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Dark Forest:Mage's Clearing

Waalk was awake and ready for anything. All it took for Waalk to be ready was a little nudge and him mom's voice calling to him "Time to milk them cows."

Waalk  stood up stretched and made a grab for a milking stool that didn't exist. "Ahh." said Waalk realising that he'd made a complete berk out of himself. "Goodmorning... Brrrr, it's a cold un."

Still, he'd faced harder winters in Seven Oaks and now was not a time to burden the group with his problems. "Where's that strange lookjng thing we met last night. Seemed obssesed about crystals..." Waalk gathered some leaves and put them on the fire. Unfortuyantely they were wet and the fire turned into a great big column of smoke.

The pre-dawn was broken by a howl from the forest. It sounded almost like a wolf but there was something more menaceing about it, almost evil.

The freinds realized that the forest was absolutely silent except for the barking and occasional howls. Suddenly a dark shape jumped into the clearing. As Jym was turning to face it it lept at him, its front feet extended as if to pounce...

Jym was so supprised at the sudden attack that he stood there as the beast flew through the air.

The impact threw him to the ground, the gaping jaws only inches from his face.

"You will pay for the crimes of your race, Uman," said the beast.

It was almost 5 feet at the sholder and look almost like a wolf, but not quite. Its head slowly moved toward Jym's throat as if savoring the moment.

The sword passed right through the Wolf's paw, grazing Jym across the chest. The Wolf reared back allowing Jym to roll out from underneath.

"I hate Wolves" he said as he picked up Waalks sword.

As sson as the Wolf looked toward Waalk he ran at it with the sword outstreached.

Scaype turned only to get broadsided by a headbutt from one of the wolves.  He could feal the teath tearing into his fingers.

Scaype acted with the best responce.  "Help!!"
Atha jumped up to attention and began cracking skulls.

Dybok was'nt too far behind.  He jumped up to catch a branch.  He swong to land and missed only to be attacked by two wolves. He struggled as Atha worked to get the wolves off of him.  Atha had broke free of one wolf only to be attacked also with the same force of his brother.

Scaype was trying to get to Burt but the wolf in attack was chewing on his arm.  By accedent it activated the gauntlet.  With a feirce cry the wolf was raised into the air screaming and howling.  Scaype acted quickly and grabbed Burt.  The blade flashed into life.

Scaype activated the Ring of Thunder.  The lightning launched from the sky, but the wolves were too fast.  They kept changeing their attack to the point that Scaype couldnt keep track.  He turned the idea of activateing the armor and worked the gauntlet of agony hard.  They were too much.  They were swarming about with speed of lightning.

In desperate attempt Atha and Tybox, who were now bloody, yelled.  "FRIENDS RUN!!"

Scaype wasnt about to let his friends die.  He stood his ground with Burt.

Uriquin grogily wakes to hear some stange yelling. thinking to himself that they are crys for help. he jumps up and leaps into the clearing. with all the comotion he can bearly figure out what is going on. He see's a bluish grey figure leap at the Preist. Uriquin extends his backside tword the beast and shoots a white sticky web at the crature. Moments before it was to bite him.

"WELL YOU HAVE GOTTEN US INTO IT NOW, READY TO FIGHT MY FRIENDS"

Uriquin jumps at a wolf but before he reaches it, he feels a pain in his side. one of the wolves grabbed him and threw him to the groung.  he fond himself on his back not knowing what to do he was weak this way with no protection.

Earth awoke to the sounds of howling,growling and grunting. Her eyes blinded from the light, she could see large hairy figures running off into the woods.

"Are those wolves? I love wolves, they are so cute!"She said.

Waalk turned to face her and gave her a stern look.

"What? What did I do?" she asked confusdley.

Jym tripped just as he was about to run the Leader of the wolves through, only leaving it with a flesh wound. He made sure to throw the sword clear so that he would not fall on it.

The sword landed on the ground a few feet from Scaype.

As he was trying to get up Jym shouted to Earth in response to her question.

"These are Dire Wolves my dear. Bigger, Meaner and More intelligent than any other wolves in the world. Besides, they feel they should have controll of the land and not man."

Noticeing Uriquin of his back, Jym ran over to him to try to give him some assistance.

One of the Wolves jumped in his way. He made as if to attack it and then realized that he did not have a weapon in his hands.

"Oh, ..."

Scaype looked at the blade on he ground.  Excelent craftsmenship but he didnt have time for the blade.  He used his blade of light.  With a sudden twinkle of inspration he sprung into action.

"THOR!!"

The wolves paused for a split second.

Waving the smoking branch frantically in the air causes the very tip to glow bright red. It bursts into flame just as Waalk crashes into the wolf thats attacking Jym. The burning tip comes into contact with the fur of the wolf.

Waalk chanced a look over his shoulder and yelled at Earth. "Get the fire going. It's our only hope."

The wolf in front of him turned suddenly to face Scaype.

Seeing his oppourtunity and hearing Waalk's call for help, Jym ran over.

I hope this works, he thought to himself.

Jym put his hand on Waalk's shoulder, "Imagine the branch bursting into flame," he said urgently to walk.

Earth began collecting small branches to keep the fire burning. Hearing a soft shuffle in the bushes to her left, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Um...guys? We have company!"She yelled as  five large wolves slowly creeped out of the bushes towards her.

"Why am I always the one out numbered!"she yelled. She pulled out her sword and started her battle.

"Imagine Fire!" screamed Waalk as the wolf leapt forwards towards his throat. "What's that going to do? I want real fire. Something that'll roast these beasts alive."

It was an instinctive movement. One that saved Waalks throat from being ripped apart. He bought the branch up and as he did so it burst into flame. The whole branch was consumed in fire. His hands were burned terribly, but the Wolf was incinerated.

The bundle of branches that Earth was carrying also into sudden flame.

Everywhere Waalk looked, branches were bursting into flame.

Jym quickly removed his hand but the damage had already been done.

Trees were strating to catch on fire. "Me and my good Ideas," said Jym to himself.

"This way," shouted Jym as he gestured of into the forest, away from the burning trees.

Because of the fire the wolves were scattering in all directions.

Then Jym remembered that Uriquin was on his back and could not get up.

"Scaype, Waalk, we have to get Uriquin over or he is done for."

Jym rushed over to the arachnid and started to heave on the one side, hoping that someone else would come to help him soon, or the spider and he would be dead.

"I hate forest fires," he grumbled to himself.

Despite having his hands tucked under his armpits, Waalk ran over to help Jym turn Urquin over so. He bent down and braced his back against urquins side. When Jym was ready, Waalk would straighten his legs and help flip Urquin over.

hey flipped Uriquin over.

"Let's get going."

He ran out of the clearing, hoping that he was heading in the right direction.

"We had better hurry guys, that fire is going to catch up..." suddenly the ground fell out from under all of them and they were falling

SPLASH

They landed in deep water as dirt and rock fell around them. Whew, safe...but Jym didn't know how to swim. "Guys..." and he was down and breathing water.

Dashing through the gap that formed in the firewall, Waalk charges after Jym. Suddenly he lost his footing and went plunging down, down, down. As he fell his hands clasped at branches, roots rocky outlets, anything at all that could break his fall.

Waalk couldn't swim either. When he hit the water he was momentarily stunned. He did, however manage to clasp onto some branches that he'd dislodged on his way down as the ravine. Waalk bobbed up and down in the water. One arm wrapped around the bundle of branches the other arm skimming across the water searching for Jym

Scaype slipped down the hole in an attempt to pick up Waalks sword.  As  he began to pick up the sword, he suddenly felt a desperate need to grab hold of something before falling but it was too late.  As he hit the water, he lost conciousness.  Both Burt and Waalks sword fell close by.  Lying face up his body went limp.

Above them the fire raged on, if this was not stopped then soon the whole Dark Forest would be consumed.

The darkness was home, the darkness was his freind, but suddenly the darkness was rent by a loud crash as a large section of the sky fell into The Pool.

He didn't like loud noises, and screams were worse so he ran into the shadows. He watched the small ragged band of adventurers in the water, "What to do, What to do, These peopleings are invading my kingdomings. Peopleings must be stopped, yes peopleings must be stopped."

The creature scurried off with lightning agility.  It knew these tunnels and well.  The creature began thinking Must stop the peopleings...  With the thought in mind he scurried off to the other Troggledites.

The four heros were slowly drownding with no sign of the ground.  Scaype was out cold free floating.., Jym was choking on water.., Likewise Waalk.., their only hope was Earth....

Scaype snapped awake.  He was wet and cold.  and suddenly reallized he was floating, head up, thank goodness.

He began to doggy paddle into an up right position.  Realizeing that both Waalk and Jym were drownding, he began looking for a bank in this dark place.  Spotting a stalagtite he began working his way to Waalk and Jym...

Waalk was still clinging onto his bundle of branches. They were keeping him alfloat for the time being. However, every now again one or two would drift out from under his grasp.

Suddenly he was gone. Something had grasped hold of him by the ankles and was pulling him under.

Down Waalk descended into the very depths. His lungs started to burn. He could contain it no longer. He opened his mouth to let out a final scream of pain and found himself in a chamber surrounded by dim  green lights.

Hands grappled with Jym and Scape's legs. They pulled Jym and Scapey  down towards the bottom of the pool. The hands were strong and the pull was irresistable. They felt their feet touch the bottom and then through the bottom.

Somewhere they heard Waalks voice echo up through the floor, badly distorted, but still understandable

"Don't fight them"

Finally, for lack of air, Jym fell unconcious, and was pulled through the bottom of The Pool, and deposited next to Waalk.

By the time Earth woke up their was no sign of Waalk, Jym or Scaype. She began to flounder. Then, by the side of the pool she caught sight of movement, could that be Jym and the others?

She paddled over to the side where she was grasped by stong, black hands. They pulled her out onto bank, tied her up and dragged her away....

Waalk lay on his back taking in huge great gulps of air. He began to recover, enough to look at his surroundings.

He was in some sort of cavern. On the walls was a luminous green moss which seemed to be moving around. Waalk closed his eyes and opened them.

He chuckled to himself when he realised that the moss was infact held in the hands of tiny creatures. Waalk continued to stare at the creatures when a sucking sound above him caught his attention. Two pairs of feet appeared from the mud above his head. Dragging them were two creatures similar to those that surrounded him.

Waalk could see the legs dangling in the air. He yelled as hard as he could "Don't fight them"

One pair of legs completely stopped strugling and then Jym was next to Waalk.

Scaype was racing down the waves when it was his turn to join the others.

After being pulled out by the the Troggledites, he was immediately tied at the hands and feet.  One of the 3 ft tall creatures was holding Burt chewing on the gold hilt to check its value.  Burt remained sielent and un damaged by the assault. Hold your tongue pup, Burt spoke.

One of the Things was speaking to Waalk.  Not being able to understand he awaited his assault to continue.  One of the creatures climbed on the back of his head and began to gag him.

"Be very quiet peopleling, or you die!"

See what I mean, Burt said. Scaype could only burn with a new emotion he had never felt with such feeling... HATE.  This was not new to Scaype, but it never came with voices...

Hello Scaype...

As they were being tied up a bigger creature entered the chamber. The  Trogledities slowly  backed away as the menacing creature advanced. They weren't going give up their prey without a fight.

The Trogledites spread out and surrounded the large creature, then upon a secret, unspoken signal they all pounced. The large creature was outnumbered, but had superior strength. The trogledites were more aggressive and numerous.

The dust settled and only the large creature was left standing. It stumbled over to Scaype, bleeding from numerous fatal wounds. With it's last failing strength it cut Scaype's bonds with it's sharp bonds with it's claws and muttered "save my people" before dying.

By the light from the green moss, Waalk could just make out the creature dead lying across Scaype's chest.

"For pete's sake, cut us lose Scaype". Then Waalk realised that Earth was missing. "Earth, Earth are you here." But Waalk new it was worthless.

She's gone and must rescue her. God knows what foul beast she's ran into.

Scaype scampered, covered in blood, to his comrads and began cutting people loose useing Burt as a blade.  Behind him he could hear the Trogledites regrouping. Hurry Young One Burt spoke.

Yes Hurry Scaype, the new voice spoke from inside.  Scaypes blood ran cold as he worked as fast as he could. Scaype was working as fast he could when he heard a screem from Earth.

Jym woke up tied. Scaype was working over him to cut the
bands.

Then he heard the scream and he was free and running in the direction of the scream. He was soon lost in the Twisting Corridors.

The paths lead in every direction, some narrow, some wide. Some you would have to crawl to get through and some that,
jumping, you could not touch the celling. Most were somewhere in the middle and all of them twisted and turned and had more and more branches.

Jym was soon hopelessly lost. He always heard Earths voice, but the direction was unclear.

Then he started hearing the voices of his freinds, and the voices of all of his freinds made a symphony of sound in the twisting coridors.

Sometimes the voices all came from the same direction, sometimes the voices of one or two came from many directions at once, but always the saound, and never any closer.

Where is she? She has to be just around this corner, or maybe that one. Haven't I been this way before?

"Slow down" Waalk listened to his voice  bounce off god knows how many walls and come back at him from at least five angles.

It was no use. He couldn't see Jym for love of Earth.

He walked next to Scaype, not wanting to lose his freind. "Well, we've lost Jym!"

Just then, from around the corner came a tall creature with many claws. It looked similar to the one who had rescued them from the small creatures (Trogladitties). It shuffled nearer and spoke in a slow voice "Come this way."

It gestured with its hand towards a dark tunnel. Waalk looked at Scaype, "Well, what do you think?"

Scaype was currently speachless, grapling with his inner demons.

Earth kicked and screamed in fear as the creatures tied her tighty to a near by piece of wood. She tried despertley to reach for her coin and summon Dracon, but her hands stung from the tightness of the roaps. Earth's lack of air grew stronger and she soon slipped unconcious.

The room she was in was large, more like a cave. The walls lined with jewles and a large altar stood in the middle of the room. 1O White candles circlued the table. 4 differnt knives and many differnt herbs and potions where placed in a certain order around the table.

As Earth awoke to a musty smell, she could see she was tied to the altar. Around her the candles and herbs, knives and postions drew her attention.

The creatures peered down at her as if she where some sort of prize... and then it came to her.

SHE WAS BEING SACRAFICED!

"HELP!!!"she cried in fear. She only hoped that some one had heard her last cry for help.

"Help!"

This time the scream was was in the direction of some Candlelight.

Jym, "Earth, just hold on a minute longer!"

Then Jym was in the midst of the candlelight. The smell of incense was overpowering. There were more of the small creatures surrounding her, they were brandishing some small, twisted knives.

"You get away from her!"

He ran up and put his hand on her hand, "imagine we are somewhere else, imgaine yourself free. Focus on it as if you had the power, and you were casting a spell to do the same."

As Earth's Mind focused on Jym's words, she felt power flowing into her hands from Jym.

Earth broke her grip from Jym. It was too late, something had happend, Earth had changed. Her eyes now blacker then the depths of the caves and her hands stiffer then ever, she broke free from the ropes.

Jym couldnt understand what was happening, until The beasts began to gang up on Jym and pulled him away from Earth. They held him back and tied him to a near by table. The beasts circuled around Earth, but didnt  seem to want to hurt her.

Instead, they began to bow, one by one,they all feel to their knees.Jym had come to late, the ceremoney was already performed, and an evil soul, a demon had entered and possessed her soul, mind and body. Jym could tell my the expression on Earth's face that she was trying to fight it.

"It's too late Jym, she's mine!" The demon said through Earth.

"NOOO! You can't take her from me!"

He still had one hand free and reached out and grabbed one
of the beasts.

"You set her free NOW!!!"

"Set her free," asked the beast he had grabbed.

But it was too late, the thought had passed through the mind of the little creature and suddenly Earth was free.

Jym felt releif hoping that this would end it, but now they had an even bigger problem.

A Shadow Reared up behind Earth. The creatures were in exhaltation. This was the best vessel they had ever found for their Lord for they would never need another one. Their Lord had been released into this world in his true form.

Oh, my word, what I have done!, Jym thought in horror.

Earth fell to the ground. She felt her body being drained of all its energy.She turned to face the demon that stood behind her shodowing down on her.

"Something tells me, I am in trouble." she whispered.

The demon's grew darker and a sense of fear crossed Earth's face.

Jym saw Earth fall, and then he saw what her body had been hiding from him. There was a silver band "flowing" from her into the Demon.

Almost without thinking he grabbed one of the beasts and thrust it into the stream. The stream split and Earth was released from it, but the stream from the Beast was almost ten times as large and soon the Beast crumbled into dust. The demon moved to the next of the little beasts and started drawing its energy, ignoring Earth for the moment.

Jym ran over and scooped Earth up in his arms. She was lighter than she should have been, but he couldn't worry about that now.

"Earth, hold on," and he ran out into the twisting corridors, hoping that he could loose the demon before he ran out of strength.

Off in the distance Waalk could hear Jyms shouts. He turned around and tried to loacte which passageway the sound had come from. It was impossible.

With great reluctance, Waalk realised that Scaype and himself had no choice but to follow the claw creature.

Jym Rushed back into the Corridors running as fast as he could carrying Earth.

He could only think of getting as far from that demon as he could.

When he could run no further, Jym collapsed. Earth was breathing, but only shallowly. He stat down beside her and looked out into the almost darkness of the softly glowing tunnels and waited for the inevitable to come.

The demon would find them sooner or later. Jym would be ready for him when he came.

Waalk and scaype were led into what looked a huge cave. After his eyes had adjusted to the dull red light, given off by the peculiar mushrooms that grew up from the floor. Waalk could see that it was infact a den.

A den full of claw creatures. They shuffled around, their heads bowed to the ground. On each creatures wrist could be seen a peculiar burn. Almost as if someone had got a brand and marked them.

Scaype looked at Waalk on their knees.  "Were in deep trouble aren't we?"  Suddenly Scaypes voice changed.  "We will
not be in such trouble if you let me go Scaype".  His voice changed back.  "Oh boy..."

The leader stepped forwards and spoke.

The leader stood startled.  "What'd you say?"

"You will be subject to me, your majesty", the voice of Crynn was coming though Scaype.

He continued, "Lord, my companion and I are mear travelers and wish for assissance in finding comrades captured by the Trogledites."

Suddenly Scaype screamed again grabbing his head.  "CRYNN...!!!"  Scaype collapsed.