A Cat's Tale

[Dracos]

The desert journey was harsh and the months of sun burned down on our heroes as they made the journey.  The now nomadic tribe was tough though, and carried on, determined to survive even as they fled the lands that had been their homeland.  Dread terror marred the journey as they knew whatever darkness had taken up in those mountains would not spare them if it caught up.  A grim atmosphere marred the villagers, even as Gallows did what he could to keep their spirits high.  Strangely, Leets found that while he was as unnoticed as always, folks seemed to always be in higher spirits around him, almost as if his presence bolstered them.

   A few weeks into the journey, the sky went dark and the villagers panicked, believing that the end was nigh.  Clearer heads examined the sky and found that instead, a huge flying mass of rock was traversing over them, covering the lands in darkness for miles around under it.  All were glad when the sun returned after it had passed, even if it brought the burning heat with it.

   Occassional battles with monsterous creatures along the way left the defenders a bit thinner, but also provided well needed chunks of food for the traveling villagers as they crossed the hot desert sands.  In the distance they passed the ancient city of Wisdon once more, noticing it moving through the sands as they went.

   It was a couple of months when they crossed into the scattered grass and dunes of the northern wastes, and arrived at the edge of a small village of strange people.  These people were lean as a rule and tanned, having various shades of fur over parts of their bodies and notably catlike ears.  The village was rural and located next to a river, a sister village across it.  The houses in it were made of wood, primarily of a very open air style to let the wind travel through them.  The travelers were tired as they arrived, but they noticed the strange symbols that marked many of the houses, and the various incenses that came from the various braziers around the village.

[Merc]

Felix sighs with a bit of relief. Cat people weren't too bad from his experience at Silmaria, so hopefully they'd be good hosts for them and the recently made nomadic village.

"Thank god for some civilization," the apprentice magician mutters. Turning to Jan, he asks, "You know anything about this place, Jan?"

[Dracos]

They were notably quite different than the ones Felix had met in Silmaria.  They had less fur and more human faces overall.

A number of them were gathering, talking and heading over to the rather huge crowd that was following Felix and the others.

[Olvelsper]

"Hmph. No, not really." Jan cooly answered Felix as he went through the motions to tend to the weaponry on the car they had brought with them. He tried to figure out how much longer the machine was going to last at this rate.

[Shukuen]

Overall, he wasn't really as surprised as he should have been with stumbling over yet another unknown village. It was simply an opportunity to rest, restock, and re-evaluate the situation they've left to stew for several weeks. And as usual, the majority of viable plans they could possibly concoct broke down to little more then live long enough to make a better plan.

"We won't get anything down just sitting here," he mumbled as an aside to Felix and tried to push away the weariness of travel to - he hoped - appeal to the locals' hospitable side.

"Besides which, it'd be rude to just stand and stare."

[Dracos]

Re: Jan

The car had seen better days.  Weeks of driving in the desert hadn't done well for the paint finish nor for the engine.  Maybe a week.  Maybe two.  If they could get it to someone who could maintain it, it could definitely be patched up.

He found, oddly though, a chicken feather in the engine while he was checking.

And odder still, a familiar red bird sitting on top of the car when he shut it, regally preening with...an envelope tied around it's leg?

[Olvelsper]

The negotiator let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes as he resisted the urge to call the red bird a chicken. It was a mighty struggle. Eventually, he nodded at the familiar bird.

"I see. Even now he's watching out for us, isn't he." He reached over and lightly began to scratch the bird's head as he undid the tie on the envelope. Once it was off, he opened it up and read.

[Dracos]

A proud man stepped forward, tall and lean with purple streaks weaving in beautiful symbols down his shoulders and across his bare chest.  He had a long blue tail and sharp pointed ears.  "I am Jesin and you have come to the town of Rascal.  We are unused to so very many visitors at one time," He prompted.

Dracos

[Shukuen]

"We are simply guides," Leets replied respectfully, gesturing to himself, Jan, Felix, and Mary, "to these refugees of Baskar. Their village was destroyed some time ago, and we promised to help them find a new settlement."

He tried to be as diplomatic as possible, despite not being a negotiator like Smith. They appeared decent at least, but who knew if they retained any predatory instinct and how much remained.

[Dracos]

The letter was in a flowing, golden script, seeming almost imprinted on the page.  Jan could almost hear the old man's voice as he read the words.


Jan,

"We do not mourn the loss of those who die fulfilling their destinies" once spoke the Forestmaster of the Darken woods.  I have fulfilled mine twice over now and yet again watched the tenacity of mankind to survive when all is against it.  As you are reading this, I no longer am among the existing.  I have finally gone to the death which claimed me long ago.  As Origin declared when we once again crossed paths, I am a memory of what was.  A relic of a being long deceased.  Once I had many names.    Lightholder by my kinsmen.  Bah'mut by those of Ishtar.  El'i by the elves.  Skyblade by plainsman.  The Great Dragon Paladine in the heartlands of Solmania.

Fizban was one I took ages back and view rather fondly.  Throughout all the years, I have always sought to give mankind what they needed to overcoome the darkness they face.  To free themselves from those whoo would enslave them.  I thought this task was done on my home world of Krynn when, through the bravery of many, the allfather was driven back and the world allowed to prosper under the condition that we gods never again set foot upon it.

It's strange how things go.  I remember your early searches for whatever was causing this.  Your hunt for the beginning, the earliest folks here.  I watched this, seeing in you the fire to unite and the growing wisdom to face the changing world where others were too meek.

But, since I am gone now...  Before all else, I was here.  Or rather a land I made.  A mountain where a hero was allowed to rest, waiting for his tireless friend to finish his journey before the two of them moved on to the heaven that awaited them for their bravery.  Unattached truly to the physical world, this land of dreams was torn off by the passing bulk of the sleeping demon.  My works could not so easily be destroyed though and as a portion of myself was contained in it, my specter was brought with it.  Slowly, the lands were formed around this point, the root of this world.  I watched them grow, thinking that here was a new people to thrive in a new world and so would I be there with light to help them when they stumbled.

Eventually I became aware of the true horror of what was going on.  The demon had latched onto that piece of essence and was using it as a ladder to pull itself free.  It was a strong one.  Too strong for me to drive off or kill, but neither was that my way.  Worse, this demon slowly was rotting this land of dream.  As you know, his awakening is not far away and there is truly none of sufficient power to fight him.  My study of this world revealed two things though.  The first is that if my part is sundered, he would fall back into the abyss he came from.  But if this is done prematurely, the world will crack and shake itself apart.  Saving the universe at the cost of the world.  The demon was greedy though and established his towers.  Tools to manipulate the world around it and bringing fragments of his own world into being here to further strengthen himself.

As you've discovered, these can be used against him.  A strength and a weakness...  with them, he can be slowed, forced to slumber another eon while the world is strengthened.  Were his path to freedom broken then, he would be trapped forever beneath the surface of the world.

To sunder my land from this, the two friends must be reunited.

Your pain is great, young negociator, but you and your friends cannot walk this path alone.  I foresee others who will aid you.  Others who will hinder you.

The power of words is the power of unity.  To bring those whose power is greater and lesser than one's own together.  The power of courage to stand tall against the darkness and strike deep into it's dreams.  The fierce initiative to fight when all is gone.  Each of you have great strength.  The world is inherited by those who have the strength to live in it.

I wish you well Jan and await the glorious sunrise at the end of the dark night.


The bird cawed at Jan, fluttering about a bit sadly.

[Merc]

Felix nods in agreement with Leets' explanation of their situation. "We've been traveling for a long time through the desert, and we apologize for any inconvinience we might cause with our large numbers."

Turning to where Jan seems preoccupied with a bird and its envelope... "What does the letter say, Jan?" Felix asks, arching his head in curiosity. "Or something personal?"

[Dracos]

The old crone of an elder coughed as she made her way forward, standing beside young leets with the help of the younger Gallows.

"I am the Elder Syvil of what was the village of Baskar.  I ask to speak to your village leader and ask if we may stay here for we are weary from our journey," She violently coughed. "Through the long desert."

The man considered and nodded.  "I will take a few of you to talk with our elder, Kolin of the Mists.  The rest of you must wait out here until we figure out how to deal with so many people at once," He said apologetically.

Dracos

[Olvelsper]

"It's Fizban's parting words." Jan muttered as he carefully placed the envelope away within the folds of his vest as he tried to calm the bird. He took a deep breath, and snapped to attention as his features smoothed. Turning to face the leader of the cat tribe they had found themselves in, he did what he could to make Fizban's sacrifice for them not be wasted.

Jan walked up to the person in charge. "Excuse my earlier rudeness, Sir Jesin. My name is Jan Smith, and I'd like to ask if you would be open to negotiate for supplies for the people we're leading to safer lands. Perhaps even information?"

[Dracos]

"Ah, but you have a silver tongue good man.  It is not my place though.  I shall take you to our elder and you may speak with her on this."

The man strode back through the low grasses as Jan, Leets, Felix, Gallows, and Elder Syvil followed him to a slightly larger house with notably plenty of braziers and symbols around it.  A pungent aroma of...  cinnamon?  filled the house as they were lead into a large room, several soft cushions provided as seats as an ancient woman sat in front.  She had sharp green eyes despite her age and white fur.  Her body was practically a painting with all the tattoos and markings over it.  She looked over them and seemingly through them.

"Greetings travelers from afar.  I sense great disaster brings you to our humble village.  I am the eldest of the Rascal tribe, Kolin."

Felix noticed there was a sense of mystic power about the place.

Dracos

[Olvelsper]

"Indeed. A demon drove the Baskar Tribe away from their homes, and we guided them through the deserts for a long time now."