The Broken Circle

[Skroth]

Skroth marveled at the speed his mount traveled. The giant beetle zipped through the air like a bolt off a crossbow; what he thought would have taken days to travel had he gone on foot only took hours by air riding the beetle. And after said hours of nonstop flight, the thing hardly slowed when another beast of burden would have begun to show signs of fatigue. Its fast pace constantly kept the wind on the Jamoura’s face, causing icicles to form on his thick fur. Fortunately, it was thick enough to protect him from the high altitude’s frosty bite. Another being would have surely frozen to death. He hoped Caelum’s slower mount would be able to catch up with him.

As he neared the destination, Skroth spied Avi circling an area thick with mist. The smaller Nimvahlis could not be found. Perhaps the Akvatari had already begun to reconnoiter the area. Of more import, however, was the potent aura of negativity about the place. The howls and screams of things tortured grated in the Jamoura’s ears, the sight of a land so blighted by the god of chaos watered his eyes to weeping. Child of Caiyha, belonging to a people who considered themselves caretakers of nature, the place assaulted and offended Skroth in ways the others could not perceive. Never been touched by anger his whole life, the defilement of this section of the Talderan wilds brought burning fury into his heart of the first time. In his tears of rage, the giant Jamoura silently swore retribution to the ones responsible for this act of perversion.

He urged his mount to join with Avi, that they may descend and enter the place together. Swift justice must be delivered to those that have scarred the land so.

[Nimvahlis]

Bonds that allowed ecstasy to surge forth grew weary. Though Nimvahlis had attempted to shutter out the vast amounts of Djed stirring about this area, his undisciplined mind was unable to dab out the glow. It burst in, sending pins and needles through his eyes. The Akvatari severed the flow of Djed, and the plethora of auras died off like morning mist in the sun. However, a very real fog still eddied about the bottom of the forest. Nimvahlis hovered about, reorienting himself. The small shards of pain were dissolving in the cool air, and Nim tried to set off again. He fluttered his wings, traveling down the path. Had he been able to see the stars, he could have determined his direction. Though the shining canopy and fog concealed the sky. On second thought, it was in actuality the middle of the day. Nimvahlis glanced around him as he realized just how dark the world beneath the trees here was. Syna still ruled the sky. Nim flew higher into the air, fifteen feet up. The mist rolled in to cover the path, but Nim knew his orientation and did not stray from it. His eyes strained through the fog. Secrets awaited in the murk.

[Avi]

Well, that was no good, now, was it? As keen as her eyesight and hearing were, she couldn't see through the Goddess-damned fog that enshrouded the ground below her, and she had problems picking out Nimvahlis' wingbeats through the cacophony that rose up from below, but she could hear them when she focused on it. Avi continued in the same direction that the Akvatari had been moving in, moving west now that she could see activity there. And that, apparently, was the cave. Something moving east... well... something was coming out to meet the intruder, if Avi was any judge. Smart. Defending territory.

That also meant that they had lost any advantage they might have meant to keep by flying. Scouting, the last time Avi had thought about it, meant finding things out undetected. Sure, with her large size it was hard to do, but she, at least, looked like a natural part of Taldera. Enormous dire animals were not unusual there. Of course, she'd blown it anyway by allowing Nimvahlis to fly near her - where she might have been able to pass over it without raising an eyebrow, she hadn't done that now, and now, well, now she was going to have to pay for it. She circled again as she got further ahead of the Akvatari, turning slowly in the air, wheeling as she made her way towards the cave. Their cover was already blown... or maybe only Nimvahlis's was.

She wasn't surprised to hear the beetle, but oh, the thing was loud and annoying, and the owl clicked her beak as it approached her. Well, that was that. She moved upwards still, angling her wings for a new ascent unti she was higher up than Skroth, looking down at him and twisting again so that she had pointedly angled herself towards the cave. She had no idea whether he could see it or not, but she was slowly making her way towards it. She swooped downwards, then, skimming the mist and trying to see if she could disturb it enough to part it to allow sight into the ground below, mindful not to get her feet into it just yet. She didn't think it would move, but if she had to, she'd slip under it. The trees were sparse enough yet to allow it when she wanted to - but she also wanted to keep an eye on whatever was moving in Nimvahlis's direction.

[Ja'soth]

Skroth joins Avi and they both note the moving mists from the cave headed toward where Nimvahlis disappeared. There is a swirling blackness in the mist like soot. Whatever it is is moving quickly and should overtake Nimvalhis last position in moments. They will have to decide if they wish to assist him or wait it out or attack the cave and find out what else lurks in the mist below. Avi finds that the mists do part to her wings but seem to close back in as fast as she parts them.

[Nimvalhis]
Nimvhalis hears the sound of something moving quickly on his position. There is the feel of dread and anguish along with a myriad of other emotions and sensations. It is as if he is being permeated by the feeling and it threatens to smother him. Just when he thinks he cannot stand it anymore the mists part briefly and there is a black cloud oozing out of them and some kind of shadow within the blackness the whole thing seems to be cloud and shadow and wavers between a human form and something unrecognizable. It seems to be headed straight for him

[Nimvahlis]

Attention. It all came crashing down at once, a hail of stars colliding with the blackness in front of him to snap Nim's focus back to the present. His mind had slipped under the fog, into a realm of his own design. Now, the attentions of this swirling, murky entity proffered to him had provoked his return. Sidereal eyes forced back to the world below saw the approaching blackness, but remained curiously detached as if they only wanted to return to the sky. Nim's head shook and cleared the remnants of daydreams from his head, dispelled the cobwebs glittering with morning dew. The dark ink blot neared him. An iota of something, two syllables, a word: "caution". Nimvahlis pulled up and twisted about, furiously flapping wings of muted colors to retreat. He was not sure he could escape, his form was fluid and quick like water flowing over rocks, but the unknown was always swift in its rebuke of all things certain- he could taste oblivion in the next fraction of an instant. Firm hands gripped the wood of a tree as Nim pulled around it, out of the creature's view. His breath came in short rasps, heartbeat had quickened, and each quiet flap of his wings sounded more like an army taking one great step forward. He could not, he had already tired himself far too much, but had to. The sweet, hot honey jumped eagerly at his beckon, flowing thickly to fill his body with pleasures the most exotic drug could not rival. Nim's breath caught despite himself at the unique sensation, that of completion. The anomaly's form became apparent to the Akvatari, wreathed in a halo of color. A wave of dulled pain washed over Nim's mind as his soul wheezed and gasped at its extortion. No matter, the oozing whispers told him, you must press on.

[Skroth]

At any other time, Skroth would have debated with himself for a long time what would be the proper course of action at such a scenario - if a companion was being stalked by some sort of dark presence, perhaps a minion of Rhysol himself, what would he do? What can he do? Should he even act in the first place? But such questions, and the answer to them, lies in the realm of supposition. Such a thing was truly occurring now, right before his eyes, and his companion might be in danger, if not already so. He needed to act rather than think and plot out all the possible outcomes that might result from such a scenario. It was time to move.

Not waiting for the giant form that was Avi to follow him, Skroth directed his mount to descend upon the ground to where he last saw Nimvahlis. The Akvatari might have no way to defend himself, and being the strongest in the group, he had taken it upon himself to protect those weaker than himself. Soft clicks issued from the giant beetle's feet as it landed on the earth, bearing the Jamoura's weight with ease. Cautiously, he urged the creature forward, his eyes peering into the soupy mists in search of his companion.

"Nim?" he called out tentatively, his voice a grating sound, like rocks tumbling off a steep slope. He was almost fearful of giving his position away but there was no help for it. He had to aid those the Mother had called to carry out the quest. He could not accomplish it without them.

[Avi]

Avi turned sharply, angling her wings as she spiraled down, hoping the fast movement would part the mist even more as she aimed for the ground, keeping an ear tuned to where the beetle was. The Kelvic's hearing was well sharp enough to track Skroth and his mount from the chittering sounds it made, despite the overwhelming cries and pleas for help and mercy. Avi was thinking that maybe, maybe, that was the effect of the black creep, as Avi had resigned herself to calling it, the horrible blackness that covered the trees. Terminus had told her about it, and its very presence bothered her intensely. As best as she could see, it was everywhere.

There was no hesitation from her as she followed Skroth down. In for a copper, in for a pound. There was no need to think and ponder and consider everything from every angle - Avi had done her quick analysis of the situation already. She had had enough time to think about this while they were flying, and more since she had started circling. The cave was up ahead, the Akvatari had gone down somewhere, and Skroth was there. There was no more point in waiting now - chances were, Rhysol's followers probably knew they were there, and had since Nimvahlis had broken through the treeline. Her way of looking at it was simple enough: fight, stop Rhysol's agent, Hramath, and the abomination he had created, and do what she had to do to for them to not only win, but ensure that their little intrepid party got out alive.

She perched on a limb that didn't seem to be too affected by it yet, low enough that she could intervene, but high enough to allow her some velocity when she took wing again to attack to do something. She had no doubt she was better with her talons and beak than her spear - it was simply a matter of doing what her instincts told her there. When your gut said something, you listened. For Avi, it was really just that simple. She launched herself airborne again - there was no point in trying to navigate down below. The mist didn't move for her - it was too thick to see much, and she couldn't fly through it. She knew without a doubt that it would get cramped quite quickly. She broke the treeline again, and began to look for that... whatever it was... that had been coming their way. When she spotted it, she dove down once more, looking to come at it from above.

[Ja'soth]

At this time several things have begun to happen in this strange,blighted land. The first is that Syna is setting and the second is that the dark thing has arrived at Nimvhalis position. also Skroth and Avi have arrived at the location so many things have begun to happen.

Nimvahlis

You begin to feel Syna's rays diminishing despite the thick mists, your body will undergo its change within a bell. You note that it becomes increasingly difficult to rise into the air above the cloying emotions that run rampant here and they grow stronger as the black shape approaches. You manage to get above it before it gets to your position on the ground but You also note the arrival of your companion Skroth perched upon a great Stag Beetle. The beetle's clicking as it lances seems to draw the thing's attention from you toward him. You also begin to feel something in the back of your mind, something probing,going through your memories and thoughts like they were a book. There isn't much time before you lose the power of flight.

Skroth

The moment you penetrate the mists , they close around you like a great veil, these are not normal mists as they not only obscure your vision, they seem to penetrate your mind with cries of tortured souls and dark emotions. You cannot spot Nimvahlis at first and then you see him obviously struggling to take to the air. There is a feeling of dread and anger filling the air as the mists part to reveal a dark shape shrouded in shadow, it appears to be the shape of a human male but no definable form. Sha'halla recoils from the thing and tries to take flight, her instincts kicking in despite her training to protect you.

The apparition seems to ignore the beetle and turns to face you, a voice emanates from it like the very shadows it is made ofYou will be consumed by the fires of Chaos, your mind will be taken by the lord of Chaos. You will experience the bliss of Chaos.

With that a tentacle of shadow leaps from the thing and entwines itself around your left wrist with a speed unlike anything you have ever noted. Once the shadow connects with the flesh and fur there your mind is assaulted with horrific visions, you see pictures of great torture and abominable acts so real that your mind has difficulty telling reality from vision.

Avi

You indeed note that it would get quite cramped down there quite quickly and so when you break the treeline you can see the dark shadow has stopped right about where you estimate Skroth would have landed. You see your opening to dive on the thing. As you break the mist line it seems that the mists part to reveal Skroth entangled in a shadowy tendril of some kind emanating from some thing that resembles a human shadow. You risk harming Skroth unless you are very careful.

[Skroth]

Skroth ignored the mists as they closed around him, his attention focused solely on finding his Akvatari companion. Even the strange cries and dark atmosphere that seemed to hang heavily upon the thick air held no sway upon him. A member of his party was in danger and nothing else mattered at the moment.

He spotted Nimvahlis trying to fly up in futility just as he noticed the form of a shadowy man step out of the mists. Caelum? No, it was someone else, a stranger, and it was difficult to distinguish his features. His mount seemed to react to the presence of the man, backing away in terror. The Jamoura fought to control the beast and it was then that the man turned to him and spoke, in a voice like darkness turned to sound.

Skroth would have retreated, to regroup with Avi perhaps or go around the stranger to join with Nim, but it was too late. A shadowy tendril had latched on to his arm and suddenly, horrors upon horrors flooded his mind. Visions of nature perverted into a mockery of itself filled his sight, pained cries of Caiyha's children deafened his ears, and the poisoned air of a ravaged earth choked his breathing. Skroth knew not how he ended up in this hellish place. Were they too late and Hramath's creature just go unleashed into the world? Or were these just hallucinations brought about by the touch of the shadowy man? He tried to pull back but he found himself immobilized by the fear exuded by the stranger.

He needed help.

Skroth tried to call out but even his lips would not move.

[Avi]

Enormous as she was, she was a silent, deadly arrow, the sound of her wingbeats hidden by the mist. Avi dived, wings trimmed, keeping her feet and talons tucked until the last possible instance. She had to time this just right, to be perfectly careful, else she would do far more damage to Skroth than she would care to think about. Her inky black feathers repelled the mist that clung and concealed, and she didn’t make a sound as she attacked whatever it was that was attacking Skroth.

Her enormous wings flared at the last moment as her feet came forward, talons extended, trying to grab whatever it was on the Jamoura, planning to snatch it, to lift it up and dump it from a high altitude. If it was grabbing him, surely, surely, she would be able to grab it. She couldn't hardly afford to miss, but with a little luck, her giant feet would be able to find something other than Jamoura to sink into.