The Trials and Tribulations of Overland Travel (Closed)

[Crescent]

At the sound of magic she frowned and looked down at the mud, it didn't give her a settling feeling at all. Eyes dropped to her mare's hoofs and was relieved to find at least her horse's feet were on dry solid land. Brows met into a frown as she carefully made her way round climbing on the rim of the caravan until she reached the rim of the back and perched there lookin down. " The mud is hexed" she comented in a stern voice. She couldn't identify what kind of magic but she'd heard about something like this before, it was usually used to stage an attack- usin the vehicles as decoy to force it's inhabitants on foot where an ambush would lay in waiting- of course that's what she'd heard.

Eyes darted to Tobias who was now focusing on a spot best described as the 3 o'clock hand on any clock. " We are being tracked " she stated reading her raptor's stiff pose. It could have been an animal- a big one- but something in her gut told her it wasn't- only time would tell what was to happen. Like clock work the girl underneath started calling out that she was stuck which put Cres on edge for the girl was now talkin quite loud about getting her feet out of the mud- in a tone many could catch.

[Markus Andres]

Markus let out a strained grunt as he put all his strength behind pushing the wagon. The muscles on his arms and legs became hard as steel. Despite him putting everything into it, the wagon did not budge. It was like it had decided to set roots. He turned to Imass when he mentioned magic. It took a moment for Markus to register that he might be standing in a puddle of mud... infused with djed... Then from his side, a young lady panicked. A panic Markus understood, for he very much shared her sentiment for leaving the mud. Markus took a step closer to her. It was way harder than he would have expected. He pondered for a moment why such a young girl had thought it prudent to venture into the mud and help. But at the same time, he admired her spirit as he disliked her foul language. He could not abandon a young girl in the mud, that would be very un-knightly behaviour. "Hey, calm down! Hold onto my shoulders and I'll get you out." Markus said looking directly at the young Drykas girl. His voice was clear and calm. Showing no hints of his own desire to get out of the mud. Making sure she heard him, before he crouched, allowing her to actually reach his shoulders. When/if she decided to wrap her arms around his shoulders, he would have an easier time getting her out of the mud. But if she decided not to, he would just have to rely on the strength of his arms. His right arm, would hold onto the wagon. Left arm would go around her waist. Using the wagon as an anchor of sorts, he pulled with all his might on it, using its stability to raise the girl out of the mud. Muscles as steel cords again as he stood up. Using his entire body to lift the girl out of the mud. "Everyone! Out of the mud until we know what we're dealing with!" Markus ordered. Best to be on the safe side and not stand in the mud until they knew what they were dealing with.

[Eridanus]

More people came, and Eridanus grinned. He had no real love for mud, especially if it meant delaying their journey, and he wanted to be with the main convoy when they set up their sprawling campsite when night fell. The wildlands were no place to be in the dark, alone.

"I'll help push. The good lady with the mare please drive," He replied to the unranked knight, and together with the other helpful men he pushed. Summoning his strength, he grunted as he heaved together, feeling the combined strength of the others as they pushed against it, but somehow it still did not move.

The observant vantha could feel a slight tremor in the ground, which he attributed to the horses that were helping to pull the trapped wagon, but the cart still did not move. Surprised, he looked around, finding himself not the only one finding the situation weird.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and someone dropped into the mud. He took a step forward to help, but the nearer men were already on it, and he looked at the mud suspiciously. Two knights had already voiced warnings, and he stepped further away from the mud.

Instead, he began pulling from the pool of djed within his body, bringing them to his physical senses. Sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch. The holistic five senses immersed in the detection-arts of the arcane. As the aura began materializing and characterizing to his magically-tuned senses, the texture began disrupting his analysis.

Not just mud.

There was not just mud. He could feel djed, primitive djed, infused within the mud. Yet, it was not the kind that he found in mortal wizards, but instead the kind more similar to wild djed or environmental djed. He began digging deeper into the aura, uncovering the aspects of it that governed connections to magic. He was, in essence, attempting to discern magical traces in detail. Strangely, the formation of the djed within the mud was too regular to be wild djed, yet too massive to be simply environmental djed.

"There's something in the mud, everyone get out!" He warned, making sure to emphasize on the previous warnings. He began edging away, yet he continued focusing his magical sight on the mud, trying to investigate further, trying to discover more information that might help them.

[Talulah]

Talulah took a breath and calmed herself, still panicking on the inside though. She grabbed onto the knight's shoulders and held on tightly. She grunted and pulled on her feet as he pulled on her, letting out a sigh of relief as it finally released her. She clung to the the man who had saved her, blushing a little when she realized what she was doing, and hugged him, remembering to be careful not to squeeze too tight. "Thank you ser!" she said, the relief and gratefullness clear in her voice. "Do you need help getting out as well? I can help. I am stronger than I look." She wasn't sure whether he would accept her offer or not but she wanted to repay him for helping her.

[Crescent]

Hearing Eridanus call out instructions hoped back in the driver's seat and cracked the whip egging the horses to pull with all their might. Nothing. Nothing changed which was very worrysom. Something was definitely in the mud, the horses were on edge and dared not get their hooves wet. Nightwish in particular didn't favor the situation and was beginning to become hard headed- it really was obvious she knew they couldn't make it budge- for now anyway.

Looking over her shoulder Cres called out " What now?"

[Imass]

Dread and fear crept onto Imass like death itself. Everyone began to scream all at once, it was almost as if lightening had stricken everyone. Panic ensued as everyone hustled to get out of foul mud. Imass' mind began to race as information began to go through his mind. There was no time to think, he needed to react; there was no sitting idly for a knight.

Summoning up all his bravery, Imass picked up his feet and trudged through the mud. He would NOT leave his horse shackled to the evil, black mud. His arms were vibrating as blood began to circulate through his body. Adrenaline coursed through his body. His soul was in total panic. His heart still acted though. Picking up his knees as high as possible he finally reached the harness.

Unclasping his horse, Imass struggled to get on his valiant steed. It had only passed half a tick, but the mud was getting stickier and stickier. It was as if the mud was turning into thick glue. Picking up his knee high off the floor he finally got his muddy boots inside the stirrups. Picking up his other knee, the Knight swung onto the horse. Using the reigns and his spurs Imass got his horse to gallop out of the mud.

Relatively safe now, Imass reared the horse as Markus helped the woman out of the mud. Eridanus and the Konti were quick to leave the mud pit too.

Imass then executed his knightly training as a reaction. He scanned the area in three hundred and sixty degree. He took a moment to mentally record the facts: First off, to the east the Syliran host continued to march down into the valley. They were now out of communication range. It would be a minute's gallop to catch up with them.

Secondly, to the west was the ridge they had descended previously. The road climbed the ridge in two long, wide switchbacks. At the top of the ridge, but south of the road, was a wooded area maybe two furlongs across. In the small glade, birds screamed and flew high into the air. There were hundreds of black dots flying to the horizon. They were flying quickly and frantically.

Thirdly, to the south was nothing out the ordinary. Jagged rocks spiraled down into the valley and in the horizon plains and hills. To the north the ridge continued climbing. There where similar forested areas here too, but there was no disturbance with the birds.

Fourthly, the mud was now a thick black sludge. It almost seemed like it was slowly boiling. The cart began inching into the pit as the glue sucked everything around it.

The knight gathered all the facts and started to relay the information to the group. Although, he meant for all to hear this information, he focused his words towards Markus Andres, "The Konti is correct! We are being tracked," Imass pointed at the disturbed forest, "Something has disturbed the birds...LOOK!"

Suddenly a ghastly sight exploded from the trees; an army of Yukman where charging straight at the flank of the Syliran army. They could not be heard at all. The Syliran host would not know they were coming.

"Quick!" Imass waved at the women, "Someone ride quickly to the host!! We are under attack! Warn them!!"

Imass reared his horse again and jogged forward. The assailing Yukman where running abnormally fast. They were all holding sharpened sticks. Imass already knew in his heart what the correct action was. He had faith in Yahal. He upheld the values of Tyveth. He served the Windoak without any question.

"We must face the enemies of Syliras head on! If we are brave then the gods will turn the tides of fate in our favor!" Imass drew his sword.

[Eridanus]

Flashes of red alarmed the vantha as he continued to magically study the mud, and as it began boiling black he began to detect large traces of magical activity in the mud. The globs of light in his vision that signified djed began to coagulate and he soon recognized them to form a cohesive whole.

At the same time, a muddy hand came up from the mud, gripping one of the wheels of the cart.

"The mud! Everyone get out!" He repeated, drawing his blade with his master arm as he shut down the flow of djed to his head, his senses now returning to the physical world.

Several more muddy arms began to rise from the black mud, and darkened bodies covered by crusts of rocks were rising.

Yukmen.

He recognized these creatures to be anomalies of nature, and he had encountered them before while in the Unforgiving across the Suvan Sea. To think that they would appear now.

At the same time, Imass yelled something, and the vantha turned his head to see where he was gesturing. It seemed that from the woods another bunch of yukmen were heading straight to the main body, and it seemed that they were going to be taken unawares.

"To arms, to arms!" He yelled, knowing that his voice might not reach the main body due to the distance and the noise.

Temporarily ignoring the black mud and the rising yukmen, he ran outwards so as to provide a clear line of sight between him and the contingent. He had to warn them somehow, and he breathed deeply, bringing djed from within his body.

Several times he tried to materialize it as res, but his growing panic failed to provide the necessary mental stability, and it continually sputtered out. Swearing, he tried his best to calm down, utilizing meditative techniques to slow down his breathing and he tried again, pooling res. The res dissipated at random intervals, but he continued to pool the glowing white substance until there was a sufficient amount.

Calculating the trajectory, he raised his arm as if he was going to throw a ball, stating clearly, "Feast your eyes on directed anger, Warmth Arc!"

Transmuting the sphere of res as he cast the spell, he threw the fireball in a projectile motion over the contingent, at the part where the yukmen were charging. The fireball flew over the heads of the knights to land harmlessly, for his proficiency in the art was sufficient only to sustain its flight, there was not enough res at the end of the journey to cause any damage. That was not his intention anyway, for his intention was to warn them.

Hopefully, the knights would have detected the fireball, and if they turned around to see who threw it, they would then see the yukmen charging towards them.

Either way, it was time to deal with the current and nearer threat, and Eridanus went back to the black mud, ready to slay the rising creatures.

[Talulah]

Talulah didn't even have time to get an answer from the man before people started shouting. She jumped off him and onto solid ground to see what was going on. She froze when she saw the charging...things going towards the main group. "Oh no, what do I do, what do I do?!" she thought in a panic. She glanced towards the man who had saved her and squealed in both fear and surprise as she saw hands rising from the mud. As she heard horses whinnying, she remembered Jewel and looked in her direction, then to the man and back again. "Ohhhh Shyke!!" she exclaimed loudly. "I promise I will be right back!" she told him as she ran to Jewel. The Strider was nervous but luckily hadn't fleed yet. "Jewel, go back to Syliras and get help! Pull the guards at the gate towards here or something, I know you're smart enough to do it! Don't come back no matter what happens, I don't want you hurt." Talulah said to Jewel as she pulled her sword from its sheath and raced back towards the wagon to help the man who had saved her. She looked back once to see Jewel galloping at full speed back to Syliras and she smiled bravely as the horse looked back at her.

[Crescent]

It was as if time in her vision had ceased to change- everything was moving in slow motion. The very sludgy limbs that begun to reach out towards them- the sound of horses exulting their high pitched shrieks as they kicked out and bucked. Looking at those who took arms quickly whipped out her own blades. As one of the males instructed to go back to get help and warn their host, she was quick to move but the Fae who'd been under the caravan seemed to have been one step ahead but to Cres's astonishment she had sent her mount on ahead.

Not really well versed in the manners of Striders debated as she fended off the long slimy fingers that tried to grapple NightWish's ankles. Deciding that the guys could handle things here decided to take the responsibility of warming their host and protecting them as best she could. Holding out her blade as she took the reigns called out " I'll go warn our host and stand guard them there."

As the mare reeled she lashe out as a few foes seemed to rush at them. Uttering a short prayer for protection called out " eeyaaa!!" as Nightwish kicked off into a gallop. Within minutes time she'd reached the host. Pulling up in front of the group warned " the Yukman have ambushed us, I'm here to offer assistance " she then awaited further instructions.

[Markus Andres]

Markus gave the girl a reassuring smile. He always felt satisfied when he had helped someone. He opened his mouth to say something when a muddy hand coming out of the mud. He looked at it alarmed as his heart skipped a beat. Had the driver of the wagon fallen under? He took a step over to help the poor man when more of him… it was uncovered. Markus instinctively knew something was wrong. Rocks were embedded into the skin. Broken skin. There was something unnatural about it and it chilled him to the bone. The thing had to die. A swift motion of his right hand and suddenly the dagger that he had sheathed by his left ribcage was in his hand. Markus stepped closer to the creature as it rose. Pulling itself out of the mud. Markus recognized strength when he saw it and every fibre of him did not want to wrestle with this creature. Especially not in the mud. So he had to strike before the creature got fully on its feet. Assuming it even had feet. He stepped in closer. Then swung his dagger in a high arc before it was plunged directly into the back of the creature. Feeling no remorse as he did so. He stabbed it again and again and again. Until the creature vanished below the mud again. Taking Markus' dagger with it after it had got stuck in the creature's spinal cord. ... Petch. I will never find that dagger again. Markus looked up from the carnage he had just inflicted upon the creature and saw the army that was advancing on the army. He saw the man who had been in the mud with him stand oddly by the side. He saw Imass on his horse yelling. No doubt he was ready to make a solo cavalry charge at the host. ”Imass! Don’t ride alone!” Markus yelled as he made his way out of the mud as quickly as he could. He had to get to his horse, Alluia. They were in dire straits. Their group was situation right smack in the middle between the two armies. Markus cleared the mud and got to Alluia and mounted as fast as he could. Once secure in the saddle he pulled his shield off of his back and secured it to his his left arm. That was when a fireball was launched from the group. Markus looked at the mage, surprised that he was a mage. Well, that had gotten the attention of the Syliran army who Markus could see had spotted the danger as there was quite the commotion. But they would take time to organize a counter attack. Before then, the mudpit would have been overrun. He looked to Imass. He had to buy the knights time so they could respond to the threat. He had to come up with something that could keep these people safe. Two knights. A mage. Several civilians he knew little about. Imass trusted the mage. That much was certain. Thus Markus could trust him as well. ”Hey, Mage! Well done! I am counting on you to keep these people safe! Anyone else who can fight, help him!” He yelled pointing at him with his right arm. "If not, seek shelter in the wagon or make for the army! Do not feel pity for those wretched creatures! For they are mindless abominations, slay them without hesitation." He ordered. The wagon would make for a simple defensive position. Better than the open ground. He turned to Imass. Half expecting the knight to already know what Markus had planned. Even though Markus had not planned anything intricate. It was perhaps the simplest of tactics ever. Divide and conquer. ”We aim for the middle, split them in two, get their attention. Delay them at any cost! We can’t let these people down.” Markus said with a calm and confident voice. He was determined to make it out of there alive. He unsheathed his bastard sword. ”FOR SYLIR!” Markus yelled from the top of his lungs. Raising the blade into the air as he did so. To raise morale and get his own nerves under control. Alluia moved majestically beneath him. He directed her towards the middle of the horde. They had spotted him. Steadily Markus came closer to the army of chaotic Yukmen. He bit his teeth together in a grim determination. His blade swung seamlessly through the air. Slicing through the collar and shoulder of a creature. Parting it with its right arm. Markus held on tight to his sword. Forcing the blade all the way through the meaty shoulder. He had no time to see if it was dead. For more creatures flocked before him. He swung the blade down with an overhead chop. Splitting a skull in two. He did not have to check to see if that one died. He continued his rampage through the horde of Yukmen like this. His blade not still for a moment. Continuously swung at some new creature. He did not have the time to spare to look how Imass was faring. But he was a trained knight, no doubt he was cleaving his way through the midst as well.