Author's Note: We Light Warriors need some serious RP-ing, so I'm gonna start it. Enjoy.
Jandor paced.
"Why do I have to wait here?" he demanded of the heavens. The black, cloudy sky rumbled in response, and a hot, humid wind blew Jandor Kirencin's blue cloak far out behind him. Waiting was such boredom, usually, but not here, not in the Blightborder. The scenery wasn't much, either, though not as bad as in the deep reaches. Blackened, sickly plants and twisted trees seemed to jeer at the fool who would go this way, this far north. Nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing to hear but your own breath and the shrieking wind.
Jandor was waiting for his Lord and Master, Agelmar Jagad of Fal Dara, for some kind of business, Light Warrior business. "I suppose," muttered Jandor irritably, "that there won't be many eavesdroppers here." Not that he couldn't handle that. An Asha'man was expected to know a few things. Jandor sat down on a rock.
The rock squealed and bit his leg. "Bloody ashes!" cursed Jandor. "Stupid Rocks, and Sticks, and.." he trailed off and stared. At the Myrdraal, not twenty paces from him, still emerging from the deep shadow of a twisted leatherleaf. Fear, bone-chilling fear, rooted Jandor to the spot. Or maybe it was just the thing's gaze. Shuddering, he ripped his gaze away from the Lurk.
"Your Master calls you, worm." The voice was like any other Fade's voice,
somehow incorporating rotting leather and decaying snakeskin. "Move!" It
pointed to the northeast. Jandor looked confused, and stayed wary, fumbling
his sword out.
"Look, what's going on here?" Jandor was proud that his voice only
trembled a little. "What do you want, Lurk?"
The Myrdraal hissed. "A summons, fool! From Shayol Ghul itself!" This
only confused Jandor more.
"I think you're mistaking me for someone else. Maybe that nasty chap
from Murandy?" As the odd conversation progressed, Jandor prepared to blast
it with Fire in an eyeblink if need be. Then, something odd happened. The
Myrdraal looked confused, a more difficult thing to do with no eyes. Then
it, too, drew its sword. Jandor gulped. "You are not, in fact, Isam Mandragoran?"
Jandor sighed. These Myrdraal weren't all so evil as the Bordermen said they were. Of course, Jandor was from Altara. "No, now look, I've got a rather important meeting, so bye now." Of course, no one treats a Fade like that and got away with it. Lightning-quick, the thing leaped at Jandor and raised its sword in midair for a killing blow.
On the other hand, Jandor had already channeled, Fire and Earth to weaken a blade to the point of near-nothingness. The blade shattered on contact with Jandor's armor, leaving the Mydraal speechless. Jandor didn't even flinch. Then, he grinned and said softly, 'My turn now." A few moments later, the black, charred cloak pieces were being devoured by a happy Rock. At that point, Jandor turned and started to pace again. Then, he noticed a cloaked figure watching him from the distance. How long had they been there? He squinted, but couldn't tell the person's identity.
The best thing to do was wait....
Jandor Kirencin, Light Warrior
The cloaked figure walked toward Jandor, the sword strapped to his back
and the hood pulled up so to hide his face made him look menacing. The
man pulled the hood back ro reveal... Kerek Stormshield.
"I'm impressed" he said finally "Although, I wouldn't have had to channel."
"Oh you think you're so good" Jandor said mockingly.
"I've killed a few Fades in my day" Kerek said as he leaned back on
tree. Jandor sat on a rock, carefully checking for teeth.
"What do you suppose Agelmar wants?" Jandor asked lazily.
"No clue" Kerek kicked a rock into the nearby bushes, a barely audible
"ow" was emitted from the brush, "did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Jandor asked.
"Hold" Kerek approached the bush and pushed the brush aside with his
drawn sword. The frightened child jumped almost to Kerek's head.
"What?! Who are you?" Jandor scowled.
"I... uh.. well.." the child ran as fast as he could... directly toward
the blight.
"Blood and bloody ashes" Kerek muttered "I suppose we'll have to go
get him now."
"I ain't goin nowhere" Jandor said as he sat against a nearby tree
"I'm waitin' for Agelmar."
Kerek muttered something under his breath and ran after the frightened
child, sword drawn, ready for anything...
Kerek Stormshield, Light Warrior
Agelmar Jagad, the Lord of Fal Dara, cursed as he rode northwards, to the Blight. He hoped that he wasn't too late for his meeting with Jandor. "After all, who would have expected a Myrdraal just outside the gates of Fal Dara?" he wondered aloud. "No matter. I may be old, but I'm still as quick and strong as a man half my age!" As he got closer to the Blight, he noticed a young man leaning against a withered tree. Agelmar smiled inwardly. Only one person would even relax next to these deadly trees in this God-forsaken place. The look of recognition dawned on Jandor's face as Agelmar approached. He dismounted his horse and shook the young man's hand vigorously. "Well," Agelmar said, "I see you haven't gotten yourself killed yet!"
"What, in here?" Jandor replied. "Only an idiot or a fool would get
killed in here! So, why did you want to see me here?" Agelmar looked around
intently. "What? Where's everyone else? I told them all to meet me here!"
"Well, Kerek was here just a couple of minutes ago, but he ran north trying
to follow some child that ran into the Blight. Why? What are we supposed
to be doing here?" Jandor questioned urgently. "He did what?!?" Agelmar
yelled as he spun around to face Jandor. "He went into there alone?! There's
no way he could survive in there without the rest of us! Wait, did you
say he followed a child?"
"Yes, and what an ugly child that was! All covered with filth and crooked
teeth and, oh yes, he didn't have half of his left arm!" Jandor exclaimed
as he removed himself from the tree, neatly spearing a Stick with a small
lance of fire as he did so.
"That damn fool!" Agelmar yelled, on the point of insanity. "That child
is more dangerous that anyone believed!" Agelmar took a deep breath. "I
suppose I should explain. Just the other day he tried to steal something
very valuable from me, but we managed to catch him. Unfortunately, we didn't
even consider that he might escape. Well, he did, and in doing so he managed
to kill half a dozen of the guards in that cell block and he even stole
what he came for. We have to find him and get it back!" Jandor looked stunned.
"This child managed to kill 6 men? What exactly was it that he was so intent
on stealing?"
Agelmar dropped his eyes to the ground. When he spoke again, it was in a calm, slow voice. "We have to follow after Kerek right now, before he gets too far. I'll ... just have to leave a note for the rest of the Light Warriors." He took a small piece of parchmest and a quill pen from the lining of his cloak and scribbled a quick note on it. "Well, I hope that they'll see this when they get here. Maybe they'll wait for the rest to show up before they do anything rash." He wrapped his note around the handle of a small dagger and expertly threw it into the tree. "Oh well, we can't waste any more time. Let's go!"
With that Agelmar jumped on his horse and set north at a slow trot, making sure that Jandor could keep up. He just wished that no-one else would get here and decide to go forth on their own.
Agelmar Jagad, Lord General, Light Warriors
(Dammit Kirk, I'm not a writer, I'm a country doctor!)
Kerek ran as fast as his legs could carry him, which was pretty fast,
but he still could not catch up to the child.
"Blood and ashes this kid's fast" Kerek muttered, as he came to a large
bush, a quite strange looking bush, although not that strange here in the
Blight. He heard speech behind the bush and listened.
"I got it!" it was the child
"Excellent" the voice could freeze most men's blood, but Kerek wasn't
most.
"A Fade..." Kerek whispered and opened a small hole in the bush to
see through, what he saw he didn't like, 2 Myrdraal, 9 trollocs, and of
course, the child
"You have done well child" the other fade stroked the child's face,
"we must see that you are rewarded properly" the child scream lasted only
moments before he fell to the ground
"Blood and bloody ashes, he may have been a darkfriend, but he was
only a child" anger growing inside of him Kerek Leaped from the bushes
sword bared and glaring in the sun, he slashed in midair severing the first
fade's head, the surprised group was soon a confused frezy of clawing and
biting and swiping with scythe-like swords, as Kerek cleaved a trolloc's
head in half and severed another's torso from its abdomen
"Fool!" the Fade snarled as Kerek finished off the remainign trollocs,
and faced the Fade
"Maybe it'll be a challenge this time" Kerek snarled and leapt...
Kerek Stormshield, Light Warrior
If anyone had been watching, they would have seen a dark shape on the southern horizon. A shape which quickly resolved itself into a horse and a rider, heading north at a gallop. "Blood and bloody ashes!" swore Daylorn Riantar as he reigned up. "I know I'm late, but..." A flash of white caught his eye. It was a dagger with a note attached. Drawing on saidin, he channeled the dagger free of the tree it was stuck in. "Can't be too careful," he muttered. Unwrapping the note, he saw that Lord Agelmar, Kerek, and Jandor had been here and left, Kerek headed off into danger, with Jandor and Lord Agelmar to pull his chestnuts out of the fire. "Light, I'll have to go after them." There was more to the note, but he shoved it into his coat pocket, in a rush to catch up with Lord Agelmar. "I wonder what this meeting was about, he could have told me, I'm his second, but he has this thing for secrecy. Light burn his secrets!"
He hurriedly wrote a note for Cerise and Alianin, praying that they wouldn't follow. Loosening his twin shortswords in their scabbards on his back, he rode north, where he could just see the dust from their passage...
Daylorn Riantar, Light Warriors, Lord Captain, second to Lord General Agelmar Jagad
Alianin came running up from the south. "Why am I always the last person
to know of these things?" she muttered. She came to a stop at a tree that
had a note attached to it. She took the note and hastily read it. "So they
think that they can have all the fun without including me?" She put the
note back on the tree for Cerise to read.
She veiled herself and pulled out her spear and buckler. She turned
and ran following the trail left by the others. If there was anyone around,
they would have heard her say, "Time to Dance." with a grin on her face.
Alianin, Light Warrior
Draped completely in fancloth armor, the watcher observed the slaughter of the Myrddraal and his companions. A smile touched his lips as the warrior spun through all the Shadowspawn with minimal effort; but if he decided to reveal himself, he knew the man would be nothing before he could react. His breath came in labored pants, as the bloodlust began to build in him, the True Power coarsing through him...but something stopped him from interfering. Don't harm any of them, but turn the channeling ones if you must. Moridin's commands. How the High Servant could have such a hold on him was beyond him, but...
Kerek spun around, searching for the source of the noise. His breathing must have been louder than he thought. He remained completely still, praying his mortal eyes wouldn't notice. Even if they did, he was prepared; already the saa blurred his vision, a horizontal blizzard of black specks. The Great Lord rewards success, not failure, but anyone is easier to turn to the Shadow in death than in life. But Death's instructions still stopped him from doing anything.A few more figures appeared over the horizon, an Aiel and two other channelers... And the Lord of Fal Dara himself. What under the Shadow was he doing in the Blight? Still, if completely necessary... Moridin and the Great Mistress will be pleased with this information. Perhaps to watch a little longer would be useful.
"You fought well, Kerek. You always seek your pointless demise?" A man's
voice, but the watcher's vision was too obscured by the saa to see whom.
But to surrender the True Power now... He shook his head. Things must be
dealt with as they come.
"You know, I'm not sure." A short laugh. "But I can't help but feel
that there's... Something else here I forgot."
"I feel it, too... But it could be something native to the Blight,
nothing to worry about." A woman's voice, that time. Most likely the Aiel.
"It's something more. Human." A horse cried out, breaking the momentary
silence. "Come, we leave now. There's a reason we came here, best we started
it." The watcher saw the figures heading north. Toward Shayol Ghul, and
the Great Mistress' palace. Moridin will be pleased, indeed. Silently,
he ripped a hole into the pattern, destination Smoke Ashalen's chambers.
One more errand to run before reporting...
The Watcher
Courtesy of Moridin, High Servant of the Great Lord.
Jandor spun around, not quite doing it properly. "Blasted Dirts!" Jandor cursed under his breath. "Say, Aggy, when does the Blight come up with some original Shadowspawn?" "I.. don't know!" Agelmar pondered. "Bloody Forsaken never had no originality, what with the Trolloc clan names, and their own besides. Anyways, back to the matter at hand, we were running along in the Blight..."
Then, Jandor's neck hair (braided, of course [inside joke]) flailed
about as Jandor spun again, this time getting it right. "You lads feel
something?"
"Yes," answered Alianin pointedly. "Lads and lasses, makes no difference
to me, I'm from Altara! They're all the same there don't you know. But
does anyone feel something odd, as if they're being watched?" Kerek cast
around fearfully. "No... It can't be..." "My thought exactly..." said Jandor.
Alianin's sharp (of course) Aiel eyes caught something, a flutter of black
in a tree to her left. She fitted a broadhead arrow to her bow. Overkill?
"Must be that Shadoweye-" THUNK! "- I just shot." "No..." started Jandor,
"something worse than that, I think." "Nooooo!" screamed Kerek. Everyone
looked at him. "Well, we are talking about sock puppets, right?" "... Nay,
Kerek. I think not," said Daylorn, shaking his head. "Jandor? What were
you thinking?" "Nevermind. I think it was the raven, anyways. It's gone
now, in any case." Almost, he thought to himself. But this was the Blight,
so... "Anyways, Agelmar, we're nearly all here, so mind filling us in?
I mean, I severely doubt this was a pleasure stroll." Jandor scratched
his head.
"Hmm, well..."
Jandor Kirencin, who can't really think of anything besides them sock puppets. Fearsome beasts!
** I have no idea, is Alianin the Aiel? Somebody push Jandor from behind in the next story if I'm wrong.
"Hmm, well..." How could Agelmar explain this whole situation without
sounding like a complete lunatic? He had told enough to Jandor to keep
his mind satisfied, and had glossed enough around the truth so that Jandor
didn't just Travel back to wherever he came from. "Well, that child I was
chasing stole something from me. And as Kerek just told me, he gave it
to a Myrdraal before his ... untimely ... death. I can only assume that
it's at Shayol Ghul now, or somewhere close by."
"Dammit what is it already?" Jandor impatiently yelled.
"Well," Agelmar took a deep breath. "It was my entire supply of TurboWax.
I'm afraid it's in the hands of the Shadow now. May the Creator have mercy
on us all!"
Agelmar Jagad, Lord General, Light Warriors
(I'd say the Taint has gotten to me, but I don't channel!)
"I still can't believe fades can run that fast" Kerek said alowed,
although he didn't mean to
"You can run alright yourself," Alianin said "for a wetlander of course"
she added as an afterthought
"I guess you're right," Kerek laughed, "what I don't believe is how
he screamed, I wasn't that frightening was I?"
"Well with all that running and flailing and screaming in... what was
that language you were speaking? all I heard was shebubadabu and arglebargle,
anyway, if I met you in a dark alley flailing and screaming like that,
I'd balefire you, but, if I couldn't cannel I'd be scared" Jandor said
with a smile.
Kerek turned away from the party and thought to himself, how could
I have let the Blight get to me like that? sock puppets, such foolish things.
Kerek Stormshield, Lord of the 1 River, Master of the Wodden Sword,
Kicker of Jandor's Ass
(I'm not afraid of sock puppets, honest)
"Not our ENTIRE supply of TurboWax!?!" Alianin exclaimed. She walked up to Jandor and pushed him from in front.(OOC: you said to push you from behind if you were wrong, but you were right. Sorry I'm a little crazy and tired.) She channeled an illusion of a sock puppet with an evil grin on its face. Jandor pulled out his sword and Kerek jumped into Agelmar's arms screaming "Save me!" Alianin laughed softly to herself muttering "Men." Get off of me!" Agelmar said dropping Kerek to the ground. "It's only a sock.......that's gonna come and eat you alive. Bwa hahahaha!" Kerek ran and hid behind a tree. The party could hear faint sobs coming from his direction. "Let's go everybody. We have to get the TurboWax back or all is lost! The Dark Sisters will no doubt try to use it for their own twisted and demented purposes." said Daylorn. "Come on Jandor. Don't worry, I'll protect you from the ferocious, ugly, evil sock puppets." Alianin said trying not to laugh.
Alianin, the crazy one and the Aiel (which when put together is not a good thing.), Light Warrior
P.S.- Sorry Kerek. School is twisting my mind. ;-)
Kerek brought himself to face the laughing party "Y'know, that wasn't
nice, and after all these years I still don't get how I can face 2 fades
without flinching, yet a sock with a button sewn onto it nearly makes me
soil myself, it just isn't fair"
"Well at least the Lurks aren't smart enough to dress up like sock
puppets" Jandor chuckled
"Stop mocking me!!!" Kerek looked extremely angry "why, in another
world I could be a king of some sort, and you a peasant, and I could have
you killed in the blink of an eye, and a few weeks of paperwork"
"...Kerek...what in the Blight are you talking about?!?!?" Agelmar
looked confused
"I don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kerek held his head and fell to the ground,
Daylorn helped him up
"Guys, I think we should stop picking on him"
"Ok, just one last time though" Jandor channeled an illusion of several
sock puppets dangling around Kerek
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Kerek
flailed with his arms and a stream of what looked like liquid fire streamed
from his finger.
"What the?!?" Jandor gawked, "You can channel?!?!?" Kerek just lay
in a ball whimpering.
"I think I know whats going on" Daylorn said, "He's a wilder, and his
block is fear, he just hardly ever feels it so no one has ever seen him
channel"
"Well this is an interesting development" Agelmar trotted ahead of
the rest...
Kerek Stormshield, Light Warrior