Darkened Dreams (Skryx & Morris)

[Morris]

The young man was floating in an edifice of light. It was a most curious experience - all his life, he was told that luminiousness and the warmth it brings are good and welcoming things. But as far as he was concerned in this very moment, they were not. To succumb to this edifice of light, this searing, blinding, malevolent sensation, was a torture. Within this light, he heard discordant tunes, and beheld strange, vague shapes which quivered with disgust around him. Beyond these numerous sources of whiteness, dissolving into a singular eye-watering orb, existed all he renounced. He felt mocked, ridiculed, antagonized, like all he was and shall be was laid bare before some lidless celestial eye. Time itself was a washed away concept; there was only this torment, and a deepening anger born of desperation, and the indifference that damned him to this brightly lit inferno.


Suddenly, after nobody knows how long, whatever kept him afloat ceased, and whatever lay below the foundations of the edifice instituted its claim upon him; and he was plunged into the dark. Despite the horrific trauma of the first moments, he could cast a glimpse beside him, finding, at last, a comforting sight: SHE was beside him. And content in that knowledge, he let the fall continue, into the unknown abyss below...

---
​

Raegan Scales-Seeker, Paladin of the most holy order of Dawn Heralds, awakened unpleasantly, gasping for air, breathing heavily. Good thing he took off his armor before laying to sleep, else he might very well have suffocated. It would have certainly been a most ironic end to his marvelous career. He wiped the sweat from his brow as the gentle breeze circling around the grassy field cooled him down. Ultimately, he let out a relieved sigh. - "Ye heavens, what a nightmare." - he reached for his messy shoulderlength hair, tying it up in a knot. All he took was but a short nap, yet it felt like some evil imp danced atop his lungs whilst he wasn't looking.


Ah well. He's not going to let a case of bad sleep ruin one of his few off-duty days, which were few and far between. Spring was upon the land, the fertile field he claimed as his bedspot was flowering, as was the tree he was resting under. Mayhaps it was the pollination that disturbed him? Perhaps.


Gazing about, he rubbed the sleepyness out of his eyes and shook his head free of the lingering confusion. He stood up, stretching his tired arms, looking at the nearby countryside inn where he rented a room. Some say places like this, a faraway, scarcely populated rural landscape was not a place meant for heroes, but he begged to differ. It was the only spot where one could truly relax, enjoy the peaceful things in life. Children ran about, whilst shepherds drove the cattle out to graze. Raegan smiled. This peace is what all true warriors strive for. And sometimes, magicians, too. Speaking of which...


He walked around the aged mulberry tree, to inspect a certain someone on the other side. - "Still reading your book, Lady Silthsun?" - he inquired, mildly amused. - "It must be an interesting book indeed. The sun was higher when I laid myself to rest, and here you are, hours later, still invested."


@Skryx

 

[Skryx]

It was hard to breathe. White flashes streaked across her vision, so blindingly bright it hurt. There was a dreadful cacophony of sound, with a shrill, piercing note that grew ever louder and ever higher until it was all she could hear. Abruptly, the flashes of white stopped, and darkness settled over her like a blanket. She could see nothing, feel no ground beneath her feet nor air against her skin. The distressing sound was gone, but the sudden silence made her feel even more afraid. She still couldn't breathe, but no matter how she tried, no air filled her desperate lungs. It was as if she had no lungs to draw breath in the first place. Then she was moving, as if something was dragging her. Up or down, left or right, she had no idea. Confusion. Fear. She flailed, kicking out with her legs, trying to grasp vacuum with her fingers, but she could not tell if they moved or not as she felt her mind tumble gracelessly through the void. Blind, deaf, numb.


She struggled, still. Struggled to move limbs she wasn't sure she had, tried to breathe air into lungs that she wasn't sure existed. Did she even exist? The urge to breathe was overwhelming. Mindless, raw, panic. 


Breathe. Breathe,breathe,breathe,breathebreathebreathebrea- But she couldn't. And she gave up. Gave in. Onward she tumbled. Deeper and deeper. Sinking...

~~~~~~~~~~~
​

Lady Silthsun, the Skybreaker. blinked. How vivid, she mused, running a slender finger delicately down the soft pages of her book. It was an old one, this book, a relic taken from the underground depths of the Archives. She had read countless books, both ancient and new, and so it wasn't surprising when she came across one with memories imbibed in its pages. Magic books, especially those that had borne the passage of time, had the tendency to retain strong memories and emotions from their surroundings. And those inscribed with and detailing particularly strong magics preserved those of their writers. Still, she had yet to come across a book with such powerful memories. Turning to the front, she found the name all but faded away, apart from a vague selection of letters. Alice Carter. She wondered what the author had gone through to experience feelings such as this. Either way, it mattered not. Whoever it was was long gone, like the many other magicians whose half visible names were etched on ancient tomes. 


The gentle spring breeze teased her long hair over her face, shaking the boughs of the tree she sat beneath and shifting the patterns of dappled sunlight across the pages. She tucked the wayward strands behind her ear, looking up from her book. Around her, the world was alive. The wind played out over the lush fields, bending the grass in ripples and patterns around the rolling hills. Patches of flowers bloomed in vibrant colours, dotted across the green canvas and she could hear the sound of running water carried to her. She didn't particularly have a favourite season, but the atmosphere of spring in the air drew a faint smile to her face. As a magician she was very much in tuned with her surroundings, and the spirited calm of spring lifted her own mood. Shifting in her position leaning against the tree trunk with her legs gracefully bent and tucked close to her, she had just returned to her gaze to her book when she heard someone speak. 


Smiling even wider now, Silthsun looked up at the man who had rounded the tree. "Yes, it is a particularly captivating read, my dear Raegan Scales-Seeker," she told him, a light teasing lilt to her voice as she closed her book. "The ideas written here are...thought provoking. If a little morbid. I'll spare you the finer details though, you just woke up. I'd hate to put you back to sleep," the amusement was clear in her voice as she teased him once more. Looking away from the paladin to the fields laid out before her, her gaze rested on a group of children chasing each other happily with delighted cries, a small dog barking and getting under their feet, tail wagging constantly. "Speaking of which, how was your rest? It's not often you have time to while away however you like, is it?"  


@Morris

 

[Morris]

Raegan massaged the back of his head with the thumb of his left hand. - "Well, let it be said my efforts in pursuit of scholarly studies pale in contrast to my martial practices." - he confessed a bit sheepishly. - "Not that I don't value the knowledge within tomes, but all to often, I caught myself thinking that even the purest testaments of faith and the sciences devolve to drivel if I think too hard about the details." - he walked off a small distance, beginning some stretching exercises to get the lingering numbness out of his limbs.


He looked on to the same direction as the sorceress, admiring the calming spectacles of everyday village life. Despite her youth, Lady Silthsun was the most renowned magician of her generation by far within the Coinjoined Realms. Raegan felt humbled in comparison, despite proclaimed a prodigee himself within the order. To be here, together, as friends, rejoycing in tranquility - this was not a sentiment he believed they would share when he first met her. There were just so many differences between them, yet their trials in protecting this land, and all the people in here - that's what brought them side by side.


"Nay, Lady Silthsun" - he replied to her - "My duties always come first and foremost. A period of relaxation is a scarcity for a paladin. But it is something we all need: a reminder of why we serve." - he smiled to himself. - "As for my nap, now that you asked... 'twas most strange. A bad dream, of falling from a height, from light, to dark depths... that's all I recall, naught more." - he shrugged and let out a sigh, getting the experience out of his mind for good. - "Nevermind, I guess... so long as it wasn't an ill prank from your highness." - he cast her an inquisitive glance.


Meanwhile, from the end of the horizon, as the two friends talked of trivialities and such, a messenger was rushing atop a horse, riding straight for the mulberry tree whence the two heroes rested, cattle and urchins scattering before him. The young half-elf rider had a mixed look of anxiety and exhaustion about him as he approached, the horse almost collapsing under him as he halted the mare. - "Lord Raegan, Lady Silthsun! Praise the Dawn I found you!"


Raegan rushed to the messenger's side, helping the poor fellow dismount. - "Calm down, youngster. What's the matter?"


"The borderlands of the Coinjoined Realms are breached! Castle Hironidon..." - the elfling blurted out, gasping for air. - "...is under attack! Hordes of monsters are besieging it! Princess Lisbeth specifically requested... the two of you, to come to our relief." - he finished abruptly, struggling to stay afoot. He must have been riding non-stop for days. Raegan set him down next to the trunk, as some sheperds and serfs gathered around in curiosity. Their faces turned pale with fear upon hearing the ill news.


The paladin's face turned sour. It has not been so long ago he just finished fighting a war, and already, a new calamity has beset his beloved land. First, he adressed the peasantry: - "Fear not, good people; I, Raegan Scales-Seeker swear upon my heraldry that whatever evil strayed within our borders will rue the day they decided to set foot upon our ancestral lands!" - He turned to Lady Silthsun, knowing what must be done. - "Our route is clear, good sorceress. You must ensure we can teleport straight to Hironidon. I'll fetch my armor and armaments; there is war to be waged!"


@Skryx

 

[Skryx]

Silthsun smiled at her friend, not trying too hard to hold in a laugh at his confession. "Admittedly, some of these texts are rather...tedious," she said wistfully. "Being a magician is no guarantee of being an eloquent or even a decent writer. Some of them are quite terrible at explaining their thoughts and sentiments. Brilliant or otherwise. And don't get me started on the handwriting in the personal journals," she shook her head in mock dismay. In personal journals, the magicians were usually in a rush, hurriedly drafting their thoughts as they came. Their revised works were much tidier, but even then the olden script was a pain to read. And in some cases the original scribbles unfortunately held more raw information so if you were seeking something new, it was best to get it from the source. "Unfortunately, one doesn't become an accomplished magician without widening their views or looking for a change in perspective. So suffer through them I shall," she sighed dramatically, watching Raegan as he wandered away to stretch out his limbs. 


With a practiced motion, she slotted the book into the air, as if sliding it into an invisible bookshelf. It disappeared, essentially teleported back to her private rooms, many ways away yet so closed, tucked into a pocket dimension she had taken for herself.


"Well, this break is well deserved, none can deny that. Hopefully it shall last a bit longer. Though not too long," she gave him a sly smile. "It would not do for the great Raegan Scales-Seeker to lose his edge, would it?" As ever, she was teasing him. She knew many people from her early journeys as a still learning magician, and even more from various adventures. But of all of them, the comradeship she shared with the paladin beside her was one of the closest she had. It was fun to tease him, at the very least. Her playfulness and mischevious streak was one she did not show outwardly to many. So here they were, sharing one of their rare days off in each other's company. Not a bad way to spend it, certainly not. "Why, my dear paladin, I would never," she affected a look of shock, before laughing lightly. "Bad dreams are sometimes more than just dreams," she continued, a little more serious. "Though it is most likely nothing. What was it about?" 


As the conversation continued, Lady Slthsun found herself relaxing. A peaceful countryside, the company of a good friend and magic alive around her. What more could she want? But then the wind whispered in her ear and she looked up, suddenly alert. Her eyes found the messenger rushing towards them and she up on her feet by the time he had reached them, taking in his appearance. The rider looked exhausted, the wind told her he had ridden for five straight days. She frowned upon hearing the news the half-elf relayed, mind racing as she tried to think of where the monsters could be coming from. She moved forward as Raegan set the messenger down against the tree trunk, kneeling beside him. Upon closer examination, she deduced that he was alright, apart from severe dehydration and exhaustion, but that was to be expected. A few days of rest and he would be fine. She looked up as Raegan addressed her.


"Consider it done, Lord Raegan." Her voice was serious, the previous lightness all gone as she watched him depart to ready himself. "You've done well," she told the messenger softly, resting a hand on his forehead. "Rest now." His eyes fluttered close and she murmured a soft spell, a blue light momentarily glowing before disappearing quick as it came. It would ensure a peaceful rest, and a speedy recovery. Rising to her full height, she address the remaining crowd. "Give this man a room to rest in and see the his horse until he recovers." There were mutters of assent and two burly shepherds came forward to carry the elf away, another leading away the horse. Handing over the gold coins as payment, she dismissed the rest of them. She waited for Raegan to return, and seeing him approach, fully armoured, she started up the spell, fingers tracing patterns in the air and chanting the words under her breath. For a long-distance spell such as this, much concentration and power was needed. By the time the paladin reached her, the spell was ready, sigils glowing on the ground where she stood and the blue light of magic shining from her eyes, the wind raised and circling around her. The spell would take them straight to the castle, where the princess was most likely to be found.


Wordlessly, she held out a hand to him, ready to pull him along with her through space and across great distance in an instant. 


@Morris

 

[Morris]

Raegan rushed to the inn where he and lady Silthsun rented a modest, if homely accomodation for a few nights. From the wardrobe he quickly rummaged through the unnecessary belongings to take out his richly ornate suit of armor, shield and claymore. Thievery he had no fear of - the blessed suit and armaments were worthless to anyone not belonging to the Dawn Heralds. Only the worthy may wear and wield them; to sticky-handed knaves and villainous scum, they each weighted a hundredfold more than they were supposed to. With a thousand-times practiced routine - and the magic armor's rather helpful self-binding straps - he was done within minutes. He fastened his heraldic shield, with the emblem of a gilded measuring scales adorning it, and adjusted his belt so the claymore's long sheath would not hinder his footwork in any manner.


He spoke a short prayer whilst he did all this, thanking the Incandescent One for the timely warning delivered to him, and wishing for the messenger's future well-being. His focus turned to the impending undertaking. Hironidon Castle was, at the very least, three and a half day's riding distance away. If the messenger was dispatched immediately, that means the siege has begun not long ago. Hironidon Castle was a significant border stronghold, lying at a large river crossing. There was only one conventional entry way on dry land - from the front. Anything else would require watery travel, and even then, a flanking manouver would be hindered further by the natural swamps surrounding the castle - a logistical suicide for an ill-prepared attacker. Even with the garrison being likely under-strength - an inevitable side-effect of prolonged peaceful periods at the borderlands - the adventageous setup of the defenses would likely hold out. That was reassuring to think of, but there was no time to waste.


Getting back outside in his full service regalia, the rural villagers were bidding him and Lady Silthsun heartfelt farewells and wishes of luck. He waved back with a confident smile before turning to the sorceress, nodding slightly, and taking her nimble hand in his armored clasp as gently as he could...


...


One interdimentional travel later, Sir Raegan dropped quite audibly to his armored knees on the paved main hall of Castle Hironidon's inner keep, insinctually trying to fondle his stomach, covered by his breastplate's thick sheet of hardened orihalcum alloy, as it was, trying to keep himself from puking. - "Euggh... now I remember why I resent portals..." - he muttered, standing back up slowly, trying to steady himself before the equally surprised and awestruck beholders around them - namely, some guards who happened to be stationed there, along with a couple of dwarven masons who were busy patching up an all too obvious hole in the ceiling where a catapult stone passed through previously.


Soon enough, news of the heroic duo's arrival spread like wildfire, and princess Lisbeth of Estrillia - stuck in the besieged castle that she merely stopped by to visit her distant uncle, the local lord - arrived to the scene almost tripping over her long skirt and high heeled footwear. - "Raegan, Silthsun! I'm so glad you're both here!" - she gave a warm hug to them each, feeling relieved by their presence. - "It's been so horrible!"


Raegan gently patted the princess' back, comforting her. - "At ease, your highness, please, calm your nerves and tell us what's going on."


"I'd be delighted to inform you myself." - said a stalwart, black-bearded man with a many-feathered helmet, its visor shaped like a predatory bird's beak: Lord Girian Hooktalon, the garrison commander and rightful owner of Hironidon's fiefdom, Lisbeth's uncle, walked in the princess' wake, clad in his hereditary armor, followed after by his motley crew of improvised sub-commanders: an elven ranger, a hapless magician grasping a crystal orb, and a fellow paladin of the Dawn Heralds whom Raegan did not know personally; the man's deeply suntanned look and unblemished white turban indicated he hailed from the southern reaches of the Realms. - "Sir Raegan, Lady Silthsun." - he bowed slightly - "I wish this meeting happened under happier circumstances. But aside with nicities; our situation is most tenuous." - Lord Girian sounded up with a frown, not content to waste time with silly pleasantries. - "I have barely several hundred troops at the ready. Any other defender was drafted from the outlying villages whose populace withdrew behind the castle walls. They had nowhere else to turn to."


"The countryside is being ravaged?!" - Raegan blinked. Launching an attack on a stronghold? That's justifyable from a military perspective. But harassing the serfdom and razing their lowly homes and meager possessions was, in his eyes, something only the most miserable vermin of the earth would resort to. - "Such a heinous deed will not go unpunished. But who would be so dastardly, so despicable to dare resort to such deeds?"


"See for yourselves." - Girian waved invitingly to the young wizard behind him. - "Come on, you contrarian. Work your magic." - he encouraged him in his own way. The novice's crystal orb showed a village being overran - by goblins, orcs, and other beings whose identities were difficult to decipher from the somewhat blurry images.


But the central figure was all too familiar to Raegan Scales-Seeker: a towering, yet uncharacteristically slender, well-built troll warrior, clad in a patchwork excuse of an armor, a mockery of knightly wear, waving about a humonguous saber-like blade that was more of a sharpened raw slab of iron than a proper weapon. He was cackling with delirium: - "YESS! Let none of these dirty apes escape! Kill all who resist, and capture the rest!"


"Couldn't we just kill 'em all, boss?" - a random orc questioned him. - "Come on. Let's massacre them. Just a little?" - his eagerness was as disturbing as it was childish.


"NO!" - came the swift reply. - "We need slaves to do chores in our stead! So we can keep fighting and winning instead of cleaning, cooking and strip mining!"


"But, uhh..." - the orc contemplated what he heard - "But what if we get too many humies, elvsies and dwarvies together? Won't they rebel or somethin'?"


"That's the point, idiot!" - the troll retorted - "We keep taking slaves until they decide to risk a rebellion! Then we go home, butcher them, revel, and we come back to these parts because we'll need slaves again, and thus we're stuck in a cycle of necessary violence! It's simply PERFECT! Now get to it, you pig-manglers! Our natural order MUST continue!"


The paladin's eyebrows furrowed: he knew this beast by name. Torask the Relentless. Torask was something of a self-appointed rival to Raegan, though the rivalry was pretty one-sided, since Raegan would just keep disarming him - quite literally - forcing the troll to run off, wait until his limbs grew back, then he went back to his destructive behaviour. Still, his repeated fights with the renowned paladin earned the warrior troll a great reputation amongst monsters and men of ill intent. Torask was an affront to the chivalrious values the Dawn Heralds represented: he proclaimed he was an honorable troll (since he only killed people who didn't cover before him), and in a grisly display of his killing streak, he collected the armor parts of his defeated enemies, stiching, strapping and melding them together to make his own armor. The only thing about Torask that remotely equated knightly behaviour was that he had enough wits to act subservient to those with great power.


Raegan Scales-Seeker let out an annoyed sigh at the sight, raising his gaze from the crystal orb. - "Torask the Relentless. Again. Seriously, that's like the third time this year. Won't he ever learn?!" - the paladin complained.


"Appearently not." - Princess Lisbeth folded her arms. - "But there's more to it than him alone. We're beset by thousands - this is not something a crude beast like him could pull off."


"I'm with the princess on this one." - the southern paladin voiced his opinion. - "I had many opportunities to face marauding orcs and goblins in my exchanged service in the north. Never once had I beheld a host as well armed and organized as this one. Especially not one that could construct proper siege engines. Someone else must be in charge. I suspect a dark magician. None other would wield power respected enough to keep his or her postion intact for long in a warrior society."


The paladin supposed this was the case, nodding in agreement. - "Your reason is sound, fellow Herald. Let us look into it, then." - He turned to Lady Silthsun with an expectant glimpse. Her mastery of magic should enable her to scry the enemy's positions, perhaps even glace at the true mastermind behind this intrusion.


@Skryx

 

[Skryx]

Lady Silthsun smiled and pulled them both through the fold in space and time with the ease of stepping through a doorway. Her magic manifested in literal sparks like static as they rematerialized at their destination, and she relished the feeling before taming it once more. She noted the paladin's complaints with amusement. "Oh, don't be such a baby," she chided. Though she knew the experience could be quite unsettling the first few times, it usually abated a little. It seemed like Raegan was one of those who couldn't adjust. Despite her words, she helped him up, sending a spark of magic through him to sooth his dizziness. Sensing a familiar presence enter the room, she looked up to see the princess enter the room.


"Careful," she warned, seeing her nearly trip over her impractical skirt in her haste, holding her arms open to accept the hug with a smile. "Fear not, your majesty," she said soothingly. "The Lord Raegan and I will do our best to see to it that this matter be resolved."  At that moment, Lord Girian Hooktalon walked in. She nodded at him respectfully, but her attention was more focused on those who entered behind him. They were an unlikely combination. She took in the sight of them, eyes travelling over the elf, magician and foreign paladin in turn. It was quite possible she had met the magician before, most magicians either knew each other personally or at least of them. Upon closer inspection, she decided she hadn't. He looked like a novice, which would explain her lack of knowledge of him. The paladin however, looked a little more familiar. She set aside her curiousity for later, focusing instead on Girian's words. A frown appeared on her face when she heard how thin their defences were spread.


Silthsun kept silent for the most part, thinking. The attacks on the outlying villages were troubling. It was quite a low blow, but she wondered if there was any underlying strategy to it. Drawing away a good portion of their army from the stronghold would  leave it weaker, open to attack as Lord Girian had said. If their mystery attacker had a stronger force waiting in the wings to unleash a second wave on the castle itself, then... It was troubling. Looking closely at the scene playing out on the blurry orb, she immediately recognised the troll warrior. 


"Oh," she said, sighing. "Him again." She could almost feel herself getting dumber just by listening to their conversation. "He seems to enjoy your attention, Raegan," Lady Silthsun commented, amused. "I would almost think the troll admires you." It probably wasn't the appropriate time for jokes, but she could never resist a little teasing. Still, the possibility of a dark magician -as suggested by the other paladin- was a little unnerving. There had been rumours, of course, but there were always rumours. However she had been out of touch with the other magicians for a few months with that latest spot of trouble and then immediately taking a much needed break with Raegan. It was possible she had missed word of a new skilled magician, and a dark one at that. "I have heard nothing of a dark magician," she spoke aloud. "I will look into it as well. Perhaps the other magicians have heard something. Either way, I agree. It is very unlikely Torask the Relentless has finally upped his game after all these years by himself. He must have had help to muster an army such as this." Truth be told she was quite fed up with having to deal with the troll. He was extremely relentless, as his name suggested. She had told Raegan more than once to finish him off in a more permanent way, but the paladin never seemed to agree. 


"We need a clearer view of all this if we want to plan a strategy. If I may," she directed the last part at the novice, holding out her hands for his crystal ball. Turning the smooth sphere over in her hands, she murmured an incantation, deft fingers carving burning symbols into it's surface. Then she let go, pulling her hands away. The orb remain floating and she reached out to give it a little spin. "Stand back," she told the rest of the room. Hands upturned, she continued the rest of the spell, the orb spinning ever faster and shining more brightly, throwing spots of light across the walls until the whole sphere flashed a blinding white before beginning to slow once more, dimming gradually. The rays of light it cast lowered until it illuminated the floor, the texture and colour shifting until the image became clearer. It was a bird's eye view of Hironidon Castle and the surrounding lands, projected about a foot off the floor, taking up a square of roughly eight feet by eight. When the image settled, she lowered her arms, satisfied with her work. The orb stayed hovering, revolving slowly.


The castle was in the centre of the projection, complete with holes from the enemy's catapults, and the rivers running around it were clearly shown, as were the villages. Even from this height, the damage Torask's forces had done on the countryside were obvious. She spotted more than a few fires burning, villages being attacked by the trolls forces, and garrison of friendly troops galloping out to aid another village. "Torask is here." She indicated one of the villages, making a gesture with one hand to zoom in on it. Another image was projected a foot higher then the first, showing a more detailed overview of the village, with Torask and his forces clearly seen. She waved a hand to banish the image. "His forces are spread out here." With a nother wave of her hand, the villages in question lit up with a red glow. "Judging by this, we have some time, but not much. Though I might be able to hinder them with a few wide effect spells, it won't do much against an army this size. Especially with the villages to consider." She paused, frowning as the image flickered briefly, mentally stabilizing it. While it was common for the image to waver slightly for most magicians, she was not most magicians. Her projections were so real that she had once convinced her fellow magicians of a very sudden infestation of spiders in her younger, more mischievous days. 


Still, it had been awhile since she had done a wide scale spell such as this, perhaps.... Reaching out with her magic, she tried to detect another magic presence, but found none. Unsettled, she focused on the discussion. She would look into it later. For now, she would have to recover her strength. Chasing after a magician strong enough to distort her images even momentarily while she was not at full strength would not be wise.


@Morris 

 

[Morris]

Sir Raegan quivered mildly at Silthsun's remark, that Torask was in fact fascinated by him. - "Lady Silthsun, please keep such assessments to yourself. The thought of that *thing* fancying me in any matter gives me shivers." - he said to her.


Lord Girian took the opportunity to acquire as much tactical insight as possible from the sorceress' projection of the battlefield. - "So, the troll is rampaging away from the main forces, whilst the main bulk has been pressuring us with siege armaments. Yet another proof he's the face figure of this atrocity, but not the leader." - he remarked.


"Wait." - Raegan stepped forth, pointing at a group of gallopping light cavalrymen who were seen riding to the relief of some villagers, scattering a mob of marauders and beginning quick evacuation. - "From whence did these riders come from? I know of no outlying outposts in Hironidon's vicinity. Is there a route outside the siege ring that I should know about?"


"How sharp of you, Dawn Herald." - the elven ranger sounded up for the first time, a hint of slyness in his tone. - "Indeed, Lord Girian kept the dwarf masons busy even in peacetime. This stronghold has an entire tunnel system for delivering saboteurs outside, or refugees inside. Too bad dwarven expertise does not extend to concealing the earthwork properly."


"Well, it's not like we've let you in otherwise, knife-ear!" - one of the wall-patching rotund workers yelled from behind.


Princess Lisbeth sighed, annoyed. - "Gentlemen, please. Now is not the time."


Sir Raegan rubbed his chin. He was patching the fragments of information together into a cohesive plan, even as he took notice of the flickers of clarity in Silthsun's illustrious illusion; he made no comments on that, other than acknowledging the secretive leader of this monstrous throng must be a powerful user (or abuser) of magic him- or herself. - "If they are pillaging the vilages for slaves... they have to keep them somewhere. Most likely they haul them together in one place, relatively close to the main siege camp. If we could locate that, I believe I might just have found a solution."


"Knowing you, Sir Raegan, it's going to be overly dramatic and theatrical." - Lord Girian said with thinly veiled cynism. - "By all means, elaborate."


Raegan walked a half-circle, gesturing with his hands as he explained himself: - "Orcs, trolls, goblins have multiple things in common. First and foremost, their lust for triumph, to feel their victims wiggling beneath their feet as they stomp upon them. Because they envy us, they envy all the values we have built and amassed, ignoring the toil it takes to achieve it, craving only immediate satisfaction. This is what we must turn against them. As Lady Silthsun made it clear, much to my embarrasment, Torask has a grudge against me. He might not control the siege procedure, the strategy. But he's the one the rest of this scum look up to as their exemplar. If I make my presence known to him..." - he stopped, contemplating for a moment - "Then he will focus upon me, and the host will root for him, support him. They would fight blindly on, even in the most unfavourable conditions - and hence, not pay attention to a liberative assault from behind."


The southern paladin nodded in admiration. - "You'd make a bait of yourself, fellow Herald. And by extension, allow our soldiers to sneak behind enemy lines, free the enslaved countryfolk, letting them vent their righteous anger on their jailers. With the element of surprise, and Lady Silthsun's magic on our side, we can crush the fighting spirit of the agressors in one fell strike." - he grinned widely. - "Risky."


Lisbeth gasped lightly. - "No, I cannot agree to this! I couldn't let any of you endanger yourselves like so-"


"At ease, your highness." - Raegan put his hand reassuringly on the princess' shoulder, whilst showing an elfin glimpse towards Silthsun. - "You know, my lady, I've been thinking. Rain is such a scarcity where these sad monsters hail from. They could truly use a shower, don't you believe...?"


Lord Girian smiled at the implications. The siege machinery would get drenched and mired from a good old northern rainstorm. A perfect setup for the next stage in Hironidon's defense.


@Skryx

 

[Skryx]

Lady Silthsun allowed a small smile at Raegan's reaction. "It's only a truthful observation, my friend." Her attention drawn to the riders Raegan pointed out, she zoomed in on them with a few vague gestures of her hand to study their actions closer. She started looking at the map laid out before her in much more detail, estimating the size of the main siege and searching for other splinter groups besides the one led by the orc.


"Indeed, it will be quite risky. Are you sure, Raegan? This host is definitely more intelligent than Torask the Relentless. He may see through your distraction and command the orc to act in another way. We have no idea what power this mysterious benefactor has over these orcs. Though it is likely Torask will be easily baited, it would be prudent not to dawdle," she warned. She didn't share the other paladin's optimism about the bravery of the countryfolk, capable or otherwise, their safety was important. "Perhaps it would be better to take them straight back to the castle," she suggested. "With the numbers we are facing, the spells I will unleash are not so precise. I wouldn't want any normal civilian to get caught in the crossfire."


Silthsun smiled in reply. "I do believe you are quite right, my lord. A proper downpour is just what they need," a mischievous glint danced in her eyes. "Perhaps even a little bit of lightning. What do you think, Princess? It would be rude not to refresh our guests." She was rather fond of thunderstorms, and environmental magic was the easiest to work for her. Much less taxing, and less pomp and circumstance too. No fancy gestures or complicated chants. Just an open mind, a deeper level of understanding and awareness coupled with an extremely strong will. All mental work, and once you had t the first time, each subsequent try got much easier. "But first, we should cover up that hole." With a measured wave of her hand, a transparent sheen rippled over what was left of the hole the dwarven masons were patching up. She waited for the princess's reaction, hoping she would relax at their attempt to lighten the mood. It was a clear day today. Bright and sunny. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Silthsun let it out slowly, extending her magic as an invisible arm. Beckoning to the clouds. This way. She felt the slight tugging in response. Surely enough, she felt the clouds blowing in from further north and the water already present in the skies above starting to precipitate. Subtly, storm clouds started to gather, but no rain fell just yet. Much better to release it all at once, she thought to herself.


"Do we have enough men at the ready to succeed in this plan?" She addressed this question to Lord Girian Hooktalon. Her sharp eyes tracked the movement of a group of orcs herding their latest slaves away from a burning village. She caught Sir Raegan's eye and nodded towards them. "Looks like we found where they keep their prisoners," she stated, pulling up a closer view with a wave of a hand. It was the spot all right. She could see the makeshift pens where they held the captured countryfolk, some merely tied up or chained to stakes hammered into the ground. Several orcs, trolls and goblins kept watch. The area was rocky, filled with tall grass, now trampled to the ground and large boulders and spires of rock popping up here and there. That was good. Easy to sneak inside. "Do any of the tunnels open up near here?" Silthsun asked, looking up from her careful study of the landscape. 


@Morris

 

[Morris]

Raegan put an elfin smile on display at Siltsun's remark. - "Respectfully, Lady Silthsun, permit me to quote from Professor Humridge's Grimoire of Summoning: it is one thing to rouse an entity; to command is entirely another. These brutes can be intimidated to obedience. That does not make them good soldiers. If you ask me, even the Incandescent One would have a hard time supervising their races." - he sunk into thought momentarily. - "...That would explain why he has forsaken them."


The southern paladin couldn't help but chuckle at the notion. - "Verily, you may not be far off the mark, fellow Herald. But I have to take the fair sorceress' side in this one." - he bowed ever so slightly towards Silthsun - "The civilians should be kept out of the ensuing struggle. And I, Haqum al-Sabirra, shall personally vouch for their safety. On my honor!" he beat his chestplate with his fists, to lend weight to his claim.


When Siltsun made mention of a 'proper downpour', princess Lisbeth shook a little. - "Errm, honestly, Silthsun, I never liked storms... b- but if it's for a good cause, by all means, don't mind me!" - she stated with an enforced smile. Lord Girian rested his large hand upon her shoulders, muttering something about the princess being so childish even now.


For a while, all kept silent, watching Lady Silthsun work her magic. They kept a wordless awe, even as she closed the exposed weakness of the roof, and they looked to the horizon behind the glass windows and open-slit battlements, and saw the clouds mingle, twist, and darken - something entirely natural, sped up and granted a guided purpose by the sorceress' hands. - "They don't call her the Skybreaker for nothing." - Sir Raegan nodded in admiration. This wasn't the first time he saw this, but it always amazed him, how such a graceful person can harness such elemental forces. It was frightening, to be sure - but also, beautiful in its own way.


Lord Girian attempted to look Silthsun straight in her eyes, as if measuring her, if she was wavering or imbalanced. As soon as he realized there was no weakness to be found, he reassured her: - "I will lend my household's personal men-at-arms and rangers at your disposal. Veterans of the Fringe-Barren battles, each and every one. With you and the two Heralds leading them, I'm certain we will see this through." - his eyes shifted their attention to the conjured map again. Finally, he extended his hand, and after a bit of hesitance, pointed to the side of a large, shrubbery-overgrown hill, roughly 300-400 yards away from the prisoners' site. - "One of our tunnels leads to the surface there. Plenty of concealment upon arrival, but from then on, you'll be on your own. These wretches have deforested much of the area. And after the villagers have been rescued... we cannot take chances. Should the attackers discover the tunnel, it must be collapsed, no ifs and buts." - he stated. - "If things come to that, follow this trail..." - he moved his index finger along a rampaged wheat field, to a collapsed barn - "There is another tunnel entrance here, underneath the rubble. But that is a long run if the enemy snaps at your heels."


"Rest assured, Lord Girian, we won't allow that to happen." - Haqum lifted his hands defensively.


"I shall escort the ambush party." - the elven ranger stepped forth. - "The orcs drove me from my woodland home like a hunted beast. I intend to repay the favour."


Raegan nodded. - "The more, the merrier." - he turned to Silthsun then - "Speaking of which... Lady Silthsun, if your magic is accomplished, would you care to escort these two humble Heralds? Or would you direct the fireworks from the battlements?"


@Skryx

 

[Skryx]

"Point taken, paladin," Lady Silthsun shrugged gracefully. "But enough speculation. We should act." She stated decisively with a nod of acknowledgement to the southern paladin as he agreed with her. His name caught her attention her attention and she regarded him closely. " Haqum al-Sabirra? Pardon me, but I feel as though I have heard your name before though the context escapes me for now. Were you present at the siege at Halwar-Farouk Keeps just last year?" She asked, naming a cluster of small but prominent interdependent strongholds in the southern reaches of the region. Due to the number of bases of operations, they had mostly communicated through riders and messenger birds, so it possible that she had heard the name but never seen his face. Though perhaps he was a famous paladin, like Sir Raegan, whose deeds had reached her ears at one point of time. 


"A pity," Silthsun said, slightly disappointed, But she gave the princess a kind smile. "Perhaps one day you'll love them as I do." She could feel it building up, the clouds, the rain, begging to be unleashed. But not yet. Instead she turned her attention over to the Lord as he spoke of the tunnels, processing the new information and mapping out the routes in her head. 


"Tricky," she commented, looking at the bare stretch between the tunnel entrance and their goal. "But I'm sure the paladins are stealthy enough to accomplish the task," there was a slight teasing in her voice meant only for Raegan, reminding him of that time he had accidentally given them both away and set a whole battalion upon them. They had both escaped relatively unscathed and laughed about it later, but she still did like to tease him about it every now and then. 


At the question, Silthsun paused to consider. "I will stay here," she said at last. "I'm sure the two -three-" she nodded to the elven ranger "Can handle yourselves and the rest of the party. I will orchestrate my magic from here and make sure the siege does not progress too far. I'll try to give you as much cover as possible and if you need help, you know how to call me." At that she pulled a silver coin-shaped charm from her pocket, and flipped it over to Sir Raegan. It was an assuming thing, easily mistaken for a normal coin if not for the fact that one side was completely blank and the other inset with only a thin spiral. Roughly two inches in diameter, it was lighter than it looked. They had used this charm many a time before, the paladin need only press a thumb to the spiral etched side to ask for her help or the blank side as another signal of some sort if needed. As some of the others drifted off to prepare, she wandered over to her friend. "Looks like you'll be greeting Torask for the both of us," she smiled at him, unable to resist one last teasing remark. "Be sure to give him my best regards."  She turned a little more solemn. "Be careful out there, Dawn Herald." 


Deciding that it was time, she released the rain. Immediately the clouds burst open, fat raindrops falling rapidly as the sky opened up. She nodded, satisfied as the heavy rain started as expected, looking over to her projection to watch the reactions of the enemy with an amused smile playing across her lips. The downpour was loud and unrelenting as it pounded against the stone of the keep. The orcs looked absolutely miserable, grumbling and running around in a panic to try and salvage their important equipment. She chuckled lightly, knowing that even more clouds were on their way over. The rain would continue for quite sometime, at least until she called the wind to blow away the clouds. Once their forces had assembled and the ambush party had left she would head up onto the battlements to get a clearer view. It was easier to operate her magic outside.


"What about you, Lord Girion?" She addressed the man respectfully. "What do you plan to do at this time?" 


@Morris