Eragon, Where Dragons dare

[darkblade]

The Elves had abaonded the Spartans in the middle of the battle. He would have done the same in time for that trearchery. No he has no quall with that warrior. Instead he resumes his march towards the city.

[industrious]

Raistlin

The wizard looks over at Lina, now barely able to walk without using the staff. At least, for now. Soon, this body would heal, and then...

"Ms. Inverse, why did you come to this land to begin with?"

[Prime32]

"It wasn't exactly my choice." Lina sighs, propping Gourry's body up against a nearby rock. "You can blame your buddy Xellos for that. Why? I have no idea. I don't think there's anyone who can really read that guy."

Dusting off her pants, she turns to the elf. "Listen, how hot are you with white magic? A priest put some kind of curse on Gourry - he seems to be stuck in a field of frozen time."

[industrious]

"Not my area of expertise at all. But I believe I know a way to cure him. It will require some of your own energy, though." Raistlin looks pensive.

[Prime32]

"What do you have in mind?"

[industrious]

"Among wizards of my world, there exists an ultimate spell, one that can remake reality itself. But it requires a somewhat hefty drain one the caster's life force. If you were to supply that life force-which will replenish itself over time-I will be able to free your friend from the curse."

[The Tygre]

Elric
"Ah. I get that less than I'd think these day. What would you recommend to drink? I need something hearty."

Dilvish
There's a feeling the air that not all is going well on this world. Bilbo has disappeared it seems, and Black gets back on to his feet. Even the iron steed knows that he and his companion need to be somewhere distinctly -not here-. "Where to, oh Damned one?"
"Wherever we land, it seems."
Dilvish mounts Black, concentrates, and teleports the two of them. He only hopes that he and the demon horse get a soft landing.

[Cracklord]

Elric
John raises a hand. Before Elric can so much as blink, two shot glasses and a bottle of clear liquid are on the table in front of them. "Cheers." The barman says, pouring them both a glass.

Divlish
All around, the great trees brooded, ominous presences who's branches met over the trail, intertwined like a giant at prayer, filtering all but a few solitary shafts of light grudgingly illuminated the way forward. Moss covered the branches and the scaly bark of the trunks resembled nothing so much s the scaly hide of dead serpents, with hints of gnarled faces in the twisting bark. A stillness as old as the vast primeval forest, broken only by occasional stirrings in the undergrowth. Here, no birds dared sing.
A small fire was burning in the clearing ahead, vague flickering shapes indicating profiles. Four of them.
their muscles ached and their joints were stiff after spending weeks of sleeping on the cold, damp earth in whatever meager shelter they could find. Preoccupied as they were with unwrapping what remained of their provisions and holding themselves as close as possible to the fire.
Another world. Somewhere, he would find the sorcerer, and it would begin again.

Lu-Tze
The spirit of the monk feels a presence behind him. How he managed to without the benefit of senses is anyone's guess, yet there he was, a hooded robe with a skeleton staring at him, a blue glow holding his gaze within the eye sockets.
Sorry about the delay. The Anthropomorphic personification said. Somehow the sweeper knows he means it. I've had a lot of work today. Anything you want to say?

[Prime32]

"Among wizards of my world, there exists an ultimate spell, one that can remake reality itself. But it requires a somewhat hefty drain one the caster's life force. If you were to supply that life force-which will replenish itself over time-I will be able to free your friend from the curse."

{OOC: Sense Motive 1d20=13 +? = ? }

Lina is quiet for a few moments.

"Let me try something first." She starts digging around Gourry's body for his sword.

[industrious]

Looking at Lina's attempts, Raistlin shakes Arya's head. He had little time remaining, and he had so much else to do.

"I bid you farewell, Mrs. Inverse. There is something I have to do now." There is something...odd about his tone. Something suspicious. Something...wrong.

At a word, the Staff of Magius is transported back to his Tower, safe in its highest room, behind wards and spells that no mage save he could penetrate.

[industrious]

Gathering his will for one final time on this forsaken continent, Raistlin smiles. Raising his hands towards the sky, the Master of Past and Present begins his chant. A spell, developed by Fistandantilus during the era of the Kingpriest but never before used. An ultimate weapon, one that did not discriminate in its targets at all. When the magus had discovered the spell, which had taken up an entire volume of night-blue bound material, he had wondered if his predecessor had been inspired by the gods' future judgment, or if the gods were inspired by it.

In his normal, feeble body, this would be an impossible spell to cast. Tenacious though his will might be, his body had its limits; this spell was beyond those. No, but in this body, in this virile young elf-maid's, it was possible. Reaching for the magic, the words of the spell scorching Arya's mouth as he speaks them, Raistlin feeds her body's life essence into the spell, breaking its eternal youth and health in exchange for the magic. An eternity in a body withered and decayed, health shattered as his real body was.

The spell requires more than even that, though. Reaching for Saphira's heart of hearts, Raistlin sucks the magic of the young Blue dry as well, leaving it nothing more than a pretty rock. The air around him turns hot; Arya's eyes roll back upon themselves. He is surrounded by arcane ecstasy, as the final words are spoken. The world turns silent for a moment.

"A gift for you, my Queen. This world."

Then it begins. Stormclouds gather. The sky turns red. And all across Alagaesia, it begins to rain fire. Raistlin laughes, harsh and mocking, arms stretched towards the heavens, looking at the destruction that was his doing, his will...and his gift to the land. And with a final word, the Master of Past and Present returns to his original body, returns to Krynn, returns to his Tower of High Sorcery, leaving Arya Dröttningu in a shattered husk, barely able to survive on its own. And his words echo throughout the land.

A gift for you, my Queen

[nanobot_swarm]

Parias witness these events unfold silently, he watched this pair emerge from the vault but did not know what to make of it, thus he watched from safe distance. Now he knows this to be a mistake, as the fire rains from the sky and destroys the lands. He abandons the cover and rushes towards Lina, shouting in a voice reminiscint of an angry 100 foot tall Pope,"What did she do? What did you let her do?!"

[Cracklord]

The clouds release their deluge of molten rock and fire, as Raistlin's spell comes to the fore.

Lu-Tze
Nothing? Death continues. He sounds almost disappointed. Shame. Well then, come with me.

Raistlin
The tower is silent. Shadows flicker around you, fiery eyes burning into your soul, then flicker away. They will not inconvenience their master.
"Shalafi?" Dalamar's quiet voice breaks the silence. "Shalafi? She's almost here."
Kiatra. Of course. Your body rebels at the effort as you force yourself up, but you do it anyway. Things were as they should be.

Lord Soth
You find Nuasda's broken body beneath the bones of her dragon. Her flesh is torn, her clothes ripped, her heart stopped. She is dead. And yet her soul lingers. Waiting for you.

Lina
Gourry has shown no sign, and in an explosion of power the elf women is gone. Xellos seems to have vanished. No doubt he'll be back when things need to be shaken up.

Leonidas
The rain of fire stops your men in their tracks. "And so Zeus wept tears of fire." One of them mutters. Another shakes his head "The dragons are slain, their father, Typhon, comes for vengeance."
The Artemis raises his voice, banging a fist onto the shield for silence. As the metal rings, he turns to Leonidas. "We have done what we came for. If the gods want to punish the Empire, it only shows how right we were. Now, we are going home, but because we choose to, not because we are afraid or because we have to. Isn't that right my king?"

Darkwolf
You fell no real satisfaction at killing the elven queen. Justice is done, it is set right. The north is calling, the cold, uncompromising steppe. Your homeland. It is time to go.

[The Tygre]

Elric
Elric takes the drink; "Cheers." He wearily presses the glass to his lips and sips. The liquid burns, but dulls to a warmth as it slithers down his throat. Quietly, Elric starts to hum, and then murmur the words to an old song he heard on some far-off world a long time ago;

"I have this feeling that my luck is none too good
This sword here at my side don't act the way it should
Keeps calling me its master, but I feel like its slave
Hauling me faster and faster to an early, early grave
And it howls! It howls like hell!
I'm told it's my duty to fight against the Law
That wizardry's my trade, and I was born to wade through gore
I just wanna be a lover, not a red-eyed, screaming ghoul
I wish it picked another to be its killing tool."

Dilvish
Through tired eyes, Dilvish stares ahead. Another world. He was so sure that this would be the last time when he set out, that this would be the finale for Jelerak. The sorcerer wants to cry and howl in anger, but he's too tired, too spent from his magic. All he can do is surrender a question; "What are we doing, Black? Where are we going on this road?" The iron horse snorts, "Wherever it takes us. Just like the last one, and the one before that."

"But why? What's even the point? We killed Jelerak. Our business is done. Why is it even death can't keep him in my grasp?"

"Because you know he's alive. You know he's going to be on some other world soon, trying to drag it into Chaos. Because one day he may very well outshine the Bright Lord Arioch."

"But what if we just went home? Right now. Just... quit?"

"Home? What home? You don't speak for me Dilvish, so I know what I say. My home is the road. The journey. Before you came along, I was trapped in Hell. I was born there, raised there by my herd, but I was still trapped there. Then you came and got me out. I don't think you really appreciate what it's like to be free, what it's like to see white clouds against a blue sky and silver stars against the night. To feel cool spring water flow on your legs and hear birds sing. True, you were in Hell with me, but you knew of those things. I still marvel at the taste of even the stalest patch of grass. Home? My home is wherever you are, 'Dilvish the Damned'. I chose that as my home because you save what needs to be. You can claim it's some quest for revenge, but that will always be a side-path for me. I go with you because you are a savior, including mine. Do you really talk of surrender?"

There's a long pause as Dilvish reflects on what Black has said. It's rare that the demon steed ever speaks in length, or so intimately. And it appears to be for good reason; the iron horse has a potent tongue. Dilvish smiles and pulls at Black's reins. "Hell couldn't stop me, how could a little melancholy? No, you're right, old friend. Forward then! Past this grove primeval! There are demons to slay and ales to down from many a comely wench! On then!"

Black lets out a neigh that could almost be a laugh before quite candidly asking, "Dilvish?"

"Yes?"

"If you tell another living creature about this conversation, I will personally trample your skull."

"Of course." With that, Dilvish and Black ride forward.

[Prime32]

Parias witness these events unfold silently, he watched this pair emerge from the vault but did not know what to make of it, thus he watched from safe distance. Now he knows this to be a mistake, as the fire rains from the sky and destroys the lands. He abandons the cover and rushes towards Lina, shouting in a voice reminiscint of an angry 100 foot tall Pope,"What did she do? What did you let her do?!"

Lina is too busy shielding herself and Gourry to answer the question.
Blast Bomb? No, it's too big. What the heck...

{OOC: How much point is there to continuing now? }

[darkblade]

"There is nothing for us here. The Empire is in ruins, it's capitol cursed and our allies are dead." Leonidas raises his hand to silence his men as he explains.

"This land was made of weak men to begin with and has been cursed, tainted by the dark magics of that sorcer. Conquest here would only weaken Sparta and dishounor our fallen brothers. It is for that reason we return home, not because we are afraid." the King's voice is distressingly somber.

"This land is no place for Spartans."

***

Percy standing well off away from the spellcasters pety battles makes himself a small bonfire and invokes the ritual to summon Merlin. His mission is over now, neither the Empire nor the Varden shall bother Camelot anymore but still the battle lingers in magic and he does not understand why but Merlin will.

"Come on you old cook. Let's make your arcane knowledge useful for more than ordering me around."

[Cracklord]

((Depends how much closure you want. Everyone we set out to kill is dead.))

Percy
Again, Merlin appears in the flames. "It worked. Good. Your back." He says, cutting bluntly to the point. "Camelot is no longer threatened. What happens next is nothing to do with either of us. Come home."

Lina Inverse
Goury's eyes blearily open. "Lina? How did I? I remember I was..." Goury's brain catches up, and he realizes belatedly it's probably not a good idea to mention those particular memories to the feisty sorceress.
"Terrible." He finishes lamely. "What's going on?"