Tread the Path at Dusk

Saten Ruiko · **Posted:** October 2nd, 2010, 12:49 am

Kyrina half-listened to Paige's explanation of Dusk's motives. It was good to hear more about Dusk's motives and thus why the party had to stop him, but for the time being she was trying to keep her mind on other things. Setting the book on her lap, Kyrina held her right hand just over the ground and attempted to apply what she had been reading about to the terrain around her. She had practiced bending light before, but decided now was the time to really refine it. Some of the long blades of grass that were standing more or less straight up flickered in and out of sight as she bent the light around them. Grass was small and thin, though; it was already perhaps the easiest thing to do. In an actual situation, it would be better to hide a flying projectile. There was also a rock there about the size of her foot, so she attempted to use her magic on that next. With a little effort, the rock began to appear several inches away from where it really was, but it of course took a conscious effort to keep that going. Stopping the attempt, the rock immediately shifted back to its normal position as Kyrina picked up her book again and continued reading.

Good enough. Onward...

Znath · **Posted:** October 7th, 2010, 12:40 am

*shrug*
Where is everyone?...

Saten Ruiko · **Posted:** October 9th, 2010, 9:55 am

Znath wrote:

*shrug*
Where is everyone?...

OOC: Beats me. Kyrina's reading. I assume everyone else is wide-awake until they claim otherwise.

Tanksandguns · **Posted:** October 9th, 2010, 2:42 pm

Grageon was soon fast asleep, excited for morning to come.

Riptide · **Posted:** October 9th, 2010, 3:12 pm

Meh
BIC: Jarrett had wandered away from the group, but not out of earshot. He found a good spot, like a tiny clearing. He focused his mind on a human form, and something sprouted out of the ground. A practice dummy, that oddly resembled Raila. He hacked and slashed with his sword, trying to remember the maneuvers he had been taught when he was younger. Each time the dummy was in a state of disrepair, he let it drop to the ground and formed a new one. It was getting dark, but he still wanted a little more training. He could barely see the sun now, and he recalled something from his previous adventures. A luminescent fungi. "What was it called....?" he muttered, "Foxfire I think." He focused on a spot in the ground, where it seemed cool and dark, and tried to remember what he had seen. Just your average growing 'shroom he thought, smiling. Suddenly, something wriggled from the ground, and started to glow. It had worked! He began concentrating his energy on other spots, and by the time it was dark, he had enough light to see the dummy fairly well. And so he began training again.

EDIT OOC: Believe it or not, there is actually a fungi that glows in the dark. I saw it once at summer camp this year. I'm not sure if it really was called Foxfire though. I'd have to look it up.

Landerpurex · **Posted:** October 12th, 2010, 6:27 am

Since Adam didn't sleep as far as Caston knew, he set his book aside and smoothed out his bedroll.

He did not dream.

Kikori · **Posted:** October 12th, 2010, 11:06 am

Having no more questions to answer, and not having an answer from Caston about any potential pursuit of multi-color magic, Paige straightened herself and recalled the water she had given to Adam as a coolant for his smithing. Her eyes glazed over a little in concentration, resuming the water's dance in her hand. Years of having to answer the most unexpected of calls from Dusk bred a meditating style of sleeping, eyes open and body still. The only sign of sleep was the dancer's recession to a simple ring of water rotating in place, like a dog chasing its own tail. The deeper her rest, the slower it moved over her hand.

With Adam able to watch Jarrett, the night passed without intrusion. The light started to creep across the sky, slowly bringing Paige back out of meditation along with its color until the sky was nearly completely blue. Paige finished waking up by taking the water in her hand and lifting it to her face, dousing her skin whilst turning the water as ice cold as possible to bring her fully to her senses again. Finally awake, she looked around for movement from the others.

Landerpurex · **Posted:** October 12th, 2010, 12:45 pm

OOC: OMG kikori, I'm sorry about leaving you hanging. I completely forgot about it. Will revisit that conversation when I have a second to post something longer.

Znath · **Posted:** October 12th, 2010, 12:55 pm

ooc. finally back again

bic
Just before the sun broke over the horizon, Adam walked through the camp to wake up Gregeon and Delon. Waiting briefly in a clearing facing the sunrise for the two.

As soon as they arrived "I imagine you are a bit weak and weary at the moment. I find the cold of night just as it is awakened by the coming dawn is the best time to feel the energy within you be awakened.... Rather than feel the power of your rage and the rush of a fight... As your heart beats with your body cold you can feel that rush of heat through you. But you have to reach deeper than that! Feel why you fight. Who are you trying to protect. Take control of the rage and focus it into power, and into speed."

"Mages use their internal energy to manipulate the energy around them to control material. Much the same a good fighter uses his physical energy. But even a non-mage can use his mental energy to manipulate his bodily energy." Adam says while a series of metallic sounds come from his right arm as he detaches it. Gradually a luminescent aura builds in the ghostly figure of an arm. "This is both energies working together as one as they always have been. My arm is merely a glove like our bodies are." He says and swings his ghostly arm blasting through a tree taking it down. "You must use your mind and soul to tell your body what is possible.... ignore the fear and doubt. It may take some time, but remember this when things seem difficult." He finishes while raising his metal arm back into place.

Saten Ruiko · **Posted:** October 12th, 2010, 8:25 pm

OOC: Meanwhile, hours in the past (but not many)...

BIC:

Kyrina continued reading until more or less everyone else had already drifted off to sleep. Despite the long day, she didn't feel much like sleeping. But...it would also be a bad idea to stay awake. I do need to be rested tomorrow, or else everything I've learned would be for naught anyway... She covered up with the blanket she had brought, and sooner than expected, fell asleep next to the fire.

The next day went by so fast it was almost like a blur. They had packed up camp quickly and were already in the forests surrounding Windrow. It was actually quite a beautiful day; the leaves of the tall trees blocked out most of the sun, but it still filtered down between branches. What's more, everyone seemed to be in a really good mood for some reason. Kyrina was using her staff as a walking stick as usual as they tread the path ahead of them. She wondered why there had been so much apprehension about the trip--the way things were currently going, it was a whole lot of fun, such that she wished it wouldn't stop. What could be better than taking a stroll with friends, especially on such a wonderful day? Delon told a hilarious joke that suddenly had everyone laughing, even Paige and Raila. As Kyrina caught her breath, she realized everything had suddenly gone very quiet. Turning around to face the group, she saw nothing but an empty, bleak forest path. Weren't they just here? She turned around to face forward again and staggered backwards in surprise to see Rage standing not two feet away. Before Kyrina could make a move, he reached out and yanked the staff from her grasp, whipping it around sideways with two hands like a baseball bat and hitting her in the head, knocking her unconscious.

Kyrina jerked awake and let out a barely audible gasp. She was lying on the ground, but her head wasn't throbbing...and the fire was still going strong, shining in the darkness. It probably hadn't even been half an hour. She silently sighed and closed her eyes again. ...This better not be a recurring thing. She held still, deciding not to roll over or get more comfortable, with the intent of not waking anyone. It wouldn't take long for her to fall back asleep.

...
...I really hope no one noticed that.

Riptide · **Posted:** October 13th, 2010, 8:14 pm

OOC: Blehh, Laptopz internet failed me. D: DSi'll have to do....

BIC: Jarrett had his pack with him when he found his training spot. He didn't have a chance to use it, though. He hit a point wheras he was so exhausted from the training, he collapsed on the soft, green grass and was asleep in a matter of seconds.

Landerpurex · **Posted:** October 13th, 2010, 10:12 pm

Caston had slept on Paige's last question towards him. He didn't entirely trust her, but she seemed genuine in her description of and concern for her master.

He did feel badly for not answering her right away, however. That was nothing short of rude. He approached her the next morning.

"Concerning your question from last night. I have never considered myself nearly capable of manipulating more than one color...to have my name among those of Thert Bastalor and other heroes from history who could do it seems absurd. If course, if we manage to defeat Dusk I suppose our names may be synonymous with those. If it were at all possible, though, I'd be greatly interested."

Caston recalled his increasingly emotional nature, and his angry channeling at the river. He wondered if there was any way he could have the potential to handle red as well as blue. But no one besides Dusk had mastered opposite colors before. It was always Green and Blue, Green and White, Blue and White. Never Blue and Red or Black and White.

At any rate, Caston chose not to dwell on it. It was yet another beautiful morning, and he vowed to try to stay relaxed until he had to leave Windrow.

Kikori · **Posted:** October 21st, 2010, 10:33 am

Paige tilted her head in interest at the response, unable to gauge if he had an ambition or simply an interest. The thought soon passed to mull in the back of her mind as she again began walking through in front of the party, the forest clear in her sight as she looked around in a mild paranoia. "I do not know if Tory's death will mean the reversion of..." No, if a Black mage dies, those he affected physically or mentally and left alone will stay modified. "Nevermind that thought; whatever animals were mutated before will still be. We can only hope the magicians from the Institute have come to clear the forest of the beasts, and keep our guard up." Very set against being caught off guard, Paige held her hands out as she walked to draw dew droplets into her hands, soon forming good sized orbs of water. One was tossed over her shoulder to where Caston was, though whether he was attentive enough to catch it or get splashed was up to him.

Tahu 1000 · **Posted:** October 21st, 2010, 1:37 pm

Tahu and Mabel rode alongside the rest of the group. While they had kept to themselves over the night, they had decided to remain with the group as they traveled to Windrow. Hearing Paige's question, Tahu looked at Mabel, who had already closed her eyes. Opening them a few seconds later, she said "The Institute hasn't had much word of mutated animals in this area, so any that are still alive are probably wandering around. Without the mage around to maintain them, though, such mutations usually prove fatal within a day or two unless they were specifically mutated to last. It all depends on how much Dusk taught the black mage, but I would assume that many, if not most, of the mutated animals are either dead or going to die within a few days."

Riptide · **Posted:** October 21st, 2010, 3:14 pm

OOC: Let's pretend I'm with you, and not asleep on the ground :p

BIC: Jarrett rubbed his eyes groggily, trying to wake up enough to do more than walk. He found enough energy to complain, "How come they get horses?"

Landerpurex · **Posted:** October 23rd, 2010, 4:31 am

Caston was impressed with Mabel's knowledge and confidence in his assertions. She was a woman of the Institute and therefor a scholar, however.

"Mabel is correct. From what I know of Tory, he was more angry than skillful. You saw him, in the end he chose to mutate his own body rather than admit defeat. At any rate, we fought the creatures of the forest previously and I'm unsure if there even were any more..."

The group was nearing the treeline. They would arrive at the edge of the forest within the hour.

Tahu 1000 · **Posted:** October 23rd, 2010, 11:40 am

OOC: That was actually Mabel who said that. I know it's confusing when I'm controlling two characters at once.

Riptide · **Posted:** October 23rd, 2010, 12:19 pm

OOC: Lol.

BIC: Jarrett had finally been fully woken up. He slid off his pack off of his back, and put it on his torso. He opened it, and pulled out a seed packet. "Anyone hungry? I know I am." He asked the group. Jarrett looked at the label of the plant, and it turned out to be watermelon. He grinned.

Znath · **Posted:** October 23rd, 2010, 12:46 pm

"hmm..." Adam mused at the idea of the watermelon. He had been eating off his salted beef supply after his little morning training session. "I would prefer fresh meat, of course. I hear areas like this have some large game... One thing I always enjoyed was the deer some would bring in. Rare though to get it to the mountains quickly and fresh. You practically had to send a hunter out with a cart full of ice. At prices like that you might as well just eat snow-bison."

"Hmm reminds me... one time there was a new kid in the mines. He wasn't bad, just a bit clueless at times. Lunchtime came around and he brought a steamed stuffed breadbun. Wasn't til a few minutes after he ate into it he mentioned it was a bit... weird. Turned out it was full of chopped up leather bits. Apparently his wife is even more dim than he was and chopped up the kid's gloves." Adam made a raspy laugh and continued "A match made in heaven.. I pity the children."

Kikori · **Posted:** October 24th, 2010, 6:26 pm

A splash against Caston due to his lack of catching the water tossed at him answered her question on his attentiveness at the moment.

Despite herself, Paige had to smirk at the story of eating a bun full of leather. However, she also had to wonder where the party's memory went concerning the beasts Tory had created... He, if memory of her lord's recount served, only set out a line of birds after Caston while the others merely surrounded him, not attacked. It was the Orc'aid that had assaulted the rest of the group as Caston was isolated.

However, it was a moot point; Tory's mutation was too twisted to last long enough to pose TOO much of a threat. What's left would be dying by now. So as the party would most likely be safe from everything but a beast's last stand for insanity, the treeline began to consume them in their walk.

Tread the Path at Dusk

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