|
The Coven of the Secret Shadow > Voices of the Watchtowers > A recent of Rayne |
|
| << Prev Topic | Next Topic >> |
| Author |
Comment
|
|||
|
Rayne
Story Teller Posts: 1 (3/18/03 6:32 pm) Reply |
A recent of Rayne Somewhere in the distance of the caves of the underdark, the clitty-clak of a hook horror could be heard scuttling along the stone floors. The ashen skinned woman called Rayne decided that another path would be best, as soon as it could be found. Although it was completely dark, her duergar blood gave her the ability of darkvision, which allows those who have the ability to see globs of misshapen heat in place of color. A darker spot in the vastness of the cool stone loomed ahead on the left, allowing her a path around the beast that loomed somewhere in the darkness ahead. A long time passed. Rayne could not guess for sure how long ago she had diverted her path from the intersection with the hook horror. It could've been several hours, or even a day. She did not have the same well developed sense of passing time as full blooded duergar and drow do for she did grow up in the underdark, and was only half duergar. Tired as she was, she set up a suitable camp for the night is a safe a place as she could find. She knew rest would not come easily in the open and vastly dangerous realms below the deepest of the deeps, but whatever rest she could find was beyond evasion. As Rayne readied a semi defensible area she noticed some tracks. The tracks were not those of any beast she had seen or heard of in the dark, that was for certain. But they did perhaps belong to a drow, and that danger was far worse. A drow raiding party would surely mean her demise. A half duergar, half elf in the underdark was a sure target by any race except the gnomes and other duergar, and even the latter would not take her in kindly. Quickly, Rayne made an investigation of the nearby caves and tunnels, praying to whatever gods might hear her that her fears were unfounded. In mid-sentence to some half known deity she stepped on something soft. In the silence of the underdark the dry crackling noise which followed echoed like an orchestra of five year olds with pots and pans. Clinching her teeth and grimacing at the noise, she lifted her foot and picked up the object she had crushed, a single dried root of mandrake. This was odd indeed, for mandrake does not grow in the underdark, and a drow raiding party would not have so carelessly lost a spell component, for it may be needed. And if it had been a raiding party, it surely would have been crushed already under the passing feet of the drow army. Was this root carelessly dropped by a rogue mage of the drow? Or was something even more queer happening? Could a surface elf actually be treading the passages of the underdark? All thoughts of rest flew from Rayne's mind. She was on the hunt. She had to discover who this lone mage was, despite the dangers. Despite the risk that it may indeed be a drow mage. Despite the great odds that it may lead to her doom. And so she plodded on, following the slightly warmer prints on the cold stone floor which marked the passing of whoever she trailed. After several miles, Rayne was close. The footprints seemed almost to glow now, and then, after glancing up, she could see the blinding rays of a light spell ahead from around a corner. It was then she realized that she had seen nor heard any other creatures along the path as she followed the mage. Surely he could defeat everything that would have rushed that beacon that strode through their domain. The only explanation was the aid of a greater being, some power strong enough to communicate with and control all the evil things which resided in this mortal abyss. Not knowing who or what was ahead, and considering her proximity, she decided to take her rest now and let the audacious traveler plod on. If she decided to, when she awoke, she could catch back up. At least she knew that in the wake of that light she was safe enough to sleep for a time. Her sleep was not to be restful though. Dreams came and went, a snippet here and a piece there. All of them were filled with a large dark figure, cloaked and hooded. Sometimes speaking inaudibly, other times just sitting there in odd places as if it was taking over some dream in which it did not belong. Unable to rest, but unable to wake, the torment went on. For what seemed like days Rayne writhed and twisted on the ground in a fitful sleep, when at long last the figure uttered one word which she understood..."GO!" Rayne sat bolt upright, panting and sweating in her metal and leather armors, hand gripping her kryss so tight that she heard more than one finger break from the effort. She glanced around nervously, jumping to her feet and switching the kryss to her other hand. She had never in her life felt a presence as powerful as what she had just felt. But search as she might, no evidence could be found that anyone or anything was around. She almost wrote it off as a horrific nightmare when again the voice echoed, "GO!" And this time she obeyed without hesitation, though she knew not where she was heading. The most obvious option was to head in the same direction as the traveler ahead of her had taken, and so she followed on. The footprints of the elf that preceded were all but gone now, making the tracking difficult. Still, as time passed the prints grew slowly and steadily brighter until at last they faded into the distance to meet the walls of a city. And from all signs a drow city. But despite whatever reservations she might have had about approaching a city filled with drow, she preferred that fate over whatever the cloaked figure might have for her instead, and so she proceeded. Two steps she made it before she was encircled by a host of guards. Strangely enough, however; they were not violent. They took her kryss and dagger, but did not bind her wrists or ankles, or cover her eyes. No one stepped forward chanting an arcane incantation. They simply turned and walked toward the city. One guard alone gently grabbed her arm and guided her forward through the city gates. Despite the apparent "kindness" shown to her, she was still led to a dimly lit chamber where she was seated in a single strait backed chair that was rather uncomfortable. Guards were positioned at regular intervals around the walls of the room. Seated directly in front of her were four drow mages, their faces twisted and wrinkled in thought and concern. After several minutes of near silence and many hand and body gestures by the mages, one spoke to Rayne in the duergar tongue, which she had spent the time to learn, despite her upbringing as a refugee on the surface. The initial line of questioning was very basic. The drow wanted to know why she was in the underdark, obviously being half elf. Why was she approaching a drow city? Where had she gained entrance into the underdark? But the question that ended up puzzling the mages the most was one concerning her name. "And what is your name half-duergar?" asked the apparent leader of the drow. "My name is of no consequence, even if I knew it anymore. But if you must have something to address me by, then call me Rayne." That was the best response she could give, for she had indeed long ago forgotten her name and had lived under the identity of Rayne for more than two hundred years. It was not, however; the fact that the half-duergar woman did not know her name that so intrigued the drow. Instead, it was the fact that she was known as Rayne. This "name" had been given to the drow. Not for use for themselves, but more as a target. The carrier of that "name" was to be brought to the city and kept as a guest until such time as the other foreigner to the underdark returned. That other foreigner was of course the wielder of the strange light which had led Rayne thus far. Rayne knew nothing of any of this at this point, but she could tell by the returned frantic gesturing and quiet gibbering that her identity had indeed caused quite an uproar among the four drow mages. Quite puzzled by the apparent fuss over whom she was, she asked for an explanation of what this was all about. And though it took continued questions of her own, she was at last to have some answers. The mages told her of an elf mage who had preceded her arrival to the city. The mage was on a quest, one that actually involved Rayne, though the half-duergar's role had only just begun in the play. The mage was currently meditating, seeking a face in the astral plane which had ordered him to venture here. The same persona had given the drow explicit instructions to detain a half-duergar female warrior who would be following the elf, but that she was not to be harmed or treated ill, for she was to accompany the elf upon his return. To what end though, the drow did not know. For the time being, Rayne would be shown to suitable quarters, refitted, fed, rested, and allowed free dominion of the city as long as she remained inside the city walls. Seeing little other choice, and caring naught to counter the will of the voice that still echoed in her mind, she was obliged to stay peacefully and abide by the rules set before her. She stayed in the small apartment which she was shown to. For a long time she waited. She took rest, ate well, and her supplies and gear were refitted and repaired. All this time she sat in thought. Wondering why it was, or who it was that commanded such power, that the drow were so impeccably hospitable. This was indeed not the way of the drow she had heard of in tales and folklore. A good while passed, but at length she was summoned from her temporary abode. As she was led forth from her room she saw the mage whom she had followed, saw the depths of his eyes, the wisdom that swirled there like the depths of the abyss. He said little, but what he did say was not to be taken lightly, and it was quite evident that even if Rayne had wanted to take another course, no alternatives were to be had. She went with him. The journey from the underdark was long, but filled with study and learning. For the first time in her life, Rayne was learning the ecstasy of magick. She looked on the days to come with wide eyes under the guidance and tutelage of her new master, Alyster. |
|||
|
<< Prev Topic |
Next Topic >>
|
 Topic Commands Click to receive email notification of replies  Click to stop receiving email notification of replies |
|
- The Coven of the Secret Shadow - Voices of the Watchtowers - Coven of the Secret Shadows -
Powered By ezboard® Ver. 7.32
Copyright ©1999-2007 ezboard, Inc.