2023-03-02 – O, sister, where art thou? – Sparks-in-Shade
Mar 3, 2023 16:27:50 GMT
Andy D likes this
Post by Gaz on Mar 3, 2023 16:27:50 GMT
Sparks-in-Shade stared in horror at the storm raging around him as he was slowly lifted into the air. Whirling winds and impenetrable mist surrounded him. Roiling darkness above. Inhaling sharply, he raised his hand and a gleaming battle-ax faded into existence, gripped tightly in Sparks's feathered fist.
Thirty feet below him, Sparks could see Kelne, Tayz and Felix tending to a scattered group of wounded elves. In their midst, Dwirhian stared in shock at the lifeless body of her older sister Liavri.
Sparks glanced at his familar Mac, a large Raven with silver-tipped wings and glowing blue eyes. Mac looked exhausted. The effort of trying to fly safely in this storm was taking its toll on Sparks's old friend. Another reason to hurry, and not fail.
"We need to let the healers do their work." Sparks shouted, straining his voice to rise above the roaring tempest. "If they take another hit, Kelne, Felix and Tayz won't be able to save Liavri and the others. So it's on us to draw the lightning away." Keeping his battle-ax aloft, he winced as he saw a great bolt of lightning arcing toward him.
A bright flash. A sound like the earth splitting apart. Then nothing.
Dwirhian had paid for teleportation to Galavir. The wilds around the Sunset Spines are filled with dangers, so she had assembled this group as trusted backup for the journey. On the way she had explained a little about the history. Liavri was Dwirhian's rather headstrong older sister. She had departed years ago to locate their father, and Dwirhian hadn't seen her since. She had received word that Liavri had been seen near Galavir, and was chasing down the lead.
Dwirhian's contact in Galavir was an older elf called Erceran. Blue-skinned just like Dwirhian, Erceran lead the group up into the mountains to meet one of Dwirhian's contacts: Ethelex. This Great Brass Dragon chose human form for the meeting. Ethelex kindly tried to help the companions locate Liavri, however 's the ancient creature's evasive way with words left Felix and the others frustrated from trying to understand its many contradictory meanings.
The only clear advice that Ethelex gave was "Don't touch metal". That was easy enough to understand.
Sparks would wilfully disregard the dragon's wisdom before their task was complete.
Such was the inscrutability of Ethelex's advice, that the group decided that even the capricious gods would be a more reliable source of information. Kelne and Tayz both communed with their deities - Tymora and Horus respectively - and miraculously were able to determine an approximate location for Liavri. She was close.
The combined divine guidance of two deities lead them across the plains of Galavir and into a great mist. Felix bravely entered ahead of the others while Tayz spent a moment handing sacred feathers to the other adventurers. The protection of these feathers would prove useful later.
Deep within the mist, Dwirhian's companions encountered a merchant. Rigs the kobold had travelled all through the mist scavenging items from the ground. In exchange for their custom, Rigs not only agreed to part with his entire inventory but also to accompany the group to the last place he had seen Liavri.
Pressing on through the seemingly endless mist, the adventurers became aware that the wind was growing stronger, and scatterd spots of rain had begun to fall around them. Moving ever deeper thanks to Rigs guidance and the advice of the gods, the weather grew more hostile. Thunder filled the sky as lightning stabbed the ground, blinding and vicious, wounding them all as if to remind them of nature's unstoppable power.
In the centre of the maelstrom, they found her. Liavri. Dwirhian saw her first, lying on the ground motionless. Surrounded by the dead and dying, Liavri had been struck down by the pitiless storm that had tried to claim the companions. The gods had smiled on this group. Both Tayz and Kelne saw their chance to draw on their divine gifts and return life to storm's victims.
But they needed a distraction. And Sparks had a plan. All he needed was some metal. His battle-ax would have to do.
A bright flash. A sound like the earth splitting apart. Then nothing.
Sparks felt consciousness creeping back. The first sense to return was the smell of burning feathers. His own, he suspected. Next came the sensation of rain on his face. Finally he opened his eyes to see Tayz standing above him, holding out a clawed hand to help him up. Sparks grasped his friend and felt tenderness on his hand where the lightning had travelled down the shaft of his ax. In Spark's other hand was a quill, its barbs all burned away. Tayz's sacred feather from when they had entered the mist. It had worked.
Sparks stood up slowly. A little way from the main group he could see Dwirhian and Liavri in the embrace of siblings reunited after years apart. He looked at Tayz and smiled through tired eyes. Liavri had been found.
Thirty feet below him, Sparks could see Kelne, Tayz and Felix tending to a scattered group of wounded elves. In their midst, Dwirhian stared in shock at the lifeless body of her older sister Liavri.
Sparks glanced at his familar Mac, a large Raven with silver-tipped wings and glowing blue eyes. Mac looked exhausted. The effort of trying to fly safely in this storm was taking its toll on Sparks's old friend. Another reason to hurry, and not fail.
"We need to let the healers do their work." Sparks shouted, straining his voice to rise above the roaring tempest. "If they take another hit, Kelne, Felix and Tayz won't be able to save Liavri and the others. So it's on us to draw the lightning away." Keeping his battle-ax aloft, he winced as he saw a great bolt of lightning arcing toward him.
A bright flash. A sound like the earth splitting apart. Then nothing.
Dwirhian had paid for teleportation to Galavir. The wilds around the Sunset Spines are filled with dangers, so she had assembled this group as trusted backup for the journey. On the way she had explained a little about the history. Liavri was Dwirhian's rather headstrong older sister. She had departed years ago to locate their father, and Dwirhian hadn't seen her since. She had received word that Liavri had been seen near Galavir, and was chasing down the lead.
Dwirhian's contact in Galavir was an older elf called Erceran. Blue-skinned just like Dwirhian, Erceran lead the group up into the mountains to meet one of Dwirhian's contacts: Ethelex. This Great Brass Dragon chose human form for the meeting. Ethelex kindly tried to help the companions locate Liavri, however 's the ancient creature's evasive way with words left Felix and the others frustrated from trying to understand its many contradictory meanings.
The only clear advice that Ethelex gave was "Don't touch metal". That was easy enough to understand.
Sparks would wilfully disregard the dragon's wisdom before their task was complete.
Such was the inscrutability of Ethelex's advice, that the group decided that even the capricious gods would be a more reliable source of information. Kelne and Tayz both communed with their deities - Tymora and Horus respectively - and miraculously were able to determine an approximate location for Liavri. She was close.
The combined divine guidance of two deities lead them across the plains of Galavir and into a great mist. Felix bravely entered ahead of the others while Tayz spent a moment handing sacred feathers to the other adventurers. The protection of these feathers would prove useful later.
Deep within the mist, Dwirhian's companions encountered a merchant. Rigs the kobold had travelled all through the mist scavenging items from the ground. In exchange for their custom, Rigs not only agreed to part with his entire inventory but also to accompany the group to the last place he had seen Liavri.
Pressing on through the seemingly endless mist, the adventurers became aware that the wind was growing stronger, and scatterd spots of rain had begun to fall around them. Moving ever deeper thanks to Rigs guidance and the advice of the gods, the weather grew more hostile. Thunder filled the sky as lightning stabbed the ground, blinding and vicious, wounding them all as if to remind them of nature's unstoppable power.
In the centre of the maelstrom, they found her. Liavri. Dwirhian saw her first, lying on the ground motionless. Surrounded by the dead and dying, Liavri had been struck down by the pitiless storm that had tried to claim the companions. The gods had smiled on this group. Both Tayz and Kelne saw their chance to draw on their divine gifts and return life to storm's victims.
But they needed a distraction. And Sparks had a plan. All he needed was some metal. His battle-ax would have to do.
A bright flash. A sound like the earth splitting apart. Then nothing.
Sparks felt consciousness creeping back. The first sense to return was the smell of burning feathers. His own, he suspected. Next came the sensation of rain on his face. Finally he opened his eyes to see Tayz standing above him, holding out a clawed hand to help him up. Sparks grasped his friend and felt tenderness on his hand where the lightning had travelled down the shaft of his ax. In Spark's other hand was a quill, its barbs all burned away. Tayz's sacred feather from when they had entered the mist. It had worked.
Sparks stood up slowly. A little way from the main group he could see Dwirhian and Liavri in the embrace of siblings reunited after years apart. He looked at Tayz and smiled through tired eyes. Liavri had been found.
