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A Heart Frozen (Ebonfort)

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Rilana Aurime

Skills
Riding (Horse): 2
Riding (Ram): 1
Flirting: 1
Animal Husbandry: 10
Familiary: 25 (10 is from God Assisted Boost) (6 from close proximity of Rejuvenation of magic)
Socialization: 3
Tactics: 6
Leadership: 11
Wilderness Survival: 3
Intimidation: 2
Observation: 7
Subterfuge: 1
Spelunking: 2
Herbalism: 1
Brewing: 1
Interrogation: 1
Rhetoric: 6
Teaching: 3
Acrobatics: 2
Riding (Gryphon): 5
Weapon (Longbow): 2
Bodybuilding: 2
Weapon: Greatsword: 1
Persuasion: 3
Running: 1

Knowledge:
Treant: Can Appear as a Normal Tree
Treant: Make the Air Stale
Treant: Aggressive Only if Provoked
Leadership: Sacrificing the Foolish to Save the Group
Guilt: Lyle's Death
Familiary: Druids Can Instantly Recognize Effigies
Location: Leandra's Shadaral Tower
Ice Dragons: Are Very Real
Medicine: Dragon Scales Turn Grey When Feverish
Elementals: Cores are Explosive
Null Sword Blade Allowed For Communication with Juloya
Juloya's Pain from Housing Celevar
Witnessing the Ascension of a God
Shadaraliax: God of Ice
The White Raven is an Old Friend of Shadaraliax
Location: Jhrogramir, Village of Ice Giants
Location of Cave of Sighs, Home of Ice Bats
Celevar: The Evil God of the Colors Crimson and Black
The White Raven is Goddess named Ayakari
Juloya is Dead, to Save the World
Jadeyan 31st - The Rejuvenation of Magic, Holiday

Other
Scale of Shadaraliax - Emits a chill but no known other effects.
Ortha's Effigy
Blessing of Shadaraliax - Provides immunity to natural cold, Tundra and Cold Mountains aid in Wilderness Survival. This includes predators bringing meat, herbivores bringing gathered food, avalanches avoiding the Blessed, leaving no tracks in the snow. All of these abilities are passive, and can be deactivated by the Blessed if so desired. The Blessing also includes a 1 time call for aid from the God.
Diary of Leandra Sealta, Vol. 4 - Tome written in Fey, talking of the many magics Leandra learned, as well as revealing the early signs of her madness. Magics learned include Ice Elementalism, Shielding, Aurism, and Reaving
Ihleen's Offer of Druid Training
Long Scar on both sides of abdomen from Kona while in Hare form
Kona - Scar on face and beak
Feather of Ayakari - Unknown effect, can be "activated" by whoever holds it. Global Moderator moderation required for the effect.
Title: Guardian of the Realm
Keep with Farmable Land to Sustain 10 people (100,000 GP Value) - Keep construction will be completed by Crimsia 301.
Nullstone Ring - Allows travel between Nullstones. By tapping the stone against a Nullstone, all activated Nullstones appear in the wearer's mind. This location is vague, often just a general direction and distance from their location, as well as the immediate surroundings of the Nullstone. If focus is directed on one destination, the wearer can walk through the Nullstone and walk out of the destination Nullstone. Has a 10 day recharge time.
Pregnancy, with twins, due sometime in Mauven 301.

Alya Eloen

Skills
Socialization: 2
Riding (Ram): 1
Intimidation: 2
Animal Husbandry: 3
Observation: 7
Spelunking: 2
Music (Flute): 2
Meditation: 2
Songweaving: 17 (8 from Acquiring Note of Ice) (6 from close proximity to Rejuvenation of Magic)
Tactics: 2
Leadership: 1
Medicine: 1
Elementalism (Ice): 8 (6 from close proximity to Rejuvenation of Magic)

Knowledge:
Echo's Commands: 2 finger clicks means 'To me'
Treant: Can Appear as a Normal Tree
Treant: Make the Air Stale
Treant: Aggressive Only if Provoked
Folk Lore: Treants Steal Naughty Children
Lyle: Genuinely Enjoys Combat
Lyle: Certainly Dead
Guilt: Abandoning Lyle
Magic: All Mages Can Mind Speak
White Elf History: Rarely Go Mute as Sign of Greater Purpose
White Elf History: Mute White Elves Often Became Priests
Location: Meditation Enhancing Cavern
Meditation: The Serenity Note
Feywild: Beautiful and Bountiful
Feywild: Cut Off by the Death of Magic
Feywild: Devastated by Black and Crimson Shadow
Feywild: Needs Saved
Mysterious Word: Jaspaiya
My Purpose: Find and Save the Feywild
White Elf History: White Elves Once Again Disappear After Completing Purpose
Location: Leandra's Shadaral Tower
Ice Dragons: Are Very Real
Song Weaving: Note of Ice
Shadaraliax: God of Ice
Location: Jhrogramir, Village of Ice Giants
Location of Cave of Sighs, Home of Ice Bats
Location: Frigmount
Rilana: Able to Magically Store Kona
Celevar: The Evil God of the Colors Crimson and Black
Jadeyan 31st - The Rejuvenation of Magic, Holiday

Other
Ice Elementalism* - Due to acquiring this magic via the Note of Ice, Alya can only use this magic via music making. It can be used simultaneously with Song Weaving, however this drains magic at a much higher rate. Upon reaching Artisan Ice Elementalism, Alya can use this magic without the requirement of music.
Title: Guardian of the Realm
Keep with Farmable Land to Sustain 10 people (100,000 GP Value) - Keep construction will be completed by Crimsia 301.
Nullstone Ring - Allows travel between Nullstones. By tapping the stone against a Nullstone, all activated Nullstones appear in the wearer's mind. This location is vague, often just a general direction and distance from their location, as well as the immediate surroundings of the Nullstone. If focus is directed on one destination, the wearer can walk through the Nullstone and walk out of the destination Nullstone. Has a 10 day recharge time.

Chartrose Treeshredder

Skills

Animal Husbandry: 3
Socialization: 5
Tactics: 1
Spelunking: 1
Wilderness Survival: 2
Observation: 2
Negotiation: 1
Food Preservation: 1
Familiary: 3
Rhetoric: 2
Intimidation: 1
Tactics: 1
Weapon (Chain): 1
Bodybuilding: 1
Weapon (Axe): 1
Leadership: 1
Flirting: 2

Knowledge:
Treant: Can Appear as a Normal Tree
Treant: Make the Air Stale
Treant: Aggressive Only if Provoked
Guilt: Abandoning Lyle
Location: Mysterious White Elf's
Familiary: Druids Can Instantly Recognize Effigies
Frigmount: Never Lost Its Magic
Familiary: Druids Can Instantly Recognize Marks
Familiary: Marks Allow Familiars to Always Be With You
Rilana: Has a Gryphon Mark
Gryphons: Love Being Fawned Over
Location: Leandra's Shadaral Tower
Tricia: Marked Upon His Back
Ice Dragons: Are Very Real
Shadaraliax: God of Ice
Location: Jhrogramir, Village of Ice Giants
Location: Cave of Sighs, Home of Ice Bats
Location: Frigmount
Ezzemara: Former Mate of Gurook

Other
Familiary Mark: Tricia
Becker is no longer able to be teleported to Chartrose by magic, due to Lord Knight Theren.
NPC Companion - Ezzemara: Ice Giantess Shepherd

A Heart Frozen (Ebonfort)

Svarak just smiled at Rilana, his mate, tired and hurting. Even though his stomach wound had been healed by the raven woman, he had plenty of others. He was not looking forward to the trek out of here, they were lost, and all were hurt and exhausted. Then he heard the loud shuffling, the sound he remembered. The moss creature, was swarming into the cavern. All of the exits were covered, and in that moment, he knew them all to be dead, the plant creeping down every wall. He looked to Rilana, to ensure she was the last thing he saw, when there was a deep bellowing. "Oy. Lidia. Back. Stop dat." The moss flinched. It seized up suddenly, and quickly retreated through the cave.

At the top of the cavern, a frost giant's face peered down at them, a male, with a big toothy smile. "'Ello down der. Sorry 'bout Lidia. Sometin make her crazy. She listen to me now. Had me trapped in a cave. Yall need some help?"

Svarak stared in disbelief, before laughing from his entire being, a deep, hearty noise of relief. The frost giant got those that Kona couldn't cart out, ignoring the wriggling and biting of Ortha, making sure to wear chain gloves when handling her carefully. He led them through a tunnel that wound upward for many hours, until it stopped at a flat, clearly carved wall. He touched a stalagmite, and the wall swung outward, opening up into a place all Moon Fey knew. It was the royal family's crypt. "Good luck friends, tanks for helping Lidia." And with that, the giant named Gurook turned and left.

Svarak and Ortha led the way, not sure if the city was still in chaos. They wound through the crypts, seeing the many tombs, including Rilana's ancestor. The crypt led up into the palace. The lavish, beautiful building was eerily empty, many of its niceties torn and strewn about. There were bodies of guards, nobles, civilians every so often, killed in the madness. They made their way to the throne room, massive and grand, with a barricaded set of double doors that many giants could walk through. The throne was tipped, cracked, the banners torn, the rugs bloodied. So much death and destruction. Svarak suggested making camp here, as it still seemed secured. Tents were put up, a fire was lit, and the night passed.

As the sun began to rise, there was a shouting from outside, a voice Rilana recognized. It was Fahlzer. "Anyone alive in there? We can see the smoke. We come with aid. The city is back in our control." Svarak and the homunculus cleared away the barricade and found an entire brigade of guards. Fahlzer smiled when he saw Rilana, "You're alive. You did it. Welcome home!"

Over the next several weeks, the citizens recovered and rebuilt. The Envoy Expedition members were patched up, housed in the finest palace rooms, treated like royalty. Drisceya was suspiciously missing, but everyone figured she'd turn up. Svarak recovered fully, and had put himself to use, helping to rebuild, and every evening, he came home to Rilana. Lady Moira recovered, and though terribly shaken and emotionally upset, she was fine. Finally when everything seemed normal, the queen brought the entire group together, Drisceya showing up, with many incredibly expensive jewels on her person. The queen anointed them all Guardians of the Realm, the highest possible honor in Frigmount. This gave each of them a parcel of land, with a small keep to be built on them, by the city. It also allowed them a seat on the council if they so desired. They were each given a ring, with a piece of the nullstone set as the gem. A massive dinner was hosted, and everyone in the city ate well and was merry.

Birds had been sent south to Ebonfort, to confirm the success of the mission, and to request soldiers and builders to be sent to Leandra's tower. This was Rilana's idea. Frigmount sent its own guards and builders to the tower. There, they divvied up the impressive library between the empires. Then they built a small village around the tower, to serve as a waypoint, a place of rest, that was roughly halfway between Frigmount and Ebonfort, and was named Shadaral, after the dragon they rescued there. Several travelers from both empires sought out this village to settle, others made way for the reformed allies.

Svarak asked the expedition members one day to a dinner, to commemorate their victory, and to honor those they lost. It was at this dinner that he took Rilana off to the side, and asked for her hand in marriage, and telling her that he was retiring from the Knights, to spend his life by her side. As the dinner wound down, and everyone was relaxed, a familiar caw was heard, and the wizened old woman was there with them. She stole a piece of meat from Kona and ate it heartily, skipping out of his reach more nimbly than one might expect of one that appeared so old. Once she finished eating, she spoke, "Juloya was an old friend of mine, and would want you all to have a proper gift." A chuckle and every nullstone ring glowed briefly. "There's more than one nullstone in the world. Just knock on one with that ring to find out." She walked up to Kona and patted his beak, running a finger over his scar, "You're such a pretty bird. Make sure you take care of her little ones," nodding at Rilana.

And with that, the woman was gone.

Drisceya was the first to test the ring. She went down with several of the kingdom's mages and knocked on the stone with her gem. She told them that she could see another stone in her mind, that she could tell that it was to the south. When she focused on it, she was able to step into the nullstone, as Juloya had many years before. But Drisceya disappeared. The mages continued to study the stone, when a tenday later, she returned. She reported that the stone she traveled to was deep beneath the dungeons of Ebonfort, that it seemed to take a tenday to recharge the stone to come back. She could also feel many other nullstones in the world when she was touching it.

Lady Moira disappeared one night, no one sure to where or why, but the same night, the hilt that belonged to Svarak's sword, left by Juloya's feet, was missing too.

Ezzemara took Chartrose up on his offer to travel with him, and suggested they travel with the caravans returning to Ebonfort. By the time Gurook returned, his lover was gone.

Drisceya returned to Ebonfort, announcing Svarak's retirement, at his request, and accepted the promotion to his seat as Lord Knight of the Citadel.

Hinkley was tired of traveling after that journey, and opened a small clinic in Frigmount, to treat the sick and wounded.

The queen announced the day that magic returned to be the Festival of Rejuvenation, and to be celebrated each year, and to mourn those they lost. The event slowly became known around the world as The Rejuvenation of Magic. Every magic user knew that the world was whole again. That it was a magical world once more. That many big changes were coming. But the world had been saved and restored.

A Heart Frozen (Ebonfort)

Ezzemara smiled as she listened to Chartrose, liking the way his voice sounded, and how his face moved as he spoke. "Yes pretty man, they can stay here, or in capital once crazies are gone." She'd noticed he said 'them' and not us, and knew he had no intention of staying. She sighed, and reached for his waist, ignoring the hand on her thigh. She unsnapped the collar, that was locked by pure strength rather than any proper mechanism.

"You no have to stay with me. I just like how you look. You seem nice pretty man. But maybe you leave with friends if come back." Her eyes and smile were sad, but accepting of her choice. "I just tired of being alone. My Gurook... He keeper of cave... he gone. Miss him much. He called Moss Singer, for he make guardian happy. He could have friends out with just a whisper."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Ortha charged to the aid of Alya and Echo, she was joined by the silent stepping Disceya. However, the loss of the balauradon left Torrin alone against the Warden Knight. The skeleton swung its maul heavily at the man, who attempted to parry the surprisingly quick attack with his longsword. It struck with such strength, it knocked the sword from his hands, kicking the pommel up into the bottom of Torrin's jaw. He stumbled backwards in blinding pain, until with a sickening krutzchungk, the maul caved his face into the stone wall behind him. The mace was pulled free with a shlick, as the corpse slid down the wall leaving a trail of blood, brain, and bone fragment.

With Alya backed against the wall, there was no escape for her, hidden behind the snarling Echo and lumbering Homunculus. The two wardens moved in close, stabbing and slashing cautiously, taking the careful approach. Drisceya had no time for such things. The dagger wielding Warden slipped beneath the Homunculus' swinging club, going for a stab in the heart from beneath the arm pit. It fell forward off balance, watching its attack fall away, along with the arm that was severed from its shoulder. Drisceya kicked the blade from the falling hand, sending it back toward her, catching it, and planting it deep into the Warden's skull, scoffing. If Wardens were so weak three hundred years ago, it was no wonder to her why this mage succeeded.

She looked over just in time to watch the weird lizard like creature bowl into the back of the other warden's legs. He stumbled, sinking his spear into the stone, inches from Alya's neck. It dropped from its spear, hitting the stone hard, as Echo lunged at it. Ortha kept it pinned with her weight, as the wolf clamped down the Warden's neck, and jerked his head, snapping it.

It appeared that everyone was safe, except for the injured Svarak in the center of the room. He was barely standing, a sword sticking from his stomach, a slash across his chest, a swelling shoulder would from the mace, blood matting his white and gold fur. He was roaring in pain and fear, his eyes glazing over as he slipped further and further into his feral state. The Lord Knight seemed to chuckle, standing with sword and shield in hand, waiting for his prey to bleed out. The warden that Kona had crashed into was attempting to walk on broken legs, but with no headway, near the injured birdlike creature.

Rilana would be able to feel a response that was similar to a head nod from her raven companion. Her retort to Moira caused the magical red glows to flare up angrily. The null shard formed into an absolutely perfect replica of the raven, in all ways but coloring. The magically possessed woman watched Rilana rush over to Svarak, realizing that she was attempting to stop him from changing. That's when she noticed that most of her minions were dispatched. She raised her hands out in front of herself, a ball of glowing crimson light forming, with a pure black core. It would drain a lot of her energy, but she couldn't fail. As the ball grew dust and small stones around the woman began to float off the ground. Everyone with the slightest magical exposure would feel dread at the growing power.

Svarak was not one of these. The world to him was in a fog, his vision dimming, his mind slipping. He heard his name yelled, by the voice he loved, but it was distant, so far away. It seemed miles and miles away. He heard his name again, a bit closer, but still so distant. As he slipped further in, his sense of smell was much stronger, and he took in her feminine musk. He could smell her beauty, her fear. He could feel her pulse, hear her heart beat. It was hard and rapid. His claws slid out. It would be so easy to end that heart beat, to stop that deafening tone. A quick stab beneath the ribs. The heart would explode, and she'd be dead so quick, her meat wouldn't tense up. Nice and soft.

Then he saw her eyes. Her deep, blue, icy eyes. He could hear her words, but they were just sounds to the feral cat's ears. He saw her tears, could smell them. He could hear her swallowing her pain. He could feel her hands through his fur. But he couldn't look away from those eyes. And when she kissed his snout, his eyes focused, settling on her own. His eyes turned stern, turned mad.

But they showed his intelligence, his calculating mind. He nuzzled his snout against her nose, whispering a quick, "Thank you love, I'll take it from here." He looked over her shoulder in time to see the Lord Knight stalking closer, sword raised, as well as the magical ball that Moira was building. And then a glowing white feather fell between his and Rilana's faces. Moira laughed loudly, her voice reverberating with the power of her possessor, "Die!" The ball formed into a beam and shot out toward the couple. Svarak quickly pulled Rilana tight against his injured body, and turned his back to the blast, moving far too fast to dodge, fully preparing to die, hoping his body was enough to protect the woman he loved.

But death never came. Rilana would be able to see over his powerful arms, as the beam was being held in place by another silvery feather. A dry chuckle came through the room, "Playing with the mortals again Celevar?" The voice was raspy, harsh, much like a crow caw. The raven fluttered into existence, floating down, and in single, fluid motion stepped into existence as a woman. A very old woman. She appeared to be elven by the ears, but her wrinkle skin, crooked nose, and tumbling, messy black hair made it hard to determine of which type. She was wrapped in a simply black dress and shawl, with a knotted staff in hand, many random and shiny object embedded in it. Smiling, she tutted, waving a hand, making the beam disappear entirely. "Didn't you learn last time?"

She looked over at Rilana, smiling, "I do wish I could do more, but us gods should not mettle so much in the affairs of mortals. But I think you'll be just fine. You are a most enjoyable companion, I look forward to your adventures." The feather that fell between the lovers fell upon the sword in Svarak's gut, and it melted away, sealing up the wound behind it, the raven winking at Rilana as it did so. With a seamless transition, she was the bird once more, fluttering off as one last feather fell to the ground, the name Ayakari whispering into Rilana's mind.

Svarak didn't give time for his enemies to regroup, spinning away from Rilana, his mind focused on his task at hand. He slipped beneath the slash of the Lord Knight and with a devastating upper cut, shattered its skull, and simultaneously, ripping the shield and sword from its dying grasp. He threw the sword end over end, and it buried into the final skeleton's skull right next to Kona's head. The shield flew toward where he'd plunged his sword into the ground. It struck the blade and flipped it toward Moira. Svarak was already leaping through the air, catching the greatsword with a single hand. He let loose no roar, no feral scream, as he brought the sword down toward Rilana's old friend and mentor.

She stumbled backward, casting a crimson shield inbetween them, but his icy blade slashed right through, guiding his way. He stopped the blade a hair's breadth from hair face, enough for her ears to grow wide with fear, before he pounded the hilt into her temple, knocking her out, crumpling into a heap before him. He was not about to kill Rilana's friend. He was better than that. He stared at her fallen body, convinced she was down walked up to Juloya. Looking into her closed eyes, "Thank you for helping me find my strength when I was young, for housing this evil. It is time for you to rest dear Juloya, time for this to end."

He cast a single glance back at Rilana, giving her a soft, loving look, to let her know that it was all done. When he turned back, his eyes turned hard, and he thrust his sword forward into the massive null stone. The moment it struck stone, there was a massive, blinding white release of energy. He pushed harder and harder fighting every inch, as pure, raw magic shot out past him. It passed through each person and creature in the cavern, not harming them. Those with magic would feel invigorated, brimming with renewed power. Svarak's fur covered muscles bulged and hardened as he continued to drive the sword deeper into the stone. His feet dug deep grooves into the stone as he pushed with every ounce of his strength, fighting through the pure magical energy.

Finally the tip reached Juloya's sternum, and with a final push, he shoved it through the mage, until only the hilt was left sticking out of the stone. The moment Juloya died, the last of the magical bonds were severed. A bright light burst out, just as it had three centuries before, and passed through the entire world, the entire dimension. And those that had magic now knew that it was back, in its entirety. Within the stone, a crimson shadow spilled out of Juloya's body, but found nowhere to go. It filled the stone momentarily, before it ran out of magic to hold its form, and faded away into nothingness.

Svarak slumped weakly, leaning on the hilt, before snapping it off, and sitting down, back against the stone, looking across the way at Rilana. He smiled, tiredly, "It's done." His arms fell to his sides, too wore out to hold them up, hilt laying across Lady Moira's chest, as a smile crept on his face, a relieved laugh bursting out from the Charr. "It's finally done."

A Heart Frozen (Ebonfort)

The giantess was surprised that her companion was making conversation, and pleasantly so. "No, I get from mountain trader. I give him hides, he give me wine and potatoes. He come once a season. Nice orc, good tusks." When he invited her to sit, she smiled kindly, nodding. She grabbed her plate and sat next to him, the displacement on the mattress sliding him closer to her. She picked at her food, before contentedly sighing, "What your name pretty man? I called Ezzemara."

She ate slowly, "People hard to trust. No one trust giants. Giants trust no one. I trusted that trader. He trusted that Lady Moira. She take him in cave tenday ago. He never leave. If she feed to guardian, guardian go blood crazy. Your friends probably dead. And Gurook not here to fix guardian." She looked down at him, smiling, a bit sadly, "But no matter, you with me now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were only six skeletons remaining, two Lords and four Wardens. After the other two Wardens were killed, two more were broken off the force facing Svarak. One made its way toward Ortha with a large maul in hand. Such a weapon would be able to damage the young balauradon through her juvenile armor. Torrin rushed to Ortha's side, slashing with his sword, and dodging the attacks that would break his arm if he tried to block with his shield. He tried to circle around the warden, to put it between him and Ortha, but it kept retreating to prevent such a flank.

Another Warden was coming toward Alya and Echo, spear out in front of it. It moved past its frozen companion, before cracking it with the metal butt of the spear. The ice fell away, and the two of them moved closer. The Homunculus medic, big, fat, and bulky moved in front of the songweaver, large wooden club raised. The spear wielder stabbed at him, while the previously frozen daggers wielder moved toward Echo.

The Warden that had been moving toward Drisceya lay in a heap as she moved past over it, every joint having been severed. It was still alive, but unable to move. With a smirk, she picked up the skull, which was attempting to bite at her, with no success. She slipped it into her bag, before moving over toward Alya to help them in their fight.

Svarak was beginning to hear less and less and notice less and less, as he slipped toward going primal. With the two Lords and two Wardens facing him, he knew it would be difficult. But all Charr could go primal in times of desperation. And during that time, the best of them were unstoppable. But once it is done, they are little more than a wild animal. They never return to society, to being a person. His senses were nearing their peak when a massive bird crashed into one of the Lords. The skeleton was thrown bodily, but not before getting a shallow slash across the top of Kona's skull and down his beak. It wasn't fatal, but would hurt fiercely, the blood obscuring his vision, and would scar.

But then Svarak began sniffing at the air, recognizing a scent he knew. One he knew well. One he loved. It was Rilana's scent. He'd realized he'd forgotten about her for this mission. That he hadn't considered her in his actions. But the change had already been started, and he could feel himself, his last regret being that he wasn't saying goodbye to the woman he loved.

There was nothing but silence after Rilana attempted to speak to Juloya. It did seem there was nothing but a corpse within the stone. But when she touched the stone, she could feel just a tiny bit of her magic drain away, and the woman's eyes shot open. Nothing else moved as she stared through the crystal into Rilana's eyes. Through her mind, "You need to stop his change. It was his plan all along to make it happen. He needs something more powerful to hold onto than his desire to complete the mission. He needs you. If he changes, he won't kill me."

Rilana could feel a sudden drain in the other woman's magic, and her own was now brimming with extra power. The null stone in her pocket floated out into the air, shifting, changing, suddenly malleable like water. Rilana knew this was a one time piece of magic, that it could be used to turn the stone into an effigy and summon anyone or any creature to this time. The word catalyst came to mind. Memories were pulled from the back of her mind by Juloya's magic, an image of the dragon, of Ortha's mother, of the white raven, of the many ferocious creatures Rilana had met during her travels.

Svarak continued to slip into his feral state as roars bellowed from his maw. He was faster now, running on all fours beneath the slash of a sword, crashing into one of the remaining wardens. He reached through the gap in the armor, grabbed its spine, and snapped it, tossing the skeleton away. But the Lord Knight moved in close, matching his speed with two swords. Svarak moved in for a swipe, only to be knocked away by the flat of a blade, the other carving a crimson slash into his chest. Svarak stepped back, to reassess the fight, when the final remaining Warden threw his mace, and it crashed into Svarak's shoulder. He spun forward from the blow, into the waiting swords of the Lord. In a fleeting moment, remembering his trainings, he reached over his shoulder and grabbed the handle of the mace, ripping it from his flesh, and swinging it down hard. It collided with the sword, driving it into the stone, snapping it. Svarak kept his momentum going forward knocking the lord off balance, before hammering blow after blow into its skull.

He let loose a massive roar of victory, the pain in his body hurrying the primal state. He stood up and stumbled. He hadn't noticed the sword that was now sticking through his lower abdomen and out his back. He dropped his mace, reached down to pull it free, when suddenly, an animal panic began creeping in. Too much pain. Need to run. His mind was nearly lost.

Lady Moira turned with her crimson eyes, having sensed Rilana's magic. "You dare to fight me still, Juloya? You know I am the stronger one here." Her voice reverberating with magical power. "You've lost this day. Your prized pet there is gone. Just watch as I tear the fabric of this world apart, starting with each and every single one of your little minions. Maybe I'll make this one here my bride. She seems lovely enough." At those words, Rilana could feel an upwelling of emotion that wasn't hers, within herself. It wasn't anger. It was pity. Juloya's pity. Just as Moira had some of the dark mage within her, she now had some of Juloya.

A Heart Frozen (Ebonfort)

Svarak stalked toward the many skeletons, sword relaxed in his massive grip, down and at his side, but readied. Lady Moira's glowing eyes fell on him, her voice radiating both her own, and another voice from within, "I can't say I'm surprised you've arrived. But more surprising is you brought friends. Do you not remember what happened last time? They all died. And they are yearning for you to join them. I promise you one thing Svarak. Everyone with you will die."

She turned away from the warrior, focusing her interest on the woman before her, trapped in the Null Stone. The skeleton that Ortha was biting stopped his advancement toward Svarak, turning down to look at the large creature. The skeleton was wearing most of his original armor, though seemed to be missing his greaves. His chestplate and chainmail were in place, a squire pin encrusted there, as well as the battle axe he held in a single hand, now raised. Red eyes glowing, he swung the axe down at Ortha. It struck her in the thick bony plates on her back, and was lodged there. There was no blood, no crushing damage. The creature would feel the pressure from the blow, but it simply didn't have the edge nor strength to chop through her armor. The skeleton tried to pull both its leg and weapon free, but was failing to do either.

The remainder of the skeletal force, number eight in all, were advancing on Svarak. They spread out, clearly maintaining their combat tactics from their previous lives. These were the strongest warriors at the height of war and magic. There were two gold sashes and six green sashes. The split off into two groups, one Lord Knight with three Warden Knights each. The first group moved around the front of Svarak, while the other circled around, trying to get between him and his companions. It seemed clear that Svarak's weakness was other people.

But Svarak wasn't going to open his friends up to attack so easily. It seemed that they merely wanted to isolate him. Fine. He could live with that. He rushed toward the group in front of him, the stone floor cracked from the force with which he pushed off. His sword started to swing up, to cleave through the first skeleton, wielding a longsword and shield. His speed was much faster than that of the skeleton's.

His sword was stopped midswing, another skeleton between them, having moved faster than Svarak could react. His massive sword was stopped by a pair of crossed kris daggers. The other warden stepped around the dagger wielder and thrust quickly with his sword. Svarak skipped back, but not before receiving a deep gouge in his left bicep. He looked over his shoulder, realizing his attacking having been stopped allowed him to be surrounded. His strength had made him reckless.

As the skeletons advanced, he slammed his sword into the ground, lodging it there. He drew his knuckle weapons and threw them on the ground, removing his armor. The skeletons slowed, confused by his actions. He stood there, in just his plain clothes garb, his muscles flexing as he lowered his stance. His claws gleaned in the low light, as he snarled loudly. The look in his eyes was one of a cornered beast, a very dangerous one. One of the Wardens moved forward with a spear tentatively jabbing out, just to distract Svarak as those behind him moved closer. The Charr grabbed the spear, and the skeleton found himself pulled from his feet and stumbling forward. Svarak was already moving in closer. He gripped the creature's upper arm, and readily removed it from his body. His massive jaws gripped down on the creature's skull and crushed it instantly. He kicked the corpse backwards into its companions that easily sidestepped it.

Torrin rushed forward his sword and shield drawn, and slashed at one of the wardens nearest to him. The creature blocked the blow with its own mace, turning and advancing on the knight. It was clear that any interruption to their attacks on Svarak would cause them to turn on their latest attackers.

Rilana would hear Juloya's voice in her unconscious state. She would feel rejuvenation spreading through her body. "It is time to wake up. Only you can ensure that he completes his task and survives. He needs you." There was more than enough space in this cavern for Kona to fly, for Rilana to pick any of the creatures at her disposal to fight as.

Alya would know, that if she continue to focus on the Note of Ice, even with variations from her own magic, that she could create and control some ice. It almost seemed like an inherent knowledge. And the magic had a name. Elementalism.

Drisceya had already managed to disappear as only the drow seemed able to do. As more of the skeletons approached Svarak from all sides, now staying cautiously out of reach, striking at him and pulling back, hoping to tire him out. Skeletons didn't ever tire. As one of them swung a sword at Svarak's front, the one with the kris daggers moved to stab him in the kidneys. But the attack faltered, as two well placed throwing knives had lodged themselves in the joints of the skeleton's knees, rendering it unable to move them. Drisceya smiled from her shadowy vantage point as the skeleton reached down and pulled them free, turning toward her, leaving Svarak in a five versus one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lusty giantess had ignored the foreigner's words. She didn't claim him for his tongue. She watched as the man summoned a dog of his, snorted derisively at this. Such a small pup, and used as a tool and not a companion or family member. Clearly a small minded man. A note dropped off of Becker before he was sent away.

Chartrose,

This is Captain Theren. We've received reports of your magical dog, and this is the last time he will return to you by magic. Do not worry, he will not be brought to any harm, we are taking good care of him and studying this magic, as I'm sure you know, it is rare. If you wish for him back, you can find me in the capital. Your room was given away by the innkeeper to a customer that actually showed up. I hope to hear from you soon.

Captain Theren of Coldsteel Company, Ruby Regiment, Citadel Batallion

The giantess got bored and decided she wanted to collect from her new friend earlier than she said. She strode out into the yard, looking down at him, "Come pretty man. You look hungry." She unhooked the chain from the post, and walked back toward her cottage, dragging Chartrose with ease regardless if he resisted or not. She tossed him bodily on her bed, fixing his chain to a rafter. There was plenty of meat and potatoes on the table and she handed him a plate. "Eat. You need your strength. When done, I join you in bed." She sat atop her massive chair, just watching him, as she began to eat her own food.

[Ebonfort] The Ash Peak

It was not any better. Where her breasts had teased at his back earlier, now her ass teased at his groin. Why did she have to have such ample curves, and no issue tossing them about? This dry spell wasn't going to last. He listened to the many noises from the jungle to distract himself from the cushion of her body. He would pick out a specific call, in this case, some sort of monkey creature. He'd eaten a couple on the way up from the desert last time, not super tasty, but easy to hunt. Too smart for their own good. He focused on it, tuning out the other sounds, so as to distinguish it better. This was an old hunting trick. He could hear the monkeys talking to each other. They spoke a good deal more than other creatures he'd noticed. And it wasn't just mating calls. They coordinated group efforts, had sentries, socialized.

Raffey didn't notice that his hands that had sat at his sides had crept onto the tops of Drache's thighs, as if to hold on better. This was anything but the case, for he'd ridden Dibney enough that he could hold on his with just his legs in her saddle. As the giant beetle dozed a path through the jungle, Raffey's eyes always kept a watchful eye out. Several times snakes had dropped down on him and giant jungle cats considered ambushing him.

His hands rubbing up and down the lengths of her thighs absentmindedly, "So, Drrrrrrraackuh, wha' t'ings will ya show meh?" He had to admit the abundance of natural noise, and smell, and water, and color here was much more appealing than the days and days and days of nothing but grass of the Kerawac. And seeing mountain of fire would be nice too. He found himself wondering if it would boil up and erupt, as his hands slid down to the insides of her thighs. "Ees ih more ho' ihn Peeresya, ihn dah moun'ain, dan ou' he'e?"

[Ebonfort] The Ash Peak

Raffey enjoyed the rather easy travels that came as they headed southward. The winds were cold, but his curvaceous companion, usually pressed against his back atop Dibney, helped keep him quite warm. He could still see the sadness in her eyes, hear it in her voice, not only from losing one she called a friend, but leaving the others behind. He knew she was behind a wall now. And walls were meant to protect one's self. So he didn't push. For he was behind his own too, still blaming his weakness for the death of Kraven.

He could feel whenever she was considering turning to temptation and fleeing. In this regard she was much like a sand hare, nonchalant and then suddenly ready to bolt. Everytime she did, he'd place a hand on her thick thigh, or point out something in the distance. They both knew Coria would only make things worse, not better for the dragoness. Gods could never be trusted, new or old. Even with his injured leg, hunting in Kerawac was fairly easy for the seasoned veteran, especially with the age of a fiery dragon. He was more than happy to avoid the distraction of running into other Kvaren at her behest.

He remembered them talking about their homes, and her asking about his language. He wasn't the greatest of teacher, but he was fairly certain she just preferred hearing his native Auric over his butchered Common. "My home is one of the biggest secrets of the Auric deserts, one we guard very closely. My people are the masters of the desert. Our numbers are small, our money low, our weaponry not advanced. But we are the only ones that truly live with the desert rather than simply in it. Many armies have attempted to find and invade our city only to turn back or disappear entirely. Even when I take you there, it will be near impossible for you to find again on your own. Our secrecy, our bond with her sands is what protects us. We are the desert, and she is our mother." He chuckled before the next bit, "I hope my desert form doesn't startle you too much." He spoke slowly in his native tongue, then followed suit every few words in Common, for he didn't know any other way to teach it.

He learned a few words in Draconic, finding the language much more pleasant than Common. He learned about her magic, the places she'd been. She was a wanderer just as he was, as many of his kind were. But he had a home to go back to. She had a haven, but not a home. It sounded so lonely. At least she wasn't alone now.

He enjoyed their nights together, usually him cooking something they'd hunted, working on his weapons, or cleaning Dibney. They shared a bedroll out of warmth and comfort, but he suspected they both needed the company. She was quite soft to hold onto, and he often felt stirrings in his loins that he kept within himself. Her sadness didn't seem to want it, even as his yearning grew. Twice he'd woken in the middle of the night, tempted to just roll her over and take what he wanted, knowing she'd enjoy it as much as he. It didn't help that every morning he woke with something firm between them.

And this morning had been no different. He didn't know what it was, but feeling her thick breasts against his back felt more teasing than normal. He could see that it the plains were giving way to jungle and that they'd have to slow down. Dibney could still travel through foliage, for her strength and armor knocked over most trees easily, but it was still slower. He reached back, a hand on her outer thigh, a bit higher than normal, "Mus' be close nah, yah? Yah readeh? Why dun we tra' place. Dibneh will do jus' fine." This was partially because she'd need to do more finessed navigating, but also because Raffey needed to fight off this yearning within him. And her breasts against him did not make that any easier. He slowed Dibney to a stop, to make the transition easier.

The Calm Before the Storm (Ebonfort)

Svarak could see her nervousness but could not read her mind. What decision was she mulling over that was so difficult? This mystery, this lack of knowing was new to him, both worrying and exciting. He felt like he was back in his youth. And this time, it seemed, the woman of his eye actually seemed to want him too. For she didn't see the child that Juloya had. She saw the man. He smiled toward her, his food now finished, his stomach content.

But he wanted more.

And tonight was such a calm, relaxing night, probably the last they'd have for a while, no matter how well this mission went. His eyes turned hungry, cast on her, before bursting into a laugh at the woman's sudden outburst toward her Balauradon. He laughed heartily at this, wondering what caused it. The blush that filled Rilana's cheeks made it seem that it was about him. He watched her rigid nervousness return, listening to her struggled words, knowing the difficulty of saying how one truly felt. And then she said it, and Svarak could only hear his heart in his ears.

He felt her hand on his arm, and he covered it with his own, his face in thin smile, his eyes on hers. He stood, pulling her up with him, eyes never breaking off hers. His were hungry, not simply for lust, but for connecting with someone that meant something to him. Standing fully, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her against her body, staring down at her like a predator, his smile growing. "Then let us live, and discover this love, together."

He then bent down, and pressed his mouth to hers hungrily, pulling her body firm against his, as he kissed her. He poured his heart, his soul, his newfound lust into this kiss, letting it linger for so long, his hand firm on her lower back. And eventually, it broke, and he looked down at her smiling, before taking her hand in his, and walking past her, pulling her along, not toward his tent, but rather, away from the camp. He felt so young again, taking the hand of this maiden, this woman, this possible future of his, and leading her into the snow filled woods.

His eyes scanned the way, as he trudged uphill, passing through the branches, the dead foliage, saying nothing, but a jovial beat in his footstep, the moon watching down as their only voyeur tonight. Eventually the broke through a treeline, and they found themselves atop a cliff, with a single snow covered, boulder, flat and long before them. Here, the moon shone on them fully, and their camp was nothing but a distant memory. He pulled her in front of him, and picked her up, sitting her on the stone, letting her sit at such a height that they looked directly across at each other. He looked up at the moon and smiled, knowing that this would be a truly magical night.

[Ebonfort] Days of Grass and Dust

Verissa could see in his shoulders, in his posture, that Asher was as uncomfortable with the idea of her sharing his sleeping space as she was. But it was clear that he acquiesced, if only out of practicality. He asked her to wait a bit, and she would oblige, for she needed to build up her courage as well. She watched him leave, feeling more confident that sleeping would be the only thing happening tonight. She began finishing the cleaning he'd started, washing out the dishes, giving the leftovers to the pups. She sat down on the floor, rubbing their heads, watching their cute little butts and tails wag happily. When they finished, they waited patiently, looking at her. She smiled and nodded, and they hopped into her lap, licking at her face and neck as she rubbed and hugged them. "I love you two. We'll always be family, always take care of each other. Let's get to bed."

She stood up, feeling butterflies pounding around inside her stomach. She gulped heavily, taking step after slow step toward Asher's area. She slipped in, seeing Asher shirtless against the wall, covered by furs. A slight flush filled her cheeks, for even with his bandages, even with her trepidation, she couldn't help but admire his scar covered, strong body. And this made her butterflies flap even stronger. She moved over to her side, and turned to face away from him. She reached down and slipped out of her boots, stretching her toes, wincing at the soreness in her thighs and back. Standing up fully, she looked over her shoulder at him, hoping he'd look away, as she slipped her dress off her shoulders, letting it fall in a heap on the floor, leaving her in the thinnest of slips.

Stepping out of the pile, Verissa crouched picking up her things and making a nice neat pile in the corner. She then sat upon the sleeping space, her back to Asher, as she scooted in far enough to be comfortable, but not close enough to touch him. She stayed on her side, as she pulled the blanket over her, finding it surprising just how much warmer the blankets of the Kvaren were compared to those back in Ebonfort. Her pups came over, Remus settling in next to her as always, with Remilia between her and the door. Everything was set. As her most spoken phrase in Kvaren, she whispered, "Thank you, Asher."

And with that, she laid there, listening to him breathe, the strong, powerful sounds. She was waiting, waiting until she was convinced that he was asleep, before she fully relaxed, to drift off on her own. She didn't remember when it happened, but eventually, the darkness took over, and Verissa slipped into a more comfortable sleep than the night before.

A Heart Frozen (Ebonfort)

Drisceya's body slammed hard into the soft body of the massive creature before her, feeling her dagger bite deep into it. It's flesh was spongy and her blade cut through easily. Too easily. She immediately began sliding down the creature's body, leaving a massive gash in her wake. The creature roared in pain, a loud, screeching wail, that drove all of the bats from the cave. Eventually Drisceya crashed into the lower, squishy body of the giant worm like being. She could already feel her weariness from blood loss. She gathered her feet beneath her, and looked around quickly as she put her back to the wall. It was squishy, almost furry. She noticed it was moss, that moved when she touched it. She ripped a piece of it and slapped it against her stub, hoping it would help somewhat, and wasn't poisonous. She heard little scuffles around, and saw many little worm grubs eating at the moss, as the mother thrashed about. If it kept it up, it could collapse the whole cavern, and she saw no immediate way out.

"Fuck it."

She slashed at the thin membrane of the mother creature revealing layer and layer of soft tissue. She slashed and slashed in vindictive fury, carving her way through, cursing it for taking her arm, cursing her for being dumb enough to let it. Eventually she felt the creature stop moving and her dagger katinged off something hard. It struck her curiosity, since the creature seemed to have no bones, aside from the teeth above. She carved it out, and found a perfectly smooth sphere, that appeared to be glass, with a deep blue center. It was cold and she turned to step out of the creature's corpse, when she felt the body shifting downward. The moment she pulled it free, is the exact moment the heart beat that Alya could hear topped.

What she didn't know was the that lower part of the creature was buried into a tunnel it had dug. And now that it was dead, it began to slip down through it. Drisceya felt herself slipping through gore and muck, downward, until she found herself excreted through what seemed to be a natural hole at the bottom of a creature, sliding down a perfectly smooth tunnel at too steep of an angle to stop. It spilled her out atop a frozen lake, sending her sprawling.

Svarak and the other knights needed no coaxing. They immediately took off after Alya and Rilana, and now Kona. Svarak watched Rilana change, thinking that perhaps she was taking the riddle far too literally. What use could a rabbit possibly provide in a cave system? If he weren't too busy with not dying, he might find the sight of a rabbit atop a griffin hilarious. They ran and ran, the moss creature chasing them, filling the cavern, until Svarak saw their death ahead. It was a cavern with no exits. The group spilled into it, as his eyes quickly flitted around. He drew his sword and whirled on the moss, slashing and cutting at it, keeping the tendrils at bay for a moment, simply keeping it from entering the tunnel. The use of the tunnel made this simpler, but he was being pushed back. The moss lashed out at him, and he dodge back and to the side, when he saw it.

He chopped the tendril down, seeing the small tunnel, a foot wide at best and far too deep to see the end. "Rilana, the burrow!" He doubted that the tunnel was literally for hares, but a hare would fit just fine. He just hoped that she didn't have to die.

The burrow was only three meters deep, but any that entered would feel the magical shield that they passed through to enter it. Once inside entire, they'd notice that there was no air in here, no light, no scents, absolutely nothing. It appeared to be a complete void. It wouldn't take long for them to pass out. And that was the trigger. The shield fell, letting air enter, and triggering the magical safeguard. Another shield came up, a protective bubble around most of the cavern, severing tendrils from the moss creature. Berran was left outside of the shield, and knew what that meant. He pressed a hand to the shield, looking at Torrin, and in that moment, when they saw Torrin's wet eyes looking back, that the two men were lovers. Berran was quickly consumed by the moss and was gone. The moss crept over the entirety of the shield, but could not break through. The floor, began to melt. It had seemed like stone before, but was actually a mix of ice and earth. Soon it formed into a steep sliding tunnel, much like Drisceya's. And the group, in its entirety, save Berran, slid and slid through the darkness, until they too were deposited on the lake of ice, shortly after Drisceya had been.

Ortha had attempted to lead Lady Moira away, the woman grasped the critter's tail. And in a tone that only one who'd lived their entire life raising animals could muster, "No. The guardian will kill you. Just wait." She spasmed in pain lightly, a crimson flash flaring in her eyes momentarily. The moss that had obscured her little cove moved in with them, but not in a menacing way. It moved toward lady Moira, caressing her cheek, her eyes a swirl of black and crimson now. The moss picked her, and the other two creature up gently. It then dug its way through the stony floor, carrying them along. It broke through easily, finding yet another tunnel, following this one for a good ways. It dumped the three into a cavern with a massive crystal in it, and inside of it, a woman most beautiful. Above them, a sea of ice, so thick, they couldn't see through. Any attempt to contact Ortha or Echo by means of mindspeak would be met with silence. They were completely cut off.

The null stone gave off a pale blue light, giving the entire cavern a look of being underwater. There were skeletons here, still in their armor, from the last battle here, three hundred years ago. Lady Moira smiled, "Good. I got here first."

She waved her hands, and black crimson swirls of magic flowed out into the skeletons. The corpses stood in their armor, their joints and eyes glowing with the same magic from the woman. Rilana had known Lady Moira long enough to know that Necromancy was not a skill of hers. The woman chuckled, a hint of a man's voice in her own, "Kill Svarak. The rest are trash." The skeletons armed themselves, swinging their weapons, testing out their range. Lady Moira moved to the Null Stone, and placed her hand against it. "I'll be free soon. I'm impressed you contained me for so long."

Above her, atop the frozen lake, Drisceya was surprised to see her companions dumped out unceremoniously in front of her. She felt a tickling in her arm, as the moss dug into her wound. She tried to rip it out, gasping in pain, but to no avail. She dropped the sphere which rolled toward Alya. Then suddenly, she could move the arm that was lost and the pain was gone. Looking down, her arm was back, albeit made of the moss substance. Her eyes were wide at this foreign parasite. She tested it, it moved just as easily as her actual arm. In the center of the sea, there was a perfectly sized indentation for the sphere. Around the edges of the room, the only exits were various sliding tunnels that they'd arrived in.

If the orb was placed in the ice, it would begin to turn more and more blue, until it matched the ice it was upon. Once it did, Alya would be able to hear that same Note of Ice she'd heard in the tower. The orb matched the ice, and seemed to be awaiting instructions. She would know that if she tried, she could match that note. And if she did, the group would find themselves moving through the ice as if it were as simple as walking. In addition to that, they could see everything below, without being seen. Svarak saw the skeletons, saw the red colored light, saw the null stone, and readied himself for battle. He stepped down into the ice, "It is time to finish this." In this moment, he was a man of a singular purpose. And with that, he was the first to leap out of the bottom of the icy sea, toward the many skeletons of former comrades.