Dixie

Nina didn't even hear Matt and anyway, his request was not possble.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

Looking up at Nina, Vanelee caught a glance of her vivid green eyes before Matt busted in on the moment.

That glance was all he needed to know the mages feelings...her true feelings. A wide grin formed across the elf's face, and his eyes now reutrned to their warm grey.

"I know..." Vanelee said, his gaze still upon Nina's beautiful face.

Matt gave a perplexed look for a moment, looking back and forth between the pair.

"...we do need to alert the king." Vanelee finished his line, turning back to Matt.

Amarth

"Perhaps a carrier bird of some sort. Can either of you manage such a feat?"

Dixie

Nina shot Matt a disgusted look, got up and walked off into the woods with Anca by her side.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

" I believe I can!" Vanelee jumping to his feet, his thoughts racing back to his forgottten companion.

With these words, Vanelee raised two fingers to his mouth and emitted a high pitched whistle.

The group stood frozen for a few moments, before the sound of flapping wings could be heard approaching them.

Suddenly a light grey falcon swooped into the forest and came to rest on Vanelee's shoulder.

"Fawkes!" Vanelee greeted the bird "How are you my old friend!"

With a smile on his face, the elf turned back to his companions and said " Guys, this is my travelling companion Fawkes. He can carry message to the king."

All the while the falcon nipped tenderly at the elf's raised hand.

Amarth

Matt was a bit perplexed at the actions of Nina. He scratched his head in confusion, oblivious to the emotions building in his group. He shrugged and turned to Vanelee.

"Cool. Hey Fawkes. Nice to meet you. I'll be right back. I'm going to look for a rock that will suit for writing!"

Matt ran off into the woods to look for such a stone.

SSJwrestler

' A rock?' Vanelee thought to himself, removing a piece of crumpled parchment from his travelling bag 'Who on Earth writes on rocks?'

"Matt!" the elf called, before the monk dissapeared from view "Why don't you use this parchment I have? All you need is a quill, but you can use a twig and mud if a quill isn't available."

Vanelee held out the parchment to Matt, fidgetting all the while with imaptience. He wanted to join Nina, who had walked off, because he didn't like the thought of her being alone and becuase he desperatley wanted ot finish what they had started.

Amarth

Matt stopped dead in his tracks and lost his balance, almost falling into the dirt.

"Uh, you look antsy. I'll write the note and give it to Fawkes. You go use the bathroom or whatever it is you need to do. While you're out, how bout getting us some firewood?"

While he was talking, Matt got a twig and a handful of mud, the dirty water dripping from between his fingers.

SSJwrestler

"YEAH!" Vanelee responded eagerly. He quickly handed the parchment to Matt and darted off into the woods. Fawkes flew off his masters shoulder and landed on a low branch near Matt's head.

Now that he was alone, he could look for Nina, but where had his young miss gotten off to? The elf could no longer sense the mage's power, and looked around the forest for her.

'A mage..' Vanelee thought to himself grinning. 'You would fall in love with a mage...someone who can dissapear whenever they want to.'

Dixie

Nina let her thoughts wander as she walked. She hadn't meant to get so angry at Matt. She knew he had not interrupted on purpose.
She hadn't meant for Vanelee to follow her, but she wished suddenly that he was with her. She knew he had something to say, she could feel it even now, eating at him. Anca stopped to sniff something in the leaves and Nina took the opportunity to rest, as her recent injury did not allow her to exert herself much. She leaned back against a tree, the sunlight falling through the branches onto her face. She closed her eyes and slipped into thoughts of Vanelee...

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

"Nina.." Vanelee shouted softly, as he wandered around the forest looking for the lost mage.

As he continued to walk, something caught his eye. A foot...Nina's foot...sticking out from behind a tree.

Vanelee approached his young miss excitedly, but not brashly, not wanting to startle her.

When she came into view, Vanelee saw that she and Anca had drifted off, leaning against a tree. Vanelee could only smile as he saw his lady sleeping, her body illuminated in the rays of sunlight that managed to pentrate the forest's canopy.

Leaning down on Nina's side, Vanelee decided he wouldn't wake her. Instead, he moved her body gently away from the tree so that he could squeeze in between it and her. After doing so, and not waking her up, the elf cradled the young miss in his arms, holding her petite frame like the precious tresure she was. He then gently kissed her neck, and waited for her to awake.

Dixie

Nina fell asleep and dreamed that Vanelee came to her and held her, kissing her neck...It was the most beautiful dream and Nina smiled in her sleep.
She awoke slowly, realizing that she hadn't been dreaming. "Vanelee...I wanted to tell you..." She let him take the words from her lips with his own.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

"I know..." Vanelee said, with a slight smile.

He then gently kissed the young miss gently on the lips. A subtle kiss, seeing as it was the first one he had done in AGES.

The elf had never befored felt a rush as he did when his lips met with Nina's for the first time. All the pain in his body ceased, and a tingling sensation filled his entire body

Though the kiss lasted only a few brief seconds, it felt like an eternity for Vanelee. An eternity, he'd be willing to live in forever. When the pair's lips finally parted, all Vanelee could do was smile.

'Is this it?' Vanelee thought to himself 'Is this true love....finally?'

Another gentle kiss from Nina made him think so, and with these comforting thoughts, the elf pulled HIS yuong miss closer to his body.

Dixie

Nina felt that her entire being must be on fire. She had never felt so alive and so content. 'So this is what love feels like...' She let Vanelee draw her closer, wanting to melt into him. She could hear his every thought buzzing through her mind and the entirety of his love and her own made her want to cry.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

The pair laid in each other's arms, watching the sunlight and the sun itself melt away. Even as the night hours approached they lay there, just content to be with one another...finally.

Finally Vanelee spoke. "Let's say we get outta here...head back for some food. I even think I was supposed to bring some firewood for Matt. Poor guy...probrably starving right now.."

With these words, Vanelee pulled Nina close and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. The kiss was as much for him as it was for him. To let him know he wasn't dreaming.

Amarth

Matt finished the note and attatched it to Fawkes's leg.

"Godspeed good bird."

Fawkes took off into evening sky. Matt sat patiently on a log waiting for Vanelee to get back from the bathroom. After about two hours had passed, his stomach growled. Man! I guess he really had to go. Well, I can't wait on him any longer. Matt got up and collected some firewood and started a fire. He then went 'fishing'. He could smell the water of a nearby lake and wandered his way there. This'll make for some good dinner! He took off his clothes and dove into the water. He remained submerged for almost two full minutes. When he finally came up, he was pulling behind him a fish the likes of which you wouldn't believe. It was not a shark, but it had huge fangs in its mouth. It was the size of a large shark for sure, but had shape more resembeling a flounder or something. The thing weighed at least 500 lbs., almost entirely meat. "That'll definately do." He drug it behind him back to camp. He went through the process of scaling and cleaning the fish (which was quite a task considering the size and the fact that it had been drug along the forest floor) and then tore it apart, placing the peaces over the fire to cook. He applied his seasonings and oils so that the smell drifted over the forest. While the meat cooked, he gathered some 'plates' from the campsite, feeling proud of himself for remembering ahead of time. The meat had just finished when Vanelee and Nina finally returned to camp. The sun was long gone and the stars shone brilliantly. Matt set three servings on three plates and began to ravenously devour his much larger share straight from the rosting pike over the fire. While coming up for air, he smiled a friendly smile at his friends. When he realized that they had come back together, the square peg finally made it into the circular hole and a look of suprise came over his face.

"OH!" he spurted out through a mouthful of fish.

Dixie

Nina laughed warmly at Matt's naivete. He had a good soul and she was extremely grateful to him for the dinner. Nina sat across the fire from Vanelee and watched him while he ate, his face glowing from the light of the flames. He was a beautiful creature, elves always were, such grace and inner strength... He caught her staring and they shared a smile and a look of tender devotion. Nina's thoughts were broken by Anca nudging her arm. She handed the wolf some fish and let her mind wander again, but this time she did not think of Vanelee. Her contentment was pierced by the memory of the wise mage from her childhood telling her to travel a long and desolate road, for only at the end of this road would she find purpose...

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

Vanelee's whole world had been turned upside down with his revelation of Nina's shared feelings.

Nothing seemed to be able to penetrate his god mood. As he sat by the fire eating his fish, he began to appreciate all the wonders of the world more than he had ever done. The stars, the moon, all of God's creatures, fire, sleep, and Nina... The elf couldn't stop giving the mage flattering glances.

Vanelee was perfectly content with the world. But thoughts of the journey kept nagging him. WHat dangers lie ahead?

Bob Biter

[OOC: Holy shit! I guess I shouldn't leave this thread unattended for more than a day. You guys got hardcore into character development! Sorry for the delay, but I had a 3-day weekend here in Japan and I only have regular access to my computer at work. Thank you for not using Dreggan for me. However, if you ever feel like he should be involved in a battle or something during a weekend and I can't log in, feel free to dictate a few of his actions, if only to keep him alive until I get back.]

As Matt, Vanelee and Nina were enjoying their dinner, a thought suddenly grew in their minds, slowly growing in intensity. After a moment, all three looked up at each other with a huge question mark over their heads. Two words were spoken in unison: "Where's Dreggan?"

Since the battle was intense and the feelings after even more so, ther group had forgotten their OTHER companion. Looking around, they saw he wasn't nearby, not even casually leaning on a branch, berating them on their sloppy battle techniques. Where could that thief be? Checking their belongings, they were relieved to see that he hadn't robbed them and left, but that still didn't answer their question.

Suddenly, a brustle in the tree nearest them drew their attention. Matt, charged up and the lovers stayed close, ready to face with weary grit yet another challenge on this day.

A body then fell down before them, it was man, dressed completely in black, riddled with needles and with his neck skewed at an odd angle. Another body followed. It was Dreggan's. He also had a few needles lodged in him, but thankfully not in life-threatening areas. His face was heavily bruised and his torso was slashed at a few places. He was still breathing, but just barely. As the group rushed to him with a collective gasp, they all heard his last words before slipping into unconsciousness:

"So wh... what's f... for dinner... honey."

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Amarth

"Fish."

Matt then suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly got to tending to Dreggan's wounds. He applied all he knew about chi healing, but unfortunately that's not that much. He wrapped the wounds with the cloth from his cloak and made sure there was plenty of pressure on them. Afterwards he tried to attend to the other body, but there was little point. He was long gone. Matt sighed and walked into the woods carrying the body, leaving his group behind. When he had achieved sufficient distance, he set the body down. He meditated for a moment, focused all of his strength, and launched a chi blast at the ground that made a huge ovular hole. He placed the body in the hole and began to push the dirt back onto it. When he was done with this, he said a brief chant and began to walk back to his group.

SSJwrestler

Seeing Dreggan colapse at the edge of the campsite, Vanelee was immediately on his feet and running to the theif's side. He helped Matt move Dreggan closer to the fire and in tending to his wounds.

After Matt did the burial duties for the other man, and Dreggan was soundly resting, Vanelee sat down on the fireside next to Nina. His fears of what might happen to hsi companions as they progressed on this journey had just been realized, and Vanelee was, to say the least, very uneasy.

He kept having thoughts as to what might happen to him and Nina. Shaking off these thoughts, Vanelee put back on his smile, and began admiring his loves face and he sky.

Dixie

(OOC: curses! damn you roche...)

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Bob Biter

The battle had been fierce and had almost cost him his life, but Dreggan knew that it was just the beginning. Slowly opening his eyes, he winced at the pain in his chest and face, but was relieved that it was much less severe than he thought it would be. Slowly getting up, he caught a glimpse of Vanelee and Nina in each other's arms, their backs to him. Why was he not surprised. Meanwhile, Matt was still downing the fish meat ravenously, like he hadn't eaten in... hours.

Hearing that their friend had woken up, they all faced him, with mixed expressions of relief and confusion on their faces. Slowly sitting near the cooking food, Dreggan helped himself to a piece and sighed heavily.

D - "I suppose I owe you all a story..."

M - "I like stories."

D - *sigh*

Dreggan then proceeded to tell them about his past. It was all violence. After the murder of his uncle, the head assassin had taken him as his son, to forge himself suitable "progeny". The Grey Cloud Guild had been annihilated, save for young Dreggan, but the twisted Sekine wanted the last remaining member not only to witness the end of a great, if seedy heritage, but also to be turned to a more "worthy" profession, as a final irony for the hated Grey Cloud.

Dreggan's training was brutal. It lasted 16 hours a day for innumerable years. Sekine was not the first master of the Poison Fist Guild, but he was certainly the most ruthless. No matter how sadistic he might be towards the other trainees, he was always twice as harsh on Dreggan. Failure in assigned duties resulted in beatings and denial of food. The young boy, even before reaching puberty, had to know how to kill quickly and silently.

When it came time to separate the wheat from the chaff, Sekine pitted trainee against trainee, warning them that only the last man standing would remain with the guild to pursue training. Dreggan always survived, blood-soaked, near the brink of insanity, but in one piece. This always brought a smile to his new master's face. His dream of creating someone in his image was working out nicely.

Tears welling up in his eyes, Dreggan told his friends that no matter how harsh the training and punishment, no matter what atrocities he had to commit to stay alive, he never forgot where he came from and his natural calling. He was now a thief trapped in an assassin's body. Trained to kill, but predisposed to steal. He valued this part of him that Sekine could never break. He would stay up many nights to pratice his sleight of hand and pickpocketting skills. Many would be assassins awoke to find their belongings gone or misplaced, blaming other trainees and getting into deadly fights.

All the while, Dreggan sat back and watched. While Sekine knew what was happening, he never called the young man on it. He tought he had broken him and that he was just combining his previous skills with the ones used for killing. He was partially correct. Dreggan assimilated his new trade quickly and found it to be effective. Besides, both assassins and thieves had to know how to move swiftly yet quietly, how to escape danger and how to use disguises to their advantage. Even though he hated to admit it, he was glad he had the chance to know his enemies and all their tricks. Through the guild, he was able to learn the deadly Savate style, the Poison Fist's own secret martial that combined long-range needle attacks with lethal kicks and leaps.

When the time to escape finally came, Dreggan slew almost a third of the inhabitants of the Poisons Fist's stronghold in just a few hours, gathered his equipment, stole enough valuables to get him far away and disappeared. That was 6 years ago.

He knew Sekine would come for him. He knew he had contacts everywhere and that his tracking skills were the stuff of legend, but he still believed that all his accumulated experience could get him by. Judging by the needle in the tree found that morning and the battle that had just taken place, this was obviously not the case.

Slightly trembling, he finished his meal, got up and asked if the group had found the bodies of his would-be killers.

M - "Bodies? I only found one and I buried him over there."

D- "You actually gave one of these twisted devils a proper burial?"

M - "Well, yeah. I thought it was the decent thing to do."

D- "Well, nevermind that... Let's find the others."

As the party searched for them, Dreggan wondered why Matt would show such courtesy to this type of filth. He then realized that he couldn't possibly feel all that the thief felt, even after his little dark tale. His heart was in the right place, and that was commendable.

When they finally came across the remaining two bodies, they all saw the extent of Dreggan's training. The wounds were precise and clean. Dreggan sais had targetted blood vessels, while needles had hit pressure points.

"These ones were easy, but it didn't surprise me. The Poison Fist's assassination squads always have three members: one veteran and two trainees. The whelps attack first, while the leader observes their technique. If they fail, then he or she finishes the job."

Dreggan then retrieved his needles, the asked Matt to drag their carcasses to the site where he had buried the leader.

D- "Leave them there. I'm sure Sekine won't like the warning, but at least he won't bother me for some time."

N- "Why's that?"

D- "The Poison Fist have a code they believe in very deeply. If a target survives an assasination attempt, which can only be accomplished by killing the assassins, then they are left alone out of respect for their skills. However, due to the mess I left them upon my escape, I doubt they'll give me more than a few days' worth of peace.

Listen, I'm sorry for dragging my past into this. You seem like good people. I did horrible things throughout my life, but rest assured that I'm not a cold-hearted killer. When I DO kill, it's always for a reason. Never just for money. I steal money. I don't kill for it."

Turning his back to the group and hanging his head, Dreggan headed back to the camp.

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Amarth

Poor Dreggan...

Matt began to think of his own childhood.

FLASH

Matt stood barefoot atop a spear stuck blade up in the ground in the middle of a nearly dried pond in his monestary. Not only did he have to manage balancing hte spear and prevent himself from being stabbed, but he had to prevent the spear from sinking into the soggy ground. Beads of sweat dripped from his face. He had to use all of his concentration. All of this training, and he was only 7 years old.

"Focus now Matt," spoke his watching sensei. "Focus hard. You must increase your strength. You must learn to protect. There is nothing more precious than human life, you have to protect it. You have to protect the innocent. You have to protect the weak. Protect the righteous. Protect your friends. You have to train to do that Matt! You have to get stronger!"

Matt began to scream and for a few minutes, he stood completely upright. Then, his strength failed him and he felt the sting of the spear piercing his foot. An instant later, Matt was in his sensei's arms. "Well done Matt. Well done indeed," were the last words he heard before he passed out. As he dreamed he heard his father in the blackness, then he saw him, standing in a field, cherry blossom petals falling around him. "Matt, I'm so proud of you. So very very proud. Keep on training Matt. You're going to grow up to be a strong protecter Matt. You'll have the power to protect the world from people like me..."

With that, his father hung his head and began to drift away without moving. It was as though distance was magically appearing between them. "Father! Come back! It wasn't your fault!"

Matt woke with a start. He had been having dreams like this ever since the monk had told him the truth. His father had killed a veritable fortress full of criminals. The crooks were small time opium dealers, hardly deserving such a fate. However, his father's great reputation had preceeded him, and their competition had heard. The competition's boss "recruited" Amarth to their cause. It is more accurate to say forced. Matt was held hostage in his own house. The crooks had surrounded the place, hiding in the woods while Amarth carried out the mission. Amarth was willing to do anything for his son, even comitt a crime that meritted the death penalty. He was beheaded the day he was carried away.

Matt got up, suited up, and went outside to train.

FLASH

"You should be a little more considerate of human life Dreggan, orc life too. They are people, just like you and I. Even if there was no other way (which I personally believe there was), you could be a little more sensitive to the fact that a flame of life has been put out. They deserve to be buried and respected the same as anyone else."

Bob Biter

Matt's words sent a surge of anger through Dreggan's body and soul. How dare he scold him on the value of life, when all of the thief's childhood was spent trying to keep the demons out of his heart, even amongst all the death and darkness around him?

"Matt... I... appreciate your point of view, but believe me when I say that the relatively quick death I gave those men was the most decent, human thing I could do. Pity them if you wish, but don't ask me to do the same. At least, not in this lifetime."

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Dixie

Nina eyed the fuming Dreggan anxiously. Shuffling through his and Matt's thoughts, Nina found steadfast resolution on each side. 'Heh, this looks like a train wreck.' With a weary smile, Nina approached the men from her spot at Vanelee's side.
"Boys, boys, let's not fight, there is still danger abroad."
The warning wasn't simply an attempt to shut the two up, Nina could feel the presence of something dark approaching. Whatever it was, it was still too far away for her to identify, but the presence was strong and approaching from the North...
Nina wheeled around and alerted Vanelee to this, thinking his elvish blood would allow him to identify the threat better than she could.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Dixie

OOC: happy turkey day, ya'll! i'll be out for a couple of days, so ya'll take care in the meantime!

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

Vanelee looked on at the young mage with a longing look. 'What a wondeful woman' he thought.

"It seems that the Duke has made the next move. I am sensing that he has sent a force to combat our prgress up the mountain. I am not sure what the force is composed of, but I know that it is strong, very strong. I am sorry that my senses are not strong enough to give us a learer picture of our enemies."

"As for you two." Vanelee said in response to the riff that was emerging between Matt and Dreggan. " You both have very different views on life, and they are both respectable. You have lived very different lives, and different views are expected, but I suggest you put your differences aside and focus on the journey.

Looks of objection immediately arose on their faces, and Vanelee knew why. "I know that I must seem like a hypocrite after my performance in that last battle. That's why I am going to refcus my energies on the task at hand."

Giving a look showing his love a Nina, Vanelee spoke again. "Let's say we get a little more sleep before we ascend the mountain?"

Dixie

'Heh. Sleep, indeed...' Nina thought, trying to hide a smile.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

Vanelee eyed his young miss with a suspicous, yet at the same time curious, look as he prepared for bed. After he had made his speech to the others, a mischevious smile had crept onto her face, and even now she was trying to mask it with slight looks of innocence.

'What are you thinking about Nina?' Vanelee questioned himself.

However, his thoughts began to drift as he slipped onto his sleeping mat and prepared to drift off before sunrise, and his suspicions were laid to rest. Nina had positioned herself fairly close to the elf, just out of arms length, Matt had again fallen alseep leaning against a tree, and Dreggan, still a little weak, remained where he had been put to rest.

'Good night all.' Vanelee thought before falling into a light sleep

Dixie

Nina tried to sleep, but her mind was plagued with images. The dreams presented to her as she slept were muddled and confused, as if she were viewing them through a mirror. She could not tell past from future, although she did pick out fragments that seemed to include herself and her companions in situations that had not yet come to pass.
She awoke with a start after seeing an image of Vanelee calling to her from far away. In her dream, he seemed to be wounded, but she could not see him clearly and, although she ran towards him, the distance between them only increased.
She was somewhat relieved to find him sleeping at her side, but the nightmare haunted her even in waking. She moved closer to the dozing elf, burying her face in his shoulder and pressing her trembling body against the warmth of his side. Scared that he might slip out of her fingers, she clung to Vanelee, weeping silently.
"I love you, Vanelee..." she murmured, knowing he was asleep and would not hear her.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Bob Biter

Waking up from his light sleep, Dreggan downed one of his own healing potions, to cure what the previous one and sleep could not.

He had lied to his friends. His battle with the assassins had not been easy in the least. These new recruits seemed even more fierce than any trainee he had ever seen, almost as strong as their leader. How long would it be until he would face such a threat again?

Turning his head towards the sleeping couple, the thief couldn't help but shake his head slowly, speaking under his breath...

"Ah yes, a match has been made. A match that will shift the focus of every battle we'll get into from now on. Lovely..."

Lying back down, Dreggan mentally repeated his training moves to himself, as he once again dozed off.

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Dixie

[OOC: Amarths fault here.]

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

Amarth

Matt couldn't sleep. He was sure he had pushed Dreggan too far. After a lot of tossing and turning, he finally decided to go over and talk to the thief. He shook him awake and Dreggan eyed him angrily for having been disturbed from his sleep. Matt had an ignorant smile on his face, not even thinking that the man may have been enjoying his sleep. "Dreggan, listen, I never meant to make your mad. Neither do I want to change your views on life or the way you live it. I was just asking you to consider another way. That is the reason I carry a staff you know. I used to carry a sword, but something happened... anyway, I understand your views and I mean you no ill will." Matt anxiously awaited a reply, fidgiting and playing with the dirt on the ground.

Bob Biter

Closing his eyes again, Dreggan answered the monk:

"Matt, your views about life don't bother me. I guess it was just your extension of your worthwhile values to these wretched, servile wastes of human life that caused me to get, ah, slightly miffed just then. It was more confusion than hate that I was feeling towards you at that point. However, I'm over it now. It's in the past, so let's not relive it."

Dreggan then opened his dark eyes and fixed his gaze sternly into Matt's.

"Just remember one thing: the Poison Fist Guild place no value on life other than gold. They would kill any type of creature on this world, even women and children, if the price is right, so please do me a favour: suspend your goodwill towards this vermin. If we encounter them again, which is most likely, let me deal with them my own way. Even giving them a decent burial is a courtesy they should not be afforded. They should rot as they did not live: in full view of everyone."

Dreggan realized that he was clenching his fists as he was talking. He felt his blood run hot through his veins and feared that he would once again lose his quintessential cool. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and turned away from the monk.

"Go back to sleep, Matt. Good guys like you have a lot of work to do in this world. You must be very tired."

__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.

Amarth

"I'm not so *yawn* tired." Matt walked back to his spot and layed back down. As he closed his eyes, he began to think of his own past, and his old sword.

FLASH

Matt walked with his sinsei through a large field. They were merely taking in their surroundings and enjoying themselves after a hard training sessions. On their walk, they came across a butterfly stuck in a spider web. Matt looked on for a moment and then reached to release the creature. "Don't touch it!" barked his master.

"But, I thought we were to treasure life."

"Indeed we are, but to save this butterfly would be to kill the spider that caught it, do you see? To release it would be playing God, deciding which creature has the right to live." Matt looked back at the web, trying to absorb the lesson as he watched the spider crawl towards its victim.

"Understand me Matt, all life is sacred and you must treasure every ounce of it. However, sometimes there is a need to kill. For instance, food." The spider began to wrap his prey in his web. "The animals exist in a balance. If the spiders did not limit the butterflies, they would exhaust their food supply and all die out anyway. We must never kill out of anger, or on a whim, and it is never EVER okay to kill another human being. But there is a balance to life that you must accept Matt, as much as you may want everyone to live." The spider sank its fangs into the butterfly, drawing its juices.

FLASH

The bandits had come without warning. There were many treasures in their monestary, so they had pretty tight security, making an unalerted attack a rare event. Many of Matt's friends were killed in their sleep without making a sound. Matt awoke to his master's shaking him. "Get up Matt! We're under attack!" Matt rolled and fell out of bed, stumbling around trying to make sense of what was going on. He first thought of his closest friends. He went to their rooms one by one, finding them all slaughtered. They had never even woken up. When he got to the last room on the row he paused. He wasn't sure he wanted to see his closest friend Stephen on the other side. When he opened it, he saw him there covered in his own blood. He had not recieved the peaceful death of the others but had obviously awoken before they got to him. His sheets were tossed around the plain room and he looked like he had put up quite a struggle. "No." Matt pulled his sword and ran out the door. He could see the bandits all crowded around the treasures they had pulled out of the storehouse. It seemed as though they had only killed those living in this section of the monestary to ensure safe retrieval of the valuables. He began to run towards them when he tripped over something. It was his sensei. He was not dead, but knocked out. At this sight, Matt could see only red. He ran with incredible speed towards the bandits. He took out four of them before the rest could even realize what had happened. "What? You can't kill anyo..." His sentence was cut short by a sword taking his head off. The twenty or so that were left quickly drew their own various weapons and surrounded him. Matt jumped at one piercing his body with his sword. Before he could fall, he went on to the next, leaving a large gash across his chest, exposing his lungs and heart. He went through the entire group this way, and when he was finished, he stood, covered in their blood, still enraged, searching for his next victim. He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around with his sword, stopping it just as it touched his master's neck. The man didn't even flinch. "Matt... how could you? You're no different than him." Matt thought of his father and remembered him coming home with his sword covered in blood, just as Matt's was now. He dropped the blade and began crying as he fell to his knees. The stench of blood filled his nostrils.

FLASH

Matt crushed the rock he was laying on as he tossed in his nightmare.

SSJwrestler

Vanelee did not sleep very restlessly during the night. Instead he lay half-awake all night, thoughts drifting in and out of his mind. His thoughts wandered to...the journey...his new love...the dangers...the future...his past.

He heard Nina stirring, and wanted desperatley to wake and go to her. But why disturb her sleep? Unless...that's what she wanted.

The elf had not been in love before, at least not love like this. The new feeling were overwhelming, and flooded his mind and body like a raging waterfall. His heart beat faster with every touch from his young miss and he found himself utterly stupefied when she spoke.

Perhaps this the real reason he didn't rise to meet his love when she moved closer to him. When he could feel the warmth of his slender body against his own. He had promised to refocus his energies on the task at hand.

The night was Hell to Vanelee, and he was relieved when he saw the yellow crest of the sun rising over the mountains, bringing an end to the night. Salvation.

The elf rose earlier than his comrades so that he could retrieve the weapons he ahd left at the battle ground, his bow and any arrows he could salvage...

Amarth

Matt jerked up, covered in sweat. Whew! Intense nightmares. Oh well. Matt stood and looked around. He noticed Vanelee was gone and decided it was time to look for breakfast. He decided he had had quite enough meat for a while, so he went running through the forest as he tended to do, searching for a fruit-bearing tree. When he found one, he delivered a stern punch to its trunk, causing all the ripe fruit to fall from its branches. He then moved with all of his speed, catching them all before they hit the ground. When he was done, he was carrying a pile as big as he was. He carried it back to camp and dropped them on the ground. A little dirt won't hurt anyone. After all, we are in the wilderness. He picked up two of the nectarines [OOC: I hope those grow on trees :-P] and tossed one at each Dreggan and Nina. "Wake up guys! It's breakfast time! There's plenty for everyone so come dig in! We have a long journey into the mountains ahead of us today, and the climb will not be easy."

Dixie

Nina awoke with a start to a piece of unidentifiable fruit hitting her square in the side of the head. She sat up and looked around for Vanelee and was not surprised to find him missing. She had felt his restlessness during the night and her sleep had been equally tormented by the pain of his thoughts.
Nina thanked Matt for the fruit with a warm, gracious smile and sunk her teeth deep into the flesh of the nectarine. She hadn't realized how hungry she was.
She knew she shouldn't go looking for Vanelee, he would come back when he was ready. She began to trudge off in search of a creek to wash herself.
"Where are you off to, then?" Dreggan arched an eyebrow and she knew immediately what he must be thinking.
"I'm going to look for a water source. Just because I'm in the company of men doesn't mean I have to smell like one." She smiled broadly and disappeared into the woods with Anca close behind.

__________________
talk is cheap, so i buy every word you said.
scared me half to death, now i'm half dead.

SSJwrestler

Vanelee moved lightly as he made his way back to the previous day's battle ground. Upon arriving, he found his ivory colored bow and cloak where he had dropped them in the heat of battle. He picked up the bow, unstrung it, and slung it over his back. He still had the cloak draped over his arm.

The gods had smiled upon the world today, because it was a beautiful day out. The air was no longer crisp, but rather very warm and a light breeze fell through the valley supllying a perfect atmosphere. Since it was early, Vanelee still watched the bright sun rise over the mountaineous horizon, which as of yesterday was so distant, but now stood right in front of him.

'I should have woken Nina up to watch this..' the elf thought to himself. He then continued to search the battle ground for any arrows that weren't broken, for he had exhausted his lot on the golems earlier.

After finding a fair share of unbroken arrows, Vanelee returned them to his quiver and turned to head back to camp.

All of a sudden, the elf's senses pricked up, and he sensed the strong force he had sensed earlier. But they were now moving...fast...TOWARDS THE CAMP!

Without a second thought, the elf took off at a all out sprint in order to get back to the others and prepare for battle.