The Mist!

Skraal stopped as they reached the tall gate. A tall mage turned the key and the great Gate opened the volume of the whole thing filled him with a feeling of passion. The key was made of the damned Bronze and was half as tall as the mage turning it. Fredrick was the mages name.

“Hail brave adventurers. I had been beginning to think that you might not be showing up at all.” Said the Mage.

Skraal passed him his fists clenched he looked back at Dora and her Donkey then to Madeline. He wondered at that moment if they were truly ready for this adventure this would be the beginning of a new world.

Fredrick called to Skraal as he passed the blue attired mage. Skraal stopped his upper lip curled up ready to snarl.

“Be safe warrior you carry the blessing of the guild. Keep drakes words in mind Warrior Skraal the hunter.” Said the mage allowed.

Skraal merely grunted his response.

“And Skraal remember these people you travel with are he with you so you are far from alone. Draw of their strengths and add to theirs.” The mage Fredrick added. Skraal again looked back at the group and then to Dameon, and finally back into the mages eyes. A small smile breached Skraal’s face once more as he bowed.

 

(REMOVED) Look down

 

"Now!" Anounced Fredrick cheerfully. "To get the official part of this little cerimony out of the way." He told us as we aproached the gate. He reached deep into his robe and pulled out a brown book with gold lining. He seemed to handle it as if it where a child as he opened it to a book marked page. Before handing it to me. I took the book and looked down at the page, it was half full of names.

"Now please sign here with your birth name so that you're parents or freinds will know where you went of to instead of being left not knowing." He explained as he handed Dameon the pen who signed his name then handed then offered the pen to Skraal

Skraal took the pen from Dameon and signed his name directly under Dameon’s name. He gave the pen to Dora.

 

Skraal stepped from the gate and into the Mist. It was like a fog he somehow felt as though this mist was familiar like Déjà vu, finally he realised he had seen the Mist before it had haunted him in his dreams. He looked for Dora and looked to Dameon.

Skraal placed his right hand on Dameon’s shoulder.

“Now you will be tested.” Skraal said his voice gruff and deep.

 

The book fell into Madeline's hands. The ink stating Dameon's name had not yet dried.

She scrawled her first name and put her second name down as Smith. Her family had long since stopped caring what happened to her. She was no longer worried about being followed. She doubted that even revenge would motivate her pursuers enough to leave the Wall.

She watched the gears behind the glass spin and move. Fog swept from the gap between the doors, buffeting her face with its chill.

She breathed in the taste of freedom and immediately gagged on the gruesome smell. After pausing to wrap a scarf around her mouth and nose, she followed Dameon into the unknown.

 

Dora signed her name with a flourish and a little smiley face. She beamed at Fredrick and admired the gate. It was a marvelous piece of work and she had watched the opening ceremony with fascination.

She finally turned to the opening, the mist curling over her and then over Snoball. Dora stepped forward and the donkey didn't. A brief tug-of-war ensued until the donkey finally brayed its defiance but stepped forward anyway.

Dora saw Dameon and Skraal as dim shapes already in the mist and she wondered a little nervously just how little they would be able to see of each other through this adventure. It also didn't smell very good. She drew near Dameon and Skraal, feeling more cheerful as she did. Madeline showed up almost the same time she did.

Surely there was safety in numbers and wonderful things about to be discovered.

 

Dora emerged from the mist to her right, grinning as usual.

Madeline returned the smile, and turned, trying to remember which way the Gate was and where the others would be coming from. The mist obscured everything more than a metre away. Perhaps that way? Madeline thought.

She spun and walked into Skraal. Her head hit his armoured shoulder with a resounding clang. She swore and stumbled backwards.

'Sorry,' she muttered, rubbing her head.

 

Skraal felt a shove forwards he turned to see Madeline.

“Sorry.” She said stepping back. Her face in surprise at her own clumsiness.

Skraal raised his lip to snarl then bowed his head instead. She was merely excited and with this been the first time they’d seen the mist Skraal withdrew any comment that would show aggression. After all some of these people were far more innocent.

He took in his surroundings not that he could see much further than an arms length. He wondered on Dameon’s thoughts and brought the words of wisdom Drake offered.
He looked back into the confines of the wall and what he was leaving behind. He felt nothing for the prison he was leaving behind. He turned back to the thickness of the mist.

He’d been raptured in this before his dreams had brought him here.
Skraal’s thoughts dashed about like buzzing bee’s he longed for the chance of blood lusting combat he felt his veins aching for it. His fists clenched and unclenched. He felt eager to draw his blades and yet not.

He knew one thing for sure. His destiny was out here somewhere.

 

The book was heavy in Ceri’s hands. She looked at the names already signed, then gave the crowd behind her one last glance. For a moment she thought she saw her brother’s face among them, but then whoever it was disappeared from sight behind other, unfamiliar, faces. Silently chastising herself for being silly, Ceri looked back at the book.

Taking the pen, she signed her name in her cramped, spiky handwriting. One of her friends in Harmony had once told her that a person’s handwriting revealed something about their nature. Her hurried writing apparently meant she was impulsive, impatient and imaginative. It would at least explain why she was here.

Shaking her head, as much out of disbelief as anything, Ceri passed the book to Soujiro behind her and took her first step out into the mist.

Dameon, Dora and the others were vague shapes ahead, and Ceri headed uncertainly towards them, already feeling the oppressive power of the thick, grey mist that pressed in all round her.

 

Madeline backed away from Skraal, waiting for the angry words to come and planning how she would retort. Instead, she was surprised when he said nothing and turned away.

She lifted a clammy gloved hand to her head and winced. It felt as if she had walked into a concrete wall rather than a person. The bruise would be a beauty.

I haven't even got out of the wall and I've almost managed to brain myself, she thought. At the same time she resolved to be more careful.

Behind her, Ceri came to stand with them. Madeline realised that she could mistake her look of displeasure as aimed at her, and so she smiled.

 

Si breaths in the mist and coughs a little due to it. She turns to Soujiro and says "It was nice talking to you." and then rushes forward to her friend Cassie. She has the book handed to her, and she quickly scans through the names. Wondering what happened to them. After signing her name, she hands the book over to Cassie. Looking up through the gate, and can feel a tinge of fear going down her spine.

 

When Soujiro was handed the book he couldn't help but wonder who would come looking for his name here. He signed his name irregardless and gave the gatekeeper a friendly smile. He watched as the others took their first steps into the Mist. It was almost as if they were being swallowed by it. It had a unpleasant smell, but Soujiro went forward smiling. As soon as it touched him he felt a slight tingle, he looked back through the gate then bowed his head in a silent goodbye.

 

“Now you will be tested.” Skraal said his voice gruff and deep. I nodded in acknolidgment unsure if he actually noticed it and strolled forward towards the strange shapes in the distance. As I neared the first I noticed that it looked vary much like a tree, though one with no leaves. I stopped next to it and gently placed my hand against it. Definatly bark. "Hey guys I think this is a tree of some kind." I called out, hoping they'd come look. How could it survive in this fog?

I heard the clicking of the gate followed by a resounding boom of the gate closing. It seemed so final now. No turning back, even though in truth the gate could still be opened rather easily. I slowly walked around the tree, nearly tripping as my boot conected with what appeared to be a squarish shape on the ground. I bent down now to examine it, it appeared to be a brick, a mighty big one compared to any I had seen but a brick none the less. As I walked around I realized that their were lots of bricks, I soon found the relic of a small wall. "Ruins." I commented to myself.

 

Hortensio had sighted the group about half an hour ago, and had caught up to them as they reached the wall, some had already passed into the mist beyond the wall. he got off his horse and put is cloak on, on his ride he had been shoving material between he knives that touched and now his cloak was silent. he reflected on the idea of birnging every knife, he thought he would be safer this way, but as it turns out that all it did was make the cloak very heavy and decided that he should unload some unnecessary cargo as soon as possibe

he got off the horse and streached the most painful parts of his body. as Soujiro signed the book. the gate keeper than turned to Hortensio and said "Jerry glad to see you again, ready for the big adventure?"
"i think so"
"how long has it been since you last came and peered through the mist?"
"too long" hortensio was getting tired of this conversatiopn, and the gate keeper realised this too
"just sign your name jerry" Hortensio looked at the book, the first time truely scared, as Soujiro disapeared into the mist Hortensio said to his life long friend
"i cant...i cant write"
"oh, well here while no one is looking "
he quickly signed the book Jerry Turnbuckle is the most plain steady print imaginable. " there m'friend a journey awaits"

Hortensio stepped into the mist

 

"Hey guys I think this is a tree of some kind."

Soujiro moved forward and examined the tree. It seemed lifeless yet it had survived all this time. He was mildly puzzled he saw Dameon pick up what looked like a brick, remnants of life, he thought. Soujiro passed Dameon and ventured a little further forward, he could see hundreds of bricks strewn across his field of vision. It was as if a huge force had stomped all over this place. He turned to Dameon,

"This quite a sight," he said smiling in awe,"I wonder how much farther these ruins stretch."

 

"This quite a sight," he said smiling in awe,"I wonder how much farther these ruins stretch."

I glanced around a bit worridly. I saw that most of the group was still back near the gate, though even from this short distance their bodies already where hard to make out. "We won't be able to see anything at night." I commented, and set the brick down standing up. The place seemed distroyed, the air foul. The skelital trees standing over me seemed to move with a light breaze that I could bearly feel at all. So fragile.

"We should probably stay close to the group." I said looking up at him. In the distance I could hear a bird fluttering, so creatures did live here. It caused me to relax slightly. "I don't think they could be too big." I commented on his statement. Realaxing a bit more, my smile returned, this place didn't seem to bad if you got over the creapyness.

 

"We should probably stay close to the group." Soujiro nodded.

Soujiro was glad that Dameon was quite relaxed about this, as the group leader he would need to stay composed. Soujiro looked back at the group and saw a dark blur in the distance. He put on a quizzical look before he realized that the others seem to have taken a moment to soak in the new environment. Behind him there was a noise in the distance. So life is possible out here, he thought as he rejoined the others.

 

Alex followed the shadowy figures quietly. The mist gave him an eery presence and a place like this could make him worry a little. He had never been one for ghost stories. He heard about stay close and Alex picked up the pace just a little sticking close to the group. Afraid if he didn't he would surely get eaten.
Alex clasped his hands together and hugged his staff. He felt cold, but maybe that was just his imagination.
"Um...I heard rumors from traders....only rumors of course about some moss that illuminates in the dark.....maybe if we made a trail of that moss we would be able to make a trail and path so that way we wouldn't end up going in circles," Alex said quietly, well more or less mumbled to himself since he wasn't so close the group.

 

Ben watched all the gears and things move around inside the gate as it opened. He turned his head when he heard a horse arrive and saw the rider get off and put on his cloak. He watched him sign the book. After he had gone on, Ben moved over to Fredrick and signed the book.

Fredrick greeted him, "Hi Ben."
"Hellos Fredrick."
Fredrick smiled, "Hate to see a good doctor go. Then again, perhaps they'll need ya."
"I hope my doctors skills are not needed. I just want to learn more than can be learned here."
"Good luck to you Ben."
"Farewell friend," Ben waved to him as he walked confidently into the Mist.

He noticed immediately that visibility was greatly reduced and wasn't even sure where Dameon and a lot of the others were. He went forward hoping the gray shapes would soon prove to be others from the group. He gave an audible sigh of relief when he recognized Dameon, Dora, Ceri, and others.

He noticed the tree and the bricks. Something made him feel uneasy and he wanted to draw his bow and have an arrow ready. He saw that Skraal had not drawn his swords and no one else seemed to have weapons out and so decided to leave his bow on his back. He hoped Skraal and Dameon had a better sense of when weapons were needed as he doubted that he himself would know for sure until possibly too late.

 

Cassie beheld the gate, seeing it for the first time in all its intricate beauty. The glass that covered it revealed its workings and mechanisms, and as it opened, Cassie was furiously taking mental notes and trying to see as much of its magic as possible.

The Mist seeped in through the slowly-opening gate. It seemed to her to be heavy and wet and stale...almost to the point of being putrid. When her turn came, she signed the book, her writing neat and immaculate as always.

And they took their first steps into the unknown. The gate shut behind them, the echo of its closing seeming empty in the vastness. Those who were farther from her were obscured by the cold, blue-gray fog. They looked like specters wandering through a forsaken land, void of life.

But Cassie never looked back. Not for an instant.

It wasn't long before they came to a gnarled tree. The others commented on it, but she kept her silence and approached it slowly, examining it. The touched it, feeling the course bark beneath her fingers. She thought of taking a bit of the bark, but it was probably best to leave it unmarred for now. She pulled herself away from it and came back to Si's side.

And then she stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she looked upon the shrouded ruins.

There had been life beyond the Wall...

 

"Um...I think I have a...an idea that could help prevent us from going in circles." says Si, sheepishly to the others. She walks over to the skeleton tree, and pulls out her all purpose knife from her boot. "We could mark the places that we have been to get around a little easier." says Si, as she carves an X into the tree.

 

"We could mark the places that we have been to get around a little easier." says Si, as she carves an X into the tree."

Hortensio grunted. "rubbish. chances are that there arnt many trees out here, as you can see this one is alive, but that may only be because its close to the inside of the wall." he paused and broke a small limb off the tree which took no effort at all.
" no. we need something more substantial and constant."

he turned to the silloutes of the group, their actions slow any wary, some crouched over examining the dirt while others where trying to locate the sun through the fog. he walked next to his horse and rubbed its neck as he said "any ideas el capi'tan?" assuming that dameon was in that group.

 

Skraal stood in the fog it was like a moving sheet yet so still and dead. He looked at the trees leafless yet still alive. Bricks strawn across the ground almost every where. He looked up to see what could have once been brick built houses. He walked over slowly placing the flat of his hand on the half standing wall. The tact tile feel told him this was old. He looked about the smell of decay on his nostrils. As he glanced another wall he saw a splatter mark of blood.

Slowly he walked over to take a deeper look. The blood was dried and old decaying itself. But it had been a great deal of splatter. Skraal mused the thought animal blood or human it had been slain long, long ago. Moss covered much of the still standing walls from the buildings. Weeds lingered at the bases.

Skraal stepped through what had once been a doorway which was now just half a wall. Inside he saw a small dolls head. Bending down to pick up the head he noticed the black dirt across the thing. A Childs once. She was probably long gone by centuries yet the dolls head somehow remained. A small fragment of what could have been evidence of life.

Skraal watched as the group took in owe the surroundings. Then he heard the slam of the great gate. He looked up. Hortensio was taking in the scope and Across from him he noted Dameon.
Skraal moved away from the ruins and stepped across the scattered bricks.

The horse made a snort through its nose as did the donkey Skraal’s attention was drawn to the squawking of his blackbird. Over birds chirped in the distance. It didn’t surprise Skraal life existed out here. He stepped away from the ruins looking through the surrounding fog that covered them like a sheet. The ground was hard he stamped his foot to feel the solidness.

Skraal heard a snapping twig, from that sound he drew his swords faster than anything both in hand and both swing around in his hands. His face changed into a feral look. Both his swords were clean and shiny both polished well his reflection could be seen. The blades edges where slightly serrated like a great white sharks tooth the swords were slight curved like that of a Katana and both handed down from many centuries ago. All Skraal knew of them was they would cut through most things and were a metal folded over five thousand times. He swung the one in his right hand round like a propeller. He stood still waiting, again the noise he spun as fast as a running cheetah to meet his adversary. Skraal stopped mid flight as he was about to lunge. When he saw a small ferret emerge from a set of almost bare bushes.

Stepping back Skraal re-sheathed his two swords in the scabbards criss crossed on his back.
He knew danger lurked out here sooner or later it would find them or they it. That thought brought a small smile to his face but quickly retracted.

 

Dora heard the hollow boom of the gate closing and stood with Snoball as the others talked about the tree and investigated the bricks and ruins. She walked forward cautiously so as not to trip on fallen masonry and made sure she didn't lose sight of the dark shapes of the others.

The donkey seemed glad to have the horse along and even seemed to be striking up a mild friendship with the blackbird as it perched occasionally on her head and squawked. Snoball's ropelike tail swung back and forth as she dropped her muzzle to the ground and began foraging for any stray greenery to eat.

Dora noted that the animals seemed restless, though, but not really nervous. She knew that they had senses far beyond her human ones so she trusted that there was nothing terribly panic-inducing in the mist if none of the animals were trying to bolt.

She wandered along beside the donkey as the little animal snuffled the ground and whiffled up a few blades of sparse, spikey-looking grass. Dora looked at the ruins. Along the remenants of the wall she realized they were walking downward, step by step, as though the earth was bermed. She tried to peer down the slope but all she could see was more slope.

Snoball tugged at her halter rope, pulling Dora further down as she found some sparse tufts of the wiry grass and munched contentedly. Dora looked back, the others were getting smudgier and more indistinct. She was about to call out to them when she saw a ruined wall bulking ahead of her, a window high up seeming to wink as the mist drifted by it in patches.

What was this place?

She looked back again and gave Snoball's lead a sharp tug.

"Come on," Dora said, "we need to stay with the others."

She might as well have pulled on a rock. Snoball's head came around when she pulled the rope then swiveled right back around as she reached for another tuft of grass, chewing.

"Hey!" Dora called out to the others, still trying to turn the little animal the right direction, "We're over here!"

 

Skraal spun fast of his heals at Dora as she tried to tug the donkey.

Swiftly he moved to her side grabbing the creatures harness and pulled the animal moved slowly. Above his bird squawked. Snoball seemed to respond better to the feathered friend and moved to Dora. Skraal looked down.

“You ok.” He said. His voice almost a soft Growl as he looked up to glimpse a shadow.