So what do you think so far? Interested? Curious? Wondering what's going on? Feel free to lie at this point to make me feel better. I'm writing this as I'm supposed to be studying for a test, but I need the break. Anatomy can be brutal at times. So instead of studying at the moment I'm writing author's notes.
I want to thank Kenitra, Shade, Aeoros, Gavlein (still haven't gotten this right), Apples, Dax, Syren, Casey, Mirage, and whomever I've forgotten. Again, thanks have to go out to David. If you want to drop me a line with your thoughts on the story, or just about anything else, you can send them to either of my two e-mail addresses. Mist_dark@hotmail.com or Mist_Dark@yahoo.ca I check both, so I'll respond as quickly as I can.
As usual here's the disclaimer. I don't know anyone in this story, it'd be nice, but I don't. The reason for this is that the story isn't real. Never has been, never will be. It's not supposed to reflect anything about the members of the group Nsync. If you are too young, or it's illegal in you area, I'd leave or not get caught. If homosexual themes offend you, I'd leave as well. Parts of this story are based off the RPG Rifts. All trademarks belong to Kevin Siembieda and Palladium books.
And now I'll let you read this chapter. Enjoy the story. Until next time, Rune
CHAPTER FOUR
"Did you sleep well last night?" Joey asked the next morning. Nathaniel nodded his response. "What about you Sandy?"
"I woke up and had a talk with a nice man," Sandy said nonchalantly.
"What?" Joey asked.
"I talked with a man last night," Sandy repeated. He fished around in his pocket until he pulled out the letter he'd been given. "He gave me this to give to you."
"Did he say who he was?" Joey asked as he took the letter.
"Lee?" Sandy asked. "L something."
"Lance?" Joey asked with some enthusiasm.
"That's it. He was really nice."
"Lance is," Joey told the boy. "I wonder what he wanted."
"Perhaps you should open the letter," Nathaniel offered.
Joey blushed and cracked the seal.
Dear Joey,
I'm sorry I haven't talked with you before, but you wouldn't believe how much work I have to do. It's almost like running the business aspect of things with the group. Except there's a whole lot more to do. On the plus side there isn't any paperwork to fill out. I don't know what I'd do if there was.
Anyway, this isn't exactly a social call. Actually it's not a social call at all. I've a favour to ask of you. The area you're in has a summoner in it, though I'm guessing that you've already found that out. Now normally I wouldn't worry about someone like him, but he's gathering far too many minions to be left alone. He's aspiring to godhood, which can't happen at this point in time. There are enough gods of light and darkness, and he most certainly won't be filling the position of one of the neutral gods. Until one of the gods of darkness are killed he can't achieve godhood. I'm asking you to stop him. I'd say kill him, but I can't bring myself to ask you to do that. It worries me that I'm not remotely upset about having a man killed, but for some reason it doesn't. I realize he's a threat to the Balance, but I don't have to have him killed to deal with that threat. Apparently my predecessor would have had no problem issuing a death sentence for this man, but I'm not him. Anyway, just disrupt his plans and that should be enough to stop him.
To help you though I've pulled a few strings. I had a lovely chat with Tark the other day. You know me enough to know that I'm not afraid of spiders, but I certainly don't go out of my way to be near them. But that goddess, she can make your skin crawl. Her temple was alive with spiders. They were all over the place, it'll be sending shivers up my spine for a while. However, I did get her to agree to help me. At first she didn't believe I was who I said I was, but when she did believe she was very apologetic and helpful. She's got her priests all over the place looking for you and Sandy. The first one that finds you will be of great help. You might not like him or her, but trust them.
Also take care of Sandy. He's a very special boy. Not special in the sense that Selvar and I were, but special none the less. He isn't destined for anything spectacular, but do watch out for him. He'll deal with his parents' death in his own way, but it'll take a bit. He does like you, despite how he acts.
You'll most likely find some other help, but you'll get none from the villagers. I believe there is a warlock in the jungle that will be willing to help you if you ask her nicely. I'm not sure why she's there, but she's got a reason. I haven't gotten the hang of all of my abilities yet, but when I do apparently I'll be able to tell anything about every creature that's alive. I'm looking forward to being able to do that. If for no other reason then being able to do my job better. But until then I've just got to make educated guesses about some things. And I don't even have one of those about why the warlock's where she is.
When I get a break in my schedule I'll make sure to drop in on you and have a proper visit. Hopefully I'll be able to bring Selvar with me, but we'll have to see about that one. I'd love to keep writing, there are a number of things I'd love to tell you about in length, but I don't have the time. I miss the days when we were on tour. Sure they were hectic, but at least we got some time to just sit down and talk. I don't have a whole lot of that right now, but soon. At least that's what the other Guardians are telling Selvar and myself. I'm wondering if their sense of time is muddled. I mean these guys are eons old, I don't think a year has the same meaning to them as it does to most people. Once I get a good grip on things I'll be able to do my job without really thinking about it, and just have to concentrate on important matters. When that happens I will visit you and the other guys.
Your friend Lance
Joey reread the letter a few times to make sure that he'd gotten it all. Furrowing his brow he tried to understand the part about the warlock. "Aren't warlocks male witches?" He asked aloud.
Nathaniel spit out the water he was drinking and made a strangled sound in his throat. "Don't ever tell a warlock that."
"Huh?"
The priest had recovered some of his composure. He wiped the water off his chin before continuing. "My temple offers sanctuary to any who ask it, good or evil. So we've had dealings with both witches and warlocks. Warlocks are mages that are allied to an elemental force. Witches are people who sell their souls for power. Big difference. I've seen a warlock tear a man apart that had the stupidity to call her a witch."
"Okay," Joey said slowly. "What about the male/female thing?"
Nathaniel shrugged. "You don't have to be a woman to sell your soul. Men do it all the time. It's an easy route to power."
Joey nodded and folded the letter before placing it in his pants' pocket. "Let's finish breakfast and then pack up."
The three of them finished the morning meal and then quickly struck camp. Phixt had disappeared sometime during the cleanup, but returned before they left camp. Sandy looked slightly disappointed that she didn't climb up to his shoulder, but didn't say anything. Nathaniel wore his slightly amused face. Joey had gotten used to it fairly quickly, but until you did the constant slight grin was unsettling. He always looked like he knew something you didn't, and the fact you didn't know it amused the priest.
It was about noon that they heard the commotion. It was easily determined to be a fight. And a fairly large one at that. Joey and Nathaniel locked eyes for an instant.
"I think we should see what this is about," the priest told him. "Though we may not wish to get involved."
Joey nodded and the three of them moved quietly through the jungle until they came to a large clearing. Joey had noticed an impressive number of clearings in the jungle. Most of them didn't look natural, but all of them had mystic circles in them. `Why do these things always happen in clearings?' he asked himself.
They stopped just outside the clearing. They could see what was happening, but unless they were looking for them, anyone in the clearing wouldn't be able to see them. Even if they were in plain sight Joey didn't think anyone would have seen them. Chaos had erupted inside the clearing.
Everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to the giant. The giant was at least twenty feet tall and dressed scantily in a loincloth. He held a woman in his right hand. The woman was dressed in a rich brown robe with the hood tossed back. Her golden hair covered her face as the giant brutally shook her.
A group comprised of a few imps, two manticores and two harpies had formed a circle around another person. Joey couldn't really make out who was inside, but he caught glimpses. He guessed it was an elf, but couldn't be sure.
"Who do we help?" Sandy asked.
"We don't," Joey said. "You are going to stay here while Nathaniel and I help."
"But."
"No buts," Joey said firmly. "I don't want you getting hurt. But I think it's the woman the giant has and whoever they have circled that we should help."
Nathaniel nodded. "I agree." The priest carefully removed Phixt from his shoulder and set her on Sandy's. "Watch her for me. I don't want her to get hurt either."
Both of the men entered the clearing before the boy could lodge any protest. Joey grabbed one of the imps telekinetically and threw it in the giant's face. The tiny creature squawked in fear as it flew threw the air. The giant was surprised as the imp hit it and then attached itself to him with its tiny claws. The woman slipped out of the giant's grasp as he tried to pull the imp out of its face. Joey caught her before she hit the ground. She didn't even flinch when she stopped in mid-air.
She started muttering something and spread her arms to either side of her with her palms face up. With a sharp gesture she slapped her hands together and stopped speaking. The ground buckled on either side of the giant for an instant, but he was too busy trying to remove the imp to notice. Two gigantic hands rose out of the earth at incredible speeds. They smacked into the giant and crushed him instantly. A small splash of blood caught her robes, but most of the gore was contained between the two hands. She waved a hand at them and they sunk back into the earth, taking the remains of the giant and imp with them.
Nathaniel had moved toward the circle and gotten the attention of a few of the creatures. A manticore and one of the harpies had decided to deal with him. The priest didn't seem remotely worried. He held his hands down on either side with the fingers positioned as if he had a ball in each. The nails on each hand had grown two inches beyond the tips of the fingers and had formed into points. A liquid slowly dripped off them.
One clawed hand met the harpy's first attack. Nails dug into the feathered body. The creature gave a scream of pain and then backed off. The manticore didn't seem phased by its counterpart's wounding. It moved in quickly and tried to swipe at him with a clawed paw. Nathaniel dodged out of its way and slashed backward with his own claws. The manticore had seen what those claws had done to the harpy and drew back quickly to a respectful distance.
The harpy gave a cry of pain and then hit the ground. It convulsed once before turning death glazed eyes to the sky. The manticore backed off again. Now it knew what those claws could do and didn't want to have any part of them. But something was keeping it from fleeing.
Joey stood out of Nathaniel's way and grabbed small objects in the clearing. Soon a small ring of objects floated around his head at a fair speed. With a mental gesture he sent the ring spinning at high speeds toward the remaining harpy. The bird- creature didn't know they were coming and didn't bother trying to dodge them. The sticks, stones, and small clumps of dirt sunk into the tender flesh beneath the feathers. Due to their speed, some of the objects appeared on the other side of the harpy. The bird gave a cry of pain and was dead before it touched the ground.
Now that it was only the imps and the one manticore forming the circle, Joey could see who was on the inside. He had been right with his guess. It was an elf. She wore a comfortably tight pants and shirt. They were both made from tan hides and several dark brown streaks stained the material. The elf was barefoot, but didn't seem to be hampered by the rough terrain. Her violet hair fell in waves around her shoulders. A few strands near her forehead were braided with small talismans woven into the braids. She had a silver sickle in each hand that she was using to great effect to keep the imps and one manticore at bay.
One of the imps didn't move quickly enough. The elf's sickles sliced through its body as easily as if it had been air. Two halves of the creature fell to either side. Without missing a beat, she spun around and killed two other imps that had gotten too close for her liking. The manticore was mirroring the gestures of the other one. It wasn't moving in because it knew better.
Joey leaned over to the woman that he'd rescued from the giant. "If you can get rid of that one there," he pointed to the manticore that was stalking Nathaniel. "I can get rid of the other one."
The woman nodded. She raised her arms slowly upward from her sides while chanting. When they were in front of her at shoulder level she stopped moving them. Pieces of rock rose out of the ground as she moved her arms. They hung lazily in the air until she finished chanting. When she did she flipped her palms up so they were facing toward the manticore. The shards of rock flew away from her and imbedded themselves into the monster. The creature roared in pain seconds before Nathaniel's poison laced claws scratched its skin. A moment later it convulsed and died.
Instead of paying attention to the woman, Joey turned his attention toward the manticore stalking the elf. Carefully he touched its mind so that it didn't know he was there. And very carefully he started crafting his illusion.
The manticore was pacing left and right to avoid the elf's sickles, but remaining close enough to lunge if she opened herself to an attack. The change was so subtle at first that it didn't notice it. Slowly the smell of brimstone pervaded its sense of smell. Backing up carefully the manticore moved itself out of range of the elf. Then it took in the clearing. Nothing had changed. It took another breath and could still smell the brimstone. The ground in front of it erupted in a jet of flame. There was a popping sound and another jet appeared off to its left. It cringed away from the flame and continued to backup slowly. The earth shifted and broke behind it. Spinning around to face this new threat the manticore wished it hadn't. Out of the newly created fissure was pouring foul smelling smoke. Out of the smoke emerged a golden dragon. The dragon belched fire into the air once. That was all it took. The manticore fled the clearing before the dragon could realize that it was there.
Joey's eyes refocused themselves on the real world. He turned back to the woman. "Nicely done."
She blushed slightly. "Thank you. You weren't so bad yourself."
Joey grinned. "Thanks." He looked over to Nathaniel. The priest had finished dispatching the imps with the elf's help. "I think we're done here now."
The elf locked eyes with Joey from across the clearing. Without unwielding her sickles she stalked across the clearing to him. "Why did you run it off?" She demanded.
"Huh?"
"Why did you let one of the minions of that foul man escape?" She stared intently into his eyes. She had deep violet eyes that matched her hair perfectly. Right now only anger could be seen in them. "Why?" She raised one of her sickles in a dangerous gesture. "Or are you working with him? Sent to gain my confidence?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Joey said defensively. "We just came to help you because you sounded like you needed it."
"Well I don't need your help," the elf snapped. She spun around and placed both sickles in her belt. After making her way to the clearing she jumped at the nearest tree. She landed neatly on its trunk near its roots. Springing at another tree she landed higher up on this one's trunk. Two more leaps took her thirty feet up into the tree's branches. She caught a large branch and swung herself up onto it. Once on the branch she ran along its length until she disappeared.
"Was she with you?" Joey asked in confusion to the woman.
She shook her head. "No. I don't know who she is."
"She's a Forest Born," Sandy said as he walked up to them with Nathaniel at his side. Phixt had taken up her usual position on the priest's shoulder.
"A what?" Joey asked.
"The boy's right," Nathaniel said. "The Forest Born are a race of elves even more closely linked to nature then most. There is a small tribe that lives in this jungle. She probably belongs to it. Actually she's probably the shaman of the tribe."
"Well she's certainly good at acrobatics," the woman commented. "I've never seen anyone climb a tree that way."
"All Forest Born move that way," the priest said. "They can also communicate with all plants and animals of the region they live in. If she is the shaman she'll have a number of other abilities as well."
"I wonder what's got her all upset then," Joey said.
"I guess we'll have to wait to find out," the woman said. "And I believe introductions are in order. I am the warlock Makyla of the earth."
Joey nodded his head. "I'm Joey." Sandy stepped toward Joey and looked at the warlock while blushing. "And this is Sandy."
Nathaniel stepped forward and bowed deeply. "I am Nathaniel, a priest of Tark." Phixt eyed Makyla for a few minutes before crawling into the bag at Nathaniel's side. "You'll have to excuse Phixt, she has a tendency to get jealous of other females."
"She doesn't bite," the woman asked worriedly. "Does she?"
"Only if I ask her," the priest assured her. "She'll recover."
Makyla nodded. "I have to thank you for your help earlier. Though apparently the elf didn't feel it was necessary to do that. But I'd also like to travel with you for a while. It seems safer that way."
"Of course," Joey said quickly. He'd already scanned the woman's aura. She was a good person all around, but seemed to be the type that would do whatever was needed to get the job done. "I don't have any problem with it. Do you guys?" Both Sandy and Nathaniel shook their heads. "Guess it's settled then. You'll be our companion for a while."
TBC