"They will always be with you, and so will I to remind you of the difference."
"They are not all with me. Only some. Only those who's deaths I have watched. Most are like like Lanik. I could not save his life, and I was not there to save him in death. I had to leave him behind, like I had to leave so many behind, and now he is trapped there underground like my people were trapped in the city."
There is surprisingly little bitterness in his voice. Only a simple, heartbreaking resignation. To him, death is not death unless it happens elsewhere. If it happens close enough, death simply adds another voice to the chorus.
He stands and glances around to the others with slight embarrassment, glad that his outburst is not the center of their attention.
"I can feel them calling me, you know." he says absently, still holding her hand. "The dead have a difficult time with loving, but jealousy is as natural to them as anything. The children especially. They call to me like they are outside playing and I am inside doing chores. They want me to join them. I think... if you were not inside with me, I would have a much harder time telling them no." He smiles slightly, as if he means it as a joke. "I think, eventually, they might stop taking no for an answer"
"And then it will be you that is haunted. he says wanly. He wipes his eyes and turns to look into hers, deep concern on his face.
"You should be careful when speaking of always, Ilona. I would not let you go even if it meant the salvation of the world, but I am not blind enough to ignore the fact that letting me go would be one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. Your love for me is my unexpected salvation. Mine for you is a slow, terrible curse."
+1
Sorok eyes the ground momentarily attempting to discern what occured. Then nods at Gilians suggestion.
"Aye good call lass, let's get movin."
"And then it will be you that is haunted. he says wanly. He wipes his eyes and turns to look into hers, deep concern on his face."You should be careful when speaking of always, Ilona. I would not let you go even if it meant the salvation of the world, but I am not blind enough to ignore the fact that letting me go would be one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. Your love for me is my unexpected salvation. Mine for you is a slow, terrible curse."
Ilona tilts her head slightly, a mannerism he has grown accustomed to. Delicate eyebrow arched, a grin on her lips the amusement on her face is belied by the fierce expression in her eyes.
Her posture, her body langauage at once open and prepared, as if completely at home while preparing to leap into the face of a roaring dragon.
"Y'know,I stopped listening to people who thought they knew what was best for me a long time ago. This world is full of darkness and pain and crap, and I'm done settling for letting fate or anything else tell me that this is how it is.
Our lives are what we make them, and I'll stand agaianst anything that would do otherwise. I've defied Izrador, do you really think death scares me hon? Besides, heven't you figured out that the more dangerous something is the more it appeals to me?"
She winks, followed by a look that tells him that sshe has heard and understood all that he has said, and all that he hasn't.
She looks over to the others as they prepare and cracks her neck,
"We've got work to do"
"We've got work to do"
Ragnar nods and breathes deep. "The children will have to wait another day. The chores. They are never done."
With that his spear drifts to him and he shoulders his pack, ready to follow the lead of the group.
Pebble follows Chops, 5 feet into the ground and concentrates on sensing any movement on the ground.
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Felina, on silent instructions from Solvistania, trails the group about 15' back, making sure the group is not being trailed or followed.
"Pebble. Go tell the others to get quiet. I am going to sneak forward and ambush these goons. Anang, you with me?"
Anang moves up as quietly as possible to crouch next to Chops, looking out through the bushes at the men in the clearing ahead of them. He leans over and whispers in the dworg's ear. "I reckon I could circle round and then we come at them from both sides. Less chance of one of them escaping and warning any friends they have in the area. What d'you think?"
Pebble moves back to the others and emerges right by Gilian:
"The big toothy one has seen something. Both him and the scaled elf say you must be quiet and they will ambush the others"
"Good, we'll get ready. Wait a minute, I'll cast a spell on you. Then go back to Chops in case they need some help."
1d20+14
Anang moves up as quietly as possible to crouch next to Chops, looking out through the bushes at the men in the clearing ahead of them. He leans over and whispers in the dworg's ear. "I reckon I could circle round and then we come at them from both sides. Less chance of one of them escaping and warning any friends they have in the area. What d'you think?"
"Yes. I'll attack with a scream to alert the others from this side and you take them from the other. "
Loud shouting can be heard from somewhere. And the sounds of beating. Going around the bushes, you can now see some parts of the camp. Several men are tied down, Erenlanders obviously, and one of them is taking savage beating from couple of soldiers. "Lick my boots, peasant!"
With a rustle, Chops charges out of the brush, strait at the soldier who yelled "Lick my boots." With a primal scream, he leaps with a front snap kick to the soldier's chin. "Lick this you evil piece of s&*%!"
Solvistania quietly murmers an incantation, and a shimmering field engulfs both Felina and herself.
Hearing Chops move Anang bursts from cover, sprinting at the suddenly turned back of the nearest soldier, aiming a pair of slashes at their conveniently exposed spine.
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1d20+14
Anang moves up as quietly as possible to crouch next to Chops, looking out through the bushes at the men in the clearing ahead of them. He leans over and whispers in the dworg's ear. "I reckon I could circle round and then we come at them from both sides. Less chance of one of them escaping and warning any friends they have in the area. What d'you think?""Yes. I'll attack with a scream to alert the others from this side and you take them from the other. "
Loud shouting can be heard from somewhere. And the sounds of beating. Going around the bushes, you can now see some parts of the camp. Several men are tied down, Erenlanders obviously, and one of them is taking savage beating from couple of soldiers. "Lick my boots, peasant!"With a rustle, Chops charges out of the brush, strait at the soldier who yelled "Lick my boots." With a primal scream, he leaps with a front snap kick to the soldier's chin. "Lick this you evil piece of s*&*!"
Chops jumps out of the bushes and hits one of the soldiers in the chest, but the man just steps back, lightly injured, and shouts: "Alert! Those bastards are here! They are trying to free the prisoners! Kill the captives!"
Chops jumps out of the bushes and hits one of the soldiers in the chest, but the man just steps back, lightly injured, and shouts: "Alert! Those bastards are here! They are trying to free the prisoners! Kill the captives!"
As the Soldier yells Sorok hefts Umbra in his hands and begins to sprint towards the fight.
"So much fer bein quiet."
Hearing a ferocious battle cry, Duncan lifts his head a bit, and spits blood onto the guard's boots, saying "Never, you filthy bastard!"
He lifts himself off the ground as much as the chains allow him, and turns on his back just in time to see a massive dark skinned figure kick the guard.
"Damn this bloody collar,"he mutters to himself.
Chops takes notice that the nearby prisoner fighting his chains seems like some kind of warrior. He draws his Hope and raises it high, bring it hard down onto the prisoner's chain.
Then he turns to the guard he kicked in the chest and head butts him. Feeling a burst of animal energy he had never experienced before, he succumbs to a new urge and then bites at the neck exposed from his reeling head.
.
While the muscular warrior is swinging his weapon to strike the chain, Duncan gives him a grateful look, and for a second, the stranger can notice his deep blue eyes, framed with a bit overgrown dark hair. His face, despite being covered with dirt and blood, in some strange way appears noble, both gentle and strong at the same time,inspiring confidence. Though he heard the other soldiers calling for death of all prisoners, there is no hint of panic or fear in his face, just determination, and it is obvious to the stranger that his body is a body of a warrior, used to handling weapons, and not of a simple peasant.
But, for some reason, he doesn't appear to be trying to fight, he is just sitting up on his haunches. While the stranger is turning to head butt the soldier, Duncan's cracked and bloody lips form the words,"Collar. Must get the damned collar off."
Gilian follows Sorok as fast as she can towards the camp.
Right behind the prisonner, two hands raise from the ground and reach for his throat.
Pebble raises and grab the collar with both his hands and try to wrench it open.
With a quick glance at Ragnar Ilona breaks into a run, assured that he is right alongside her. Requiem clears the scabbard on her back as she runs towards the sounds of combat and chaos.
As she explodes through the clearing, the sarcosan death deaaler brings her blade to bear on one of the guards, the man barely having time to register the figure of unearthly vengance thatseeks to end his life.
Solvistania moves quickly after the advancing warriors, drawing her bow as she moves. She slows up, and allows the others to engage the prison guards. Overhearing talk of a beast in the area, she nocks an arrow, and issues a silent command to Felina, "Locate this beast the guards are releasing".
Felina acknowledges the command, "Yes, Mistress." She then moves off into the underbrush.
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Chops takes notice that the nearby prisoner fighting his chains seems like some kind of warrior. He draws his Hope and raises it high, bring it hard down onto the prisoner's chain.
Then he turns to the guard he kicked in the chest and head butts him. Feeling a burst of animal energy he had never experienced before, he succumbs to a new urge and then bites at the neck exposed from his reeling head.
.
Before the sadistic soldier managed to do anything more except drawing his blade, Chops grabbed him and tore his throat out with his newly elongated tusks. Torrent of blood showered the dworg, making the front of his body as red as Solvi's eyes.
Ragnar moves with Ilona as the violence erupts. Upon seeing the captives his eyes flare with rage.
"Brother, take the archers. I will handle their phalanx."
Already running as it coalesces from smoke and blue-white fire, the skeletal horror that was once Eyvindr sprints on nimble bones to the closest bowman. Unlike other times Ragnar's dead brother has been returned to battle at his call, this time the skeleton seems just a bit more like what he was in lfe, the shroud of shadows around the bones making a more defined siluhete of the proud dorn's long thick hair, broad shoulders and even armed with shadowy,spectral arms and armor. As he reaches one of the hapless bowmen, the skeleton's shadowy blade strikes down.
Seeing his Sepi bounce harmlessly off the soldiers armour Anang hisses in frustration and reverses the blades in his hands drives their heavy pointed ends at the soldier's exposed neck.
Solvistania will hold her fire, until a high profile target presents itself, either the beast referred to earlier, or a spellcaster/leader of some sort.
The chain broke under the axe and the Erenlader is now free, with the exception of iron collar around his neck.
After dropping the soldier, Chops turns to the newly freed prisoner, points and says, "Run back to the petite brunette and that hot, white haired elf. If anyone can get that collar off, they can!" He then turns and surveys the battlefield for a new target.