Maria heard the warning and strengthened her shields. Looking around she saw only nine people where is Erillyn and Saeryl? she questioned

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"Is all that we see or seem in a dream, but a dream?" -Edgar Allen Poe

[: ? # = $ ^ ~ +]


Normal is for Muggles!

(Ok, thanks)
"We've found him," the Shadow said. Ewaviner turned and listened as the Shadow told him the location. "Very good," Ewaviner said. He took five Shadows as he led them towards the location.

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I was cured all right.

Damien inclined his head a fraction. "Aye, that it is," he replied to the dwarf. Trying to watch the forest, the dwarf, and his companions all at the same time, he asked a general question. "Would someone probe his mind? I do not want this half-height along with us if I cannot be certain of his intent."

He gave Radearle a dubious look, but while he wasn't necessarily inclined to believe her, it was better to err on the side of caution. He had not seen anything to prove that something was close enough that they needed to flee right now, but he did not have mental abilities, either.

---

Sorry for the short post, but I'm running short of time right now.

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Alythrya mounted her horse, sighing and looking around. She felt uncomfortable with a new comer, much more a drawf new comer, but now evil was appoarching....fast.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

(Erillyn had just stumbled upon your character, Meldawen. So she was with you.)

Erillyn knew that something was not right. She made her way all the way over to where Seryl was. "We need to get back to the camp," she said, "The others will be looking for us." She looked around, searching for the presence that she knew was somewhere out there in the distance. "And if we stay here much longer, I don't think we'll get the chance to go back.

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I'm back!

"Aye," said Seryl, looking shaken. Her eyebrows were drawn down in a perplexed frown. "I can't imagine...ah well. Aye, let's get back to the others."

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Ewaviner spotted him, well her, well actually them. There were two women. Ewaviner had the feeling five Shadows wouldn't be enough. He commanded five more to converge at their position. Then he made his appearance.
"Oh I'm afraid it's too late for that," said Ewaviner as he and his five Shadows walked towards the two Chosen. All of them had their swords drawn. The Shadows were personally trained by himself and other demons in the dark arts of magic.

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I was cured all right.

*waits for LDM*

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Meanwhile Mrug was examining the strange party with waxing interest. He was certain of it now - these were the Chosen. Now the only thing that remained was to convince them to head over towards The Grainayar to save his clan...

And then the elf's words smote him full. "Probe my mind?" he demanded in high dudgeon. "Probe my mind? I am a dwarf, and a warrior of the Stone Hammer at that! Dwarves don't lie!" He forced himself to calm down, though blotches of red still tinted his weathered cheeks. He regarded the others shrewdly. "You can just ask, you know."

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Seryl's Elven reflexes made her knife hiss through the air, so fast did she move it into a defensive position. In a panic, she tried for the third time to penetrate the Shadows' minds, but again her efforts were fruitless.

"Begone, spawn of the abyss," she snarled, every muscle tensed.

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"Try all you may, woman," Ewaviner sneered. "You can never penetrate our minds. So that is no longer available to you, what will you do next? Call your friends or hold your ground?" As he said that, the Shadows brought their swords into a menacing ready position.

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I was cured all right.

Seryl did hold her ground, but call her friends she was determined not to do. Calling the other Chosen could do very little against these shadows. "Need you such overwhelming odds to defeat us?" she taunted, eyes blazing. "I would call you a coward!"

This could accurately be described as empty bluster. Seryl knew she was trapped.

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"Ends justify the means," Ewaviner retorted. "Demons care not how they achieve it. They only care that they do achieve it. Neither do we care for petty insults. There is a line between cowardice and reason as well as there is a line between courage and stupidity."

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I was cured all right.

And you were stupid, Seryl berated herself. "Petty insults they are not," she snapped. "I speak only the truth - that you are cowards! Fight us, then!"

Night seemed to cling to the shadows, and they loomed large over the defiant half-elf. Seryl clenched her hand so hard around the hilt of her knife to stop it trembling that her knuckles went white. Still she would not call for help.

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"As you wish," Ewaviner said. Those three words were the command for one of the Shadows to inflict a surge of ravaging pain to the half-elf. Two Shadows went for the other while Ewaviner himself advanced towards the half-elf.

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I was cured all right.

Radearle caught Damien's doubtful glance and bristled inwardly. Yes, her powers might be new, but so too were his!

Leaning against her horse, she crossed one leg in front of the other and twirled her longbow casually. The effect was just slightly menacing. "Ay, now," she responded to the dwarf. "And how am I to know you lie not when you say you lie not? Riddle me this, now." She cast a pointed glance at the elf. "I am called Radearle of An." Not just someone, and not just in general. "What do you go by?"

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<center>Nothing but the Rain</center>