Guenevere/The Journey/Part 2
Contents
Roleplay from Guenevere
Birds were chirping in the trees, as Guen was passing by them. Veshin seemed like such a calm and quiet place. So relaxing, that Guen found herself day dreaming again. Lothar caught her, and brought her back. She blushed, and looked away, into the woods on the side of the path. She noticed a small fox in the bushes. He looked injured. Guen couldn't pass it up, and told the troops to continue on without her. She descended from her horse, and creeped to the bushes. The poor thing looked like his leg was broken. When she got closer, the fox seemed to get angered by her presence. Snarling and growling now, Guen stopped. The fox saw this, and decided instead to run further into the trees.
"Where ya goin little fella? I won't hurt ya."
But it still kept running, deeper and deeper, till he disappeared into some thick foliage. Looking about her, it was dark, she didn't realize how far she actually ran until now. Looking for her way back, she heard some more rustling in the bushes. Taking a peek, a common bandit jumped out and tackled her, pinning her to the ground. She tried to wrestle herself free, but to no avail. She screamed for help, but she was too deep in the woods. The darkness drowned out her calls. She closed her eyes, waiting for the worst, until she heard a scream. It wasn't her, so she opened her eyes, to find that the bandit was running away after being bit by the fox which was running after him.
"Thank you little fox. Such a brave warrior."
Now alone, she sat up, and noticed a strange light just floating in the air. It actually wasn't a light, but just a glow that seemed to float in the air. It was coming closer to her. All she could do was watch it, mesmerized by its aura. When it came in contact with Guen, everything disappeared. She had blacked out.
Roleplay from Guenevere
Strange dreams of ale and flying horses, awoke Guen with a startle. Finding herself lying on a pile of straw, inside a dark and wet room. She tried to feel her way to a door, but the door was locked. She layed back down on the straw, and sat awaiting something to happen. She heard footsteps outside the door, a clink clank, then a creaking door slide open.
"You are the chosen one, your first test awaits." A deep voice stated.
"Who are you?"
"That is not important at this time."
"What must I do?"
But the figure was already gone. She slowly felt her way to the door, and reaching the hallway, could see a light at the top of some stairs. She walked towards the light, and emerged into a beautiful and lucious scene. Flowers were everywhere, in an elegant show of colors and smells. She figured that she had found the Garden of Ragnok. She looked around and found a clearing not too far away, revealing the only strong light shining through the trees. The light also revealed a stone wall on the far side. A closer look, and an inscription was found.
"Ragnok was once a valiant knight. Command an army so brave, they rode into battles even outmatched and came out victorious. One day, someone had stolen his armor. His helmet, breastplate, boots, gauntlets, shield, and sword were nowhere to be found. The next day he managed to find his helmet and his sword, but nothing else. He rode into battle with just those pieces, and was struck down with a mortal wound. He died shortly after. The first test is to find the other four pieces of his armor: breastplate, boots, gauntlets, and shield, and place them upon the statue. A door will open, leading to the second test."
Guen turned around, and found a statue of Ragnok behind her, and in each compass direction was an illuminated path. North being the rock wall, east, west, and south behind the statue. She walked down the southern path, and was greeted by two guardians. One guarding a door on the left, and one guarding a door on the right. An inscription on the floor read:
"One of these doors leads to the breastplate, the other leads to death. One of these guards always tells the truth, while the other always lies. Figure out which door is which by asking one guard, one question. Ask that question, and live. Good luck!"
Guen sat down, and started thinking about what had to be done.
Roleplay from Guenevere
Guen still though long and hard on the riddle. Scratching her head, standing up, sitting back down, all to think up what that question might be. She thought that if she asked the truth telling guard "If I asked the other guardian which door leads to heaven, what would he tell me?" he would reply the other guard would point to the door of death, claiming it the armor. If the guard that lies was asked, he would lie saying the other guard would take you to the door of death, claiming it the armor. She thought about it for another minute, and decided to give it a shot. First, she sent a small prayer to Aethelmaer, and went up to a guard, asked the question, and he said the door on the right leads to the armor. With her theory it was death, and opened up the left door, and there sitting on a pedestal, was the breastplate.
"YES! Thank you, Aethelmaer!"
She continued on with the other two, different riddles, but not as hard as the first one. Coming back to the clearing she put on the breastplate, the boots, and gauntlets. Then she wondered where the shield was. All three paths have been explored.
Just then, the greenery had all disappeared into darkness, leaving only the clearing and the statue to be seen. Out of the darkness appeared a single man, holding Ragnok's sheild. His riddle was simple:
"The crafter doesn't need it,
The buyer doesn't use it,
and the user doesn't know he's using it.
If you get this wrong,
You'll end up in one."
Guen knew the answer to this one, and simply replied with "A Coffin" and the man handed over the sheild. The man disappeared and the light returned. She placed the sheild on the statue, and it a voice sounded out "Thank you, the second test awaits behind you." She turned around to notice a part of the rock wall had moved, revealing a cave. From memory, the Cave of Wind. She took a peek in, and found nothing but another inscription, and a small green circle on the ground.
"The second test, is a maze of sorts. The beginning marked in green, the end in red. Find the exit, and the third test will be revealed."
Guen looked at the green circle, then back at the inscription. Thinking that it wasn't specific enough, she thought for a time. Then remembering the small whistle, she took it out, and blew each note, none of the first three worked, but the fourth one created a small envelope of wind around her, that whisked her off into the darkness.
Roleplay from Guenevere
Guen felt light as a feather, wind surrounding her, flailing her hair around, and giving her chills. She was nervous that it would bring her in front of something horrible. But it didn't she felt ground under her feet, opened her eyes, and saw a room, with 3 other color circles on the ground. Red, blue, yellow, and she was standing on green. The whistle seemed to activate the wind, with each color representing a different color. She moved over to to the red circle, and played a note, it whisked her away, to yet another room, similar to the last. This went on for awhile. Finding the beginning again, she delved into the caves again. It seemed as if she was going nowhere. Finally she hit a room, where there was only one other circle, it was red. Excited she quickly ran over and blew the whistle. One last time it blew her away to the exit, where standing before her was a massive doorway. This doorway she figured led into the Temple of Triad, and the Wizards of Triad. She walked over, and the door opened letting her inside face to face with a strange short man.
"Hello Lady Guenevere, we've been expecting you. I am Gaspar, I will take you where you need to go."
Gaspar brought Guen to a large room, where two others were standing. A tall man, who Gaspar introduced as Melchior, and a medium sized man, Balthasar. They greeted her, and then they all walked her into a hallway, that turned into a tunnle. At the end was a small room, with three pedestals and a door. The three wizards took their spots and started to chant.
"Piesudomine, Donaeisrequiem."
The room brightened up, giving the door a shine. With particular interest to the keyhole. Taking out the key, she slipped it in and turned. The door unlocked and the wizards started to speak as one.
"The third and final test lies behind that door. Once you enter there is no turning back."
Guen took a deep breath, and opened the door. For such a small door, she was surprised at how heavy it was. It lead to a well lit room, a perfect square. The only thing in the room was a figure on the other side of the room. It was facing the other way, and was kneeling in the center. As Guen approached the door behind her slammed, and locked, alerting the figure in the middle. The man stood up and turned around. He looked old, but young at the same time.
"Welcome Guenevere. The third test that you must complete is to show that your worthy of the treasure on the other side of that door." He pointed to the door behind her. "There are many ways to show you are worthy, it is you who must figure these out and try them."
At the time, Guen could only think of one way to prove herself, and that was by way of the duel. She unsheathed her sword, remembering how she didn't like to use it. Yet, she looked passed that flaw, and watched as the man pulled out his sword also. The duel was about to begin.
