Subject: [PORC] Oblivion At Last Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 19:39:44 -0600 From: "Sherrian" To: "dagrfall@ods.com" >> Through it, a great lake, the Lake of Dreams, could be seen, though there was no sign of Zerith. Tenaka and Balefire shared a worried look before Tenaka whispered his old adage of "Dovie'andi >se tovya sagain" to the Warmage, drew his great Daedric Dai-katana and leapt through the Window. The rest of the >group began to follow him through. >> "Yay!" cheered Skudge." "'Bout damned time!" Balefire grinned in >spite of himself. > >Unnoticed to the heroes, two young people, geared for adventure, slipped through the window after the group. Balefire passed through the Window, followed by Kriella. Skudge and Rathine brought up the rear. The two strangers followed, just as the window began to close. The heroes stared around them in some amazement, and the >younger pair were completely awestruck. > >> The Lake of Dreams was roughly oblong in shape. Its blue-green waters reflected a cloudless, lavender streaked dusky blue sky. Flowers, many rarely seen by mortal eyes, grew about the Lake, along with lakeside >reeds and a nasty looking thorny tangle of weeds. >> "Nasty weeds," Skudge noted. >> Kriella nodded. They didn't look at all pleasant. Moving closer, she noticed that they were covered with blood. >>Fearing the worst, she looked to her companions, starting at the two strange additions, but too worried to deal with them at the moment. "I pray we are not too late, but this blood has me worried." > Tenaka nodded. "There are many dangerous creatures here, not all of them Daedra. If Zerith encountered one of >>them, I fear for his life." >> "Ho, comrades! Look at this!" Balefire pointed to a huge lump lying in the reeds nearby. He grinned wolfishly. "If this is the work of Zerith, then we have naught to fear." >> The heroes looked where Balefire pointed with his claymore. Tenaka's brows rose. Kriella simply stared in >>amazement. Rathine rubbed his chin, as if reconsidering the mortal who held Nyx's heart. Of the newcomers, the male Elf had unblinking eyes locked upon the corpse, while the female had hid her head in his shoulder. Skudge >jabbed at the thing with his spear. >> "Big ugly beast! Yuck!" >> It was big, and certainly ugly. It looked like some demented wizards interpretation of a common pond frog. In life, it >>probably stood at least fifteen feet high. One of the long tentacles sprouting where its legs should have been was >>shattered off. The reason was clear-the beast had been coated in frost. Its toothy maw gaped open, revealing that its >>tongue had likewise been destroyed. >> Kriella moved closer to it fascinated and repulsed. As she did, she noticed a long, jagged wound in the creature's >>mouth that had no doubt proved fatal to it. "Whoever did this is someone to be reckoned with. I can only hope they are a friend." >> "That would depend on you and your friends, my lady." >> The voice caught everyone's attention. Spells came to mind for everyone as they turned to face the speaker. >> At first, they saw nothing but the reeds, waving in the light breeze Then the reds seemed almost to undulate and >>shimmer as a mannish form stepped out from them. The chameleon spell faded away to reveal a dark elf clad in ebony armor wielding an ebony saber. His dark blue eyes regarded them solemnly at first, but as he recognized Kriella, he grinned. "My name is Zerith," he told the heroes. "I do believe you were expecting me." >> Balefire nodded. "Aye, we were. And I wager you anticipated our arrival even more." His crimson eyes slid to the >>ruined beast. "Did you do this, Zerith?" When the mage scholar nodded, Balefire grinned wickedly. "You may have missed your calling, my friend." He turned to his comrades. "We do well to have this one on our side." Balefire then turned to the two newcomers, his gaze narrowing. "And who, exactly, would you two be?" Balefire asked >gruffly. Betrayal stepped forward, returning Balefire's gaze evenly, his hands shaking slightly. "My name is Torval, Torval Jantor. I am known as Betrayal, however. I am a sworn guardian of the lady Alyssa. We, followed your party through the portal, seeking adventure." Betrayal finished, then looked away, unable to >meet the scarred Warmage's intense gaze. > "And you, Lady Alyssa, what of your reasons for coming to this desolate clime?" Balefire said, turning his attentions away from the shaking Betrayal. Alyssa faired much better under his gaze, drawing herself up to her full height, and speaking in a calm, slightly regal tone. > "I am an experienced adventurer" she said confidently. Balefire studied her figure, noting the lack of travel muscles, and the dress, unsuited to adventuring of any sort, and snorted his amusement. > "Mayhap in the depths of parchements, of the like which Master Alduin crafts, Lady Alyssa." Balefire said, a trace of scorn in his voice. >"She's right." Betrayal stated with a sigh, drawing between Balefire and Alyssa. "She is an adventurer. Just not of this world." Betrayal then outlined the excursion to Seven Kingdoms, skipping to the parts he thought important, such as the trip to the fire falls, where the link between Sovere and Tamriel was broken, "Leaving us as we are now." Betrayal finished. > Balefire looked back at Alyssa, who looked at the ground and blushed. "Tenaka, brother, is there any way you can open a Window to deposit these two children back at the Porcupine?" Balefire asked, turning to look at >Tenaka, who shrugged. > "I tried when you first began talking to them. Something, or someone, is blocking my ability to open Windows.." Tenaka said uneasily. Zerith rubbed his pointed chin, pondering all of this. "Well, we can't return you. And we can't leave you here." He scowled. "I only hope you don't get killed, or, gods forbid, something happens to Nyx." Both young people looked chastened. Zerith sighed, then smiled gently. "Nyxalinth is my ki'raith, my beloved. My name is Zerith. Nyx is being held prisoner by Emerald Vex, a daedra count." "But whay would he do that?" Alyssa asked. Then it dawned on her. "Oh." She blushed. "I fear so. And we are going to get her out of here." He indicated Balefire with a nod. "This is Balefire. His twin is named Tenaka, the lady is his wife, Kriella." Making love is like football, you can't always score, but when you do, it makes it all worth while -- Chef, South Park ---------------------------- Shadow Walkers Realm http://www.ownz.net mailto://sherrian@pagan.net PGP Public Key Fingerprint: F032 5CDF 3691 EF4F 70CE 1DAA 316A 8C2C