private The Fall of Andalasia ~Book 1~

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

"The girl was about to run after some wayward spirit, no doubt to meet the same fate as our late thief." Adrass said. It wasn't an explanation, so much as a simple statement of fact as far as he was concerned. "I'm not going to allow that: whether she can walk or not when we leave these woods doesn't matter - what matters is that she leaves them alive."

 

He continued to watch the princess - despite a good portion of his view being obscured by Tulla now. He did not try to move his head to see around her, but merely stared forward as if she were not there at all.

 

"I suggest somebody grabs her before she bolts - I don't want to have to stop her by force, but her life is too valuable to be wasted chasing illusions fueled by false dreams." He shook his head slowly. "Never before have I met anyone so intent on their own self destruction as this group. This girl - so desperate to throw her own life away on idle fancies and folktales. I am not dying today, and neither is she."

 

Clearly, the forest had driven the group to the brink of madness - not that most of them would have been far from it anyway, what with their Witchcraft and dark arts. They were insistent on letting the monarch die chasing whispers and shadows while he was the only one prepared to do what was necessary to stop such a fate befalling her. His revolver was unloaded, so he returned his free hand to his pocket and clasped a second flintlock in case one decided to finish him there and then. He wouldn't be caught unaware - no matter how tired he might be, or how out numbered... he wouldn't be bested by Witches and Madness. Not he - not a Witch Hunter of the Order...

 

An icy chill ran down his spine. Much to his surprise however, it did not stop there - continuing on into his limbs with a shudder. What was wrong with this place? 

Edited February 8, 2015 by Cinder

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@RunsWithSquirlz,@, @@Flying Ace, @@Shadow Dancer, @@Torrent505,  

 

Robert had had about enough of this madness. He would just as soon have stayed out of it, but at this rate, there was just about no chance of a happy ending. He stood and spoke up, bardic power seeping into his voice. He did his best to be calm but commanding. "Everybody just stop for a minute. Nobody needs to get hurt. Adrass, put the guns down. Whisper's walked away from a lot worse than one of your bullets, anyway. You pull that trigger, all you're going to do is make a bunch of enemies, and all of us are short enough on allies as it is."

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@@Alex Kennedy, @,@@RunsWithSquirlz,@@Flying Ace, @@Sanctified Absence, @@Dji,

 

I sighed, how long will this group hold together like this? I looked around at the others, not for long, I can just hope that we can at least get out of the forest without killing each other. I suppressed a chuckle, This is ironic, the assassin hoping that we stay together and don't kill ourselves off. Anyway, I should probably help Robert out.

 

"Adrass, put the damn gun down." I looked over at the Princess, "Princess, Adrass is right, the Tinkerer is dead, spirit or not, it's not worth your life and a garunteed war to try and bring him back. Right now that were awake we should just get out of this damned forest."

Edited February 8, 2015 by Shadow Dancer

[Torrent505 370]

@@Sanctified Absence

As Zaddion tried to stab at the corpse of this nightmarish place everything shifted once again... Only this time it was different, there was an air of finality about it and he could feel the shift had changed him as well. He now stood in the happy little town with a small hand outstretched and tugging on the woman skirt in front of him. His was a child of six, the Krystal mark not yet gracing his flesh and his connection and control to his magic barely awakened.

 

The woman turned and smiled down at him, "oh little master Zaddion, I didn't see you there. Did you have a question? Want me to lift you for a better view of the fresh fruits? I'm sure your father would buy you any that you wanted."

 

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@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace @ @@Shadow Dancer

Back in camp Zaddion seemed to be the only one that would not wake through all the commotion. But suddenly his body sat bolt upright then slowly rose to his feet. He ignored the confrontation between Adrass and the others, his eyes were glazed and his face was vacant. He started a slow stiff legged walk in the direction of Ashcreek.

 

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@@Dji

The heavy breathing seemed to be coming from where the room descended into total darkness, the shelves here where completely collapsed and the books had become piles of ash. The only light came from holes in the roof where instead of the first floor, there was a night sky and moonlight shining through.

 

From the wreckage a pale hand reached out from the debris, puffs of the ash rising with each breath.

[Sekel 685]

@@Torrent505

Helena looked around with fear at the collapsed bookshelves and ash piles which she guessed could only be books. Random spots on the floor were lit up by moonlight from the ceiling above which should not have been possible as she was in the basement of the library. When her eyes landed on the pale hand reaching out from the debris, Helena's thoughts immediately fled to that of Clarke.

 

"Clarke!?" Helena shouted in fear. She raced to the hand and held onto it with one of her own in an attempt to pull the person out.

[Sanctified Absence 126]

Zaddion gently shook his head, signifying that his attention wasn't out of hunger. "I..." a shiver went up his spine, some odd images went though his head before fading quickly. Something about a... He didn't remember. "I wanna see the fruit, the colours and the shapes."

 

His little eyes craved for information, though even he didn't notice why. There was something more to the world that he could see or touch, and his mind subconsciously yearned for the unseen. In childish innocence, the child Mage followed these feelings without guidance or true reason "Can you help me? I want to see them all."

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla visibly softened and relaxed at Roberts demand. She kept her eyes trained on Adrass though, still weary he would make his decision.

 

"He's right, you know. The princess would heal from the wound and probably run back in here by herself." Tulla stated. 

 

Zaddion was acting strangely and Tullas head wasn't in the right place. She was so tired...and now the other mage was more zoned out than usual. "Zaddion...? 'Ello! ZADDION!" she yelled at him, refusing to move from her spot. Tugg blinked slowly, watching the humans bicker like they usually did. He yawned and stretched, cracking the toes on his paws and turned away. Stupid humans. Always yelling about something.

 

Whisper was already sleeping again, she felt much too weak. Keeping Clarke alive had taken it's toll on her untrained body. Seeing his ghost made her lose hope. She had failed. With a small 'thunk' her forehead rested on the side of the cart and she was out cold.

[Torrent505 370]

@@Sanctified Absence

The woman nodded, "Okay little one, up you go." She hefted him up so he rested against her waist and could look over the fruit and vegetable stands.

 

Subconsciously Zaddion's mind still struggled with the inconsistencies, the woman seemed bright and warm but her touch was cold and her skin was clammy. The produce of the market all looked amazingly fresh and delicious, except the fruit and vegetables at the edge of sight and underneath were rotten and molded but wherever he examined or focused they were once again fresh and pristine.

 

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@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace @ @@Shadow Dancer

Zaddion's body continued to ignore, Tulla's calls and wandered further from the campsite.

 

Finn gave Whisper's face a lick before he nudged a bit under her forehead to act as an impromptu warm pillow.

 

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@@Dji

Helena pulled the THING lose from the debris and her mind went to war with itself. The thing was a human sized coin purse, the pale arms were its draw strings and huge teeth lining the bags opening with two eyes shining like gold coins from the darkness inside. But it wasn't any coin purse, it was her coin purse from when she was an orphan wandering the streets picking pockets to make a living, she could remember it clearly how she would hold it close full of ill gotten gains...

 

But no she wasn't an orphan, she had Mother and Father. She wasn't a thief, she was a good well behaved girl. Her thoughts spun round and round as the TheifsPurse tightened it's grip on her arm. Hot breath smelling of metal and grime washed over her as it continued it's heavy gasping, now the sound was joined by gurgling and the grinding sound of rubbing two coins together. It's pale arms pulled her towards the opening; half her mind screamed at her that she had stolen so much in her life and this THING was revenge, it was here to steal her life.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Torrent505

[Sekel 685]

@@Torrent505

Helena uttered an oomph when she pulled the thing out of the debris. Now she wished she just turned around and forgotten about it. The thing looked like a human-sized coin purse with the arms acting as draw strings. "No ... I can't ... this isn't ..." Helena said frantically as she tried to get her hand out of the draw string's tightening grip. 

 

The more she tried, the more she remembered the things she's stolen over the course of her life. But that wasn't possible. She had Mother and Father. She wasn't an orphan! She's never stolen anything in her life so far. "NO! I've never stolen anything!" Helena shouted at the creature, trying to get her arm free.

 

As the hot breath washed over her, she coughed and some more memories flashed of the thrill of running and hiding from angry shopkeepers every time she was spotted stealing. "Maybe this is revenge ..." Helena mumbled as the hot breath threatened to overwhelm her and send her into a deep sleep. As she felt her eyes close, her grip slackened on the red book she picked up earlier and it fell to the floor with a dull thud.

[Flying Ace 142]

@@Torrent505,@@Sanctified Absence,

Dresden looked quickly between Adrass and Tulla and Zaddion deciding which might need him more. "Zaddion! What are you doing?" Dresden ran over to catch up with the wandering mage who was getting closer to the edge of the camp. "Zaddion, what's gotten in to you?" Dresden put a hand on his shoulder to try and shake the mage from his daze.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

Typically, everyone was intent on ignoring the true danger here and instead insisted on getting in his way instead. Adrass had been unnerved when he realised that he couldn't feel the aura of the Witches, but it was Tulla that triggered his next line of thought.

 

"I doubt it." He muttered. "I can't feel her aura. I couldnt place it at first but there's no magic here. Nothing at all, coming from anyone."

 

As the princess dropped with all the grace of a brick, his eyes glinted. They were wasting time - why did they insist on wasting time?

 

"I told you all that this place was cursed!" The Hunter shouted. "Nobody ever listens - get th princess, we need to leave. Right now."

 

He needed their attention, needed them to act... and why couldn't he shake this burdened feeling?

 

Lifting his arm again, this time he fired into the sky. The crack of the gunshot far louder than the exhausted man could hope to shout.

 

"Move! Get everyone moving. On the cart or the beasts or... or by the void, carry them if you have to! Why are you all still standing around?" He looked around towards Dresden and the lumbering figure of Zaddion. "Hold him down if you have to - don't let him get away!"

[Shadow Dancer 111]

I walked towards Zaddion and grabbed him by the arms as Dresden was shaking him. I then dragged him to the cart and put him in it and made sure he would not move. "There." I said relived that we could leave this damn forest, I could not even feel my magic when I reached for it that was not a good sign.

[Torrent505 370]

@@Sanctified Absence

Clarke walked slowly back through the town gates and down the cobble road, his eyes were downcast and his features were glum as he tried to think over what had just happened out in the fog. He just couldn't understand, it had to be the evils of whatever lurks out beyond and around the town. He needed to know more about it, and why he was having these flashes of some other... Clarke.

 

He decided his best course of action would be to search the library again so some sort of book on the fog or the super natural. There had to be an answer.

 

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@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace @ @@Shadow Dancer

Zaddion's body didn't struggle against Dresden or Indicus as they moved him back to the cart, he resisted slightly still trying to rise or push in the direction of Ashcreek.

 

As Adrass urged them to break camp and get moving a fog began to settle in around them.

 

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@@Dji

The TheifsPurse kept its on the little girls slightly struggling arm, pulling toward the open maw meaning to swallow her whole. Among the heavy breathing, grinding coins there was a hundred whispers in hundreds of different voices... "Thief." "Thief." "Somebody stop her." "Thief." "You little Thief." "Wait, where'd my coins go?" "Thief." "Brat when I get my hands on you." "Pickpocket." "Thief." "Come back here." "Hey you have to pay for that." "Thief."

 

It dragged itself forward toward Helena between the weak half broken shelves around them, the surface of the bag squirming like it was already half full of small bodies. It wasn't quite strong enough to pull her in but soon it would be upon her.

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla scowled and flinched at the gunshot. Looking back at Whisper she sighed.

 

"Fine" She growled. "We can't afford losing anybody else...especially Whisper. Tugg get up."

 

Tugg heaved himself up and shook the dirt from his coat and didn't complain as Tulla hooked him back up to the cart. Within a few minutes, the camp was packed up and the party started moving through the fog in the forest.

 

The mimic on Roberts shoulder remained eerily quiet, as if afraid of something. It looked ready to jump and skitter away at the slightest thing.

 

Zaddions crow was nowhere to be seen, it had abandoned him some time ago.

[Sekel 685]

@@Torrent505

Helena's eyes snapped open when she heard the whispers of people she stole from. "I'm not a thief!" Helena said, trying to deny what she truly was. She looked down at her feet for something to grab so that she could try and hit the hand that was holding her. Spotting tge red book she had picked up earlier, Helena grabbed it and with all her strength, tried to hit the hand so that it would let go while at the same time walking backwards.

[Torrent505 370]

@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace @ @@Shadow Dancer

As the group moved out into dark forest away from Ashcreek the fog began to grow thicker and thicker swirling around them until they had to press in tight to keep each other in sight. Something moved around them in the fog, light airy laugher came every so often with the sounds of a snapping twig or rustling leaves, it always came from a new direction as if they were being circled.

 

Despite their brief rest none of them seemed to have recovered any energy, they felt weak and tired. Each step ached and offered temptation to collapse and sleep. This was beyond normal fatigue something was draining them.

 

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@@Dji @@Sanctified Absence

The woman holding Zaddion looked at him quizzically, "Well young master, see anything you want? Or should I set you down?"

 

Clarke moved past the market place lost in thought, not looking about or really even seeing most of the world around him. He continued on and entered the library trying to think of where he should search next for the knowledge he needed.

 

The elderly librarian stirred him from his thoughts calling to him, "Oh Clarke, there you are! Your sister Helena was just here looking for you. I think she went down to the basement, you might want to go see what she had wanted." Clarke brightened at the news, he thought his older sister Helena was very cool. She knew how to fight and no one in town ever called her nerdy. Maybe she'd listen to his story an help him look too! "Okay I'll go find her, thanks Ms. Hendricks!" He started toward the stairs.

 

Helena used all her might to smack the hands gripping her arm. They released her sending her stumbling back away from it; it shook out it's hands before placing them on the ground and crawling after her with a thump, thump, thump as the bag like body tried to spring itself forward in hops. The fang lined opening now snapped open and shut urgently, giving up on swallowing her whole and merely wishing to bite off any pieces it could catch.

[Sekel 685]

@@Torrent505

Helena stumbled when she was released. She turned around as she stumbled, just wanting to get away from that THING. Her hand held the red book tkghtly as she found her way to the stairs. "Don't look back, don't look back." Helena kept whispering to herself. She ran to the stairs and then ran up them as well whereupon she crashed into Clarke, sending them sprawling to the ground while the book flew out of her hand to land nearby. Having her eyes closed, Helena didn't know that she had actually crashed into the person she was looking for. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not a thief, I'm not a thief." Helena kept whispering over and over.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Adrass.

 

'When I find my way out of this wretched place I must contact the Order - It must be burned to the ground and the land salted so that it never again turns foul...' The hunter found himself thinking - only half registering what was happening around him. His eyes were heavy and in danger of diaobeying his will to stay alert, or even open. 'Rally the Hunters and...'

 

'Rally who, exactly? Your precious, dying order?'

 

A second voice seemed to answer his dreamlike thoughts - female and familliar to him, both loved and loathed at the same time.

 

'Do you really think the hunters care about the greater good? I thought you might, but I was wrong wasn't I?' It asked. 'You might think that your loyalty to your feeble 'cause' is honorable, but really you're a traitor to everything that is good and right in this w...'

 

"It was you that betrayed me, Witch!"

 

Adrass jolted as his own voice snapped him out of his half-sleep: the waking dreams fading quickly To nothing but distant echoes in his mind. He shook his head and blinked widely several times.

 

"Sorry." He muttered to anyone who might have heard whatever misguided litany he had shouted. "I was nodding off. We nees to leave this place quickly. This foul magic is... exhausting. Please, feel free to strike me if I begin to fall behind."

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@, I sighed my body was aching but I pressed on I was drained of magic but it was just a minor irritation like not being able to have a treat at a bakery because your purse was light. I took Adrass's apology to us as an excuse to talk and distract myself, "No apology needed it's just more of this forest's magic working on all of us twisting memories into nightmares, and making sure were exhausted so it lasts even longer, best bet is just to carry idle chat to distract us from our weariness." 

[Torrent505 370]

@@RunsWithSquirlz @@Alex Kennedy @@Flying Ace @ @@Shadow Dancer

Robert was the first to collapse, he had been following the group half asleep for a while already; he simply tripped and fell and didn't rise but instead fell into the deep sleep like the other unfortunate victims.

 

The ghostly girl also chose this moment to step out of the fog ahead of the group, she grinned at them. "You all look so sleepy! I can help I know where you can stay in these dark spooky woods, but You're heading the wrong way though! Ashcreek is that way and we have plenty of nice comfy beds!" Her voice was sing song in tone.

 

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@@Alex Kennedy

Robert woke up in a beautiful garden surrounded by hedges, and with a spectacular tree fort on one side. He remembered falling asleep here, under the warm sunlight listening to comforting bird calls and beautiful singing. He was the son of a lord in Illia, in a town outside the forest, but he was visiting Ashcreek because he had an arranged marriage to the daughter of this towns lord. He could hear his sweet betrothed Abigail singing from inside the tree fort behind him, she was 7 and he was 8.

 

@@Dji

"Helena what's wrong? Settle down you're okay, you're okay! You're not a thief, I've never seen you steal anything your whole life!" Clarke hugged his sister, as they were stuck in a heap, trying to calm her down. "What happened?"

 

@@Sanctified Absence

The woman stared at the boy zoning out in her arms "young lord are you alright?"

[Flying Ace 142]

@@Torrent505,

"Guys...I feel funny..." Dresden said turning slowly to look at his group, "Don't... don't fall... asleep." Dresden tried his best to stay awake but the lack of sleep and the girl's honeyed words over came him. "Actually never mind...think I'll take a short nap." Dresden fell straight to the ground; knocked out cold before he even hit the ground.

[Sekel 685]

@@Torrent505

Helena hugged her brother back, glad that she toppled Clarke over and not some stranger. She tried to keep her tears in as she tried her best to explain what had happened. "I had gone down into the b-basement to look for you. Once I h-heard some h-heavy b-breathing, I thought it was you. I saw a hand poking out of some rubble after I picked up this book," Helena paused to point to the red book that was a few feet away from them. After pointing, she rolled off of her brother, sat up and continued.

 

"I grabbed the hand, pulled it out, it turned out to be a human-sized coin purse that kept muttering thief over and over." Helena explained, a scared look clearly evident on her face. Her eyes were wide and she had her hands cupping her face in an attempt to hide it from something. "It was ... I don't know ..." Helena said more quietly as she reached for the red book. She picked it up and held it tightly in an attempt to squeeze the life out of it.

[RunsWithSquirlz 274]

Tulla swayed backwards the feel of sleep hitting her hard. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so weary.

 

That giggle. The little girl.

 

She fell against the already slumbering Tugg. She wanted to fight it but she couldn't, her eyelids drooping low "Damn it all..."

 

She fell asleep.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

@@Torrent505,

 

((I'm not sure whether I should feel honored or somehow offended that my character was singled out as the first to collapse. I think I might know why you picked him, though.))

 

Robert yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, taking a moment to reflect on how beautiful life was. Between the pleasant surroundings and the sweet singing of his future bride he wanted for nothing here. Quietly humming along to Abigail's singing, he headed into the tree fort. His happiness ought to be shared with someone, and he could think of none better than the girl he was to marry.

[Shadow Dancer 111]

@@Torrent505,@,

 

I watched as our group was falling asleep one by one, and as I picked them up to put into the wagon I worked hard to not let the damn girl lure me to sleep as well and my conversation idea was all the more appealing. "Adrass, what is the Hunter's indoctrination process like? Omit any secrets about it if you must, but we need to stay awake."