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Lorimar Road: Somewhere on Lorimar Road

On a particularily Idylic portion of the Lorimar the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the bees were humming, and a battle was raging with the appearance of a cloud of blue smoke. There seemed to be a small band of Umans and a Dragon and two Ogres and a Halfing fighting off a horde of Orcs. The blue smoke dissipated on the wind, leaving the faint smell of rosepetals.

Despite feeling a bit put out by the sudden transportion, Waalk still felt up for the fight.

"Arrgg," he gnashed his teeth and ran towards the orcs waving his sword madly in the air.

Scaype and the two ogres stood confused with the rest of the gang, but it was for only a second.  The guys regained their ballance and stared into the face of danger.

The brothers and the priest each took on a combatant.  The ork who was fighting Scaype was instantly blinded by the blade, witch made it easy for the son of Splynn to subdue his foe.

The brothers began with a more than simple challange, but the Fates were not on the brothers side.  Very quickly they were out matched, 4 to 1.

Scaype worried about his low wit comrads as he was faceing his match,  "Just live you two, otherwise I may not be able to forgive myself.  Thor be with you brothers."

Scaype could only see the dragon from the corner of his eye, "Good luck, dragon."

Skopje looked very upset. He didn't like any kind of fighting but this was his least favourite. Outside in broad daylight, outnumbered and surrounded.

The hafling produced a sling from his pocket and quickly began flinging pebbles with great accuracy at the eyes of the oncoming orcs.

Earth took at deep breath and called on Dracon. Her mighty Dragon flew in the air above them and slowly came to the ground.

"Dracon, fire ball attack!" Earth cried as she pointed to the orcs. The dragon opened its mouth and out flew Fire balls racing towards the orcs.

"It's play time!" Earth said as she drew her sword and began to fight.

"Ha ha, thats more like" Waalk cried in battle frenzy as balls of fire whizzed over him and burnt the oncomming foe.

"Leave some to meee"

Waalk ran straight at the orcs. A look of total insanity on his face. He didn't even bother looking behind him. Blood spurted all over him as he decapitated his nearest opponent.

"Ha ha," Waalk laughed, the battle frenzy taking him over.

Scaype had slane his third.  The Sun Sword, Bert finally spoke to Scaypes mind,  So how we doing?

The priest spoke out loud, "Do you mind helping me?"

Sure, but arn't I doing enough already, the sword asked in reply.

Listen priest, the sword continued, You want my help you've got to quit your offending the great god Thor, get my meaning. Oh yea, DUCK!!

Scaype ducked just as the finishing blow came sweeping by.  With the advantage in hand he rammed the blade into the chest of the ork.

This is going to be a long day, Scaype thought.

As Jym's singing stoped something even more strange than the events of the last two days happened to him. He had a memory of something he had never forgotten and never known. Something from another life, someone elses life, his own.

"Rithlian, I told you that you were to leave this place before sundown," said the wizard in the blue cloak. "You have violated the terms of the agreement and are being banished from Andor forever." His brown eyes were almost over shadowed by his bushy black eyebrows.

"Salathar, you know that what I have been doing is for the good of all," said he who would be Jym. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a reflection of himself in the full lenght mirror in the other corner of his room, He was a gaunt young man with brown hair and blue eyes, with a scar running along the left jawline, more dashing that rakish, "a rememberance," he said to himself as he always did when he saw it and then aloud, "A Rememberance, this scar on my face is a constant reminder of your 'Agreement' that all magic should be banned from the lands. I followed your council but you 'The Council' don't even abide by it. I sing, that is all I have ever done. Sometimes I use power, Sometimes I do not. It is the song that holds power and not me. I am a creature of nature, not of 'majik' like you..."

Before he could finish his statement he was cut off, "And what do you call mediating the peace conference. Your translating for them is causing it to succede."

"I thought that that was the Idea...At least their reason for coming here. Oh, I see now, The council is trying to take over. They wanted to ban magic so that they would be the only ones with the power of majik. They cause the peace talks to fail and then step in saying 'We will succede where mortals have failed. My using majik has nothing to do with the agreement. You see me as a threat to your power."

"Too bad you will not live to tell anyone else," With that he throws a shower of sparks at he who would be Jym, laughing all the time. The agony was intense, and then all pain was gone al together. In the mirror he saw that he had become Jym again. "Now that that is done," said the wizard.

"What have you done to me!?!" Jym screamed at the man.

The suprise on the mans face was evident. "You are not dead?"

"Of course not," said Jym, "I cannot be killed by 'Human' hands, or did you not remember the blessing the preist of Alanar gave me when I was 8 years old?"

"Then I will make you forget," and a blue smoke went from the mans hands, as soon as it touched Jym everything went dark.

He looked up, "I remember, I remember everything," and an Orcs jagged sword cut deep into his chest. Seeming to ring in the air, but realy only in his own mind he heard the laughter of Salathar once more, "I knew if I bode my time well you would do the job of getting rid of you for me," and Jym heard and saw nothing but the laughing face of Salathar as he fell back into the darkness.

Too late for Jym, Dracon decapitaded the orc standing over him.

Waalk looked over his shoulder. He didn't have time to see what had happened to Jym, but he noticed the largish form of dracon. "ha thats the spirit." said Waalk as he saw Dracon enter the fray. Waalk swung his sword with near expert precision at the nearest foe.

Skopje moved over to where Jym was lying and attempted to protect him by flinging more stones at any Orcs who came close. He was glad of his short height when several of Waalk's wilder swings whooshed over his head. Fairly soon, there was a pile of Orc bodies aound Jym on the Lorimar Road, and the remaining Orcs were looking a little disheartened.

Scaype watched as Jym fell.  His concern turned to blood lust.  He gazed into into his apponent's eyes.  He raised his blade. The ork smiled at his advantage but was taken by surprise. "THOR, I CALL APON THY ARCH!!"  Scaype was engulfed by a lightning bolt and as it hit the priest it arched into several small bolts only to strike all those opponents within Scaypes vision.  The ogres Dabok and Atha watched as the villians that were about to take them under begin to cook in front of their eyes.

Scaype, now glowing with the Armor of Thor turned to the other opressors.  The bolts of lightning were arching about him like a dance.

I didnt intend for you to die on my account.  Do you see?

Scaype was cought up in the exitment.  He nodded in agreement.

Best you heal your ally, priest, Burt thought at Skaype

Scaype nodded in agreement.  All could see the glowing eyes and magic aura.  He walked over to Jym. Many of the orks considered retreat but held their ground for they had a trick up their sleeves. The orks began a light retreat only to have their back up team come in from in between the wounded and dieing.

The team of heros didnt see this comeing.  From deep within the shadows stood the Shaman of the orks, Yumat.  He stared at Waalk and snarled.  Raising a finger he barked the orkish tongue.  Scaype knew very little of the ork tongue and couldn't make out what he said but he knew he ment business.

Scaype didnt want to concern himself with Yumat as of yet. He had Jym that glowing guy to consider.  He only wondered what Yumat was doing being involved in this battle and what was with the pointing at the human.

Earth was hard into battle when a preminision came over her. It was of Jym and he was falling, she could not tell why or how..just that he was falling. She pulled back her sword into her holster and ran towards Jym grabbing Waalk's arm and pulling him on her way.

"Somethings wrong with Jym!" she screamed at Waalk.

Waalk didn't hear what Earth was saying. He shook loose of her grip and charged at a orc who seemed to be chanting something and looking in his direction. Waalk had covered only half the distance when it dawned on him that he wasn't going to get there in time to stop whatever the orc was going to do.

He brought his sword back over his shoulder and with a mighty heave, threw it at the chanting orc.

Waalks sword, sored through the air hitting the orc in the chest. Waalk now looked about him. The orcs had regrouped and were advancing. He looked down at his weaponless hands. Then looked up again at the orcs and began a hasty retreat.

Up from behind Waalk a series of arrows wizzed by. Most of the gang looked up in the direction to see a small band of archers.  One of the Orks screamed in orkish tongue at Waalk shaking his fist.

Scaype knelt next to the glowing guy.  Burt, what do I do? His wounds are too much.  Burt began to glow with intense light.

"Pray guys that we're now out of the thick of things."

Scaype began to pray over the wounded glowing guy.  His body began to reach the same intensity of his Rune Sword.  He began to feel the power of the prayer.  The wounds began to close.

In the middle of the inchantation Scaype heard these words. "How dare you fill these sacred Halls of the Wood with Blood and Magic!  Your filth will not be TOLERATED."

Dybok began to wander over to Waalk.  "What to do small man?"

Atha pryed out the sword that had pierced the shaman.  He began to return the sword.  An arrow wizzed by.  "Thats far enough, Ogre!"  Atha froze.  He could see the elves swarming though out the wood.

Jym/Rithlian opened his Eyes and looked up at the sky as if for the first time. This Idyllic portion of Lorimar road reaching him in a most profound way.

Then the memory of the last days, and not only that his previous life, came crashing in.

He looked out on the carnage left on the road. He saw the Elves rushing out of the trees. He saw the blood on the hands and clothes and faces of his comrades.

The Elves bound the hands of the Ogres, and rounded up the adventurers. They were marched off into the Dark Forest and quickly lost their way in the tangled undergrowth.

They were led through the forest for almost an hour. The Elves came to a stop and the adventurers realized that they were in a natural hall made out of trees. The evenly spaced boles of the oak trees were the pilars, and the high, arched branches were the vaulted ceiling.

There were four thrones, two per end, made, if that is actually the word for it because the woodelves majik caused them to grow that way, from wild rose bushes. The flowers all in bloom along the edges in a rainbow of color. The shade of the place giving a sense of reverance.

The leader of the elves turned to the party, "You will wait here."

Atha and his brother held, the best way they could, to each other.

Scaypes weapons disappeared.  Apparently Burt was more than he was saying.  The priest could only pray.

The Wood Elves stared.  There were no smiles only snarles and sometimes spit.  Scaype mumbled, "From the jaws of the lions to the jaws of the wolves."

One of the Elves smote the Rune Priest strong enough to draw blood and threw him to the ground.  He knelt at point blank range.  The son of Splynn could smell his breath.  Roses?? Scaype thought.

"Be silent now," he said calmly, "You are about to stand before royalty."

Scaype could only grin mockingly, "I will remember to bow with extra grace" the Priest wispered.  As luck would have it, the Elf didnt hear or didnt care.

Jym was still dazed from almost getting decapitated by the Orc. He looked upon the hall and had a deep sense of foreboding.

While they waited, the elves who had been guarding them went out into the forest and disappeared, but their presence could still be felt.

Earth felt a cold shiver run down her spine.It was a beautiful place, filled with flowers and trees.

"I could get use to this." Waalk said.

Earth glared at him, "What?"

"Its not called the Dark forest for nothing, there is something strange going on here...I pictured it more dark and old..creepy, with a mustly old smell to it. Instead, my noise is filled with the smell of roses and fresh grass...I just dont get it!" Earth cried in confusion.

At this moment an male and female Elf come out of the forest at one end of the hall. Each wears a crown of Forest leaves held together with golden thread.

As soon as they are seated, another Elf comes out of the forest at the other end of the Hall. He is probably the oldest elf that anyone has ever seen. There are actually visible wrinkles in his face and hands. He also has a crown of forest leaves wraped in golden thread, but his crown also had roses in it.

The two young elves speak as soon as the ancient one is seated, "All forests are one forest," their voices are both light and airy as the leaves of a great tree.

"One hall for all halls," replies the ancient one in a voice as deep as the rocks beneath.

"Welcome Heroes of Burg," continues the old elf, "to answer the question of the young woman, you are not actually in the Dark Forest at this time, which is to say you are not actually in Worlde Arcane."

He pauses for effect, "You have been taken out of the world temporarily." He looks directly at Jym, "We promised that we would be here, Rithlian, and we are here," addressing the rest of the group, "You must decide what you are going to do from this point on.

"The villiage of Burg is currently a nexus for the balance of Order and Chaos. You may choose to defend it from whatever decides to invade. This will be by far the easiest choice of any you come up with, but some of you will be put into more danger by staying in one place," he is looking at Earth as he says this. "If you choose not to defend the Villiage then we elves can do the job.

"Or maybe there is something one of you has that needs to be done. Whatever you decide, it will be your decsision."

At this he rises and leave by the way he came.

The Younger couple rise. "You will be safe here until you decide upon your final destination. You will be provided with food and drink for the duration. When you are ready to go, just head in any one direction until you get to lorimar road, and you will be where we took you from, Approximately 3 days from Seven Oaks."

The younger elves leave.

As if a spell has been lifted the companions start to breath again.

"Wow," says Jym almost to himself.

Waalk bows when the elves enter and doesn't rise until they leave.

Heroes of Burg... Waalk couldn't supress a little grin.

"Well." said Waalk fingering his sword. "What do you make about that?"

Jym looked almost ammused at the revelations that had been made today.

"So its really true then, It wasn't my imagination but a real memory of my forgotten past."

Scaype was baffled by the behavior.  Spat apon one second then buddy buddy?  Burt intrupted ,My dear human, these beings are as old as the trees you see.

"Oh boy.." Scaype muttered to himself.

Scaype turned to Earth.  "So.. um, wheres your faierie?  May be he, or she, could get us out of here, eh?"  Scaype grinned.

"Didn't you hear? All we have to doo is head straight in any direction until we hit the road. Or don't you trust the elves, or whatever they were?"

After sayaing that Jym wanders over to the ancient ones throne and starts to examine it, "I wonder what they used to get it to grow in this shape?"

Waalk gave Jym a proper stare. "Maybe you could explain something for me. Call me slow, but weren't you a glowing cloud a few days ago?"

Scaype turned to Jym, "Listen, maybe you trust these elves, but where I come from these guys would of gutted us all.  Do you know what is also in the forest.. Wolves!  Want to be chewed to peices?  Hmmm...   Well, I didnt think so."

Ignoring everyone except for Waalk for the time being, Jym started to relate his story.

"From what I can remember, I used to be a bard named 'Rithlian' a long time ago. A rival wizard, for I was a wizard by birth if not by occupation, decided to kill me, but failed and only turned me into a cloud. Seeing that he had failed he linked a forgetfulness with my cloud state.

"As near as I can remember, I have reverted back into this human form about 30 times so far, but the magik of my former oppressor is long lived and it is continually forcing me back into my cloud state, usually by killing me. our freind here the dis believing 'Preist' stoped it temporarily but I'm sure that he will be after me again, and this time I don't think I will avoid the fate that pursues me."

Waalk could only scratch his head in amazement at Jym's story. "Ohh, you don't say." said Waalk more than a few times.

One of the servants of the king came in and spoke.  "The King of the Wood wishes to extend a challange.  You must prove your worthyness in order to leave.  This is nescisary for the blood spilt.  Enemy or No..."

When the elf came in Waalk looked even more confused, Fight to get out of here? These elves  aren't like the ones that my mom had told me about when I was a little a kid. The ones I know are nice, have pointed ears and speak all wrong.

"As for our freind the preist," Jym turned back to the preist, "Since you were the one who brought this upon us with all of your talk of being ripped to peices and wolves, you know that elves hate wolves, you should be our champion and fight the elf."

Scaype felt a bit bitter towards the Glowing Guy, but the other part of himself wanted to get to know the guy.

"Listen Rithlian, if that's your name," Scaype spoke, "If fighting the wolves will show you what I'm talking about then so be it.  I just want to say is these wolves that hate elves are not normal.  They are about 3 times the normal size and not friendly."

Scaype turned to Waalk, Earth, Atha, Tybok and Dacon.  "Guys I will be your champion.  I dont like the idea, but if it will help then so be it."

"I will fight along side." said Waalk.

He looked across at Jym, Earth and Dracon.

"I don't quite see why we can't all fight. I don't see why we have to abide by there rules."

He gripped his sword tighter and stepped up to the elf. "Let no-one say that Waalk, the hero of Burg was afraid."

Jym looked at all of them and then said, "Since it was my promise that brought us here I will fight."

Saying this he walked over to the Elf standing at the edge of the forest, "I will fight you in any arena of your choosing."

The elf who had been looking intently at Scaype was startled by Jym's sudden approach.

"I didn't mean you, your lordship, I was intending to cut the preist down to size. The king would kill me if he knew I fought you."

Jym brought as much malice as he could into he gaze al looked at the elf as if he was 2 inches tall, "You mean to say that your 'challenge' was to the preist alone?"

The elf was starting to look scared, "Yes, your lordship."

"Get out of my sight. And the next time you treat one of my freinds like this you shall feel my wrath," in saying this he pointed into the forest.

The Elf tripped over himself in his haste to retreat.

Waalk was really confused. Maybe the Elf was lying about the challenge. Maybe he was somewhere in Arcane and not in
"Elf-land".

"I didn't know I had it in me. No matter." He walked over to Waalk, "Whats wrong with Earth, she seems very quiet."

Earth gazed around causiously.Her eyes lite up every few minutes as she found something new to explore. Not ever paying attention to the others Earth begain to follow a small trail into the froest. Something was calling her and she had to answer.

"I hear you, hold on, I am comming for thee." she said as she made her way through the branches and shrubs. She began to go deeper and deeper not realizing just what she was headed into. They didnt call it the Dark Forest for nothing.

Waalk continued to ponder the happeinings, 'Well whatever was happening, Jym had succesfully resolved the Elf issue. Though I personally think that MY challange to the elf was much more scarier than Jyms. And Earth is wandering off into the Dark Forest... ALONE.'

"Blimey! Adventure! Doesn't it ever stop!"

Waalk swung his sword high and headed off after Earth.

Seeing Waalk run off, and feeling a bit magnanimous, Jym motioned for the preist to proceed, "After you my good man."

And then as if an afterthought, "No hard feelings right?"

As soon as they leave the hall, Jym started to feel a tugging pulling him of to the right. He wanted to follow Waalk but it is almost as if he knew that Waalk was headed in the wrong direction.

"Waalk, I think we should head this way," he shouted as he slowly drifted off to the right.

"One of those magical premonition thingies?" said Waalk, allowing himself to be lead by Jym. I can always turn around and catch up with Earth if I have to he thought.

Scaype followed at a safe distance, not letting the others get out of sight.

Earth, completley alone and deserted keeped following the voice. It lead her deeper and deeper in the forest. The surrondings where dark and evil looking. She could hear laughter comming from the trees, but this was no child laughing, but an evil,hautning laugh. A cold sweat ran down her spine. The voice stopped and Earth looked up to find a large tall man leaning on a tree that was in her path.

The tall man revealed his face. Scared and burned, Earth gasped in fear. He voice tight and silent, she tried to scream. The man's expressionless face grew an evil grin.

"Remember me Earth?" He asked with a small laugh. She swallowed hard and reached out her left hand to attack with magic. He twitched his eyes and Earth's hand slammed against her stomack.A shocked and scared look apeared on Earth's face.

"How did you learn to do that!" she yelled in fear.He laughed a cold loud laugh.

"Whats wrong, didnt think I had it in me? My powers grew Earth, and your still using the same old magick that dumb old wizard taught you. Times change and so does the force of magic." He explained.

"You deserved what you got Katar. You used the black arts, a discarce to the celtic religion. You went against the wizards vowes. Traitor!"

"Oh please, do you really think its smart to be talking so roughly when your the one trapped and doomed for destruction. You should be pleeding, on your knees. A sight I would love to see!Its too bad Earth..." he said as he caressed her face. She pulled away angrily. "We could have made a nice couple. You and me, our magick combined."

"So thats what you want, the power of good and evil!" Earth said angrily.

"Oh but I want more, I want your love," he said with a smile.

"Yeah right, out of all the men in the world I am going to marry you," She let out a chuckle. He glaired at her and she began to feel a force pulling her towards a tree.

"Here, you are in my world. A world where all is controlled by me."

The force pulled her towards one of the trees and she felt her hands and legs freeze to the tree. She struggled and squrimed but she couldn't break the force.

"We'll see who controls what..." she said determindly.

At this moment Jym burst into the clearing.

"You leave her alone," his anger making him glow even brighter than before.

Waalk rushed into the clearing after Jym. He was now REALLY confused and this made him really angry. Why had he been so foolish to follow the glowing man who had led him away from Earth he just didn't know. Then, he rushed back to help her. It just didn't make ANY sense at all.

Still as Waalk entered he noticed that Jym was confronting a stange man who seemed to be doing something nasty to Earth. Waalk formed the words ,You stop that, when Jym suddenly started to sing and glow even brighter.

There was no rythm to the singing that began, but soon words joined and it became all too apparent what exactly this song was. The sound was as deep as the Underneath and as high as the clouds above, as if a chourus were singing along with the enraged Rithlian.

I AM TWO, I COME BEFORE, I WEILD A POWER NEVER SEEN, HALF OF
LIGHT AND HALF OF DARKNESS, FOR DEATH IS WHAT I BRING.

DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN STOP ME, YOU WHO ARE OF MORTAL
FLESH, I AM STRONGER THAN I SEEM, I AM ONE OF SAN'MARKESH

He was so bright at this point that the sky seemed to go dark, or did it go dark in fact. Then there was a blinding flash.

Waalk covered his eyes and sank to his knees. He pressed his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to cut out Jyms song. Waalks sword clattered to the ground. Then all was silent and Waalk opened his eyes.

Earth felt herself released, and Katar was knocked flat, dazed but unhurt.

Jym collapsed to the ground, sparkles flying from his skin, as if he were comming appart at the seams.

He then started to cry. Each tear fell as a jewel, some rubies, some saphires, some diamonds.

"Too soon, too soon. I don't want to die."

He then looked up and seemed to see something that caught his gaze.

"Now I understand, I understand what you were trying to say to me. Please accept my soul, Lord."

Scaype rushed over to him but it was too late.

Jym disappeard in a cloud of sparkles flying in ever direction.

Waalk didn't see Jym come apart, only the jewels lying on the ground. He picked up his sword and got unsteadly to his feet. he stumbled to where the man who had been Earth was and struck down hard with his sword.