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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 2:38:09 GMT -5
Now there was noise, the harsh squak of a crow echoing through the woods. Rauni hissed, looking up. There were hundreds of them in the tree branches above their heads, peering down at them with glittering eyes. They started squaking again, over and over, a hundred harsh voices making a screeching chorus.
Whatever consideration Rauni might have had for letting them all die was gone under a ripple of pure instinctive hatred. She hissed again, crouching.
Emeric silently reached over and snapped her collar off, murmuring a word of a spell that lifted the restrictions on her. She slipped off the rock.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 2:44:40 GMT -5
He gritted his teeth for all the noise. The men covered their ears and shivered. They were everywhere, all at once. Just what was this?
What is he doing? He watched in disbelief as Emeric removed her collar. Did he mean for her to attack these beasts? It was impossible for a single girl to protect these men.
The question remained, now that the collar was off, would she turn her claws upon these men? Vladik drew out his twin shortswords, backing away from Rauni. He shook his head and readied to defend himself.
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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 2:49:05 GMT -5
There was a creaking sound all around them and the trees violently shook suddenly, sending the crows upward in a flurry, screeching in outrage. The trees curved inward, forming a sort of cage around the wagon and those around it. The crows smashed against them angrily but only a few of them managed to get in, dive bombing Vladik and all of them.
Rauni leaped up onto the top of the wagon.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 2:51:35 GMT -5
He cut at the birds as they dived for them. His sword did slice them, but oddly, their bodies would draw back together as if made of smoke. After a few useless tries he sheathed his weapons and darted for the fire, picking up a flaming branch. If he couldn't cut them, perhaps they would burn?
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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 3:00:44 GMT -5
That worked...the fire didn't seem to harm them but they didn't like the light, cowering away from his strikes with angry cries.
Rauni was putting on a brave front. She didn't have a prayer of battling this creature in its full form. This was only a part of it here with them, the complete creature unable to leave wherever it was. It was trying to drag them to it. She turned her head when she saw Vladik fighting them off and there was a loud creak. One of the smaller trees bent all the way down, one long branch appearing right next to Vladik.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 17:06:15 GMT -5
He felt a small sense of victory as he kept the crows at bay. A few men caught on quickly and also picked up burning brands from the fire. He was startled to see the tree move so close to him and jumped back a little. Glancing at Rauni, catching her gaze, he knew it was she meant to help him. He hesitated while he reached up for it, not knowing if it was a bad move snapping the branch off to use it, or if she meant for him to climb it.
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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 22:55:59 GMT -5
A soft clicking noise drew his attention and Rauni pointed first to the torch in his hand, then the large branch bent down beside him.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 23:11:04 GMT -5
He nodded, raised his torch and set the large branch alight, stepping back as it caught.
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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 23:17:22 GMT -5
The crows shrieked, exploding up into the air.
Rauni, standing atop the wagon, her power freed in a way it hadn't been for a long time, felt giddiness sweep through her, letting herself go freely which was perhaps unwise.
It was already done though, the treetop cage exploded into flames, though oddly enough none of them were burned or damaged. At her core, wrapped up in instinct, Rauni became what she always had been; a protector. There wasn't any room for her at the moment for hatred, or for her to even remember who they were. The cleansing fire burned along the dark touched trees and purified them in a blaze. She closed her eyes and the cage suddenly sprang out, the trees straightening suddenly, sending crows flying everywhere. They finally retreated, shrieking in pain and anger and the fire in the treetops died suddenly.
Rauni swayed, the sudden use of power making her dizzy, and stumbled a bit. She finally lost consciousness and tumbled off the wagon.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 23:27:31 GMT -5
That did it. He watched as the fire spread with an initial sense of alarm. The canopy was burning and they were right in the middle? He started to back up into the center of the clearing instinctively, looking up and around warily. Other men cried out in terror, in near panic. He knit his brow. Strange, the fire wasn't destroying the canopy, simply the strange mess of crows.
And just as quickly as it spread, the fire was out. He looked down and tossed the remnants of the torch into the fire. He glanced up as movement caught his eye. Rauni didn't look so good...
When she fell off the wagon, Vladik jogged towards her but Emeric was there first. He slowed to a halt, watching.
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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 23:32:59 GMT -5
Emeric hurriedly snapped the collar back around her neck and murmured something, reactivating the runes Vladik couldn't see that would put a dampening effect on her power again. He picked her up and moved around the wagon again, tugging the door open and laying her inside.
He and the other mercenaries looked both relieved and frightened. They never liked being reminded of exactly how much power she could wield against them if she ever truly got free.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 23:43:23 GMT -5
By the way Emeric acted, it looked like she would be all right. She was simply exhausted by so much activity. She has spent countless days caged up, her powers useless by the supression spells and runes holding her captive.
He sat down by the scattered remnants of the camp fire, looking down at the ruined mess, and halfheartedly nudged some of the burning logs back into something that looked like it may be a fire. He was not frightened, he had not seen the same hatred in her eyes that she had for him as he had before.
He shook his head a little. Perhaps she was acting for herself, an instinct of survival that had kicked in, no more, no less. Vladik sighed heavily.
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Post by KD on Dec 13, 2010 23:50:03 GMT -5
The fact the entire canopy had been on fire and none of them had gotten hurt nor the horses or wagon damaged didn't give much credence that she'd been acting solely for herself. Come to think of it, the horses were remarkably calm. They'd been panicked when the crows came but not by the fire.
Emeric came over and finished what he'd started, building the fire up again. All of them had an instinct to just start running but even with Vladik's expertise, traveling along the barely visible road at night was suicidal.
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Post by Jenny on Dec 13, 2010 23:58:06 GMT -5
He looked over at Emeric as he took a seat next to him in front of the re-stoked fire.
"At first light, we'll move on. There's a second bridge not far from here. I just want to leave this place behind." He raised his eyes and looked around the clearing again.
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Post by KD on Dec 14, 2010 0:00:48 GMT -5
Emeric nodded slowly. "I'll admit it's times like these that the woods around here scare me a little. There are things here older than all of us put together. Except maybe her." He jerked his head back toward the wagon
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