The Game is Afoot

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Jewel watched Jew dash off towards the water, but the beast remained in the clearing. She hoped Der had a good plan and what ever it was would work! She grabbed another log from the fire and stood ready for Der to give an order. At least when they went for the water Jex would be there waiting!
 
Jex turned to see if he was being pursued, however, he was not. He tried to stop, but was unable to, the momentum was just too much. He lost his footing and fell face first into the water, dropping his sword in the process. He lifted his self out of the water to get a breath, and looked in Der's direction. Jex didn't have time to go back, and hoped that Der and Jewel would be ok without him for the time being.
 
Der had no orders to give. There was very little the other two could do at this point. The monster sized copy wanted him, and it would stop at nothing to achieve that end. Der darted toward the water, though he maintained a zig-zag pattern in order to trick the thing into thinking he was simply trying to get away.

To add incentive to the chase, Der pounded the ground with mane spikes. The energy it required to manipulate his fur was minimal, but it would be enough to ensure the creature's attention remained on him.
 
Jex watched as Der started running away from the copy. He never would have imagined a being of his power would run from an enemy, but he also never thought he would be in the company of a talking wolf. He slowly got to his feet and began searching for his lost sword. He took a moment to peek toward Der again, and saw Jewel trailing behind, flaming log in hand. Just before Der could get to the water, he found his sword and hefted it to the ready. This time, the Der copy was not going to get far.
 
Luckily for Jex, the thing did not have to go far. Der leapt over the water and seemingly flew for some time, sailing well over the head of Jex and nearly to the other bank. That was a new trick, and the curse had not thought to grant the mirrored monster such an ability. But, because of the flaming log chasing after it, for the curse no longer sensed Jewel, the monster tried, and failed miserably.

The copy only got a few feet before crashing down hard into the water, shaking some overhanging tree limbs loose and impaling itself. With an open wound and surrounded by so much pure natural force, the curse had no choice but to release its hold over the false creature, and the illusion vanished. Der climbed onto the bank and leapt back to the other side, landing silently.

"It is done. There should be nothing else."
 
Glad that the beast vanished and the fight was over Jewel rolled the burning end of the log out in the sand, then dropped it. A smile danced on her lips as she walked into the water to clean herself and her blades, then spoke.

“It may have been 3 times your size Furball, but it sure didn’t have your loveable personality!”

Once she was as clean as she was going to get she moved to the shore where Der and Jex stood.

“I’m all for morning workouts, but that was almost too much, eh Jex?!”
 
Jex wasn't sure how to answer. "Uh, are you guys always this exciting?" he asked. Morning workout, Hells, that was more than he was definitely used to. He walked back to the edge of the water and cleaned off his dagger and claymore. He was more than a little upset that he had lost his second dagger, however. Oh well, that's combat for you he thought to his self. He looked at Der, and asked "So, what exactly is going on around here?"
 
"Exciting?" Der looked sidelong at Jewel for a second, then turned back at Jex. "That may have been a bit out of the ordinary, but I would hardly call it exciting. The great clan wars. Now THAT was exciting, eh, Jan?"

As he chuckled to himself Der took a closer look at the dark elf. The way he approached everything, the manner in which he asked questions and his obvious confusion toward everything that had been happening pointed heavily toward him being unfamiliar with this world. It wasn't just the forest. He seemed out of place entirely.

"I will answer your questions. But first I must know something. You are not from Ayenee, are you?"
 
He knew she hated being called Jan, but she let it slide and gave him a crooked smile.

“As I recall you had to buy me quiet a few new outfits and weapons after things where all said and done on that one”

As she put her weapons away she noticed the elf was missing one. Her hand gripped the charm at her neck as she whispered

“What once was lost is now found; return it to this very ground”
When a blink of an eye the missing dagger was lying on the ground at her feet. She picked it up and handed it over to Jex.

As Der spoke to Jex she cocked one brow and gave a silent nod in agreement with his assessment of Jex. She gave Der a wide grin.

“Story Time?!?”

January had a slightly twisted sense of humor but Der was use to it, she hoped Jex realized she used it as a coping technique and did not take offense.
 
Jex took the dagger from Jewel, thanking her as he sheathed it. Now he was really confused. Clan Wars?! What the Hells was going on. Jex realized his only chance of finding out was to tell his tale.
"It's obvious that I'm missing something big," he said. Let me tell you what I can, and we'll see if either of you can add anything to fill in any blank spots."
Jex cleared his throat and readied himself of tale-spinning.
I am from the wood-elf village of Felagund. My father was named Finrod Mithrandir, my full name given me by him was Jex Lohur Flamefalcon. Our country was Merenwen, and we lived in peace for generations. I am only relating what I can from the time I was born. When I turned 30 years old, I had finally finished the warrior training his father was putting him through. Not many days after, a messenger riding a worg arrived. Jex's father was part of the village tribunal, and he oversaw the military. Finrod came home that day, fuming about a threat of war that was to be declared if the "rightful property" of Refos Sen'nah was not returned. When Jex asked what that was supposed to mean, his father merely took his shoulder and told hims some things were best left undiscussed. Within the following year, several more messages were sent to the village, and Finrod, tiring of the game, beheaded the lowly trogolodyte messenger, its worg running away. Soon, word in the surrounding villages came that there was a massive army heading to Felagund, a wizard and his pet wolf leading the ranks. When they arrived, it was a pure massacre. Finrod hid Jex under the floor in their home, and Jex watched helplessly as his family was slaughtered above him. That was where he saw the sigil of the bleeding eye, and when he finally emerged from his hiding place, he vowed he would not stop until this wizard was caught, questioned and disposed of. He swore he would travel any continent, any plane of existence that he must in order to accomplish his task.
Shortly after finishing his tale, Jex realized something he had never thought of before. He had never seen another dark elf like himself anywhere during his travels. How peculiar...
"It was not long after meeting the street merchant with the same sigil on his hand that I can't remember anything. Except the alicorn. That, I could never forget. I thought he was going to stomp me to death. I do not recall the path he took to find you, however."
 
"Hmm." Der thought out loud. "Although I am not as well traveled as some, I have been around my share of this realm, and I must admit that I have never heard of any of these places or people you have mentioned."

Der sighed and started padding back to the clearing where their makeshift camp had been. His thought leaked to January. -The alicorn that brought him is a companion of a dragon far more ancient than any other creature I have ever met. It is possible that he was carried across realms either aback that steed, or by some force he doesn't know about to the place where the alicorn took him from.-

When Der reached the remains of the camp site he lowered himself to the ground and pondered. "I would have to say, Master Jex, that one way or another, you have been removed from the realm where your home lies. Still, it is strange that you would have heard tell that the wizard you seek is in Darkraven kingdom. The officials I spoke to there knew nothing of this strange wizard. If he is there, he is so deep in the underground that even their clergymen cannot detect him."

Der looked at January and sighed. "What do you think?"
 
She moved to her friend’s side and gave a soft petting right above his nose with her fingertips, the only spot that was smooth enough to feel her fingers touch correctly. She gave an inward sigh that only Der could hear then spoke to him inwardly.

*For all the bravery we all just showed, I was worried for you Fuzz ball. Life would not be much with out you around!*

She knew he would help the elf, and she knew she would help them both. She gave a half smile then spoke aloud and trying to keep her tone light.

“It sounds like we have a new deeply rooted evilness hiding among this realm. We can either go forth and find it ourselves before something happens, or we can wait tell some tragic event befalls our realm like it did to Jex’s….We have never stood idly by before Der….So what ever path you choose, I will follow.”

Her brows furrowed and a frown formed upon her lips as she spoke the next thought aloud.

“Our problem is how to go forth and still protect this forest from the darkness….We are going to need a large spell or help.”
 
Der sighed and nodded, then realized that Jex would be utterly confused by January's last statement.

"Alright, Jex. I told you I would answer your questions, so here it is. I am a Mystic Wolf, the only one of my kind in this realm known as Ayenee. The realm I came from is the Myst Realm. I was once one of four guardians assigned to that realm. It is a place of utter chaos. Nothing from the outside can stay in tact for long, and should anything get out, it would create havoc everywhere it went. Our job was to keep outsiders out, and insiders in.

One day during my watch, an interplanar spell was cast that ripped me from my homeworld and took me here," Der realized he was now going to be telling part of a tale not even January had heard. "I was bound as a familiar to a newly recruited vampire. But there is a twist. That vampire was not human by nature, though he had a human form. It was a dragon who married the queen of a vampire clan. Because he was a dragon, instead of being forced to follow along as any other familiar would, my body became an alternate form for the vampiric dragon to shift into. His mind took over mine."

Der looked at January and sent a quick mental message before he continued. -I tried to tell you this before, but "I used to be part of a dragon." doesn't usually come up in normal conversation.-

"Eventually, the dragon used the energy that bound me to him to save the life of his queen, and I was freed. But it was discovered that along with me being pulled from the Myst Realm, a large amount of magic had been taken, as well. When I separated from the dragon, the magic that came with me did, as well. The magic and I were both thrown to this forest. It immediately took hold and tried to create a world of it's own, but because I was here, it could not do so. That magic is what spawned those creatures, and my presence is the only thing that holds it at bay, which is why it began creating when I left, and why I am forced to remain here."

Der nuzzled January's hand for a moment as he pondered her suggestion. "But there may be a way I can leave, if only for a short time, to see what I can do to help you. The alicorn that brought you here, when it picked you up, was there a dragon or a man wearing armor with only a gauntlet on his right hand and a glowing white sword anywhere closeby?"
 
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Jex thought hard for a moment. His memories were like a swirling mist. He could remember some things, and others were there, but hard to focus on. He concentrated hard, then remembered.
"Yes, there was a dragon. It was fighting another large beast. As for the man with one gauntlet, that I cannot remember." Jex was still taking in what Der had told him, but after hearing his story, he thought that maybe what was going on wasn't as simple as finding the evil wizard.
"Was that your dragon," Jex asked. He figured that if Der knew about it already, then yes, it must have been. His head was starting to hurt, not from all the thinking, but from the screams of the Der copy earlier. The beast had screamed aloud, but also in his head, and it felt like it was ripping through his memories, trying to scramble or erase them. He didn't know how he would know this, but he somehow just did. He explained his theory to Der, hoping he might have another answer for him.
"And what about you, Jewel, where are you from?"
 
Me? Well compared to the two of you my life’s beginnings are a bit boring. My clan is the Nial, guardians of the Veil…But because my father was born of the Veil and my mother a Vampires familer,was born here in Ayenee, making me a Child of Night, Which means I can roam either realm, but I am not really welcomed by either place. My Grandmother is the oldest of the Nial and I am her only grandchild, so even though my birth is a disgrace, she loves me and taught me how to use the magik of the veil realm and gave me this..”

Her fingers brushed over the amulet upon her throat.

“It has spells in it that only a full blood should know, and I’ve not yet found all of them out, between her gift and my mothers blood gifts, I'm often unsure of what I can do. As for why I am here? “
She glanced at Der.
“I met a friend who was as much an outcast as me and who has become for a better part of my years my truest companion”
 
Der nodded in response to Jex. "Yes. That was the same dragon. Most of those who know him in this realm call him as Fang. Truthfully, he has no name worldy name. It is good to know. I thought I knew the alicorn who brought you here, and the fact that it was in close proximity to a dragon answers it. They are long time friends and share some abilities. I doubt the dragon would be able assist, but the alicorn may be able to take over guardianship for a short period of time. The energy that feeds the curse is currently drained and will take some time to regenerate so it will not be as demanding to keep the forest protected."

Der then looked at January and huffed lightly. The two outcasts had spent the past several years almost inseperable from one another. Their friendship had grown to its limit, but could not extend beyond that for reasons they were both all too aware of.

The mystic wolf lifted his head to the sky and barked loudly. The sound echoed across the treetops and traveled into the distance. "If the alicorn is available, he will come. All we can do now is wait to see if my plan will work."
 
*What was the huff for? You know how I feel Fuzzball*

January covered her ears as Der howled and watched the sky for any sign of the winged beast that brought Jex here. All the while her mind was spinning in circles with thoughts. Once Der had stopped his howl she turned to him and rubbed his face lightly.

“You’re going to be noticed no matter where we go Der…No offence, but you stick out….You need some kind of disguise, or something…”
 
Jex took all the information in. It was good to know that at least someone knew what was going on and where they were. He sat and waited with his new friends, waiting for the alicorn to arrive. Hopefully, with the help of his new friends, he would be able to finally seek vengeance for the loss of his family. He had no idea what he was in for, but he did know that whatever the cost, his mission must be fulfilled.
He turned to Jewel. "So, how, exactly, do you plan on disguising a giant wolf? I don't think we can pass him off as a horse...Maybe your amulet can make him invisible?"
 
"We can figure out what sort of 'disguises' are at our disposal in just a moment."

Der turned his head toward the sky as the call of the alicorn, like a whinney mixed with a roar, reached their ears. The shadow of the animal glided over the canopy before breaching the barrier of the trees and the alicorn came to rest nearby. It walked up to the three of them with a questioning glance to the humanoids. It then turned its attention to Der, and the mental communication ensured.

~I seriously hope this is important, Der. I was nearly back to Fang when you called. He fights a beast that wreaks of demonic power.~

-It would not be the first time the elder dragon did battle with a hellish minion, Doriaon. What is so different about this one that he needs your assistance?-

~Quite likely he does not. You know as well as I that he is fully capable of being victorious in any battle whether fighting alone or with an army of thousands. I just like to be there for my friend.~

-It is on that note that I need your help...old friend.-


Der went on to describe the situation to the alicorn, and asked for suggestions on what should be done. By the time the conversation was finished, the midmorning sun was burning brightly overhead. The alicorn took to the sky, once more, and Der turned to the other two. "Shall we, then?"
 
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