private The Fall of Andalasia ~Book 1~

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

Adrass scowled, glancing around. The nerve - to suggest that the order were no more than puppets or slaves to some petty mind games!

 

"There is no 'indoctrination' - I am no pawn or servant to lies. And you should mind your words assassin, before you begin throwing accusations of mind control around about one of our oldest and purest orders. One to which we all have to thank for the continued survival of our land."

 

He paused, stifling a yawn and rubbing his face. After a few more trudging steps, he shook his head.

 

"From the age of twelve, apprentices dedicate six hours each day studying martial abilities, four hours to spiritual perfection and understanding, two to basic schooling and two to survival and endurance training. He shrugged - there wasnt much to tell, but it was hardly a secret that dedication and hard work led to sucess. "At the age of eighteen they begin learning to combine these talents, and to focus them in such a way as to wield them as a weapon against Witches."

 

It was simple, the way he saw it. In order for an apprentice to learn, they needed to be ignorant of the lies of the world before their training could begin. He wasnt exactly 'fond' of the orders methods, but he respected there efficiency and necessity... even if half of the apprentices did not survive to leave Wrathspire.

 

"I was claimed as an apprentice and taken to Wrathspire Keep at the age of nine, began official training at the age of twelve and became a full fledged Witch Hunter after eight more years. Not once was I forced to believe anything - I was simply presented with the truth and the means to prepare myself for my role in life."

Edited February 18, 2015 by Cinder

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@

 

I mentally cursed for using the term but listened to his explanation and kept my opinion of the hunters training to myself and instead said, "Sorry for causing offense." I chuckled trying to continue our small talk, "I remember the heroic stories surrounding hunters when I was a boy, before my 'abilities' happened to show up. Then when my abilities 'woke up' the stories became warnings. Funny how things change so suddenly."

[Torrent505 370]

@ @@Shadow Dancer

The little ghost girl looked a bit confused at the two of them, "you're just going to ignore me? Pay attention to me!" She stamped her foot angrily and the fog swirled around her with the void of draining magic and life surrounding her. "Pay attention or I'll make you pay!" She whined.

 

The rest of the bodies had now risen an where not head towards Ashcreek in their staggered walk. All except whisper's who still dreamed peacefully and Clarke who's body was to weak to rise.

 

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@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace

@@Alex Kennedy

Robert entered into the ground floor of the rather lavish tree fort but found the stairs were locked. The singing from the other side stopped and Abigail sounded rather upset from the other side. "Don't just try to barge in! I'm... I'm combing my hair and getting ready to show you and your brother and sister the town! I'll be down in a second, wait with them please!... My sweet Robert..." She resumed singing.

 

Dresden and Tulla awoke in the garden at the center of the hedge maze, they could hear Abigail's singing and see Robert through the window of the tree fort. Dresden was a little lordling of 7 and the younger brother of Robert. He had come to Ashcreek with his brother and his sister Whisper to help cement the friendship between their own noble father and the Lord of Ashcreek. He didn't know where his older sister Whisper was, maybe she had wandered into the maze.

 

Tulla on the other hand had also grown up here in Ashcreek, the 8 year old daughter of the manors maid and a soldier. She was Abigail's best friend, and had found a knack taking care of the lords rare animals; currently a little fuzz ball chimera cub was nudging her nervously. She remembered Abigail telling her to play with these other new children and show off Tugg but they must have fallen asleep.

 

(Whisper is not yet in Ashcreek, merely stuck exhausted and somewhere on the edge of dreams, nightmares and being awake.)

 

@@Dji

Clarke stared at Helena, nothing she had just said made any sense. "Are-are you trying to play a prank on me? Cause it doesn't sound funny..." He thought about it for a second and shook his head, Helena had never looked this scared before and then there was what happened to him on the woods. "And I had something really scary happen to me out in the fog... I... Let's take a look..." He began back toward the basement door, but hesitated, "can you hold my hand? If something is there pull me back? And if this is a joke and Abigail jumps out then I'm going to tell mother and father!"

 

@@Sanctified Absence

"Little lord?". Before Zaddion's terrified eyes the woman holding him slowly changed to the horrible corpse like things he had seen before. No one else around him seemed to notice, one of her hands had slipped up around his neck and began to choke him, the life slowly being drained away.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Torrent505,

 

((Not that you could have possibly known this, because they've never been mentioned in this RP and he doesn't talk about them much anyway, but Robert actually has two brothers, with whom he doesn't get along at all. I'm just going to assume his family in this... dream, I guess? Anyway, I going to assume they're all different.))

 

Robert blushed and felt like an idiot all of a sudden. Still, he was in too good a mood to linger on it. "R-right. Sorry. I just can't wait to spend the day with you. I'll be outside." He turned and left the fort, looking around for his brother and sister.

[Sekel 692]

@@Torrent505

Helena watched Clarke go to the basement stairs and stop at the top. She shook he head rigorously. "Don't ... g-go down there. Please! I d-d-don't even know if that thing is still there." Helena pleaded with Clarke, trying to get him to not go down there but after another few seconds thought, she unclamped her arms from around the book an stood up. She slowly walked to him and held onto his hand. "Fine. We' go down there but at the first sign of trouble, we're coming back up here." Helena said firmly.

[Flying Ace 142]

@@Alex Kennedy,@@RunsWithSquirlz, @@Torrent505,

Dresden looked confused for a second but only for a second before he chuckled mischievously at his brother. "Look at his cheeks! There as red as cherries!" Dresden laughed at Robert's embarrassed state. "If Whisper we're here she would comment how 'aborable' you two look together. Yuck!" (typical little boy response)

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

Adrass shook his head to try and clear the fog inside it. Memories and reality melded together, his mind drifting between past and present without purpose or cause.

 

He blinked.

 

"Begone Daemon." He muttered in the general direction of the whining voice. Were actual children as irritating as this? As stubborn and tiersome? "You have no power over me. Leave me to my task."

 

He looked over the remaining bodies in the cart and willed his eyes to focus on them more easily. Whisper and Clarke: so long as he got the princess to safety, that was all that mattered. Whatever dark enchantment was scratching at the depths of his mind, he would overcome it through discipline and faith in himself. He would persist, he would survive and he would not fail.

 

Thankfully, the cart should be easy to track. He hadn't stopped for a while to leave a marker or note of their progress - he could only hope that should his apprentice have entered the woods, she could follow his trail without assistance.

 

On a slightly lighter note - Adrass thought - whatever had attacked him back before reaching the inn should be having a miserable time if they insisted on following still...

[Shadow Dancer 111]

I risked a glance at the ghost girl, "What do you want?" I really did not want to be forced to sleep and I looked around to see the others except for the Princess and the Hunter walk away in some trance, I would have tried to stop them but I was physically exhausted and the hunter did not seem much better.

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla looked up from the chair she had been sitting in, studying Robert and Dresden. Tugg lay asleep by her feet, now the size of a bulldog.

 

"Abigail told me to show you nobles around while she gets prettied up" She scratched at her unruly mess of hair. "Can't imagine there's anything interesting here in Ashcreek but...eh."

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Torrent505,@@Flying Ace,@@RunsWithSquirlz,  

 

Robert stuck his tongue out at Dresden. "You're just jealous because girls always like me better than you." He turned to Tulla with a friendly smile. "I'd be up for that. It's good weather to go for a walk or something, don't you think? I wish it were like this all the time."

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

"No better thing than to go to the market" she nudged Tugg with her boot and then walked over to them.

 

"Names Tulla. You must be Robert and Dresden right? Abby is always swooning about you" she crossed her arms and watched as Tugg scampered over and began sniffing Dresden.

[Flying Ace 142]

@@RunsWithSquirlz,@@Alex Kennedy,

Dresden stuck his tongue back at Robert when his back was turned, "Oh, please they only pretend to like you. I'm the one who gets the attention." Dresden stood by Robert as Tulla introduced herself. "'m Dresden; and the less interesting one beside me is Robert." Dresden said patting his brothers back before directing his attention to a creature that was sniffing him. "Oh wow! Robert look at this cute little thing!" Dresden slowly extended a hand trying to see if he could pet him.

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tugg rumbled low in his throat and nudged Dresdens hand with his beak. He rose up on his hind legs, placing his heavy paws on Dresdens shoulders and began lapping at his face happily.

 

"Aren't there supposed to be three of 'ya?" Tulla questioned, chuckling at her chimera.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Flying Ace,@@RunsWithSquirlz,

 

Robert laughed. "As if! Dad wanted me to marry Abigail because he knows I'm the better choice." He looked down at the Chimera. "What is that thing? It's awesome!"

 

Tulla's question reminded him that he was supposed to be waiting for Abigail with his brother and sister. Where had she gone off to? "That's a good point. Dresden, do you know where Whisper is?"

[Flying Ace 142]

@@Alex Kennedy,@@RunsWithSquirlz,

Dresden was able to get out of Tuggs grasp and started wipping the saliva off his face with his sleeve. "I think she went into the hedge maze, I can go after her and see if she is in there; you two can go ahead and head to the market and I'll try to catch up later."

[Torrent505 370]

@ @@Shadow Dancer

Rage lit up in the girl's eyes, her spirit didn't even bother with the illusion of walking as she flew face to face with Adrass, "DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN OR YOU WILL PAY FOR IT!!" She screamed at him.

 

She was now close enough that they were inside the strange distortion that surrounded her. The magic was more overwhelming than any they had sensed before, it was like the Iron Maiden's presence but as if condensed down and trapped in a marble.

 

The magic raged over their bodies and it was like time had become fluid on their physical form their bodies aged and reversed becoming young at random and in streaks; such as withered wrinkled brows over babies cheeks or gnarled fingers on a child's palm. Her eyes flicked to Indicus, "I want to save you. I want to save everyone, no more pain or sorrow or fighting. Just peace and play. Why do so many adults fight it? Like they seek misery and hate... I want what's best for you."

 

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@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace

@@Alex Kennedy

Abigail exited the tree fort looking radiant, her golden hair in prefect curls down her head and neck. She was still humming the song, but stopped as she reached the others A

and jumped to hug Robert tightly. "I'm ready! Let's go see the town! I'm sure we'll find Whisper and the others shortly too!"

 

@@RunsWithSquirlz

The sounds of a little girl singing began to intrude upon Whisper's dreams.

 

@@Dji

Clarke nodded at Helena and took comfort in her hand ready to pull him back. He turned the knob and slammed against the door wanting to throw it open and catch enemies off-guard; instead he bounced off the door and blushed. "Oh right, it pulls open..." He looked sheepishly at Helena. Then yanked it open as hard as he could.

 

His plan backfired as the monster at the door was ready and caught them off-guard. Two arms constructed of gears and springs shot out one reaching for Clarke, the other for Helena's red book. Behind them was a steamwork horror of metal and flesh, the steel rods and piping lead up to a haggard face similar to adult Clark. It screeched strange clicks at them as it made the assault.

 

@@Sanctified Absence

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Torrent505,@@RunsWithSquirlz, @@Flying Ace,

 

Robert nodded, hugging her back. Even at such a young age, he could appreciate a pretty girl when he saw one, and he knew he was fortunate to have a companion as lovely as Abigail. "Sure, let's go! I'm really excited to spend the day with you. And... you look great, by the way." He blushed a little bit, not used to speaking with girls in this manner.

[Sekel 692]

@@Torrent505

Helena screamed when she saw the monstrous metal beast. She pulled her arm back as the creature reached for her book. She went to pull Clarke out of reach when she looked at the face and stopped. The face looked familiar to her. "Clarke?" Helena whispered through frightened tears as the face clicked. It looked very similar to an adult Clarke and this was messing with her mind. It was too much to handle. Her hand weakened, her eyes closed and she fell.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@@Torrent505, I knew we had to find a way to resist the damn magic and keep ourselves awake but it was getting more and more difficult now that the magic influencing us was now covering us, but I knew we had to fight it because we were tasked with getting the princess to her destination. I was not about to fail my contract to some damn unknown magic.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"I am misery and hate!" Snapped the Hunter, his frayed mind already too close to snapping from the stress, the memories and the fatigue. "Begone!

 

Releasing the cart and staggering forward, he glared at the girl as if she were the source of every pain he had ever witnessed - siezing one of the pistols from his chest and wrestling it into the air between himself and the spirit. His arm shook dangerously as he fought to force the weakening muscles in his hand to squeeze the trigger. His vision clouded, hazy, ice blue darkness overcoming him.

 

Thud!

 

The still-loaded flintlock fell to the ground as Adrass' legs buckled beneath him - his head colliding with the cart and finishing what the forest had started. Face down in the dirt and dry leaves, the familliar voices in his mind lost their clarity as he slipped into unconsiousness.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

I looked at the Hunter now out cold then at the ghost of a girl, I was exhausted and thought, 'maybe we should burn this damn forest to the ground.' I only lasted a minute and a foot longer before my energy fully gave out and I collapsed onto the cold forest ground, and fell unconscious. 

[Flying Ace 142]

@@Alex Kennedy,@@RunsWithSquirlz, @@Torrent505

Dresden opened his mouth pretended to vomit at the lovey-dovey of Robert and Abigail. While he did also enjoy the company of pretty girls; for some reason Dresden felt strange whenever he looked at the two couple, like he was suppose to remember something; something important.

 

"Awe, Dresdens got a girlfriend!"

 

Dresden's eyes widen in surprise as he quickly looked around; that voice...it sounded familiar but Dresden couldn't pinpoint the memory. Dresden shrugged it was the heat getting to him that's all. "Well, if you two are done with the love looks can we go ahead and start this tour?"

Edited February 27, 2015 by Flying Ace

[Torrent505 370]

@

The heavy ruler slapped down on Adrass' wrist, snapping him to instant alertness. In front of him was a book with a bit of drool dampening the page and next to him Father glared down holding the ruler.

 

"You're almost twelve Adrass, I won't have you falling asleep in your studies. To be a proper Mage you have to learn and be in control; you have to be able to prove you are just and good. You don't want the world to fear you do you? Don't want hunters knocking at our door in search of a dangerous Mage?" He tapped the ruler on the desk in expectantly awaiting his reply.

 

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@@Shadow Dancer

Indicus came to in the hedge maze, he was ten and Abigail's older brother, only Adrass was older in the family. He had gotten mixed up in the maze and feeling lost he had tried to cheat by climbing a hedge; he must have slipped and knock himself out in the fall.

 

He wondered how long he had lain there, he was supposed to be meeting Abigail and making friends with the visiting nobles. Where were they? What was the proper way out of this place again?

 

@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace

Abigail smiled, "I'm glad you're so ready to see my city. Don't listen to Tulla, she dreams of the wild forest as excitement and hates that the fog keeps us here; she'd rather be with the animals."

 

She giggled at her teasing, she couldn't help but continue her gossip, "But don't let that fool you, she'd never say it but the only other thing that gets her attention is the thought of being a princess! Sometimes we play that she's the noble, and she's really pretty good at it!" Abigail stuck her tongue out at her best friend playfully. "Now you know so we can all play nobles together too."

 

"Umm as for where we can go, there's the saw mill to show off, Ashwood is amazing and our best... umm I forget the word, but we sell it out of the woods; then there's our soldiers barracks, they are the best around; the apothecary makes tasty drinks for us sometimes, he calls one a root beer and it's sweet and only for kids! The tavern has all sorts of visitors with stories and the bath house has runes that give hot water like hot springs! We have all sorts of things and can always play games too."

 

Something looked dark and hungry about her for a moment, "I especially like hide and seek, or tag."

 

@@RunsWithSquirlz

In Whisper's dreams the girl had stopped singing and spoke, "why are you still outside my town? How come you can resist me? Are your powers like mine? Can I use you?"

 

@@Dji

Clarke managed to shift the door back in front of himself as the hand shot out at him. It slammed into the door hard sending him sprawling back into Helena so they both fell on to the stairs helplessly staring up at the monster.

 

The door bounced off the wall so hard it swung back slamming the door in the creatures face, but the lock didn't catch and it slowly opened again to reveal that the gear monster was gone and the pristine library basement shelves sat perfectly normal in the torchlight.

 

Clarke began to weep, "Dad?... Why? Why did it have dads face?" He looked at Helena through confused teary eyes, "it had my dads face... But no... Father? Not Father, Dad? Why?" Clarke's eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and he passed out into Helena's lap. She knew that whatever Clarke had been trying to say, that monster certainly didn't have Father's face, it looked more like an older Clarke. It didn't make sense.

 

@@Sanctified Absence

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla stuck out her tongue and punched Abigail in the arm, face flushed red with embarrassment.

 

For Whisper it was foggy, voices drifting in and out. She only vaguely felt the presence of her dragon and Clarke, but her body wanted to let go and sleep.

 

"I don't know who you are little girl, or why you're soing this but please...stop" she replied into the fog.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

I got up and looked around trying to remember the way out of the hedge maze,"Now how do I get out of here?" I decided to walk around marking my path by breaking bundles of sticks off the hedge and put them on the ground. I hoped that I would be able to get out and hopefully find Abigale before I could got in trouble for climbing around again.