Proelium Madness - Written by Sdu (Aka Wisp)

==== Teos ====


They cast their eyes about warily, watching for any tell tale signs that their opponent was near. Several Veil, a pair of males and one female, and a huge Deatheater formed a loose defensive semi-circle around the altar.

They were so silent you could hear a pin drop.

A trumpeting roar issued forth from behind the Deatheater and they all span round in alarm, weapons raised and spells ready.

One of the Veil then doubled over and gagged. After a few minutes of retching, he managed to gather himself together enough to speak.

"By the Goddess, Wisp! Is that YOU?"

The Deatheater, Wisp, looked crest fallen, his shoulders sagged slightly as a fly buzzed around his half-chewed ear.

"Be silent," whispered the female, "They are near!"

And then from out of the bushes sprang forth two bundles of colour. Blue haired, tiny and terrifying, they charged at the group.

"Pika-CHU~!" They moved forward to attack the Furies, advancing in a deadly display of martial arts.

One of them sprang at Wisp in a forward somersault and delivered a fast flurry of blows upon his body, exhaling with the sound of "Chu~!" as each blow landed. It was all the Veil could do to stand and watch.

Wisp, however, was unfazed by the attacked, and swatted his assailant aside with one flick of an axe. The creature sailed through the air past its brethren and landed with a pitiful "ch.. uh... oooo".

The other creature looked back at its sister and then at Wisp. A mask of pure fury and hatred cascaded across its face.

Wisp took a step back.

Then the little horror was on him, claws a blur as the huge warrior battled to defend himself. The creature expended all its energy into the attacks, attacking first one way and then another, seeking some way past Wisp's defence, and then she found it.

A horrible keening sound erupted from Wisp's mouth and he fell to his knees, clutching his groin in a display of masculine pain.

It was all that was needed to break the confusion upon the Veil who then erupted into a cacophany of spells.

==== Unfinished (need sleep!) ====

==== Destructive Magic ====

... the Furies stood in the aftermath of their destructive magic. The landscape for thirty feet in each direction was a wasteland. Small fires burned here and there, and an occaissional tuft of blue hair was seen to waft by.

As they congratulated each other on a job well done, Wisp looked at his comrades in turn, studying their features.

Ares, who had the distinctive number tattooes on each cheek, the left depicting 10 and the right 21. His healing magic had saved Wisp from certain death many times.

Nautica, who boasted a dexterity greater than the most supple of archers, had caused most of the desecration they now viewed.

Fanta, who looked like a female but was almost as masculine in disposition as any of them, made up the last of the quartet.

"No time for pleasantries," hissed Fanta "I see the banners of the Alliance coming over the hill."

As one they turned to look at the oncoming horde.

Nearly three dozen elves and humans were shambling towards them, shouting crude insults and jeering in hooting voices.

One of the Elves carried a long wooden stick with what may of been white panty-hoes dangling from the top, trailing in the wind.

As the wind blew in gusts, the banner was fully revealed, and the Furies saw the hated Alliance symbol, that of a love-heart encircled by blue birds in flight.

"So many!" Cried Nautica.

Wisp grunted in affirmation.

"We must hold here," said Ares. "The strategical implications of losing this altar are many fold. First of all it gives the Alliance a foot hold in our territory, which simply cannot be allowed. Secondly they could raid between as far as Raigo and Gliter at will, and you know how i hate being ambushed..." he was halted in his monologue by Nautica.

"Wait! I have a plan!"

They all crowded around Nautica.

"Ok. First of all, you" motioning to Wisp, "will charge in and distract the Alliance. Ares will keep you covered with heals and Fanta and I will destroy them with storms!"

It sounded like a good plan so Wisp nodded in acquiesence.

"And now," spoke Ares, "Let us prepare for BATTLE!"

They formed a circle looking inward on each other, and clasped hands in the center of it.

Together they shouted, "Teeaam Fail!"

Time seemed to pause as their warcry echoed from horizon to horizon. Even the birds ceased to sing and the four Furies felt invigorated with mystical strength.

Suitably prepared for battle, they set about their plan with efficient warlikeness.

Wisp stingered into the mob of alliance, hearing Ares murmuring magical words in the distance behind him.

A beautiful Human female was his first victim, blonde-haired head flying away in a crimson arc.

The second to fall was a brightly dressed Elf, hands still raised in a death-spell as he fell.

Then the mob reacted and Wisp felt the impact of swords smashing against his front, sides and back, and twig-like arrows peppering his armour.

Now would be a good time for the storms he thought.

Still, the blows rained upon him and he fell to his knees, axes raised in a defensive poise. His strength was failing and even Ares' magic was not enough to renew it.

Wisp couldn't feel much of anything any more, not even noticing the butchery being performed on him by the angry mob of Alliance.

He finally fell forward onto his chest, and dimly saw Nautica picking his nose. Fanta was sat down shouting something about "mana" but Wisp was no longer coherent.

All was darkness.

And then, he opened his eyes to see the most wonderous being he had ever laid eyes upon...

==== Battlefields ====


[... as Wisp lay dying, similar tales were being told on the battlefield around the Alliance Fortress...

The Citadel of Light had stood for centuries. A bastion for the Alliance of Light and an unattainable goal for any Fury army that had ever camped outside its gate.

The Humans and Elves had always managed to hold here, even against impossible odds, and today was another page in the volumes of battles that had been fought outside its gate.

Above even the tallest of its parapets, a golden eagle flew, wings spread and eyes sharp in its search for food. It often found tit bits and morsels of food around the castle, so it made its home in the cliffs nearby and came there daily to see what could be found.

Today, however, the usually complacent beings who dwelled there were making a thunderous racket.

A large group of them were outside the gate of the castle, the eagle's sharp eyes picking out the individuals from the mob, waving strange sharp-looking objects that gleamed in the sun light.

Opposite them some dark and evil looking creatures that seemed foreign to the bird were also causing commotion. Objects were being hurled between the two mobs and screams of pain could be heard as they connected.

One of the foreigners detached himself from his fellows and seemed to be drawing much of the attention away from the rest of them.

The eagle was losing interest fast. What did it care what they were doing? It would fly to the forests and find some small mammal to feast upon. And so it veered off towards the lush forests in distant Iron Blood, leaving the strange creatures to themselves.

One of the eagle's feathers fluttered gracefully downwards towards the raging battle below.

Down and down it fell until a careless fireball exploded in the air and incinerated it.

"You dog-loving sons of wenches!" Mojo screamed. "I hope the Goddess takes a magical dump upon your heads and curses you with a bog-like stench for all eternity!"

He was at the forefront of the Fury army, shield raised in a defensive poise, he braced himself against the constant hammering of arrows and rocks like rain drops pelting the ground in a storm.

"Your mother's mother was a god da.." Smack. A tomato caught him full in the face.

Spitting the rotten pieces from his mouth, Mojo ducked his head behind his shield and barely managed to suppress a snicker as the infuriated Alliance focused upon trying to kill him.

The Alliance's attention was so focused on the guardian that they were not aware of the petite form behind Mojo, preparing a magical volley.

A huge explosion tore through the first rank of Elves and Humans, sending bodies flailing through the sky.

"Great shot, honey!" Mojo grinned back at his lover, Tessa.

She smiled knowingly in reply. She enjoyed the battles as much as he did, especially when their strengths as a duo came to the fore.

Even as she thought this, her hands moved deftly in another hailstorm of magic, and more cries of pain issued from the dwindling numbers of Alliance.

"Pagans concentrate your attacks on them!" Tessa shouted. "Together...unleash your power... NOW!"

Even Mojo flinched as he felt the backlash of energies as the magic collided with the unfortunate Alliance. The number of their fallen was staggering now.

Could this be the day? He thought. Could this be the day where the walls are brought to the ground and the citadel is no more?

How he wished it could be so.

The Furies, sensing their imminent victory, surged forward. Swords met axes, and the air crackled with the casting of spells.

The Alliance seemed too few to hold and looked set to crumble.

Then the clouds parted and a glorious shaft of sunlight shone upon an athletic figure clad in silver armour and standing upon a hill overlooking the battle. Golden haired and blue eyed, she held gleaming twin swords aloft.

Even from a distance, Mojo could see the richly worked ivory on the pommels and hilts. The figure seemed to emit a holy glow all around herself, and Mojo blinked as the sunlight caught him with a twinkle from the woman's brilliant white teeth.

Tessa seemed to sense Mojo's discomfort. "What's wrong, Mojo?" She began, but the breath caught in her throat as the blonde haired swordswoman soared into the air and came down into a sharp angled dive, swords pointed toward one of the Fury oracles..

The oracle looked up and began to scream "Save me!" but his throat was torn out by a singing blade before he managed to finish his sentence. Two more were dead before he even hit the ground.

Extreme had arrived.

Tessa screamed in rage and Mojo roared in defiance as they rushed to meet this new assailant and the tide of battle washed over them all...

==== Threads of stories ====

When Wisp was struck down, the sun had just risen.

When Extreme had turned the tide of battle, the sun was high in the sky.

Now the sun was setting and three dejected looking figures were making their way slowly along the dusty road back to Gliter.

"I can't cast spells if my nose is blocked, can I?" Moaned Nautica.

"Wisp is dead and you're still whining," Replied Ares. "If you weren't sniffing mushroom dust every day you wouldn't have a head full of fungi-snot in the first place. Now hurry, it will soon be night and Gliter is many hours away."

The three companions were silent for a while as they continued their journey.

As darkness descended they saw a glow in the distance down the road. They were able to make the outline of a city's walls and gatehouse.

"Let us stop here for the night and continue in the morn'." Said Fanta. "My bones ache and im hungry again." She took out a green benio from her food pack, peeled off the skin and began to munch on the sweet fruit.

Ares tried to make himself heard over the eating sounds emanating from Fanta. "Yeah, let's do that. Maybe some town girls will be awake still?" He half mused to himself.

They veered off the main road-way to take the side path leading towards the city. After a short time they could make out its walls - a cheap wooden pallisade, and the gate guarded by two vicious looking Veil, each holding a pair of sharp swords, unsheathed and pointed towards the ground.

Ares cleared his throat. "Hail, comrades. Any news from the front?"

He was met by stone cold silence that was only broken by Fanta's noisy chewing.

"Any objections if we spend the night in your fair city?" Ares ventured.

The only indication the guards had heard him was a slight sneer that appeared on one of the guards faces which turned into a scowl as Fanta sucked and licked her fingers one by one.

A sword tip waved them in.

Cautiously the three travellers moved past the guards and made their way into the city. It wasn't long until the strangeness of the place became apparent.

"Everything's so... quiet." Whispered Nautica.

Even the crackle of the torches seemed subdued.

"Let's find an Inn and be done with this place as fast as we can." Ares peered into the night until he made out a sign swinging softly that advertised beds for rent. "Over there," he gestured briefly, and they walked hastily towards the Inn, almost as though they were being chased by some unknown horror.

The door to the Inn stood before them and Nautica gave it an experimental push. It opened with an audible and drawn out squeaking sound that seemed to rip through the night like an unwanted visitor.

They paused expectantly outside, trying in vain to make something of the darkened interior. A faint whiff of cabbage greeted them.

Ares cleared his throat. "Hello?" He ventured.

Time trickled on into a strained silence.

Slowly and deliberately, he entered the Inn, followed by Nautica and Fanta. By the light of a single candle they could make out the desk it rested upon, and a shadowy figure hunched over behind it. A few more steps and the shadow moved slightly, its attention diverted towards them.

"Yeeesss? Can i help you?" The slow voice of an old man spoke. The trio approached the shadow with less wariness now and as they neared made out the speakers features.

It is said that Human's evolved from apes, or that the Goddess at least took part of an ape and transformed it into humans. This tale is vehemently denied by humans of course. If humans had evolved from apes then the Veil before them may well of evolved from prunes, his wrinkly blue skin defying anyone to find a smooth patch in it.

Ares tried a smile and was met with a toothless response, decayed breath sallying forth from the innkeepers mouth.

Trying to hold his breath, Ares spoke in a rush "Would-it-be-possible-for-us-to-have-three-beds-forthenight?" His face looking slightly strained as he discovered he had no air reserves left and may be forced to inhale again very soon.

"Ehh? Beds is it?" The aged man cackled.

"Yes!" Gasped Ares. Fanta and Nautica retreated a few steps.

Slowly the old man rose and reached behind himself. He turned back to them with a key in his outstretched hand. Swiftly Ares snatched it up and uttered a muffled "Thanks" as he buried his face in the crook of his arm.

Without bothering to ask for directions, they hurried up the stairs and Ares tried the key in several doors before finding the right one.

A loud thump on the floor caused Ares to turn round. Fanta was crouched over the prone form of Nautica.

"Breathe! Breathe!" Fanta was shaking Nautica violently. "Breathe, dammit!"

Nautica choked in a lungful of air and coughed it back out again, and Fanta released him.

A minute later Nautica was back on his feet. "Ye gods...I thought Wisp's arse smelled bad but this... this is something else. No need to fight the Alliance when we can have an army of old men just open their mouths and mow them all down."

Ares just shook his head and wearily made his way to bed.

==== Borderlines ====

[As the three Veil made ready for bed, the battle for the Citadel of Light came to a close, each side withdrawing and heralds sent out to agree a period of time in which they could retrieve their dead and wounded.]

Faint rays of sunlight had breached the horizon and still Mojo could not find Tessa. He had searched and searched and had found no trace of her.

One time he had spied a lock of red hair and had eagerly ran to the body only to discover a dead human's face in the place of his love.

There were mounds of bodies piled up all over the place. The work had been painfully slow during the night - with only torch light to guide them, the stretcher bearers could not easily tell friend from foe or dead from wounded.

Birds scattered from the trees as Mojo roared in anguish. "Tessa!?" He fell to his knees and descended into a pitiful sobbing. Quietly now he called her name again, more in grief than an attempt to reach her.

A flock of crows flew over head, cawing as they circled and spun their way into the distance.

Mojo felt sick at heart. Empty. How had he lost her? The images of the battle flashed through his mind again.

They had been close to breaching the castle gates and then Extreme had flung herself into the battle and almost single-handedly turned the tide. Other fighters had joined her then and cleaved a way through the ranks of the Fury pagans. Mojo had fought furiously to defend Tessa but at one point the press of bodies had put her out of reach and out of sight and he had seen and heard no more of her since.

I've failed you. The words stung him bitterly.

So lost was he in his sorrow he did not notice the shadow that fell across him. A hand upon his shoulder caused him to look upwards sharply, a faint look of hope etched upon his face which turned to dismay as he saw Extreme before him.

Before he could speak, she placed a finger to her lips and said softly "Come with me." She was unarmed and strangely fragile looking as she stood before him. Mojo blinked as the sunlight caught his face, darkly outlining Extreme's smooth features.

She was the enemy and yet he sensed no threat from her.

What did it it matter if she killed him? He felt dead already. And so he rose and slowly followed Extreme towards the Alliance castle

They did not speak as they walked. Extreme led the way and Mojo followed a step or two behind. His world-weariness showed in the way he put one heavy leg in front of the other, a stone tower on the verge of collapse.

They approached and entered the gateway of the castle, and in the courtyard the Alliance wounded lay in neat rows. Various priests attended them and helpers ran to and fro with buckets of water or fresh towels.

Faceless all to Mojo as he passed them by. One man's face blending into the next. He found he cared nothing for anyone any more.

He realised after a time that they had stopped walking. His eyes unfocused and mind dulled. Extreme was looking at him with a hint of sympathy in her eyes, and then she stepped aside.

It took a few moments for Mojo to realise what Extreme was showing him.

Before them lay a prone form, clearly not an Elf or Human but a Veil.

Tessa in fact.

Speechless Mojo knew not whether to laugh or cry and so he stood there, not daring to believe his eyes.

Extreme broke the silence. "We found her some time after midnight. The hospitallers mistook her for a wounded elf, and carried her here." A slight pause. "Only with the morning's light did we discover the mistake."

Mojo barely heard her. He was still reeling from the emotions and exhaustion he was feeling.

"Take her, Mojo." Extreme made eye contact. "You are fierce and courageous opponents and worthy of respect."

Mojo tried to speak but the words caught in his throat.

"Now go," Extreme turned away and Mojo bent down to scoop Tessa up into his arms. Relief flooded over him and he wept into her scented hair. He had only taken a few steps back towards the gates when Extreme spoke again. "But know that when next we meet, It will be with drawn blades."

Mojo paused and stood with his back to Extreme. "I will remember."

Extreme watched as Mojo carried Tessa out of the castle and disappeared from view. She felt a twinge of regret that they must be enemies, but the feeling was fleeting and she headed towards the kitchens for a hot meal and then some much needed sleep. She only made it as far as the entrance before she decided she could not eat a thing after yesterdays bloody work.

Battles always left a sour taste in her mouth and a sick feeling in her stomach. As a young warrior she had thought it a weakness of spirit but as she matured she had come to realise that without these feelings she would be a cold, calculating killer, uncaring of the dead and wounded that littered the bloody fields.

Humanity is what seperated heroes from monsters.

Perhaps that is why she had reunited Mojo with Tessa. An effort to reunite herself with her own humanity.

Pondering this, she made her way to her bed for a long dreamless sleep.

...

...

...

-Wisp-

-I have need of you-

Slowly Wisp opened his eyes and found himself in a dream-like place. It was all whiteness and soundless light.

Deep emerald eyes swallowed him up and drew him in.

-Look- A command.

The whiteness was replaced by a birds-eye view of rolling countryside.

After a time Wisp saw a cluster of ancient ruins upon a hill and he hung suspended in mid air, not able to move or look elsewhere except at the ruins.

-Here-

Wisp understood.

And then he was falling... falling... falling...

==== So sad today, man ====

[...Wisp had been given a new life and purpose by the goddess. Mojo had been reunited with Tessa. Extreme found herself still in touch with her humanity, and Ares, Nautica and Fanta managed to survive a nights sleep with a minimum of breathing...]

... Dawn broke over Nocaps. The light flooded into the room where the three furies slept. A sly sunbeam made its way across Nautica's closed lids and remained there firmly, no matter which way he tossed and turned until grumpily he opened his eyes and arose from his flea-mattress. A loud yelling woke Ares and he too arose to find Fanta sprawled on the floor where a frustrated Nautica had pushed him.

"What the hill did you do that for?" Fanta rose angrily.

Nautica glared at her "Your snoring is louder than a dragons fart!"

Ares thought it best to intervene. "Let's uhh make a start on heading out shall we?" He made his way outside the room.

After a moment or two of contestual glaring, Nautica and Fanta gathered their meagre belongings and headed down the stairs after Ares, careful not to inhale too much of the ripe air.

They were out the door in the time it took to hand the key back to the Innkeeper and say farewell with nods and fake smiles.

Outside they all took a lungful of air and watched the colour return to each others faces.

"Oh my god, Ares," Nautica was looking at a mob of people across the street. "Do you see that?"

Across the street was a handful of girls, who had obviously been there hours before daybreak, rolled up beds still lying upon the floor. Several of them held placards saying "We luv u Arse1020". Correct spelling was not the in thing.

"There he is!" The girls all turned towards the Furies and began to scream loudly in delight at the sight of them. Their screaming turned into those of fright as a swathe of dual-bladed guards tore into them, swords cleaving flesh and bone with deadly strikes.

Ares, Nautica and Fanta were shocked by this sudden massacre, and any thoughts of intervention came too late for the fansters. As the murderous guards cleaned their blades with the sandy soil upon the ground, one of them caught Ares' eye and pointed a sword end towards a poster. The poster was displayed upon a board now drenched in blood. As Ares moved closer, he was able to read the poster between smeers of guts and fluids.

Hear ye, hear ye.

To all residents of Nocaps. From this day forward there shalt be no shouting, or raising of voices, or any kind of amusement that may result in loud laughter from any resident of said city.

Any deviation from this rule shall be met with a swift death.

Long live the Union of Fury!

Ares motioned the other two and they read the declaration. Ares watched as their faces turned from shocked to disbelief.

"What the f.." began Nautica

Ares hushed him to quietness.

In a whisper Nautica tried again "What the father do they think they're doing? They can't go around massacring every group of girls that breaks out into a screaming fit, even if they are ugly as sin."

Fanta scowled at this and idly fingered her food pack. Food always made her feel better.

Ares thought for a moment before speaking "Let's just get out of here while we still have our heads. The guards don't seem to care either way."

They headed towards the city gates, anxious to be rid of this rat hole as soon as possible and then a familar female figure appeared about a hundred metres in front of them.

Nautica spied her first "Hey, it's Zinny!" he said. He was about to shout in greeting when Ares pulled him back.

"Are you a fool? What did I just say? Make any noise loud enough to wake the guards from their dutiful sleeping and they'll cut you to shreds." Ares forgot about Zinny in his anger towards Nautica.

Zinny wore a big smile "Hey guys! How are you doing? I can't believe I saw you here, you'll never guess.." Her voice carried across the city like a tower bell. Dark shadows detached themselves from the side streets, bent on murder.

"Zinny, no!" Ares turned to warn her too late.

A slightly shocked but still smiling face sailed through the air and landed at his feet.

"Oh my god, they killed Zinny!" A voice called from nowhere in particular.

"You ba....!" Began an answering reply and then two gurgling sounds cut through the air as two more citizens met their deaths.

Ares, Nautica and Fanta froze mid-panic. After a few reassuring minutes, they moved quietly from their awkward postures.

"Let's just get out of this madhouse." Ares spoke what all three were thinking and they scurried towards the gatehouse with as much haste as could be mustered.

Zinny's headless body lay sprawled on the street opposite and they tried not to look as they shot past...

The three once again embarked upon their journey to Gliter. Will they make it? Will I write it? Does anyone care? Find out soon!

====A short, sharp shock ====

[...Keo is a beautiful city of the Alliance of Light, and a main hub of commerce in their lands. Rolling pastures extend away from the city leading to farms where the crops are grown and livestock raised, dwarven bandits and hungry beasts on the outskirts trying to forage or steal a living as best they can. We center today on an elven girl, just come to woman-hood, who is a little far from home...]

She gazed at her reflection in the pool, the sun blazing overhead. Her face was a perfection itself. Nature had blessed her with stunning looks. Petite nose and chin, well formed ears and a huge pair of eyes the colour of emerald that drew you to them as surely as the pull of a current in a river.

Her skin was soft and sun-browned, her arms slender and proportioned. Her legs had strength but were still feminine, an expanse of thigh sometimes showed through the side-slits in her skirt when she walked.

Fow now she was knelt daintily by the pool, which was overshadowed by a stand of trees nearby and lashings of overgrown vegetation sprawling away.

She listened to the noises all around, from the faint buzzing of bees, to the calls of birds winging away. A soft wind caressed her face and she sighed in contentment.

It was good to be free.

A faint rustle in the bushes caused her to look up. That sound... could it be..?

"Pika-CHU~!" A horrible hairy furball sprang from its hiding place. hands ending in razor-edged claws. Not much could be seen of its face, but its eyes glinted with intelligence and cunning.

The elf stumbled away in alarm, arms steadying herself from falling completely over, legs unwilling to take her away to safety. What was a Chu-Monster doing here? Weren't they away skirmishing for the Alliance? Perhaps this one had gone rogue, or mad.

"Nneeeeeuuuuuhhhhhh~!" The chu-monster readied itself for battle, drawing upon its reserves of anger and fury.

Run! She thought, Run now while there is still a chance." She could not move, paralyzed by fear and shock.

The beast launched itself into the attack, throwing itself at her, and the elf barely managed to roll to one side, muddying her dress on the bank of the pool. Oh my god, ive ruined it! She did not have time to think of the irony of her concern as the tiny horror jumped onto her.

She could feel its fetid breath on her silken neck, her blood pounding as the adrenaline kicked in.

"No!" She cried and kicked out at the Chu-monster. She managed enough force to send it careening away into a tumble a few yards away.

She had to go now. There was enough time to get away if only she could get herself up and away.

As the beast righted itself from a backflip the Elf thought she could hear a strange noise descending from above.

"Shhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,"

Closer now.

"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,"

Very close, where was that coming from...

"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttt".

Boom.

The chu-beast was enveloped in a cloud of mud and dust. The elf girl felt a tremor from the ground as something collided with it hard. It took a few moments for the air to clear.

She could see nothing of the beast, only a pair of huge legs dangling from out of the newly-formed crater. Larger than an elfs, or humans even.

She crept forward, inching closer until she beheld a Nordein in full battle gear lying prone on his back, limbs slightly disjointed looking. A groan told her he was still alive.

"Ch~ oo ~ " The sound arose from underneath the Deatheater.

The girl knelt beside him, gently testing parts of his body to determine the extent of his injuries. Wisp opened his eyes to see a vision of loveliness, concern and worry etched upon her face but not marring its beauty. Her pink hair fell in locks over her face.

Then darkness once again took him.

==== Bath time ====

[...Even in wars, peoples from both sides may be friends...]

Wisp lay on the bed, groaning. Whenever he closed his eyes he could feel himself falling, clouds rushing by at alarming speeds.

A sound caused him to open them again and he saw the elf girl peering through the doorway. The room was small, just large enough for the bed and a wooden drawer beside it. A beautiful bouquet of flowers was arranged on the top of the drawers, its scent not fully masking Wisp's odours.

The girl wrinkled her nose but none-the-less came inside, a white towel draped over a wooden bowl of water. "You're awake then?" She paused to wet the towel in the bowl and dab his face, making streaks of cleanliness in the otherwise dirt-blackened face. She looked at the dirt she had wiped off, which now clung to the towel and looked distraught. "I just wanted to thank you for saving me. I don't know why you did, but even though you are Nordein, you still saved me and i am ever so grateful."

Wisp hazily looked at her face. She had pressed her lips into a pout, a singular attractive pose that aroused a stirring in his loins.

"We'll have to do something about that smell though," She wrapped the towl back round the bowl and exited the room. She called from the doorway "I couldnt bear to be around you the way it is at the moment!" A girlish giggle finished the sentence.

Wisp groaned and closed his eyes once more...


... The water splashed into his face and Wisp looked truly sorry for himself as he sat crammed into a washing tub, soapy suds dotting his face and body. He had managed to save himself from total nakedness by grabbing his loincloth with both hands and steadfastly denying the elf girl any way to tear it from him.

The girl hummed a soft tune as she scrubbed his face. She thrust a sponge into his hand and said "Im not doing this all for you. Take this and do your chest and legs." She imitated to Wisp what he was supposed to do.

Wisp looked at the sponge in his hand and gave it a slight squeeze. Foamy soap oozed from it and Wisp's expression turned from dismayed to distraught. Nevertheless he inexpertly smeared his arm with the sponge and was suprised to see his actual skin underneath instead of another layer of dirt.

Sometime later Wisp was sat on the bed, draped in a bathrobe far too small for him. The sleeves reached down to his elbows and the width restricted his arms from any kind of fast movement.

The elf-girl was nearly level with his face as she inspected him. "Very nice!" Her gaze wandered over his features. Most apparent was the scar over his left eye, the pupil dead and whitened. Countless other smaller scars criss-crossed his face, and a golden ear ring pierced his right ear. She hummed to herslf, "Hmm. What to call you?" Her gaze travelled up to his white hair, clean for the first time in years and managing to defy gravity in its vertical style. It looked kind of wispy. "That's it! I'll call you Wispy!" Wisp didn't understand what she was saying but it didnt sound good so he just groaned again. The girl giggled as she withdrew a small bottle from her pocket. It had some kind of liquid inside it.

Wisp nearly choked as she sprayed him with it.

"Just the finishing touch," She cried with obvious glee. When Wisp stopped coughing he sniffed himself and a sweet scent greeted him. His face sagged once more.

A voice carried through the doorway, "Pinky, are you home? It's me, Nadzilla!" A scream pierced the air as Nadzilla entered the room. "Get away, you dirty deatheater!" She rushed at Wisp and hit him with the butt-end of her staff on his head. The blow knocked Wisp from the bed and onto the floor and he covered himself defensively with his arms. His axes lay far out of reach on the other side of the room.

"Stop!" Cried Pinky. The elven girl interjected herself between Nadzilla and Wisp. "He saved me but he got hurt and I'm helping him to recover."

Nadzilla was still stood with her staff in a menacing pose. Her face was aged but still held a firm resolve as Pinky placed her hands on Nadzilla's staff and brought it down into a more passive position.

Nadzilla was still shocked, "But it's a Death-eater! We're at war with them, Pinky. How dare you bring it into my house!" Nadzilla's face was flushed with anger as Wisp glanced at her from between his fingers. Two women shouting at each other was too much for him and so he remained on the floor, still cowering.

Pinky was smaller than Nadzilla but she was more than a match for this old battleaxe and she screamed into her face. "HE IS MY FRIEND AND I AM LOOKING AFTER HIM!" Everything went quiet as Nadzilla looked like she'd just been hit by a tornado.

"Oh," Whispered Nadzilla, releasing her grip on the staff and holding it to her side with her left hand.

Pinky took Nadzilla's right hand in both of her own and gently pressed it to her face. "I'm sorry Naddy, I didn't mean to shout at you, but he really did help me and I have to repay him, don't you see?"

The anger had faded from Nadzilla's face now and she spoke in normal tones. "Yes, I see Pinky. You're doing the right thing, I suppose but... a Deatheater?" She sighed. "You will get us all into trouble, my dear."

Before Pinky could reply, the door was kicked open and an elf jumped into the now-crowded room, arrow notched onto bow and pointing at Wisp.

"Don't move, scum!" The elf had his bow full drawn, the tension starting to show through his shaking arm.

Pinky screamed as she let go of Nadzilla and ran towards the archer. "Aphetoros, no!" Unfortunately in her haste she colided with Aphetoros and made him loose his arrow. It winged its way into Wisp's shoulder, sinking deep into the flesh. Wisp cried out in pain, looking so much as a spider curled into a ball on the floor.

"Oh my god!" Cried Aphetoros. "Im so sorry, I didnt mean to shoot you." He looked crestfallen. "I just meant to scare you. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Nadzilla and Pinky ran over to Wisp. Tears were brimming in Pinky's eyes as she looked to Nadzilla for her opinion.

"He'll be ok," Nadzilla patted Pinky on the shoulder "Go fetch some clean towels and water, and those herbs i use to clean infection and I will heal him."

Pinky exited the room and Nadzilla sighed to herself "I never thought I'd be healing a Nordein. How times change." After seeing that Wisp was otherwise ok she stood and walked over to Aphetoros.

The elf looked dismayed, his bow on the floor where he had dropped it.

"It's ok, Aphetoros," Nadzilla comforted Aphetoros, "He will be fine. It's just a flesh wound."

Aphetoros looked unconsolable though as Pinky returned with the requested items. Nadzilla took charge and directed the removal of the arrow and cleansing of the wound. She then murmered a prayer of healing and Wisp's wound closed in a matter of moments.

Wisp was once again laid on the bed to rest and recuperate. As he slowly drifted to sleep, he found himself wishing he was in a much safer, saner place. A battlefield perhaps?

==== We move forward finally ====

[One of the meeting halls of the Kirins lay upon a lonely hill, far from any well-trodden path. Constructed of white marble, its circular outer wall ended in a dome. Inside this shrine, Extreme knelt at the altar in meditation.]

Sometimes, when she was in the haze of waking from a dream, Extreme thought she could hear the goddess speaking to her. Not words exactly, more the feeling of words, a connection perhaps. She knelt now at the altar in the middle of the shrine, pale blue light shining down in a thin slice from the coloured glass in the top of the done.

Speak to me. Extreme willed herself to clear her mind, to look deep within herself for that part of her ancestry that was Kirinis.

Speak to me. She closed her eyes and let her mind reach out. Out from the shrine, into the fields and grass and trees. Up into the sky and yet deep into the earth at the same time, she extended her mind into all of these areas, searching.

Upon Extreme's hands the mark of Kirinis began to glow softly and she inhaled a sharp breath, her eyes open now as she felt another presence in her mind. A brief flood of images, and it was gone. An emptiness now in her mind. Slowly she raised herself from the floor and left the shrine. There is much to be done.

[As Extreme left the shrine, Wisp was becoming more and more agitated. Little reminders of what would happen to him if he failed popped into his mind at various intervals. Like being roasted alive for example...]

Wisp's scream pierced the pre-dawn. The nightmare was so vivid he could smell his flesh burning. The door to his room shot open and a dishevelled looking Pinky looked at him worriedly.

"Wispy? What's wrong? No, don't look at me, I haven't any make-up on." She shielded her face with her arm as she moved towards him. Even so, Wisp saw the concern in her eyes and felt comforted by it. He shook his head in dismissal and looked around the room.

Pale blue light shone from the slits in the window shutter, casting its light onto Pinky. She looked wonderful, even at this hour and state of unreadiness. They were face to face almost, Pinky standing up, still shielding her face, and Wisp, half raised from the bed with his elbow.

Slowly, Pinky let her arm fall from her face and they gazed intently at each other. Almost imperceptibly their faces moved closer to one anothers. Their lips were now a hair's breadth apart.

A loud scream emanating from Wisp's mouth shattered the moment as another scene of horrid torture flashed through his mind. Pinky reeled backwards, a look of shock on her face.

Pinky recovered herself "Wispy, whats wrong?"

Wisp had a strange look on his face... almost fright? "Me go."

The Nordein language meant nothing to Pinky. "What? I dont understand."

Wisp frowned and tried hand gestures.

After a few minutes or two of guessing, Pinky realised what he was trying to say. "Oh. You have to go?" A pause. "I'm coming with you. And I think Nadzilla and Aphetoros will want to come too. Naddy won't let me go anywhere with you alone and Aphetoros is still trying to make up for sticking you with his arrow." Another pause. "But where are we going to go?"

Wisp shook his head in ignorance of what she was saying.

Pinky retrieved a piece of paper and quill from her room and came back with a crude drawing of the continent and a big question mark. She gave it to Wisp.

Wisp looked at it first one way then upside down. Grunting he turned the paper over and drew something on the other side. He handed it back to Pinky.

"What is this?" She frowned. "A... chicken? A house?"

The noise Pinky and Wisp were making had aroused Nadzilla and she grumpily stepped into the room. "What's all this abou... why are you in his room, girl?" Nadzilla frowned at Pinky."

Pinky looked at Nadzilla with eyes of pure innocence as she pushed the paper into Nadzilla's hands. "Naddy, do you know what this is? I think it's where Wisp needs to go"

Nadzilla frowned again as she looked at Wisp's crude drawing. "Hmm. Could it be? It looks almost like the ruins of Tumba. It has a very distinctive design. It was built centuries ago to house the remains of Maero and Ani-Amor..."

Just then Aphetoros came in. "Are we going somewhere?" He asked.

Nadzilla looked at Wisp and Pinky. "I guess so."

u left me hanging, how could u

AAWEESOMMMME!! Great Job, Wisp! Thank ya, Ex, for posting it.