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PostPosted: March 15th, 2007, 5:12 pm 
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Naidele glanced from Orindil to Khienro with worry filled eyes. It wouldn't be good if his wound began to fester and get infected. "Well," she said, voice full of determination and resolve, "We'll just have to make sure that that doesn't happen." She continued to press the cloth down on Khienro's wound. The bloodflow was slowing now, but it had not yet stopped.

"I suppose we must be going soon," she said to him after a few moments of silence, "But I want to make sure you'll be okay. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, Khienro."

Then she turned her head and her eyes landed on Nakaida. She drew a quick intake of breath. Nakaida appeared dizzy, swaying a bit as she knelt at the water's edge. Bright blood colored her tunic. "That blood flow needs to be stopped," she said with alarm, stating the obvious, "Nakaida, how bad is it?"

But before her sister could reply, something strange happened. Naidele's eyes went out of focus, and her hands dropped away from Khienro's wound. Suddenly, she was no longer seeing the surroundings that her companion's were. She was in a dim stone cell. A prison, it appeared to be.

Her eyes were drawn to the only light in that dark, dank room. A woman in a brilliant white dress was laying in the back corner, and despite her obviously exhausted state, she emitted a glow. Tears sprang to Naidele's eyes. She knew that woman better than she knew anybody else. The Goddess.

Naidele immediately dropped to her knees before the beautiful diety before her. "Mother," she wept, "Mother, it's been so long!"

She felt warm hands in her hair, soothing her. "Hush, child," came the Mother Goddess's melodious voice, "Hush now. You must listen to me. Naidele look at me." Unable to do anything but obey the compelling voice, she looked up. "I'm a prisoner here," the Goddess continued, ignoring Naidele's shock, "Here on the Isle. You must get to Navhieri. Quickly! It is of the utmost importance that you get there as soon as possible. You and Nakaida. There is a portal there that will bring you here. Do not ask me where it is. You will feel its draw when you are close. You and Nakaida must come here and help me. Okandar lives."

"Lives?!" Naidele exclaimed, although that was what she and her companions had been suspecting for a time, "But we...."

"No, you did not," The Goddess replied, "You tried, but he was simply banished. He was too powerful for you, but the three of us, we could...."

But then her voice began trailing off, and Naidele felt as if she were being pulled away. "No! No!" she exclaimed, sobbing, "Mother!"

"Hurry, Naidele!" the Goddess called, "Hurry!"

And then Naidele's vision was gone. She was on her knees at the riverbank, tears running down her face as she mumbled, "Mother, Mother." She was heartbroken that the Mother Goddess was imprisoned but overjoyed at having seen her again, at knowing that the worst had not happened. Now, she had some answers. Now, she knew why it was so important that they get to Navhieri.

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Last edited by Artemis on March 15th, 2007, 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: March 15th, 2007, 7:10 pm 
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Khienro, whom had been wincing consistantly about every five seconds, maintained his pattern and winced again as Naidele rose and the sudden removal of pressure sent pain shooting through his chest once again. But his pained expression quickly turned into one of concern as his brows came together in a frown.

"Naidele?" He asked quietly, not wanting to ask too much of his body, "Naidele? Are you alright?" His voice gained no volume, but his worry was very evident in the question. As he stared at her intently, he jumped slightly when her voice rang through his head,

"Lives?!"

Although the word was quite random, and not exactly conclusive to what was happening, it sent shivers down Khienro's spine. Still staring, Khienro soon found that his arm had shot up to stop the collision course Naidele's form was headed for. Wincing once again, Khienro was simply glad his body was pardoned from the extra wieght. Once the keeper was safely on the ground, Khienro touched her shoulder,

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, "What happened?" Then he added, "And what lives?"

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PostPosted: March 17th, 2007, 5:21 pm 
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Naidele shook her head twice, trying to clear some of the cloudiness and confusion from her mind. They had to leave. It was vital that they waste no more time. She looked up when she felt Khienro's hand on her shoulder. She brushed away some of the tears that were still spilling from her eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out so she tried again. "Okandar," she said, "Okandar lives." She waited a moment for her words to sink in. "We didn't kill him. We banished him... or something of the sort. I'm not sure. But he's alive. He's alive, and he's on the Isle of the Goddess."

She stood and went to Nakaida. "Nakaida," she said softly, "I spoke with her. I spoke with the Goddess. She is a prisoner. That is why she hasn't been able to contact us. I don't know how she was just able to reach me." Naidele shook her head in disbelief, still trying to cope with the things that had happened. "She says it is dire that we make it to Navhieri quickly. There is some kind of a portal there that can take us to the Isle. We have to get back to the Isle so we can free her. And battle Okandar again."

She paused and looked down at Nakaida's bloodstained side. She bit her lip in worry and agitation. They couldn't press forward at the relentless pace that she thought necessary if it meant risking lives to do it. "Are you gonna be alright?" she asked.

-----

The Goddess collapsed back against the wall of her cell, her chest heaving with her heavy breaths. It had taken almost all that was left of her strength to summon Naidele. She had blindly reached out with her power, trying desperately to reach one of the Keepers. She was so relieved that she had been able to reach one of them. Naidele would convey her message to Nakaida.

It had been wonderful to see one of her 'daughters' again, and if not for the seriousness of their situation it would have been quite a joyous reunion. She had longed to draw the young woman to her and hold her in her warm embrace while assuring her that everything would be alright. But she couldn't give that assurance now. She didn't know if everything would be alright or not.

She pushed that thought out of her head as soon as it came. Of course, everything would be alright. They might have lost a battle, but they would win the war. She would see to that. Nakaida, Naidele, and herself would have the power to overcome in the end. They would prevail.

The three men traveling with the women had also proved to be formidable in their own ways. The fact that they of their own free will had decided to help in their cause showed how much courage they had. She would be sure to reward them greatly if- no when- they won this. Soon she would meet them in person, for now that she had spoken with Naidele they should be heading towards Navhieri at full speed. Hopefully, it wouldn't be long now.

The door to her cell swung open slowly, and a dark shadow filled the room. What little warmth that had been there was sucked out, leaving the room icy cold. As the black clothed figure came looming towards her, she felt her power diminishing even more. She almost shrank back in her corner but willed herself not to. No, she would not succumb to that yet.

"Well, well," Okandar said as he stood over her, "I thought I told you not to try to use your power, Goddess." He loaded scorn into the title, making her feel small and unimportant. "I told you there would be consequences."

"Do your worst," she spat, trying to regain some dignity.

He chuckled. "Oh, I plan to."

Then inexplicably she found herself face down on the hard stone floor of the other side of the room. Black spots danced in her vision, and she had to fight to maintain consciousness. Her body ached from the body rattling collision she had had with the floor. She weakly raised herself to look at him again. He wore a triumphant smile, happy at the fact that he had just used magic to throw the Mother Goddess herself across a room.

"I think the worst I can do to you," he said after a moment, "Is tell you exactly what I have planned for those two girls you call Keepers." He raised his eyebrows and smirked maliciously. "Where should I start?"

(LDM, I hope you don't mind that I played Okandar. I just wanted to get him back in there. You can still continue to play him if you want though.)

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PostPosted: March 17th, 2007, 7:31 pm 
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"Fine," said Nakaida, tone clipped. She didn't look up. Currently enough of her energy was being expended trying to keep her head from spinning uncontrollably. Some inner persistance drove her to attempt to bandage her side, vague thoughts of blood loss driving her on.

The Goddess. Imprisoned. Somehow the thought made Nakaida feel horribly helpless, as though the one thing she could trust in was suddenly compromised. She took a deep breath, teeth clenched against the dizzying pain in her side. She would not faint. She would not.

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PostPosted: March 17th, 2007, 7:43 pm 
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[it's all right]

Orindil's sharp gaze shot up from where he'd been inspecting Nakaida's wound. He'd thoroughly cleansed the gash, applied salve, and bound her entire chest. He saw now that she'd bitten her lip to stifle the impending cries of pain every time his fingers ran over the wound. Gently massaging her shoulder, he straightened and helped her to her feet.

"Curse it," he muttered under his breath. Though the recent events had seriously tried his faith, he'd dared to believe that it was not Okandar, but a new lesser evil pitted against them.

Just their luck.

The stakes were surmounting. Okandar couldn't directly channel his power from the Isle. He needed emissaries to do his bidding, and Orindil's mind flicked back to the clandestine conversation he'd overheard back in Northkeep. Mages, and powerful ones at that. Could they have summoned the elementals?

In any case, the only thing they were accomplishing now was to make foot-sized indentations in the grass beneath them. Making his way back to camp, he set to work burying the campfire's remaining ashes and erasing all evidence of their passing. That done, he untied their still jumpy horses and led them towards his companions.

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PostPosted: March 17th, 2007, 8:38 pm 
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Nakaida stood and held the reins of her horse, not wanting at all to mount. The twinges of pain in her side were not subsiding by anyone's definition. Gritting her teeth, the slender young woman hauled herself into the beast's broad back, heart sinking at the prospect of all the painful jolting to follow. The Goddess was in danger - she could stand a little pain.

Navhieri. That was what she needed to focus on.

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PostPosted: March 17th, 2007, 9:36 pm 
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Khienro sqoze his eyes shut. No. This couldn't be happening. Banishing the want to curse loudly and scream, Kheinro gritted his teeth.

"I take it we will be going to fix that problem then. As soon as possible I'd imagine." He said, rather a matter of factly, however serious the situation was.

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PostPosted: March 18th, 2007, 1:54 pm 
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Naidele's worry eased a little when Orindil began to take care of Nakaida's wounds. He had already proved that he was a skilled healer, having taken care of some of the other injuries they had earned during their travels, and Naidele was confident that Nakaida would be alright. Still, she could see the pain etched on her sister's features as she mounted her horse, and she wished there was something that could be done for her pain.

Naidele turned to Khienro when he spoke. She could tell he was still in pain too. She nodded. "Yes. There is no time to spare. Every second we waste is a second longer that the Goddess remains Okandar's prisoner." Anger welled up in her as she had this thought. To think about the Goddess imprisoned by Okandar nearly made her tremble with rage. It was blasphemy!

Silently she mounted one of the horses. She looked up at the sky. They still had a while before nightfall. If they left then, they could travel far before they had to stop again.

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PostPosted: March 19th, 2007, 10:37 pm 
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Khienro, though in a good amount of pain, soon found himself atop his horse, trying to catch his breath.

"If everything goes this way...." Khienro looked around, "Well... It's not going to be pretty, methinks." He leant forward, as if he had suddenly become sick, and groaned. Though his stomach was on fire with pain, he managed to murmur under his breath.

"Curse those bloody griffins..." He winced. Why? Why did things like this always seem to happen? Just like in all of the stories he adored as a boy, the 'heros' were badly injured in a battle, and they had to travel a long way. Of course, in the stories though, they always made it within a few days. And they didn't mention that the whole thing was a horrid pain in the gut. Literally.

"Lets just get out of here." Khienro grumbled, his stomach still keeping him bent over his horse.

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PostPosted: March 20th, 2007, 8:30 pm 
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"I don't think this was on the map," Orindil opined, gazing at the spectacle before him with more than a little worry. Wearied beyond reason and in no favorable mood for surprises, he slumped in the saddle and rubbed his temples.

They'd journeyed hard for the remainder of the day, pausing only at a secluded hamlet along the way. They'd restocked their supplies and paid a village shaman to tend their wounds. Feeling considerably better, they'd set out once again, striking a mountain range by mid-afternoon and skirting the foothills until nightfall. Montane scenary was breathtaking to say the least. Magnificent peaks, glistening snow, towering pines...

And a lake. A black lake whose glassy expanse stretched on for a mile like some mirror of death. Its ebony surface devoured the chaste moonlight like a bottomless oblivion. The land around the lake, formerly verdant and shining with a blanket of snow, appeared burnt as though a massive war engine had trampled it with fire. Even his bay mare, Spitfire, danced and trembled beneath him in trepidation.

Orindil dismounted and went to stand at the shore. He unsheathed his rapier and touched its tip to the water. An electric jolt raced up the blade and into his arm. Startled senseless, he nearly dropped his weapon into the lake. The rapier fell with a metallic clatter to the scorched ground.

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PostPosted: March 21st, 2007, 6:35 am 
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Naidele drew her eyebrows together as she looked at the fathomless black depths of the lake before them. Her skin crawled as she gazed at it, as if writhing under its taint. She could feel the evil from that lake, feel its malice. Obstacle after obstacle, Goddess why could things never be easy?!

She watched warily as Orindil dismounted and walked over to it. She prepared herself to help fight off any black beast or other hideous monster that rose up out of the depths. Not so long ago, she would have berated herself for such a thought. Monsters, of all things! But now her naive notions were disolved, and she realized that it was foolish to scoff at such things as monsters and beasts, for they could be very real indeed.

Naidele jumped when Orindil's rapier fell from his hand, clanging to the ground. She quickly dismounted. "What is it? What happened?" she asked fear and worry evident in her voice.

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PostPosted: March 21st, 2007, 1:14 pm 
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Khienro, though entranced by the strange sight before him, very visibly jumped as metal met ground. His face clouding with worry emedietly, he quickly dismounted his horse and went over to Orindil. Looking at the slightly shocked look on the elf's face, he tried to determine the problem. Honestly, he had never seeen Orindil like this, let alone any other elf he'd ever met.

"Orindil? Orindil are you alri-" his sentence was cut off when he touched the man's shoulder and a small, but painful amount of lingering electricity shot into his hand and halfway up his arm. Khienro briefly knew about electirc shock from working around metal for a long time. In fact, his master told him that he had nearly died a few years ago when he was out on patrol, standing in a treeless area with a metal tipped spear. But even without this, he knew that whatever it was was dangerous, painful, and possibly deadly. Looking down at his effected hand thoughtfully, he then looked back up at the others.

"Don't touch the water! It might kill you with direct contact." He looked even more worried now. "Orindil, are you alright?" He asked again.

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PostPosted: March 24th, 2007, 9:27 pm 
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Naidele moved closer to Khienro and Orindil, though she was careful not to touch either of them. She was relieved to see that they both seemed to be alright. There was that at least.

She turned her eyes back to the large expanse of water. It would take forever to get around it, and if it wasn't on the map as Orindil had said.... Did they even have a way to get around it? There was certainly no going through it. First of all, they didn't have boats. Then there was the fact that the water sent jolts of pain through anyone who had contact with it.

As the Goddess had said, Naidele had begun to feel the pull of the... portal... or whatever it was that would take them to the Isle. It was pulling her to the North. Directly across the lake. She lifted her finger and pointed in that direction. "That is where we need to go," she said, "I suppose we will just have to go around."

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PostPosted: March 24th, 2007, 10:07 pm 
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Khienro looked over at Naidele, wondering how on earth she could tell where they needed to go. And why that had to be across a black lake of deadly, murky, thick water. Touching the metal pommel of his sword, he winced slightly as the antisipated shock pricked his fingers. But, this would allow him to touch others without worry. Walking over to where Naidele stood, he gently, but definatly firmly took hold of either fore arm, leaning in to whisper in her ear so that his mouth was right by her ear.

"I know that you are a keeper... But please......" He briefly wondered if he was being foolish. Eh... probably. Oh well, too late now. "We could go around that... But I have a feeling that that lake runs underground as well. The ground might collapse underneath us as we go around it. And if you and Nakaida were to die and we couldn't free the goddesss..." He paused, and then rather suddenly stepped back to look at her shyly, feeling ashamed that he should so rashly stand up to a keeper. "I just want you to be sure."

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PostPosted: March 25th, 2007, 12:06 am 
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Naidele gently took Khienro's hands off her arms. "Trust me," she told him, "I can feel it. I don't know how far away it is, but I do know that it is in that general direction." She once again pointed out across the lake. "It's pulling me toward it."

She turned to Nakaida. "You can feel it too can't you?" she asked. The Goddess had said that they would both be drawn by the power of the Isle.

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PostPosted: March 25th, 2007, 2:28 pm 
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Khienro sighed and grit his teeth. He trused her. He trusted all of them. But why, why oh why did it have to be across the lake? Why couldn't it be beside the lake or in front of the lake. But no, it just had to be across the lake. Looking aprehensively at the pool of dark water still, Kheinro nodded in slightly stubborn defeat.

"Alright then. Lets just go before the lack of logic gets to my brain." He said, rather dryly, and headed off to the best looking road around the lake.

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