The Mist!

The orcs had been an unpleasant surprise.

Dora frowned, an expression that sat oddly on her usually happy countenance, and went to Ceri and Mad.

“You two need some patching up,” she told the two taller girls, clicking her tongue, “Ben!” She called the young medic, “we need some help here.”

He came at a jog through the billowing gray, his eyes sweeping over the two girls and digging in his bag as he approached.

Dora made sure that Skraal, Dameon, and Snoball were not far away. She had the feeling she would be doing that constantly.

((sorry for controlling your character Zion…I think you said we could, though?))

 

As Si looks at the statue, she says "I remember hearing about them in ancient fairy tales. I think they are called faeries. Though I've never seen metal like that before. Should......should we turn the key and see what happens. I don't think it looks dangerous. If its something nice, then we should take it back with us."

 

"Thanks." I replied weakly to Skraal. Takeing deep breaths to recover after having that monster fall on me. I was just glad my chest plate had kept most of his wieght off of me. I finally sat up and noticed that the battle was done. Taking Skraals hand he hefted me up easily. I thanked him and scooped up my ax putting it in my belt and then looked at my sheild, two small dents in it. "At this rate my equipment won't last a week." i commented.

I looked around. Several injuries, several people tired. Skraal and Soujiro didn't seem bothered in the least. I was no worrier, they were. Even the girls had managed not to get trapped. Then it reminded me. "We're still missing the two mages." I said glancing around. I took a deep breath and looked up at Skraal and Soujiro, I was about to ask if they thought they could handle anything if I lit up my lantern to alert the girls to where we were, when a sharp bang of metal on metal eroupted from above.

I looked up as it repeated it's self in a steady rythem. A huge shape was in a tree, near the top. It appeared to be a person with something on it's back, a cape perhaps. It kept clapping for a long while before speaking. "The little rabbits seemed to have survived their first little obstical." It said in a nutral voice that made it hard to tell whether it was male or female. It stopped claping and stood up streight on the branch that didn't bearly seem to move under it's wieght.

"We shall continue to keep an eye on you little rabbits, though you should scurry back to your hole while you have the chance, for demons roam these lands." It commented, and then let out a short laugh. "But so do angels!" It commented the shapes on it's back spreading wide, seeming to block what little light came through the mist and it was gone in a swift movment, gone into the sky. I stood their speachless.

 

Skraal placed his left hand on Dameons shoulder. Seeing the same as Dameon Skraal said nothing just merely patted Dameons shoulder a few times.

"We must move on. We have an land to explore and I'll be damned if I die outside the wall we left." Skraal said aiming his words at Dameon.

 

I nodded in agreement to Skraal and then looked around at the group. Orcs, angels, demons. What a place. "Skraal I'm going to take out the magic lantern that Drake gave me and turn it on, we need a secure place until the other two manage to find us." I said looking around for where my pack landed when I had shrugged it off while getting my sheild. I saw it and snatched it up slowly pulling out the lantern.

I waited to see if Skraal had a way to secure the location and then decided that I trusted him and flicked on the light on, it's brightness seeming to cause the mist to seem lighter in the area. I hung it from a high branch and pulled out my ax carefully. At the edge of the group stood a small group of Orcs. One male and the rest female. The male held his hands high in a sign of peace. "You eat?" He asked and motioned to one of the bodies.

A few looked at him confused but most looked at him in shock. "You eat? You eat no, we eat." He said, motioning to the women. He waited for someone to awnser. I looked down at the bodies feeling strangly sympathitic for them even if they had probably meant to eat us.

I swollowed and then replied. "No, we not eat." I said and motioned for everyone to move away from the bodies, the females quickly rushed forward. A few seemed sad as they looked down upon a remembered body. One looked up at the group, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you." She said in hard to understand words. She then picked up the body reverantly as did the others. The male ork nodded as they dissapeared into the mist.

 

Cassie examined it a little more closely. It appeared to be held fast in place on its pedestal. It was small...what harm could there be? After all, the biggest risk had already been taken: leaving the Wall. What harm could turning a key and seeing what happens really do?

"Why not?" Cassie said. She reached slowly for the black stone key and turned it...

 

The key turned smoothly, clicking as the clock work mechanisims wound up and prepared to do their work. It turned four times before she released it. It spun clicking, the small wings seemed to glow dimly on their own as the mechanics clicked and the two mages recognized the slight buzz of electricity.

The small figure moved, yawned, stretched his arms above his head, his old joints poping slightly as they came loose from the grim that infested his system. His wings fluttered as he gently rose from the ground. He turned and smiled, a strange espresion on a face of steel. Though his wings moved their seemed to be something else that held him afloat, something that neither mage could identify.

"Hey cuty, you the one that charged me up?" He asked floating close to Cassie's face. He didn't wait for her to reaspond. He leaned forward and planted a cold metalic kiss on her nose. "Thanks toots, though it seems I've been out for a long while." He commented thoughtfully. He glanced them both over. "If you don't mind could you crank that thing again? I'm still pretty low on power."

 

"Um...wow. It can talk! I guess I'll turn your key a few more times." says Si, from behind Cassie. She walks behind the thing and turns its key a few more times. "Hey, can you tell us anything about the mist or about life before the mist? Our records begin after the wall was constructed." Si turns his key a few more times.

.......What is keeping him a float, and how does he talk. I'm sure Drake would love to check out his thing.......

"Oh by the way, I'm Si, and this is Cassandra. What is your name?"

 

As she realeased his key it spun and he seemed to sigh with pleasure of the power running through his system. "Hey, can you tell us anything about the mist or about life before the mist? Our records begin after the wall was constructed."

"Hey toots calm down a bit. I get the mist part, you know, fog, smog, and such, not sure where it came from but what wall are you talking about? The one right over their?" He said pointing at a nearby mostly distroyed wall. "I was just a prototype toots, last and only things I remember is being put through tests at what I'm capable of." He exsplained rubbing his metal head, much like someone would if they where real. "Though feel free to clue me in on whatever you know, don't worry i've got a terrabite of memory in this tiny head." He said though neither understood what a terrabite was.

 

"A terra-bite? I'm guessing that that must have been some unit of measure that people used to use on lost technology. You must have been in a state of rest for a very long time. Well, you see, a long time ago, probably about five hundred years ago, this mist appeared and covered the planet. Our ancesters built a gaint wall to give us an area without mist." Si pulls her flash light out and gives it a couple good shakes. Turning it on, she points it towards the area they came from.

"Though unfortunatly, our records only begin after the wall and our main city was created. So most of the technology from before the wall was lost, including creations like you. We only have basic elctric devices and some clockwork level technology now. And even then, the average person doesn't really now how it works. People have tried to explore the mist outside the wall, but they never seem to return after leaving."

 

Cassie grinned in wonder and excitement at the machine as it rose, stretched, and thanked her for starting him up. It even kissed her on the nose, and Cassie's smile widened.

This is amazing...what magic did these people possess to create something like this?

At the request of the fairy, Si turned the key a few more times as she asked it about the Mist and told it about the Wall.

"Is this your home?" Cassie asked it. "What do you know about it?"

 

"Ahhh, I think I see now, fairly simple to understand, except the whole safty being in their and you being out here." He commented, placing his hand on his chin. "So you two are either quite brave or quite insane. Either way I like you, mind me tagging along? I'm sure I've got some skills that'll come in handy." He said his metal eye winking, and his wings glowing bright for a moment before he dissapeared from view. Reapearing moments later, closer to them.

"As for home? Not so much home as place of birth." He commented to them.

"But if you don't mind I'm still only half awake, another twist?" He asked, seeming a bit less energetic after his little trick. "That whole disappear reappear thing comes in handy but it uses alot of power." He told them, flying up to land on Si's shoulder. "You can call me what ever you like, but I'd like to know your names."

 

"Alright." Si reaches up and turns his key a few more times. "Yeah, we could always use another set of eyes and hands. I'm Si and that is Cassandra. I guess I'll call you Faery. Also, you might be able to help us figure out any other piece of lost tech that we come across."

Si looks around and finally realizes that the others are gone. "Um....Cassie. Where did everyone go? I think we wondered off a bit more than we thought we did."

 

Cassie was still awestruck by the little Faery, and she watched his every move with wonder. He was amazing; far beyond anything they could even have dreamed of within the Wall. It seemed that, at least for now, their fears about leaving the Wall were unfounded. They had already found a friend.

Cassie looked around.

"I think you're right. Let's backtrack and see if we can find them."

 

Using her flashlight, Si and Cassie backtrack through the ruins and rejoin the group. They all seems a little on edge. Well except for Soujiro, who never seemed to let things faze him. "Hi everyone. Um, this guy is named Faery. He's lost tech of those that used to live here. So what happened to all of you while we were gone?"

 

'So what happened to all of you while we were gone?"

Soujiro smiled,

"Well, we were attacked by some creatures and as you can see we overcame them. They didn't look very clever." he laughed, "Ceri and Dora seem injured but not seriously, this seems to have been their first battle experience. Madeline remains unharmed as does Skraal and Dameon." Soujiro looked directly at Si, "You really shouldn't wander off, otherwise you'll miss all the fun."

He then moved over to closely examine the one called Faery. A look of indifference passed across his face as he judged Faery.

"Where did you find him?" he said returning his attention back to Cassie and Si.

 

"He was among the ruins. Cassie turned his key and the little guy just sort of came to life. He can fly pretty quickly through the mist, so he would be a good scout. Also, by the sounds of things, it good that we kinda wondered off. I'd rather not kill things if I can help it." says Si as she looks at Soujiro's emotionless face.

.......Nothing fazes this guy. He must have faced quite a bit of trauma during his life to become like this. I hate the admit it, but its probably a good thing to have someone like him a long.......

 

Soujiro almost let himself giggle but suppressed it.

"Conflict is inevitable. We have not ventured far from the wall and already we have been in a little battle. I assure you there are plenty more where they came from. Your skills will be tested soon enough."

He moved over to where Ben was helping Ceri recover and sat at a nearby pile of rocks . He was curious about the large being that seemed to have been observing the whole battle and the words he spoke. After a few moments he decided not to be too bothered about it and pushed it to the back of his mind. He closed his eyes, then opened one looking at Si,

"Your idea is noble but im sure your opinion will change. Out here the strong live and the weak die."

 

Despite her best efforts, Dora had recognized that Madeline was hurt and summoned the doctor. Ben rushed to them.

‘I’m okay,’ she tried to protest, feeling the blood run down the side of her neck. His eyebrows rose.

Ben handed Madeline a small white tablet in silence, as if knowing that she did not want to announce how easily she had been hurt. She chewed the painkiller. It tasted bad, but it would be absorbed into the bloodstream faster and have an effect.

She smiled at Ben as he attended to Ceri, feeling a surge of respect and gratitude for his discretion.

She had watched the appearance of the angel with mild interest. After the attack, her surprise at what was out here was spent. Cassie and Si returned with the Faery soon after. What next? She thought. Hopefully whatever it was didn’t want to eat them.

She leant against a wall, not daring to sit down in case she didn’t get back up again. The orcs had carried the bodies away, and she examined her knife. Black sticky liquid had dried on the blade.

‘Oh, gross,’ she muttered, scraping it along the corner of the wall. It refused to come away, even when she used some of the precious water she had brought to try and wash it. She returned the knife to her boot and held the sword in her other hand, eyes scanning the Mist.

A cynical voice in her mind warned her that things weren’t going to get much better.

 

Skraal I'm going to take out the magic lantern that Drake gave me and turn it on, we need a secure place until the other two manage to find us." Dameon said.

Skraal nodded in acknowledgment of Dameon then stopped one sword swiftly drawn as the lantern made a clearer vision in the Mist revealing the Orc’s stood watching.

“You eat?” The lead one asked. His voice trailing in a tone suggesting he was less evolved than them.

Skraal noticed the Orc’s behind the large one were female. Skraal kept his grip firm and ready to launch on any sudden movement.

“You eat you no eat, we eat.” The lead Orc said again.

“No we not eat.” Replied Dameon.

The female Orc’s began together the fallen green skins one turning to Dameon.

“Thank you.” She said in a less evolved tone.

Skraal leaned forwards his blade almost in an attack arc “Ug A Bugga.” He said in mocking.

The female Orc’s looked at him wondering what he was about to do when the large brute of the male Orc stepped up, fist clenched, a crude axe in his other fist.

“Ledde D’em.” He said grunting.

Skraal stepped up to the green skin. Blade raised slightly in an intimidating stance below the Orc’s chin.
The Orc made no sign of withdrawing. Skraal felt the need to pierce this brutes skin and cut him open.

“No more.” Said the female Orc.

Skraal looked her up and down as she took a fallen Orc he’d just slain another female by her carried the severed head. Dark blood still dripped from the severed neck of the slumped body.
A moment of respect filled up in Skraal and he bowed his head slightly sheathing his sword.

Skraal then stepped back allowing the females to disappear into the Mist leaving the large male Orc stood facing Skraal. Skraal removed his red tinted shades to eyeball the large brute.

The Orc stepped back taken aghast. Skraal was ready to fight again when he realised he saw pure fear in the Orc’s face.

Skraal wondered what would happen next so flexed his fingers for a fight when the Orc spoke.

“Dey kome for you soon. Blood Angel.” The brute said allowed and stepped back ever watching Skraal soon he was gone as though taken with the mist.

Skraal wondered what he meant by Blood Angel.

Looking about Dora stood shaken from the events Dameon next to him watched as the Orc’s went

Blood Angel what did he mean. Mused Skraal.

 

Ceri let Ben tend to her in silence after he’d helped Madeline; he gently wiped the gash on her forehead clean and bandaged it, and strapped up her ankle to make it easier for her to walk. She thanked him quietly, glad Dora had called her and Mad’s injuries to his attention – if a little chagrined that she’d been quite so hurt. Although he’d been knocked down, Dameon’s armour had protected him from any serious injury, and Skraal, Soujiro and Dora were almost completely unfazed.

Flexing her ankle tentatively, trying not to wince as pain throbbed up her leg, Ceri realised she would need to be a much better fighter if she was going to survive this place. Judging from the strange, shadowy angel’s cryptic words this battle would only be their first.

But if her fighting was going to improve, she would need a teacher. Ceri looked round at her companions. The most experienced fighters were Skraal and Soujiro – Snarly’s manners had improved since meeting him in the inn, and he seemed almost fond of Dora in particular, though his general demeanour still discouraged social interaction. Soujiro had a very cool, indifferent air about him, betraying little emotion, but he was more approachable than Snarly. Perhaps she could ask him, after her ankle had healed.

For now, though, the most pressing concern was where they were headed next.

 

Hortensio woke, groaned and fell back into unconscious. colours swirled and lights shone in front of his eyes as he floated through a void with out a body, where there is no feeling, no thought, solace with out recognition of being alone.

his peace broke as he woke again this time permanently. his chest bleeding slowly from a horrizontal slash, being contained mostly by his leather armor. while his head felt as though an elephant had its foot on the side of his head, slowly adding more and more of its weight to the act of torture.
his eyes peeled open, sticky from the blood he had wiped on his face during his overly one sided fight for life. later he would tell people of his great battle, how he had slain 3 orcs before they called for reinforcements and over powered him by sheer numbers, and even then he fell with a pile of dead orcs to cushion his fall. but the simple truth was he had hesitated. the events played out in his mind as he rolled slightly making him almost black out again.

he had moved too far from the group, the tree held his interest for only a short while and so he went exploring and old stone house with the walls now only waist high. he had his hand in his pocket holding his glass orb as he always did, although it did nothing he had had it his entire life, and would never leave it. he spied some moss on a rock that appeared to have a slight phosphoric glow.
and removed his hands from his pockets to rub it softly, it left his fingers glowing, he put his hand back on the orb and an image flashed through his mind of a face red with blood..who he did not see, only the red blood.
he was shocked so much that he yelled and floundered in the mist falling to the feet of an orc. a pale green foot with yellowed cracked toe nails and some nasty toe-hair stared back at him. he rolled over backwards with the goal of finding feet, trying to get a knife, a sword, anything that he could fight with!
his katanas came first as the orc tilted its head slightly and the thin man rolling around on the ground. Hortensio stood with a katana in each hand, one high and the other low as to be ready for anything.

the orc roared and Hortensio launched a preemptive strike, running the orc through with both swords, the orc yelled again and fell, taking his swords lodged in its chest with it.
another appeared! this time with a saber, a crude helmet and chest plate, he stared at his dead comrade and saw Hortensio fumbling with his over loaded cloak, spilling his wafer throwing knives and coming up with two long dirks that curved much like a katana.

the orc had finally comprehended that it was Hortensio that killed his comrade and launched his attack. Hortensio now realising that maybe they didnt want to kill him in the first place hesitated and did not respond in time. the orc lashed out slashing across Hortensio's chest, the armor taking most of the blow but still cutting deep.

Hortensio, not a man for battle dropped one dirk to hold wound and threw the other at the orc, catching the orc in its shoulder shoulder pad. the orc lowered his shoulder and charged throwing Hortensio into the air and onto his back, his head meeting with the stone floor with a sickening crack and then...nothing

 

The impulse to vomit came quickly, and Madeline pushed herself away from the wall and staggered into the Mist. A sour taste coated the inside of her mouth, and the foul Mist taunted the urge, thrusting ghostly fingers down her throat.

Blocks of rubble and rock littered the floor. It was not surprising that she had fallen. A spidery tree appeared, and she clutched it, wishing for some fresh air.

Perhaps she would feel better if she was sick. She sucked in the air, trying to provoke the response. However the initial urge faded, leaving her feeling queasy.

She looked around, realizing that she had managed to get lost. The mist swirled like curtains around her.

‘Hello?’ she called. ‘Where are you?’

No one answered.

She bent and examined the trampled ground, and headed back in the direction that she thought the others were in. Something snagged her foot, and she stumbled and looked down.

A body of an orc lay at her feet, two blades embedded in its chest. Others lay around it. Something stirred and she raised her new sword before creeping forward.

Hortensio lay on the ground, amongst the bloody remains. His eyes were open, amidst a mask of blood, but he looked as if he was about to fall asleep again. A patch of what looked like moss lay nearby, and its glow cast made his tanned skin look sickly. The light caught the weapons spilling from his cloak.

‘Hortensio?’ she asked. Remembering how aloof he had been, she tapped him on the chest with the end of the sword rather than risk getting to close. ‘Come on, we have to go.’

 

he opened his eyes as a blur came into view, a single thought swept through his mind..."no more monsters" his vision cleared and he saw one of the girls from the party poking him with a sword, he couldnt feel it, the pain was too severe elsewhere.

‘Come on, we have to go.'

the words flowed though him, bringing him back to the here and now. he tried to sit up but the world went from a misty white to a blue black and he lost all coordination, the girl caught him and helped him to his feet.

feebly he tried to struggle and do it on his own but quickly gave up on the impulse and let her brace him as he stood. he couldnt handle it any longer and began to fall again but ended up sitting/leaning on the half wall. he asked
"what happened?" he paused as bile raced to his mouth. he turned and vomited causing a fire to errupt from the cut in his chest. he turned back then motioned to the sword in her hand
"is that mine?"

 

Madeline dodged out of the way of the vomit, but it managed to splash her new shoes.

‘No it’s mine,’ she answered as soon as Hortensio stopped being sick. ‘Well it is now, anyway.’

She grabbed his arm and pulled him upright, away from the wall. He fell sideways and she braced her feet to keep him vertical. Still holding his wrist, Madeline crouched and dislodged his swords from the orc, almost falling as they suddenly came loose. She put them in her bag for now and wrapped his arm across her shoulders

‘Some creatures attacked us,’ she said, taking a few steps forward. Keep him talking. He cooperated slightly, although his feet dragged. ‘They’re gone for now.’ He swayed, sending them both staggering into the tree. She caught them both, and her legs trembled under the strain. He was heavier than he looked, or maybe she was just weaker. She gritted her teeth. ‘Don’t collapse. I can’t carry you.’

She walked forward, towing him after her and trying to skirt the rubble. She wanted to call out, but was wary of attracting other less friendly attention. Right now, the last thing she needed was for some Orc's to notice the easy target they were.