if they are a dork."


She settled into the silence of the early night as they waited for the others. In the distance she could see the mist rising off the marsh and swore she caught a glimpse of a pale figure vanishing into the haze.


@Lioness075 @Flutterby @DawnAntalios @zCrookedz @Baconhands @GoldenBlight @Peaceswore
 
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Leo hadn't reacted as Suak had expected; that was two for two. But unlike the werebeast's reply, at least in her opinion, the lion seemed to make more sense; she couldn't decide who anyone else trusted, if he chose to trust them then that's who he trusted. Regardless, that did not change her opinion of them. As they entered what she assumed was his tent, she turned to face him after moving to the tent's centre. Much like her mentor had years ago, Leo began what Suak considered lecturing her about her petrification. She almost rolled her eyes, almost forgetting that she was essentially in his home. After a moment, he offered his hand to her, asking for her name.


Nyr entered before Suak could shake the lion's paw, speaking about family and how Suak was now apart of their's, and like her partner, she extended her hand towards the basilisk.


Suak blinked, contemplating everything that had been said; they were genuinely trying to include her in their family, trying to make her aware of both the pros and the cons of her ability. In one way, it felt somewhat warming to her cold-blooded form: nobody had truly been this kind to her since her adopted father passed away. Another part of her thought that they were both being naive or deceptive. Kindness sometimes accompanied treachery, which made Suak somewhat wary of them. However, for only the second time in her life, this kindness seemed somewhat genuine.


She looked at both of their extended hands for a moment before her gaze rested on Leo, "I've introduced myself for the last few decades as Suak, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The basilisk's voice dropped, her tone becoming somehow more serious and yet still monotonous, "But... and I know this may insult, and let me add that it is not my intention to do so, I do not trust any one here. Not even you. I would assume since you now have my allegiance I would assume you would want my honesty as well. My allegiance to you is not made out of trust, nor admiration or any kind of personal reason. It is necessity. For the protection of my home and the survival of my father's legacy."


She turned her head ever so slightly to face Nyr, "That being said, your offer of family, however generous it is, is something that I simply must decline, not that I don't appreciate the premise. But basilisks don't tend to have families, which is why my situation is somewhat unique. My adopted father died years ago; I believe it would be..." she paused, searching for an appropriate term, "an affront to his memory if I were to so quickly proclaim myself to have a new family. My home is with his memory and his legacy."


Looking away from both of them, Suak let out a sigh, "I know that's not the reply you wanted to hear, either of you, but I assume you wanted my honesty."


@DawnAntalios@zCrookedz
 
As Nyr entered the tent, Leo seemed to visibly relax a bit. She added to Leo's words with her own grace and charm, and then Sauk replied. Once again, her monotone voice was straightforward and honest. He nodded to her and then to Nyr as she concluded.


"Trust is earned, not given freely. While I do think your intentions are not misleading, I too will take the time to get to know you before I fully trust you. For now, we will be a team Sauk."


There seemed to be more to the subject of Sauks adopted father than she was willing to share at the moment, so Leo simply smiled and made his way back towards the entrance of the tent. Holding the flap of the tent open once again for the two women to pass, he followed after them back into the camp and nearly tripped over Tik-Tok as he came bustling from the side of the entrance to Leo.


"SIR! We have all the Ozite pigs......I mean....Soldiers...in a pen near the center of camp. What should we do now?"


Leo craned his neck a bit to see over a few tents where Tik-Tok had gestured, where he could see the edge of a makeshift pen where his soldiers where. 


"Excellent work Tik-Tok. Head into the main part of camp and let the Branbern Wizard Grenwin know our troops are prepared at his earliest convenience. I think by now the others will be waiting for us, we are heading into the swamps to retrieve a plant to release the petrified soldiers. We should not be long."


Leo placed a hand on Tik-Tok's round metallic shoulder and the waved his other free hand in Sauks direction.


"Tik-Tok, this is Sauk. She will be joining the Ozite forces. Can you free up some soldiers to put up a tent beside mine close to the edge of forest."


The little bronze soldier glanced around Leo towards Sauk and gave her a curious look before saluting Leo.


"It will be done before your return, sir."


Leo smiled and clapped the bronze man on the shoulder with a ringing sound before turning back towards the gates and heading for them. 


As he approached, the eerie blue flames of the Phantom Candles caught Leo's attention. The fire was so pale, it almost looked cold to the touch, but Leo stayed his hand until reaching the others. As he approached, he over heard Leia talking to the newly restored Kallin and he bowed his head to the two of them before looking over them and with a faint smile. 


"Kallin, welcome back to the world of two legs. I must say, I had the absolute wurst fear you would never return to your natural form. Glad to see I was wrong."


@Baconhands @DawnAntalios @SilverFlight
 
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Kallin paused for a moment and eyed Leo suspiciously. "Was that a pig joke Lion? It better not have been a pig joke."


((I couldn't resist.))
 
Luness smelled Nyr' familiar dread raven scent the moment she entered the tent and almost tensed at first, as her first thought was that Nyr was going to attempt to hug her. Some things never stopped and Luness fully expected this to happen.


Yet, Nyr seemed to refrain from doing so, as she spoke in her usual, similarly annoying wise tone as Leo often did, and appeared to be taking Suak's side in defending the basilisk.


With a huff, Luness then scowled at Nyr and crossed her arms over her chest while the dread raven continued to speak now in Leo's defense. While she made good points, Luness stubbornly held her ground and refused to back down from all of this. She still didn't like the basilisk and certainly wasn't about to give her any opportunities to petrify more of her werebeasts.


Letting out a low growl while Nyr seemed to grow quiet, Luness opened her mouth to say something, only for Nyr to suddenly raise one of her hands. Instinctively, Luness flinched and began to take a step back with her arms now at her sides and ready to push Nyr away. Except, the dread raven merely offered her hand for a handshake...not at all making an attempt to hug Luness.


Her right ear flickered while she appeared to have mixed feelings in the moment. Luness was rather confused as to why Nyr wasn't trying for a hug, since it seemed to have been one of her favorite things to do the last time they were together.


Alas, Luness' hesitation lasted a moment too long and Nyr soon retracted her hand.


Moving one of her own forepaws to the back of her neck, Luness awkwardly rubbed at it before saying to Nyr, "Uh, yeah...missed you too, Nyr."


Luness never had been known for her social skills.


For a brief moment, Luness felt like someone was watching her, instantly tensing herself, as she scanned the room for the perpetrator. By the time she had scanned the room though, the feeling of being watched had vanished. With a slight frown, Luness returned her attention to those closest to her.


Listening to Leo adding his argument to the mix, Luness continued to frown while her right ear flickered in annoyance occasionally. Luness knew that her werebeasts weren't the only ones out there, she wasn't being selfish. She was simply defending everyone encaged in the stone right now. After all, it wasn't like any of them could speak for themselves at the moment.


When Takeo joined the group, someone who Luness barely knew despite how long he'd supposedly been with the group by now, Luness narrowed her eyes at him, unsure which side he'd choose.


At the mention of her being calm, Luness snarled and took a step towards the man.


"Do I look calm to you, boy?"


Her voice more than gave away her anger in the moment, but Luness bit her tongue in a vain attempt to stop herself from saying anything more. If she kept at things like this, she was going to cause an even bigger scene, which was probably not the best idea while they were trying to solve the petrification and pig situation. Not to mention the injured needed mending and Luness had yet to check on her own soldiers. She knew Falarion could keep them under control for now, but still.


Upon hearing Leia taking her side in this case against Suak, Luness' frown almost immediately became a slight grin. It was rather rare for Luness to find others taking her side in most arguments and she was glad that, at least, one of her close friends was agreeing with her on this subject.


Listening to Leo doing his best to defend Suak, Luness let out an irritated sigh and looked away from him. She was tired of hearing his defense of the basilisk by now.


When Suak finally spoke up for herself, Luness folded her right ear and the stub of her left ear against her head, all but hissing at the approach.


Listening to the basilisk, Luness frowned at the mention of this all simply being an 'inconvenience'. How was petrification merely an inconvenience!?


The moment Suak glanced in her direction, Luness looked away with a scowl. This was quickly becoming tiresome.


Feeling someone boring into her head with their gaze, Luness knew Suak was all but staring at her, as the basilisk mentioned provoking hostilities. With a mental sneer, Luness thought to herself, Too late.


Sensing Alta's approach, Luness looked over at her and flickered her right ear towards the old werewolf, as she spoke of an herb that could help cure the petrification. At the mention of the cure again, Luness let out a quiet, relieved sigh. The sooner her werebeasts were returned from stone, the better. While she had lost some in the battle itself and not the petrification, Luness didn't necessarily feel entirely upset by their deaths. They'd fought valiantly and defended those around them bravely. This whole petrification business was unaccounted for, though.


Having clued out of the conversation briefly, Luness blinked and refocused in time to hear Leia mentioning ghost stories. At this, Luness rolled her eyes and shook her head in slight amusement. She doubted anything in the marshes would be that easy to fight if they were only a part of 'ghost stories.'


Once Briar tasked Leo with taking the others with him to find the herb, Luness remained where she was, as she didn't plan on going anywhere until Kallin was...well, in a more...intimidating state. As it were, most of the more riley werebeasts could see him as bacon right now.


Hearing Leia call Kallin, Harry Trotter, Luness tilted her head at the girl and raised an eyebrow, as she hadn't the faintest idea what she was going on about. It sounded like it was supposed to be a joke, but Luness really had no idea it was about.


Once Kallin began moving along, Luness shrugged it off and followed after him, struggling the whole way to not laugh out loud at Kallin's newfound clumsiness and determination to not lose his robes and staff, though Leia was kind enough to pick up the staff for him this time. Luness might've done it for him had Leia not done so, but she was too amused by Kallin's clumsiness at this rate.


Hearing Takeo wishing to join Leia, Kallin, and herself with fixing Kallin's pig problem, Luness glared at him and said, "Save the jokes and help the others, boy. We can handle this problem on our own and any more people will just make this a nuisance for us to finish."


By the time Luness departed from the tent, she'd completely missed anything else occurring there, as her mind swam with emotions and her focus was now on helping Kallin.


Upon approaching Kallin's tent, Luness warily eyed it and the desk and cot both casually placed outside, which seemed entirely out of place to the werelynx.


Nodding at Leia when she held open the tent flap for her, Luness quickly moved to one of the sides, noting quickly how tight it was for all of them to fit in here. Having also noted the sand carefully placed about the ground, Luness almost had to dance to the side, finding it hard to avoid stepping in the sand with her long, bipedal hind legs.


At the mention of Caraboss' enchantment being forgiving, Luness merely shrugged. She knew very little of magic and figured that while this one may seem harmless, it could also serve as a good distraction for this side. Not to mention the petrification quest now underway no thanks to the basilisk now on their team.


Voicing her thoughts, Luness added after Leia, "Perhaps it's all merely a distraction method. It certainly has us busier than usual trying to resolve all of this."


Once Grenwin began the spell, Luness was soon lost in the garbled language that she did not understand and found herself at a bit of a loss until Kallin began to transform.


By the time Kallin had finished transforming back into his human self, Luness found herself faintly blushing, as she realized his robes weren't entirely intact now. Luckily, his trousers remained intact and her fur concealed her blush. Only way someone would know she was doing so was if they knew her really well.


Also luckily, the one who would've recognized such a thing seemed to be entirely distracted in the moment. Much to Luness' relief, as she didn't like getting embarrassed or being seen while blushing in such a manner. 


Hearing Leia and Kallin bantering with one another soon brought a grin to Luness' face, her anger from the previous scene nearly forgotten now.


At the mention of Kallin remaining here to help with the curse, Luness' grin faded slightly. Not that she shared Leia's fear of the 'ghost-infested bog', but now that Kallin was as he used to be, Luness wasn't overly keen of leaving him so soon.


Before she could speak her mind about the matter, Grenwin dismissed Kallin's aid and Leia's pleading look seemed to finish it up, though Luness figured her own expression could've been very similar in the moment, too.


While Kallin was right about not being of much use at night, Grenwin was also right about Kallin's knowledge being of significant aid to the team. Luness certainly had no idea what to expect out there. Though, some of the earlier descriptions had reminded her of Quincy's kind. The thought of meeting a kelpie ready to drown her wasn't too appealing, though.


Once Kallin had changed into more appropriate attire for the occasion, Luness found herself looking at him longer than she would've been comfortable with anyone noticing. By the time Kallin was saying his joke about drowning, Luness was blinking while her right ear flickered about nervously. Not because of the mention of drowning, but because she suddenly realized she'd been staring a bit longer than she should have.


Having a phantom candle, pouch of crushed herbs, and a silver coin handy now, Luness tucked them all away in her rucksack for use later on.


Listening to Leia tease Kallin once more, Luness smirked a bit and then looked about the group, wondering when they'd begin their quest. She was anxious to help her werebeasts return to normal as soon as possible.


Watching Leo approach the group to join them, Luness' right ear flickered in slight annoyance, as she recalled his defense of the basilisk despite everything.


Hearing Leo speak to Kallin and then Kallin respond with an annoyance at what might've been a pig joke, though Luness had no idea if it was one, she turned way from the pair with a frown on her face once more. Luness felt as if just about anything Leo said right now would set her off.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @DawnAntalios @Baconhands @everyoneelsenearby
 
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Nyr watched and listened to Suak speaking. Honestly, she did not expect the basilisk to suddenly change and embrace her or Leo in a loving grace, that is not how the world worked. Staring at the girl she smiled as deep down she reminded her of her own self, though she might not have been this... subtle about her threats back then but was definitely way more shy than the basilisk. 


" I admire your tenacity, Suak. " she said, nodding " We are neither tyrants nor parents to ask you to be fully obedient, you have your mind of your own. But as I said now that you are a part of the family some rules do apply, ones which you'd better keep in mind for all of our sake. You see we are all different, we have our past grievances but if I learnt something from Mother Moon then it was that the past should never be the one thing that defines us. It is part of us, will stick with us forever it is true but... "


She walked up to Suak, gently touching her shoulder for a moment.


" I firmly believe that your deeds of the present and the future will pave your way more than your ancient heritage. " she smiled " That is what this raven believes anyway. "


When she thought about Suak's comment of family she giggled.


" Unfortunately for you, though, families are rarely chosen. By joining the war effort you stepped within the bounds of our big-big family as well. Though I would love to hug you and welcome you... " she grinned " Past experiences... taught me to be less... precarious about things like these, they usually did not end well. But what I mean to say, Suak, is that you can count on us - on me. "


She stepped away from her now, granting her space.


" I know you will need time to reflect, we all do. War is on the horizon and the darkness clouds our minds as well as our hearts. But solace is never lost, as long as you actively search for it. If you ever need a moment of peace, a minute of meditation... "


She nodded as she turned away to depart.


" Seek me out. I will not turn you down. "


Nyr felt happy that they had the opportunity to talk with Suak. She was definitely a diamond in a rough, with proper care and love... she might just bloom and open up slightly. It was true, though, that others were not as open minded as she was, but that was not surprising. She herself disliked the subtle aggression deep within the basilisk but she also understood the tension and the conflict she was going through. The problem was that it was war time and aside from everyone being more on the edge than usual there were little time to sort out insubordination. People either followed orders as they should have or were... well, shunned. Keeping up the positive thinking she came to the conclusion that she could sort out things like these... eventually...


The tent was rather lively and ever so slowly the raven squad began to talk to people, no matter how silent they previously were. Most of the dread ravens have heard about what was happening and they decided - as their Prelate ordered - that they would stay and defend the flank of the people... except one of them.


Einu, the elf-guised sorceress seemed to be eerily silent as she watched how other heroes took the protective candles for their mission at the gathering point, she watching from a safe distance herself. The others were encouraged by being called 'cool' back there and she was happy that they were having some fin... but it seemed the wizard had a different thing in her mind, almost as if she was waiting for something... or someone.


" Something wrong, Einu? " a familiar voice sounded behind her as the elf girl turned around scared. Nyr's piercing red eyes were fixated on her, one of hr armored hand being rested on her hip. Immediately the sorceress began to bow.


" P-Prelate... I... " she began, trying to explain herself.


" We no longer hide, Einu. You are among friends here, allies. " Nyr said quietly pointing at the others through the bushes " Why are you here and not with the others anyway? Is there something on your mind? "


" I... " she began again then nodded. The friendly tone of her leader was still baffling her after serving under the iron fist of Caraboss but she accepted the change nonetheless " I wished to converse with Princess Briar if possible but alone I did not feel the strength within me. " she said quietly.


" Understood. " Nyr said, nodding. Einu half expected to be sent back to the others and immediately she began to walk that way... but was stopped " Let us go then, the others are waiting. "


" Prelate? " the elf-raven turned around, shocked. Was her wish... granted?


" You have something on your mind, no? I can not depart without having that burden off your shoulders. That is not how family works. We help each other, always. " Nyr smiled, making the elf blush.


" Family... " she whispered to herself before she nodded and followed her Prelate to the others.


As they approached the others Einu became more nervous but Nyr pushed her on to walk with her. It was a bit unnerving for the raven to walk among the fabled heroes... she had heard he legends, even the ranks of Caraboss talked about them frequently. To stand here with them as an ally... it was very strange for her, paralyzing even. 


" Your majesty, my friends... Sorry for the delay, we are here. " Nyr greeted Briar and everyone around them with a bow, receiving Kallin's protective herbs and some candles " My friend here wishes to talk to you briefly, Lady Briar. "


She nodded as Einu bowed, walking up to her.


" Your majesty... heroes... " she said turning around " My... my name is Einu and I am a dread raven, just as the Prelate. I know... I know what our kind... what I have wrought, I have suffered under the yoke of Caraboss myself. I am not worthy of walking among you, not yet anyway... but still I would humbly ask for a request regardless... "


She turned towards Briar, falling to her knees. 


" The spirit magic in the swamp... it calls to me, my very essence is shaking, something in there lingers and wishes for me to... to come. It... sent me a vision to make me sure it was not an illusion either. I... I know I have no right to ask this of you but... please... allow me to accompany my Prelate as a bodyguard this once... for her... and my sake. "


Nyr smiled, looking at Briar in anticipation... as well as awaiting the response of the others.


@SilverFlight @Baconhands @Lioness075 @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @everyone_waiting_for_the_mission
 
Takeo let out a sigh as he continued to follow.  "If it makes you feel better I won't go in with you.  Not like I plan to ruin the ritual or whatever, I'm just curious how it is done."  His tone as usual was nonchalant as he continued to walk with them.  Once they arrived at the tent he could see there wasn't enough for everyone, so like he said he remained outside of the tent.  Staying close enough to hear what happened on the inside Takeo decided now would be a nice time to get a bit of relaxing in.  Sitting on the ground he stayed quiet as he did a small stretch on his slightly sore muscles.  The healers did an amazing job on him so most of the pain he had been feeling earlier was gone, but there was some soreness here and there.   After he was done stretching he leaned back his arms the only thing stopping him from falling onto his back.  'Honestly had hoped Gren was somewhere far away, really wanted to use this as an excuse not to go and have to deal with ghost.'


A small sigh left him as he scratched his head while he watched the sun set.  Hearing the change was a success he smiled a bit.  'Honestly thought it was going to take a lot of work to get him back to normal.  Really glad to see that's not the case.'  Hearing the others were soon going to end their conversation and since he had no questions about it or input he stood up and looked around.  Seeing where the party was going to meet at before they left he decided to go ahead and stroll over there.  'Its already sundown, this is just going to be a blast, I know it.' Shaking his head he rolled his shoulders once and soon arrived with the group.  He gave them a nod but said nothing as he let a small yawn leave him.  Shaking his head he kept his eyes open though he was feeling a bit on the tired side.  'I need to stop skipping naps, not much I can do about it but still.  Naps can be life savers.'  


When he heard the others from the tent approach he looked over at them and smiled at Lunness. "See I didn't get in the way or was much of a nuisance, unless of course you don't care for how I moved the blades of grass from where I sat." He said in a lightly joking tone.   After saying this he looked at Leo and snorted in a attempt to hide his laughter. "Ah I would add my own pun but welp for me to repeat it would be such a boar, wouldn't it."  He said with a light hum as kept his smile.  


Again his attention was taken (which has been happening quite a bit, he really needs to learn how to focus on one thing) when Nyr and another dread raven approached.  Hearing her out he just shrugged.  "Sure it would be another to protect, but meh I don't see why not."  He said nonchalantly as he rolled his sore shoulder again.  "If she's getting iffy signals from an already very iffy place.  Well something might be up, and it would be a good idea to have an extra set of eyes on board."    


After saying this he moved over to Leo and looked at him with a smirk. "So, long have you been waiting to use that one?"  he asked holding in another chuckle.


@SilverFlight@Lioness075@DawnAntalios@zCrookedz@Baconhands
 
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Leo smiled at Kallin. It was rare for the great Lion to make jokes, but this one of the rare moments. His smile faded slightly as he noticed the twitch of an ear from Luness and how she turned her back on him after he spoke. It seemed that she was still seething from the conversation earlier. He didn't blame her, it was not the popular choice. 


The sound of Takeo joining into the joking festivities made Leo's smile widen as his inquiry about the joke brought back a humorous joke that Bruin had once told him long ago.


"Not long enough. But, what is time to a pig?"


He chuckled to himself and placed a large paw on Kallins shoulder with a big smile. 


"It is good to see you returned to normal my mysterious friend."


Leo acquired a pouch of the dried herbs and held them up to his nose. The faint scent of Agrimony, Mullein, and Clove he could smell coming from the fabric, his keen nose specially trained to identify herbs and plants. For a moment, he felt a sharp pain searing through his skull making him feel dizzy and his vision fade a bit. He lowered the bag and closed his good eye for a moment, taking a breath of clean air before opening his eye and the pain receding. He gave the little bag a glance, gripping it in his paw loosely. The pain was a sharp reminder that he was not quite as intact as he had been at one time. The bandage to his mind that his ward had placed over his memories was still intact, even if Lilly was long gone. 


His thoughts only ended when Nyre approached Briar with a tall looking woman whom Leo had never seen before. The mystery was revealed to him quickly, she was a dread raven in Nyr's company. Leo smiled as he tucked the small bag into the sash around his belt and took one of the ghostly torches to carry into the swamp. 


@SilverFlight@Lioness075 @Peaceswore @DawnAntalios
 
As night fell, a faint mist rose in the cooling air above the scarred battlefield. Bodies lay scattered in the dirt like shadows among the blades of grass which shone in the light of the moon, their silent silhouettes like an aching hole where once, a life had thrived.  Most would find the scene eerily silent, but if one listened closely on a night such as this one, they might hear faint voices, like rustling in the wind... voices of grieving, longing and guilt from the spirits of the dead which clung to this world like dead leaves in the wind, still tethered to their branches. Unable to let go. Faint as it were, this same wind carried their song until it had reached her. Reached them. 


They had been drawn to it for some time, now. A grey-cloaked figure emerged from afar, finally observing the origin of what had been guiding them to this place. Ah... so it was this, after all. War. It took the lives of numerous folk, and among those casualties, a terrible many who had a strong will to live. Perhaps they had been away from civilisation for too long... Nonetheless, these deaths were relatively new. They would not have responded too late, after all. Closing their eyes, they seemingly glided as they strode towards the centre of the battleground, the mist around them growing colder with a ghostly luminescence. The luminescence slowly seemed to expand like clouds of ink trailing behind them, tasting the air before seeping back into the traveller's body with their assessment. Some of those here are deteriorating unusually fast, but they are still themselves.


They had reached the centre of the field, where they unfolded the heavy magic tome in their arms.


"A storm has passed, the pond has stilled... long gone, the sky your roars had filled. Volunsvaettir, Hoggva." Her clear voice rang with deep timbre as she compassionately addressed the phantoms. There was the faintest ebb, like a change of pressure in the air. The incantation that had followed set the tome's pages fluttering; four gusts of wind spun outward from the lone figure. These furrowed into the ground where they coursed, tracing out a system of curved arcs, serving as conduits to the necromancer. Closing the tome, they placed it on the ground and lowered themselves to a crouch, placing the palms of their long-fingered, pale hands on the dirt.  The calls of the dead rose higher around them as if in a chorus, stimulated by the touch of their necromantic energy. They felt their eyes fill up with tears, caught in a swell of empathy. There was so much pain. No, it was exhilaration. Wet droplets fell to the ground between their fingers. The hooded figure was grinning, however. This was a happy occasion, after all. As was every moment among the living. It was time for them to join again.


"This does not need to end in tragedy.  I reach through the pond's surface. Your next breath awaits across this moonlit shimmer. We shall rise together." The area flooded with light; the shapes of departed figures blossomed forth from the corpses and swirled around, congregating upon them and pouring into the human body, shaking in the sheer force of that torrent of souls. 


Moments later, it was over. The battlefield was silent; the music was within them. 


Their quickened heartbeat had calmed back to a steady pace.


The phantom amalgamate rose, having grown in number once more.


Nice to meet you, they thought to themselves, smiling calmly. My name is Lamen Tvalhal. 
 
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Briar looked taken aback at the dread Raven's plea. "I can't deny the heroes any help." She said with a gentle smile. "Of course, rise and go with them and take my blessing for it."


Leia added her piece too. "The more the merrier in a swamp full of ghosts I'd say."


She looked at them all and drew a deep breath. @DawnAntalios


"My friends, you have all come such a long way since I first met you. Now you are all putting your lives on the line facing Caraboss' forces, and working to make right what has been put wrong. I cannot guarantee that Caraboss won't try to stop you in the swamp, but whatever happens, you all have my gratitude."


Kallin tried his best to look unimpressed at Leo's light teasing. "You know, I think I could probably recreate that curse, then you can test that theory." He moved to the head of the group. "I hope you all have waxed leather boots on...because this is going to get soggy."


@zCrookedz


He stepped onto the springy moss and sank a few inches, water pooling about his feet. He grimaced at the offensive odor that wafted up where he had disturbed the mud and sediment. "As Lucille would say...Genial."


Leia's boots weren't as waterproof as she had hoped, and on top of that the mist made it almost impossible to pick out the driest trail. Kallin did a good job keeping them from hitting sink holes or deep pools but they were still knee-deep in swamp water.


Bob, Leia's earth spirit floundered as he struggled to keep his rocky bulk above water. He bleated miserably until Leia hefted him across her shoulders like a lamb...this made her sink further. Spark preferred to hide in Leia's elemental flask. It was the same she had been given in the Sand seas to protect her water spirit from the arid atmosphere, Tad kept him company but Lee fared the best of all of them. She darted through the mist, running on top of the water, her fish tail flicking happily and chasing things Leia couldn't see.


Kallin hadn't said much since they had left dry land. He waded ahead of them silently, his spirit torch flickering through the misty night. "Stay close. I'm pretty sure the wisps will start showing up soon."


"Wisps?" Leia asked.


"Spirits that make lights and hang over the deepest parts of the swamp. They draw lost travelers further into the mire and drown them."


"Ooooh....so like, is there anything in this place that won't want to kill us?"


Kallin didn't answer.


Leia made a face and fell back to walk with Takeo. "So...are you weirded out by this place? Because I am totally weirded out. I mean what, we faced giant spiders, demon plants...Basilisk sorcerers--no offense Suak--Evil desert zombies...I should be used to this stuff by now but...Yeah no, I'm not."


They continued on in silence for a while, now and then Leia would catch something out of the corner of her eye, glittering in the torchlight but when she turned to look at it it wasn't there. The wind whispered through skeleton trees draped in moss that looked like old hag hair. To Leia it sounded almost like a raspy voice that called her name. Then she saw it, just a solitary orange light hanging over the black water far to her left. The light looked like a campfire, so much so that Leia swore she could hear the distant echo of cheerful laughter. It was so inviting she didn't even notice herself begin to turn from the path...


Suddenly Kallin stopped dead, his eyes fixed at a point just before them. In the darkness a figure lurked, pale and faded, but it was clearly staring at them. If one looked closely you would see the torn and faded colours of Briar's army hanging off a thin and broken frame. It was one of the soldiers who had been caught in the ambush here just that morning. Her face was pallid and thin and her skin translucent and glossy, as if it were freshly wet.


The ghost reached out a hand to them and moaned. Suddenly it clutched at its chest, doubling over as an arrow appeared from nowhere and blossomed from its chest.


"I...died here...didn't I?" The voice of a young girl. Kallin gritted his teeth, she sounded barely older than he was. He said nothing but nodded, though sadness and anger clawed at his heart.


The spirit looked back at them, her eyes were now hollow, empty and she bared her teeth. "Why didn't you do something! You're the heroes of FableWood! You could have saved  me!"


Suddenly all about them voices were moaning, howling. The ghosts of the fallen swelled up from the waters, angry and frightened. Kallin raised his staff, ready with a spell that would strike at them if they got too close but suddenly they went still. Then, one by one, their lights trickled away, running like tiny streams to converge on a single point.


Kallin stared, amazed as the figure rose and turned to greet them.


"A necromancer." He said seriously. "Thank you. You calmed those spirits." He paused for a moment, sensing something unusual about the figure.


"You...did more than just calm them...didn't you." It wasn't a question. 


@zCrookedz @Peaceswore @DawnAntalios @Lioness075 @Baconhands @GoldenBlight @Irina Peltavaskiy 


((I hope you don't mind @Mythee, I moved you to the bog where our characters were headed, technically still a battlefield :3))
 
The ground felt unfamiliar to Suak and that made her uncomfortable; she had explored much of the area surrounding her home, seen many humanoid civilizations and yet still she had never been here, to a place like this. The feeling of water and muck against her human form's feet was unsettling to say the least, and the reek of the land seemed to form a miasma that Suak was sure would come alive in some form of malevolent way. She was desperately trying to keep her cloak from touching the water, but the material was stained excessively at its bottom. The basilisk tried to stay close to Leo, and failing that, she tried to stay close to Nyr, her amber irises scanning for any sign of movement. Green specs dotted her eyes as they slowly transitioned into an emerald colour. Her pupils changed shape, becoming those of a reptile's; there were very few heat signatures around the swamp, except for those given off by the group. It would be easier to keep track of them like this.


When Leia mentioned the group had faced a basilisk, Suak raised her head, listening somewhat intently. When the word sorcerers followed, the excitement in her eyes disappeared as soon as it had appeared.


"None taken." She didn't want to ask further, less she were to offend anyone in the group. She was already on bad terms with at least two of them, she didn't want to cause anyone any more grievances.


When Kallin stopped, Suak did otherwise. He was staring at something, what exactly it was, the basilisk couldn't tell: it produced no heat signature. Suak heard the girl moan and tensed, unable to see what was making the noise. She didn't want to drop her reptilian vision for the sake of comfort, but not seeing what she may have to potentially fight seriously disadvantaged her. She glanced around herself, watching the heat signatures of her allies when she saw one of them begin to stray from the group. A quick look back at Kallin and the others confirmed Suak's fear that the situation was escalating. She might as well make it escalate further.


Quickly, she darted after the stray, noticing she was heading for another, more intense, heat signature. Suak's pupils returned to that of a human's. "Hey! Where are you-"


Voices began howling and moaning and Suak cursed beneath her breath. She covered her ears with her hands and started after the human, Leia, trying desperately to catch up with her before she lost sight of the group behind them.


@SilverFlight @Battlefield_group
 
Quincy stayed in her tent for several minutes. She had a bad feeling about this. Bogs were ugly, smelly, dirty places full of things that were best left alone. She had picked up her bow, but it would do her little good against spirits, ghosts, and ghouls.


The kelpie cast her eyes about the tent, fingering the band around her neck. She had very few belongings, and seemingly nothing that would be helpful on this little adventure. On second thought.. the kelpie took off her leather armor, leaving it for when she was next called to the battlefield. Even though it was enchanted, she felt like the bog would be very unkind to the physical leather. It felt good to put on a pair of average breeches and tall boots, even though she knew she would spend most of her time in her true form.


Quincy joined her companions with Princess Briar, deep in thought. She took the herbs and coins, securing them to the leather necklace she wore, so that they would be on her bridle if she changed.


And she did, almost as soon as they started moving. The oppression air felt a little more bearable in her equine lungs, and the muck wouldn't stick to her slippery coat.


The bog was dark and dank and everything she had assumed it would be. They didn't get far before encountering some other-worldly problems. Just as she thought she saw a faint glow of orange light, a ghost of a soldier appeared, calling out to them. Quincy pinned her ears, sorrow filling her. Her head reared back, as more spirits appeared and began to wail and swirl around them, only to disappear into a single point. And at that point, a figure. Her nostrils flared with the scent of the newcomer. They smelled of death, but also of many, many people all at once. A necromancer, Kallin said. The kelpie did not like the sound of that.
 
Kallins threat of recreating the curse made Leo only chuckle even greater as he clapped the mage on the shoulder before following behind the group towards the bog. 


"I do no doubt that in the slightest my friend."


Leo followed towards the back as to not obstruct the view of the others. The bog was sticky, and wet and slimy all at the same time. Its wasn't just the water and its contents either that held these features. The air itself seemed to plaster to the inside of Leo's nose and lungs as he breathed in. The ground, being very loosely described as such, climbed to Leo's knees as he followed the group. His larger frame was doing him no favors in the weight department at the moment, and his fur would smell of bog for days. 


Still, he splashed through the bog behind the others, keeping on hand ready on the hilt of this axe and the other clasped to the strap of his satchel. As they walked, he could feel the weeds and dead plants of the water wrap themselves around his claws like corpse like fingers. The feeling made him uncomfortable a bit, but it gave him an idea. As he followed, he closed his one good eye for a moment before opening it, glowing green. What he found was not as he exspected. What little living plant life he could find, we wicked and wanted nothing to do with the Lion's poking and prodding. Everything else was dead and watery, clouding his vision with a wavy texture causing him to miss Leia wandering off from the group before him, until he released his vision and returned to normal. His abilities would do little good in this place, the plant life here was not of sound mind for him to communicate with. 


He nearly bumped into the group before him as they came to a stop and he noticed the fallen soldier before them. Tightening the grip on his ax as she spoke, Leo could not help but feel a wave of sorrow wash over him as he listened to the women's laments about having died in the swamp. Leo knew, just as the others should, there was nothing they could have done for this soldier. Nor any of the others who had been sent into the swamp before the attack. Still the spirit was angered by their appearance and soon was joined by her compatriots, who also seemed equally agitated with their arrival. Leo readied his axe and gripped the spot where he had tucked the herbs away. But before any more happened, the spirits stopped, and disapeared towards a figure that Leo, a kind soul who normally liked everyone, did not like. When Kallin called out to the figure, Leo became more unsettled by the character, and he kept his ax ready at hand until the intents of the necromancer where stated. 


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It was with no little surprise from the necromancer that the sounds and sight of a group of people greeted them in this place- their attention was suddenly divided between the new swarm of souls within them and the questing band. The dark-haired man addressed them first, having no doubt seen their central role in the oddity which had just transpired throughout the bog; it was not the first time some stray observer had witnessed Lamen's ability as a possession sink, but it was definitely something they practised with discretion so as not to attract unwanted types of attention. Sadly (with quotation marks, for they found the situation rather amusing), it was a little too late to keep the proverbial cat in the bag. Nobody here would believe them to be the average passing mage. 


As they observed their diverse forms and noted their armament, they began to remember from the lives of soldiers within their united army's ranks; pockets of memory rose from their depths, granting them knowledge of those before them. A glint of recognition entered their grey eyes and they bowed courteously. It was a high profile group; an oddity to find them here, to say the least. Some of those within called out in anger, but more were calmed, hopeful for a second chance to fight again against the dark forces that encroached upon the lands. No need to rush any decisions, now. 


"Generals of Oz, Werebeasts, Dread Ravens, Rogues, and Magic forces." They greeted them in turn, acknowledging those who held no particular rank with a slight bow as well. Their suspicious gazes were to be expected; the lion seemed especially cautious, his axe at the ready. It would be best to defuse the sense of danger that loomed about them soon and prevent the advent of violence... Given the circumstances of their meeting, caught in the midst of suspicious activity in wartime, this was task was less simple than when Lamen's appearance was the only factor. In addition, the man who had thanked them was quite observant. 


"You are most welcome," Lamen's voice was as ever calm, but its sonorous quality diminished somewhat as they expressed delight; "That being said, it is not often that a living person thanks a necromancer. As for your question, I could certainly do more. Allow me to confer a message from the spirits."  The question may have been rhetorical, but they had chosen to answer anyway.


With a low-key dance.


They were holding a magic tome, so instead of clapping their hands from side to side, Lamen clapped a hand softly against the tome's cover held in their other arm, the heavily layered robes shifting with the motion which occurred three times as they spoke the words to match.


"Yay~ yay~ yay~"


They returned to their normal standing position.


"That concludes the message."


Lamen's sense of humor had odd timing, but they thought their joke was a charming parody that might set the group at ease. (There may have a few inner groans at that.)


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Luness let out a short chuckle when Takeo mentioned his moving of some grass where he stood and simply shook her head at him before walking away, an unusually kinder reaction than from before. As it were, the boy had hit the thin line of humor she had and so she felt a little less inclined to bash him for being in the way, regardless of the fact that he really hadn't been at all.


Giving Briar a curt nod when she spoke to the group before they parted ways, Luness resisted the urge to roll her eyes, having never found motivational speeches to be all too...well, motivating for her. They always came across as overdramatic for the werelynx. Still, Briar had earned her respect a while ago and so Luness felt that, at least, acknowledging the speech would be better than altogether ignoring it.
Returning her attention to the group as Kallin took the lead, Luness almost immediately frowned at the mention of having boots and things getting soggy. Considering her werelynx form and hind legs that were bipedal, there was no way for Luness to avoid getting all sorts of things stuck in her fur and completely soiling it. Luness doubted a simple bath or washing would clean her of such odors for a while, too. Great.


At the mention of wisps and what they could do, Luness continued to frown and moved herself a bit closer to Kallin, struggling to move her hind legs through the muddy waters that seemed to slow her down to a snail pace. This was probably one of the worse places for Luness to be and there was an extreme limitation to her fighting capabilities while in these waters...or mud.


As she moved along in this swampy area, Luness' right ear constantly flickered about while her eyes scanned the area surrounding them, their red glow acting like a small illumination amongst everything else here. There was even a slight glow to her eyes, dancing off the foggy setting.


Yet, no matter how quickly Luness' eyes flickered in the direction of things glowing abnormally in the swamp or in the direction of voices she's hear whispering, she never could see anything. Her heart raced despite her outwardly calm appearance, as Luness quickly grew wary of her surroundings and tensed the further they went into the swamps. The last thing Luness wanted to do was interact with the dead.


Oblivious to Leia wandering from the group, Luness nearly walked into Kallin when he suddenly stopped, as her hyper awareness had kept her head on the swivel the entire time since they'd entered the swamps.


Moving to Kallin's side, Luness' eyes widened slightly when she saw the dead soldier just before them. Despite the ragged clothing on it, Luness recognized its colors almost immediately. A dead ally. The only thing preventing Luness from panicking was the fact that it wasn't one of her own subordinates.


Hearing the soldier bellow in pain and then ask if she'd died here, Luness' heart swelled for her. It was hard enough dealing with the death of allies on their consciences...and now they had to confront their own dead.


Hearing the spirit verbally lash out at them, Luness flinched and folded her right ear against her head while looking down in shame. There was only so much they could do. Death was to be expected on the battlefields...right?


As tears began to form in Luness' eyes, the spirits all suddenly vanished, the light vanishing from the corners of Luness' eyes. Looking up sharply and quickly wiping away what little tears had formed, Luness heard Kallin address someone as a 'necromancer', a figure rising from seemingly out of no where.


A snarl quickly formed in Luness' throat, as she narrowed her eyes at the approaching figure. For Luness, a necromancer meant someone who could manipulate the dead to for their own uses and advantage. The dead was not to be messed with for Luness, it was to be left alone and allowed to rest in peace.


Yet, before Luness could say anything rash or even make any moves against the necromancer, she saw that the necromancer was surprisingly young and a girl, at that.


Furrowing her brows and tilting her head to the side, Luness' expression quickly became a baffled one, as the girl introduced herself as Lamen and then bowed to her as well as the others. Only adding to her amounting confusion and uncertainty, Luness watched as Lamen did some weird dance and chant only to say that was their message from the spirits. 


Luness then concluded that Lamen was probably insane, which would make sense to the werelynx considering the girl worked directly with the dead. Not to mention the fact that her voice sounded...different.


Looking sideways at Kallin, who seemed mostly impressed by Lamen's control over the spirits, Luness then whispered, "First, we trust a basilisk to join our ranks and now, we're going to invite a necromancer to join us?"


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Einu's eyes sparkled happily as she nodded to Briar's words and happily stared at her Prelate. For a moment she even forgot the courtesy that was due so hyped she was about this... but then she quickly realized her folly. Backing off, she coughed politely, looking away, in the direction of the swamp.


" Thank you. " she murmured silently " I will not betray your trust placed in me. "


And with that she and Nyr began to follow the path leading into the mysterious, dreaded place.


The eerie silence and the small chatter of the group did not bother Nyr. She was more interested in the sudden urge of Einu to come here. Ever since she liberated the dread raven magician from the shackles of darkness she acted as a composed, meticulous and careful person, never to rush into danger and never to ask a favor from anyone. If something moved Einu out of her comfort zone this much then it had to be something with utmost significance.


" I can hear them. " Einu whispered so that only Nyr could hear it " The wails... they are... fuzzy. I do not think that I can find the answer alone. "


" Answers? " Nyr raised her eyebrow, inspecting her companion as she listened to the banter between Kallin and Leo.


" It... is difficult, Prelate. " she said silently " Something stirs here... something familiar, an echo of something long forgotten. But I know not what it is... or where it is. "


Nyr smiled.


" Many of our friends are skilled spellcasters and trackers. With them you will surely be able to find the answers. You need only ask, Einu. "


The dread raven nodded but she shrugged as well. The idea of interacting with the others still probably bothered the spirit mage. No matter how many times did Nyr tell her that she can count on the others as friends this concept was rather alien for her still. She wearily eyes the dark mage, the monstrous lion, the powerful werecat who looked as menacing as agile just to mention a few. She was still terrified at actually asking them for anything, not feeling the trust forming between them for a good reason.


Suddenly when Kallin halted so did Nyr, almost reaching for her sword. Einu was literally frozen as she felt the incredible rush of spirits nearby. The ghosts were moaning and crying out in pain and sorrow, Nyr knew that they would soon need to battle... but then suddenly they died away... their cries was replaced by the terrified whisper of Einu.


" Prelate... " she whispered " Something immense... is drawing close... "


Nyr nodded, pointing at the necromancer Kallin addressed. To her surprise the creature actually welcomed all of them, conveying a strange message she could not comprehend. Either the wizard had a very strange sense of humor or she was talking in a way she alone could not notice. Regardless of this she nodded at Einu as she stepped forward. The spirit mage returned the motion, turning around, furrowing her brows... didn't they have more followers?


Nyr in the meantime walked up next to Kallin and Luness, hearing the weary comment of the latter. It was true, a spellcaster of the dark arts was rather unusual of an ally... but perhaps an unusual ally might be the best for now.


" There are dark times, my friend. " she said to Luness with a half smile before turning to the... person in front of them " I, for one, welcome all allies, no matter how strange they might seem. "


She bowed before the necromancer.


" As you welcomed us so do I welcome you, mage. " she said respectfully, putting her hand on the part of her armor where her heart was supposed to be " Since you seem to possess immense power which helps soothing spirits I for one would like to... forge an alliance, for now. Even if you owe none to anyone at least a temporary truce between us would prove beneficial, I believe. "


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Takeo walked silently dreading the visit to this damned bog, though to anyone else he looked like he was about to go on a casual stroll.    He didn't want to keep his thoughts on where they were going so he kept his eyes on anything but their path to distract him.  Luckily or unluckily time passed by quickly and soon they arrived at the bog.  Letting a groan leave him internally he kept marching on despite the fact the water was getting in his boots.  'Yeah make magical leather that isn't water proof good job me.'


When Leia approached him he looked over at her and chuckled.  "Yeah you don't sound weirded out by any of this at all." Putting his hands on his head he shrugged a bit.  "Honestly I think I'm in an unending shock, which is why I'm not freaking out much about any of this.  I mean this is a lot to take in, I've been here a month and poof now I'm a general of the Rouges, which is just something else to say the least.   Though the enemies........ Not a fan of ghost.  Like I really hate jump scares.  And the fact I can't really slice a ghost."   After saying this a smile appeared on his face as he looked at Leia.  "though I'm surprised you are not weirded out by this, if you think about it.... Ghost are just intangible zombies."  He said with a light chuckle .


Like Kallin, Takeo stopped in his tracks as he watched the ghost appear in their path and stayed silent.   At the girls question Takeo tightened his jaw and he looked away.   He began to tune out the words that came from the ghost around them.  Though when the sounds stopped he raised a brow at the sight of the person standing there.  "Oh yay....another necromancer..... Because the last one we had on our team was so great."  He mumbled under his breath as he went on guard while watching the stranger approach.  Carefully listening to the person he looked at them in confusion and with a raised brow.  "Was.... That suppose to be a joke??"


@Sorry in a rush tags later
 
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