Aidan nodded , at the same time loosening his blade in its sheath...."he turns out not to be on ourside, we can always take his head instead ... i'd say a wizards head ought to be a fairly potent totem"
As Pudifoot handed the raven to Tourmaline, the wizards stood up and threw their staffs on the groun. Screaming with laughter, they ran out. Gwydion on the other hand reconized the gesture and started freaking out as the staffs emitted a peircing noise. "GET OUT!" She screamed as the noise pentertaed deep within her eardrums. Yet, as she scrabled towards the door, she suddenly blacked out. Suddenly, the world rightened. It was bigger though, and as she flickered her tail, she looked around. She knew what happened, the staffs had changed them into their familiars. ********************************************** As Aidan, Ben and Caer rounded a bend in the woods they came upoun an old hut, where a wizend old man awaited out front. 'Hello" He says with lightning in his eyes. "Who are you?"
"Shit!" Tourmaline screamed, and waving her hands she activated the orange ball of energy she had given Aidan. As she was changing into her AWTT, the ball of range energy flew around Aidan, snatched up every last weapon, and blasted it into smithereens. If I die, hes gunna be weaponless! But she didn't die, she was a raven. Letting out a loud squawk, she flew over to the mouse clumsily and flung it into a wall. "Why the caw did you do this?" She screamed in animal tounge.
From a distance, Faer heard a pearcing noise. He looked around, alarmed. He changed into horse form and galloped to the source. He didn't notice the staff following him. He found a small shop, Madame Pudifoot's tea shop for familiars. Strange name, he thought. He heard about familiars, animals bonded woth human wizards. As he entered the shop he could sense that something was wrong. His companions weren't there, nust pairs of identical animals running about.
Caer slipped down off the horse and strode towards the old man, frowning slightly. "I am... unimportant for now," she began. "This is Ben and this is Aidan. We are here for a potion and I understand trials must be performed to gain it, correct?"
Aidan swore as the orange energy ripped his sword and dagger out of the mortal plane ' what a fool he'd been to trust that bitch' he cursed under his breath swearing revenge. "the next time I see her she better start running" he thought "or i'm going to batter her unconscious and then piss in her mouth until she drowns" He shook his head to clear it , and turned back to the wizard " as my friend here says i believe you have trials for us to perform ?"
"Exactly." The wizard says. "For the potion you seek, I have three trials. Courage, intelligence, and fear. Your pick." His eyed glinted sagely. Back in the shop, Gwydion slammed into the wall. Screaming for breath, she spoke in animal tounge. "Warriors, we still need to get to Ransfolk. Any ideas, and no attacking Tourmaline or I shall retaliate?"
Faer blinke as one of the animals spoke in Gwydion's voice. "My goddess, is that you?" he asked. Or it may be just a creature copying her voice. He didn't possess that ability, but it was known for pucas to imetate other human voices in order to lure other people from their homes, and devour them whole. "What is happening here?"
He stepped forward for his family and clan, ready to serve gloriously for lord and land. "I am Ben..." Smooth scale constricted his neck and soul. What was his surname? "... Ben of... Caer." What? Where was he? Brinley was close to him, but she had changed. He was fuddled, but could not falter here before this wizard. "I am Ben." He started over. "I choose courage."
Tourmaline skwaked as loud as she could before flying up to a rafter to survey the scene. Their was Griff, Slì, her, and Faer. Screeching down to Faer, she flew to his shoulder and landed clumsily, crashing into his ear. With a dignified feather ruffle, she said, "Some bastards changed us into animals, help us!"
"As I said, we shouldn't go in a straight line. I'd recommend we find a river that runs away or towards it and follow it, before heading off. Gives us something to follow to a point, and makes it so they can only attack from one side without crossing." Corring informed, having thought about it for some time.
"its a good thing he didn't choose intelligence" Aidan remarked sotto voce to Caer , "can't even remember his own name"
Faer looked at Tourmaline for a moment, then at Gwydion, before bursting with laughter. Something meschievous rose inside him, something he had to thank the hundreds of generation's worth of faerie blood flowing through his veins. "Animals, you are," he said, turning to a dog, "petty familiars, serving the humans. What will you have me do? I can fight the evil man who changed you," he turned to a wolf, "run to our next destination," he bacame a horse, "sneak to find the antidote," a cat, "or hang around uselessly," he flopped as a fish. Finally he changed back to human form. "The world is full of opportunities once you change your form." he rolled around on the floor giggling.
"Courage it is." The wizard said with a sly smile, waving his hands. Instantly, Ben and Aidan were teleported into a dark room. Then the screams started from out of the darkness as the walls began to shrink, and dead bodies starting falling. "Let's start with something easy." The wizard promoted gleefully. "Claustrophobia, and Necrophobia. Fear of dead bodies and tight spaces." Cackling madly, the wizard elbowed Caer. "Looks like fun, right Alura?" He said, obviously enchanted by her. In the pet shop, Caber was racing around trying to understand what was going on. Three of his companions were familiars! Gwydion was very frustrated, and tried glaring at Faer. But when your a small mouse its hard to do. Sighing, she looked at Caber who understood what she was trying to do. Grabbing Gwydion in her mouse form and Tourmaline in her Raven form, he stuck them both on Griffs back. "Can you handle that?" He asked, looking up at Faer. " If not could you carry them on your horse form? We might find a cure in Ransfolk."
Caer frowned at Ben and Aidan. Names aren't too important, especially those of humans. And I swore to protect you, Ben. Goodness knows what the old man will put before you. Then they were in a black room making Caer herself stiffen. Her eyes darted around wildly, looking for light but thankfully the screams came. They would hopefully be enough to keep her awake for a while. Caer looked down as she felt a jab to her side as the wizard looked happily on at the pair of humans. She narrowed her eyes, this won't be fun if Ben succumbs to nightmares once more. "You like this kind of thing do you?" she asked tight-lipped.
Two delusions did not sit well inside his head. Spending time with his sister in an idealized version of the world was easy enough to surrender his will before. But now the dreams did not mesh. Brinley smiled at him as a strange being nudged her, as odd cries reverberated on strange, shrinking walls. The virgin was here with them, usually such a simple man to read, his anger had a dualist, layered feel. Aiden wasn't just angry, he was arguing. Somehow, in some alternate time, the warrior was displeased at an animal. Ben shook his head as the test truly shook him. Fear of his tight mind and his dead family. Before he came here, before he came on this quest, had he killed his sister, or that wretched old man? There were only two answers, no room to think, and either answer would only give him a corpse.
Aidan pushed his anger aside and focused on the test , the dead bodies worried him not at all , as a mercenary you saw and indeed caused death on a regular basis , but he wasn't good with small spaces He remembered , when his family were killed and he was captured by the warband of Aengus the Toad they had kept him in a small dark cellar with space to neither stand nor lie down in order to break his will , he could vividly recall pissing in his breeches in fear, and how the band had named him 'pissbrekes' to remind him of the humiliation. By effort of will he dragged his thoughts away from those black images, remembering instead the night of bloodshed and carnage when he revenged himself on the band. Now as then he prayed to Agronna and felt his mind calm. Smiling he joined minds with Fiacre and saw the world beyond the box through her eyes, the images of the wide wild landscape providing an antidote to the mind numbing fear of confinement.
Faer stopped laughing, though a mischievous grin still lay on his face, and hos shoulders shook. He turned to a horse, shook his mane, and gestured at the two familiars to get on and hold tight. He wouldn't have time to wait for stragglers. Then, he smashed his way through the window, and began his gallop, feeling the wind on his face, the freedom at his stride. It wasn'tlike up on the mountains, however. He now had a burden on his back, light as it was, and a destination to go. The dampened the sense of freedom, however so slightly.
Corrin barked before tilting to one side, dropping Tourmaline off and grabbing her by the neck in his mouth. He didn't bite down, but he did feel the urge to have a little bit of revenge for the water stunt she pulled. While his teeth weren't sinking in, there was still the slightest hint of pressure that suggested he could bite down at any time.
Tourmaline watched in horror as the mouse sprinted away on the horse. And where was she? Being threatend.
Bouncing joyfully along on Faers back, the four questers soon came to the town of Ransfolk, where Caber brought them to an inn to stay the night. At dawn, he promised, they would find the Death stone. As he was passing at food, a spear of electric energy crashed through the window and into his chest. A cakcling laughter reached there ears from outside. Turning to look at Caber, Gwydion gasped. "CABER!" She squeaked, moving towards him. He was quietly looking down at the spear, and with a soft ow! he fell onto his knees and then over, dropping his cheese. The King was eating some bread, talking quietly to Caber while they watched the two warriors fight fear. He looked at Caer, and said "I do. A lot!" Before waving his hand. Instantly, Aidan saw Ben fall through a pit. And then a glass cage surrounded Aidan and filled with water. But Ben saw Aidan fall through a pit, and then a glass tank fell around him and started filling with water. Both were still there, but they believed the other had gone. The wizard laughed, and spoke to them. "Deal with loss, and drowning. Can you?"
"That's cruel, old man," hissed Caer. "I could-" No, I'd better not. Instead, she hitched up her skirt and reluctantly pulled her bodice down a little. Gently, she caught the wizard's hand, "They won't be able to pass all of these. But I really need that potion so if you could just give it to me...?"she said with as much sweetness as she could, rubbing the old man's hand.
"Can we go find whoever can turn us back? While the ability to chew my own hind legs sound useful, the fact I need to do so when it itches does not."
Tourmaline felt nothing at Cabers death, and didn't really care what was happening to him but she did agree with Corrin. "I believe that we need to find that as well, before the lady outside kills us." With that she grabbed some cheese and booked it to a rafter.
Faer's heart pounded against his chest, and it was only partly because of the sternous running. Something inside there just hit Caber with enough power to drop him, and fast enough to sucker punch the god of speed. When this was over, Faer decided, no matter what side he will end up in, he should seriously consider keeping as much distance as he can from anything close to the god's. Even if, ironically, they were the closest thing to friends he ever had. Faer shook the animals from his back and assumed cat form. Using the darkness as coverage, he crept towards the inn. Sadly, he realised, this was all up to him now.
