He finishes mounting the swordfish behind the counter.
The man in question is a large, burly, grim-faced man, dressed in studded leather armour, with a short-sword at his belt and accompanied by a couple of men in robes covered with arcane sigils.
You want it, sign up for the contest like everyone else, he growls.
A series of bouts in an arena cloaked with antimagic, so it's a trial of pure speed, brute strength, and skill at arms, and not who has the fanciest items or most wonderful spell-casting friend.
Last man or woman standing gets the prize.
"Then I guess I should sign up, shouldn't I? It's been a while, but this is gonna be so much fun!" Lk moves to the sign up booth and signs his name "Shango Wildson". He waits calmly for his match, stretching and watching the other contestants with blank eyes, learning how they fight with and without wounds.
"It would be nice if the world wasn't always in need of saving," she agrees with a laugh. "Or at least if there weren't so many people trying to kill us in between the world needing saving."
She starts to untangle two spools of fishing line that have gotten twisted together.
"And what would you do with your time if you didn't have to be fighting all the time?" she asks, curious.
"I'd probably still be looking for trouble. Trying to help people out who need it or can't help themselves. Dalesfolk can't leave well enough alone - we have to keep trying to make the world a better place," he says with a wink.
"Though I wouldn't mind getting back to the simple joys of honest work and good tilled earth - I miss that sometimes. Ah well - that's not the exciting, glamorous life that most ladies want to hear about, now is it?"
He starts spooling some rigging line.
"I'd probably still be looking for trouble. Trying to help people out who need it or can't help themselves. Dalesfolk can't leave well enough alone - we have to keep trying to make the world a better place," he says with a wink.
"Though I wouldn't mind getting back to the simple joys of honest work and good tilled earth - I miss that sometimes. Ah well - that's not the exciting, glamorous life that most ladies want to hear about, now is it?"
He starts spooling some rigging line.
"I'm not most ladies. And I've had more than enough of the so-called glamorous life," she says. She looks sad and distracted. She shrugs. "No point rehashing the past. It's over and done."
"I have to admit that farming is something I don't know the first thing about."
"I'd probably still be looking for trouble. Trying to help people out who need it or can't help themselves. Dalesfolk can't leave well enough alone - we have to keep trying to make the world a better place," he says with a wink.
"Though I wouldn't mind getting back to the simple joys of honest work and good tilled earth - I miss that sometimes. Ah well - that's not the exciting, glamorous life that most ladies want to hear about, now is it?"
He starts spooling some rigging line.
"I'm not most ladies. And I've had more than enough of the so-called glamorous life," she says. She looks sad and distracted. She shrugs. "No point rehashing the past. It's over and done."
"I have to admit that farming is something I don't know the first thing about."
He goes over and puts an arm around her.
"I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories, love. I'm sorry.""Getting back to the other subject, I also have a vinyard that I'm told is doing very well. Maybe that would be more entertaining? I didn't know if I would get the hang of it, but it's actually pretty interesting. Especially when you start mixing human and elven know-how on the subject..."
He stops when he realizes both of them are looking at him funny.
"Right - too much information. But we're almost done cleaning - look on the bright side!" he says with a grin.
He goes over and puts an arm around her.
"I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories, love. I'm sorry.""Getting back to the other subject, I also have a vinyard that I'm told is doing very well. Maybe that would be more entertaining? I didn't know if I would get the hang of it, but it's actually pretty interesting. Especially when you start mixing human and elven know-how on the subject..."
He stops when he realizes both of them are looking at him funny.
"Right - too much information. But we're almost done cleaning - look on the bright side!" he says with a grin.
She laughs. "Yes we are," she says looking around the shop, surprised at how much work they've gotten done in such a short time.
"I guess you'll have to tell me all about the fascinating subject of grapes some other time," she adds with an impish grin.
"Especially when you start mixing human and elven know-how on the subject..."
She laughs. "Yes we are," she says looking around the shop, surprised at how much work they've gotten done in such a short time.
"I guess you'll have to tell me all about the fascinating subject of grapes some other time," she adds with an impish grin.
"Hmmm - I'm feeling a 'field trip' in our near future," he says as he grins back mischeviously.
They proceed to finish up the cleanup, in brighter spirits then when they arrived. :)
After a stop for more candy, the group arrives at the arena and find seats in the stands. Arielle is not at all sure why Grandpa insists on sitting in front of her. It makes it aggravatingly difficult to see what is going on.
In between the fights, there are a variety of entertainments. The group currently 'playing' in the Arena, whilst the sand is swept, and bits of broken armour and weapons disposed of by rust-monster handlers, are a group of acrobats wth musical accompaniment from two dwarves playing a series of war-gongs and musically tuned anvils.
"That tune is wrong," Arielle whispers, distressed."It has notes of destruction in it. That is very bad. Mommy doesn't like it." She points to her bag, and there does seem to be a low, angry humming coming from it.
The goblin and his companion reach Azuri'th's party, and the goblin makes a sweeping bow.
Yames Boornd, the goblin introduces himself. And the lovely lady who is my companion is a reformed erinyes, Tangessa.
You would be Azuri'ith, right? he addresses te elemental.
"Yes, I am Azuri'ith," the elemental rumbles. He looks at the woman suspiciously. "Greetings, Yames Boornd. Miss Tangessa."
|
Roll up, roll up. Last chance to sign up for the day.
A messenger moves around the streets with a proclamation, announcing the closing of the 'lists' for the tournament.
In the meantime, Little Kiba is scheduled for a group of five, with a Hill Giant, a half-fiend warlord from somewhere or other, a kobold barbarian, and a man dressed in grey who seems to specialise in knife fighting and who has dozens of knives.
The bout which has just ended was won by a man calling himself 'The Dragon' who lurked in the shadowy side of the arena, and brutally bludgeoned to the ground with strokes from his two-handed sword anyone who came within reach with a series of deftly placed blows.
I work for the Eighth Runelord, who had removed himself and most of his people to the Realms of Dream to try and avoid trouble, the goblin continues, but there was recently an unpleasant incident involving a dragon who wanted some souvenirs a goblin had collected a number of years before in the desert near the Oasis of Still Water.
As far as the Runelord can determine the souvenirs in question have something to do with your family, and I am making one last attempt to find out what is going on, before the Runelord starts authorising assassinations.
The last time anything like this occured it involved a plot by a hobgoblin wizard to blow up a couple of small islands so that he could collect a plague formula that he hoped would give him cpntrol of several countries, so the Runelord is endeavouring to remain open-minded despite the extreme aggravation that said dragon visit has resulted in.
"Hmmmm. Would these souvenirs be small star-shaped gems perhaps? Does this goblin still have them? Or did the dragon take them? They are indeed very important to us. We need to collect all of them. It is very important."
"Hmmmm. Would these souvenirs be small star-shaped gems perhaps? Does this goblin still have them? Or did the dragon take them? They are indeed very important to us. We need to collect all of them. It is very important."The goblin who originally collected them is long dead - several hundred years have passed in the Realms of Dream, and goblins, alas, are not that long-lived. His descendents do not have them any longer either. It was a small but quite ferocious and powerful dragon.
You haven't denied yet that this dragon was working for you.
"I would have thought that it would be obvious. No, the dragon is not working for us. I do not even know which dragon it was. Thus far I know of at least two that have chosen to interfere for whatever their reasons might be. Several hundred years you say? This could have some...interesting repurcussions. So the dragon has them? Yes, that would explain why they were moving earlier."
So if the dragon wasn't working for you, then why exactly was it looking for these items?, the goblin's companion, Tangessa pipes up. You must have some idea, surely?
"Personal greed? Who can really understand the motives of dragons? They are unique items, and there have been many who tried to acquire them. It is essential that they do not fall into the wrong hands."
Meanwhile, Arielle has a sense of a horrible twisted evil that is suddenly in the bazaar and drawing close to the Arena.
"Daddy, there is something really, really bad coming. It's heading right for here." She looks frightened, and there is a definite smell of ozone around her.
Over on the far side of the Arena, a seeming half-elven woman in a brightly coloured spider-silk dress fit for a princess takes her place in the stands, flanked by a couple of nymph guards in mithril shirts and adamantine helms.
Besides the presence of approaching corruption, Arielle has the sense of another star now in the Bazaar (and indeed in this very location).
Over on the far side of the Arena, a seeming half-elven woman in a silk dress fit for a princess takes her place in the stands, flanked by a couple of nymph guards in mithril shirts and adamantine helms.
Besides the presence of approaching corruption, Arielle has the sense of another star in the Bazaar (and indeed in this very Arena) now.
"Daddy, that woman over there," she says, pointing, "I've seen her before here at the bazaar. She has one of the shinies. I asked her for it before, but she said to come back and ask her again after I had all the other pieces. And there's still something bad coming."
JH tries not to overreact to Arielle's warning, or at least let it show. In his mind he begins hammering fervently at the cracks in the wall with his fists. His knocks are answered in kind from the other side of the barrier. He stops for a moment, then changes tactics. Picturing his hammer within his fist, he begins using that to break down the wall.
Thru the cracks he feels the buffet of wind attacks and now can hear roars that accompany the echoing attacks.
The only outward sign of this battle can be seen in his eyes and in his determined expression.
Arielle watches the woman carefully, but does not seem to be concerned about her. She is paying more attention to how close the evil thing is. Tiny snaps of lightning occasionally appear around her.
Azuri'ith looks concerned. Well, as much as you can tell. It can be hard to read the expressions of an air elemental at times. He speaks into the communication crystal.
"Devlyn, Allura, there is trouble headed for the arena. Something Arielle describes as really, really bad. Be careful and get here as soon as you can."
Arielle watches the woman carefully, but does not seem to be concerned about her. She is paying more attention to how close the evil thing is. Tiny snaps of lightning occasionally appear around her.
JH holds Arielle's hand, trying to sooth her. The contact inadvertantly increases the power with which JH smashes the barrier within his mind. The wall of stone is breached, and over it leaps Leo with Aquila flying thru the gap. The wall begins collapsing within itself. A sea of green space, full of life but yet calm, covers all aspects of JH's mind sight.
A sigh escapes JH.
Arielle does relax a little. At least the lightning stops for a bit, but she looks as if it could start again at any second. Those few who had been seated near their group suddenly decide that it would be much safer to sit somewhere else and move away rapidly.
Still holding Arielle's hand, JH reaches thru the Green to LJ's mind.
[thru the Green] "My dearest, I can feel once again. Our friends helped clear the way, and have returned to me."
"Can you sense our daughter thru me? She's a feisty little thing. Wonder where she got that from?"
Still holding Arielle's hand, JH reaches thru the Green to LJ's mind.
[thru the Green] "My dearest, I can feel once again. Our friends helped clear the way, and have returned to me."
"Can you sense our daughter thru me? She's a feisty little thing. Wonder where she got that from?"
"I am so glad, my love. It is much easier to reach you now. Let me see..."
She seems to be having some difficulty reaching beyond him, but the bracers on Arielle's arms glow slightly for a moment and then she is able to sense Arielle."Arielle! I love you so much. My brave little girl. Stay close to Daddy and to Grandpa, okay? You're doing so very well. Hopefully I will be back with you soon."
Her thoughts draw back to JH. "She has your temper." She sounds amused, but also very emotional. "I can just see her through your eyes. She's so beautiful. Thank you so much for helping me find our daughter in the Green. It's so hard to wait to be able to hug her, but it means so much just to be able to see her for myself. Take care, my love. Whatever is coming has Arielle badly spooked. There's a good chance that it's the dragon I was warned about."
Arielle smiles, and the scent of ozone fades a bit.
"Mommy talked to me," she cheerfully announces.
Lk pulls a small axe from within his cloak, and from the corner of his eyes he begins to watch Mr. Knives and the half-fiend. He can probaly run up the hill giant to jump at the half-fiend and use his axe to disable it's wings. He calmly waits for the match to start, holding his axe like this whole thing is just boring. He begins to search the crowd for any who watch him, and when he notices JH and the others, he pointedly looks away.
Arielle smiles, and the scent of ozone fades a bit.
"Mommy talked to me," she cheerfully announces.
"See? We're making progress."
JH smiles, for a multitude of reasons. He looks to see if the 'grand prize' is out on display for the contestants to be inspired by.
The kobold comes charging in Little Kiba's direction, and the man with the knives after casting an assessing eye over the situation begins to circle around the edge of the combat area, making for Little Kiba and the kobold, whilst keeping a wary eye on the giant.
Lk waits till the last second to dodge the kobold's attack, then punches the unbalanced combatant hard in the head. Lk quickly looks around and begins moving to throw off the giants aim, keeping an eye on the others in the ring.
Azuri'ith looks concerned. Well, as much as you can tell. It can be hard to read the expressions of an air elemental at times. He speaks into the communication crystal.
"Devlyn, Allura, there is trouble headed for the arena. Something Arielle describes as really, really bad. Be careful and get here as soon as you can."
Devlyn, Allura and Pete are finishing up when Azuri'ith's message comes in.
"Alright, Azuri'ith. We're on our way now."
He looks over at Pete. "We need to get to the arena for some important business, it seems. Are you going to be alright here?"
Pete looks around. "Looks like the mess is pretty well cleaned up. Can't say as I'm likely to have too many other folks walking through my doors today. Sure hope those fellers forget the address. Don't you worry none about me. I'll be fine."