Tale of Exzalia, well of darkness

Will

Will finished tying up the unconscious Lebry.

"Someone should heal him now. We don't want him to bleed out." Will said as he walked away. He went back to his sword and replaced it in his scabbard. "And we're not going to kill him." He said with finality.

Everyone was busy doing something in the aftermath, except Emery who was standing looking smug. He felt like he needed to talk and she was close. Walking up he said, "You surprised me, for a second there you weren't being a... well, you seemed to be concerned at least. Are you alright?"

 

Turning back into a Half-Elf now, Wymur winces at the term Half-Elf. Bowed head in shame, he slowly limps back to where the action is.

At this point, Wymur is near collapsing. He has been doing far too much weaving.

While walking away, a mutter is barely audible "I don't see where my race was necessary to be added in..."

These people have no idea what is going on, we need somebody level headed enough to lead them. Maybe then we can halt this nonsense, save our magic for the real enemy.

 

Emery Rose

"You surprised me, for a second there you weren't being a... well, you seemed to be concerned at least. Are you alright?" Will said, walking nearer to her. Emery took a step back at his presence.

"Yes, I'm perfectly alright!" She huffed in offense, giving him daggers, "I hate Lebry as much as the lot of you. He's a plain jerk who gave into his darkness. Shows weakness not strength in my opinion..." Emery looked down at Lebry, still laying unconscious, despite the bounds that were digging into his wrists.

"He doesn't deserve to be out like that either. If we aren't going to kill him, he should at least feel pain at what he has done. Don't you agree?"

Emery began to weave lightning strike, the electrifying eather sizzling and intensifying in the air. "After someone heals him, it would be my pleasure to wake him." She looked back to Will with a nasty grin on her face.

 

Will

"And it's gone." He shook his head. "Don't kill him. I mean, seriously, don't kill him." Will said and walked away. He should have known that Emery was not the one to go to for human compassion. "Like really, don't kill him." He called back again for emphasis. He decided to go into the woods, clear his head away from everyone. A little ways in he saw River. She sitting up against a tree sobbing. He couldn't decide what to do. Go, try and comfort her, or leave her to herself. He started to walk away, then couldn't bear the thought of her just sitting there alone. He approached and slowly sat down next to her. She barely acknowledged him. He just sat there for a while.

"Lebry's going to be alright. Don't worry." He was pretty sure that's what was bothering her. She was strong, but didn't seem to be a killer. "You did the most rational thing. Who knows how long he would've kept fighting if you hadn't stopped him." He hoped something he said got through to her.

 

William (Expertise: 20|Health: 100%)

She's alive.

Not much else mattered to William at this point. Ms. River was alive, and that was all.

Of course, there were still other problems. The hallucinations seemed to have gone back a bit, but William had no doubt they'd return soon if he didn't do something, and so far it didn't look like there was anything he could do.

There was a druid, wasn't there? Can he do something?

William had once visited what the academy called a "master healer," some person who had apparently cured lots of important people, or something, and was also really good at it. This "master healer" took one look at William's mind and said it was permanent, but was able to conjure up the potion without even being told the ingredients. William hoped this druid could do the same thing; they were all supposed to be the school's best, after all.

He walked around the campsite, calling "Druid!" every now and then.

 

Emery Rose

"And it's gone." Will shook his head. "Don't kill him. I mean, seriously, don't kill him." He began to walk away before calling back to her for empasis. "Like really, don't kill him."

She watched Will sulk off into the woods, probably going after River. The thought of River made her eather grow stronger, swirling between her outstretched hands. She turned back to Lebry and slowly she walked to hover over him. She could feel several pairs of eyes of the other students boring into her back, but she ignored them.

Emery stared at Lebry laying there. She could end his life, she could. Should she? Why not? The words he had said to her last night played over again in her mind. He had called her useless!

"Kill him...kill him..." something whispered in her ear. Her eather was now complete, and the more hatred she felt, the more she wanted to release it.

 

River Hoya

"Lebry's going to be alright. Don't worry." He was pretty sure that's what was bothering her. She was strong, but didn't seem to be a killer. "You did the most rational thing. Who knows how long he would've kept fighting if you hadn't stopped him."

"Heh." She let out a harsh chuckle. The tears fading away. Something about William made her heart jump...unfortunetly such a thing was forbidden. She tried to show indifference at his kind words. "You sound like Wymur." She tapped her running nose with the edge of her blue sleeve. Very un-lady like, but nothing else was at hand.

"I... is that a bad thing? I mean, Wymur seems like a nice enough guy." He said with a smile, while frantically looking for a handkerchief. What kind of gallant young man didn't even have a handkerchief to give to a distraught young maiden. Finally he ripped a remaining strand of one of his sleeves and handed it to her. "Sorry, that's all I have." She didn't seem to mind to much. "I know what you're feeling right now. But don't worry, we'll get though this." He lay a hand on her shoulder, as reassuringly as he could. He was having a hard time believing his own words, but he said them for her benefit. "And I mean, at this point, I couldn't really get to much worse? Could it?" He sat wistfully for a moment. "Crap I probably just ensured that something horrible is going to happen in the next ten minutes."

River laughed. A genuine one. One that bubbled like a true river. She couldn't help it. The thought that things could get worse and that Will had brought it on by thinking about it was almost to crazy consider. A thought crossed her mind and her face fell. "I was cruel to Wymar. I should ask his forgiveness when next I see him." Just then a large buck walked across their line of sight. It was large enough to feed half the group. She picked up her bow and handed it Will. "Would you like the honor?"

Her laugh was like a clear stream, sent sparks through him. He took the bow. "I'm not much of a shot." He said humbly, but fluidly strung an arrow to the bow, and slowly standing up, drew it back.

"Sorry if I lose one of you arrows." He whispered with a mischievous grin. Then took a breath and on the exhale let the arrow fly. It fly straight and hit the buck square in the chest, right in the heart. "Oh, look at that. Must have been a lucky shot." He handed the bow back to River, then offered his hand to help her up. "Shall we?" He gestured to the buck. "We're gonna be the hero's of the camp."

River hesitated a moment then took the hand allowing him to pull her up. She strung the bow over her shoulders as Will grabbed the buck and placed it over his shoulders. There were going be some very happy students.

 

Tess, Half elves must die

Tess awoke with a massive headache. He looked around, everyone seemed uneasy. Tess got to his feet, his wounds were gone, someone had healed him. Then he remembered his crushing defeat. I'll get stronger, then you'll see! He grumbled.

Many people had gone off by themselves, he sensed wild eather still flowing here or there. Another fight perphaps? He spotted an odd looking tree which was healing some people. "Oh...that must be a shape shifter."

Tess on any other day would of thanked him. But not now, now he needed time to think.

"I'm such a weakling, I don't even deserve to have gone on this trip. I lost so...easily." Tess kicked a tree, but only ended up hurting himself in the process.
"Damn it! Now I'm tearing up. I'm so pathetic." Tess never noticed how far he was straying from the group. He walked through some woods and then and eventually reached the a dirt road.
"I'll get stronger, I'll get so powerful no one will ever defeat me again. I swear it. Then I'll prove my self to River." Then suddenly a scream. It snapped Tess out of his sulking as hoof beats could be heard coming down the road. He looked up, there were people fleeing in his direction rideing Elder does, large deer like creatures taller than a man and with Eather related abilities one of them being able to jump 10 feet over Tesses head. Two half elves rode them, a girl and a boy very young ones at that, they bolted towards the campsite.
Tess stood in awe as they dashed of into the distance before the rumbling of hoofs brought his attention back. Soldiers! and many of them were charging after the half elves and towards Tess. He panicked and began to dash back to the camp screaming.

"Soldiors! Get down or get trampled!"

Emery was relishing the idea of silencing Lebry when the sounds of hoof beats caught her attention. Two large Elder doe leapt over her head and crushed the fire wood Will had collected. The female half elf pulled head nearly running Wymur over. Tess burst out of the tree yelling.

"Get down!" Suddenly a spell shot over his head and crashed into the back of the male half elf who fell to the ground. The female no older than 12 stoped calling to her brother in a strange dialect, she seemed panicked. Three soldiers all rideing Elder doe burst through the woods and aimed at the hapless boy.

Tess reacted without thinking weaving disrupting geyser and knocked one mage and his dear high into the sky. They crashed to the ground. The other two soldiers stopped and pointed their spears at not only Tess but the rest of them at the campsite. "You outsiders have interfered with royal Estal business, and will be punished!"



"Where the hell is Will and River!" Tess shouted, as the other prepared to fight. Tess stood infront of the soldier and the half elf boy who looked even younger than the girl. he didn't care who the were he would not condone killing children!

 

The other side

The sun was setting, slowly being replaced by the stars of the night, and with this a song.... a gentle song coming from a female voice was filling the place. A gentle song... yet filled with sorrow... to the point that no matter how gentle it was,...... it was more terrible.....

A voice screamed.... What had happened here???.... this..... is this the truth???, Heeey, we need help here!!! someone stop her!!!

Suddenly a big number of steps could be heard entering into the room, yet it was quickly replaced by the sound of a grim reaper doing its job.... meat was being cut, and blood spreaded through the whole room; yet this didn't alter its appareance.... because it was already filled with blood to begin with...

How to resume this...... inside the room there was a woman and a kid...... then the woman did something...... then the bodies of the people that was here before and came after was splitted into two...... then the room was bathed with the crimson essence...... then the man who ordered the others crouched in pain, and with a wet sound some kind of sharp needle came from his insides, piercing his own chest....... then the woman grab a knife....... right after that the throat of the woma was stained with red, there was a big slice on the neck...... and the sweet terrible song stopped...... then the kid was alone between the corpses....... no one play the dead, no one would mistake the corpses that were there..... some heads and chests pierced...... some bodies were sliced into two with a perfect symmetric line....... a crimson flower bloomed from the throat of the woman....... and the kid who wasn't unnable to understand this situation was stained with the crimson painting...... and then........

 

River Hoya

River and Will had just walked into camp when the half-elves rode in on live deer. "You outsiders have interfered with royal Estal business, and will be punished!"
Two soldiers yelled, waving their spears at the students.
River had an arrow notched in three seconds aiming it at the young soldiers, just in case. She hoped she wouldn't have to fire. She'd had enough of blood for one day.

 

Will

He had a deer on his back. Things were starting to look up. They were almost back to the camp when he heard screaming and hoof beats.

"What the..." He looked at River. "I told you." He said shaking his head then ran as fast as he could while still carrying the buck back to the camp. Just before emerging from the woods he dropped the dead deer drew his sword.

"Were the hell is Will and River!"

"Here!" Will cried and rushed out of the woods. There were were soldiers riding giant deer making their way toward the students. Tess was standing between the soldiers and a couple of elf looking kids. "Oh boy, I hate it when I'm right!" Will exclaimed as he threw a Flashspear.

 

Elder doe!

The elder doe senses Wills attack and leaps clear out of the line of fire, it lands and the rider casts arcane bolt at Will! Tess tries to help but the second Elder doe attacks him, chargeing forward and thrusting his spear yelling "How dare you protect the half elves!" Tess evades but the blade nicks his side spilling blood. He casts water drop, But the second Elder doe dodges with ease. And strikes for him again!

 

River Hoya: Survived one battle only to walk into another

River looked down her arrow and weaved Wind Arrow into it's tip. It was a dangerous spell if the arrow didn't hit it's target, but if it did, it was quite effective. She released the arrow at Elder Doe One's Rider. Should it hit it, before peircing the victim it would cause the air around it to explode and send the victim flying.

 

William (Expertise: 20|Health: 100%)

William was having a hard time finding the druid. Couldn't they turn into trees and other such things? Well, he didn't think it mattered a lot right now anyways; for the moment, he was seeing everything as it really was, which was good. How else could William check his surroundings for Nox assassins if he was hallucinating?

Still, he noticed he had wandered quite away from the site; in fact, if he were to take a guess, he thought the forest seemed to have less Nox in this area, as though they weren't quite as far in the Grove as before. In fact, this almost seemed like somewhere humans could live, albeit not very well. There was something bothering William, though, and he couldn't quite put his toe on it, or however the saying went.

"What do you think, tree? Should I go back?" A brief pause, "I knew you'd agree, tree."

He made his way quickly back to the site. Maybe something bad had happened? William bet it had to do with those Nox users; it was a mistake to not kill Lebry while they still could. Hell, they should have killed all of them. Eliminating them before they eliminated himself was William's second priority. His first was ensuring he wasn't stuck alone, with no one he could trust, like back when he was captured. He had always had Vashal, but now that she's revealed her true intentions there's only one person left to rely on...

William broke out in a run. The feeling got worse, and he arrived at the site just in time to see some soldiers mounted on does attacking the site. Instinctively, he threw himself at one of the riders and cast Flame Burst while holding on to the rider's saddle for dear life. Again, he casts Flame Burst. If he used it enough at this small range, maybe he could knock the rider off...

 

Elder Does

The does again evaded Rivers attack with ease, The deer were so quick leaping and bounding faster than any normal creature could. The mage on top fired at River, the attack too fast to dogde.

Tess was fighting for his life when Wiliam some how hung on to the saddle and blasted the soldier twice! The soldier almost fell of but hung on to the sattle, The doe leapt 20 feet into the air and landed knocking Wiliam off. The rider crawled back on.

Tess gazed on the situation. This battle was meaningless, they couldn't win by just lobbing spells. His mind thought.

"Lobbing spells will do nothing! there too fast, we have to think of a plan!" Suddenly Tess was struck by a fire bolt and fell to the ground, his skinsteaming. The doe riders practically danced around them.

 

River Hoya: Expertise 90, Health: 100%

River throws up Earthen Barrier blocking the spell. River cast another weave this one bringing water from underground like she had earlier with Lebry. This time however, It wasn't a fountain of water. A huge area of ground around the mages and does became saturated with water turning the dirt into thick mud.
"That'll slow them down, hopefully, but Tess is right. We can't fight them with traditional spells."

 

Will

As soon as Will threw his Flashspear, he wove dark bubble. It took the brunt of the blow from the Arcane Bolt. After the Nox cleared, Will was up, looking around, trying to come up with a strategy. They were so fast, no one could hit them.

"Tess, River!" He finally shouted, an idea occurring to him. "We need to coordinate!" And he pointed to one of the riders, the one that William had almost knocked off. Then wove a Flashspear. "Get it in a crossfire!" He said as he hurled the blinding spear ahead of the rider, hoping the others got the point.

 

No vision

Suddenly night started to take form out of nothing...

"If you want to beat fast enemies, the first thing is to reduce their visual capabilities, when they cannot see they won't risk themselves at blindly running at everywhere. That's obvious no?"

Even tied Lebry was at least able to cast the Night that hid the reality with uncertainty, his defensive Nox spell. Now for the riders surely there were several fake images of their opponents

"How about if you untie me? I cannot really help like this"

It seems that his conscience finally returned to him

 

Doe riders

Suddenly water burst from the ground! The first doe rider lands sinking in a bit, his doe manges to power out of it, but it becomes a hindrance. Tess here's Wills cries and fires Water drop at the second Doe, the doe evades flame spear but gets hit by water drop. As it falls, both riders start weaving adept level spells!

 

William (Expertise: 20|Health: 100%)

Removed due to continuity

 

my bad

 

Will

The riders were slowed by the soggy ground, and everyone was working better together, but it still wasn't enough. They need to be able to hit faster. He used imbune on himself, then Tess, boosting their speed. It wasn't much but it might be enough. Then he drew his blade tried to figure out when the next rider would pass. He wished right then that he had a shield.

 

The two does riders cast their two spells, both of them were earth shatter! They hit the ground and Gaia Eather traveled under the ground then, forced stones from the ground! The spell effected everyone on the ground and the two spells combined dealt much damage to all who fought! The does again sprang in the air, the first doe weaves tunnel flame and fires it at Lebery, But it hits an illusion instead! The other begins weaving earth shatter again.

This was too much! These opponents knew what they were doing, it was then Tess realized. "Guys! At the very height of their jump they are unable to evade, You can't dodge in mid air!" Tess struggled to his feet, stones pierceing his skin.

 

Kithri

Kithri could see the half-elves, one was down. she quickly flew over and spread her wings to their full length, hiding the half-elves from the riders sight. she then cast Lightning steps at Will, making him faster. and at a second thought cast slow and steady at one of the riders.

"they are slower now, so follow tess`s advice and attack!" kithri called out.

 

William (Expertise: 20|Shield: 60%)

Guys! At the very height of their jump they are unable to evade, You can't dodge in mid air!

Oh... William prepared to facepalm, but decided to save it for later.

There was a fallen tree in the campsite, and William kept his eye on it, watching. As soon as one of the riders neared it, he fired two Flares roughly two-thirds along the arc the doe would travel. If he timed it right, the rider would jump over the log and the Flares would hit the doe on the head, possibly knocking it out and doing a bit of damage to the rider. If the doe was too strong, it would still probably be scared out of its mind by the sudden bright signal explosion in its face; if the rider somehow managed to hang on after the ensuing bucking, it would still take a few valuable seconds to get the animal back under control.