[Closed] Shadow of Darkness (Private RP)

at haveing the dirt dropped uppon him and Mikkens shouting Dernuth awoke in a startle. he took in several deep quick breaths as he realized it was all a dream. all except, his leg! Dernuth grabbed his leg and held it tightly has his sences came back to him and the burns began to do just that. with the burning he felt in his leg he almost but could quiet forget his dream, the flames. but finally he bagan to wounder what it was exactly, if that were all a dream, that caused his leg to catch fire.

Dernuth almost panicked with a thought that arose and he looked up and all around in a stir. after a breif moment he was relieved to find himself back in the cave and with all being well, except for his leg though. the pain began to subside and Dernuths mind began to clear. he noticed the dirt on him and around him, as well as Mikken standing above him. Dernuth thought for a moment and then looked up to Mikken to ask what happend, though he noticed Mikken giveing him a rather harsh look. Dernuth took another moment to think and noticed the fire pit near to where he legs had been and that it had been coverd in dirt as well.

now looking at his leg it became obviouse what had happend. Dernuth couldn't help but feel like and idiot for not haveing woken up and been able to take care of it himself. all he could do was look to Mikken and say "thank you." and then lower his head in embarresment. how could he have been on FIRE and not even known? then the images from his dreams flashed again through his head. the fire, the house, his mother. Dernuth became lost in his thoughts.

Tanis started at the loud voice shouting the order for waking. "What-" Tanis started to ask, but stopped as he saw exactly what. The fire was spreading along the light coating of dried leaves and pine needles scattered across the floor of the cave. Mikken was spreading dirt around, trying to stop the fire. Tanis stood up quickly, and asked "Is anyone hurt?" He wasn't answered, but upon seeing the scorch marks around Dernuth, Tanis assumed that Dernuth had caught fire.

Tanis left the cave, and went to the small spring outside. He filled his water skin to the brim, and brought it back to the cave. Without waiting for Dernuth to say anything, Tanis poured the water over the wound, and whispered "Só leigheas air, in ainm an bandia. " The wound faded, leaving it looking like it was weeks old. "I'm not much of a healer." Tanis said, almost apologetically.

Dernuth had been lost in thought but snapped out of it once the water contacted his leg. it surprised him really, but not as much as when his burns healed. not compleatly, but it was much better now. he looked up at Tanis who was mentioning how he's not that great at healing, as if to say sorry, but Dernuth said "thank you. it's actually alot better now. I could even run around for a while and not have to worry about any pain."

to this Tanis seemed to almost smile, and it brightend Dernuth up a bit as well. Dernuth stood up and just as he said his leg was now fine. atleast everything turned out alright, but that dream still botherd him. he tryd his best to shake it off and not show it though. "I'm going to go soak my leg in the spring." he said before leaving the cave, he figured it was a good idea, and he wanted a moment to think. or to atleast try and clear it from his head.

Lyselle had been trying to hunt when she smelled smoke. The deer she was following ran away. Lyselle ran back to the caves. When she saw Mikken trying to douse flames with dirt, she scowled at him and put her hands on her hips.

"I can't leave you three alone for ten minutes without you burning down the forest!?" She snapped. "And might I ask where Dernuth is?"

"He's at the spring." Tanis answered. He and Mikken brushed off the first question. Lyseele wouldn't stand for that.

"Tell me what happened! Now!" She didn't mean to yell.

"Dernuth's leg was on fire and it spread." Mikken answered casually. Lyselle frowned.

"That makes absolutely no sense. How in the world was his leg on fire?!" She demanded answers.

"He must have kicked the fire in his sleep." Tanis added. Lyselle heaved a great sigh. She prayed that these strangers wouldn't accidentally destroy Eytherannia.

Attitude, much? thought Tanis. "It's okay Lyselle. We're getting ready to leave anyway." he said, rubbing his throbbing forehead. Tanis picked up his sword and put it into the sheath at his side. He also checked over his bow. Tanis, after ascertaining that he had indeed gotten all of his possessions, left the cave. "Dernuth, I'm ready to leave when you are." he said casually.

"Alright. Let me get my things." Dernuth said.

Tanis walked back to the cave with Dernuth. While Dernuth was gathering his various possessions, Tanis asked of both Mikken and Lyselle, "Are you ready to leave? We should get an early start. The capitol is a two day journey from where we are now."

Mikken answered with a grunt, and stood up. Lyselle nodded, and also stood. Dernuth, who had finished gathering his things, heaved his bag onto his back. Tanis led the way out of the cave, and to the road leading to the capitol city, Res Myran.

OoC: I didn't want to keep referring to the capitol as "the capitol" so I named it.

As the others set out ahead, Mikken hung back at a slower pace, ambling through the woods and listening to the sounds of birdsong. The sunlight peered through a thick canopy of green leaves, bathing the road that lead through it in a dappled ivy light. Through his sandals he could feel the wet morning dew soak his feet and in some places, where the path was wetter, clumps of mud clung to them.

It was intoxicating for the Wereboar, the simple act of walking through these woods. Still, he kept an eye and an ear on Dernuth. If he dare tell the other two....

With a single thought, anything that was pleasing about the woods was gone. His eyes roamed about, looking for escape routes and thinking of excuses to leave. He clenched his fingers into a fist, and was momentarily surprised when pain greeted the action. Oh, wait. Last night. Mikken winced, more at the thought than the pain.

After a few more minutes of hiking he finally dared to ask, "Where are we even headed?"

"hm?" Dernuth hadn't really thought of it, he wonderd why not for a moment. now that he was thinking about it, were they just now traveling all together or what? he didn't remember them decideing on anything like that. he hadn't even noticed when they all just got thier stuff and left together. last night he'd figured that when morning came they would all once again go thier own ways. now, as if they'd all been traveling together for some time, here they were.

and where were they headed exactly? Dernuth before hadn't been actually heading anywhere inparticular. he'd figured though that along his jurney he may just stop by the capitol of Res Myran. at that though Dernuth then reached into his bag and pulled out his map. studying it for a moment he found that he was correct. thinking about it and looking around, Dernuth got the idea that this may have been one of the roads he'd looked at on the map the other day. this was a road to the capitol, where Tanis and Lyselle said that they were heading to last night.

"Res Myran." Dernuth finally answerd Mikken, rather casually. "I didn't think, and didn't really realize it till just now, that we'd all be traveling together. so are we then?" Dernuth asked as he looked over to Tanis, who kind of turned his head to the side with an unsure expression. "when he said he'd leave when I'm ready, I just grabed my stuff and left with you guys. I mean I guess I don't mind to much. I was kind of thinking about heading to Res Mran sooner or later anyways. I guess I might as well go now. I'm kind of use to traveling on my own though."

after saying this a few things returned to Dernuths mind. of last night, of earlyr yesterday. Mikken knew, and Tanis and Lyselle could have found out to. just knowing that made Dernuth feel sick to his stomic before. and then most of that night he had had such a problem with being around them all, he had been so uncomfterble. then today he just gets up and leaves with them like nothing. what happend? why has he not noticed this untill just now?

Lyselle Held her bow close as she walked. She was ready for virtually anything.

"Res Myran should be close." Tanis sighed. Lyselle had to think about what he had just said.

"What's Res Myran?" She asked.

"...The capitol..." He answered. Lyselle shook her head.

"Sorry. Yea Res Myran...in my language we call it Aleanzea. I always get confused...you'll need to know a bit of the elven language in the capitol. you never know who you'll meet."

"The monks told me that your language and ours were similar. It appears not." said Tanis thoughtfully. "And if it means finding your sister, I'll learn some." Tanis looked back at Mikken, who was walking silently, separated from the group. "Are you going to Res Myran as well? Or elsewhere?" he asked Mikken.

"No." He answered, his mind elsewhere. After receiving a somewhat odd look from Tanis he clarified. "I do not plan on heading into the capitol; there's too much huma-people there." Mikken sighed, his gaze finding his feet. "I don't have any destination planned. Perhaps a port city where I can take a ship to the northwestern seas and return to Terram."

He cocked his head at the taller man, "And what do you plan on doing, after finding her sister?"

"hm? oh. I dunno." (I didn't know that's what I was doing. was I? I suppose I could help. why not I guess.) he thought. "so you think she's in the capitol then?" Dernuth asked, looking to Tanis and Lyselle. "oh wait. I remember last night you said you were heading there to took for some leads. but since the capitol has the most people of anywhere else in the kingdom, maybe she is there."

Lyselle gulped. "Hopefully." She tried not to think about her young sister all alone. She wanted to change the subject.

"Do any of you have siblings...or friends for that matter." She tried to keep the strong persona she normally had. Lyselle was not someone to be messed with and she needed to get that point across. She prepared to listen to the stories of her new found friends and take her mind off of Veronna

"ouch." Dernuth said. "well I have a younger brother, about 12 years now. I'm not sure what you'd call friends though."

and Dernuth then thought of the village and the kids who would teade him. a few were nice to him and eventually alot of them stopped picking on him. but could he really call any of them friends?

Tanis, talking to Mikken, replied "After Lyselle and I find her sister, I'm going to find a permanent home. Whether or not it is in this country, I do not know." As they continued walking, Tanis began to feel uneasy. He felt as though they were being watched. As he looked around them, a dart came whistling toward Tanis' head. He managed to block the attack, but only barely. Tanis only had just enough time to turn around and parry a blow before his assailant managed to stab him. The trees were suddenly alive with bandits, who quickly descended upon the four.

OoC: The deleted messages of mine were duplicates. My computer misunderstood me.

OoC: The first thing that came to my mind was the Picts from Centurion so...

Mikken had barely had his axe drawn when a bandit wielding a crude cudgel descended upon him. She swung the stick at him and barely blocked it, the force of the blow making him stumble back as the force reverberated through his axe into his arm. At first he thought his ears were ringing until he saw the bells in her hair, most likely stolen from a merchant.

His foe attacked again, with a swing that caught him in his jaw. When lights flashed behind his eyes he was certain that the buzzing in his ears were them ringing, not the bells. Mikken spat out a gob of blood and lunged blindly at the bandit. The woman made slightly strangled cry as the blade bit through hides, skin, muscle and stuck into bone.

He yanked the axe back, wincing at her second grating cry.

Dernuth couldn't help but cringe at the sceen of Mikkens axe splitting through the lady bandit. though not a moment more did he find a hand placed apon the the satchel that hang at his side. in a startle Dernuth jumped forward and into a bandit that had just charged tword him from ahead. that bandit was thrown back into another bandit which was trying to attack Tanis from behind. though the 2 Bansits just barely missed falling on Tanis, and insted to the ground beside him.

Dernuth was thrown to the ground though and left nearly defencless to the bandit still behind him. though the bandit was alittle suprised by Dernuths sudden reaction. 3 bandits moving in on Tanis, 2 after Lyselle, Mikken just took out another one. and the one coming in on Dernuth which he just rememberd, jumping to his feet and turning around to deffend himself. but what can he do? not much here. sure he has powers, but how can he use them? Mikken may know, which still botherd him. but what about Tanis, and Lyselle?

the bandit took a swing at him with his sword, but Dernuth managed to avoid it, Dernuth still had his speed. but he's not vary strong. maybe he could figure out something. grab the sword and shock them? but how could he grab the bandits sword? surely the bandit wasn't going to hold still so Dernuth could grab his sword. and what about the other bandits? there were now 2 more comeing for Dernuth. he wasn't going to try the same thing as before, not after Mikken found out because of it.

this fight was becomeing increasingly more chaotic, as more and more bandits came pouring out of the forest. it was all Dernuth could do to try and avoid thier attacks, he hardly had a chance to think. with all that was happening around him, and nothing he can do, it was almost enough to drive Dernuth into a bit of a panick. he'd never been caught in a situation like this before. usually he'd just shock them all and be on his way, but he couldn't do that now.

what of the others? Mikken Tanis and Lyselle, he couldn't just let them all see. what whats to say he wouldn't hurt them to? he couldn't concentrait in all this confusion, his head began to ache. everything began to slow down around him, he saw the bandits infront of him slowly aproching with thier weapons swinging so slowly through the air. for a moment it was like he could almost see everything around him in just that once instant. but just as it came, time once again began to flow as normal, and the bandits that had once moved as if stuck in place where now chargeing at him full speed once more, flailling thier weapons about.

had Dernuth not known better, he'd have sworn it was him who had been moveing so slowly as if to be still now. all things now raced about him, a cut to the side of his arm light but quick as a knife through butter. quick as it came, the pain were as though it lasted an enternity. come an gone yet stuck in that moment of pain for years, all at the same time. Dernuths attention was just barely caught by the sword coming up to his head from behind, and he turned to see it infront of his face with no time to dodge or avoid it. it began to poke at his skin, now peircing his cheek, and running lightly along it causeing a cut to open. all things froze for a second once more, and in a flash...Dernuth was gone from the sceen. leaveing Mikken, Tanis, Lyselle, and the bandits behind.

The bandits had spat and cursed when the world flashed around them, most stumbling back into the brush from where they came. Others scrambled about for a few moments, picking up any weapon from their fallen comrades that they could before following the rest.

Mikken rubbed his eyes, squinting as his vision began to return, with only dark splotches remaining in the centre of his sight. It was like when he was a child and had stared at the sun for a long time, even though his parents had warned him against it. Shakily he picked up his axe; he had dropped it when something had buzzed through the air with flash.

When he saw the bandits gone he relaxed somewhat, his breath leaving him in a great, whooshing sigh. Still blinking, his gaze found Lyselle.

"Arg oo okah?" The words were more gurgled than spoken - he turned his face to the side and spat out the blood and a piece of a tooth. "Are you okay?"

Lyselle nodded shakily. From what Mikken could see she only had a few cuts and scrapes. Maybe some bruises later. Minor things.

He spared Tanis only a glance. He could see where blood was seeping through his clothes - but he had proven he knew how to magic heal people, and came from a race mages. He could take care of himself (Or so Mikken hoped.)

Finally he noticed one person was missing. Mikken's mind raced over the possibilities - the bandits wouldn't take prisoners, would they? No, they aimed to kill. He rubbed his arms, still vibrating from the shock in the air. The lightning. Of course. Was he a Deathhand, in service to the King? Or even the Tsarina? No... No. He was perfectly normal. Deathhands were always crippled in some way, shape or form.

That left a single option, making the grimace that Mikken was wearing from the pain in his jaw deepen and sharpen into a look of malevolence. "Bloody coward." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"Can either of you seen where he went?" He asked, hoping that the remaining two would catch his meaning.

Lyselle wasn't scared...just a little startled. Mikken had taken on a more ghoulish appearance. His eyes were blood red and his skin was paler. His veins were darker as well. She found herself shivering. Dernuth was gone too. He was the only one who kept the moment light. Lyselle was ready to scream but instead she pointed her bow at Mikken and asked a simple question.

"What are you?"

Tanis watched as Lyselle pointed her bow at Mikken. Tanis chuckled darkly, and said "He sure isn't human. And Dernuth headed up the road, toward Res Myran."

"And what makes you think that I am not human?" Mikken asked, with a snarl.

"I can sense it. Your mind has a layer beyond what regular humans have. I don't know what it is, but it's there." Tanis answered coolly. He pulled out his water skin, and began healing his various cuts. His healing was not as effective as before, however, because of the fact that his water had been tainted with blood in the fight. "I need purer water." Tanis said to himself.

"I can sense it. Your mind has a layer beyond what regular humans have. I don't know what it is, but it's there." Tanis answered coolly.

Mikken blinked at that. "I am sorry. The Bestial feels more.... Swollen. And angry. It's beginning to outweigh everything else in your mind." The Deathhand girl had studied him with blind eyes and a sharp gift. "Don't ask anyone for help; you won't get it. Make it past the Steps and into Dagan. They accept your kind there."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Tales get boring when the perceived hero always wins."

He had dropped his war axe when Lyselle turned her bow onto him. He willed himself to calm down. Snarling and snapping like a corned dog wouldn't help him. Mikken could feel his hands shaking, and winced at an abrupt muscle spasm in his shoulder. He wanted desperately to do... something, rub his palms together, wipe the black blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, anything.

But the risk of attack kept him still. His mind skittering over responses, things to say, how to say them, he finally whispered, quietly, flatly, "I was human." When he opened his mouth to speak a few drops of the insidious blood rushed through his lips, staining his chin and emphasizing the statement.

"Was?" Lyselle had seemed to pale at the blood, which had no normal, human qualities.

"And now I'm... I am..." His seeming calm had disappeared with the impending admission. "I am Wereboar."

With a great effort he pushed the need and want of running, changing, away into the corners of his mind. A painful headache began to swell from that, but he felt safer as the warmth of color returned to his skin, his blood becoming red again and his eyes losing that quality. He still watched the girl with wary eyes, raising his hands above his head in basic submission.

"Do what you want with me."