Seven seals: The Reforging of the Seals

[Blessed-one]

ok.
the group with Clise's resting at the cave.
----

Someone at the back of the group shot an arrow, killing a troll but he himself was in turn split opened by another troll who roared in rage and spoke words that the humans could not understand. The fighting intensified, and the trolls surged forward, attempting to cut off their escape.

Zan fell back, clutching her left arm where blood was flowing freely, dotting the ground in splashes of dull red colour. Enraged by the blood and the nearby screams, Taran whirled his quaterstaff rapidly, spinning it so fast that the trolls in front stepped back, snarling in their own language. All he could see were the looming shapes ahead and Taran striked out blindly, not caring where he was going. It was as if a fever had gripped him.

Abruptly, Cashiel was there, tapping him from behind, and Taran spun about, his quaterstaff ready to strike. Cashiel's face was pale, and he could see the madness dancing in Taran's eyes.
"What were you doing man!" Cashiel screamed, intenting to jog Taran out of his daze. He didn't know what had happened, but he couldn't leave when Taran was fighting in the other direction.
"Come on, you're going the wrong way," he said. Taran looked at Cashiel, as if he hadn't known him, but when Cashiel turned away, he followed, suddenly feeling drained.

 

[ferment8]

Ar' Furroshien snarled in rage as two more of his brethens went down. These humans proved to be harder to kill. However he tried, they seemed to be slipping away.

Suddenly, the lone fighter who was madly swining his staff broke away and ran after his companion into retreat. Ar' Furroshien roared a command, telling his trolls to fall back and let them escape.
"Let them get away this time! I don't want to see more brothers die! When they come next time, we will butcher them!" He roared.

The trolls acknowledged and began melting away into the trees. Ar' Furroshien nocked an arrow and fired at the last retreating human carrying the quarter staff. The arrow struck the human's leg, and Furroshien smiled in satisfaction. *That should remind the humans how easy it is for us to kill them. Let it be a warning for them not to tred on our land again*
With that thought, Ar' Furroshien melted into the trees.

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Aridol finished his plate of meal and grabbed the globlet for some water.

 

[Blessed-one]

so any thoughts, Kookaburra?
----

"Lake Serie was a few distance away from this cave. The lake is a sacred place of the elves, so we'll have to be careful about it." Clise explained.
"Elves? but are they on our side?" Aridol said, grabbing the globlet for some water.

"Dark elves," Freezia said softly, and her guess was confirmed as Clise nodded.
"Right, a sacred place of the dark elves and Elleiedrol." she looked at Janwah and Daniel.
"We can make ourselves useful," Janwah said determinedly.
"It's dangerous, we don't want anything happening to the boy...." Aridol said awkwardly.
Daniel stood up from his rock. His small face was set in determination and his brow was furrowed, "I can help. There may be small niches where you grown up can't reach," he said this in a clear voice.

Aridol looked inquiringly at Clise and Freezia, "Now that's a point.... isn't the lake surrounded by caves?"
Freezia nodded, "That's the general terrain, yes."
----

Taran muttered angrily when the arrow lodged itself onto his left leg. The rest of the energy drained entirely out of him, and he almost sat down heavily if not for Cashiel's support, who, seeing Taran was about to collapse, quickly put an arm under Taran's and hauled him along. Fortunately the trolls did not press the attack.

 

[Kookaburra]

No...I've got WB after watching half of Dinotopia...say...my ravaged brain (it is ten o'clock, after all) is thinking...what about a Dinotopia add on? That'd be pretty cool....

 

[ferment8]

hey kook!!

i've just watched dinotopia too!!

i've read a dinotopia book as well, bought it for like 5 bucks hahah

 

[Kookaburra]

Oh! you're Aussie! Wasn't that totally strange? I'm thinking an egyptian dinotopia add on for some reason. Only without that clown-like king person....

 

[Blessed-one]

probably because they showed a stone slat with a dinosaur/human Pharaoh crafted on it?
today's sequel should be pretty interesting. (the clown of a king should dressed funny... and his face was red too)

... can't think of a thing yet.... write later.

 

[Grimr]

Uh whats Dinotopia?

 

[Kookaburra]

I don't have time to explain it now, but I'll make an add-on about it tomorrow morning. Basically, it's where a bunch of dino's sought refuge at the time when the meteor or whatever hit earth, and it's kind of another world, but not really...complicated.
Anyways, in dinotopia, most dinos and humans live in harmony. Their establishments are powered by sunstones, which are like gigantic gems that glow and have power, etc.
But as the time went by, they got weaker, and started to fail...so all the bad dinos (especially the flying ones) wreak havoc whenever the sunstones don't shine.
A plane with two boys + their dad crashes, and they almost drown...the father vanishes. The boys (Karl + David) are rescued by dinotopians and...I'll explain the rest later...but eventually they decide to help save dinotopia and all that. It's pretty cool.

 

[Blessed-one]

the names of the dinosaurs are a bit hard to keep track of though.
----

"Won’t the elves forbid us to enter their sacred place?" Janwah asked, a bit perplexed by the situation.
"They won’t know it till we get there," Clise said.
"They are forest creatures," Aridol mused aloud. He didn't know what plan Clise had in mind, but a reminder wouldn't hurt.
Freezia nodded to Clise, and they continued on. Something didn't register, but Aridol shrugged it off, so long as the elves didn't get to them, it was ok.

As they passed through the forest, the leaves murmured in the wind, and shadows past under the trees silently. Janwah held Daniel's hand, for a boy of fourteen, he sure was showing plenty of courage. The group was trekking in a set pace, Freezia seemed tense, and Clise was eyeing the nearby trees with narrowed eyes. No one spoke.

Softly, voices were carried into their ears, and three figures clad in green with bows slung across their back walked out of the surrounding forest. Their backs were to the group and they had pointed ears. Daniel gripped his mother's hand tightly and stood still, Aridol's hand hovered to his sword. The three elves did not seem to notice the group behind them, instead, they continued their talk in a singsong voice and after a moment, they turned, stroding away.

Almost everyone relaxed visibly, but Freezia gestured with a hand and they all followed. Clise touched Freezia's hand in gratitude.
"What's going on here?" Aridol whispered.
"Freezia's maintaining a shield. We're rendered invisible behind it," Clise explained in a low voice.

 

[ferment8]

Aridol shivered and muttered, "Magic, I trust my sword more."
Freezia apparently had heard that and gave him a flat look.

They travelled on without seeing more elves, and Aridol has become more and more aware of the forest's humidity and the sweat drenched shirt clinging to his body.
Suddnely, Clise gasped in panic and frantically said, in unison with Freezia, "Elf magicians!!"
Just as they spoke, a dozen elves melted from the trees on all sides and aimed their bows threateningly at them. Aridol unsheathed his sword and was received by an arrow landing very close to his feet.
The group was completely surrounded with elves now, arrows nocked and drawn. Aridol stared defiantly at the elves, and couldn't help fingering nervously at the sword hilt, for he know all too well that there were no escape.

Clise looked waryily at the leader of the elves as he approached them.
------------------------

The trolls began the feast.

-------------------------

lol

 

[Blessed-one]

the trolls..... *burst out laughing* lol, very well.
----

The shield wavered and dissipated, as the elven magic penetrated it. The leader of the elf patrol approached, his face was expressionless.

"Explain your intrusion," he said matter of factly.
Clise glanced at Aridol, who was fingering his sword. He almost gave a jump as he comprehended her intention. The Skyrider gave him an impatient look.

Nothing worse than a direct confrontation.[/1]
Aridol stepped forwards and made a slight bow. "I'm Aridol Kazaka, Commander of the Crusaders of the Eyre." Unhurried, he introduced the other members of the group, and as usual, those in the audience reacted when they heard of Freezia's lineage. The elves however, only nodded in acknowledge, afterall, they did live longer than most people.
----

right, you want to handle the explaination, ferment? i was just gonna say something like how Aridol used his link with the human king to get us past.

 

[ferment8]

right..... i'll try to make this interesting....
----------------------------------------------------
The leader of elf patrol arched his eyebrow questioningly, "What brings the Lord Captain commander of the Eyre here? With such odd company. My name is Pedron Niall."

Aridol looked at Clise and Freezia for help and Clise whispered, "They are good elves, it's ok."
Aridol cleared his throat and said, "We are in search of one of the lost seals. We think it'll be near the lake."
Niall looked a bit taken aback at the name of the seals, but his calm face returned as if he heard nothing, "Whatever the matter is, no one pass through elvish territory without seeing the high council and the queen. I'll escort you to the city of Arwillene now."

With that, the elves formed two columns beside the group, and Aridol and the others could do nothing but be 'escorted' or guarded, towards the mythical city of Arwillene.
----------------------------------------
The trolls laughed and spilled wine everywhere as they rip the human apart.
------------------------------------------

hahaha

 

[Kookaburra]

eewwwwwww yucky. You have dirty, dirty minds.

~~~~~

Freezia was silent as she rode Zanxi, her eagle, about ten feet off the ground, to the slight dismay of the elves. I did not bargain for good elves, she thought, I only prepared for the evil. Ironic that we should leave the dark elves behind only to fall into the hands of the good elves, perhaps doing us greater harm.

But she did not remain silent for long. They were approaching the gates of the city--of some strange metal wraught with gold and silver vines and leaves. They were held shut by magic bonds and Freezia could tell the elves on the outside were having difficulty persuading those inside that they were back so soon, and to see the Elvish Queen and the High Council of Elves.

Freezia was forced to fly Zanxi above the treetops, his wings too long to fit among the tall, elegant trees.

Of course, one cannot blame the guards for training their arrows on her, seeing only a gigantic golden eagle bearing down on them at considerable speed. They made little progress, however, as their arrows vanished in little fireworks displays.

Taken slightly by surprise, the elves were even more shocked when Freezia dismounted on the top wall and gave them an elvish salute. "I'm at your service," she said, and added truthfully, "and to the interest of both parties, I shall not use magic within these walls unless under threat of death." The elves promptly picked up new bows and returned the salute.

Freezia glided down inside Awillene's walls, aware of the watching eyes of the elves, and the singing that continually swelled amidst the ancient, gigantic trees, among which the elves made their houses.

~~~~~

Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[Blessed-one]

lol, that was a great post, Kookaburra! i understand how writing about elven places can swell your imagination. (coupled with LOTR movie.... plenty of good ideas there)
----

The group was escorted to the center of the dwelling place where a huge tree with board canopy sparkling and a tree trunk so wide that it could only be encircled by 15-20 people. Daniel stared wide eyes at all the beauty around him. Janwah held onto his hand, similarly caught up in the atmosphere. Aridol and Clise however, were too distracted about their situation, but they couldn't help noticing their extraordinary surrounding either. How could the elves let them enter their sacred place? but the seal was surely located at Lake Serie. Clise wrung her hands unconsciously as they mounted the staircase up to the tree top.

 

[ferment8]

um....... let me c........
and i think, Kook, the elves seldom get shocked... then are pretty well composed creatures right? great post but!
------------------------------------------------------------
Aridol and the others have reached 3/4 of the tree's height, where they arrived at a platform. However, amazingly, Aridol's legs didn't feel tired.
*Magic again...* He thought sourly. He didn't dislike magic, but he didn't show any affection for it either.

Aridol and Daniel bowed, and the others curtsied at the same time. In front of them was a beautiful elf woman who's age just could not be determined with human eyes. She had sparking blonde hair to the waist and great glittering green eyes that matched the colours of the surrounding forests.
This, was Queen Elwillenio Arsh.
She rose gracefully like the wind and spoke with a melodic voice, like all other elves, "Welcome to Arwillene travellers. I, representing all of Elleiedrol offers you our hospitality. However, I must hear of what errands have brought you among us, with such odd company as well. And a Windsong, and a Commander of the Eyre." Her eyebrows rose questioningly.

Freezia then began to introduce them and summarized the story.
The Queen listened but did not give much reaction. At the end of Freezia's recite, she said, "Well, It seems to be a risky quest you are shouldering. You must need all the rest you need. However, I do wish to speak to commander Aridol about the things happening in Eyre and the devil, also with Clise about the seals."

With that, they bowed and went separate ways.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trolls roars became silent as the messenger of the dark, a hooded horseman on a rotten horse, a Mydral, sneered and spoke in a hissing sound, "You must rally under the Dark Lord and crush the lands of the light. Eyre, the Dragon Host, The Eagle Sept, and other lands must be wiped out like the Windsong."

The trolls roared in unison.
---------------------------------------

hahah, big battle coming sooon.

 

[Blessed-one]

sounds huge.
----

Clise spoke of the trap laid by the dwarves to ambush the Dragon Host. The story brought back unwanted memories, and she felt a lump rising in her throat. Quickly, she finished her narration and let Aridol take over, who talked of the recent victory at Caracan.

Queen Elwillenio Arsh listened with a calm face, her expression never betraying her emotions, though her eyes seemed to flicker under the light when Clise took up the narration again regarding the seven seals.

"They're showing signs of weakening. We seek to bring them back to the dwarven mountain where they can be reforged anew. There is a seal at Lake Serie, we understand that it is a sacred place, but we must take the risk as a larger evil will be set loosed if we refused to act," Clise said this in a rush, and she regared the Queen expectantly.

A silence descended, and Elwillenio Arsh spoke, "It seems that the time for action is near. Chaos is spreading," she nodded to Aridol, "and a battle will come forth." Aridol and Clise rose as she stood up, turning to Clise, "It is true that we do not enter Lake Serie unless of extreme reason. For this, we will grant you passage with an escort, but we cannot speak for our darker brethens. Danger lies ahead of you. Rest for the night before you go," she said and gave them a rare smile.

Clise couldn't believe their fortune, thanking the Queen with Aridol, they departed the canopy.
----

Barely escaping the troll territory, they didn't dare rest till they were certain of their safety. Taren limped along as well as he could, supported by Cashiel. No one rested and spoke of the recent encounter till four days later where the territory of the elves was near.

In the past few days, most of the men were avoiding Taren. An easy going fellow, he was transformed into a bloodthirsty "monster" during the fight. They were surely grateful for his madness, for he managed to cut a path out for them, but yet they were uneased. Taren had changed, for better or worse, and the change was too sudden. Cashiel tried talking to him about it, but he always shied away from the topic.

The thing was, he understood all too well of the complication. The seal was weakening, and he has been directly affected by it. His companions will soon join him if he remained with the seal. He needed a good reason to depart, yet he couldn't imagine what it would be. Cashiel and Zan were all concerned, but they didn't dare say otherwise, fearing that he would be provoked to do something dangerous.

 

[Grimr]

My Lord we have found the Elven Dwelling but it is heavily fortified so I request nine legions. Very well General I shall lead the attack my self prepare our secret weapons. The Armies of Romania marched away from the tall fortress and large trolls that had seeked refuge from the Christian world manned large catapults and Balistas while over the sky great monstrous Dragons flew towards the battlefields. Erulan rode on his monster a golden red Dragon. At last the large host camped by mountains so the trolls could hide from the sun. During that time Erulan and his generals made plans for the battle planning on enslaving the beautiful female elves and using them for entertainment.Gentlemen when evening comes we attack.

 

[Kookaburra]

Freezia stood in silence on the topmost branch of the great tree that would support her weight, peering through the silvery leaves at the blazing stars that were set amidst the dark velvet of the skies.

Millions of them, scattered like silmarils from the ancient land of what the latecomers call Valinor.

She clenched her fist and felt a twinge within her . . . and with that simple glance, a thousand things were laid plain to her, and she felt the heavy weight of mortality.

She looked down from her perch, hundreds of feet above the forest floor. Ornate lanters winked their silvery light faintly up at her, and she climbed down the tree until she reached the inner stairway. With soft tread and the scent of narcissus and jasmine in the air, she descended silently, back to the land of the immortal.

She felt unfit--indeed, the elves surpassed mortals in every way, seemingly. And something drew her East--towards the land of the Rising Sun. From the East her ancestors came, and to the East she would return.

When all is said and done, and when I breathe my last, what came from dust will turn to dust and be forgotten.

Freezia walked softly on the grass, and turned when the voice spoke. "You have the Gift." Queen Elwillenio Arsh stood amid the soft light of a dozen lamps, and her sheer poise took the Windsong's breath away. "Some call it that. Some call it a curse." She had been silent since that morning.

"Come, I have something to show you," the elven queen beckoned, and Freezia followed toward the center of the fair city. Then, they descended steps, crude and uncarved, quite unlike the rest. The sound of water was constantly in her ear; falling, chuckling, running and splashing.

The queen walked ahead unerringly, and did not look back. Swiftly, she descended--her hem trailing unheeded in the water as Freezia followed. The shadows of night were all around.

Then, they emerged from the stairs and into the center of a small copse of slender saplings. They seemed to wave their branches and Freezia had the illusion of them dipping in tribute as the elven queen passed.

The very center was a small pool of water, clear as a crystal and filled with a golden glow. A small stream ran from it and trickled into the darkness, glittering like a thousand crystals. The pool was perfectly circular, and surrounded with a mosaic of gems that reflected and amplified the light.

"Come," Elwillenio said again, and Freezia cautiously approached. In the back of her mind was the thought that this place was obviously sacred, and that she was deeply honored to be there.

"I--" she began, but the queen's look silenced her. She was looking into the water.

"Only those with the Gift of the mortals shall ever see anything more than shadows and dark things."

Slowly, images solidified. Dark armies poured into view, and she watched wordlessly. Fires, death and war was happening, and Freezia could not bear to look much longer when another image superimposed over it, a disc. No bigger than her hand, it looked like a discus in shape. Then, it began to glow, and shining forth from it, there came a great light. The enemies fell back, horrified. They fled.

And then, darkness seemed to fall, and Freezia looked up from the pool at the elf, who stood bathed in the starlight. "I don't understand."

"Not many do," said the queen. "The wisest are not strong enough to last long in the face of such evil. Even now, the light grows less." she was referring to the light shining from the pool. "When it is gone, we shall be vulnerable, and shall pass into the East."

She held out something in her hand, and Freezia took it, and sucked in her breath. It was a sword, and a sword like no other. It was elven-made of unbreakable metal, and wraught with many strange designs. At the pommel was a single stone, that flared up when the Windsong's hand touched the handle.

"The Shadowchild is strong in you. Your destiny is set apart. Go, and seek it."

With that, Freezia was left with the laughter of the brooks and a foreboding that much of what she had seen in the pool would come to pass. She knelt quickly and drank of the golden waters. Instanly, she felt refreshed, and she turned to leave.

The sword of Niall. The Gift had told her this, and as she looked at the deadly blade she held--the tip as sharp and true as a midwinter peak and as coldly beautiful--she didn't find it hard to believe.

 

[Blessed-one]

News of the impeding attack spread like a summer fire, and the elves were doubling their patrol. Messages through mind link were sent to their allies, the Dragon Host, the human and some other assorted creatures. The group found themselves being presented with supplies. There wasn't enough time, they had to get the seal and fled the elven territory. An escort was provided as promised, and the eagles and dragon were left behind.

Lake Serie was actually an underground lake, "buried" beneath a cavern of caves. Ellieya, their guide, was a lovely looking female elf. Signalling with a hand, she led the way into the caves, her hand holding aloft a torch. Daniel, the ever curious boy of his age, couldn't help noticing the new sword that Freezia carried. Unable to suppress the boy's excitement, she showed him the blade before their journey. Aridol commented that it was very sharp, and Janwah hurried over to curb the boy's curiousity.

"Are there anything we need to look out for, Ellieya?" Clise asked as she eyed the cave wall a bit dubiously, as if anticipating some horror leaping through the wall.
"No elf dare enter this place, i was here only because my curiousity got the better of me when i was little." Ellieya replied, obviously she didn't want to talk about her misadventure and did not elaborate. "The caves are relatively save, but i don't know about the deeper parts. I've never been to the lake before."