Descent Into Madness

[imported_Frith-Rae]

Since Tokoz asked so nicely *wink*

OOC: This is only the last two "chapters" of so far a 17 chapter history of Frith's Life in Horizons. You can view the entirity of her tale, as well as the tales of others here:
http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.asp...p;TabID=119264
Its the "Chet Tales" on our guild's website, but is free to be read and posted to by the public, if any wish to add their own stories.

To set up this tale, Frith was desperately looking for the perfect gift to give her mate at their upcoming Bonding Ceremony - and went on a quest to find it. The story that comes from that point is posted here - but is NOT done. It should be noted that all participants in this "story" are actual characters on Order and this was all Roleplayed out in chatrooms while everyone was online and present. I just took those RP logs and turned them into story format. These adventures take place in the open chatrooms KCERoleplay, Ye Old Pub, and Outside Pub. Anyone at any time is welcome to come join in and RP with us there. And in fact, you can even get involved in this ongiong saga right now. For Frith is still lost...

Now having explained that, without further adu - I hope you enjoy! And stay tuned!
(and I put each chapter in its own post to keep this from being too extremely long!))

IC:::::::::::::::::



Frith-rae slowly winged her way towards the edge of the Northern Deadlands. In her mind she recalled the dream of the night before, and begins planning her path to get deep into the enemy territory. She lands on a rock, overlooking the plains and the masses of undead that wander it. Stopping in confusion, she frowns, looking down at the ground, lost in thought. Suddenly a grin brightens her face. She hops down onto the muddy ground and begins to dig into the dirt. She rolls around in the blighted mud, coating herself in its stench and gooey wetness. When she feels she is sufficiently covered to make her entrance easier, she stands up, dripping in green-grey ooze. Avoiding the strong temptation to give a good shake, she takes off into the air again, searching for that Keep she saw in her dream.

Hoping her dream was not meaningless, she sighs in frustration. The time of the bonding ceremony grows very close, and still she has not found her gift. She watches the Aegis hoards wander by underneath, but remains well out of reach for now, searching the horizon for the tower. She opens up her senses and begins to feel a pulling through the blighted air. She flies towards the pull, even though at the same time, she senses great evil and a concentration of the Blight. Finally, in the distance, she begins to see walls, barracks, and the rise of a great tower surrounded by a fortress. She knows it from her dreams - this is the place! She knows the gift shown to her in her dreams will be in its shadow...somewhere.

Suddenly, she has a feeling of being watched. She glances around and behind her in the air, trying to find the source of this feeling and seeing nothing. She shakes her head to get rid of the distraction and her muscles shudder at the idea of having to search such a place - but she continues on, slowly winging her way around the keep, looking for a hidden, free, place to land.

As she circles she glimpses a large, clear, area on a cliff. If not for the pair of doors, it would be the best landing spot. She watches for a short while, but the doors do not open. And although there are undead and various creatures wandering around, none are very near the area. She waits a while longer, tracking the blighted ones until they have wandered a good distance away before she lands, and quickly assess the area around her.

Realizing she has landed unspotted, she quickly edges her way to the door. She sniffs at it, inspecting it, and feels at it a moment before taking a big sigh and nosing it open. Seeing nothing inside, she moves to enter - only then noticing she?s too big. She reluctantly transforms into her khutit self, trusting in Drulkar?s protection and that he would not lead her into overt danger. She slips inside, shutting the door softly behind her and pausing - again looking around and assessing the area for any dangers. Sensing nothing, she turns to head downward, remembering from her dream that the glow seem to come from deep in the bowels of this keep.

As she walks she passes cages, that seem to have taken damage recently, and frowns. Every so often spinning around, to watch her back, the place giving her the willies. She crouches in a defensive stance, straining to sense and listen for any sign of the Aegis. But feels nothing. She hears only the echos of her own soft steps, the only movement her shadow.

Before too much longer she sees a door at the end of the hallway, and she hurries down the corridor faster hoping to reach the end of her journey quickly so that she can leave this cursed place. But she has not lost her caution, as she pauses listening at the doorway. Her eyes widen as she thinks she hears a soft, haunted, whisper from the other side. She opens it very slowly, and only a little bit, peering around the crack in the doorway to try and find the source of the voices, twitching her ears forward and frowning. The room is shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from a faint green glow on a table in the middle of the room. Several decorative suits of armor can be seen in the shadows, standing in front of pillars. As she observes the room, suddenly the whispering stops. Frith waits a few more heartbeats, and hearing and sensing nothing further she takes tentative steps into the dark room, creeping slowly and quietly up to the table - trying to peer into the shadows before pausing to look at what glows on the table.

She frowns in confusion, seeing only a few blighted wisps that hover over the table. She sniffs and feels at the table, gently waving the blighted wisps away in order to inspect it better, continuously glancing around nervously at the suits of armor and the dark shadows. Their black plate seeming to swallow what little light is in the room, and the weapons and kwellen head shaped helmets do nothing to make her feel any less threatened by this place. She opens her inner senses, and feels a pull below the table, in a dark corner. Shifting softly, she ducks behind the suits of armor and sees a small door.

Briefly she feels Allon, searching for her with their bonded link, but she refuses to complete the connection. She doesn?t need him figuring out where she was and flying out here to rescue her - possibly getting them both killed. And she certainly didn?t want him seeing his present! His searching thoughts fade as they find no purchase, and she turns her attention back to the door. Listening again carefully, before opening it a crack and peering inside. Beyond the door is another hallway, with four more doors and more blighted wisps for lighting.

Frith curses in ancient draconic and mumbles something about mazes of evil as she creeps down the hallway, pausing at each of the doors to listen and feel with her mind, which one the pull was coming from. As she peers into each door she shudders revolted. The first doorway shows a room of smashed trunks and containers of noxious liquid on the floor that repulse her instantly. The second room reveals several dead torture victims, and the third has a long expired and dissected Sslik. It isn?t until she reaches the last door at the end of the hallway, the pull becomes stronger. She coughs at the stench emanating from the open rooms and decaying bodies as she inspects the last doorway, finding a handle with which to open it with. She stops again, listening, before quickly opening the door wide and bracing herself for attack.

Her eyes feel pain and she blinks in the sudden bright light coming from this room. But after they adjust, she sees nothing untoward. She enters this room and gasps -beautiful and ancient suits of armor decorate the walls, with ancient weapons from a long forgotten past. These are in great repair, obviously well taken care of - unlike the armor in the first dark room - as they gleam in the candlelight. She moves forward, though still cautious, to see ancient documents spread out on the table. She noses through them, attempting to read them, but they are written in ancient languages she does not recognize. She doesn?t want to handle them too much, for fear they will fall apart, and so leaves them be as they lay. As she continues to inspect the room, her eyes alight on a great gold coffer, perched on velvet and an ancient table against the back wall. As she sees it, the pull in her mind becomes stronger - and she knows instantly, that whatever Allon?s gift is. It is inside that chest.

Looking around the room again, fearing attack now that she is so close, she slowly approaches the coffer and inspects it carefully. It is etched with Ancient draconic writing, and draconic stylized figures. She can?t help but grin happily, as she slowly opens the chest to see what it contains. She stops for a moment, the room forgotten, as she peers into the chest and brings out a solid Admantium shard. She looks up, blinking, and then looks back again - holding it closer to her snout, not believing what she could possibly be reading. She quickly places the shards back into the coffer and closes it softly. Glancing around again, she then picks up the coffer and places it slowly into her scalepack. With that done, she quickly turns and begins trotting back the way she came, only pausing at the doorways to see if any Aegis have appeared in her wake. She sees nothing but the blighted wisps, and the empty hallway, she quickly goes through again - thinking it must be too good of luck to be able to steal in and out of this fortress undiscovered!

Out of the darkness she thinks she sees a flicker of movement in the shadows and she stops, frowning, trying to peer into the darkness beyond the wisps. She continues her way more slowly, not really being able to see all that well, into the final room with the table and unkept armor suits, heading for the door on the opposite side. Her ears twitch as she hears the whispering start up again, and again sees movement out of the corner of her eye. She freezes and looks around rapidly, wondering if there really is a suit of armor missing a scythe, trying to figure out if there was a weapon there before or not. She turns in a circle, crouched in a defensive step, peering blindly into the shadows.

Suddenly something dark flashes out of the corner of her eye, over her head and she ducks and jumps backwards, throwing a blast spell to either harm the attacker or at least flash enough light to see them. The dark figure dodges to the side, and the blast bolt hits the wall and silouettes the figure for a moment. Frith dodges to the opposite side of where she thinks the attacker is, and curses herself being stuck in a small room in a weaker form, as she buffs herself up and growls threateningly. A raspy, low, but distinctly female voice comes from the dark figure, "Who are you and why are you here?"

Frith blinks, a bit surprised hearing a female voice, and responds hissing back, "Who I am is none of your concern, and I?m here for my own reasons" as she readies another spell.

"You do not belong here...this castle belongs to Lord Veinrip..a living dragon has no business here" the figure returns.

Frith chuckles softly under her breath, "I agree..I do not belong here. I was just on my way out, actually, if you wish to let me go on I"ll be leaving immediately."

The female chuckles herself, drily, like a snake hissing, "You had a reason for being here...answer me and I might let you live."

Frith raises an eyeridge, already smelling a wound on the creature from her earlier blast, "You assume you can stop me in your condition? But as it is of no matter, I shall tell you. I came here looking for a special...something...and I found it. I?m taking it back, as it obviously was stolen and does not belong here."

Something small and solid hits Frith on the side of the head, and as she jerks her talons up to her face, a zombie in armor similar to the others in the room steps out from his spot, speaking in an odd, fast, accent, "Excellent job, Soulfyre, you have found the intruder."

Frith blinks in concern, shaking her head feeling something sticky on the side of her face. She wipes at her head, attempting to wipe whatever it is off - while she watches the newcomer warily. She growls at the now two creatures, although her ears flitter still feeling something on her face.

The female figure bows to the newcomer, "And now what, Lord Drash?"

"She is of no further use to us," the newcomer, apparently Lord Drash, replies, "not even to kill..let her go."

Frith stares a moment, trying to remember where she heard that name before, but says nothing not wanting to push her luck - if they were really going to let her go unheeded. The female, Soulfyre, bows to Drash and walks away."

Drash now turns to Frith, "Well, go on, get out of here, before I change my mind."

Frith slwoly edges her way towards the door, never taking her eyes off this Lord Drash, but continuing to shake her head repeatedly to try and get rid of the creepy feelings she was having. Drash just watches her go, arms crossed, silent.

She finally gets to the door and opens it, taking her eyes off of him long enough to glance through it and see the empty hallway. She looks back at him briefly, before quickly crossing the threashold and closing the door rapidly behind her. She pauses and takes a deep breath, leaning against the door in support, before quickly trotting the path back to the exit and hoping he really didn?t want to fool with little ol? her. She continues to feel an occasional itch, from that spot where whateveritwas hit her, and she scratches her head and ears with her talons, almost absentmindedly, as she hurries out. Finally reaching the main entrance, she peeks out again to make sure the wandering hoards are nowhere near, before quickly exiting the keep and changing back into her true form. Never so happy to be doing so as just then!

Still covered in blighted gore, she doesn?t shake it off, not trusting she is truly out of danger just yet. As she begins to take off, a sharp pain shoots through her head and she bites down on a screech, grabbing her head in her talons and clawing. But just as suddenly as it came on, it stops, and she?s left panting for a moment before she again spreads her wings, and takes off. Flapping as fast as she can South, and the border of the Deadlands. Once in the air she checks her scalepack again and smiles, the gold coffer still tucked safely inside. As she flies over the Deadlands border, and the sun comes out to warm her scales again, she immediately opens her mind and sends to Allon ~Allon, K?iea sebeo..Iea am coming home...~

[imported_Frith-Rae]

As the red dragon slept deep in a hidden cavern on a Mountain in Dralk, her dreams were haunted nightmares, scattered memories she no longer understood, and actions she was no longer responsible for.

Weeks ago, she had reclaimed enough consciousness to return to her home lair and say goodbye to her mate. Clarity and control she no longer possessed, allowed her to see at the time that she was turning into a threat to those she loved, and that she needed to see. She had left hoping to find out what was happening - but that would have required logic and forethought she no longer possessed.

Now she was nothing but a mindless, instinctually - driven, killer. What was "Frith-Rae" had buried itself deep inside, rarely able to fight to the surface, much less to control over her body.

What had started out as small blackouts, a bit of moodiness, and a shorter and shorter fuse was now a full blown, blood red rage that simmered just below the surface at all times. A rage that knew no limits or control, and that was taken out on anything and everything that crossed the dragon's path. An insane rage that even attacked inanimate objects - realizing no difference from a tree to a person to an undead.

In the weeks that followed rumors started drifting from town to town, far outpost to big city - of a red dragon who slaughtered innocents without reason. No biped understood where the dragon had come from, or what any had done to provoke her. It was even more confusing because this dragon did not appear to be blighted, or of the Aegis. She was no undead reincarnated. She was a dragon, like any other of the living races. But for some reason, she had declared her own war on all naka-duskeal. And the farther outflung towns rested little because of it. Caravans had been attacked out of the clear blue sky, entire families wiped out, small villages razed to the ground. Some feared a great reckoning was upon them - that perhaps the peace that had existed tenuously between the Lunus and the unscaled (held back by their Helian brethren) had been broken - that perhaps a great dragon war was at the making. Some merely thought this was bound to happen, and they talked in more and more numbers - of the dragon threat that must be removed. And a few, always wanting to create chaos, talked of taking out other dragons before they joined this Unknown Red in the wanton destruction.

The dragon causing the desctruction knew nothing of the whispers, and would have cared even less if it had. It was on no crusade beyond its own unthinking urges. Perhaps in the chaos that was now Frith-Rae's brain, in the destruction of consciousness that the creature inside her was wreaking - it had brought her back to a state that dragons had once existed in. Returned her to a more primally driven creature. One not of great logic and philosophy, but of killing, and eating, and survival. Perhaps the creature within her was of the Aegis itself, and had chosen her as its victim in order to create the greatest amount of chaos and destruction upon the Living Races possible. Perhaps...well, there are plenty of theories.

Frith-Rae herself only knew she was trapped. Her prison two-fold. She fought back early on against the betrayal of her body and mind, and suffered greater and greater pain for it. She had given up trying to fight back that way, trying to regain control - for the pain encountered now at the merest hint of fighting back, was enough that she feared what was left of her mind would be wrent in two - and then she really would be lost. The chains that bound her were not just of physical but of mental. The voices whispered to her of the horrible things she had done, of being an outcast now, of never being able to go back. She would get lost in her great despair, curled up on herself in her protected little mental lair she had built for what was left of her sanity. Even if she could fight through the pain and regain control of herself, the voice said, she would be killed anyway. The voices rallied at her, told her she would be hunted, by her own clan even, and forced to face the horrible atrocities she was now responsible for. That Her family wanted no part of her, her mate had moved on. Her name had been striken from their histories, and none would honor it again. Shame and guilt-ridden, she retreated farther into her self to stop the voices harrying her constantly.

She sank only into nightmare haunted sleep, and waited for the day when others would finally strike her body down. Though she did not deserve such an easy release from her prison, she still hoped and prayed to Drulkar that they would end her suffering. Even as the voices told her Drulkar would not listen nor answer her anymore, for she was an outcast - an abomination to dragonkind.

to be continued....

[imported_Frith-Rae]

Frith-Rae was driven outward from her hiding place again that night. Though she was coherent of what was being done with her body, she no longer had the will or strength to stop it. As she felt herself move, and flying, she curled up tighter within, hoping to block out whatever was coming...

...A great red dragon perched on a mountain top, overlooking the quiet town of Morning Light below. It watched for a moment the people coming and going in the streets, unaware of the threat above them. The dragon?s talons crunched the rock beneath it, sending small rocks and pebbles skittering down the mountainside, a small and inadequate warning to the town below. As the clouds move over the sun, she spreads her great wings and leaps into the air, falling fast on the town below - her normally deep, swirling purple-hued eyes glazed over red and black....

Over in Aiya, Ye Olde Pub is bristling with business. Old and new patrons alike are making themselves comfortable in its walls. The after dinner crowd rising, as each has come to spend another night carosing with friends, drinking, and swapping stories of the happenings of the day. Even a few dragons had shown up to share in the companionship of familiar surroundings and people.

Suddenly over the din, a strange mewling sound was heard outside. As the horrid, painful sound continues more and more patrons fall silent listening. As if each one questions the reality of the sound, until they hear it again. Finally one, then another, begin to rise and go to the doors of the pub cautiously - confused and wary. It wouldn?t be the first time trouble had been waiting outside those doors.

A small Saris is seen crawling slowly towards the pub, yowling in pain and shock. As the Pubbers fall out of the doors, rushing to its side to offer assistance, the Saris finally collapses from its efforts. Its hair is burnt and singed, its tail disjointed and far too short to be whole, its face battered and bruised, beginning to swell from the burns and claw marks.

As Levity crouches, seeking to comfort the Saris but unsure how to touch him without causing more pain, the Saris croaks out..."dragons...."

"That?s right" Levity coos, "plenty of them, they?ll help you...you?re safe. What happened?"

By now several patrons, dragon and biped alike, are hovered in a small circle around the injured creature. Some attempting to offer help, others just looking confused and on edge.

The Saris looks in terror at Levity?s words for a moment, and rasps out..."no...more...dragons..."

The dragon Hyrurin looks in confusion at the dragon Shargrym, who is standing nearby the injured Saris. But as they watch, its breathing stops!

The Sslik Krisz bends down, placing a hand to the side of the Saris?s neck and confirms the truth, "Dead...." as the little dryad Brook buries her face in its feathers in sorrow. Krisz takes a deep breath and blows out a soft blue smoke towards the Saris, attempting to revive the poor thing.

The Saris comes to, though not as strong as Krisz had hoped, and coughs up blood. "Ah...." it sputters, "...crazy...red dragon....Red Eyes...Morning light!" it manages, before its chest again stops rising and falling.

In the quiet shock and mourning that followed, each keeping their own counsel as to what news this biped has brought them, a distinct roaring peirces the silence in the direction of Morning Light.

Shargrym frowns, "Come..leave the Saris. We must go!" The hatchling Vanda?s ear fins prick forward, almost in recognition of the cry. Allon growls at the dead Saris, as if angry at it before looking to Shargrym, "Go? Go Where? What is there in life to go to anymore anyway!" as he grudgingly beings to shift form to follow Shagrym.

Krisz and Brooke stare at Allon angrily. Offended by the disrespect he has shown to the poor dead creature, they storm back inside the pub as the dragons take off in the direction of Morning Light, and several head off on foot, or through the portal.

Plumes of great black smoke rise from the direction of Morning Light, and as the parties get closer, a swooping figure can be seen flying in and out in the smoke. The dragons seeing the figure, begin to fly towards it, as others come through the portal to see what has happened on the ground. The town is burning to the ground. Buildings everywhere are on fire or toppled over, its residents running in panic along its streets. Some attempting to create order from chaos and trying to put out the fires, others just seeming injured, lost, and confused. But in one direction, a group of them have gathered - shouting angrily - amidst growling and snarling.

The snarling gets everyone?s attention, and Allon flies in fast screeching a challenge, "What have you done Dragon! What have you done?!"

Suddenly a great red dragon bursts up from the group of bipeds, wings open she roars a challenge before belting forth great streams of fire at the people around her causing them to run and scatter. Several on fire, the dragon pursues some of the fleeing bipeds, catching up two in her talons and ripping them apart before going after others.

Shagryrm returns his own challenge, and quickly moves to attract the dragon?s attention - positioning himself between the dragon and the fleeing naka-duskeal.

The hatchling Vanda, having arrived via portal into the chaos, tumbles over backwards from her forward run in shock, looking confused and horrified at the red dragon?s actions. Levity, not far off, is attempting to help the injured and lost away from the town - giving them purpose and reason. She directs several crews to help the more injured, as well as trying to send Healers where they are needed. Leaving the dragons to deal with the dragon, she attempts to deal with the aftereffects.

As Shargrym positions himself to catch the red dragon?s attention, Allon stops in midflight recognition burning in his eyes, "Frith! Frith-Rae Bridge-Sol! My love! You are here! Come back! Stop this! I will help you!" On the ground, Hyrurin also stops in shock, before being roused to anger roaring and charging towards the red dragon in challenge.

Shagrym, hearing Allon?s cry, realizes that it is indeed his Clan Sister Frith-Rae raging in front of him, "Frith! Stop!" he calls to her.

Frith pauses for a moment, a bit taken aback by the presence of the other dragons who have come. Having never run into this opposition, she snarls in confusion. Until she hears the other dragons? roars and cries, and responds instinctually flying upwards to get around the one in front of her, before turning and diving towards the charging blue and silver dragon on the ground, talons extended frontwards to meet it in battle.

Focusing only on the threat on the ground, she?s sideswiped by Shargrym, who pursues her and then slams into her from the side, locking talons on her in an attempt to get her to stop her dive. She cries out in pain and surprise, and turns to battle with this new enemy in the sky. Allon, grief-stricken, immediately dives and strikes into them both - seeking to break Frith free from Shargrym while also stopping her attack. But his momentum sends all three of them into a spiraling freefall. In a falling tangle of wings, tails, teeth and claws, the three are locked together.

Vanda freezes watching the battle above her, crying out to her Auntie Frith in confusion, seemingly unaware that she stands under the falling path of the raging Adults.

Shargrym, trying to avoid Frith?s teeth, calls out to her, "Frith! Stop this madness!" But Frith does not respond, and attempts to gnaw at his talons and legs in an attempt to get free. Not even trying to right herself from the fall. Allon manages to maneuver himself away from her head and neck and grabs onto her hindlegs and tail. Frith screeches at an ear shattering volume, at this new entrapment, and begins squirming, flapping, and lashing at anything she can to get free. Both Shargrym and Allon however, know the ground is rushing up far to fast, and both spread their wings while trying to avoid the furious dragon between them, in an effort to slow their fall.

Slowly righting themselves, Allon growls to Shargrym, "Shargrym! Let go!" But before the words are barely out of his mouth, Frith opens her jaws wide and lets loose a stream of electrical energy, sending the jolting voltage through all three of them, resulting in screeches of pain from her two captors.

Hyrurin, seeing Vanda in danger on the ground, rushes to protect the frozen hatchling. As the ground looms closer to those in the air, Shargrym disengages at the last minute, not even aware of Vanda caught below them. Hyrurin reaches the hatchling and stands over her, seeking to protect the little one with her body, she digs her claws into the ground and takes a deep breath before unleashing her ice breath directly above them both.

Allon attempts to slow the fall as long as he can, but the pain and grief and strain of holding up Frith are too much, and he release her only a scant few seconds after Shargrym, knowing he can?t stop her descent entirely. Suddenly free, Frith looks down and begins to try and right herself. But she only has a moment to see the ice shield now just below her, with no time to spread her wings she slams into the shield with a resounding THWWAACK, and a loud cracking noise is heard. But the shield holds, and Frith bounces off it to land with a thump on the ground below.

Not too far away two naka-duskeal can be seen running through the rubble of the village, heading towards Levity. One barely big enough to be seen, while another runs after it yelling, "STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!"

Hyrurin quickly pushes against the ice shield to keep it from falling on her and the hatchling, as Frith amazingly begins to stand. Shaking her head and righting herself on wobbly legs, she growls menacingly from deep inside her, at Shargrym who has landed close-by.

The small fleeing figure veers towards Levity, getting closer by the second. Leaving the bigger figure chasing it in the dust.

Allon lands near Shargrym and Frith, "Frith..Frith stop this craziness and Come home! Frith..Ae is me, Allon!" he rasps out, breathing heavily. Shargrym joins his voice to his, "Frith! Stop this!"

Levity, seeing the dragons have landed, rushes over to lend assistance. Agilely dodging lashing tails and twitching wings, she calls out to her once friend, "Frith, hon..you don?t want to do this. Not here, not anywhere. I know! I was doing it too, and stopping hurts...but you still have to stop!"

But there is no seeming recognition to any of the words in the red dragon?s eyes, as she lashes out to Allon to keep his distance, and looks warily around her at those gathered near - until her eyes seem to focus on something in the distance, and track it.

Levity, seeing Brook not far off, calls back, "Careful, Honeybrook" she bounces on the balls of her feet, ready for anything, "Frith?s not herself. She is hurting people, like I did."

Shargrym too watches warily, trying to prepare for what might come next, "Ois should da be, Frith. Coinne hi ien away from cai." (This should not be, Frith. Come with us away from here)

The dryad Brook watches the scene warily, and begins to ready a spell in her hands just in case, crisps of lightening begin to form around her fingers.

Suddenly Frith breaks for what she has judged to be the weak point, through the biped she charges full speed, snarling and snapping her jaws, only wanting to get out of the closing group. Shargrym makes to follow her, as does Allon. Hyrurin attempts to, but suddenly crashes to the ground in weakness. Levity, thinking the dryad safe, springs up, planting her hands on Frith?s snout leaps over and with a twist, lands at the base of the dragon?s neck. But in the startlement, Brook releases her spell and sends a bolt of lightening from her wrists that zaps into the side of Frith?s head. Frith, confused by Levity leaping in front of her, suddenly is focused by the attack to her head and snarls angrily. As her head clears she sees her attack, and without warning snaps her jaws on Brook. Immediately crushing her in two, Frith gives her head a few shakes before dropping the dryad on the ground and continuing her retreat. Straight towards Krisz.

Levity screams out in horror, "BROOOOK!" and encircling her hands into fists, brings them down hard and sharp onto the back of Frith?s head.

Krisz stands in shock, right in the path of the charging Dragon. Having watched the Dryad be killed, it seems to stand there uncomprehendingly blinking. A small .."haaa...haaaa.." is the only utterance it makes.

As Frith-Rae?s head is driven down by the blow, she continues to run forward. Only seeking now to get away as quick as possible from all these creatures attacking her, she begins to flap and rise slowly off the ground. Grabbing at the last biped she sees, she grabs Krisz up in her talons as she rises quickly. Though Allon and Shargrym begin to fly up after her, she?s got a head start. In a final act of defiance and rage driven pain, at the height of her ascent she turns and throws Krisz back down and back towards those who would pursue her. Levity throws herself off the falling Krisz in pursuit, as the dragons continue to catch up. Krisz barely registers being thrown, such damage has been done to it by Frith?s grip, before it hits the ground breaking its back, killing it instantly.

Levity continues to fall, watching her friend fall before her and die, realizing she is to late she recalls before hitting the ground herself.

Allon and Shargrym attempt to give chase, but Frith fires a final bolt of lightening behind her to disrupt them. Shargrym is able to dodge, but loses Frith?s retreating form. Allon however, caught up in exhaustion and grief, takes the bolt head-on. Giving up his pursuit, he falls crashing to the ground. Shargrym turns back to help him. And Frith, with a final cry of rage, disappears into the darkness.

(To Be Continued!!)

[Tokoz]

Cool beans. :)

So when's the next part?

[imported_Frith-Rae]

well right now the next RP bit to progress the story is scheduled to happen this Saturday night in KCERoleplay - its not a huge event so it won't be extra long in the telling - but it is necessary to get to the two part grand finale so to speak ;).

So I should have it converted into story format the next week after Saturday. The basic premise will be that Allon uses a gifted artifact to try and locate Frith (or perhaps Frith's mind..heh) and communicate with her. Hilarity ensues! HA! Just have to see how the RP goes.

Anyone of course is invited into the room to lurk and watch, or if they have ever known Frith they can join their mindpowers together to use this artifact.

If one does wish to join in, please also join KCEFriends as that's the OOC room to the RP room and we can explain the setting etc. Since the KCERolplay room is strictly RP and no OOC. It would help to know you're say at the Keir Chet Lair Clearing and its surroundings in Dralk to Rp there perhaps ;).

Anyway, should be soon!

And thanks!

[imported_Frith-Rae]

ooc: these are the Rp events that took place July 2nd, in KCERolplay. Special thanks of course to all of you that came in to watch and of course jump in and help Frith out. Again a more omnipotent viewpoint to this story in order to do it justice! Enjoy!

~~~
Frith twisted in on herself, her psyche huddled in the far back reaches of her consciousness. Days and nights blurred, she had no idea how long she had been held prisoner, nor had a moment to think of those she left behind - and those she was responsible for destroying.

As she tried to lose herself in unknowing sleep agian, she felt something pull at her consciousness. But this was not the painful, dark pulling she had felt before...but a warm, encouraging pull.

Even so, she still attempted to draw back from it. Afraid it was a dream, or just another trick - to try to get her to open up further to her tormentor.

But the warm gentleness wouldn't drop her attention. It started to feel familiar...and her haziness began to clear. She recognized this touch, from far back in her memory. The part she still triedto protect from invasion - from harm. She opened up her inner senses just a tad..and felt the purity of the contact. Petrified to even hope, she allows the lovely feeling entrance.

Suddenly she hears a voice...softly but slowly gathering strength. It's humming is familiar....

At the same time in the Chet Clearing, Allon has gathered a few others to him. He uses' a magical septer he gifted to Frith - once upon a time - to allow him to reach her. Shargrym and Diagoras sit close by, lending their primal magic and thoughts to try and complete this bond and make contact with their lost companion.

It is Allon's words that Frith hears, breaking through to her finally. As he raises the rod he speaks out, "Oh Frith-rae, my Frith-rae, How fair though art, where might your soul be, that we seek thee now out?"

In response the rod twitches and hums in return, then lights up with a bright sparkle - as Frith's full conciousness on the other end is figuratively bolted awake. She freezes mentally, paranoid and confused as to what is going on. Allon responds to the rod's reaction, closing his eyes and concentrating to reach out to her, drawing in Shargrym's and Diagoras' thoughts to himself, reaching out over the bond, trying to reach and find her, seek her out, as best he can.

....
As Allon speaks, Shargrym concentrates on his memories of
Frith...of when they were still hatchlings and when they helped
Frith as she worked toward completing her Rite. Progressing on to
his memories he had of her as an adult, sending his thoughts to
Allon and the rod.

Allon remembers the time at his ascenstion, his growing, noticing,
his thoughts before then too, and beyond, and to wonderful flights
together as well.

Diagoras remembers his best memory, of Frith-Rae accepting him even
after she knew what he was and sends it to the rod.
.....

Frith-Rae attempts to fight through the cloud that surrounds her - full of pain and exhaustion she still tries to reach out to that touch that brushed her mind. That voice...she knows it! Trying not to push too hard and grab the attention of That Which Controls Her, she tentaively searches for it again.

"Frith-Rae, my love, to thee do I call, let our hearts entwine, your mind to call, and where you might be found?"

There it was again! Right there! She strains against her languid confusion, not understanding what's going on but knowing she can't just let it slip away. As she strains, she is unaware that at the clearing - the others have begun to be able to see through the blackness that surrounds her core, and have glimpsed the now tiny red hatchling form of Frith, curled up in her own mind for protection.

Seeing their efforts getting rewarded, the three in the clearing increase their own primal energies in response, attempting to make contact as Allon calls out, "Frith, Frith, can you hear me true? Feel the love we all send here? Shargrym, Diagoras and I, all miss you." As he sees her image, so small and helpless looking now, he continues, "Frith be strong, and Frith be brave, come to the love, that we both do crave. To your friends and your heart, let me see where you are, that we need not part, and be not so far."


Suddenly Frith feels the connection grow more solid, and she cries out softly, "Allon...? ALLON? " the second cry growing stronger in desperation. It reaches through the distance, traveling the invisible line of primal, and her voice comes through - though wavering and weak.

Allon responds to the voice, hope renewed but also worrying greatly for his mate, though he tries not to lose focus, "My Sebea, and our friend, we seek you together, not a grisley end? Can you hear us? Can you speak? Where are you my love? Being apart does reek!"

Frith's heart leaps inside her chest, but she too attempts to quiet and calm herself. Before the creature controlling her notices the sudden action after weeks of inactivity and block. She continues to try and speak out, her voice wavering over the connection, "Allon? Where are you..I can't see you? Are you here to kill me now?"

She hears him back through the darkness, "No, we won't kill you, it's not the way, we want to save you, cure you, help you this day! We have to save you, my lost heart, need to be together, to not part!" Then suddenly she hears Shargrym behind him, "We are here for you, niean (sister) ..we want to help."

Frith struggles to make the connection stronger, through her fear, and through the connection this appears as her moving as the Rod projects her inner being, "Shargrym.... Allon... no you must kill me...I can never go back now....never...they will come for me...you will come for me....and kill me..." She had to make them understand! There could be no saving! She must be stopped before she came after even those most precious to her.

Allon's voice rang out from the silence, "If, you are to die, I die with you, Sebea... If they come, I will be there, and kill them first, or to die trying... You cannot and will not be slain...Though where are you? If that is what to be done, can we know, where you might be?" As Shargrym's voice then cries out, "Let us help you, Frith...you are missed. We want you back here with us."

Frith's heart coils back on itself. She hates what she is and what must be done. But there is no other choice. She does not believe she can be saved any longer. What she has done is too terrible, too awful, for her soul to be cleansed. She is lost. She has to convince them of it!"no no....Nieo (you) are safe....Iea am wrong now..all wrong...can't be stopped...Iea must die...must die....you can't stop me NOONE CAN STOP ME!" She mentally strengthens the end of her message, trying to get through to them.

Suddenly Diagoars' voice joins theirs', loud with compassion and anger for what is being done to her, "Frith, you have to fight it!"

And Allon's voice follows, "Be strong, my love, overcome that which affects you! You can do it, be strong, for us!"

Frith can only whimper in fear, loss, and confusion, "..Diagoras? Where are you all..I can't see anything...I hurt....it hurts me....I tried...but it hurts me oh it hurts so much.....where am I..."

Allon continues on, very worried now, "Frith... we can stop you, and help you too. Somehow and we shall, we can.." She suddenly feels waves of soft concern, love, and protection come down the link to him. But it only serves to remind her of what she cannot have. And what she must do to save him.

Shargrym's thoughts turn to what she has said, this "it" she spoke of, and the image they have seen surrounding her before, as he strengthens his efforts and tells her, "You must fight it, Frith..tell us where you are so we can help you"

But she knows she has fought it. Tried so hard all this time to stop what it does with her body. All in vain. Nothing but pain is her world now. And she wants it over, "..you can't stop me....Allon...kill...kill me...stop me...it hurts so much..I can't....kill me..."

Suddenly she feels the presence of the *other* turn its attention to her and the dragons in the clearing see the little hatchling writhing in pain and fear, as Frith's voice is cut short. The Creature's attention has been gained and it punishes her for this attempt at escape.

Back at the clearing the dragons can do nothing but watch in horror as Frith begins screeching, the Rod rattling in Allon's grip as the darkness redescends around it. A harsh and angrly rumbling emites and covers over the dragon's cries, as a new form coalesces - a darkness darker than what surrounds it - a blurry form seems to take its place. Waves of great hatred and vengence descend across the connection before it is cut off sharply. And the three dragons are knocked back from the sharp explosion of pain in their heads.

The creature has now seen them and knows their importance to its subject. What Frith had tried so hard to keep locked up and secret - to protect - was now discovered. It knows these beings will now try and stop it. So it will stop them first...


And back at the clearing, fate marches onward towards this meeting.

Diagoras, revcovering from the sharp attack, stares at the ground with rage in his eyes, "We have to help her."

Shargrym looks to Allon, "Did you get any feeling as to where she might be?"

Allon frowns, wincing in pain, "Awp... no I did not... Nothing at all, but something else was there, and Ieo think, it saw us, too..."


(to be continued)

[Tokoz]

Any time frame yet for the next RP?