Chapter IV - Fake Flight

Organiser's Comment

Hmm, I don't think I particularly enjoyed this one. seeming as this was what happened:

6:45pm GMT: A couple of people have showed up.
6:55pm GMT: Someone joined and left, things looking grim.
7:00pm GMT: Me, Jim, Echnaton and Tengu, are here. What's the point? The 'Quest' II is cancelled.
7:10pm GMT: We are talking about possibly having the 'Quest' in-game with a few 'bending' of rules.
7:20pm GMT: I go to delete the plans of the sessions I had, bloody pissed off that I wasted time over them.
7:30pm GMT: Really pissed at this moment, still no-one shows up. Okay, that's it, I'm not deleting these files, I wrote them all up, I planned the final sequel, dammit, I'm going to do the 'Quest' and you non-shows aren't going to stop me!
7:35pm GMT: We begin the 'Quest' II Session IV

Seriously folks, I spend a lot of time planning these things, writing the plans, doing these logs etc., when I have other stuff/work I could be doing, so if more poor attendances continue, that's it, buh bye 'Quest'-y. If you are lucky I might write a story version if it does get cancelled; I don't want it to be cancelled, I like it, but really, I don't see the point of me putting this work in. How many of you can say that you read the logs as well? I might as well delete them, all of the ones I've talked to have 'briefly glanced' at the summaries, or not even. I mean, take this session for example, I was in England. This is no joke:

I got up at 5:00am GMT, drove an hour to Luton Airport, then get on a plane fly from Luton to Dublin, drive from Dublin to Enniskillen (about 100 miles or so, I'm not sure), and then set everything up for the 'Quest' and have no-one show up... next time I'm staying in England.

Sorry, to go on, but I would like some good turn outs, there are plenty of fun things planned, and I try and involve you guys in the stories (so far only one person planned didn't show up, so thanks for those who I conscripted to work (;)) and showed up).

Plot Summary

The group are at the shore now, fragments of what was their wagon still bob in the waters. They have no transport, food or supplies. The nearest town is days away. Faelnon and Shandor have a hushed argument over something that Faelnon was attempting; despite Shandor's complaints Faelnon proceeds to touch the gem on a strange object. From the sands great dunes bulge up, the sand slides off revealing several dragons. The group are quiet startled by this, Shandor seems uninterested however. Faelnon nears them and reports that they are the new method of travel. The group are entirely surprised by this, Calaryn looks terrified, Echnaton tries talking to his. They all clamber onboard and the dragons take off into the air. They fly merrily above the clouds in the sun.

There was a flock of birds flying far below the dragons. A few of the dragons note the birds and begin drifting down to the birds. They suddenly swoop down and violently pick up speed, taking out several of the birds. Calaryn's dragon decides to go off on its own, nearly giving Calaryn a heart-attack.

Soon after the dragons, sworn to protect the Child, hear it cry. The group are worried that the dragons will choose the trans-dimensional route to get to the Child. Instead, they fly to a mountain protruding above the cloud line and dump the group onto the mountain path. The dragons fade away. The group continue on briefly, when they start hearing their names being called. They look about to see a figure jump in amongst them. [To be continued, in the mean time, read the logs]

Full Log (See Below for 'The Best of the Rest')

<@Narrator> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< A dragon, a priest and a donkey walk into a bar....>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<@Narrator> The wagon train had been obliterated. Fragments are winding up on shore as the group lie on the beach, tired, cold, wet, and not just a little bit annoyed at the situation. The day is cold and the weather is cloudy and gloomy. The dense grey-black clouds hang lower in the sky than normal. There is also a strong gust whipping through the air.

<@Narrator> Occasionally fragments of the 'train would bob in the water in the distance, and then disappear again.

øùú Shandor sits morosely at the shore, watching the bobbing wood.

øùú Echnaton asks "Shall we ignite a fire to dry off?"

øùú Varadrion sits beside him silently

øùú Faelnon nods slowly to Echnaton.

øùú Calaryn looks around 'Everyone okay?'

øùú Faelnon states, 'I daresay, we are dry enough, though, as long as we didn't fall into the water again.'

øùú Ariea stands up and states, 'Yes, I'm okay.'

øùú Tengu stands up and looks around, 'I am fine'.

øùú Faelnon finds a medium-sized branch that looks as if it was bamboo. He begins to use this as a walking-aid.

øùú Varadrion looks down at himself "I've been better, but I'm dry too."

øùú Calaryn says 'I guess all our belongings are gone.'

øùú Echnaton nods, then asks "What now? No food, but we can hunt, no equipment besides what we salvaged..."

øùú Shandor stands up and moves towards the group, 'Wouldn't you trust Thor and Thinn to be gone when this happens. 'Go round up some friends.' Ha! Probably went to get drunk.'

øùú Tengu asks, 'How long did we... travel?'

øùú Shandor nods to Calaryn.

øùú Shandor says, 'Um, about ten hours, give or take.'

øùú Calaryn tries to cheer up the group 'At least we’ve got our health.'

øùú Varadrion asks "So now what do we do?"

øùú Ariea nods, 'That's true.'

øùú Shandor says, 'We sit here quietly and make no noise and we'll see if we can just 'disappear' from the world.'

øùú Tengu looks at the sky, 'I cannot even see the sun.'

øùú Echnaton smiles, then says "we can simply keep north and hope to find a town"

øùú Shandor shrugs.

øùú Varadrion stands and looks around "That’s the best idea, I think."

øùú Faelnon turns away from the group and marches down to the waterline. He removes something from his pocket.

øùú Echnaton continues "Or we turn back to the nearest known location."

øùú Shandor spots this object and sprints over to him, 'What are you doing?!' He whispers.

øùú Faelnon replaces the object quickly before any of the group notice. 'Seems a most logical choice.'

øùú Shandor stalks behind Faelnon and growls darkly, but quietly, 'Faelnon, I will not have us ride on the wings of the devil into the mouth of hell. You cannot entrust our lives to these magics.'

øùú Faelnon retorts, 'As I believe, you created them.'

øùú Varadrion watches the two elves intently.

øùú Ariea tries to draw attention away from the two.

øùú Shandor grits his teeth, 'It was not my choice to have these things created. You thought it to be the best idea, I think you are a fool.'

øùú Faelnon says, 'They have proved themselves already.'

øùú Shandor states, 'They have proved nothing, the only thing they haven't done is destroyed the world yet.'

øùú Faelnon sighs, 'It is our best, and only, option.'

øùú Echnaton 's ears appear even longer as they are as they listen to Shandor and Faelnon

øùú Calaryn walks around looking on the ground for useful things.

øùú Shandor says, 'There are always options for those who look; we are meant for horseback, wagons, boats. Not this, we were not designed for this. Death would come too easily this way, you have no right to meddle with the lives of our group-'

øùú Faelnon interrupts, 'We are already dragging them to face this… thing. We had them fight the Dragon of Tildruin, I'd say a little more meddling won't hurt.' He smiles slightly.

øùú Shandor looks at Faelnon in disgust, 'You think this is a game don't you? That these lives are yours by right, to do with as you please.'

øùú Faelnon says, 'If this were a game, I would have the winning strategy.'

øùú Tengu looks at elves without interest and starts scanning surroundings.

øùú Faelnon attempts to alter the argument., 'We have no way to pursue the thieves now, this will not only provide a way, but it has to be at least twice as fast as the 'train would have been.'

øùú Varadrion looks at Echnaton and then tilts his head toward the two.

øùú Shandor states, 'Faelnon, I do not like this, nor do I want this. I think this has to be one of the most foolish ideas that your bashed up brain has come up with… But, it seems I cannot stop you. And the end of the world that we know is nigh, summon them, but if they devour our flesh, it was you who summoned them. And Faelnon, know this, by summoning these creatures away from their task, you could be speeding along the End, you could be changing the course of this 'game' to the enemies' side.'

øùú Shandor , having said that, turns and marches away.

øùú Faelnon removes, for a second time, from his clothing a small statue of a gold dragon. It has a ruby embedded on its back, and it is plain sight of the group. 'Ready?'

øùú Echnaton says "As you seem to be discussing about things concerning us, why don’t you just ask?"

øùú Ariea looks at Faelnon, 'For what?'

øùú Varadrion looks questioningly at Faelnon.

øùú Faelnon says, 'I don't ask, because I chose not to, it is simpler. Ariea, you know for what.'

øùú Ariea realises what they are talking about, 'Oh...'

øùú Echnaton asks suspiciously "A magical statuette?"

øùú Faelnon turns to the group, 'Don't be worried of certain… odd events that are about to occur.'

øùú Shandor sighs and sits back down

øùú Faelnon gently presses down on the ruby.

<@Narrator> Nothing.

øùú Faelnon rolls his eyes, 'You know, I'm getting sick of how long it takes for magic to occur when someone presses a gem, or inserts a Gift. I mean, you would have thought whoever made these things would have made them happen quickly, it could be a life or death situation and you have to wait for the gem to realise it was press-gewah?!' He finished abruptly as he tumbles onto the damp sand.

<@Narrator> A little further up the sand was bulging upwards in at least a dozen locations. It rises to a height of about ten metres before the sand slides off the shapes. In their place stand tall, four-legged, winged, tailed, scaly creatures, each with amber eyes, the same dark-green scales. These creatures were dragons, quite like the one that emerged from Tildruin, only smaller.

øùú Shandor seems rather unimpressed by this.

øùú Varadrion draws his sword and looks around.

øùú Echnaton looks over to the dragons fascinated.

øùú Faelnon turns to the group, 'These, my friends, are our new mode of transport, don't worry, they aren't in the mood to destroy cities today. They are all controlled and safe.'

øùú Calaryn spots them and move back.

øùú Echnaton says "They are beautiful."

øùú Shandor laughs a cold, short laugh.

øùú Ariea smiles, 'Indeed they are.'

øùú Faelnon slowly approaches one.

øùú Tengu looks at the creatures, 'Few things can be called odd in this days.'

øùú Shandor nears another one and rubs his hand against the scales.

øùú Varadrion walks towards one, but his sword remains ready.

øùú Echnaton walks towards them, slowly and concentrated on 'looking neutral'.

øùú Tengu moves to one of the creatures, avoiding sudden moves.

øùú Calaryn moves slowly behind the group.

øùú Shandor very slowly climbs up on to one's neck and shuffles a bit back.

øùú Shandor says, 'Come on up, you're very own death-mobile.’

øùú Faelnon sighs at Shandor and clambers onto his dragon.

øùú Varadrion sheathes his sword and climbs up cautiously.

øùú Echnaton allows 'his' dragon to have a look at him.

øùú Ariea shuffles onto the same one as Shandor.

øùú Echnaton tries to talk to 'his' dragon.

øùú Tengu says, 'I can hardly ride a horse, you think these ones have better temper?'

øùú Calaryn moves closer to a dragon and pokes it gently.

øùú Shandor smiles, 'They could always grip you with their painfully sharp claws that can slice through metal like it was thin air...'

øùú Echnaton smiles to Tengu "I guess it only takes longer if you fall down."

øùú Calaryn pets the dragon a little

<@Narrator> A couple of the dragons grunt, not really thrilled at having to do flying duty... and being poked and prodded.

øùú Tengu waits a moment, but climbs on the creature's neck

øùú Echnaton mounts the dragon

øùú Varadrion looks around from on top of the dragon

øùú Shandor says, 'I suppose you want an explanation as to why they haven't killed us yet? Well, it can wait until we are in the air.'

øùú Calaryn hesitates before she mounts the dragon carefully.

øùú Faelnon looks about the dragons, 'They are wonderful... Are we all ready to... 'take off' as it were? It will be an interesting experience.'

øùú Varadrion looks at Shandor "An explanation wouldn't hurt, but I'll settle for being alive right now."

øùú Echnaton slowly climbs till he manages to put his legs around the body of the dragon, just in front of the wings.

øùú Shandor says, 'Wait until we are in the air, or clouds.'

øùú Calaryn looks scared as she sits on the dragon.

øùú Varadrion hangs on.

øùú Faelnon says, 'Ready yet?'

øùú Echnaton pets the beautiful green scale-skin.

øùú Tengu asks, 'Anyone knows how to control them?'

øùú Shandor says, 'I believe I can control them okay.'

øùú Echnaton says "No idea, but I’ll learn."

øùú Faelnon is getting impatient with being ignored so states, 'If you aren't ready you are either falling off or staying here as we are going now.'

øùú Faelnon whistles and the dragons take flight.

<@Narrator> The dragons shoot up through the air, while they appear undisturbed by the wind, the speed of it would play havoc with anyone's hair and be considered most annoying in most cases.

øùú Calaryn holds on for her life

<@Narrator> The dragons shoot up through the clouds and the unreal feeling of passing through them hits the group. Soon they have emerged above the cloud line and soar further out before they stop climbing and head off in one direction, going slower than normal to make the riders more comfortable.

øùú Tengu leans on dragon's neck, 'How did I make that?'

øùú Shandor is still rather uninterested.

øùú Ariea grins and claps her hands and giggles, 'This is great!'

øùú Varadrion looks down and looks a little uneasy

øùú Faelnon looks down and feels his stomach churn, 'I wish there were harnesses on this flight.'

øùú Calaryn looks around terrified.

øùú Echnaton manages to keep the balance and then really enjoys the ride.

øùú Shandor makes sure Ariea is okay before shuffling forward, onto the dragon's long, thick neck to get a better view, 'I will confess, you have a better view than on a horse.'

øùú Echnaton smirks "I guess I have to teach my horse some new tricks later"

øùú Ariea confesses, grinning merrily 'Much more fun than the boat trip I had planned.'

øùú Varadrion turns to Faelnon "Now that we are above the cloud line, you were saying?"

øùú Faelnon says, 'I was saying? Don't you mean Shandor? He can explain these beasts better than I.'

øùú Calaryn hangs on to the dragon with a pale face.

øùú Varadrion turns to Shandor "Alright, you then"

øùú Ariea grins at Calaryn, 'Cheer up! Eat an apple, that will help.'

øùú Calaryn gives Ariea a deadly glance

øùú Tengu shouts, 'I can see no ground! Where are we?'

øùú Shandor nods to Varadrion, and hopes everyone can hear like this, 'Okay, in the chamber beneath Tildruin you all know about the dragon and the Child. Well, inscribed on the wall was instructions for 'guardians', not, however, guardians to the Gifts.'

øùú Faelnon shouts, 'We are up!'

øùú Varadrion asks Shandor "You looked worried before, why was that?"

øùú Shandor continues, 'The instructions had several ingredients and odd words. For a few months I searched the world for these odd things. Then I returned and entered the chamber beneath, we tried casting the spell and the dragons tore through the world and appeared. They then disappeared and tore through into the space were the Child was.'

<@Narrator> The dragons assume a 'V' like formation with Faelnon leading. The dragons were and slightly different heights, but there was little difference.

øùú Shandor finishes, 'The reason I was worried was they are sworn to protect the Child, and I don't know exactly how they act.'

øùú Tengu mutters to himself, 'Hope they know where is down. Don't want to find it myself.'

øùú Varadrion says "Well, if we find the people who took the child, maybe these will take care of them for us"

øùú Calaryn bends down and throws up

øùú Shandor says, 'Maybe.'

<@Narrator> In the distance a dominating mountain towers up through the clouds.

øùú Shandor says, 'According to the writings on the wall these dragons can hear the Child cry even a thousand miles away. When that happens they will go through dimensions and to hell and back to get there and protect the Child.'

øùú Varadrion asks "So why haven't we changed dimensions?"

øùú Shandor says, 'So far there hasn't been much call for them to protect him, and now we don't know where it is. But where ever it is, it is not crying. Nor making any sound.'

øùú Echnaton listens to Shandor’s explanations.

øùú Shandor says, 'We are flying at a much slower speed than they do, and differently. While they normally just tear a hole in the world and go through it, they have to fly using their wings only, for the forces of this type of dimension travel would have... interesting effects on our bodies.'

øùú Calaryn tries to speak but throws up again

øùú Tengu looks at mountain and tries to remember something familiar.

øùú Shandor smiles, 'Suffice to say, arms might be in odd places and parts of us could be dancing around without the rest of us.'

øùú Varadrion looks at Shandor and replies "Not good"

øùú Ariea rubs her shoulder joint nervously.

øùú Shandor says, 'I am greatly hoping that the Child doesn't choose this moment to pipe up.'

øùú Shandor turns to Ariea, 'Do you have your food satchel?'

øùú Ariea nods and hands it to Shandor, 'One of the few things I managed to get.'

øùú Shandor removes an apple and hurls it as powerfully as he can in front of the dragon, who swallows it, almost without noticing, 'I think he needs something a little bigger.'

øùú Echnaton enjoys the ride, as he can do nothing else anyway.

øùú Shandor grins, 'Would anyone have a sign and some ink? I feel like making the 'Dragon Here, duh Varadrion' sign.'

øùú Calaryn just hang on to the dragon

øùú Echnaton laughs "I don’t dare to reach for my backpack now"

øùú Faelnon looks over to Calaryn, 'If you are having such an easy ride there, you should try on the tail, whips you about faster than you thought was possible. Well, actually, just around the wing section is the most comfortable to those who don't travel well.'

øùú Ariea shrugs, 'I've only been on Tommy here a couple of times, but it is rather like being on the roof of the wagon. As long as you don't look down, of course.'

øùú Shandor looks at Ariea turns around before whispering to the dragon, 'Tommy?' It grunts slightly. 'That's what I thought.'

øùú Calaryn sits in the same position ‘cause she doesn’t dare to turn around to look at Faelnon.

øùú Varadrion stand up slowly and smiles

øùú Echnaton tries out whether or not and how he can influence the dragon

øùú Tengu looks accustomed to his new mount and when the one that swallowed the apple gives him that strange look again, he smiles in return.

øùú Shandor whispers to Ariea, 'A well timed apple now would knock Varadrion off. You never know... it just slipped from your hands, perhaps?'

øùú Varadrion turns to Shandor "A well time dagger could produce the same effect on you" and smiles

øùú Shandor says, 'Actually, I think it is best to feed these guys (and the one girl over there) some food, other wise we start looking like meals.'

øùú Shandor turns to Varadrion, 'Ah, not so, I'll just get,' He pauses for a moment before bravely saying it, '"Tommy" to protect me.'

øùú Tengu says, 'Do we own any meal for them except ourselves?'

øùú Varadrion looks inside his cloak "apparently not"

øùú Echnaton watches the dragon and its reactions carefully, then tries again to establish some interaction

øùú Shandor says, 'I'm afraid most of our food was washed away. I know the fair way to do this. It will work purely by chance, whoever's name is pulled from a pack will be fed to them. Okay, let's try it, first, everyone take a bit of parchment and write 'Varadrion' on it, then give it to me and we'll randomly pick one.'

øùú Calaryn asks 'H-h-h-h-how l-long time do ww have t-t-to f-f-f-f-fly?'

øùú Varadrion rolls his eyes and sits down

øùú Faelnon grins, 'I feel like flying all day, my dear.'

øùú Echnaton says "Maybe if we fly lower, they can find some suitable food themselves."

øùú Shandor whispers to "Tommy" (while shuddering at the name) to move towards Faelnon.

øùú Shandor states, 'We did not tell them to fly this high, so, one assumes they do not need food.'

øùú Shandor states, 'I could probably jump from my dragon to Faelnon's now...'

øùú Ariea says, 'Don't even try it...'

øùú Varadrion looks up and says "Go for it" and smiles

øùú Shandor sighs, 'Aw.'

øùú Shandor looks towards Varadrion, 'Come here for a second, I want to test can these dragons breath fire.'

øùú Tengu says, 'Shandor, you look like you are going to kill Varadrion... one of our friends'

øùú Shandor says, 'Friends? I would never do tha- oh, you mean Varadrion?'

øùú Echnaton gets some results with the 'pet it pet it not' method, the dargon too with the 'flounder not flounder' method

øùú Ariea says, 'That's it!' With that she delicately climbs the dragon's wing (while it flaps) and gets ready to jump to Faelnon's dragon, 'Shandor, I'll leave you and Varadrion to battle it out.' She states before resuming her mantra of 'Why am I doing this?'

øùú Tengu says, 'Yes. I was just thinking what commands they do understand.'

øùú Varadrion chuckles

øùú Ariea leaps from the dragon's wing and lands in front of Faelnon, giggling and grinning even more, 'Whee! That was fun! Everyone, start jumping!'

øùú Varadrion stays sitting

øùú Echnaton laughs

øùú Faelnon quickly jumps in, 'No, no, do no such thing...'

øùú Varadrion nods in agreement

<@ Narrator> A small flock of birds are flying swiftly along far down below, singing their tunes, not knowing about a group of figures flying about above them.

øùú Shandor hears a piece of the tune on the wind and looks around for the birds.

øùú Calaryn looks even more scared when she sees the birds looking like flying ants.

øùú Varadrion pulls out some rope and ties it to a dagger

øùú Shandor looks at the dragon he is on, it has noticed the birds too.

øùú Shandor quickly turns to Faelnon, 'Room on that dragon for one more?'

øùú Varadrion lifts the dagger and looks down at the birds

øùú Faelnon smirks, ''Fraid not.'

øùú Shandor gulps slightly as his dragon drifts slowly below the group.

øùú Varadrion throws the dagger down and waits until it stops falling, and then starts pulling up on the rope

øùú Shandor grips on for deaf life, 'Oh, oh, oh, oh.'

øùú Shandor yelps as the dragon he is on lurches downwards, its arms and legs fold up and its wings fold in.

øùú Echnaton 's dragon also noticed the food below and starts descending

øùú Varadrion pulls the rope all the way up and throws the bird in front of the dragon, who promptly eats it

øùú Shandor yelps again as the dragon thunders through the skies.

øùú Shandor yells, 'Trovo'kren! Stop!'

øùú Tengu struggles not to fall down when his mount decides to join the meal.

<@ Narrator> The first dragon sweeps into the flock of birds, mouth wide open. Several of the birds disappear.

øùú Shandor squirms, 'Poor birds.'

øùú Echnaton closes his knees to keep his sit as the dragon picks up the treats

øùú Shandor takes a deep breath as the dragon sweeps through a layer of cloud.

<@ Narrator > Calaryn's dragon suddenly dives from the pack.

øùú Varadrion tosses his rope around its neck and hangs on

øùú Shandor mutters, 'Start flapping... start flapping!'

øùú Tengu utters, 'When the birds are up in the sky, they are inspiration to the poets. When they fly below you - they are food to you mount.'

øùú Calaryn screams for her life

øùú Echnaton manages to get an arrow out of the quiver and stabs for the birds, it takes some tries till he catches one

øùú Shandor sighs as the dragon complies, its legs fold out and it swoops back up into the clear air.

øùú Shandor looks towards Calaryn, he would try and shout if she is alright, but it seems moot point.

øùú Calaryn is shaking like crazy when her dragon returns to the group

øùú Varadrion rubs the back of his dragon's neck and lays back

øùú Tengu shakes off feathers from his clothes.

øùú Shandor sighs and leans back as the dragon resumes its position nearly gliding with the group.

øùú Shandor says, 'Next time you want to eat we'll just stop at a restaurant, okay?'

øùú Echnaton starts to pluck the bird he caught

øùú Ariea turns to Shandor, 'What did you call the dragon?'

øùú Echnaton holds up the bird and yells "somebody else hungry?"

øùú Echnaton 's dragon seems interested, so he quickly put the bird away again.

øùú Varadrion looks to Echnaton and holds up his hand

øùú Shandor thinks for a moment, 'Trovo'kren? Was that it? In either case I was trying to yell kren-kray lor, which is rather unpleasant and would probably just have made the dragon chuck me off. Good thing the words got mumbled up.'

øùú Tengu yells, 'No, I've eaten yesterday!'

øùú Ariea says, 'Indeed, still, it is a nice name.'

øùú Shandor smiles, 'It is better than Tommy.'

øùú Echnaton cuts the bird in two pieces and tries to get his dragon closer to Varadrion

øùú Varadrion tosses part of the rope to Echnaton and yells "Tie it up"

øùú Echnaton does so

øùú Varadrion pulls the rope back to him

øùú Echnaton says "sadly most of my victuals and especially spices got messed up during my bath"

øùú Tengu says, 'What if call mine The Deadly Serpent That Flies Magnificently In The Sunset. How's the name?'

øùú Shandor pats 'Trovo'kren' gently, 'Don't try that again, will you?'

øùú Shandor says, 'Tengu, I am hearby banning you from naming anything, ever again.'

øùú Echnaton says "why not, we'll surely find a nickname too"

<@Narrator> The lead dragon raises its head slightly further up, nearly knocking Faelnon off. It tilts its head slightly, as if listening. It then shrieks a surprising, and not just a little frightening, shriek.

øùú Faelnon looks up and recognises that sound, 'Oh… eep.'

øùú Shandor peers at Faelnon, 'Eep what?'

øùú Faelnon says, 'You enchanted these critters, you should know...'

<@Narrator> The others begin shrieking in a similar fashion.

øùú Shandor looks at his shrieking dragon, 'Oh… eep, indeed.'

øùú Echnaton asks "the infant dragon calls?"

øùú Varadrion looks to Shandor "Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means"

øùú Ariea looks at the two, 'You know you two are literary masterminds, right? I don't see what is so bad.'

øùú Shandor says, 'Okay then Varadrion, I won't tell you.'

øùú Faelnon turns to the group as best as he can, 'You know I said the dragons can hear the child cry even a thousand miles away, and will head straight to protect it, no matter how. Well, I think he just called.'

øùú Echnaton says "Then I hope we are close enough that they don’t need to take a shortcut."

øùú Varadrion curses in elven

øùú Shandor mutters, 'Kren-kray lor.'

<@Narrator> The dragons pick up speed and zoom towards the mountain poking up from the clouds. The lead dragon cannot see a path, so it heads through the whipping clouds and spots a mountain-path, even though one can barely see two metres ahead. It lands and motions for Faelnon to get off.

øùú Faelnon hops off, taking whatever supplies he salvaged with him, including the walking-stick.

øùú Shandor does the same as Faelnon.

øùú Varadrion hops off his dragon

øùú Shandor calls, 'Come on.'

øùú Ariea jumps off.

øùú Calaryn jumps of the dragon with shakey legs

øùú Echnaton slowly dismounts, then turns back and pats the dragon again.

øùú Varadrion looks at his dragon, bows and walks up to the group

øùú Tengu 'dismounts' on the ground, hitting his back, from not so gentle landing.

øùú Shandor waves, 'Farewell.'

<@Narrator> After the group disembark the dragons begin to disappear, quite literally, they fade into the clouds and back into the ground.

øùú Echnaton looks at tengu and Calaryn "are you fine?"

øùú Shandor comments, 'I seem to recall them tearing a hole into the world looked.... better than just fading to mud.'

øùú Varadrion looks and says "Time to follow the path?"

<@Narrator> The scene seems totally unreal, fast moving cloud can be seen against the mountainside all around them, whipping at their faces and clothes, with both a spin-tingling cold and dampness.

øùú Tengu stands looks at leaving dragons then turns to the group.

øùú Faelnon looks about, 'Well, this is just great, couldn't they have brought us with them?'

øùú Shandor says, 'Unless someone doesn't want us to find the little brat. Someone in the Order could have altered the enchantment, they might not have had to use the portal system to get there.'

øùú Faelnon sighs, 'Oh not with this again.'

øùú Shandor insists, 'I'm saying you should consider the possibility that this plan is being destroyed from the inside.'

øùú Varadrion says "Remember the whole 'body parts in places they shouldn't be' thing, better that they didn't"

øùú Calaryn still shaky from the flight looks around

øùú Shandor says, 'Yes, but they might have gotten there by just flying, someone in the Order could have changed it so as to get rid of us. Or, the Child might not have called at all, and just dumped us somewhere.'

øùú Shandor continues, 'I find it rather odd that the dragons, sworn to protect the Child, do nothing while it is kidnapped.'

øùú Varadrion says "At any rate, we should continue"

øùú Faelnon nods

øùú Faelnon , leaning on his walking-stick, begins his trek along the path, 'By my logic, we can walk this way until one of a few things happen, we get off this mountain, we fall blindly off a cliff to our screaming deaths, or the dragons return.'

øùú Shandor says, 'If the dragon's return at all, they are probably off to go find whoever changed the incantation and get a cookie.'

øùú Varadrion shrugs "Better then standing around"

øùú Ariea shoves Shandor, 'Let it go for now.'

øùú Shandor sets off after Faelnon.

øùú Ariea follows suit.

øùú Varadrion runs up beside Shandor

øùú Tengu says, 'Mountains again. Like going home.'

øùú Tengu follows the rest.

øùú Calaryn follows the group

øùú Varadrion looks around somewhat bewildered "I've never seen mountains before"

øùú Echnaton says "We’ve got some ropes, that might help."

øùú Calaryn asks ‘Anyone got something to eat?'

øùú Echnaton holds up some remains of a fresh bird.

øùú Ariea turns to Calaryn, 'I've got a few fruits, a small piece of meat. Nothing much though. Echnaton has something though.'

øùú Calaryn smiles at Ariea 'Some fruit will be great, I’m not eating dragon food!'

øùú Varadrion pulls the other half of the bird out of his cloak and begins eating

øùú Ariea smiles and removes an apple and an orange-look-alike, 'I hope this will do.' Before passing it to Calaryn.

<@Narrator> 'Faelnon.........'

øùú Faelnon looks up.

øùú Faelnon says, 'Did someone just say my name?'

øùú Shandor shrugs, 'I didn't hear anything.'

øùú Varadrion looks confused

øùú Shandor smiles, 'You are just loosing your mind in your old age, I wouldn't worry about it.'

<@Narrator> 'Faelnon…Shandor…Ariea…Echnaton…Varadrion…Calaryn…Tengu…'

øùú Shandor looks up, 'Okay, that I heard.'

øùú Faelnon says, 'I wouldn't worry, you are just loosing your mind, right?'

øùú Varadrion says "What... was that?"

øùú Shandor taps the hilt of his sword nervously.

øùú Echnaton looks up "This was not an illusion.... "

øùú Tengu states, 'It is the air, it is hard to breathe, sometimes you start hearing things. Like myself right now...'

øùú Shandor smiles, 'Maybe the mountain wants to be our friends?'

øùú Varadrion shrugs

<@Narrator> 'Wrong Tengu... tee-hee-hee.'

<@Narrator> From somewhere above them a figure leaps. He lands in amongst the group. He is slightly bent over and wields a rotten-looking walking stick. His hair is unruly and uncut. His clothing is torn and he wears no shoes, or socks. His hair is quite grey, but there are streaks of its original brown.

øùú Varadrion puts his arm under his cloak

øùú Faelnon nods, 'Hello there. Odd day to be out and about, isn't it? Especially up on a mountain in bad weather.'

<@Narrator> 'Yes, especially when you shouldn't be here.' He chuckles a bit before continuing, 'Came north. All the way north. You shouldn't be north, you are searching for something that hasn't passed. Te-hee.'

øùú Echnaton turns around to the appearance

øùú Faelnon says, 'I don't fully understand.'

øùú Calaryn looks at the person

<@Narrator> 'A path not trodden. A pond undisturbed. The little child never passed this way, te-hee-hee. All a ploy, te-hee-hee.'

øùú Varadrion opens his eyes wide

øùú Shandor cocks an eyebrow, 'Faelnon, is that your drunk uncle by chance?'

øùú Faelnon waves Shandor quiet.

øùú Echnaton wonders "how can you know?"

øùú Tengu says, 'Thank you. You talk rather straight for a hermit.'

<@Narrator> 'Te-hee, why would I tell you that? The world isn't meant to be unwrapped, its a present, one you can't open.'

<@Narrator> He smiles a broad grin before turning to Shandor, the smile disappearing, 'You, you are wrong…Wrong, bad and impure. Death is a hollow word to you, death is your power. The afterlife is your domain and the souls of others - your tools.'

øùú Shandor looks at the man before taking a step away, 'Really? That's er… fascinating.'

øùú Varadrion looks back and forth from Shandor to the man

<@Narrator> The man continues, 'Death. Destroy, him, them, it, you. You, you must destroy it, him, them.' He leans towards Shandor, 'You'll have to look inside yourself to do it, inner strength.' He then addresses the entire group and repeats the last sentence.

øùú Shandor says, 'I'm afraid you are making no sense, would you like to sit down?'

øùú Varadrion stays silent

øùú Calaryn just stands there

øùú Echnaton me thinks over these words

<@Narrator> 'No! Te-hee-hee, I see it... it's in all of you. Little black spiders... and snakes coiled around you, running patterns, swallowing your soul whole... te-hee-hee.'

øùú Tengu says, 'But that dogma was disproved long ago, for death is an easy way, but a straight path never leads you to the goal.'

øùú Varadrion draws his dagger and looks at the man

øùú Echnaton suddenly smirks, as Tengu starts to do philosophy in front of the hermit "That might get interesting..."

<@Narrator> Grabs the bamboo-walking-aid from Faelnon and strikes Tengu over the head with it, 'You know nothing... lies, trickery, all fooled you. Te-hee, lies, lovely little lies.'

øùú Varadrion takes a step towards him and turns to the others "Do we really need this right now?"

øùú Shandor shrugs, 'I don't feel like walking anyway.'

øùú Echnaton says "Somehow I expected a bit more, hmmm, philosophy..."

øùú Shandor looks at him and tries to change the topic, 'So, what's your name?'

<@Narrator> 'A name has no meaning. Fades, the world swirls and names are swallowed. Names lie, they are deceitful. Sights, sounds, smells, touch - all lies. Tricks, tricks to fool you all.'

øùú Varadrion holds up the glistening dagger and says "He isn't serving any purpose, other then to slow us down and confuse us"

øùú Shandor says, 'I'll take it you don't have a name then.'

øùú Shandor says, 'Confuse you, yes, but it is making perfect sense to me.'

øùú Ariea says, 'So crazy people do speak the same language, I was wondering.'

øùú Tengu says, 'No one can swallow a soul until he understands what to swallow. But when he does, he'll find no reason in doing that.'

øùú Echnaton insists "No name then, fine. but WHO are you?"

øùú Varadrion says to him "Then maybe you would like to translate, before his wearisome mumblings get him killed"

<@Narrator> 'They tricked you didn't they? Sent you north. Then moved the earth and covered it in water.' He feels the clouds against his face, 'Water will not fall from the skies, soon, but after tea though. You'll have some tea before that happens.'

øùú Shandor says, 'Varadrion, put that blade away. For all you know he could help us win.'

øùú Shandor says, 'Although, he is rambling an excessive amount.'

øùú Varadrion lowers the dagger but does not sheath it "For all we know he is just trying to stall us"

<@Narrator> 'Who am I? I'm not sure, does it matter? Maybe it did, but things are too important for who's and what's.'

øùú Tengu notes, 'Nice stick, by the way.'

øùú Faelnon complains, 'It was mine...'

øùú Echnaton says "Well, he got some interesting knowledge, that much is true"

øùú Varadrion asks the man "Fine, then where, in all your wisdom you must know where we should go"

øùú Shandor says, 'If he was stalling us, would he have said this path was a ploy? I mean, those dragons headed south before disappearing....'

øùú Varadrion says to Shandor "If he is working against us, why 'wouldn't' he say this was the wrong path

<@Narrator> The man grins devilishly at Varadrion and states, 'You can go down there.' He points over the edge of the path. '"We" if such a thing exists, should go... that way.' He points in the direction that is heading upwards.

øùú Shandor shrugs.

øùú Tengu says, 'You say you know everything, but you don't know yourself. How can you comprehend anything without knowing who are you?'

øùú Varadrion replies "Then lead the way and stop wasting our time old man"

øùú Echnaton starts walking the shown way

<@Narrator> 'I know everything? Do I? I wasn't told. If I didn't know that I know everything then I can't know everything can I? And if I don't know a name, then I definitely don't know everything, right? A name doesn't allow you to learn, you know.'

øùú Shandor notes that this figure is loosing his completely insane charm.

øùú Varadrion raises the dagger again "Someone get a straight answer out of him or I'll remove his voice box"

øùú Tengu says, 'But you've said I know nothing, so you should know everything I could know. How can you be sure of my knowledge then?'

øùú Shandor draws his sword and presses it at Varadrion's throat, 'Perhaps the man was correct in the path you should take. A head that thick would probably survive quite nicely down that slope.'

øùú Echnaton says" I wonder how he gets his knowledge at all..." and looks at the man

øùú Varadrion pushes Shandor's sword away and turns to him "This is getting us nowhere, decide where to go!"

<@Narrator> 'You think you have knowledge because of others, what they said, what they did, it does not mean that you have knowledge. I hear they taught a small mammal to recite a paragraph from a book. Are you the same?' He shuffles away in the direction he pointed to without another word.

øùú Varadrion says "Finally, a little direction,” and walks off after the man.

<@Narrator> 'Echnaton, you weren't Evil you know. You possess no more evil than anyone else in the world. Even when your friends point weapons at you, shout for evil to be removed. You were alright, makes you wonder about your friends a bit though...'

øùú Shandor looks at Echnaton, 'What is he talking about?'

øùú Echnaton listens

øùú Faelnon thinks, 'Evil... in the little town, with those odd creatures attacking the bar. That morning we thought you were evil.'

øùú Faelnon says, 'And now the question becomes, how did you know about it?'

<@Narrator> 'If you listen to the wind it tells you a lot of things, like a certain flock of birds, migrating, did not have a good trip.'

øùú Tengu follows him and says, 'Surely not! I admit I cannot look directly into the essence of the things, but I don't take the tree for the root. As for names, when you learn, you must name yourself to find your place among things. Only ones that reached the height of knowledge can bear no name, for they are nothing and everything at the same time.'

øùú Varadrion mutters "Obviously questioning him is of no use"

øùú Echnaton smiles while looking at the bird still in his hand "some things are not that hard to guess."

<@Narrator> 'Placing yourself amongst things means you cannot see them as well as you might be able to.'

øùú Varadrion sighs "Can SOMEONE please decide what to do with him"

øùú Tengu says, 'But not placing yourself wont give you complete view.'

<@Narrator> 'True, Echnaton, true, but, did you know that the bird you are currently holding was the only child that survived of the bird that was swallowed by Tommy, or Trovo'kren? A family was wiped out, thanks to you and Trovo'kren.'

øùú Echnaton says, seriously this time "To look at something from different positions is never wrong... "

øùú Shandor says, 'Varadrion, if it is annoying you that much, just ignore him.'

øùú Echnaton continues "there's only a little danger if you start to look at things from above."

øùú Varadrion replies angrily "I can't, because he’s the only thing between us and getting back to what we were sent to do"

øùú Shandor says, 'Then jump down the slope and race us to the bottom, I don't care, just stop whining and listen, you might learn something.'

øùú Varadrion answers again "If you told us what you are supposedly learning from him, maybe this wouldn't seem so pointless"

øùú Echnaton says "This world is permanent destruction and rebuilt. We only can adjust the rate a bit, but not change that concept."

øùú Shandor says, 'If I knew that, I wouldn't have to learn it from him, would I?'

øùú Varadrion throws his dagger down into the path and walks off, looking down the slope

øùú Faelnon continues on, with the cloud whipping past him, he begins leading again.

øùú Echnaton says "well, actually somebody is going to speed up that rate quite extreme. you might helps us probably to at least keep some continuity."

øùú Faelnon calls out, 'Hello? Who's there?'

øùú Shandor looks on at nothingness, 'Who, exactly, were you talking to?'

øùú Faelnon points vaguely forward, 'There! I saw something. And- duck!' He dives at Shandor as he sees an arrow whiz past his head.

øùú Shandor says, 'What the Tarkna is wrong with you?!'

øùú Varadrion turns to the group and see Faelnon on the ground

<@Narrator> From out of the clouds a large, scaly tail sweeps down and cuts into the mountain pass. Soon after a screech is heard. A fierce gale-force wind picks up.

<@Narrator> The old man is flung to the ground, he looks up and mutters, 'This mountain makes madness seem sane.'

<@Narrator> A jaw sweeps down through the clouds and heads straight for the group.

øùú Varadrion dives back to where he dropped his dagger and picks it up

øùú Shandor dives and tackles Ariea to the ground, trying to keep her out of harm.

<@Narrator> The creature disappears into the clouds again, it is obviously (yet another) dragon, only this time, one they hadn't seen before.

øùú Tengu looks at arrow and says, 'A good proof that events may not be avoided.'

øùú Varadrion draws his sword and stands

øùú Echnaton ducks behind a rock and watches what is coming in there

øùú Calaryn pulls two daggers and moves back

øùú Tengu falls to the ground

øùú Faelnon waits for a second.

øùú Varadrion looks at Echnaton and says "What do you think?"

øùú Echnaton gets his bow ready.

øùú Echnaton calls "Shandor nice or not-so-nice?"

<@Narrator> The man looks up before ducking to the mountain wall and crouching down as small as he can make himself.

øùú Faelnon states, 'I'm going to say "not-so-nice" judging by his actions.'

øùú Echnaton murmurs "ok, scratch last question" and aims on the dragon.

<@Narrator> The sound of crackling and burning hit the ears of the group as a moment later streaks of flame engulf the section of pass the group are on.

øùú Faelnon yells in pain, batting at the flames.

øùú Varadrion dives out of the way, but his cloak lights up like an inferno

<@Narrator> The entire section of pass engulfed in flame.

øùú Tengu rolls on the ground burning.

<@Narrator> Suddenly, the flames disappear, all was as it was before.

øùú Varadrion throws off the cloak and dives out of the path

øùú Shandor looks at his hands, not burnt, same for his tunic.

øùú Shandor states, 'That was... interesting.'

øùú Calaryn looks amazed

øùú Echnaton closely inspects the material he just saw burning seconds afore, for a monent he really does not look too intelligent

øùú Varadrion picks up his cloak and looks at it

øùú Shandor says, 'What the Tarkna was that dragon and where did it go?'

øùú Calaryn just shakes her head

<@Narrator> A cry goes up from in front of them, and out of the clouds emerge a stream of hollering Dwarven warriors, swinging axes violently.

øùú Shandor yelps, 'Thor?'

øùú Shandor draws a sword as they continue, 'Not Thor.'

øùú Varadrion stand and draws his sword, yet again

øùú Echnaton takes a small pebble and throws it at the dwarves.

øùú Shandor shouts, 'Who are you? And why can't I get one normal day?!'

øùú Shandor parries a blow from one of them.

øùú Tengu says, 'A flock of dwarves crosses the sky...'

øùú Varadrion puts his cloak back on and charges up beside Shandor

øùú Shandor goes to snap one of their necks when an axe strikes him in the chest. He gasps for air as he tumbles backwards, towards the edge of the pass.

øùú Ariea ducks a swing from an axe, too late to notice Shandor.

øùú Echnaton vanishes in the rear lines, then starts to aim at the dwarven attackers

øùú Varadrion draws a dagger and begins hacking down dwarves with sword and dagger

øùú Shandor slips off the edge of the pass… and reappears above it, he falls a few feet and lands on his back on the pass, no axe in sight, 'Okay, this is getting annoying.'

øùú Echnaton tries to lower the pressure on the fighters in the front line, arrow after arrow whistles in the rows of the attackers.

øùú Calaryn holds behind the group getting a good overview of the battle

øùú Shandor rubs a hand over his chest, 'No axe wound, that's good.'

øùú Tengu stands as the battle rages around.

øùú Shandor says, 'Wait, that's more strange than good.'

øùú Varadrion rolls from the push and stabs the dwarf in the chest, before slitting its throat

<@Narrator> The dwarves just disappear into the clouds.

øùú Varadrion stands there with his sword out and dagger up, looking quite peculiar

øùú Shandor sighs, slumping down to the ground, 'Okay, whoever made this mountain deserves to be smacked around by it.'

øùú Faelnon sits down for a minute.

øùú Varadrion lays down beside Shandor

øùú Echnaton keeps looking for the old man

<@Narrator> The old man stands up and looks around, 'Those short people lived under the mountain, I thought.'

øùú Varadrion turns to Shandor and says "It felt real when the weapons hit flesh"

øùú Shandor rubs his chest, 'It sure did.'

øùú Tengu says, 'But they've fallen from the sky'

øùú Varadrion looks at Shandor and asks "You ok?"

øùú Echnaton asks the old man" you said, this mountain makes insane look sane.... do such things happen here more often?”

øùú Shandor nods.

<@Narrator> Soon after, the clouds vanish. The sun is scorching brightly, warmer than before.

<@Narrator> The old man shrugs, 'Some people say they have seen all sorts. However, this mountain is a very normal mountain, those who do see 'things' are normally lost in clouds and seeing all sorts.'

øùú Shandor looks up, 'Oh, good weather...'

øùú Shandor says, 'Haven't seen that for a bit, lovely and warm.'

øùú Varadrion sighs "At least those damned clouds are gone"

øùú Shandor nods.

øùú Ariea sighs and sits next to Shandor, 'I hate this mountain.'

øùú Varadrion sheathes his sword and dagger

øùú Echnaton replies "It was pretty realistic... and you also ducked, so i suspect you also saw what we saw."

<@Narrator> 'I saw it coming, sometimes I do get tricked by the senses...'

øùú Tengu says, 'We feel the Sun's warmth as we felt flames and steel before. Can one say if there is a Sun?'

øùú Calaryn says anything is better then flying on dragons

øùú Shandor grins at Calaryn.

øùú Varadrion looks at Tengu and says "Don't rain on our parade"

øùú Echnaton smiles "Good point, Tengu."

øùú Ariea sighs, 'I see a sun, and I like seeing a sun, so I will continue to see a sun.'

øùú Faelnon smiles, 'Nice logic there Ariea...'

øùú Tengu says, 'Well said, Ariea. If we value a sun for the warmth it gives, who cares if it's real.'

øùú Calaryn smiles

øùú Ariea giggles, 'Yay me! More 'sun' for everyone.'

øùú Tengu says, 'Anyway it's better then fire and axes.'

øùú Shandor nods, 'I'll agree there.'

øùú Varadrion replies "By far"

<@Narrator> The sun, the group notice, is too warm, the temperature had been steeply increasing and the ground felt as if it was melting beneath them.

øùú Shandor wipes the sweat from his brow, 'I think Aslaë Rioliem is mocking us.'

øùú Echnaton looks for a shadow less to hide there, more to see whether there's one at all

øùú Varadrion holds his cloak over his head to block the sun

øùú Shandor looks up and sees a black plume of smoke block out the sun, 'Er- I don't think that heat is from the sun…'

<@Narrator> Instead of being placed on a mountain, like they had thought, they had been planted upon the ridge of a volcano; one that took this moment to erupt, sending plumes of ash and acrid black smoke into the air as lava pours down the side of the shape.

øùú Echnaton only says "down - fast!"

øùú Shandor sighs, 'I really wish I'd stayed at home.' Before taking off at a sprint.

øùú Varadrion runs off after Shandor

øùú Calaryn walks up to Shandor

øùú Faelnon sits still.

øùú Ariea sighs and lies down.

øùú Shandor is choking and can barely see where he is going on the now-slippery surface. He steps down on something, to notice his torso go one way, and his legs another. The rock beneath him had turned to slush. 'I've never seen effects like this, but it does not seem hot enough to do this damage.'

øùú Calaryn heads back to the main group

øùú Shandor is struggling to get back up as the lava blocks off the group.

<@Narrator> The lava has blocked off the group at both ends and is now flowing down to meet them.

øùú Shandor sits down and closes his eyes, 'Aslaë Rioliem, Aslaë Fainar, Aslaï Eithne, anyone, please, help us get through this... I'll even stop talking about Tarkna...'

øùú Calaryn looks around and says 'anyone want to check if this is yet another illusion?'

øùú Echnaton looks around "can we climb up somewhere?"

øùú Shandor looks up, 'The lava is coming down to meet us, so I'm saying no to that.'

øùú Varadrion stands beside Shandor

øùú Ariea smiles, 'Meh, you do it, I'm just staying here, if it is an illusion, then it is good, if it isn't, then whoops, we're screwed...'

øùú Calaryn starts to mumble ‘Aslaï Eithne, mother of life...’

øùú Faelnon groans from the heat and passes out.

øùú Shandor notices his hands are beginning to burn pressed against the ground. He hollers and performs a small dance trying to cool them down.

øùú Echnaton seeing no way out, turns to his fatalistic side and sits down "If it’s an illusion we got no problems, if not then also not."

øùú Ariea picks up something that should be a stone but is more like goo. She aims and throws it at the lava while shouting, 'Go away!'

<@Narrator> It is gone now, too. The cloud has returned and the mountain now feels, and looks like a mountain.

øùú Tengu says, 'Now I know what that she-dragon felt.'

øùú Shandor asks hopefully, 'I hope I never see this place again, maybe we can destroy it later?'

øùú Varadrion knees down and lowers his head

øùú Faelnon sighs, 'Maybe, not that I'd ever condone anyone coming near here again, ever.'

øùú Echnaton notices that he's still there, and stands up again "This is getting demanding."

øùú Ariea says, 'Take me home... I'm sorry I ever talked about adventure, I won't, ever again, I promise.'

øùú Ariea shivers, 'Has anyone noticed how immensely cold this place is since we are no longer burning alive?'

øùú Calaryn walks up to Ariea and lays a hand on her shoulder

<@Narrator> The cloud begins to clear.

øùú Shandor moans, 'Now what?'

øùú Faelnon looks forward, 'Might just be a change in our luck.'

øùú Ariea says, 'You really believe that? What's wrong with you?'

øùú Echnaton asks "might it be true that the illusions end as soon as somebody dies?"

øùú Shandor says, 'No, no, he's quite right Ariea, our luck could change, from bad to terrible...'

øùú Shandor turns to Echnaton, 'Are you volunteering?'

øùú Calaryn smiles

øùú Echnaton says "well, doesn’t matter, we shouldn’t test it..."

øùú Echnaton continues "shall we stay and enjoy the show - or..?"

øùú Shandor says, 'Well, remember, I got stabbed and fell, and I didn't die, but, feel free to try.'

øùú Shandor struggles to his feet, 'Let's just continue on our way.'

øùú Echnaton wonders "where is our hermit now again?"

<@Narrator> The old man had been resting on the ground, 'I'm right here...'

øùú Faelnon hobbles forward.

øùú Ariea follows drowsily.

øùú Shandor follows after those two.

øùú Echnaton looks at the old man with a thoughtful mien, but says nothing

øùú Tengu just follows.

<@Narrator> The clouds have vanished, leaving a figure standing twenty-odd metres ahead. He is clothed in the same garb as the assassins they have encountered before. His head is shielded by the similar hood, and is bowed.

<@Narrator> 'It is a shame,' The figure chuckles, 'That you did not choose to fall from this peak and die once and for all.'

øùú Faelnon calls out, 'Who are you?'

<@Narrator> The figure chuckles again, 'I am everyone, everything. I am the very essence that all life comes from, and must become again.'

øùú Echnaton replies " friendly greetings to you too"

øùú Shandor whispers, 'How does an ego that big fit into that body?'

øùú Varadrion looks and sighs

øùú Faelnon looks at Shandor, considering this figure is probably another illusion, decides to answer, 'Pot, meet kettle.'

øùú Tengu says, 'Asking names doesn't bring any fruit here'

øùú Calaryn sighs

<@Narrator> 'Faelnon, Shandor, it isn't polite to whisper in front of others. Faelnon, others, you will meet me soon; you will join me.' He turns to Shandor and chuckles again, 'Shandor, you will mean nothing to us. Nothing at all.'

øùú Shandor rolls his eyes, 'Friendly…'

<@Narrator> The figure bows, his head comes up, his hands shoot up and removes the hood, from it a dragon's head leaps forth and the clothes are torn apart as a gigantic dragon appears, 'Run back to Tildruin while you can, it will be a simpler death!' It hollers as it explodes into a fury of purple, blue and red flames.

øùú Shandor hollers, 'That's it!'

øùú Shandor kicks up a loose pebble and sends it shooting over the edge.

øùú Echnaton sighs "some say, irony is the lowest form of humor. i guess i was too demanding" and look sat the figure

øùú Shandor continues shouting, 'I am sick and tired of this damnable mountain, or volcano, or whatever the Tarkna it is. Quite frankly I don't care! These constant illusions are enough to make anyone like our friend over there. Those bloody clouds stopping you from seeing. And what kind of path is this anyway? Why can't it just go down!?'

øùú Shandor says, 'And this is it! No more! Not again! No more illusions, never, ever, not ever again. Nope, that's it, finished, if another one appears I'm just going to beat it to death with a blunt pebble.

øùú Varadrion looks at Shandor and says "Perhaps we should find a way to leave"

øùú Tengu says, 'Too much speaking of death for such unpopulated place.'

øùú Calaryn speaks to herself 'I shouldn’t have left home'

øùú Calaryn says 'first dragons now this'

øùú Shandor says, 'You hear me? Come near and I'll beat you to death! Same goes for whatever idiot is trying to get the gods power, I mean, hello? National commission for dumb ideas, are you there? How do you expect to do that, demand that they give you the powers? And what kind of coward evil is it? It should come out and face us, I'll take an entire army on if it means I could just fight something solid and not all this smoke and mirrors and lava! When I find whatever evil it is, it had better start running be-'

øùú Shandor stops, pants, and falls to the ground, to exhausted to go on.

øùú Faelnon rubs his ears against the frenzy of words from Shandor.

øùú Faelnon asks finally, 'Are you quite finished?'

øùú Shandor shrugs.

øùú Shandor looks around and says sheepishly, 'So, how is everyone?'

øùú Ariea says, 'Deaf? After that spiel...'

øùú Calaryn says after what have happened today ok I must say'

øùú Echnaton says "I could imagine a more 'quiet' resting place, but I cant go on too long further."

øùú Shandor nods, 'Nor can I, I think I'll just collapse here for a bit.'

øùú Echnaton looks around for some wood, then for anything burnable.... "sushi-time", and starts finished his fresh bird

øùú Ariea curls up, using her satchel as a pillow.

øùú Tengu says, 'Well... I was used to camp in the mountains in a time. But can't say the same for illusions.'

øùú Varadrion stands up and walks around

øùú Calaryn mumbles a little prayer before she lays down

øùú Faelnon lies down, 'You know, now that there are no clouds, or lava, or anything else, this is quite a nice place.’

<@DrCBVI> <<<<<<<<< And so the dragon says, 'That's no llama.'..... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



'The Best of the Rest'

øùú Ariea grins and claps her hands and giggles, 'This is great!'

øùú Faelnon looks down and feels his stomach churn, 'I wish there were harnesses on this flight.'

øùú Calaryn looks around terrified

øùú Echnaton manages to keep the balance and then really enjoys the ride.

øùú Echnaton smirks "I guess I have to teach my horse some new tricks later"

øùú Shandor makes sure Ariea is okay before shuffling forward, onto the dragon's long, thick neck to get a better view, 'I will confess, you have a better view than on a horse.'

øùú Ariea confesses, grinning merrily 'Much more fun than the boat trip I had planned.'



øùú Calaryn hangs on to the dragon with a pale face.

øùú Ariea grins at Calaryn, 'Cheer up! Eat an apple, that will help.'

øùú Calaryn gives Ariea a deadly glance



øùú Shandor smiles, 'Suffice to say, arms might be in odd places and parts of us could be dancing around without the rest of us.'

øùú Varadrion looks at Shandor and replies "Not good"

øùú Ariea rubs her shoulder joint nervously.

øùú Shandor says, 'I am greatly hoping that the Child doesn't choose this moment to pipe up.'



øùú Shandor grins, 'Would anyone have a sign and some ink? I feel like making the 'Dragon Here, duh Varadrion' sign.'



<@Shandor> OOC Feel free to have these things interact with you btw, although, can't say I adivse standing in front of it saying, 'Hmmm, bet I taste good!'



<+Echnaton> ooc hmm - can they 'talk'? or are they just animals?

<@Shandor> OOC Hmm, not really talk, they are intelligent, recognise everything and could try to 'speak' etc, but are limited to grunts and moans and the one phrase 'Kill Varadrion' that 'someone' has been teaching them.

<+Varadrion> ooc lmao

<+Echnaton> ooc :)



øùú Shandor says, 'I'm afraid most of our food was washed away. I know the fair way to do this. It will work purely by chance, whoever's name is pulled from a pack will be fed to them. Okay, let's try it, first, everyone take a bit of parchment and write 'Varadrion' on it, then give it to me and we'll randomly pick one.'



øùú Calaryn asks 'H-h-h-h-how l-long time do wwe have t-t-to f-f-f-f-fly?'



øùú Ariea says, 'That's it!' With that she delicately climbs the dragon's wing (while it flaps) and gets ready to jump to Faelnon's dragon, 'Shandor, I'll leave you and Varadrion to battle it out.' She states before resuming her mantra of 'Why am I doing this?'

øùú Ariea leaps from the dragon's wing and lands in front of Faelnon, giggling and grinning even more, 'Whee! That was fun! Everyone, start jumping!'



øùú Tengu says, 'What if call mine The Deadly Serpent That Flies Magnificently In The Sunset. How's the name?'

øùú Shandor says, 'Tengu, I am hearby banning you from naming anything, ever again.'



øùú Tengu says, 'But that dogma was disproved long ago, for death is an easy way, but a straight path never leads you to the goal.'

<@Narrator> Grabs the bamboo-walking-aid from Faelnon and strikes Tengu over the head with it, 'You know nothing... lies, trickery, all fooled you. Te-hee, lies, lovely little lies.'

<@Narrator> OOC It is interesting, phear teh bamboo stick!



øùú Varadrion holds up the glistening dagger and says "He isn't serving any purpose, other then to slow us down and confuse us"

øùú Shandor says, 'I'll take it you don't have a name then.'

øùú Shandor says, 'Confuse you, yes, but it is making perfect sense to me.'

øùú Ariea says, 'So crazy people do speak the same language, I was wondering.'



øùú Shandor kicks Varadrion to the ground before rolling him off the edge. The man, Ariea and Faelnon help. Shandor grins as Varadrion slides down the steep slope to his death, 'See, I told you I'd do it.'

<+Varadrion> ooc boooo on with the story

<@Narrator> OOC This is the story, the best part, killling you

<+Varadrion> ooc bite me

<@Narrator> A dragon, a priest and a donkey enter a bar, then a llama meets them, They all meet up on the mountain with an army of squirrels, together they rush Varadrion and tear him apart. Shandor kicks the skull off Varadrion off and a llama stamps on it. 'There, is that better?' Shandor smirks.

<@Narrator> Yes, The fact Shandor shoves you off the edge and you plummet to your death

<@Narrator> u won't do it, lol

<@Narrator> that was bad

<+Varadrion> ooc don't quit your day job

<@Narrator> If you are wondering.

<@Narrator> OOC This is my day job.... P Anyway, to the 'Quest'!



<@Narrator> OOC I think whoever controls the world is sitting on the weather remote by accident.