Nirae and Rackham started to walk. They were unable to find any real traces of their earlier passing. The time and occasional wind had already raised the grass back up, covering up those blades that had been broken by their passing.
Undeterred, they continued forward until they say the raised stone they had been called to this world upon.
Nirae rooted about until she found the bag she had so casually discarded earlier and held it up.
"This bag, Rackham?" she asked.
Rackham glanced at it. "Yes that one. Speaking of bags, you still haven't given me back mine."
Rackham looked around, striving VERY hard to remember the path the others had taken.
In the quickly fading light, Rackham could barely make out the mountains the others had walked towards.
Rackham grunted. "If I remember correctly, the mage said his house is on a lake about ten miles from here, heading toward those mountains. Do you want head towards it now, or do you want to camp here and go in the morning? I say go now, if we move quickly we can be at his house in less then a hour. I tire of all this walking and little else," he growled.
"Hey, if we walk through the night, maybe we'll come across someONE to kill!" Nirae replied with a grin, apparently oblivious to the fact that she was nearly DEAD just a couple hours agone.
"I'm all for going now!"
Rackham grinned ferally. Not waiting for Nirae to come to her senses and change her mind, he started walking at a fast pace toward the mountains. SomeONE to kill sounded very good, and he tightened his grip on his scythe.
Nirae fell in line after the walking Rakhman. They traveled by moonlight for a while until they came to the base of the mountains.
Rackham looked around, scratched his head, and looked around some more. "Um, you lead."
In the moonlight, Rackham found that he was standing in the dirt path between a mountain and some grassy plains.
"Nevermind." With that, he started down the path, always on alert.
Nirae smirked at Rackham.
"Dun worry. We'll find our way."
Traveling west along the foot of the mountains, Nirae and Rackham see a small light coming from the base of the mountain, about twenty feet ahead of them.
Rackham was instantly on alert, holding his scythe ready, he peered around, trying to dectect, well, anything.
Rackham was instantly prepared for battle, but nothing seemed to be moving to meet him. He noticed that he was too far to accurately see what the light was, or where exactly it was coming from.
Turning to Nirae, "I am going to check the light out."
He then attemted to move silently, circling the light and getting closer to it. Rackham took his time, his senses on full alert for any movement.
Inching forward, Rackham found a door in the rockface, partially open. A small rock had been placed, or lodeged in it, keeping it open.
The glow of light came from within.
While ready to open the door and rush inside killing any enemies he might find, Rackham reluctantly remembered that Nirae might want some action too. He then proceeded to go slink back to where he left her and inform her of his findings.
Nirae met him halfway.
"So? What is it?"
"The light is coming from a door that is held open by a rock. I couldn't detect anybody around the door, I didn't check the door itself. I thought you might want some of the action in case it turns out to be an enemy."
Nirae nodded.
"Let's be quiet. Sneak up on it, if you get my angle."
"I don't like sneaking and I don't get your angle but oh well." With that Rackham proceeded to slink back to the doorway, still keeping an eye on his surroundings in case he missed something the first time.
"Better we get the jump on THEM than they get the jump on us." Nirae explained.
Then words were left behind as she called on every ounce of ability she had to move silently across the way.
Moving slowly and stealthily, the pair made their way to the doorway.
It was standing open as Rackham remembered, a soft light coming from the opening. They heard nothing else around them.
Rackham tried to peer into the crack, he strained his ears to listen to anything within as well.
Moving closer to peek, Rackham saw what appeared to be a hallway, no sound was heard.
Turning to Nirae he whispered, "I hear no one." Grasping the door with one hand, he gently opened it a couple of inches to see if it made any noise in moving.
It made a bit of a squeak.
And nothing else happened.
Rackham opened the door just enough for him and Nirae to slither through, being extremely careful not to disturb the rock holding it open. Killing and maiming was fun and all, breaking down doors was a different story. Although breaking DID fall under the category of destruction...
Once inside, he immediately put his scythe up in a guard position.
Rakham enetered the small hallway, followed by Nirae. It was actually a small room, five feet by five feet. At the other side was a doorway, closed.
To the right, on the wall was a coat rack, a cloak hung on it.
Nirae motioned for him to stand guard for a bit while she checked out further ahead, then slipped silently down the hallway, keeping to what shadows she could find.
Rackham frowned. Throwing caution to the wind, (as he was apt to do at times), he stalked over to the door and knocked. After knocking he stepped back, just in case.
"Honey, did you forget something," a sweet sounding voice called from within.
A moment later the door opened away from Rakham, to reveal a young woman.
The smile drained from her face as she, "eeped," and slammed the door.
Rackham scratched his head, peered at the door, then to Nirae, then back to door, and finally to Nirae. Slightly confused, he knocked again.
Rakham knocked, and although he could hear movement from inside, no answer came after thirty seconds.
Rackham looked at Nirae helplessly. If the young woman had been holding a weapon or been threatening he would have known what to do. As it was now, he was lost. It made his head hurt, he need some violence...
"YOU do something," he informed Nirae, as he started pacing the small room.
"Bah. There goes the fun!" Nirae snorted rather inelegantly before straightning up and making sure her clothing was in a decent sort of order, despite the slashes from the wolf-play, and her gear was properly stowed, weapons sheathed.
With a gesture to Rackham to put up his massive scythe, she strode over and knocked firmly on the door.
"Pardon the disturbance, milady, but my friend and I seem to have ran a bit afoul of a rather distasteful pack of dogs." She pondered her next words for a moment before continuing with her voice still pitched to carry through the door. "We saw the light of your door and wondered if perchance you mightn't be able to help us."
Nirae had done her best to be civil and placating, applying every bit of sincerity she could muster, now it was just to wait.
The door is thrown open, quickly. The woman, who is revealed to be about 5'4" stands firmly in the door. She quickly chants something indistinquishable to the two.
Nirae howls as she is engulfed in flames.
Rackham howls as he is engulfed in flames.
Rackham's eyes FLARED in anger as his howl of pain became more primal, more dangerous. Thrusting his scythe toward the doorway to prevent the door from being shut, he attempted to body slam the woman, using every little bit of momentum he could muster.
Nirae snarled from the pain, but quickly dropped to the ground and starts rolling to try putting the fire out.
The woman's grin of determination gives way to fear as Rakham thrusts the scythe in her direction and throws himself at her. Her attempt at dodging is much to slow as she's crumpled by his bulk. He lands on her, elliciting a huge exhale of breath from the woman.
Nirae stopps, drops, and rolls.
Both adventurers feel the heat and their flesh blistering.
Rackham looked down on the woman with fury, as he attempted to slap his hand over her mouth to prevent any "chanting." His other hand gave a sharp twist, revealing a katar, which he then attempted to move toward her throat.
Nirae continues rolling and slapping at the flames until she manages to smother them.
Rackham starts to feel sluggish as he places a dagger at the woman's throat.
Nirae continues to roll.
Both adventurers are finding it almost impossible to think or move as the heat and pain are becoming unbearable.
Rackham hissed in the woman's ear, his voice ladden with pain and anger. "I am going to remove my hand, and you are going to neutralize the spell. If the next spell is one of damage, I am going to make sure I take you to Hell with me..."
Rackham dug the katar just a little deeper in her throat to confirm his his utter sincerity. He removed his hand.
Her eyes widening, she nods softly.
"Erem kalaka, die!" She screams as her left hand grips Rackham's arm and a sharp pain flares in Rackham's side, joining the full-body searing he's going through.
Both adventurers bodies continue to burn, Rackham can no longer see the skin on his hands.
"You mages just don't listen. I was a fool for accepting that damn Arkanel's summons, I should have stayed on my ship."
Rackham got ready to push the katar in...
Nirae continued to struggle, until she ran out of strength. She felt her muscles burn away as she finally, mercifully gave way to blackness and was relieved from the pain.
Rackham, while cursing himself for being merciful to the girl, tried to push the knife through her throat. As he felt the flames take him, he could see the blood trickling forth from the woman's neck, as the last of his strength was spent inflicting the little damage he could. The world went black for him before he heard a voice, and gray-ness surrounded him.
"Are you read to join me buddy," the disembodied voice intoned.
"What?" he responded surprised and confused.
"You have died. It is time for you to take your place as a minion of death."
Rackham grinned evilly, and walked towards the form that appeared in front of him, extending a hand.
The figure reached forth and took his hand, before Rackham's body was racked with pain as the last vestiges of his humanity were drawn from his body.
"It is time to begin you training."
Rackham nodded to the voice, and went forth.
And lo, the two lost souls came to an end.