A Kingdom's Fate (Rp): Ended.

[Cinnonym]

Ellondra immediately kneeled at his side, helping him sit up to recreate some shred of dignity.

"Our comrades have made certain of it, sir. You have fought valiantly. Please allow us to take care of the rest..." Her gaze wandered down to the wound draining the man's life blood and she repressed a grimace. It was not something she could bandage or splint.

 

[Jav3lin]

The man grabbed Elondra's shirt with bloody hands and looked deep into her eyes.
"My... my brother is a merchant and he patrols this road. C-could you tell him that I escaped.. on the ships? Please. If he ...."
The life drained out from his eyes as he collapsed, his strength gone and his arms limp. His head fell back into the whet ground.

The rain had deminished slightly but there were still one and one drops hitting the ground here and there.
The night was giving way to the sun as it's beams could be seen on the horizon.

 

[The Zango]

"This seems to happen to everyone we meet these days" said Ra'ive from his position just behind Ellondra, he'd left the brute where he lay and was currently chewing on a small clump of the healing herbs he'd found, getting them ready to apply to his gash.

"There is nothing more we can do here. Come, it's time to proceed with our duty"

 

[Cinnonym]

"Come, it's time to proceed with our duty."

"Indeed..."

Ellondra laid the man in the mud and folded his arms just so over his chest, waving her hand in a vague and half-hearted gesture as she murmured a prayer over the corpse. Who knew whether or not his brother was even still alive? This may not have been the first town struck by disaster.

Her expression was stonily grim.

"Is there no one left?"

 

[Slycne]

Vik'nar came walking up from the direction of the docks.

"It looks like most of the civilians evacuated on ships figuring it would be safer. The docks are littered with personal effects they had to leave behind." A spared a glance to Acento, who at least looked like he hadn't been looting anything else.

"They probably left long before the goblins overran the town.

Kneeling down, Vik'nar started to straighten out the bodies of the fallen militia men. They would be found with arms crossed clutching their weapons, not grasping at the wounds that had ended their lives. "These men must have been ferried back to retake the town once everyone was moved to a secure location out to sea."

He met Ellondra's eyes with his, looking for assistance in this task and not expecting Rai've nor Acento to assist and Evela was still hovering up towards the body of the armored man, looking and possibly studying the body and the magic that had fuel him.

 

[The Zango]

Ra'ive kicked at the floor impatiently, seeing how far he could hit a pebble and then trying to beat his last record. It was hardly the most exhilarating of pastimes, but the others insisted on going about their ridiculous, moralistic rituals and his lack of action was meant as some spiteful protest. However when a stone skittered and cracked into a peice of wood from the gate, a thought barged its way into his consciousness.

"Hey!" said Ra'ive, suddenly remembering something that had slipped his mind during the rush that he got when the behemoth was felled.

"What happened to the big guys friend? The one with the white hair? Anybody see where he disappeared to?"

 

[Dragon_of_red]

Evela had just managed to stand back up and look at the creature that was just felled. The sight of him on the ground wasn't a pleasant one, but if anyone was going to understand what just happened, he would.

He moved around the large man, until he got to the base of his neck. The sight of the blood and opening where it's head should be was enough to make him sick, but he had to swallow it and keep looking, for he saw a strange marking on there, luckily enough it was only half cut off. It was tattooed on in black ink, but there was something strange about it. He bent down and had a closer look to it. It had smaller writing around it, he had to move to really close to it to properly read it, and what he read stunned him. He jumped back, landing on his bottom. He whispered to himself, "Necromancy..."

<spoiler=Edit>Hmm, I thought that but he would at least still have some neck... Ah well, it makes more sense now anyway.

 

[Slycne]

Spoiler: OCC

"With a shout of frustration, she hacked the falchion into the large man's neck until his blasted head rolled across the cobbles."

He doesn't currently have a head attached to his neck to look at dragon.

 

[Cinnonym]

"Not any specific direction," she muttered as she set the last of the men into a more dignified position, "Just that he left. He looked... Well, he looked like Skaar."

Having a Half-Bound man on their side had been complicated enough. She was reluctant to think of how the tides may turn if they were pit against one. His psychic capabilities, the reek of magic he left in his wake... She joined Ra'ive where he stood and watched Vik'nar as he worked, arms folded tightly at her chest. They were all a bunch of hopefuls, really. Her training had never prepared her to handle something like this.

"Surely Gyia will guide us..."

 

[The Zango]

"I'm not holding my breath" said Ra'ive, letting his hands drift over the many concealed throwing knives dotted around his body, feeling the comfort that having such a weapon handy gave him.

Sure they would not do much against one of those behemoths again, but it was the thought that counted.

Spoiler: OoC

As my title suggests, I'll be 'busy' until Monday, so don't let anything hang up on me and just take control of Ra'ive at your leisure

 

[Dragon_of_red]

Evela scrambled backwards, he wanted to get as far away from that man as possible. He picked himself up and began to run in the opposite direction, ignoring his bodies protests. The village was still partially on fire, but the flames were a way to ignore what he had just seen.

Necromancy shouldn't be done, it should be impossible... the image on the mans neck appeared back in his mind, Wait... That isn't true Necromancy... That's much much worse... he thought, suddenly gripped by fear. He turned around again, but having to quickly jump back, due to the roof collapsing in front of him.

The pile of rubble was still on fire, but he used his magic to quickly quench the flames in front and around him. The pile was still to big to climb over, so he put his hands to the ground, ready to sink it to the ground. As he pressed them against the floor, a sudden rush of energy ran up his forearms, into his body.

He felt muscles twinge and snap, he felt his heart skip a beat, he felt something in his head twinge. He fell to the ground screaming in pain.

As he hit the ground with his entire body, more and more energy coursed trough him, making the pain worsen. He called it in hope that someone was close enough to hear. He was not sure f he even made a noise, the pain had blocked his ears, and he couldn't feel his throat.

<spoiler=OOC>No more awesome magic for me

*sad face*

 

[Jav3lin]

As the fires started to deminish and the burning core was all the remained, Landon suddenly collapsed to his knees.
"W-What's happening... to... me?!"
He grabbed his head and gasped before grinding his teeth and moaning substantially.

But suddenly, he rose to his feet. His eyes were fixed and his face blank and emotionless.
"Tartungen is my Realm now. Do not try to enter it, or your pitiful mortal lives will come to an abrupt end! Consider this your final warning.... stay, back!"

Landon's voice was sharp and grim and very rasp. It didn't sound anything like him.
Suddenly, emotion came rushing to his face and his eyes wandered about.

But as he gathered his surroundings, he quickly grabbed his throat as he started gurgling. His face turned blood red and he started coughing exceptionally whilst praying for the help of his comrades.
He reached his hand out toward Vik'nar, for he was the nearest one.
"C-h....hel! -- hel- me"
Landon fell to his knees, still grasping his throat.

 

[Cinnonym]

Ellondra's falchion swept out from its sheath instantly and the woman was on guard. In a bit of role reversal, she held out an arm, defending the injured Ra'ive by placing him behind herself.

"Sir Landon--" She looked to Vik'nar, uncertain how to proceed.

 

[Jav3lin]

Landon's screams stopped and from his skull came emblazing fire and shot out from his eye sockets and mouth with beautiful and yet destructive beams of fire.

He looked into the skies, the beams burning everything that used to be there.

Landon fell to the ground. His eyes burnt to naught but black embers and he lay on the ground motionless.

Then from out of nowhere, birds began singing and everything was like nothing had happened.

 

[Slycne]

"I swear I'll return this to you once it has completed your quest for revenge."

Vik'nar was clutching Landon's sword as he made his pledge to the corpse. The scene from the last few minutes still repeating in his mind, mixed in with the hazy memories of the man that lay crumpled and scorched on the ground.

---​

The shock of the statement and that his own hands fell to his neck had frozen Vik'nar in place for an instant. Ellondra had looked to him for guidance, but his mind couldn't process what was happening. His body responded before his thoughts though, ignoring the pain, he had cut the distance between them and slide along his knees to be face to face with Landon. The packed dirt and gravel leaving long bloody scraps.

He had been desperately trying to free the vice like hands from Landon's neck, pleading with the man to come to his senses. Even the thought of loping off his hands at the wrist to expel whatever force was doing this entered his mind during the struggle.

Just as he had finally wrestled his hands off his neck, Landon's head exploded in beams of light and fire. It was all Vik'nar could do but scramble back away. And silence feel over as he stared blankly at what remained of the knight. His once proud white plate armor was black and pitted near the collar and his face little more than smoking rune.

Cursing silently, he walked over to the body, positioning him in an honor pose as he had with the militia. The man had no family to speak of to claim the remains, so Vik'nar honored him in the way that seemed most appropriate. He unbuckled the mighty longsword from his belt and strapped it to his back, drawing the blade and letting the warm glow wash over him and the body.

"I swear I'll return this to you..."

He padded back to where Rai've and Ellondra stood. Nodding silently to Rai've and placing a hand on Ellondra's shoulder, he squeezed trying to confer some level of reassurance, but in truth the act was as much for his own nerves. To have someone riped from them so, could any of them be next?

"We should... go." His eyes locked with Ellondra's to see what she was feeling, but his somber tone addressing everyone present, only then noticing that the monk had disappeared.

 

[Cinnonym]

The gentle pressure at her shoulder was a dull reminder, a steady anchor to the reality of the world behind her.

All she saw ahead was the scorched head of Landon crowning his lifeless body, the crude but effective reminder of the power of their enemies. It had not taken even a moment for the man to blink between life and death. Had they not just claimed a victory? And what was it that could cause this? She hadn't the slightest idea. She didn't understand magic. She understood weapons. Physics. Momentum. She understood the strength of steel against wood and bronze and the density of human bone. Fire from empty air and spells that tortured the mind, from a hidden and distant place... For the first time since she left Herelden on this noble errand, Ellondra felt truly powerless.

"...We've stayed too long."

Evela's sharp, pain-filled cry drifted down the cobbles and a shiver traced its way up through her frame from the sole of her boots. Her imagination vividly supplied an image of the sorcerer aflame, hands and arms charred black and blazing...

"There are no mounts here and we cannot take the main road. We leave on foot, and we do it immediately."

 

[Dragon_of_red]

Evela was still in pain, he could barely think straight. He summoned all his remaining energy to drown out the unbearable pain, so he could cast one his lowest level spells. The Ice Barrier, it would separate him from the ground.

As he cast it, ice materialized from his body, forming crystals around him, digging into the ground, stopping the pain that had over whelmed Evela a few moments ago. When he was lying on the ice slab, he breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to stand up, but his legs and arms would not allow it. Using his focused mind, he blocked out all the pain that standing up caused, and marched forward off the ice.

Since he had shoes on, the ground did not effect him again, but he was still cautious. He climbed over the rubble as he slowly made his way back to the group.

He knew he looked like a mess, but he didn't care to much, his mask had broken back there, and his clothes had tore slightly, but he was still alive, and hoped his friends would help. He staggered near the group, holding his stomach, "Hello" he feebly managed to get out, before passing out from the pain on the luckily energy free earth.

 

[The Zango]

Ra'ive stooped down and collected his pipe, when he had witnessed Landon's death, it had been released from his mouth and had slipped from its hole, clattering to the ground and scattering the still burning embers onto the path below.

Aside from this initial display however, he remained composed and disconnected, he would feel it later and he would grieve later, but for now he felt nothing, not even rage or the wish for revenge.

Nothing at all

"There are no mounts here and we cannot take the main road. We leave on foot, and we do it immediately."

"Yes, no more stalling, we must continue"

Without looking back he exited the gates and began to walk a slow pace down the road, the others would catch up eventually but for now it felt better to be alone, it was what he was used to.

 

[Slycne]

What hope do we have against something that can reach out like that? Who's next?

The thought sent threads of emotion spooling this way and that in his mind. Even against Skaar there had been hope that those of strong enough mind could resist. This magic had invaded Landon's mind and in such a powerful way to turn his very body against him. If any of them could be just as swiftly dispatched...

The other question turning in his head though was how to deal with his companions. A very serious realization that it might be best to sever ties and make it easier if someone else got caught up in this was being considered. If he didn't care for these people, then there was just the mission and nothing else.

In a wave of conflicting emotions, Vik'nar grasped out for the closest and most immediate one. Rai've had walked off, Evela was missing and Acento was still up the street with the houses. He was alone in this street with Ellondra and they'd grown no closer to resolving what was going on between them since leaving Herelden. If he was going to die tomorrow, at least it would be with that decided.

He moves to kiss her.

"For luck." He all but stammers out, surprised again at his own directness. "If this takes us tomorrow or even the day after, I don't want to have wondered what if."

 

[lewism247]

Acento came running back as dark noises reached his ears, when he turned the corner he stopped dead. The remains of one of the group lay on the ground near his feet, after a moment it hit him that it was Landon. He stared blankly at the corpse for a while before turning on his heel and heading back up the street. He needed to think.