The Promenade: Shelter, Church, Home

[Adian Novar]

"I've been warned, yes," Adian growled. "Let's get this over with already. If it's any consolation, you disgust me at least as much as I disgust you."

He stepped forward and met the thing's eyes, refusing to show the slightest hint of fear to this abomination.

He would regret every instant of the next several seconds...

* * *

Shirida, being a mischief-maker supreme herself, Was hard to trick. She's seen it all...or more accurately, done it all. Barra's little trick didn't go unnoticed, but with her hands full of drow prisoner she chose not to call him out on it. For now.

Vharess, for her part, was deeply regretting every second of the day from the moment she had awoken.

[i:3cosdqvq]I should have just stayed in bed. Now I'm going to die...[/i:3cosdqvq]

To her surprise she didn't find herself calling out to divine aid, silently or otherwise. That fact more than any other rattled her tenuous piety.

"Oh boys," Sirida called. "You might want to slow down a bit. We're approaching a check point and the guards there get really touchy about people trying to run past them. No sense of humor at all."

* * *

Because their master's orders were explicit, the guards left Cinder alone save for when she had to be fed or otherwise watched closely. That did not stop them from commenting among themselves, however. Contrary to stereotype, males could gossip right along with the women, and comment they did. Out of earshot.

* * *

The beast waited silently, patient for its next meal to come walking by. It could see perfectly in the dark, and could even see many things invisible to the naked eye. It was a perfect predator...or at least it certainly thought so. When it bothered to think.

[CinderSuru]

Cinder finished her meal with her grandfather, he did not speak much but she found him looking through his bushy white brows at her as he ate.
" Where are you taking me " she insisted
" This is our house merchant ship " he said " We are taking a shipment from Deepwater to trade for Silks, gems and rare herbs, to a port not far from Calimshan, in the south called Spider Swamp a delightful place I am sure you will enjoy. " He replied with a devious laugh.
" Then I am taking you to the underdark to meet your family in Guallidurth " he said as he pushed his plate aside and took his goblet of wine in his hand.

[Rainbow Prism]

Step.
"[color=#FF80BF:3bmdsd84]On my mark...[/color:3bmdsd84]"
Step.
"[color=#FF80BF:3bmdsd84]Ready...[/color:3bmdsd84]"
Step.
"[color=#FF80BF:3bmdsd84]Steady...[/color:3bmdsd84]"
Step.
"[color=#FF80BF:3bmdsd84]Wait for it...[/color:3bmdsd84]"
Fingers made fine nimble movements, fixing in weird, almost mocking gesture. Words of elven texts sounded in caverns to work their way to enchant the caster. [ casts Expeditious Retreat]
"[color=#FF80BF:3bmdsd84]Now! Run![/color:3bmdsd84]" Exploding into motion and screaming, girl ran into direction of waiting monstrosity with blinding speed, eyes finally seeing the monster. Sword was prepared for attack at the first moment of collision.

[Adian Novar]

G'eldfryn charged right along with her, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"This has got to be the craziest thing Ive ever done!" he whooped as the beast moved into action. The monster's entire head seemed to be mostly mouth as it lunged at the pair, mouth salivating hungrily for its prey.

G'eldfryn made a quick casting, gesturing at the beast and uttering a single word.

A flare of light seemed to explode right over its spider-like eyes. It recoiled violently at the sudden burst, hissing horribly.

[Rainbow Prism]

Quite experienced in using the spell she was under, priestess moved at the recoiling monster, then darting to the side with fleetness of magic and running to attack it from the side. Darksteel slashed at body and limbs one at a time, feet working on moving always to retreat and continue offense from directions not covered by claws and huge jaws. Jolt of lighting sparked in darkness on every succesful strike.

[Adian Novar]

The beast recovered quickly, snapping and slashing at the single pair of drow that dared to attack it. The sword cracked and nicked holes into the thing's chitinous hide, but it wasn't slowing down. G'eldfryn cast another quick spell and the thing's body was wrapped in purple flames that did not but it but did emphasize weak spots in its armor.

[Rainbow Prism]

"[color=#FF80BF:lu1jl6yn]Whoa, careful! It is in the mood![/color:lu1jl6yn]" Crying excitedly, drow dodged claws when possible, jaws scratching iron buckler once. Trying to move faster than beast, Eo turned and feinted from side to side, attacking the hard carapace. When it flared in faerie fire, attentive eyes could see cracks in it, from old age possibly. Aiming there, steel was driving into it deeply, lighting jolts cracking on surface. Monstrosity roared in pain, it's teeth lunging for daring attacker and latching onto shielded arm.
"[color=#FF80BF:lu1jl6yn]Hey! Let go! I just polished it![/color:lu1jl6yn]"
Claw flew into her face, nicking her cheek. She had no way to dislodge shield, sword busy waving off attacks too close for comfort.
"[color=#FF80BF:lu1jl6yn]Now is time for heroic assistance, G'eld![/color:lu1jl6yn]"

[CinderSuru]

Cinder was allowed to go on deck with her grandfather he was aware of her fear of spiders and knew she would not veture far wile they were unloading in the port, thow she was heavily guarded.

As they approched she could see the swampy jungle knitted in gigantic cob webs with large cacoon like unfortunate prisoners wrapped in silk. Her face became almost white as the shock of what she was seeing became clear in the moon light. She started to tremble covering her mouth with both hands, she quickly turned away and saw the dosil gobblins waiting to unload as the ship was anchored.
Cinder was lead to her horse and helped onto it by one of the large women that was guarding her who chained her to her saddle. She was in shock and barely able to hang on to her horse it was all starting to take a toll on her and she grew weaker every moment that pasted. Her mind reached out for Adain holding on to the saddle as she was lead down to the shores. She watched the ground beneith her and let herself be lead the only streighth she could muster was to stay in the saddle and keep a hold on the edges of Adains mind.

Sarnor oversaw the loading of the large pack horses then took his place leading the caravan through the jungle toward the portal to Guallidurth. The guard leading Cinder took a position beside him so Cinder was close enough that her grandfather could watch her closely.
" Make sure that she has a smooth ride if any thing happes to them twins you will die " snarled at the guard leading his granddaughter. " do you realy think your feeble Adain will find you here? he ia probly racing around the underdark under deepwater like a fool " he laughed loudly.

The drowess looked up at the strong drow who was her grandfather she did not care what he said or what he though, all she cared about was the saftey of her children and trying to perseve what streighth she had for them.

[Adian Novar]

[i:20j093wy]But i don't have any heroic-level spells![/i:20j093wy]

For a brief moment the drow panicked, suddenly enormously aware of his lack of proper training.

[i:20j093wy]You win, Zyzaat...I'll accept your training for a couple of years...![/i:20j093wy]

He put his hands together and invoked another word. As the beast moved to bit the girl's head off, G'eldfryn's hands seemed to explode into a fan of flame, cutting into its chitinous armor and scorching its hide. The thing shrieked, flame clinging to its body as it struck blindly at the young mage. Its mouth opened wide...

"HIT IT NOW!" he shouted. He hoped it worked because he was out of useful spells...or so he thought.

[NathreeDe'Shezbron]

The mindflayer slowly reached towards Adian's head with its long fingers. Zyzaat quickly walked past it and put a reassuring hand on Adian's shoulder. As the mindflayer's fingers lightly brushed Adian's temples, the surroundings abruptly vanished, replaced by an expanse of darkness. Only he and the mindflayer were here, "Hmm... your mind is quite uninteresting, your brain would not taste good..." The mindflayer casually remarked as it looked around, "Now then, this is your mind, show me memories of this woman of yours."

[Adian Novar]

"Sorry to disappoint you," Adian said. "Very well."

He concentrated on his freshest memories, Cinder at the Charge meeting, in the baths that morning watching the silly race, waking up next to her, going to bed beside her with an arm laying protectively across her, her face when she laughed, the expression she had when she was looking inward and thinking of her twins...her temper when her pregnancy got the better of her...

[CinderSuru]

Cinder road through the moon lit jungle she could see the evil red eyes lerking through the webs that wove throw the jungle, there was a stench from the swamps on either side of the road they were on.
The guards that rode along the caravan watching ready to take action, there swords were at the ready. There was occaional hisses as they passed and distant screems from what were most certainly the inslaved gobblins.
Cinder's heart went out to the unforunate goblins but she remained silent.
She could feel some kind of movement in Adains mind but it was faint, reaching out to him she wispered to him " I am in a jungle full of giant spiders, there are smelly swamps we got here on a ship someplace south of Deepwater. Can you hear me Adain? " he seemed to be in some kind of pain.
Now she was worried.

[NathreeDe'Shezbron]

The mindflayer looked at the images that Adian called up from his memory... and in a whirl of color and sounds he drew them into himself. Suddenly he stood next to the paladin within his mind, and roughly grabbed the paladin, the weak looking fingers gripping tighter than a vice, and with the strength of iron. The mindflayer's tentacles rose up, exposing the circular mouth surrounded by sharp teeth. That mouth began to ope wide, wider than seemed possible, almost wide enough to swallow the drow's head. Within the creatures mouth a small glimmer of light broke through, and suddenly the memories that the mindflayer had absorbed came rushing back into Adian. As soon as they touched his head, the drow paladin felt agony, as if his head had been split open, and someone was putting something into his brain. When the pain subsided, he was once again back in the Promenade, and Zyzaat was holding his arm, keeping the paladin standing. The mindflayer sat at the far edge of the room, exhausted.

[Adian Novar]

Adian was not aware that he had been screaming, but his throat was tight and slightly raw. Even the memory of the pain hurt. He wobbled, might even have fallen if Zyzaat hadn't a grip on him. He was dizzy...disoriented. It took him several moments to get his bearings. What had the creature done to him?

[CinderSuru]

Suddenly there appeared on the road three green colored goblins, One had long red matted locks wearing what looked like finger bones tangled thow them, there was a cluster of black feathers in a knot on top of his head that leaned to the right. He wore a black hooded robe belteted with leather elaborately decorated, he carried a stwisted staff with a crystal globe at it's end that glowed. He was flanked by the other two dress plainly and unkept, with weapons and sheilds in there hands.
" Sanor Medri ilkalik " The important looking Goblin yelled out holding up his staff.