Post by Shinobi-Iri (nick) on Oct 13, 2007 16:21:40 GMT -5
Chapter 3
Maranual was a little smaller than Redwater, but its farming industry was even larger than Redwater’s if not more lively. Like Redwater, it was in the middle of vast farmlands and surrounded by rolling hills and winding rivers. The main landmark of the region was the Redwine River, which began in the Bladedge Mountains, and wound down heading southwest for awhile, passing through numerous towns including Maranual and Redwater. It had led them well as they took the dirt road, veering off occasionally to follow the river, shielding themselves from the hot 7th season sun through use of the low-hanging, shady trees.
Maranual was just like Redwater, in that its short, narrow streets were crowded with
Trader’s and Merchant’s, and children played endless throughout the day. By the time they reached Maranual, it was almost sundown, and the vendors were just packing up for the night. One of them, an attractive young girl selling various teas, smiled and pointed out Maranual’s Inn, the Quail’s Nest.
The Quail’s Nest, as it turned out, was a warm and inviting establishment, complete with
Baths, Beds, Meals and a fully stocked Adventurer’s store where they could purchase various paraphernalia related to their quest.
The Proprietor of the Inn was a stout, Gortunese man named Jake, who ran the Inn with his beautiful Elven wife, Lo’limar. The Gortun people, who hailed from the extreme
West of Antigon, were a gypsy-like tribe of Human’s with Brown Skin and Blonde or
Beige hair who specialized in cooking with exotic spices. And, as a result, Tom and
Riko’s stay at the Quail’s Nest began with an extremely delicious dinner of Gortunese
Chicken and Rice.
“Here you are, Tom…” Lo’limar said, as she placed a plate down in front of Tom. “Eat it
up while it’s hot, won’t you?”
“Thanks Lo’limar…” Tom said gratefully, picking up his fork and beginning to eat. Jake sat down opposite Riko, next to Tom, and struck up conversation almost immediately.
“So what brings you two to our lonely town?” Jake asked, as Lo’ sat down next to Riko.
“We don’t get many except Soldiers on patrol coming through here?”
“Don’t you get inter-town traders?” Riko inquired.
“Not so much,” Lo’ replied. “Most of the Traders from around Antigon go to the big market in Antigon City for Trade. It’s true with our own trader’s also…”
“Are the Teleportals working?” Riko asked.
“Don’t see why they wouldn’t be…” Jake replied. “Edwyn keeps them going quite well…”
“Edwyn?” Riko asked, slightly confused. “I thought Tanbo ran the portals.”
“Tanbo left here about a month ago,” Lo’ explained. “Said the work was becoming too much for him…”
“What a shame,” Riko replied. “He and myself used to be quite good friends…”
“Well, Edwyn is extremely courteous, and professional,” Jake said. “I’m sure you’ll be satisfied…”
“Where exactly are you going?” Lo’ asked.
“Antigon City,” Tom replied. “To see if I can be trained for Knighthood…”
“Well, there’s a little bit of a problem, actually…” Lo’ said uneasily, looking to her husband. “Something big…”
“A problem…” Riko said. “What kind of problem?”
“Well…” Jake began. “People who have been going through the portal…”
“Haven’t been coming back…” Lo’ finished for him.
“Well I wouldn’t expect them to,” Riko said, smiling. “They usually go through the portal to get somewhere else.”
“No, it’s not like that…” Lo’ said, smiling weakly. “We usually have a buffer on the other end who informs us magically whether the person has made it through the portal safely or not. But the last couple of times the portal has been used, the people haven’t come out where they should be.”
“So are you going to discontinue use of the portal?” Riko asked.
“Well see it doesn’t happen much,” Jake replied. “Maybe once in twenty people, Lo’ was exaggerating slightly. It’s relatively safe to use the portal, but just be ready for what might be on the other side.”
Tom couldn’t help but feel perhaps what they were doing was a bad idea as he stepped up toward the soft, light-blue glow of the teleportal sitting before him on the floor of the Portal Buildig, near the center of the Town. They were the only ones around apart from Edwyn, wo was an Elderly woman who seemed to never stop smiling.
“Everything should be fine,” She reassured Tom again, patting his shoulder. “Whenever you’re ready, dear…”
“Come on, Tom…I’ll be in my grave before you’re done.” Riko said, jokingly.
The thought of the fact that taking this portal could very well send them to their graves was almost too much for Tom to handle. He gritted his teeth, told himself it would all be fine, and stepped into the portal’s glow…
At first nothing happened, but then he felt his whole body begin to vibrate, as the world dissolved into swirling color before him. There was a sound, similar to a sonic boom, before the world swirled into focus again, and he found himself in quite a different location to what he expected…
He seemed to be on the shore of an extremely large Lake, which was as smooth as glass and blacker than the night sky. On the Horizon, there was a large rock pylon that shot straight up into the sky, and there were dark clouds swirling around it near the top. All around him was Dark Forest, and he knew instantly that this was not where he was meant to be.
“Hold it right there!” Came a sharp voice from behind him.
He turned to see a Dwarf with a War axe standing, as if ready to attack. With him were six others; An Elven Archer, A Human Knight with a Great sword, a Gnome whose rich fabrics suggested she was a Paladin, another Human who seemed to be a Mage of some description, a twitching and nervous Goblin and a large brute who seemed to be some sort of Human/Orc hybrid.
“Calm yourself, Tyberius…” The Elf said gently, resting one of the tips of her large Bow onto the ground so she could adjust her belt. “He seems to be another like us…”
“Like you?” Tom asked, suddenly incredibly confused. “What do you mean?”
“We are The Lost, Lad…” The Gnome Paladin said, smiling. “The ones who stepped through the Maranual portal to be met with this-“ She indicated the Dark Lake and intimidating-looking Pylon. “-desolate place…”
“Where are we?” Tom asked.
“A Magically-created copy of a real place,” The Dwarf said, lowering his Axe, before straightening his horned battle-helm carefully. “Somethin’ called the Shadow Pylon?”
The Knight nodded, his long Auburn Beard giving the impression he was quite old, although he couldn’t have been older than 34.
“Yes, the source of the Darkness Lord’s power.” The Knight explained. “This is an area of the Darklands, young one. Do you know what that is?”
“Yes, I do…” Tom said truthfully. “It’s a land to the far North of Antigon. Once beautiful, now corrupted by Darkness…”
“Yes indeed, lad…” The Gnome Paladin said. “A place of corruption and greed most terrible.”
“Are there any Hostiles around here?” Tom asked.
“No, it seems to be a magical prison of some sort…” The Archer said thoughtfully, raising her beautiful head to the sky. “I think we are simply being held here until they decide what to do with us…”
The group went very silent, and everybody seemed to take another look around, as if their savior was going to bound out of the Artificial trees and help them escape.
But nothing came, it was just an empty, silent expanse of illusionary earth, a mere representation of a faraway land. Tom looked up at the Shadow Pylon and wondered whether it was as intimidating in real life as it was in this illusion.
A few hours had passed, and the group had managed to start a small campfire on the edge of the lake. They all sat on there packs, listening to the Warriors tell stories about their adventures. They had discovered that, beyond the trees, there was a kind of invisible barrier that prevented them from going anywhere, and as there were no bones or bodies, they could only assume they weren’t there permanently.
“So then, the Dragon reared back on its hind legs, razor-sharp teeth bared in fury…” The Dwarf, named Hindicus said dramatically, forming his arms into the shape of a massive jaw. “You should have seen the fire that spurted out of his mouth, blimey…”
The Elven Archer, named Ari’ean, leant over to Tom and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder.
“We’ve heard this story about seven times since we got here,” She murmured, smiling a little. “He really is an excitable little one, isn’t he?”
Tom nodded, then sighed. “I was supposed to be in Antigon City tonight…” He said.
Ari’ean let out a breath and nodded with understanding. “Tonight, I was to return to Platinum City in an attempt to sway my Father to allow me to marry a Human.”
“He doesn’t like Humans?” Tom asked.
“He doesn’t like marriage in General,” Ari’ean replied. “He’s a noble, a grand friend of the Elven King. And no matter what the King tell my Father about the benefits of monogamy, he still will not listen.”
“That’s too bad…” Tom mumbled, staring into the firelight and wondering whether or not that was as fake as their surroundings. “I sure wish we weren’t stuck here…”
“Join the club…” The male Wizard said irritably.
Ari’ looked to Tom, smirking as she did so. he could tell that the group being privy to his irritable outbursts was a regular occurrence.
Meanwhile, Riko stepped out of the portal at the other end, finding himself in the Portal Center in the Temple District of Antigon City. He looked around to find the beaming operator advancing on him with a large brush. He looked down at his long robes and saw they were covered in a fine dust.
“You’re covered in Portal dust,” The young man said, attacking his robes with the brush. “Don’t worry, just have to make you look respectable.”
“Thank you, sir…” Riko said breathlessly, the Portal had the ability to wind you something terrible. “Um, has my companion come through here?”
“Ah, Companion?” The Attendant said, losing his smirk and adopting a politely quizzical expression. “Sorry, you’re the first person to come through here this hour.”
Riko became slightly worried. He knew enough about Magical Portals to know that occasionally the Portals didn’t port a group together in the order they entered, due to the random nature of magic. However, he also knew that the Portal in Maranual was malfunctioning, and for that reason he became even more worried.
“Did you know the Portal in Maranual was having problems?” Riko asked.
The Attendant nodded. “Yes indeed, I received a letter about it two seasons ago,” He replied. “Is that where you came from?”
Riko nodded. “Yes, we took the chance and took the Portal anyway. I think he may have been lost…”
Now the Attendant looked worried, he went to the Portal but then went to the level beside it and pulled. The Portal disappeared briefly, before reappearing, glowing softly. He let out a sharp exhale of air.
“Well, now we know your companion hasn’t become stuck in Transit,” The Attendant said. “It sometimes happens, you know.”
“That means the worse outcome has occurred…” Riko said grimly. “He’s become lost…”
Maranual was a little smaller than Redwater, but its farming industry was even larger than Redwater’s if not more lively. Like Redwater, it was in the middle of vast farmlands and surrounded by rolling hills and winding rivers. The main landmark of the region was the Redwine River, which began in the Bladedge Mountains, and wound down heading southwest for awhile, passing through numerous towns including Maranual and Redwater. It had led them well as they took the dirt road, veering off occasionally to follow the river, shielding themselves from the hot 7th season sun through use of the low-hanging, shady trees.
Maranual was just like Redwater, in that its short, narrow streets were crowded with
Trader’s and Merchant’s, and children played endless throughout the day. By the time they reached Maranual, it was almost sundown, and the vendors were just packing up for the night. One of them, an attractive young girl selling various teas, smiled and pointed out Maranual’s Inn, the Quail’s Nest.
The Quail’s Nest, as it turned out, was a warm and inviting establishment, complete with
Baths, Beds, Meals and a fully stocked Adventurer’s store where they could purchase various paraphernalia related to their quest.
The Proprietor of the Inn was a stout, Gortunese man named Jake, who ran the Inn with his beautiful Elven wife, Lo’limar. The Gortun people, who hailed from the extreme
West of Antigon, were a gypsy-like tribe of Human’s with Brown Skin and Blonde or
Beige hair who specialized in cooking with exotic spices. And, as a result, Tom and
Riko’s stay at the Quail’s Nest began with an extremely delicious dinner of Gortunese
Chicken and Rice.
“Here you are, Tom…” Lo’limar said, as she placed a plate down in front of Tom. “Eat it
up while it’s hot, won’t you?”
“Thanks Lo’limar…” Tom said gratefully, picking up his fork and beginning to eat. Jake sat down opposite Riko, next to Tom, and struck up conversation almost immediately.
“So what brings you two to our lonely town?” Jake asked, as Lo’ sat down next to Riko.
“We don’t get many except Soldiers on patrol coming through here?”
“Don’t you get inter-town traders?” Riko inquired.
“Not so much,” Lo’ replied. “Most of the Traders from around Antigon go to the big market in Antigon City for Trade. It’s true with our own trader’s also…”
“Are the Teleportals working?” Riko asked.
“Don’t see why they wouldn’t be…” Jake replied. “Edwyn keeps them going quite well…”
“Edwyn?” Riko asked, slightly confused. “I thought Tanbo ran the portals.”
“Tanbo left here about a month ago,” Lo’ explained. “Said the work was becoming too much for him…”
“What a shame,” Riko replied. “He and myself used to be quite good friends…”
“Well, Edwyn is extremely courteous, and professional,” Jake said. “I’m sure you’ll be satisfied…”
“Where exactly are you going?” Lo’ asked.
“Antigon City,” Tom replied. “To see if I can be trained for Knighthood…”
“Well, there’s a little bit of a problem, actually…” Lo’ said uneasily, looking to her husband. “Something big…”
“A problem…” Riko said. “What kind of problem?”
“Well…” Jake began. “People who have been going through the portal…”
“Haven’t been coming back…” Lo’ finished for him.
“Well I wouldn’t expect them to,” Riko said, smiling. “They usually go through the portal to get somewhere else.”
“No, it’s not like that…” Lo’ said, smiling weakly. “We usually have a buffer on the other end who informs us magically whether the person has made it through the portal safely or not. But the last couple of times the portal has been used, the people haven’t come out where they should be.”
“So are you going to discontinue use of the portal?” Riko asked.
“Well see it doesn’t happen much,” Jake replied. “Maybe once in twenty people, Lo’ was exaggerating slightly. It’s relatively safe to use the portal, but just be ready for what might be on the other side.”
Tom couldn’t help but feel perhaps what they were doing was a bad idea as he stepped up toward the soft, light-blue glow of the teleportal sitting before him on the floor of the Portal Buildig, near the center of the Town. They were the only ones around apart from Edwyn, wo was an Elderly woman who seemed to never stop smiling.
“Everything should be fine,” She reassured Tom again, patting his shoulder. “Whenever you’re ready, dear…”
“Come on, Tom…I’ll be in my grave before you’re done.” Riko said, jokingly.
The thought of the fact that taking this portal could very well send them to their graves was almost too much for Tom to handle. He gritted his teeth, told himself it would all be fine, and stepped into the portal’s glow…
At first nothing happened, but then he felt his whole body begin to vibrate, as the world dissolved into swirling color before him. There was a sound, similar to a sonic boom, before the world swirled into focus again, and he found himself in quite a different location to what he expected…
He seemed to be on the shore of an extremely large Lake, which was as smooth as glass and blacker than the night sky. On the Horizon, there was a large rock pylon that shot straight up into the sky, and there were dark clouds swirling around it near the top. All around him was Dark Forest, and he knew instantly that this was not where he was meant to be.
“Hold it right there!” Came a sharp voice from behind him.
He turned to see a Dwarf with a War axe standing, as if ready to attack. With him were six others; An Elven Archer, A Human Knight with a Great sword, a Gnome whose rich fabrics suggested she was a Paladin, another Human who seemed to be a Mage of some description, a twitching and nervous Goblin and a large brute who seemed to be some sort of Human/Orc hybrid.
“Calm yourself, Tyberius…” The Elf said gently, resting one of the tips of her large Bow onto the ground so she could adjust her belt. “He seems to be another like us…”
“Like you?” Tom asked, suddenly incredibly confused. “What do you mean?”
“We are The Lost, Lad…” The Gnome Paladin said, smiling. “The ones who stepped through the Maranual portal to be met with this-“ She indicated the Dark Lake and intimidating-looking Pylon. “-desolate place…”
“Where are we?” Tom asked.
“A Magically-created copy of a real place,” The Dwarf said, lowering his Axe, before straightening his horned battle-helm carefully. “Somethin’ called the Shadow Pylon?”
The Knight nodded, his long Auburn Beard giving the impression he was quite old, although he couldn’t have been older than 34.
“Yes, the source of the Darkness Lord’s power.” The Knight explained. “This is an area of the Darklands, young one. Do you know what that is?”
“Yes, I do…” Tom said truthfully. “It’s a land to the far North of Antigon. Once beautiful, now corrupted by Darkness…”
“Yes indeed, lad…” The Gnome Paladin said. “A place of corruption and greed most terrible.”
“Are there any Hostiles around here?” Tom asked.
“No, it seems to be a magical prison of some sort…” The Archer said thoughtfully, raising her beautiful head to the sky. “I think we are simply being held here until they decide what to do with us…”
The group went very silent, and everybody seemed to take another look around, as if their savior was going to bound out of the Artificial trees and help them escape.
But nothing came, it was just an empty, silent expanse of illusionary earth, a mere representation of a faraway land. Tom looked up at the Shadow Pylon and wondered whether it was as intimidating in real life as it was in this illusion.
A few hours had passed, and the group had managed to start a small campfire on the edge of the lake. They all sat on there packs, listening to the Warriors tell stories about their adventures. They had discovered that, beyond the trees, there was a kind of invisible barrier that prevented them from going anywhere, and as there were no bones or bodies, they could only assume they weren’t there permanently.
“So then, the Dragon reared back on its hind legs, razor-sharp teeth bared in fury…” The Dwarf, named Hindicus said dramatically, forming his arms into the shape of a massive jaw. “You should have seen the fire that spurted out of his mouth, blimey…”
The Elven Archer, named Ari’ean, leant over to Tom and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder.
“We’ve heard this story about seven times since we got here,” She murmured, smiling a little. “He really is an excitable little one, isn’t he?”
Tom nodded, then sighed. “I was supposed to be in Antigon City tonight…” He said.
Ari’ean let out a breath and nodded with understanding. “Tonight, I was to return to Platinum City in an attempt to sway my Father to allow me to marry a Human.”
“He doesn’t like Humans?” Tom asked.
“He doesn’t like marriage in General,” Ari’ean replied. “He’s a noble, a grand friend of the Elven King. And no matter what the King tell my Father about the benefits of monogamy, he still will not listen.”
“That’s too bad…” Tom mumbled, staring into the firelight and wondering whether or not that was as fake as their surroundings. “I sure wish we weren’t stuck here…”
“Join the club…” The male Wizard said irritably.
Ari’ looked to Tom, smirking as she did so. he could tell that the group being privy to his irritable outbursts was a regular occurrence.
Meanwhile, Riko stepped out of the portal at the other end, finding himself in the Portal Center in the Temple District of Antigon City. He looked around to find the beaming operator advancing on him with a large brush. He looked down at his long robes and saw they were covered in a fine dust.
“You’re covered in Portal dust,” The young man said, attacking his robes with the brush. “Don’t worry, just have to make you look respectable.”
“Thank you, sir…” Riko said breathlessly, the Portal had the ability to wind you something terrible. “Um, has my companion come through here?”
“Ah, Companion?” The Attendant said, losing his smirk and adopting a politely quizzical expression. “Sorry, you’re the first person to come through here this hour.”
Riko became slightly worried. He knew enough about Magical Portals to know that occasionally the Portals didn’t port a group together in the order they entered, due to the random nature of magic. However, he also knew that the Portal in Maranual was malfunctioning, and for that reason he became even more worried.
“Did you know the Portal in Maranual was having problems?” Riko asked.
The Attendant nodded. “Yes indeed, I received a letter about it two seasons ago,” He replied. “Is that where you came from?”
Riko nodded. “Yes, we took the chance and took the Portal anyway. I think he may have been lost…”
Now the Attendant looked worried, he went to the Portal but then went to the level beside it and pulled. The Portal disappeared briefly, before reappearing, glowing softly. He let out a sharp exhale of air.
“Well, now we know your companion hasn’t become stuck in Transit,” The Attendant said. “It sometimes happens, you know.”
“That means the worse outcome has occurred…” Riko said grimly. “He’s become lost…”