Kandoo shakes his head in agreement. He wasn't in need of immediate rest, but recognized it was time to collect their thoughts and reorganize. Plus, on his heart he knew Neith had a message for him, and he wanted to pray for his far away goddess.
"Okay, this time no one touches anything!" Titaia told them as she offered them a smirk.
"While I'm not interested in the sword and someone else may be, I have a bad feeling pulling it out of the skeleton might do something bad. "
"Wow!" The fawn looked in awe of the scene before him as he entered the large chamber.
The cleric steps gently to get a closer look at the dragon skeleton. Feeling the eyes of his party members upon him, Cantion assures, "I'm just going to look with my eyes."
When Cantion gets close enough, he casts detect magic on the sword.
"Well, if it's safe, I can take it. I'm really the only weapon user here."
"Not to fast, paladin!" Cantion looked embarrassed and confused by his sudden outburst.
That was strange. I'm not a fighter, by any means, but some reason, I really want to claim this sword. Might I be under some enchantment?!
The fawn, looking sheepish , replies to the paladin, "I'm sorry, Marcus. I don't know what came over me."
Cantion relays the results of his detect magic spell to the others.
"Okay", the fawn said plainly. "No-touchy the sword. Got it."
Titaia, who had gone about setting up the pavilion she had gotten for the group, looked over and called "If any of you touch that sword I will remove the part of you that allows yourself to be called a man." With that she finished setting everything up and turned back to them. "There is enough room in the tent for everyone, we'll just likely have to double up on sides. This shouldn't be too much of a problem. Also do we wish to set a watch still?" She asked.
"Yes", spoke Cantion. "And I'll take first watch".
Looking around the chamber, the fawn mused, "You know, there no way to tell if it's night or day down here anyway. Let's get as much rest as we can before heading out."
"I can take midwatch since I don't have to get spells ready."
Very well. - says the Samsaran, agreeing - Please wake me up for the last watch.
He completes with a smile, getting ready to rest.
"There we are, all watches covered." Titaia said with a solid nod. "Wake me up when you all wish to move out or I shall awaken you all should I rise first." She told them as she got her blankets and bedroll all set up.she folded up her robes and set them aside before she currled up under the blanket.
"OK, getting some sleep. Wake me up when it's my turn. " and he unrolls his bedroll and gets into it.
Sitting outside the tent, Cantion looks around the chamber, keeping guard. With his eyes eventually resting on the skeletal dragon, the fawn asks the draconic remains, "So. Know any good jokes?"
The fawn, in shock, falls off the rock he was using as a seat.
Looking around, trying to get his wits back, Cantion calms down and begins his dialogue.
Hello. For to whom am I speaking?
|
"Well, if you must know, I'm the sword stuck in the Dragon's head." it says sarcastically. "and you are indeed under the right impression that removing me will be bad, glad at least someone is smart enough to see that..." if you look apon the blade, there is no visible signs of change. "based on you and your party's attire, attitude, and mythic power I'm assuming your an adventure party?sent on a quest by whatever gods you happen to worship in your area? How cliche. Now, only if it wasnt by the gods... Hmm.. like being sent by a wombat... And also, I'm not real, you passed out From excessive drinking and I'm simply a figment of your drunk God's mind, now that would be interesting wouldn't it?"
Ah! A fellow philosopher! That makes sense consider your inherent inanimateness, Cantion mentally projecting sass for sass. May I please know your name, great telepathically-talking magic sword? And what circumstances brought you to this fate?
|
|
The sword chuckles telepathically. "It's a long story, and you wouldn't understand. I will give you this, I am Cerik, and I wasn't always this sword. I was once a man... But anyways, long ago I was sent on a quest, similar to how your on a quest it seems, when my party was attacked by this Dracolich, the one I am thrust in. I gave my life to hold her back and let my party excape, and in that final battle I drove my blade into her skull. For my feat of greatness my God let me live eternally inside the sword... Some days though I view it more as a curse. After all, if my God wanted me to do this, then why leave me here on this world to rust. Could my blade not hold the monster at Bay without me?... Sometimes I don't thing the gods exist... I know they don't... Well, mine at least, I'm sure your gods are completely different than mine..."
Cantion smiled. Well, Cerik. My name is Cantion. I'm a cleric of the god Bacchus, God of Wine. If you don't mind, I could use some help on guard duty. We could pass the time by swapping stories, if you like.
Titaia awoke to hear Cantion speaking, even though she heard no other. She slipped out from her bedding and made her way to the Fawn. "Who are you talking to Cantion?" She questioned as she rubbed the inner corners of her eyes with her left hand.
Since he was not woken up, Patroclus will sleep through the night and wake up in the morning to hear Tatia's question.
"Did someone come to call?"
Titaia awoke to hear Cantion speaking, even though she heard no other. She slipped out from her bedding and made her way to the Fawn. "Who are you talking to Cantion?" She questioned as she rubbed the inner corners of her eyes with her left hand.
"Oh! Sorry, Titaia", apologized Cantion. "I didn't realize I was was thinking too loud. I was talking to Cerik. He's a spirit trapped with the sword in the dragon's skull. You can go back to sleep if you want. Everything's okay out here."
Titaia opened her mouth to say something, stopped and pinched herself. Then nodded and said. "The sword is talking to you? By... thinking? Cantion are you drunk?"
Shaking his head slightly, the fawn responds, "Telepathic communication. And no, I'm not even floaty."
She blinked a few time before nodding and giving a shrug. "Well I shall admit that is a new one." She told him as she came to sit at his side. "How long has it been?"
Cantion showed some surprise as the amazon sat next to him.
What I tell ya, Cerik! She can't get enough of me!
Making sure the fawn understood the question, Cantion sought clarification and asked, "Do you mean since I've been drunk, or since I communicated with Cerik?"
"Meant since we feel asleep." Titaia answered as she leaned foreword a bit. "So... the swords name is Cerik?"
"I don't know. Time has no meaning down here."
"This is a fair and valid point. So, if the sword speaks to you... what is it saying?" She asked. "And please don't tell me it wants you to remove it from the dragon skull."
|
|
on the contrary, time moves much slower down here, you have only slept for minutes what felt like hours. One can research their lifetime and have a millennium of time still left for them. says the blade clearly to all those awake. hmm..seems your after the Minotaur then? Your close to your goal, it passes through here every few years...
Ignoring Titaia, Cantions asks, What does the minotaur look like? What kind of weapons does it carry? Does it look like it has a weakness?
"By the Gods! It really does speak..." Titaia said with a gasp. "Alright Cantion, I know when to admit I'm wrong." She said with a slight smirk. "It passes through here you say? When did it last do that?"
|
|
Well, about... Yesterday if I believe. But given the time difference it would in your perception be a month at the least,
you are rather close to the space it lives, a large antechamber and a whole section of maze around it... Just a warning for you: watch your back. It can appear at any time in any place when you enter it's domain...
"Good to know", says Cantion, looking to Titaia knowingly.
"Well well, it seems we're closer then we thought." Titaia said as she smirked at Cantion. "We'll nee to be extra perceptive when we move in. If it can vanish and reappear then we need to be extra careful."
"Might as well be going since we're all ready right? "
Cantion lets out a huge yawn. "As soon as I complete my daily devotion to Bacchus, I'll be ready to go."
Kandoo looked at the others, a little confused as he woke up, but didn't say anything - instead, he organized his belongings and shook his head.
Ready to push whenever you are. - said the Samsaran, after quickly praying in silence.
Patroclus waits for the Faun to finish with his devotions and they activates the twine ball once more to find the minotaur.
After Cantion's devotionals, the blearly-eyed faunm walks right up to the dragon skull, where Cerik, the heroic magic sword, stands guard over the massive skeleton.
Mentally communicating once more, Cantion says his goodbyes.
I'm so sorry we can't take you with us, my friend. For what's it work, I will cherish the time we spent, and keep it in my heart until ther gods pass judgement over my soul.
The cleric then takes off his backpack to retrieve his gallon of wine, and gently pours some of it's contents over the sword's blade and handle.
Cheers, mate. One for the road.
|
|
Cerik sighs same... Farewell
As you continue down through the labrynth the walls Begin to look ancient, older than even the oldest buildings on the surface. But they show the standard architecture of the Greek. Bones begin littering the floors.
The sound of Shuffling can be heard ahead, you notice the tunnels here have been made large enough to accommodate a wagon at least...
"I get the impression that something large lives here. Minotaurs are rather large. "
"We are at the heart then... or close enough that things need to be larger for it." Titaia said as she looked around at the bones. "Though I do believe that yes, we are here."
"May the Gods be with us", spoke Cantion, quarterstaff at the ready. "Good luck to us all. For what's it worth, I 'm pleased to have met you all."
Titaia laughed slightly and gave the Fawn a smile. "Do not speak as if we're about to die. That would only make it certain, no you still have a lot of drinking left ahead of you Cantion."