Taselak (SEI)/The quest of Taselak/Chapter 2
Valens
Valens was much to in a hurry to answer anything, as he went faster toward his house, not even realizing that Retnuh was there also. They arrived at Valens house, and one of his maids was waiting for him outside.
"Hmmm...? Ok, Daelius please wait for me inside. I shall be in just a second....oh, Sir Retnuh, your here also?....Yes, ok...I need for you to do the same."
Before either could answer or even move, Valens turns to his maid, who was holding some kind of shirt and pants.
"Perfect timing, how did you know I needed a shirt? Bah no matter, let me see them."
Maid: Sir...these just....well they just kind of appeared here, with a note saying for you to wear them.
"Perfect....wait....the dragon....where did these come from?"
Maid: "Nobody knows Sir, after you left I was cleaning your room and they appeared on your bed, just like you did. I was going to bring them with me and try to find you."
"Hmmmm....Ok I shall get into these now, I have a good feeling about this."
Valens heads into his home with the clothes and goes right up into his room to change. After Valens gets into his room, a few seconds later something was wrong.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Next, Valens went flying through his bedroom window and landed in front of the house. All the clothes have now become attached to Valens body.
Daelius
Daelius rolled his eyes at Retnuh's comments, "Get ya're mind outa the gutter."
At Valens ejection from his residence, Daelius shook his head slowly, "I get the feelin' at boredom 'as just become the least of m'problems." He stepped forward and reached out a hand to help Valens back up. "Ya gonna explain what all the excitement's about now?"
Retnuh
Daelius rolled his eyes at Retnuh's comments, "Get ya're mind outa the gutter." To which Retnuh replied with by itching one of cheeks in a disgusting manner.
Not a moment Valens entered what seemed to be his house, he just got thrown out of his many windows which...one would say "was made for the very reason, that one might be thrown out of it".
As soon as Valens got up, he started to speak in his recent...impatient language again. Something like "Ok" "wow" "ok" again, and some few understandable words a few senconds after when made its way to an understandable sentence "now thats over with. Didn't see that one coming....right lets go in and I can explain whats going on....".
Retnuh really had no clue in the world, why he was acting like this. 'may be too much ale', he thought '..but that lasts only for a night'. He quietly entered his house as Valens led him and the other noble inside.
He felt his hands on the hilt of the sword again, putting all his weigth on it so as to it swung a bit to a line. "What's the hurry Valens?..." Retnuh asked, pulling crude wooden stool from a corner "..you don't seem to be yourself today" and sat on it.
Dennis
Dennis rides up to Valens alongside his unit of newly recruited me.
"Hey Valens! I thought you might be able to make some sense of this."
Taking out the crest, he passes it to Valens.
"I'll be off whipping these lads into shape, so if you want to get me, I'll be in the training grounds."
Valens
Listening to what Dennis says, Valens decides now would be the best time to tell him.
"Sir Dennis! Wait! Send them to train and come inside with me. I will explain exactly what you need to know...I see Lady Mischa is coming also. My maid will wait for her outside, and let her in when she arrives. So, will you come with me now? There are already two others inside, waiting for us."
Mischa
Mischa arrives late, fashionably so, as all women should.
She dismounts and tells Michelle:
"Wait here, my Chargers will arrive soon, make sure they are fed watered and comfortable. Also make sure the men keep out of trouble."
Mischa heads over to Valens' maid, Abigail, who she recognises from previous encounters.
"Abi, it is good to see you again, Where is Lord Valens? I need to speak with him. I am hearing strange stories of him wandering around the city without a top on? Has he come down with a doese of the vapors? Is he ok?"
Abigail says:
"Lady Mischa, Lord Valens seems fine now, and is fully clothed. He said you were on the way, and for me to wait here until you arrived. Then I was to show you inside."
With that Abigail led Mischa inside, where Valens was with Dennis, Retnuh and Daelius. The three companions were looking at Valens with bewilderment as he was explaining something animatedly.
"Lord Valens! I hear you were expecting me. What's this I hear about you running around the city half-clothed? You weren't running away from doing something un-noble were you?" Mischas gave Valens a cool stare, and waited for his explanation.
Retnuh
ust as he thought Valens would explain of what was going on, he heard the maid callout of a noble waiting outside with some 34 odd men. "So do you have any idea of whats moving around us.." he asked Daelius again, who was still standing in silence.
The inside of the house seemed to befit that of a noble, but there were still parts of the old lying around. His eyes caught a curious sword seemed to be hanging among the cogwebs with its scrabbard and the furniture which seemed to be made of old wood. The stool he sat on itself seemed a bit shakey with loose nails edging out, which tore any unfortunate claok floating by it.
Moments of silence passed by, with Daelius still standing without a reply and looking around for something. Putting up his hand a bit in the air, he gestured to the other again "Are you allright..", then added the bit "..Lord Daelius" later as he was higher in position and power in the Hiearchy.
Retnuh
Just as he thought he saw Daelius utter some word which seemed not foul, two of then entered the hall again, Valens and ..."Dennis, what brings you here!", Retnuh asked with a bit of a grin.
Then out of curiosity all started staring at each or the other, Valins looking at Daelius, Dennis at the maid who just passed by, Daelius at something and Retnuh at sharp edges of the stool he sat on.
The staring stopped after a few seconds after Valens started moving his hand in a rythm of trying to shape something in the air, then...
"Lord Valens! I hear you were expecting me. What's this I hear about you running around the city half-clothed? You weren't running away from doing something un-noble were you?" Mischa's gave Valens a cool stare, and waited for his explanation. [OOC: RP by Mischa]
Retnuh immediately got up from the shakey wooden stool, tearing a few strands of his cloak in the process. "High Marshall!.." Retnuh bowed to the lady who just came in.
Daelius
Daelius gave a started glance over at Retnuh, "Sorry, lost in thought there. Tryin' ta figure out what's got Valens so rilled up." He shrugged and leaned back against the wall. " 'Aven't been able ta work it out. I s'pose 'e'll tell us once everybody's arrived, or we atleast get a decent quorum." He gave Mischa a nod at her arrival.
Valens
Valens hears that Mischa has arrived, and turns to greet her.
"Ah, Lady Mischa. It has been some time since we have been together. It's nothing bad, I...well I woke up kind of out of it here. Didn't even realize I had no shirt till I was informed. How do you like my new clothes? But please come in, I have much to explain to everyone. Well once everything has settled down."
After a few minutes, things finally quiet down, and Valens explains what he knows to everyone present.
"Ok so in short, here is what we have with us now. I have the Platinum Dragon...now I guess I have the "power" to see each of your hidden powers...let me see..."
Valens looks over everyone there and starts to announce everyone's inside, hidden powers.
"Lady Mischa...I see red....I see....the power of the panther. Hmmm....Daelius....you are silver...power of the eagle....Retnuh, green...power of the....ancient dinosaurs...and finally Dennis...blue...with power of the shark. Very interesting mix we have here, but there are still more people out there. We shall stay one more night here in Taselak, to see if anyone else arrives. Everyone, please prepare for this will be a very long, and very hard journey."
Retnuh
"..green!..", Retnuh muttered "..the power of the ancient dinosaurs..." as Valens continued on...
Things flashed in his mind, acts of old and power of what the Zarkonian_Family did when people first arrived on this god forsaken island of ages beyond
'..the beast my forefathers fought and slain..' he thought '..a curse or a responsibility..', as he listened carefully of what Valen said oon.
Daelius
"Hmm," Daelius thoughtfully rubbed his chin, "An eagle, eh? there are worse totems ta 'ave, seems fittin' for an archer." He paused a moment before continuing, "Odd, though, the Evunarre family colors are black and silver. I 'aven't worn them since I left home, didn't know if any of the local lord - or countries, for that matter - were usin' them."
Dennus
Dennis grins.
"A shark eats others of their own kind if they are too weak. They're cruel, bloodthirsty, and merciless. I LIKE it."
"But let's get to the point. Don't these "totems" give us any news ways to kill people."
Daelius
Daelius made a mental note to keep an eye on Dennis, he didn't want any of his friends getting eaten.
Mischa
Mischa looked around the group, all members of the Heavy Strikers, mostly new members. Valens does his 'magic trick' and gives her the totem of the Panther, dark, sleek and efficiently deadly. Mischa felt a sense of belonging, a sense that she was /home/
Ranger
With Ranger being new to this land he was lost inside this huge city. It was huge compared to the monster infested city he was used to. So when he was looking for a good tavern he say that three people have entered what seemed to be a house with their troops outside. This stroke Ranger as odd why would nobles go and drink yet their men not. So he decided to go check this out. He arrived at the door where a servant was waiting.
"Ahh excuse me what is this place?" Ranger asks thinking that he might of gotten the place wrong.
"Why this is Lord Valens' house. He has been expecting you mylord Ranger." The kind servent said.
"How...What...How could he have been waiting for me if I just got lost and found this place by accident. Whats going on?" Ranger is now totally baffeled. He knew no one that could procieve the comming of a guest before the guest themselves knew that they were comming.
"All will be explained if you enter Sir. Already Sir Dennis, Sir Daelius, and Lady Mischa are in there. I will announce your presense and if you would be so kind as to wait you will know what is happening." The servent then slips inside the door and Ranger is left out wondering what is going on.
He has only been out here for less then 4 days and yet this Lord Valens knew exactly when he would come. Something didnt feel right to Ranger but he let that feeling pass since it always seemed to him that something didnt feel right. So as he waited he thought about his brother and if his messages had gone through to him.
Valens
Valens finishes talking to everyone. Then looks around the room, and notices Ranger has just walked in. When walking over to greet Ranger, Valens notices someone else is in his house, an uninvited guess.
quietly, "Hmmm...someone is here...."
Valens walks up to Ranger
"Ah Sir Ranger, it is good of you...yes yes perfect. Please join the others, I am sure someone will explain things to you, as I must go for a second."
Valens turns to one of his maids.
"Will you please come upstairs to my room with me? It is now time to show our guests my little...surprise."
Valens turns to the now very surprised guests.
"Ah no worries, I am sure you will all enjoy this surprise. While you wait, you can have anything you would like to eat, or drink. Just ask my maids or butlers."
After that, Valens turns and walks upstairs with his maid, then seems to remember something and turns back to everyone.
"Also, if someone could listen and keep an eye out the window for...flying objects that would be great. I shouldn't take to long to get everything together."
Valens turns back around and heads upstairs.
Retnuh
It was a bit exciting and enthuastic at the start, but when Valens left the room...his charming effect seemed to wear off and Retnuhs doubts begins to carve in. '..would that be of any truth..' he thought, looking at the new arrival who just entered into the world of Valens.
"felt anything a bit strange this morning!..." he asked, with a grin on his face "...Sir Ranger" to the one who entered the anew. Then Valens came striding down the stairs he went up some moments ago...
"Also, if someone could listen and keep an eye out the window for...flying objects that would be great. I shouldn't take to long to get everything together. " He said, then went up the same again.
Just by instint, Retnuh turned his head towards the windows to see a flying object. '..oh..' he thought, '..it's just a bird' looking at a grey pigeon which just flew by. "A Pigeon", he shouted.
Daelius
Daelius tensed up at the at 'surprise', in his experience surprises were rarely a good thing.
When Retnuh spotted the pigeon, a slight grin curled his lips. "I hope that isn't someone's totem."
Mischa
Mischa looks up at the window, which has caught everyones attention, as she does the pidgeon smacks into the pane of glass and drops onto it's back on the sill, and slowly but surely slides off and is heard to land on the ground outside with an audible thump.
Mischa shrugs and turns to Ranger. "Welcome Ranger, I see you too have had a sense of calling here. Valens will return shortly with some information for you. He can 'see' totems for each of us, for example he saw for me, a Panther, Retnuh, a Dinosaur. I will be interested to see what he 'sees' for you."
Retnuh
It was the first time Retnuh saw what seemed to be a smile on Daelius face, wasn't much..but he felt it was one of the things which was worth being here. He let a bit of a grinding grin in a chain too '..I hope my totem doesn't come through the window..'.
Daelius
Daelius nodded and added, "We've each got a color as well. Lady Mischa, Red. Retnuh, Green. Dennis, Blue. And I'm Silver."
Ranger
When Valens decided to go upstairs for a surprise Ranger thought that when he said O and please can someone watch the window for flying objects He meant an arrow or something else. But when Ranger say a bird fly towards them he chuckled inwardly.
Of course a bird would come. This Lord Valens seemed to be able to see in the future and noticed that a bird would be comming. Probably it would be carrying a message like most due now.
When he heard a Lady speak his name he turned his eyes toward the sound and noticed Lady Mischa. She spoke of an animal that was tied to each of the following people. He knew of some people who believed in this but never really believed in it himself unlike his brother who always thought himself as a wolf by nature.
With Lady Mischa saying that he himself will find out what animal he is he foudn this rather exciting. For as far as he could tell Lord Valens was spot on with the animal and human charactistics. So Ranger just waits patienly waiting for something exciting to happen. Seeing as Lord Valens was making a racket upstairs Ranger thought he heard some armor clink and purhaps a sword but he could be wrong.
This made Ranger hands move a little more to his side worried about what will happen next. He wanted to be sure he wouldnt be caught off guard.
Valens
Valens works quickly to get everything together. Once he feels it's all ready, he turns to his maid, who has been also working very hard.
"Ah yes, finally done. Now it is my turn. Mind helping me with this?"
Valens picks up his new armor, and his maid helps him get it on. Then he picks up his sword, and puts it to his side. Then a shield and another sword on his back.
"Lord Valens, if you don't mind me asking, why two swords?"
"Hahaha...it's very hard to explain, but I will lose one of these swords, and if I don't have a second, how will I fight?"
"Your right my lord, we can't have you going and getting hurt again on us. One of these times your going to sacrifice your own body to save someone else, and you won't wake up again. You do realize that don't you? You must be more careful my lord...there are many people who...well just can't stand the thought of you even being hurt, let alone dead."
"....Always so worried...do not worry though, my time is not yet, and once this completed, Taselak will be in control of not only the best weapons, but defense as well."
"Of course my lord, now let's get you ready, everyone is waiting."
Valens gets everything on, and picks up a couple of sacks. Then the maid also picks up a couple of sacks. Each one had a different name on it. One for each person downstairs. Then Valens and the maid walk downstairs to see everyone looking at the window.
"Everyone, I have your surprises here for you...."
Everyone turns to look, and see Valens in his new armor. All black, with a red outlining. Followed by his shield which was also black, with the Platinum Dragon on it.
"Ok, for you Lady Mischa, a brand new sword and armor, if you would like it. I have made it, well to the best I could to your liking. Also a shield, just as mine has the dragon, yours has the panther. Same with everyone else here...except you Ranger. I must speak with you first. I will leave yours here with the maid for now. Follow me into this seperate room...."
Ranger and Valens walk into the dining room, and Valens explains everything to him that he knows. After a few minutes, they both come back into the main room with everyone else.
"Ok, Lord Ranger. I would rather tell this to you with everyone. For you, the color of....black is around you. Also..the power of...the tiger with in you. I also know this comes to a surprise to you, perhaps you where expecting a lesser creature? I will not name which, but I do know. That was your ancestors, yes, but not know. You have grown stronger, much stronger then they where."
Valens puts his hand on Ranger's shoulder
"You should be very proud, you have accomplished what your ancestors have tried so hard to do."
Valens takes his hand back, and walks towards the door. Then turns back to everyone.
"The messanger pigeon has arrived, has it not?"
Mischa
"Lord Valens, the messenger pidgeon has arrived, you will find it in a heap on the ground outside."
Mischa opens her sack and looks at the armour plate, it was a dark silver, and in the bottom of the bag was a red sash to accentuate her waist.
Trying the armour on, it was a perfect fit.
"Lord Valens, it is perfect. I could not even get my armourer in Belus to make armour to fit me properly. Thankyou."
Mischa embraces Valens, a little longer than would be normally acceptable.
Retnuh
When Valens came striding down the stairs with sacks in his hands, the wierd sense of doubt went away again..making way for excitment. Retnuh barely showed it, he thought that Valens had some kind of power around. Some thing like an aura which folded the nobles around him to be..something else.
He untied the rope which held the round opening of the sack, to reveal a dark green colour emminating for it. He pulled out the first thing his hand caught, '...A shield..' with roughness striking its feature. He puts it a bit aside catching a hilt of a sword warped in hard leather and an armour with the same too..
All seemed to be tinted with green, the leather which held the sword, the wooden shield with metal lining and the armour with green leather at the edges of its openings.
Valens
Valens holds onto Lady Mischa and can tell she is quite happy with the surprise. Then he wispers into her ear.
quietly, "I made your armor myself, from nothing at all. And also, if you look, under all the armor, there is another surprise just for you. I think you will like that best of all."
Then finally they part, and Lady Mischa goes back to her surprise. Valens looks around at everyone, and still has the feeling someone is there, that was uninvited.
normal voice, "Yes well...only one way to deal with a stubborn one... louder voiceOk everyone, try on your armor, each set of armor/weapon was specially made for each one of you and has your name's on them. Of course, if you feel more comfy in the armor you have now, you don't need to take these. I am going to check on this bird now...."
Valens walks out to find the bird.
Daelius
Daelius looked up from his bag and headed towards the door, "I think I'll go and change, be right back."
A few minutes passed and he returned wearing his new armour. Formed of bright silver plates and black leather, it was made for someone who valued agility and mobility over encumbersome thick metal plates. The forearms (as it lacked a shield) and the torso had the greatest protection. On the breastplate was the image of a stooping eagle. The long-haired archer held a shining longbow that unstrung was nearly as tall as himself. On his back was a quiver in the same colors filled with light gray-fleched arrows. "Well, what do ya think? I rather liked m'self."
Ranger
When Lord Valens came down in that armor Ranger knew that his ears were actually very keen today. But when everyone recieved their amror and weapons only Ranger wasnt given his.
During the explanation of what was going on Ranger was baffled that in fact he was the black tiger. He was once an infiltrator but that was a long time ago. He rather did enjoy that but that was a long time ago and he thought that would mean nothing. The tiger was a huge shock. He had no clue that he would be related to something so to him monsterous. When he went back into the welcoming hall he found his bag which was pure black. He looked inside to find coal black armor that seemed light as a feather, with a small black handled dagger and what seemed to be a burnt longbow for it was also pitch black.
"Excuse me Lord Valens but what wood is this bow made out of. I have never seen something so black in my life. Do you mind telling me after I change from this rather plain garment as I see Lady Mischa has nothing to hide from us, I to have nothing to hide. Though I do have a small amount of chain mail on ill remove that."
When Ranger was removing his chain mail he felt a weird presence around him. Something isnt right. Lord Valens seemed to have sensed it as well. Ill be on my guard now. Huh i guess I am as keen as a tiger after all. When Ranger had his full armor on he felt like all he had on was his undergarments. He withdrew to a shadow where he thought no one would see him to find out what was going to happen, with his new dagger out he waited.
Retnuh
Retnuh wore no armour at that time, only his cloth made jacket seemed to protect his cheat from any daggers and the over cloak which hid him in a bit of a illusion of a huge man.
He ordered for a room with which maid led him to one which was empty of any occupation, he noded and the maid left. The armour seemed to be made of tiny independent parts which broke into 6 pieces, two for the arms, two by the shoulders and the last which split the sides by two. All the places where the parts rubbed and linked were patched with a layer of leather with green, so as to smoothen the movement and restricted any sweky sound when one moved.
It even had a long leather glove attached which lenghtened from his elbow to the root of the thumb, where it opened his fingers and passed around the sides of the palm. 'Excellent' he thought, as he felt a tightness running around his wrists and arms.
The shield was not round, but long and huge on one line. It was made of wood and parts of dark metal at the edges and lined with the same leather his armor wore. It had a huge engraving of an beast, so huge that the maker felt only the body would fit on comparitively small piece of wood. He had not the strenght in his arms to hold it, so it put is behing his back.. To his amazement, it melded so perfectly behind his armor that it looked like the shield didn't exist.
He put his hands to the last in the sack and pulled a sword out of it. The sword seemed a bit like any other sword to him. all the features of it seemed the same as his, except for the blade which seemed a bit dim towards green and the hilt which was warped in leather for comfort. Trying the loose pieces of leather of the covering next to the sword he already carried, he picked up his cloak from the table and wore it in full length. Hidding all he wore anew in a layer of thick cloth.
Covering his face in shadow of the cloak, he left the room to join the others in the main hall.
Dennis
Dennis opens his sack, and tries on it's contents.
He pulls out a blue-hilted broadsword with a shark carved on it's blade. Lifting it in a two-handed grip, he tests it against his old sword.
"Swish"
"Click"
"Ka-thunk."
Dennis looks in surprise at his old sword, cut neatly in half by a half-hearted swing from his new one.
"Now THAT is one good blade."
Looking in the bag, he finds a blue leather jerkin. Trying it on, he finds that it fits perfectly. It's a bit light and probably will not deflect a hard blow, but it will allow him to fight with complete ease.
"This armour suits me JUST fine."
The final item is a small blue buckler, with the shark crest painted on it's front. Dennis tests his sword against it and to his surprise, his sword bounces off.
"That's one tough shield."
He thinks for a while, then slings it over his back.
"I'll just wear it for the nifty crest. If I used it it would only get in my way."
