CHAPTER 5 - Pilgrimage through the false eclipse
When the pawns have been toppled and their bishop has cornered the lion, it then punches the monk straight. Ah original chess I am fond of a good game and strategic plays like that, over the fate of a mage but alas we return to these young flames kindling their resolve after a hard fought battle. Breaking an illusion forged in the young feys feeble mind fostering a false façade of fables and fictions, fashioning a new foundation for her faith. With a new dawn comes new life and growth for the world as the new sun's light sterilizes the cold justice leaving it bare for all as nature intended but for these men it was used for numbing their minds to the tortures they have seen in the past few nights with drugs and drink they wasted a whole day only to wake in the early hours of the day past one full spin, still looking rather grobby, ah this should be a interesting move I'd say.
The scarlet sky of the new dawn breaks over the colossal treeline. Shining down on our heroes now awaking from their merriment and proceeding to put all their equipment away, we see however this is not the same shoreline they once battled and rested, seemingly closer the the joining point of the shores, all but three were mostly done but then Otto is seen to lift Bee five feet in the air by the scruff of his leather vest while Bee accepts this, limp in body and eyes shadowed by his horns with the faintest of evil smirks quickly jolting his head towards the Goliath, stabbing him with his horn in the lower gut, Otto in pain lowers his giant fist like a hammer and slamming the demon into the ground, making a bang that awoke all the others, especially Wilt who even through his crusted yes could see what was happening and sadly to him was not even moved this time at all, accepting this is what his life will be for the foreseeable future, he let out a sigh and muttered under his breath,
''Ah...need some black bean stew before I can deal with that''
''Here you go my friend. I don't know if you take it with Thick Cloud or Sweet Sand so I left it raw and stewed but I have bot-''
The goblin pushed the cup back to the Azamaar without even recognizing who it was and growled,
''Heavy with the thick cloud and three spoons of sweet sand..please''
Kyu took the ingredients from his robe in a shine of grey and added the required amounts.
''Enjoy brother...I believe I should stop and that heal those two again''
Kyu said in a huff of disappointment before the goblin spoke,
''Your burning through your reserves all night ya know take a rest..''
Kyu did his owl like tilt and spoke,
''Oh thank you..I shall take to it after this is en-''
The air between the two was split at great velocity both only seeing the smallest blur of greyed wood, It travelled at great speeds towards the standing Goliath who moved his hand quick enough to grasp the now visible staff
''HA! Got ya speed down at this point posh bo-''
His sentence broke with the click of fingers as lightning of black spread through him towards the ground also surrounding the dwarf.
''Wow...are all of you just slow or is this normal in these parts? I try something like that against my mentor or any of my family they would sling at back towards me twice the speed...minimum!''
Willabaar appeared from inside the tent's open door, walking over to retrieve his staff as Kyu moves head being massaged by his hand, seemingly trying to release the knots that these two had formed through the night,
''Kyu take it easy, you've healed them both at least five times by now in the space of twelve hours you must be getting drained yourself, this is the last time and then we let them rest here with Wilt for a hour and we can catch some rest in that time then after that me, you, and Orelia go to that trader town near the point of this lake''
Willabaar turns to the girl still packing her sack
''Sound good to you Ores?''
Her face twisted in annoyance
''Why Ores? It is such a guy's name..''
''Well...your one of the guys right?..''
''Hm...fine whatever I am the only one that knows the way so I suppose I have to right?''
"Not really. I could easily glide over towards that direction and send the results back''
Kyu says picking himself up from the bed he rolled out seconds prior.
''No..She is right, okay well get your hours then, we will move then oh and Wilt! Don't let them kill each other while we are gone!''.
Wilt give a role of his eye as he responds,
"I'm no barbarian babysitter"
He says knowing that if it does get a response it will be quippy,
''I know I am asking a lot of a creature that looks like a child himself right?''
"We are all children under the moon so I see no distinction''
The crew walk away from the fallen not a word spoken as they all take their spots for the rest they all still pined for, All keeping respective distance from the next, showing the obvious lack of trust still filling the air like a vapor of toxic origins but still they all manage to find away to accept their surroundings turning in for more of a welcoming rest.
With a recuperative rest our young heroes see the smoke of industrialization that guarantees reprieve from the elements to them. Finding an old forgotten foot path littered with woods of decades past, showing the decay of time at work. Slowing the paths of those travellers who's journeys also took them down this path for reasons lost to the annals written era's ago.
"Why is this path so tangled in roots and vines"
Orelia complained to no one's surprise
"forgotten paths are all over, look hard enough you find them everywhere you go like in Rococto, tons of places left forgotten to be exploited… No explored is right...sorry royal release of the tongue you know."
The elf looked back confused as normal while Kyu showed with the same amount of emotion as the bark on the trees they passed in droves
''Never mind what I said, let's just get this stressful part over with huh?
Kyu turned to the thorns mixed with nettles and whispered soft to them as they receded like a natural death of a rose, the path looked much more tended and rejuvenated from the soft words that fell upon them, both with him seemed to shrug it off like it was nothing at this point to them as they continue the travel through the giant trees, getting swindelier and gaunt the closer to the edge they get to.
The woods open at the jagged point of the still dark lake they see a open plane of emerald green stretching for miles onwards only being broken in their sight by a tall mound of distance trees that by comparison looked double at worst the size of the imposing nature they were surrounded by, In unison the two men looked at the girl confusion even blatantly showing on the face of the fallen as Willabaar breaks the silence
''That...That is a day's travel at best so please tell me how you envisioned the lot of us making it there in less than a week? Go on you must have a master plan..''
Taking a seat on a fresh stump the sarcasm was thick in his voice."
The girl seemed stunned at the view in front of her,
''No..No ask Otto this path was only a hour at most the other night when we scouted around I swear!!''
Willabaar sighed staring down at the ground, fumbling in his pockets before pulling out a little bag.
"Well I do have Lycan Snow my father got on his travels. it's good stuff from what I heard, got it off some titanic spider before a mass genocide or something like that ha!''
Kyu tilts his head in wonder once again while Orelia barks at the man,
''Are you really suggesting that we do DRUGS AND RUN ACRO-''
''Will they hasten my movements Willabaar??''
Kyu snapped into the conversation as the two continued to ignore the woman now letting out nothing but frustrated growls as she heard Willabaar continue
''Of course my fallen friend! One bump of this up your nose and ya won't remember how to stop those wings from going.''
Willabaar erupted into a laughter while Kyu seems to observe the bag and taking his finger preparing to place it in the powder before Orelia snatches it like a old lady trying to intervene with a snake oil salesman and preparing to throw it far from them until her hand felt a tight grip like that of a dragon's jaw turning back she sees the green and purple shine of Willabaar's eyes
''No...If you don't want any...Just give it back.''
''I would like to try the rapid healing medicine Willabaar''
Kyu looking more excited as the seconds went by watching the bag like a puppy seeing his lead for the first time of the day sending Willabaar from his piercing stare to a laughing contortion of teeth and tongue
''No No buddy we will just have to go get the rest and then go and cross the opening it will just take som-''
His eyes darted to his right, moving his arm and catching an arrow bolt heading towards them, the two companions realised what was happening and prepared to take a defensive stand, as the glowing wings appeared from Kyu's back they quickly were pinned by two swords of curved oily colouration.
''Anyone hit?!''
Willabaar says moving into position for a fight, still dealing from the mental strain of drinking and combat from the past two days,
''I'm fine! The angel got pinned though!''
Orelia shouted back raising her hands and preparing to attack back before the half-mix slowly moved his hand in a motion that suggested she wait, Willabaar inspected the bolt still held in his hand staring at the engravings as a smirk rose across his face, Kyu looked, twitching in pain and went to heal his wings until Willabaar lets out a demanding shout,
''KYU DO NOT USE YOUR RESERVES ON THOSE WINGS!!''
Kyu did not understand but followed the very assuring orders from him, nodding slight and placing his hands on his hips close to weapon,
''MEN IS THIS ANYWAY TO TREAT YOUR PRINCE?!''
The two others did not know how to react to what they had just heard, a trick perhaps? Did he recognize the sigils from another royal family? All this seemed to not be the case as the man walked towards the moving brush where the volleys had risen from, quickly his smile turned sour as he hit the floor and yelled while doing so to the others to get down, they agreed now even more confused by what was happening, Willabaar rose wiping the dry dirt from his Gi and spoke once more,
''I get it...I know I have been gone...longer than planned right brother?''
A man appeared from the bush, a tall half-mix the same variety as Willabaar himself except with the armor and fashion sense of Kyu, a obviously holy man, sporting the same mixture of eyes as the prince they had come to know only aged more, hair a silver and shaped in a undercut and braids over to his right side the same with the only non pious garb he wore being fingerless leather gloves, one of a oily blue and the other of a similar black, he stopped a foot away from Willabaar, looking down with the same frost as the half-mix was known for before bellowing in laughter, Seemingly in unison with the younger and embracing in a hug,
''Willabaar!! Daedalus lead me to you to save you from thyn evil capturs!!''
''Uhmm Jericho...These are my new adventuring members...the fallen one is called Kyu...he grows on you and the girl is Orelia...just call her Ores''
He turned to the frozen two and smiled warmly,
''Guys...this is Jericho Price, third crowned prince of the forgotten kingdom of Recocto and leader of the Daedalus puzzle church...my older brother.''
Willabaar's smile seemed more forced than the face made by a teen receiving a gift from family and having to do the obligatory thanks and greetings,
''Brother...could you possibly remove your blades from my healer's wings before he needs to sleep till the next morrow?''
The elder looked down with a look on contemplation before letting out a sigh
''Fine...Return my conductors of the gales and lightning to my grasp!''
The blades shined a brilliant blue before blinding the onlookers, the shine dissipated as the blades were sitting in Jericho's hands, Kyu's wings slowly unfurled from the shock of impact, collapsing into ribbons of silk in the air.
''That's! Much! Better!''
Kyu said with a newly fuelled look in his eye
''Kyu...Did you touch the dr-..healing powder?'
Willabaar said remembering the speed at which he moved during combat, remembering how close his pale finger was to the powder matching his skin. Kyu tilted his head looking more like an owl than usual, his visible black well of power ripping that light into his comma as the brothers take a stance, preparing for the fallen's inner pent up emotions whirlwind before Orelia steeps between them lifting her hand and lowering cloak
''Kyuwin Kurama! Your mind, body and soul will now meld my desires! My goddess's will calls for it!''
''Are you trying to seduc-''
His eyes widened as his blood felt warm and cold pulsing through his veins, dropping him to a knee now feeling his life's contents rushing around his brain and with a turn of a infinite pages flipping, his life was laid bare showing blurred visions of a life lead with sorrow and pain leading from two separate paths, one of holy conviction to pious virtue and one of a chaotic crusade of damnation and pleasure, The two brothers seem laxed at the situation at hand before Jericho turns and says,
''A Onomancer huh? Makes perfect sense to have one of them doesn't it little brother?''
His face filled with a smug arrogance one would expect from a elder brother taking jabs at the younger,
''Aye..Vocabris is a powerful god and one who can tap into the endless well that is the magic of names is always a good card to hold close...You, the first and the second crowned princes always taught me to be able to watch my own back did you not?''
The eldest looked back towards the fallen, now barely awake and the contents seemingly all revealed as best as possible, smirking but before anything could be said a large explosion was heard in the distance. The bush moved heavily as five men dressed in a ivory and ebony lined armor adorning the crest of the Price family, a bright gold sun wrapped with a chain of solid black on a shield of grey now all circling the eldest but before a word was spoken he notices his younger brothers and his companions reactions, looking towards the sound with faces of dread he turned to ask,
''You know who that is I presume??'
Willabaar turned still stone face devoid of emotion other than the fear that was painted,
''The rest of my men are there...that sounded big though...we need to get back!!''
The eldest nodded in agreement as now the party doubled in size and power moved back towards the disturbance.
Back with are barbaric group to the sound of a hissing concoction of putrid smells thrown onto the fire making a acidic green vapor and bronze and golden oils catching fire slightly, black tendrils blocking the light of the sun, interweaving like the overgrown vines of the rainforests awning the heroes spreading them off in different directions and with a large smack from the oozing appendages into the hot coals of the fire, the light was droughted completely leaving them in almost absolute darkness,
''Oh Bumble Bee, where are your friends? Abandoned you already eh?''
A whine spread though the area like nails on ice cold and piercing as the three men all took defensive positions spread around five feet from each other, Wilt now ten feet up a tall pine while Otto laid in the brush to his right, Mountain took the left perched behind another tree, already swiped clean in half seemingly recently,
Mountain realised quite quick that this was the horrid creature..no spawn of pure spite, Shitto again now appearing, sliming out of the tallest tree in the vicinity seemingly taking the beauty of nature and twisting it's core to vessel his fleeting soul, he looked up to Wilt who by his face seemingly remembered him as well,
''Oh...I dOOoo believe I smell the fear of that pesky little Gnome branchling that was there last time...Ha! They made you the slave, did they?! ahahaha! Come on out! Let's see if you die as meekly as that old pretender Orc! Choosing to die so pitifully like owning a bar not even with a weapon in hand! He will burn in one of the infinite pits with the other scum of the scum race! Ahahaha-''
Wilt was mad more than this insane creature was attacking the man that gave his blood, sweat, tears and eventually life for him to be alive right now,
''You fucker..''
Wilt says with his will burning through his eyes of emerald green
''Enjoy this endless pain as you singe eternally in these pits of hell while you are screaming in a literal fire pit! Now burn ya gnomish git!''
Wilt screamed determinedly, slinging his packs of leaves, oils and compounds into the air while grabbing his blade, leaping from the trees moving ever closer to his target, The others feeling inspired go to grab their weapons and assist their brave new comrade only to find they are now glued to the trees and dirt by this ooze that seeped through the mindless strikes holding them in place now with a look off fear, Wilt notices this but presses forward accepting what might be, avoiding one and then two tendrils with supurp spiralling leaps from the trees, he now saw himself face to point of the flying tendril, he positions himself upwards grabbing the handle of the falling bag he threw ripping it apart with the dagger going through to meet the point, slicing slightly but inevitably losing out as the goblin is pierced through his shoulder and sent spinning into a tree with a loud thud not before the bag ripped and became a rainbow of vicious gases and smokes pouring into the blackened ooze forming veins of a vile green instantly hissing and merging into the beast making it let out a horrific screech of pain before a loud band rings.
Wilt looked through his blurred vision time now almost at a standstill, his shoulder pierced through the bone on the left side and his right side shattered entirely down from arm to leg, smirking as the blood started slowly seeping from the corner of his crooked mouth he thinks that this was at least a fun way to go out for him and Aarc, he sees the dark blurs of a tendril swinging down slowed seeing the panicked faces of the two men he saw as nothing more as beast concerned for him he felt this was it but as time regained momentum the blackened tendril was meet by a pulse of white blurring with pace, on meeting the tendril is sending careening through trees back towards the creatures main body, Wilt looked up through the pain and darkness to see the fallen one standing before him, twitching with dagger in hand
''I'll leave it to you bird boy..''
The goblin closed his eyes assuring the battle to his new comrades.
The pieces have found their places and are possessed to strike with arms in tow, who will come out on top ,the beasts or the monster. I cannot say though the game seems stacked in one's favor, there are mitigating factors for both sides so I'd put twenty dragons on all of them dying.. Everyone has their trump cards, it's just who has the ace at this point especially with some more powerful pieces now entering the fray seemingly having more interest in this game than initially expected