Rashemen - Book 3

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Elendia looks at her those around her. She can tell a couple of them are a little shocked, but for the most part everyone seems ok. She drops to her knees, and as the black surrounds her she can't help but feel glad she was able to help her friends when they needed it. She feels the ground rise to meet her, as somewhere deep in the back of her head she realizes... she has found people she considers friends. With that thought, she slips unconscious

 

Maron was at her side in an instant, pink light glowing around her fists as she slipped healing spells into the unconcious Elendie.

"Rest easy now, my friend."

She cast one last spell, a glyph that shone above Elendie's body, and would make her impervious to harm until she awoke.

 

Ciana looked round as she spoke quietly to Nakia, she saw Maron tend to Elendie, as she continued looking around she heard Nakia say

"Delinos, Kelvados will you help me set up a watch, these murky conditions are ideal for us to see in, Maron you can help as well overhead, the rest of you wait here while Elendie recovers. Peleane let us know if you feel anything intoward."

After saying this Nakia slipped into the dead misted forest, even with her spell-enhanved vision Ciana had difficulty following her halfling friend.

 

Delinos and Kelvados quickly set up a few silent alarm traps here and there, just in case. The scent of death was very thick here, and while the others seemed uncomfortable, the brothers were right at home.

"Ahh, this is the life, isn't it brother? Killing things here and there, sleeping in murky, dead swamps.. It's what I've always dreamed of," said Delinos sarcastically, "What about you? How do you like our new way of living?"

"I have to agree with you brother, these conditions are quite nice," Kelvados began, playing along, "Although, my nostrils will have to readjust to the scent of death if we are to stay here for any length of time."

The others that were with them just sort of.. stared, not knowing what to think of the brothers' attitude.

 

Nakia slipped through, actually with, the shadows. Atten's lightning bolt followed by fire had destroyed the pesky insects in its vicinity which was a relief even if temporary. The undead insects began to bother her as she moved away from the group.

The only parts of her body exposed were her face and finger tips and she had smeared some of her Mother's smelly salve on her face. It did seem to keep the insects from biting her but the further she went the more there were and they began to intefere with her sight. The thought crossed her mind that she might be the first living thing they had found in a long time.

Brushing the pests away she sighted what she thought was a building in the distance. It was hard to see much and she moved forward suddenly stopping as she saw dark shadows moving in the evil looking trees.

Not being an idiot she decided retreat was in order and began moving back to the others as quickly as she could.

 

As she moved back she saw shadowey shapes moving around her. She was surrounded!

"Ayee, I'm in trouble. Now what? These things seem to know where I am even if blended with shadows."

No matter which way she moved she saw things.

Deciding silence didn't matter she let a yell.

"Heeeelp! Anyone here?"

 

Kelvados' ears twitched at the distant call of a halfling. He looked towards the sound, signalling Delinos with his fingers. "Siraani" Kelvados whispered the Drow Codename the brothers used for Nakia. Kelvados and Delinos silently darted into the forest, making only the slightest noise as they passed. Bright eyes shone as they ventured further into the darkness.

After a few minutes, they finally found the hidden halfling, looking very distant. "Siraani, are you okay?"

[ December 14, 2006, 00:04: Message edited by: Elwithral Irenicus ]

 

"No, brothers. Too many dead things around which can tell where I am. Can't move withhout one popping out. Don't suppose one of you knows a spell "Go away dead thing" or "Make Nakia invisible to dead things"?

Nakia didn't move while she spoke because as long as she was very still the things just moved around her. She had a feeling they were waiting for something or someone which did not make her happy. Besides she needed a nature break but was afraid to move even a little.

 

Delinos thought for a moment then signalled to Kelvados to slowly give him his pack. The pack was slung around Kelvados' shoulder lazily, and his hand quickly and quietly grabbed the strap and threw it at the feet of his brother. The undead around them twitched and turned.. and the trio before them stood ever still while they returned to their waiting.

Delinos used the sheath of his sword to pick the pack up and pulled out a small jar filled with a dim glowing liquid. He whispered, "Drink this, the aura around you will dim to almost nothing to the undead. Only one sip, for more than that causes the drinker to be lost forever." Nakia took a sip, as did the brothers, and the undead seemed to move on.

Kelvados then added, "I do believe, Siraani, that we trust you enough that we should teach you the beiiste, the hand language myself and Delinos use to communicate. Only the former family of DeVir know this code, and I think that it would be invaluable to you in the future.. that's if we continue to travel together. Don't you agree, Delinos?"

"Indeed. The code is sacred to us. I'm still surprised that we are traveling with these people to be honest. But we trust you the most, Nakia. So, if you would wish, we can teach it to you."

 

Maron crashed thorught he forest, half-jumping, half-flying towards Nakia's shout. As she burst onto the scne, she saw that the brotehrs had beat her there and had somehow convinced the undead to leave them all alone. She shrugged, and drw3 her holy symbol from under her tunic, waving it round her head.

'By Sune's grace, I command you to return to your graves!'

The silver amulet exploded with golden light, smashing into the undead with divine fury.

'Everyone okay?' Maron asked the three, worried.

 

Nakia waved at everyone, quickly stepped behind a tree and soon returned with a look of relief on her face.

"Aye, alls well now, Maron. Let's get back to the others."

Walking along with Delinos and Kelvados she said, "I owe you, thank you. I would be honored to learn your hand signals."

Back with the others they told what had happened and Nakia added that she had the impression that the un-dead were waiting for something or someone.

The drow brothers took her aside and began to teach her some of the simpler hand signs of the beiiste. Nakia felt very honored and previliged to have them teach her. She learned quickly as the Hin also had hand signals as well as various sounds from nature they used. She taught the brothers some of these.

 

Delinos also took advantage of this situation to teach Nakia, and all of the group, the key to staying so quiet while moving so swiftly. As they were being taught, the ground shook for a moment. The group prepared for battle.

 

Atten trudged slowly forward to catch up with the others. His hair was still all sticking out in all directions. He was still very tired. He rejoined the group but did not move much, trying to conserve his energy. He really needed a real rest, but it seemed that he would need to wait a bit longer for that.

 

Jex stood back as three clerics began the spell. He intended to be a viewer more than a participant. He was a great fighter, but he was walking into a realm that was unknown. As the clerics continued Jex began to feel a prickling sensation the back of his neck. He sensed something would go wrong. Having survived for as long as he had, and been in as many battles, he knew to trust this instinct.

He snapped his scimitars into his hand just as a tendril of smoke blasted straight up from the middle of the summoning circle. Jex was moving already and sprinted into the circle. It wrapped around Jex and pulled him through the circle, he smoke was impossible to strike with his blades but had a grip around his wait that felt like a giants hand. With a snap, it pulled the half drow down into where it came. Leaving the clerics shocked, but unharmed. Although a little fearful for the drow and what they would have to say to his friends.

 

Sepp felt a long piece of metal being pulled out of his brain. He opened his eyes, and saw with consciousness for the first time in a long, long time.

He was lying in a small metal tub, filled with a warm, clear jelly. He was naked, except for a gold and silver ring on his left hand, and looking at his emaciated body horrified him. He was literally almost all skin and bones, his muscles having atrophied away after who knew how long a time of being motionless. Five strange glyphs were burned onto his chest. He was in a huge stone cavern filled with strange metal and glass cabinets and tables with leather straps, he shuddered involuntarily looking at those tables. It all filled him with a sense of dread, but even more disconcerting was the mind flayer coming around a stack of machinery.

“Good evening, 62150,” the mind flayer thought to him, casually taking off a white smock and flexing its tentacles. “I was wondering if you would regain consciousness when removed from the device. I’m glad you did, I do so enjoy a little conversation before dinner, especially from the likes of you. You’re so special, I may even let you retain a small sense of self after assimilating you. It would be nice to have someone else to bounce ideas off once in a while, and you’ll probably remember more of the technical details of what you do with the elements better with a sense of self. That should make my report to the hive somewhat easier, though I must admit I stand in awe of your achievements over physical matter.”

It stepped closer to the vat Sepp was in, and Sepp shivered and tried to move away, though all his poor muscles could manage was to shake himself a bit.

“Oh, don’t be frightened,” it thought to him. “I think you’ll find it comforting to be a part of a greater whole. And don’t worry for the slight pain your physical body will experience. It’s hardly usable anymore, and you’ve been able to withstand much more intense pain than that after all that the aboleths have put you through. Don’t struggle, it will only make it harder for you.” It was at the side of the vat now, leaning down. The tentacles slithered toward his head.

“You have such wonderful, tasteful, excruciating memories,” it thought in ecstasy. Some of Sepp’s memories started to flow out of him. He tried to hold on to them, to himself.

…

He was running from a giant. It was about to kick him. He tried to turn himself to stone, hoping to give the giant a broken toe, but when the foot lifted him into the air, all that had changed was his brain. Landing on the ground, he found his brain stuck in rock form. Somehow his body remained breathing, his heart still pumped, but when his friends came to help him, he couldn’t make his rock brain communicate with his flesh lips.

…

His friends, Nakia especially, were concerned for him, which comforted him, but he remained unable to communicate, though his body followed along as his friends led him down a path.

…

Beautiful music started to melt his rock brain. He was himself again. He looked around and saw his friends listening to the music with varying expressions, some in anguish, some contemplative, some apathetic. He started to head towards Nakia, but then saw his sister Drell beckon to him from behind a rock.

…

Drell led him into a small dry creek bed. He put his arms around her to hug her, and felt a small shock in his neck as she pushed something against it. His body went limp and he fell to the ground. Drell bubbled and changed, until she was Sepp. The other Sepp started to take all of Sepp’s clothes and equipment off. It couldn’t get his gold and silver ring off though, so left it on. When it was fully clothed and he was totally naked, it looked at him.

“Well, all this stuff should be worth a pretty penny,” it said. “Let’s see what else I might be able to glean off your companions to sweeten the deal.” It started probing his thoughts. Sepp knew it was to find out his friends weaknesses and hurt them, so he turned his brain to stone again. “No matter,” it said, “You’ve been out so long they won’t think it weird if I just disappear.”

…

Later that same evening, Sepp still couldn’t move, and was getting cold. Delinos and Kelvados suddenly appeared over the bank of the creek bed. Sepp’s heart leaped for joy! He was rescued!

No, it was not the two brothers, though they looked like them.

“You’re late,” the other Sepp said to the two new drow. “Doesn’t Bregan D’aerthe value punctuality?” It asked them aggressively.

“Not as much as we value not burning our eyes with the cursed sun,” one of them replied. “Do you have the package?”

“Yes,” Sepp’s doppelganger said, “Though the paralysis might be wearing thin about now.”

“No problem,” the other drow said, “We came prepared.” He set a small box on Sepp and opened it. A rather large, beautifully deadly spider crawled out and bit Sepp in the back of the neck.

…

Sepp woke up in the dim light of phosphorescent mushrooms. The two drow were handing him to a horrible creature, bloated drow body on top of a large spider. He felt himself being turned around and around and wrapped up in silk.

…

Somebody was thinking about him and praying for him, it was Nakia. He was happy.

…

He was floating on a boat over calm water. He was still in the silk. He was picked up. “Ready?” someone said. “It’s a shame to throw such a valuable package into Donigarten, but that’s what the gig is. On three, one, two…”

A splash, then cool waters enveloped him.

…

The silk slowly dissolved. He was floating in a vat of warm jelly. Metal clamps held his head still. He was in a large cave, with weird tables and cabinets. Three enormous slugs, with three arms each, looked at him as a mind flayer adjusted wires and hoses coming out of his arms.

He could understand the thoughts of the slugs. “Our newest acquisition, 62150. We have great hopes for it. It could lead us to the breakthrough.” “Yes, its effects on the surface ice were impressive,” thought another, “yet they remain local. I’m convinced we need a global plan.” “At any rate,” thought the third, “we must find out how this insignificant creature has such control over the physical realms with no apparent mechanism. It should prove most interesting.”

…

Pain, burning, he was being dropped into a vat of boiling oil,

…

Then a pool of acid,

…

Then ice cold water

…

Then smashed by tons of rock.

…

He came back to consciousness. The mind flayer was lovingly caressing his head. “Oh, I remember that experiment!” it thought. “It took you quite awhile to heal from it. Well, so much for the appetizer. Let’s move on the main course, shall we?”
It slid two tentacles into his cheeks.

Sepp was not ready. But there was nothing he could do. He sent out a last thought to Nakia, but found that his connection with her ended in a bubble of death, though he thought she was surely not dead. Maybe Jex could get a goodbye message to her, he went down the connection to Jex and was just about to make contact, when he felt Jex being grabbed and torn from his location.

Sepp grabbed onto him, and felt himself, body and soul, being ripped through space and the planes.

They came through a dark portal and landed on hard stone. He looked up and saw Jex, through blurry eyes he saw shadowy shapes moving not far from him.

His hand held a small dagger that he had grabbed onto while holding Jex. He managed to get his head up and look at his old friend and say, “Hello Jex, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

 

Jex twisted sharply at the voice. Bringing his blades up in defense. Not recognizing Sepp, he almost slashed out at the halfling thinking that he was a threat. "Sepp what in the nine hells are you doing here? Whats going on, where are we?"

 

"I don't know the answer to any of those questions. I was about to get my brains sucked out by a mind flayer, and wanted to send a last mental goodbye to Nakia. I couldn't contact her, she seemed to be in a bubble of death, so I sought you out to relay a farewell to her. Just as I was making mental contact with you, something pulled you from your location to whereever it is we are now. I held on to you for dear life, and fortunately for me, somehow I came along too. I don't know where we are, though it doesn't look too hospitible here."

Sepp managed to pull himself up to his feet, shakily. It seemed he hadn't stood on his own for a while. "I must say, if I did jump out of the pan and into the fire, I'm glad that you're here with me."

Something growled loudly. It was his stomach. When was the last time he had actually eaten anything? He vaguely remembered a fine meal of fish and mushrooms, then other much less appealing and edible items going down his throat, but it seemed another life time.

"Um, Jex, do you have anything to eat?" he asked hopefully.

 

Swinging his pack off his shoulder Jex pulled out some bread, and a hunk of cheese. Handing both the Sepp he said "It's not alot but it's something, here's my water skin, drink a little, I don't know if we can trust this water or how long we'll be here."

Peering into the fog, he muttered "What way should we go?"

 

Sepp took a drink of water. It felt amazing good. Then a bite of bread and cheese. Then he was full. Taking a last sip, he handed them back to Jex. "I guess that's all that will fit right now. I don't think they were feeding me very well," he said. His vision was coming back to him a little. They seemed to be in a small circular cavern with passageways out in four directions.

"Let's see what these rocks know about this place." He layed down on the floor and pressed his cheek against the stone.

"This is weird," he muttered. After a few minutes he pulled himself into a sitting position. He looked at Jex, who had been warily standing guard.

"I don't think we're on Faerun anymore. I think this might be what is called a pocket plane. It's not very big at all. There seemed to be a few entities always at the edge of my awarness. They kept moving away from me. Up that passageway there seems to be a source of great power. So that might be the place to start, but I got the feeling that some, or at least one, of those entities was waiting specifically for you, Jex."

 

"Well then, that seems to be the obvious way to go. Whenever you are ready." Jex said as he re-packed his belongings.