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[MantraSong]

He was wearing a cleverly colored outfit, dyed to blend in almost perfectly with his surroundings. Bethal suspected that if she didn?t know he was there, she would never have seen him. He was shorted than she was, about 5?5,? and he had a sharp, angular face, and pointy ears. She knew, instinctively, that this man was an elf.

They studied each other for a moment. ?Um, thanks for saving me,? she said finally. ?I?I guess I would be dead if you hadn?t helped me.?

He continued to look at her. She was strongly reminded of Gelrandir, except that he didn?t intimidate her the way Gelrandir did. There was something ? steady ? about him, calm, where Gelrandir had been intense.

?Right. I?ll just get going then. Thanks again for saving me,? she said, unnerved, and turned to walk away.

?You really need to be more watchful in the woods,? he said, behind her. ?You never do know what might jump out at you.? His voice was like liquid silver, turning the common tongue into the most beautiful language she had ever heard.

She turned around and smiled wryly. ?I think I know that now,? she said.

?It took you long enough to learn it.?

?What??

?You never know what monsters are waiting to waylay you, and some don?t look so monstrous.?

?What do you mean?? she asked, trying to remain calm, but her heart was racing.

He walked up to her, and placed his hand on her necklace. ?I think you know perfectly well what I mean.?

?N-no, no I don?t know what you mean.? Her voice was shaking.

?All the forest rangers know about the Painted One. No one knows much about him, only that he showed up there about five years ago, and stayed there. No one can get past his protections without his permission, and of those who have gone in, you are the first to come out alive, so I trust you will forgive me my curiosity.?

[Erephine]

Bethal looked to the ground "I... I don't want to speak about that"

"I understand." he said softly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Do you think you can walk till Beregost?"

"I think so." she said firmly "Thanks.... thanks again for saving my life."

She turned to walk down the road, but after a few slow and very painful steps it was clear that it had no use to deny the fact that she needed help. On her own, she would never make it to Beregost. Yet she fiercely kept walking, slowly, step by step - she did not want to appear weak and helpless to the handsome elf, although that was exactly as she felt. Nausea welled up inside her head and she stumbled. She heard steps behind her. He had followed.

"Let me help you" he said in a soft tone.

"I.. don't need help" she replied, but even to *her* it seemed little credible.

"You have lost much blood, and the wound is deep. You need help." he said, his voice now with a determined sound.

He tenderly put his arms around Bethal, and, as it seemed to her, almost effortlessly lifted her up from the ground. "There's no shelter anywhere near us - nobody lives in close proximity to the Painted One. I will have to carry you as far as Beregost." he said.

"But..." Bethal started, but he put his indexfinger on her lips. "Shh. No 'but's. You need a priest, and you know it." He said soothingly.

Edited by Lightspeed, 09 September 2004 - 04:57 PM.

[Deva]

The rest of the journey was pretty much uneventful. The elf carried her as if she weighed nothing, and his strides were long and even, giving her a pleasantly smooth ride. Bethal used the opportunity to study the elf?s flawless complexion. He kept is ice blue eyes forwards, and they took on an almost azure tint as the light faded and the sun began to set. She noticed his elongated ears twitch slightly, as a branch cracked and leaves rustled under the feet of wood-dwelling animals. The elf himself made no sound as he walked.

Bethal considered Gelrandir?s words. Was she really true trusting? Was this seemingly friendly elf leading her into danger? And more importantly? was she letting him do so. She took a small breath, as if to speak, but felt she didn?t have the heart to question him. He had helped her? and besides? if he was an enemy of Gelrandir, surely he could?ve just let her die?

She suddenly felt overcome by sleepiness. She yawned widely, and attempted to stretch her arms, throwing the elf off balance for a few seconds, in a brief flurry of hopping. He managed to keep her in his arms though, and with a slight colouring of the cheeks, and an ostentatious throat clearing, he stayed his course.

The moon was just beginning to show her pearl-white face when Bethal noticed the silhouetted shapes of buildings in the elf?s beguiling eyes.

?We are here, my amarillis.? He smiled, glancing down at her briefly. Bethal herself, however, was deep in sleep. Somehow, there seemed like there was something missing from within her? something black and hollow, which Gelrandir left behind. Something she would need back once she had killed Veltek.

[Erephine]

When Bethal woke up, she was lying on a small simple bed. The elf was sitting beside her on a small chair, his look was unnaturally distant. However, as he noticed Bethal waking up, with a sudden flicker of his eye lids, he was right there. "I see you've awakened. How do you feel?" he asked her.

With a quick check Bethal noticed the wound from the arrow was gone, as if it never had existed. "Wh.. Where am I?" was all she could ask.

"We're right east to Beregost, in Lathander's temple." he answered. "You had fallen asleep, so I asked the priest if you could stay for the night."

Bethal blushed "Sorry, I.. I didn't want to cause you that much inconvenience..."

"Don't worry, amarillis."

"What's your name?" Bethal suddenly asked.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd ask" he said smiling. "My name is Elandir, though most people refer to me just as Elan. I come from the Wood of Sharp Teeth."

"What were you doing around Beregost, if your home is the distant Wood of Sharp Teeth?" Bethal inquired, eager to find out more about him.

"Now, now. You still haven't told me *your* name..?" he replied with an amused look on his face.

Edited by Lightspeed, 11 September 2004 - 05:35 AM.

[Deva]

Bethal opened her mouth, to tell him, then closed it again. Elandir arched an eyebrow, intrigued. Was it really a good idea to tell him??

?Bethal.? She declared, after the short hesitation.

He nodded in approval, then smiled weakly. ?Trust me, amarillis, if no-one else.? Bethal nodded silently in reply. She did trust him, which was perhaps a good thing. His smile widened, and he gestured towards a plate of bread and cheese that lay on his lap. Bethal eyed it hungrily. She hadn?t really thought about eating since this morning.

?And as for your question, amarillis, I haven?t been to the Wood of sharp teeth for some time. I like it up here.? He paused, momentarily. ?It?s quieter.?

Bethal snorted. HER day had hardly been what could be described as quiet. Elandir sighed, inwardly, then absent-mindedly began flicking a piece of cheese around the plate. Just as Bethal thought it might be best to give his shoulder a sharp tap, or something to that effect, he snapped back. ?Anyway, amarillis, tell me where you are from, and then we may eat, for I am sure you are hungry.?

[Shed]

In between mouthfuls of Elandir's bread, cheese, and strips of cold meat, Bethal found herself telling the tall graceful elf her entire childhood story, right up to the point when she set out in the woods searching for adventure. She had not anticipated her tongue would be so loose.

Throughout the monologue Elandir sat unmoving and listening. Elves can listen very well, and it is perhaps because of this that she opened herself up to him; she withheld any information about her encounter with Gelrandir, however. She wondered at the similarity of the two names. Perhaps there was some connection between them? In any case, this handsome elf had been nothing but kindness to her so far.

"How did my wound heal so quickly?" she asked at length.

"Quickly? You have lain in the priests' care for many days. Yet the wound was not deep, and you are young, fit and healthy." he replied. "Come, perhaps you would fain walk with me soon?"

Edited by Shed, 13 September 2004 - 10:33 AM.

[MantraSong]

Bethal shrugged. She was comforatbly full, and was feeling a little restless. "Alright," she said, "sounds good to me"

Elrandir smiled. "Good," he said, rising and heading to the door, and opening it for her.

As they headed out into the courtyard, she said, "Could you tell me about yourself?"

He shrugged. "There is not much to tell, amarillis. I am a ranger. I patrol the forests around here, and try to keep the monster population under control, and protect innocents like yourself from getting into too much trouble."

She stiffened for a minute, then shugged. He was right, she supposed, she was an innocent who had a tendency to get in trouble. She had a brief vision of Gelrandir's dark eyes, before she shook it off.

"What is this?" he said suddenly, touching the necklace Gelrandir had given her. "It practically glows with magic, and I have never seen it's like before."

She froze. Some gut instinct - or compulsion - told her not to tell him what it was, but her mind refused to come up with a decent story. "Its personal," she said a moment later, coldly, "and none of your business."

He looked at her, expressionless, for a long time. "If I were any less honerable," he said finally, "I would remind you that I did save your life, and I have some right to know, considering who you came from. But I am honerable, and, as long as you can promise me that it is not a threat to me, or to this place, I will be content."

[Deva]

Bethal feigned nonchalance, but could tell that Elandir was serious. ?It isn?t a threat to you? I don?t think.? She replied, eyes fixed on the gravel path. Elandir paused for a second, eyeing Bethal suspiciously, before nodding, with a brief, unsure smile.

The two continued on in silence for some time. The sun seemed to have risen some hours ago, and the frosted fingers of the night seemed still to be desperately trying to maintain their icy hold, although gradually submitting to the orange sunlight. The gardens in the temple were very beautiful, and both Bethal and Elandir knew that words were not needed between them. It was enough for both to enjoy their surroundings in a mutual, companionable silence. The Clerics of Lathander would smile as they passed, and many seemed to be acquainted with Elandir, if not well.

Eventually, as they neared the edge of the courtyard once more, Elandir suddenly turned to face her, his face less gaunt having been exposed to sunlight. Bethal was somewhat shocked at the difference. He must have been sitting by her bedside for a long time. ?So, amarillis? what business did you have in Beregost, might I ask??

[MantraSong]

I've been meaning to get this posted for a while, just never got around to it, thanks Hishi
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This, at least, she could answer honestly. ?I am looking for companions to adventure with,? she answered honestly.

?I see,? he said, after a moment. ?And just how do you plan on going about finding them??

To be honest, she hadn?t really thought about that, she realized. She had just assumed that they would appear. After all, the stories never told how people like Drizzt got their groups, they just?were. She felt herself blushing as these thoughts flashed through her brain, and she looked away to hide it.

Elandir saw it all in her eyes, however, and hid a smile. He could tell that she wasn?t very good at thinking things through, so he decided to give her a lesson. ?I suppose,? he said, allowing his voice to be filled with disgust, ?that you didn?t think about that. You just thought they would come up to you at the city gates and say, ?Hello, Bethal, I?d like to adventure with you,? didn?t you? Or did you even give it that much thought? Did you just think that they would appear, as if magically summoned??

With each question, her face grew more red, until it resembled a turnip. ?How would I know?? she demanded angrily. ?It?s not like they tell you that in tales!?

?Tales?? Elandir demanded, incredulous. ?Tales? I see. You were planning on having great adventures, being famous, and showered with lots of gold.? He gave her a look of disgust, ?Go back home, little Bethal. Tend to a craft, or a farm, until you learn the value of common work. It?s a lot less dangerous for people like you than *adventuring.*?

He had planned the sting to be telling her to go home, and was stunned by the response she gave. ?I can?t,? she said stung. ?I?m oath-bound, practically geased to a quest. I can?t go home.?

He paused, and looked at her, then at her necklace. ?I see,? he said, quietly. ?And just what is the nature of this quest??

She shrugged, helpless. ?I can?t tell you,? she whispered.

After a moment, he nodded. ?Come with me, amaryllis, we need to talk.?

[Erephine]

He led her to the edge of a small nearby forest. From there, they were completely hidden to anyone looking for them in Beregost. Softly he gripped her arms, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"What is your connection with the Drow, amarillis?"

"Wha.. What?" her voice refused to obey, and so only a whisper came from her throat.

"Do you think me a fool? You don't need to be an expert to tell this is an artifact made by the dark folk" he said glancing at her necklace.

"I didn't ... know" she replied in a low voice

"Oh of course!" Elandir exclaimed angrily "You're just *accidentally* wearing a *Drow* necklace, and you don't know what it is, hmm?"

He paused. The silence seemed to overwhelm her and swallow everything around them. Bethal almost wished he'd continue shouting at her. Suddenly she noticed she had been wrong: It wasn't completely silent. There was *something*.... something else... which didn't belong. It was whispering... whispering to her. A sudden move of Elandir broke the spell.

He looked down and with an absolutely serious and solemn voice he continued "Who do you want to fool, amarillis? You're one of them, aren't you? I should have known. How could I possibly fall for your innocent appearance..."

The world seemed to flicker in front of her eyes, and suddenly an almost unimaginable rage overcame her. With a quick movement, her elbow sped up, and the hit elf fell tripped and fell in surprise. Kill. She wanted to kill him. A hard kick against his head and he was unconscious. With blind rage, she repeatedly hit the helpless elf, a small rivulet of blood dripping from his head on the rocky ground. Something inside her screamed. It screamed for blood and murder... With a scream of pure hatred and fury she turned and ran deeper into the woods.

Her head seemed to be exploding with pain, and she fell on the hard ground. It was not until now that she realized what she had done. Cowering on the floor she raised her head and wept. "Why?" she asked herself between sobs "Why?"

She closed her eyes, and as darkness engulfed her an image shimmered in front of her... the image of a face. It was Gelrandir's face. The image became clearer, and she could make out his expression. He was furious.

[Shadowhawke]

"You... fool..."

Gelrandir's eyes stared into her, rage flaming in their depths. "I can't believe I trusted you! You said you would help! You..."

This time, Bethal would have none of it. "I can't believe you!" she shrieked at the hazy image. "I was willing to do this quest for you... even though I don't know who you are!! For all I know, Veltek is good and you're evil! And... and... you've made me kill the person that saved me!"

"Are you getting a soft spot, little one?" Gelrandir laughed harshly. "Bethal, you're farr too inexperienced. You haven't killed him. He'll wake up in a few hours... with his memory completely wiped."

"And I suppose you're going to do that too?" Bethal demanded. "He saved my life!"

"So did I," Gelrandir spat. "In case you hadn't realized, amarillis, all elves hate the drow. He was close to killing you. Or at least hampering m... our mission."

"Well? Why did you give me a drow necklace in the first place?!"

"Because Veltek is a drow! I had to disguise it somehow!" Gelrandir shouted back at her. "Damn it... you have to go to the Underdark."

Bethal's jaw dropped. "Wha... what?!"

"You heard me," Gelrandir said coolly, the flame still burning in his eyes. "Now forget the elf. I'll take care of him."

"Don't kill him," Bethal pleaded. "Please..."

"I'm not like Veltek," Gelrandir snapped. "I have no intention of killing him."

"What are you going to do with him, then?" Bethal demanded. "Chain him to you like me?!"

Gelrandir started to answer, but then his eyes widened in surprise, and then suddenly, his image vanished. Bethal was left on the forest floor, her right hand clenched around the Drow necklace, her bloodied face opened wide in shock.

[MantraSong]

As her shock began to fade, her brain reasserted itself, and began asking questions. She didn?t know how much of Elandir?s memory Gelrandir would remove, but she had to assume that he would not remember ever seeing her. That presented a few problems. The first one was that all of her things were still in the temple, and they probably expected her to leave with him. Another was that, if he found his way back to the temple ? and she had to assume he would ? they would quickly figure out that something had gone badly wrong, and the blame would probably fall on her.

?Not that it wouldn?t be justified,? she muttered as she got up, her brain presenting several conclusions at once. First, she had to beat Elandir back to the temple and get her things. Second, she needed to come up with a good reason for them splitting up. Thirdly, she had better figure out how to disguise both her identity, and the identity of her necklace.

She began walking back, following the path of broken branches she had left behind in her desperate flight, carefully skirting around the place where Elandir lay. As she walked, she began thinking up her story, putting off the unease she felt to the general wrongness of the whole situation. When she got back, she told the clerics that they had been attacked by a strange beast-man, a being that seemed like he was half-bear, or something like it. She lead the clerics to him, forcing herself to hide her discomfort, then made her excuses about needing to continue on her journey, saying that he could no doubt find her if he wanted to.

She walked out of the temple calmly, and forced herself not to look back as she set off back on the road to Beregost. Suddenly she stopped, as a thought that had been hanging in the back of her mind crystallized: If Veltek was a Drow, what was he doing on the surface, or worse, what had Gelrandir been doing in the Underdark?

[Deva]

Her quiet moment of contemplation was ended somewhat abruptly. A heavy breathing behind her. She dared not turn round? whatever had happened was almost certainly her fault. She knew it was him. It had to be. The softness of the steps, the irregular pattern of the breath. She knew it was coming, but when she felt the long hand grasp her wrist, it still came as a surprise. She turned to face him, but found she could not look him in the eye.

Her eyes moistened, and she felt his finger brush against her chin, tilting her face upwards. She opened her eyes. It was horrible. His face? bruised and battered, blood pouring down across his lips. ?I ? I know? your face.? He murmured simply, scanning her features. They stood for what seemed like an age.

A Grey miasma was forming amidst the tightly packed trees of the forest by the time she broke away from Elandir?s grip. He reached out, as she turned away, grabbing at her arm. ?Wait?? He pleaded. She couldn?t stand it? she couldn?t bear it any longer. Before he had been dignified? handsome?

Now? Now? Now he was this. Battered, a pale imitation of his former self. ?You?re? you?re the only person I know? Please, don?t leave me??

She couldn?t leave him? but there was no way she could return him too the temple in this state? but perhaps there was a small chance the priests could restore his memory... but if they did, what would he say? Would he blame her? The nagging part of her, which was possibly Gelrandir?s, was saying yes.

[Shadowhawke]

Damn you, Gelrandir. How could you do this?

Bethal let her eyes travel over Elandir's face. By the Gods... it was a miracle that he'd gotten up so quickly. Let alone track her down to follow her. Angrily, she studied him once again. The bruises and the blood stained his fair skin, combined with dirt. The sun was sinking slowly behind him, and the colored light threw his injuries into sharp relief. It almost made her start crying again.

Damn you... what do I do now?!?!?!

"Don't you have any other words in your inventory besides 'damn you'?"

Bethal swung around, almost stumbling into Elandir. Quickly, he supported her. "Are you okay?"

"I don't think it's a question of whether I'm okay..." Bethal had the time to murmur, before the voice rung in her head again.

"Indeed, I highly doubt I deserve to be damned. I have found quite a useful companion for you, have I not?"

"What?!" Bethal shrieked. "After making me near kill him and wiping his memory?!"

"Of course. He will recover his memories in due time, don't worry. Enough to be useful to you. Despite your *many* skills, you still cannot do this alone."

Bethal was stung at his sarcasm. "Damn you."

"You're going to have to learn some new curses."

"Whatever. But what happens when he recovers his memories?"

The sudden image of Gelrandir smiling in the darkness thrust itself into her mind, and she nearly stumbled again at the shock of it.

"Don't worry. He'll know it was me."

Bethal went very, very, cold. It seemed that, whether she liked it or not, Elandir was now under Gelrandir's spell as much as she was.

Edited by Shadowhawke, 27 September 2004 - 05:22 PM.

[Erephine]

Bethal looked out the window at the dark, windy night. They had rented two small rooms in Feldepost's Inn in Beregost, to stay for the night and equip themselves for the travel the next day. A few hours ago, she had (not quite to her liking) used the necklace to try and communicate with Gelrandir, and indeed she had reached him, and explained to him as to why she could not talk to him earlier. At the thought that Bethal had been lying wounded in the temple (and thus didn't contact him) instead of running away ignoring his quest he had calmed down a bit. Finally she laid down, and fell into an uneasy sleep. She dreamt of swords, ghostly swords that pierced her heart causing the most horrible pain she could imagine.... yet they didn't leave any wounds... she dreamt of horses. Barbarian warriors were riding them - they were chasing something. It was her. They were chasing *her*. Their swords seemed to grow larger, nearly reaching her, and moving closer with every moment that passed.

She sat bolt upright as she woke up bathed in cold sweat, but the uneasy feel would not go away. She could feel the riders chasing her. Wearily she stood up and dressed. It was still dark outside, but she couldn't sleep anymore... no, that was not correct ... she feared sleeping any more. It was completely quiet in the inn as she brushed her hair and descended the old wooden stairs creaking with each step. It was dark downstairs. Slowly she walked along the many tables. The smell of beer and food was still lying heavily in the air.

The silence was disrupted by a small noise. She tried to think what might cause the now distinct crackling noise. It sounded like.... footsteps, yes, that was it. Light footsteps, careful not to cause any noise, on the gravel way leading to the inn's entrance. With her heart racing, she walked up to the door and looked through the small window embedded in it.

Edited by Lightspeed, 02 October 2004 - 08:06 AM.

[Shed]

Through the misted glass, she could see a dark figure moving towards the inn door. He was robed in muddy brown, the hood covering his face. Large, practical boots reached up almost to his knees. Bethal could just about see his breath blown away by the strong whistling wind.

When he reached the shelter that the porch provided, he raised his hands to remove his hood, but the angle of the window prevented Bethal from seeing his face. The doorknocker cracked three times on the oak door. Bethal did not move. After a pause, the knock came again, more insistently. Looking around for the innkeeper, and wondering who could be travelling at this time of night, she hesitantly moved towards the door, unfastened the locks, raised the latch, and opened the door a fraction. She peered into the darkness into the face of-

[Erephine]

She peered into the darkness into the face of - almost making her choke - the bony and emotionlessy grinning face of a skeleton. A deep purple glow was radiating from the empty eye sockets, and as she stumbled back from the door in shock, it quietly slipped through the ajar door, revealing the unnaturally shaped body clad in robes from the shadows. As she staggered backwards, Bethal desperately sought for something to use as a weapon and picked up a left over bottle still standing on one of the tables. With as much force as she could, she threw it at its skull, but it merely bounced off and shattered on the ground. The figure made no direct attempt to attack her, but slowly kept - the robes dragging along the floor behind it - approaching her, the purple in the eye sockets unearthily flickering with evil. She wanted to scream, to call for help, but she found her voice completely unwilling to comply. Standing with her back against the cold stone wall, she had now reached the back of the inn. Suddenly there was a burnt smell in the air, and to her horror she noticed little flames licking over the wooden floor and tables, small streaks of smoke curling their way up the cool, unmoved air. The skull came to rest only inches from her face, and the world exploded in a colourful ball of fire and lightning.

With a jolting pain winding its way through her head her vision snapped back into focus. She was lying on the wooden floor, a limp figure huddled up against the wall. The first thing she noticed was Elandir's worried face, repeatedly asking "Are you alright? What happened?" and softly shaking her head. Other people were standing around her as if this was some kind of exposition in a museum. Still shaking, she sat up.

"Wh... what happened?" was all she could ask. Most of the people moved on, seemingly disappointed that she was alright and the attraction was over.

"You must have fallen unconscious, amarillis." he replied.

The visions came back to her. "No, no! There was a.... a skeleton... came in the night and...."

"You must have had a bad dream" the elf tried to calm her, but she insisted "It was real! I... I was walking around the tables when I heard footsteps. I opened... the door, and let it in."

"But the door is closed and locked," he gestured to the door "-- look, the inn-keeper hasn't even opened it yet."

Incredulous she looked at the door, which was indeed closed and locked as it had been when she had first walked down the stairs. "But... the glass... a bottle shattered... there must be glass shards lying across the floor."

She could see his face growing more and more worried. "There are no glass shards, amarillis -- calm down, it was only a bad dream."

Slowly she got up, Elandir supporting her as well as he could. Her jaw dropped as she saw the bottle on the table. It was whole, and still standing exactly where it had stood the night before. There were no scorch marks where the flames had burned the tables. Almost bursting out in tears she flung her arms around the tall elf and wept.

Edited by Lightspeed, 12 October 2004 - 02:22 PM.

[Shadowhawke]

The dream of the skeleton haunted her... if that was what it was. Calmly, Elandir walked next to her as they continued into the wilderness, having left Beregost some time ago. They hoped to reach Nashkel in two days' time, but Bethal had more interesting things to brood about. What had the skeleton meant? She was almost certain that no dream could be that detailed... that vivid. She was tempted to brush it aside as a nightmare, but couldn't. Perhaps... perhaps a hallucination? Or a deluded vision?
Or... or a premonition? A warning?

Bethal went cold as the possibilities hit her. Stopping suddenly, she fumbled for her necklace, but then stopped. Gelrandir wouldn't have sent it, she knew that for certain. So he'd probably have no idea what it was about. Besides, she decided that she'd rather avoid talking with him at the moment. His swinging moods scared her. She couldn't understand how he could shift from arrogant tyrant to apologetic friend, and then to a mysterious rebel so quickly. He was fighting for right; she was fairly certain of that, despite the accusations that she'd hurled at him earlier. Her intuition just told her that he wasn't evil... and her gut feelings had never been wrong before.

"Bethal? What's wrong?"

Bethal shook herself out of her reverie as she realized she that when she'd stopped, she hadn't resumed walking again. "Nothing, Elandir," she smiled hesitantly, remembering the comfort of his arms. She walked quickly to catch up with him.

They travelled in silence for a while, Bethal's thoughts once again a turmoil, but now with added worries about the elf that was at her side. She...

"Wait," Elandir held up a hand, his elven ears pricked. "I..."

A second later, his voice was drowned out, as something big, tall, heavy, and incredibly putrid, lumbered out of the surrounding woods with a roar.

[Deva]

The great lumbering beast bore a striking resemblance to a giant, walking, pile of rotten flesh. It's beady black eyes bore into Bethal, as it limped towards her, it's muscle held in place by a mere scrap of tendon. Bethal seemed paralysed. It's deformed face split into a grin, showing rows of yellow teeth as it raised and arm, stretching out it's skeletal fingers to brush her neck.

'Get away, Bethal!' Cried Elandir, and leapt forward, burying his spear into the creatures gut. It cried out in pain, and oily blue blood spilled onto the earth, with an unpleasant hissing noise. The creature flailed an arm, a broken fingernail knitting a crimson gash in the flawless skin of his neck. Elandir reached an arm to his throat, before the paralyzation kicked in. Blood ran between his fingers.

'Elandir!' Screamed Bethal. He stared at her, his lips barely moving, before staring back over at the ghoul, which stood, arms folded, with a triumphant look plastered across it's face. Bethal felt her blood rise, and her face colour. Her hand tightened on the short-sword that was tucked into her belt, and her eyes went glassy. Screeching, she threw herself at the creature, clawing, and stabbing ferociously. A few minutes later, the ghoul was a shredded lump of flesh festering on the ground.

[Bethal - Level Up B) ]

Elandir moaned in relief, mixed with pain, before toppling over backwards, his breathing heavy. Bethal had forgotten about him. She instantly turned back, running to his side.

Edited by Hishi, 25 October 2004 - 12:08 PM.

[Erephine]

****** Violence warning *******

"Elandir? Wake up.... please..." she almost pleadingly whispered, but the elf she was kneeling next to was obviously not in a condition to answer. His face now had an unnaturally blue tone. "Please.... Elandir.... no!" She noticed something move in the edge of her vision, and her heart gave an upleasant lurch as she turned her face and saw a group of dark figures approach. Apparently, the beast had not been alone out on the hunt, and the companions didn't seem too fond of the idea to back out and miss the meal.

They quickly closed in, and - she could have sworn - a disgusting feel of contempt and spite was mirrored on their faces. With a hoarse cry Bethal jumped up and drew her short sword, facing the nearest figure approaching her. Her heart was beating fast with rage now - she would revenge Elandir. Something in her head clicked as she willingly surrendered to the rage and anger trying to posess her, and she brought down the first blow with such force that it instantly severed an arm, sending the crippled body down to the floor where it lay motionless with another swing of the sword. A what seemed endless pleasure filled her, lusting for more, violence.... more killing.
The rage grew ever stronger in her and with another cry she wildly attacked those left. Her vision blurred, and all that filled her head was pure hatred and rage. She violently slaughtered and mutilated what came close to her sword - going on, brutally butchering them even as they were all lying motionless on the floor, and only as she was getting weary and the rage was back in her control again she slowed down. Looking down at the bloody carnage she had caused she nearly choked. Literally bathed in their own blood and entrails, five mutilated corpses were lying on the floor. Something stirred in her head. Ghouls did not have blood. And indeed only one ghoul was between the disfigured bodies. Four young, what seemed human (although she could not tell for sure anymore) knights still clad in their chainmails, one of them probably a woman, lay slaughtered on the grass covered ground. No, that cannot be true. I must be dreaming this, she told herself, reluctant and horrified to believe what her very eyes told her. Elandir was an elf, how could he be affected by the ghoul's paralyzing venom? But no matter how hard she tried, she would not wake up if she was indeed dreaming, and the corpses were still lying on the floor, blood still flowing down their wounds in small rivulets - the smell of death lying heavily in the air.

Confused she examined her surroundings, and stopped dead as she saw a solemn figure leave the woods. No, that mustn't be true - It can't be, she repeatedly told herself, but the figure coming towards her definately was the skeleton she had seen (dreamt of?) back at Feldepost's.

Bethal shrank away in horror, but it was coming closer with a firm step. It had nearly crossed the glade, when she heard a a distant crackle, and the figure suddenly faded away and dissolved into nothingness.

Edited by Lightspeed, 02 November 2004 - 06:57 PM.