Quest To Reach the Skies[Open]

[Selene Avar]

Northern Spine - The High Peaks

A shiver ran down Selene's spine as she slowly glanced around herself. Strong whipping winds and snowflakes the size of her fist dashed against the thick fur cloak hunched around her shoulders, small amounts of magics pouring across her skin in order to ward off the cold of the Blizzard.

The storm had come into the mountains in the snap of a finger. It seemed that one minute the skies had been clear, and then she'd been knee deep in snow. A man had warned her of this in the last village she'd happened upon. Freak storms were apparently common in this part of the Spine, and the higher up one climbed the mountains the more deadly the storms became.

She had thought it a fair warning, though not a problem for someone like her.

She'd been wrong.

The cold managed to cut through even her magics, and as she struggled further up the worn and broken path she began to wonder if this was a fools errand. In the back of her mind she chastised herself. She was a Dreadlord, one of the most powerful war mages alive, and what was she doing here?

Chasing after a childhood dream.

No doubt they would have called her a fool had she revealed her true intentions coming here. No doubt House Virak would have denied her request. Selene had known from the start that this journey would perhaps bare no merit, but she couldn't help herself.

For the past decade she had trained every day, fought when she could, and clawed her way to whatever height she could. Now she needed to take another step, and in order to do that she needed to reach the top of this mountain.

First though, first she needed to survive this blizzard.

Shivering hands reached up to her mouth, fingers nearly blue. Her eyes closed for a moment and she let out a breath, short red flames spreading out over her skin and warming them. Her gaze shifted, moving through the storms as she searched the ridgeline just to her right. After a moment she found was she was looking for.

A small over hang, not a cave of cavern, but the slightest bit of shelter.

It would have to do.

 

[Matteo]

The weather brought Matteo's ascent to an abrupt halt. He had intended to take a mountain pass that he often used when mountaineering the northern parts of the Spine. That pass saved him considerable time and energy. However, upon approaching the pass, he discovered that it was snowed in. Instead of delaying his climb, and coming back in the future, he instead decided to climb around the pass. He took a familiar route, attacking the rock face. The large pack on his back stored various tools and items necessary for the climb.

Many things drew Matteo to the mountains. This time, he merely wished to climb. It was a world that belonged solely to him. He had attempted this climb many times but never reached the summit. He was driven to summit this formidable mountain.

Something inexplicable motivated the mountaineer. He would not turn around. His intuition spoke to him.

You can succeed.

He ascended past rock, and onto ice. There, his axes and crampons allowed him to scale ice. It took six hours to climb around the pass. From there, he hiked on narrow ridges. His hiking pole gave him much-needed stability.

After two days, the weather suddenly deteriorated. He trudged up a narrow slope- lifting his feet out of the snow with every step. His bag felt heavier than ever. He was prepared for the storm, yet his preparedness did nothing to alleviate the bitter cold. It would only be a matter of time before he reached a small sanctuary, where a slab of rock protruded out and created a natural shelter. Ten minutes, maybe even less. He could rest, set up a temporary camp, and wait out the wind.

 

[Selene Avar]

The cold had set into her bones.

One of the Elders at the base of the mountain had told her that the cold in the spine was unlike any other. The old woman had said that it pressed into you, forced its way through leathers, furs, and even magic. The Dreadlord had thought it silly then, but now?

Now she was shivering like a commoner in the streets.

Slowly Selene stalked forward, pressing on through the wind and trudging forward as snow piled atop her. Fingers tightened around her arms, and slowly she continued towards the small overhang.

Lips thinned as she got closer, an odd excitement grew within her chest. She knew she could make a shelter, perhaps even start a fire if she was lucky. All she would have to do was wait out the storm, a few hours, and then it would be do-

Her thoughts were cut off as she saw something move.

It was difficult in this weather. Through the haze of the blizzard and the darkness of night she barely managed to spot it, but it was there. Fingers tightened on her skin, and briefly she wondered if a mountain lion or something of the sort had planned to take the overhang for itself.

After a moment she second guessed herself, the figure was human, or close enough to it. Another traveler. Someone dangerous perhaps?

The Dreadlord scowled, shaking her head. It didn't matter. Out here no man was as dangerous as the storm, so she kept walking, pushing through the storm until she reached the overhang.

Then she waited for the figure. The thought of her magic didn't even enter, the idea of readying a spell was foreign.

It was too cold.

 

[Matteo]

Only the moons illuminated Matteo's path. As the frigid temperature ate deep into his body, his senses sharpened. The wind nudged the mountaineer, trying to throw him off balance as he fought his way to sanctuary. At times, he could see every flake of snow that blew past his face.

After some time, he arrived at the overhang. What he saw stunned him. A girl- no- a woman was there. The flecks of snow seemed to stand out on vibrantly colored hair.

Matteo wore carefully considered layers to protect him from the elements. From head to toe, he was covered. Only a narrow slit exposed his eyes and eyebrows, which were caked with snow. He kept his distance, not entirely taking shelter under the overhang. She was curled there, knees to her chest, shivering somewhat. She dressed for the cold, but not for the unrelenting cold of the storm.

Without a word, he ducked under the rock and with his forefinger, pulled down the fabric that covered the lower half of his face. Still silent, he threw his pack down. His knees bent, and he bent at the waist to maneuver around the overhang. With rehearsed movements that could only be described as mechanical, he began to set up a makeshift camp. He drew a shortsword from a scabbard on his lower back, and from a small pocket on his pack, grabbed hooks. He began to hammer the hooks with the pommel of his sword into the rock. Some on the underside of the overhang, and some in the rock beneath them. He then sheathed his sword and unwound a sheet of thick, soft leather, which had rings around the edges sown in. He looped the hooks through the rings. The leather sheet stretched, closing off most of the overhang aside from a small opening large enough for one body to slide through. He finally sat, laying out some of the contents of his bag. It was mostly camping gear.

With numb lips, he mumbled, "Are you lost?"

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

'The unseen threat is the deadliest' There is a lot of truth to these words. One might think that a magical combination of an undead chicken, and an orc would be able to handle the cold. They would be right, but only to a degree. Yes it could survive the cold, but what is a chicken-orc to do when the potatoes it brought to eat have frozen solid?

When you are a magical being that doesn't need to heat itself up, you tend to remove seemingly unnecessary things like firewood, or clothes that would provide insolation. Thus Leroy found himself off hunting dragon high in The Spine, and dying because he could not heat up his sack of potatoes.

Leroy felt his strength fading, and suspected his folly would likely lead to his doom, but then he saw a light cresting over the snow in the distance. This was his salvation, because just like the sun, what provides light also tends to provide heat.

So Leroy trudged along, using every bit of his will power to move his feet that felt as though they were made of lead.

Into the camp a large creature stumbled in. It was a large green humanoid that looked like a orc, except it had the face of a chicken, and was covered in green feathers. All it wore was a loincloth, and all it carried was a large bag stuffed with potatoes, and a spiked two handed mace on its back.

"I CAN NOT EAT FROZEN POTATOES. I NEED TO THAW MY POTATOES."

Leroy fell on his hands, and knees as the last of his strength was quickly draining, holding a potato in his hand as close to the fire as possible from his current position.

 

[Selene Avar]

Selene didn't move an inch.

She was either too cold to react or too callous. Whatever rot was her eyes set on the man that had spoken to her, not whatever monster had breached into the small bit of shelter the man had crafted so quickly.

A part of her wondered if his question extended to himself. Not many wandered this path willingly. "No."

She answered, finally sparing a glance to the monster that had fallen onto the floor.

The Dreadlord barely managed to register anyone's presence, much less that of the odd creature. Her gaze flickered up towards the other man. She made no move to save the collapsed form, instead letting out another heated breath of flame over her hands.

Even with shelter she still felt chilled go the bone, though it helped.

"Simply caught in a storm." Her eyes fixed on the other man as she continued. "And you?"

She all but ignored the collapsed creature. After all, if you weren't strong enough to survive here, why would you be worth her time?

 

[Matteo]

He rummaged through his bag, withdrew a rolled-up fur, white of color, and tossed the roll to the woman with a quiet grumble. The temporary cover he put up did well blocking most of the wind. He intended to use the fur for himself, but...

"For warmth," He ignored her question and gently nudged the thing's shoulder with the sole of his boot. He had already removed the crampons. It had collapsed and by doing so occupied a majority of the space under the overhang, "Make yourself smaller. Space is limited. Worry about potatoes later."

He looked back to the woman, questioning her decision to ascend this trail so unprepared. He wondered exactly what reason made her come.

"I seek to summit the mountain," He curled up slightly. Occasionally, he would shake. Thankfully, he did not have to suffer the wind. In time, his body would warm up to a tolerable point. He was no longer concerned with frostbite setting to his feet or hands. Soon, he would bivouac and catch rest before continuing the ascent. Or, that was his plan before encountering these two.

 

[Selene Avar]

Selene caught the bit of fur with both hands, glancing at the man for a brief moment before looking down at the fur.

Fingers tightened.

She had always been a woman of pride, never taking a helping hand from anyone. Yet out here in the cold, shivering and freezing. A fur cloak was not help, it was necessary. Fingers tightened, and then she unrolled the fur and wrapped it around herself.

"Thank you." The Dreadlord said softly, deciding to herself that for now she would play the seeking little girl, not the battlemage of Vel Anir.

Slowly she crouched town, still paying no mind to the other creature. Perhaps it would make a decent source of food if it died, there would be less need for hunting then. Though its flesh did look...putrid.

"What do you seek there?" She asked calmly.

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

Leroy ignored the man until his potato had thawed enough to eat, at least the outer bit. The only part of him to move was his arm as he quickly brought the potato to his mouth, biting a chunk of thawed potato off. It was like air to a drowning man. Leroy let out a weak gasp, as life, or energy filled him again. Finally no longer on the brink of death though still extremely weakened he became more aware of those around him and their words.

Leroy complied with the the man's first request, and got into a cross legged sitting position. He eyed the pair curiously as he continued to pull potatoes from his bag, and thaw them before consuming them.

"WHAT BRINGS YOU TWO HERE, NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING, THANK YOU FOR THE FIRE, BUT I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A DRAGON UP HERE. IT CAN BE AWFULLY DANGEROUS SO CLOSE TO SUCH A BEAST."

 

[Matteo]

His expression was blank as the strange creature spoke to him. It was a strange thing, yet clearly possessed some intelligence. Enough to form coherent sentences, which not even some humans could do. Quite intelligent, which betrayed Matteo's first impressions of the thing.

"I seek to summit the mountain," He repeated himself in an almost mechanical fashion.

A dragon? Not even Matteo was aware of a dragon. There were Wyverns, he knew that. Under the outer layers of his mountaineering attire, he wore a leather shawl made from a Wyvern's skin; it was a trophy from a hunting expedition many years ago. Strong and heat resistant, it is one of Matteo's most valuable possessions. But a full-fledged dragon? If this creature spoke the truth, then he would not be summiting this mountain any time soon.

His attention turned to the woman next to him. He too wondered what business a young woman had at such heights. Especially one so clearly foreign to the mountains.

 

[Selene Avar]

The creatures voice was more of a scream than anything else, though she was shocked that it could actually speak. "I am searching for something I lost."

It was not technically wrong.

She did feel as though she had lost something, a feeling that had sat with her for most of her life. Explaining it would have been impossible, but she could feel an emptiness that wracked her since birth. She was tired of it.

Slowly the Dreadlord breathed.

Warmth had slowly begun to return to her, and with it control of her magics. Her skin began to softly heat itself, color returned to her face. A soft glow entered her eyes, though it would barely be noticeable in the light.

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

Leroy finished his eating, there was only so much energy he could take in at a time. He eyed the two suspiciously. Most had stronger reactions to dragons being nearby. Did they know already, or just not care? Their answers did not provide much more information.

"I seek to summit the mountain," He repeated himself in an almost mechanical fashion.

"I am searching for something I lost."

There had to be more that they were not sharing. To be wandering this high in the mountains, Leroy expected that one would have some strong motivation.

"TO BE SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING YOU HAVE LOST ALL THE WAY UP HERE, YOU EITHER: HAVE HORRIBLE LUCK AND ARE EXTREMELY CLUMSY, OR YOU ARE CHASING AFTER SOMETHING STOLEN, HMM?"

 

[Matteo]

He could somewhat understand the woman's reasoning. While he may not be seeking something lost, he felt some fulfilment in being in the mountains. To think that the answer to whatever obstacle she faced was in the mountains- Matteo could understand. For a brief moment, he likened himself to her.

He then turned his attention to the inexplicable being in front of him. As he ran his equipment through his hands, thoroughly checking them for damage, he questioned the potato-eating creature. He wondered about its origins, its reason for attacking the heights of the mountain, even its strange obsession with potatoes.

As he observed those he shared the temporary shelter with, he noticed that the woman seemed to be in a better condition. With the color of her skin returning to normal, her natural beauty shocked Matteo. He was seldom able to comfortably speak with his fellow villagers, let alone a stranger with such beauty.

He leaned against the hard rock behind him. His pack was close by his side, and his short-sword even closer. It remained fastened to his pack, yet remained in arm's reach.

 

[Selene Avar]

"Stolen." Selene repeated in a cryptic answer.

It was true enough she supposed. No one had physically taken anything from her, but the effect was the same, the pain was still there. She still felt as though something was lacking, something was missing. Wasn't that the same in the end?

For a moment she considered, then her head shook slightly as she decided not to say anything more. The creature was searching for the same thing she was, and this man? There was no telling what he wanted from the mountain.

Best not to tell too much. "Here."

The woman said as she pulled the fur cloak from her shoulders and offered it back to the Mountaineer. The cold had stopped biting into her skin now, and her own cloak was more than enough. Especially with the steady stream of magic enveloping her.

"Thank you." It was just about the most gratitude Selene had ever showed anyone.

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

"AH..."

Leroy decided not to press too hard for more information. When one has continuously been this short in their words it is apparent they do not really wish to talk, at least in continuing the current line of conversation. A similar case as when one, such as the man, repeats their answer. Leroy searched for a change of conversation, though when you find two strangers high in the mountains, you can't help but wonder their motives.

Soon he managed to find some similarities, no matter how vague between him, and each of his companions. A good place to begin talk is one's passions. Judging that they were here, they likely would be pretty proud in their capabilities. Turning to the man he attempted to start up a conversation,

"I SEE YOUR CHOICE OF WEAPON IS THE SHORT SWORD. TAKES A LEVEL OF DEXTERITY TO USE SUCH A TOOL, ONE WHICH I DO NOT CURRENTLY POSSES." Leroy hefted his club, "ME I PREFER THE CLUB MUCH SIMPLER, AND PLAYS TO MY STRENGTHS A LOT BETTER."

Leroy turned to the woman, "AND YOU, I ASMUME YOU ARE PREFERENTIAL TO MAGIC AS YOUR TOOL. FORGIVE ME FOR BRINGING IT UP, BUT AS I WAS RAISED WITH MAGIC, IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE, I CAN USUALLY RECOGNIZE ITS PRESENCE, THOUGH NOT MUCH MORE."

 

[Matteo]

Matteo grasped the fur and acknowledged her thanks with a curt nod. He paused for a moment. He could feel unnatural warmth through his gloves. Quickly, he wrapped himself in the fur, warily looking at the woman.

His attention was taken by the mysterious creature. It talked about his sword, then hefted its own club up.

It then noted the woman’s propensity for magic, which explained the warmth he felt from the fur.

“I carry a heavy load. The short-sword eases my burden.” He nodded to himself, pleased with himself how he answered in such a clear voice.

Truthfully, despite being comfortable with the short blade, he seldom used it. He was a hunter- the need for a sword was rare. He preferred spears, and would carry many to use during hunts. He was not hunting now, and carried no such tools.

He was mostly curious about the woman. Matteo, far from the reaches of civilization, knew little of magic. His village had no mages or sorcerers. Having a being next to him that possessed it, it almost excited him.

 

[Selene Avar]

Selene considered for a moment whether or not to tell the truth. She had intended to pass herself off as a regular woman, someone that needed help, but...the creature had exposed her already.

In all right she should have been annoyed, but oddly enough she didn't seem to care. Perhaps it was the cold, perhaps it was the fact of where they were. In the end it did not matter. "Yes, magic."

The Dreadlord confirmed.

"My father taught me." It was a lie, but how could they ever tell? A deep breath filled her lungs for a moment.

Then she released it.

A small flame Erupted from her mouth, the intensity hot enough for both of them to feel. For a moment Selene quite literally breathed fire.

"It was too cold in the storm." She explained. "Easier here."

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

Talking with these two was a touch frustrating, they really shared next to nothing. Leroy let in a deep breath, and let it out as a light chuckle.

"I've have had better conversations with giants who tend not to be known for their wit, and a vampire who dressed himself in black, stood in the corner of a room, and hid himself away for fear of hurting others. Very stiff fellow him. But still, while I was unable to talk besides through notes, I managed to at least get some talk of one's self in.

I doubt you don't know the basics of how to hold a conversation, but instead are being closed off because of... reasons. So allow me to try to warm you up, socially, by making you as comfortable with me as I possibly know how.

*cough* I am Leroy Jenkers, first of my kind. I am a magical combination of chicken and orc. Though I was the companion, or familiar of sorts, to a mage or wizard, I do not really know the difference, he never took my free will. The reason I only carry my sack of potatoes is because I am a magical being that fuels itself by eating. I am up here hunting for a dragon. If you want to know more, feel free to ask me anything."

(OOC: you got the point with the caps, I am just going to stop using them here because they are annoying/ugly.)

 

[Matteo]

Watching the woman breathe fire excited Matteo. He thought nothing of the destructive potential of such magic, instead appreciating the wonder he just witnessed.

The sudden outburst of words was shocking to Matteo. He had not thought the creature- Leroy, it said- to be so proficient in its use of words. Nor had he expected Leroy to be such an odd combination of creatures. After the sudden inundation of words finished flooding from Leroy's mouth, he shared a glance with the woman next to him, his expression clearly showing that he did not expect to be so verbally assaulted.

After a long moment of silence between the three, he steeled himself, and spoke, "I am Matteo. I hunt things, not by profession, but as a necessity. I know these mountains well- I have spent most of my life exploring them."

His manner of speaking was awkward as if he were clearly unaccustomed to speaking with others.

 

[Selene Avar]

For a few moments she didn't speak in answer, not quite knowing what to say to the creature. Then the man added his own words, though Selene was hardly more impressed. A creature of magic and a man of the mountains.

Funny.

She wondered briefly if she should just kill them both and get it over with. Neither seemed to be much of a threat, and immolating them beneath this cavern would not be too difficult. After a moment she dismissed the thought again.

It was something she was trying to stop, immediately thinking about murdering people. She had to teach herself that people were not just blocks to her goals, but sometimes stepping stones. "My name is Verin."

She said quietly.

"I am searching for a pendant that was stolen by a cult." A frown touched her face. "It belonged to my mother."

All lies of course, but the expression on her face would give nothing away to that effect.

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

Leroy beak broke into a grin as another chuckle escaped through it. He bit into another potato, trying to bring more life into himself then there was in this conversation. On the bright side his companions seemed intelligent enough to introduce themselves. He should reward such good behaviour.

"Nice to meet you Matteo, Verin. Now forgive me as I think aloud. Matteo here knows this mountainlike his own backyard, and wished to summit the mountain. Verin wishes to retrieve her mother's pendant from cultists, and she is experienced in magic. I am hunting a dragon, and posses great strength, and durability, and apparently have the rare skill to say more than a sentence as a reply. We are all climbing an apparently dragon and cultist infested mountain, not to mention any other naturally dangerous animals and weather.

Here is a wild idea: how would you all like to work together to as we accomplish each of our tasks. As Steve always said, 'Many hands make light work.'"

Leroy swore if their replies were shorter than a halfling again he would teach them 'Yes, and...'

 

[Matteo]

Matteo nodded thoughtfully. Cults in The Spine. There was no lack of them. Then, there was this Leroy. The beast was cunning with its words, berating them for their unwillingness to speak.

The leather sheet flapped as wind beat against it. At times, he could feel the wind blow through the gaps between his makeshift cover and the rock it was hooked in to.

"That is a thought to consider by mid-day tomorrow," Matteo spoke, "This storm will likely last through the night and by mid-day, the trails will clear enough to navigate."

He spoke with certainty and confidence, looking between the two travelers before him. Quite a strange party, they are.

 

[Selene Avar]

She hesitated a moment.

There was no trust from her part of course, she had already lied to both of them yet they seemed eager to cooperate. She did not know if it was worth it, if she should even risk this much.

Still, Selene did not know these mountains half as well as she wanted to, and a creature to walk before her? Well, she knew well that the Spine was infested with everything from Trolls to Ogres. It would be good to have some meat for the Grinder, even if it meant cooperating with people she did not know.

"There is more danger than this Mountain." She said quietly. "If you travel with me you will surely encounter those who stole from me."

The cult was not made up, though her reason for going against them obviously was.

No pendant existed, but the cult itself was very much real. They were a small group, dragon worshippers. Selene had learned about them in Elbion, a book thought lost and forgotten. All of them were supposedly powerful warriors, sorcerers who took their blessings from a long forgotten god. They protected a nest of Dragons supposedly, keeping its location at the highest peaks in the Spine a secret for centuries.

If she wanted what was rightfully hers she would have to go through them.

 

[Focraig'Diin]

Focraig'Diin stumbled in on this conversation without so much as a warning, bruised and wounded. Coughing up frosting blood, he turned back once at the cold cavern opening, then at the group further within. His eyes glowed a haunting blue, and hoarfrost crawled into the cave bit by bit.

"If you people don't mind."

He whipped a hand outwards, sending a spear of ice hurling outwards from the limb. A heavy thud, and a death cry sounded throughout the mountain peaks. A shape fell across the cave opening moments later, followed by streams of blood that stained the white outside in trails of crimson.

"I will have to intrude upon your hospitality."

He gave the familiar Dreadlord a knowing glance, then sat down a few ways from the group, eyes still glowing with icy magics. He would yet not speak until his ice had receded enough for multiplexing thoughts.

 

[Leroy Jenkers]

"There is more danger than this Mountain." She said quietly. "If you travel with me you will surely encounter those who stole from me."

Leroy shot 'Verin' a smile.

"I'm counting on it."

Leroy was quick to get into ready stance when the new man appeared. Leroy quickly decided the wounded man deserved less attention than whatever had followed him. He moved to examine the shape and block off any others that might appear, while asking the ice mage:

"What, and how many are after you?"