2: ACROSS THE PLAINS OF AZANULBIZAR

With the slightest of noticeable nods, Jin circled back around the tall rock formation of the tower and paused to let Tiphereth know what they were doing.

“Lac and I are going to investigate a lone figure standing and watching us. We will signal back if there is trouble.”

Jin then stealthily crept down the watch tower and as Lac headed towards the figure from the front, the Drowess used the shadows of the clouds cast when the moon slid behind them to make her way towards then back behind the figure. She gave a wide enough perimeter so as not to draw attention to herself and keep herself well outside the strangers peripheral vision. Of course the fact she was using her walk in shadows spell did a lot to aid her in her concealment.

It was not a short trip and several times Jin had to stop when it looked as though the figure was searching the horizon. Finally she moved in behind the figure and kept about a 20 yard distance between them. Crouching, she pulled the dark bow and quiver from the hidden, deep pocket on her cloak and silently knocked an arrow.

Holding the base of the bolts shaft between her middle and ring fingers, she readied to pull the string taut when her eyes saw Lac in close proximity. It didn’t take long and when her keen eyes saw the hood of the Ranger come into view, she balanced herself on one knee and one foot as she pulled the bow up and pulled the string back. Lac stayed off to the figures left as did Jin thus leaving her a clear path of fire without fear of hitting her companion. Feeling her gloved fingertips and the stiff feathers of her bolt gently graze her cheek, the Drowess narrowed her gaze and drew a bead on the figures back readying to send the dark, poisoned shaft deep into its flesh if it made a threatening move towards Lac.

"You think me a fool." The voice was merely a whisper as the man lifted his head slightly. He watched Lac for a moment then faded from sight, his insane laughter echoing across the plains. Back at the tower Jack turned around to see the figure vanish. He then took off towards Lac and Jin. The only thing he knew for sure was that someone had just crossed planes and his new companions could very well be in danger.

Lac watched the figure and heard his insane laughter fade away. He looked around him then towards where he knew Jin should be and gave her a hand signal to follow as he turned to rejoin the others. On his way back, Lac searched his memory for any explaination and could come up with only one. The being was able to cross from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead and the undead. Much as the armies of The Paths Of The Dead , who he led to the Pelennor Fields, fulfilling thier oath to Lac's father. In return Lac released them from his father's curse, allowing them to regain thier honor and finally rest in peace.

Jin heard the maniacal laughter echo all around her and knew the being they had just encountered was most likely a pawn of this dark Lord as much as her brother was. Slowly rising to her feet, the Drowess gently released the tension on the bows line and rested the bow at her side. As she stood there she glanced around her in all directions looking for any signature that would tell her if the being was still in their presence.

Not even her detection spells gave her any indications the being was still there. Slowly moving to join Lac, she walked along beside him with her bow still in hand an the arrow still knocked and ready to be pulled back in a seconds notice. As they made their way back towards the other, the Spirit Walker came walking towards them.

“This should be interesting to hear. Seems our suspicions were correct, Lac’Nala. The Ghost Walker knows something about this being that has visited us. Hopefully he shall let us know if we need to be wary of him and if we should expect more visits.”

As they continued to walk towards Jack, Jin kept glancing over her shoulder unable to shake the feeling they were all being watched, again.

As Jin and Lac walked back to the ruines of the watch tower, Lac said quietly "Let us hope so, I sense this being is an agent of the Dark Lord. I am not sure if it was us or someone else he was sent to seek. Not that it matters now for his eye is upon us, no matter how inadvertantley he discovered us. Perhaps the Oleg-Ki that escaped us reported our position."

Lac halted a moment, looked at Jin said "When we reach Oron_D_Naar, there will be a seat, beside me, and a full vote for you at the Grand Council Table in The Crystal Council Chambers, should you choose to accept it." Lac then walked away towards their companions.

Jack comes running up to Lac and Jin. He throws off the cloak, reaching for the longsword strapped to his back. As the blade is unsheathed the stranger appears in front of Jack grinning from beneath his hood as he plunges a dagger into Jack's gut. The sword falls to the ground as Jack stumbles back a bit. The strangers laughs again then vanishes, leaving them to deal with a wounded ghostwalker.

Lac’s announcement came as such a surprise to Jin that she literally stumbled to a halt and stared at Lac as though he had grown a second head. What the hell did he just proclaim? What sort of council did he say? And why would other members of some council allow her to be seated at the same table they were? Let alone next to him? Had he completely lost his mind? And to confuse her even more, he just turned and walked away from her like his announcement was everyday conversation. When she finally regained her senses and could talk again, she blinked and called after him.

“Lac’Nala…..what are you…”

Before she could finish her question she saw Jack rushing forward and draw his sword. Thinking the man was about to engage Lac, she instinctively pulled her bow up and yelled at Lac.

“HARL ELG'HASEK!” (DOWN RANGER!)

Knowing Lac the way she did she knew he would drop to the ground. As soon as the Ranger was out of her line of site, she let her dark bolt fly just as the stranger appeared before Jack. Seeing the stranger plunge his dagger into Jack’s gut, she uttered a curse under her breath when the coward quickly vanished.

As the Ghost Walker stumbled backwards, Jin and Lac both were next to him in the next instant. Knowing Lac had more healing skills than she did, she let the Ranger see to Jack while she remained the vigil guard on the look out for anything that may suddenly pop out of thin air again.

“I detest this coward. I will see him dead and the sooner the better.”


(OOC: Will let you call damage, Jack, but all of the above action took place within a matter of seconds and would at least come very close to striking or even grazing the stranger as he took the time to plunge the dagger into Jacks gut and her bolts are poison tipped. Up to you how you want to call it, though!)

Jack had dropped to his knees by the time Lac and Jin had reached him. "I'm sorry. Didn't know...until he had...crossed. They tried to..warn me. Should have listened." He reaches down to pull the dagger out.

On the ethereal plane the stranger reaches back to touch his shoulder. Seeing the blood he curses the drow priestess before beginning the trip back to his master. As far as he was concerned he had fullfilled his task. Jack would die from his wounds and he would be set free at last. Not long into the journey he would start to feel the effects of the poison.

Jin looked to Brianna as the human woman approached. There was a look of true concern on the Drowess’ face, something no one had seen from her thus far save for Lac’Nala.

“Do you know the art of healing? Jack’s wound is going to be very painful, if he survives at all. This is not my field of expertise and Lac’Nala could use all the help he could get right now.”

Seeing the agonizing look on Jack’s face, Jin felt a pang of empathy course through her. She knew, all too well, what he was going through right now. And just then, as if to remind her even more, that place on her side where Verin’s dagger sank deep into her flesh, Jin’s side gave a twinge of pain and the Drowess let out a small gasp.

Looking towards the tower, Jin knew exactly who to call for helping to get Jack back. Knowing the Phaerie was akin to magic, she used her shadow whisper to communicate to Tiphereth.

“Tiphereth. We need your assistance in getting Jack back to the tower, please.”



TIphereth, who had been watching the events unfold from his perch at the tower perked up when he heard the Drowess’ voice whisper softly in his ear. In a few short strides the Phaerie leapt from the tower and crossed the distance easily. His glowing eyes took in Jack and saw how badly injured he was. With a nod, he reached down and scooped up the Ghost Walker and using his strength and innate ability to glide on the air currents quickly got Jack back to the tower.

Jin looked to both Lac and Briana and nodded towards the tower.

“Go…both of you. As quickly as possible. I shall follow along behind you at a distance to make sure we are not taken by surprise again.”

Seeing the look on Lac’s face, Jin reached out and gently touched his shoulder with her gloved hand.

“Do not worry, Ranger. We still have a conversation to finish. You know I must have the last word.”

The moonlight filtered into the shadows of her cowl enough to show the full smile upon her lips letting Lac’Nala know she was quite capable of handling this situation. Not that he doubted her, but sometimes he needed reassurance like everyone else.

Lac, fell to the gorund instantly, when he heard Jin's words. He watched as the stranger plunged the dagger into The Ghost Walker's abdomen and Jin's arrow struck the stranger. SPringing to his feet just as the stranger vanished, Lac ran to The Ghost Walker as he fell to his knees holding his wound. "We now know who this apporition from the abyss was seeking." Lac said as Brinana approached and what had happened and what assistance she could give.

When Tiphereth arrived to transport The Ghost Walker back to the watchtower ruins, Jin said “Go…both of you. As quickly as possible. I shall follow along behind you at a distance to make sure we are not taken by surprise again.” Lac nodded, giving Jin a be careful look, and followed Tiphereth quickly. Once they reached the tower and Tiphereth had laid The Ghost Walker down, Lac looked at Brianna and said "I need strips of cloth for bandages and hot water."
Tiphereth passed his hand over the ground near them, muttered an incantaion and a small fire appeared. Lac reached in his cloak and removed a small leather pouch and his knife. Taking the knife he cut away The Ghost Walker's shirt to reveal the wound. Lac laid his knife of a piece of leather he had removed from his pouch along with several herbs that had been wrapped in the leather.

Lac poured a small amount of water in the palm of his hand. "Place some of the strips of cloth in the water to boil. And see if you can find another bowl, if you would." he said, then Lac took some of the KnitBone herb, Leopords Beard and Athelas plant and placed them in his mouth, chewing them into a paste. Lac took the herbs from his mouth and placed them on and in the wound. He then sprinkled some more of the Athelas over the chewed paste. Using his knife Lac picked up a strip of hot cloth and laid it over the wound. He then sprinkled more of the herbs over the hot cloth strip and placed the second hot strip from the bowl over the first. He then wrapped The Ghost Walkers abdomen tightly. Lac then Laid his hand upon The Ghost Walkers forhead, closed his eys and said softly "Vel'bol elamshinae urie belbbaunin ussa, ori'gato ol k'lararl ulu ukta. Ori'gato ukta tlu sreen'aur." (Translation: What grace has given me, let it pass to him. Let him be safe.)

Lac looked at Brianna and said softly as he looked down of the resting Ghost Walker. "He will rest now, but you must keep his fever down. Keep cool water on his brow as he rests. Thank you for your assistance Brianna." Lac then gathered his herbs, placing them back in thier respective leather wrappings and back into his cloak. He then rose, bowed his head to Brianna in respect and walked over to the edge of the ruine wall and looked out over the wasteland to the east.

When they open Jack's shirt the first thing they will notice is that the dagger was plunged directly in the middle of a scar going across his abdomen. It looked as if someone had tried gutting him once before. Once the strips are laid across the wound he flinches slightly but settles down quickly. Now as Brianna sits with him the ghostwalker begins to mutter. Some of it is incoherent while most of it is pretty clear. "Walk the line. There is another." He repeats this over and over until the dreams start.

Meanwhile the stranger travels the ethereal plane quickly until he is struck with an overwhelming pain. He doubles over in agony then continues his path when that wave passes, cursing that drow woman and her poison bolts. This will continue for quite some time until he finally finds what he is looking for. Unfortunately the hallucinations have begun.

The ghostwalker stops muttering but his head is shaking back and forth. Whatever is happening in his dreams he doesn't seem to like it very much. The fever starts to get worse as he continues to dream.

Jack grips at the ground and thrashes around, throwing the rags from his body. A little blood seeps through the bandaging. Suddenly his eyes snap open and the ghostwalker sits up breathing heavily and tossing the rag to the ground.

"No. I have to find the other before someone is hurt." He tries to fight against Brianna but is too weak at the moment. He isn't in his right mind at the moment either as the fever is still raging. "Have to find him." Finally he falls back to the ground as she pushes against him again.