Fury looked down at the weapon she now held. The jewel encrusted hilt fit so perfectly into her hand it seemed to be an extension of her arm. The blade, forged from some unknown material, gleemed and cast of sparks of light even in the dull green light of the forest.

A leaf drifted down and across the blade as Fury admired the weapon she held. The leaf floated across the edge of the blade, it's progress did not hesitate as it crossed the blade and became two.

Fury knew the blade would withstand any weapon, obstacle or enemy she might face and be just as perfect in the outcome as it was now, as would the one held by Amon.

You have lost all manners, love, he said. Or rather, lost the few that you had.

Fury turned, looking up at him, her jaw clenched, her eyes flashing. Before he could removed himself from her reach, she turned the blade to it's flat side and smacked it across his upper arm.

Beware my heathen Lord, next time perhaps 'twill not be the flat side that strikes your flesh.

Fury watched as the place her blade had struck turned red and formed a perfect imprint of the blade.

At least I had manners to lose, unlike you who have none to begin with.

Her words shocked him. Introductions would have to wait.

Amon laughed as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb whatever may be lurking in the forest. He returned Fury's smack with one of his own, but blocked her hand before she could retaliate.

I have no manners? he said, feigning incredulity. My Lady Fury, I beg thee to rescind such words. I have all the manners in the world.

With that Amon pinched her hard, biting her neck at the same time. He was laughing though, and the blows were not hard. He kissed her lips softly, and glanced round at Ten to ensure that he would not rush them along.

I have other methods of obtaining my way, he said, a devious gleam in his silver eyes. Methods that do not require that I abandon all manners and decency. And might I remind you which of us is the heathen here.

He grinned and kissed her again, before turning and rejoining the group.

Fury grabbed his arm before he got very far from her. Glaring at Amon, her temper igniting.....her nails making cresent indents in his arm, her voice lower to an almost growl....

GRRRRRRRrr..... I shall rescind nothing......'tis you, you .....you .....heathen, who speaks only to rattle your own head.

And aye, I know what manner of methods you employ. 'Tis not what lays in you mind that you use but what lies elsewhere to befuddle mindless bimbos into thinking you are well bred.

Remember to whom you speak, M'Lord, I am NOT one of those befuddled twits who is blinded by oh so charming manners.

As she followed closely behind Ten, Kotori suddenly felt a touch at her mind that caused her flesh to crawl. She froze in her tracks, her gold eyes widening as words were whispered into her ear.

"Worthless, worthless worthless child... Why do you walk this world again? You don't belong here, not with the living. You are naught but a ghost, a shadow, a memory that should be buried and forgotten. Leave... Turn away and leave them all... You don't deserve to be around these men and women. Go back to cold darkness where you belong..."

Tears whelled up in the half-dryad's eyes as her stoic expression began to waver. Those were the same words that had pushed her, all those lifetimes ago, to end her life without any warning whatsoever. Over and over and over again, day in and day out, once she had decided that she wanted nothing to do with the Dark Queen and her bid for domination of the world. Last time, she had managed to hold out for a solid month before her fragile psyche had snapped.

"No... Please don't... Stop..." Her hands moved to cover her ears, the living sword unraveling and falling to the ground in the process. With her current weakened mental shields, the process to break her would probably take less than a week. She stopped walking altogether as she shook her head, trying in vain to drown out the voices in her head. Soon the others travelling behind Ten would catch up to her, but she didn't care. All she wanted was for the voices to stop.

Kotori's hair blended into the forest and the dark cloak she wore made her almost invisible.

Fury was so busy trading barbs with Amon as they walked she didn't see Kotori until she collided with her.

Fury grabbed Kotori to steady her as she began to apologize.

Holy son of a b.......er a er.... damn Kots I did not see you. Are you hurt? I'm sorry. I was being distracted by ........ Amon.

You have not met him as yet and he was just bringing it to my attention.

Kotori this is Amon, my ......er...a my husband. Amon, Lady Kotori. Fury waited a few moments as they nodded to each other then turned and looked up at Amon.

Her eyes narrowing at him she said....I believe I have salvaged my manners now.

Fury turned back to Kotori and slipped her arm through the half-dryad's. Fury felt the tenseness in Kotori as soon as she laced their arms .

Kotori.....what is it??? What is wrong? Tell me....I am sorry I have not had an opportunity to really talk with you until now. Please forgive me, I meant not to slight you. It is just that things have seemed to happen rather quickly lately.

Fury looked at Kotori's face and could tell there was something very very wrong. Fury wanted to know what it was because if 'twas within her power to set it right and bring back the Kotori she remembered, she would see it done.

Talk to me Kotori. Amon can keep watch for us as we walk.

Fury turned to Amon knowing he would agree. Fury looked around them her brow furrowing.....Amon where is Isis?

Ahem, up here is where I would be, Isis said, dropping to the forest floor from her perch in a tree and landing lightly on her feet. Sorry, it's a rather bad habit I've got. Not used to using normal roads, you see. I also needed to clear my head; images of vicious acts were running through my mind, see.

She shot Amon a withering glance, knowing that he would know what she was talking about. Straightening her belt and drawing only one of her swords, she grinned at Fury as she stood beside Kotori.

Your manners were salvaged in relation to Amon, not to myself, she said, nodding in greeting to Kotori. I am Isis, Amon's more intelligent, better-looking cousin. It's nice to meet you.

With a last grin and glance at Fury and Amon, she turned to return to the trees, to cool the temper that had flared inside her. Hopefully Fury was as quick as Amon had said she was, and she would latch onto what Isis was feeling. Till that happened, Isis was quite alright with her treetop perch.

Amon had stood as Fury crashed into Kotori, smiling at the latter as he nodded. He was not startled when Isis dropped from the trees before them, knowing his cousin preferred that to out and open traveling. He grinned at her words, struggling not to laugh and shaking his head at her slyness.

I'll keep a watch while you two talk, he agreed, nodding and bending low to kiss Fury's cheek. Walk ahead of me. Isis will also help from her perch.

He gripped his blade tighter and fell behind in his steps, glancing about at the forest. He knew what Kotori felt; old woods had a sliver of hatred in them; his father had fallen into many predicaments in the forests near the borders of their lands. Amon glanced up at Isis, who did not seem to fear anything, not even the wrath of the trees. He smiled, feeling more secure knowing she was above watching out as well.

Ten looks up doubtfully. As he walks he thinks of warning her of the danger of being so high but he figures, in the end, that so long as she remains below the thicker canopy she will be alright.

He notices, then, that Kotori has stopped and turns to walk back. Seeing the tears he slowly closes the distance between them and looks at her.

This forest will bring to the surface what you most fear. It will entensify your fears and phobias to their most powerful and unleash them at you.

It is a trait of the guardian.

He would neglect, out of fear, to tell them that this had once been his own land... that he had polluted it so... that his very presence was drawing these things up from the forest... and that its malice for him was what they would face within.

As he stands there, he is aware of two more of the impossibly tall thorned trees... which seemed to have a joint near where it vanishes through the canopy.

Clear your mind Kotori... your worries will consume you.

His own fears are all too obvious as what are now seen to be legs lift away soundlessly, escaping the notice of everyone but him and possibly Isis.

He lifts his hand and a small pinprick of light appears within his palm. As it expands, it casts rays into the darkness, briefly illuminating all directions of the forest. Ten finds nothing in the distance and continues spawning the orb. When it reaches the size of his fist he throws it into the air and it begins to float away from them farther on the path.

The light, pure and white (a feat that nobody but Ten knew he wouldn't have been able to perform so much as 2 hours before), banishes the dark malice that permeates the air around him... and at the edges of the field of light, the darkness can be seen rippling and surging... trying to enter the field in vain.

A scowl appears on Ten's lips but is quickly banished as he moves to follow the light.

Kotori stiffed reflexively when she felt Fury's arms wind about her, a shudder running through her body. However, at hearing Fury's words, she tenatively allowed herself to lean into the embrace as she straightened up, using her hand to wipe the tears from her face. At Ten's words, however, she fixed his tall form with a bitter glare, though by that time he had turned about and was working on clearing a path through the dark forest.

"You have no idea what I am going through," she muttered to his retreating back. Then the half-dryad began to walk alongside Fury, though she did not remove herself from the woman's touch. Indeed, Kotori almost clung to Fury's arm, taking solace in her presence.

"It's her, Fury," she murmured softly, an infinitely sad expression on her face. "I hear her voice in my mind. I wanted to leave her. She killed my mother, my true mother. Stole me away from my family." Kotori closed her eyes, unconsciously leaning in closer to Fury. "But she wouldn't let me leave her. Her voice haunted me, day and night, telling me what a worthless child I am. She reminds me of all the evil things I did for her. That I'm not worthy of anyone's love or companionship, and that is I why I lost him." The name of the man she had loved and lost remained unspoken. It was unnecessary. Fury knew exactly who she was talking about. His ultimate fate had forever been a mystery to the half-dryad. All she knew, however, was that one day she woke up and he was gone, without a trace. "She kept saying that I didn't deserve to live.

"I tried to block out the poisonous words, but after a month of enduring it all, I finally started to believe them. I had no more strength left to fight it anymore, and I... I... " Kotori's words tapered off as unshed tears anew filled her eyes. She could not finish her sentence, but the implied ending hung in the air ominously.

"And now I hear her words again. They're tearing at my mind. It hurts, Fury. I... I don't think have the strength to fight it again. Not with the land screaming at me, and enduring the pain of living once more. I feel so weak, Fury. You and the others should just leave me behind. I'll do nothing but slow you down and get in the way." At this, Kotori stopped in her tracks, releasing her hold on Fury's arm, letting her drift slightly away from her. Her eyes were downcast, their usually brilliant glimmer dulled by the sorrow and pain she felt weighing her soul. Already the words of the Dark Queen were poisoning her heart once more, dipping it deeply into a fatalistic despair.

Fury moved to in front of Kotori, reaching out and tipping her face up. We will most certainly NOT leave you! I'm sorry I wasn't there when you had need for someone. If 'twas in my power to find the one who has caused you all this pain, I would plant my foot in his ass.

My sweet Kots, I know exactly what it does when someone you love leaves you. Fury looked back at Amon. I have felt the pain, the emptiness, the lonliness and the questions of why.

I found no answers nor will you. I know only this.........pain and lose are part of life. If we had no pain in our life, we would not know how sweet life is when pain is not with us.

I will not let you give up life again. As for she who taunts you, you must not let her. She grows weak now, though not to all.

You must help me find Dominique. The Dark Queen has given the child powers that will one day rival her own. We have to find her and among us, we have to teach her what each of us knows. If we do not, one day she will sit in that far away temple alone and evil.

Kotori ...... you have to put these thoughts from you. You cannot listen to her words. Look inside her and see that she is vengeful and wants to hurt because she thinks she has lost you. Though she is not your true mother, no one could have loved you more.

Do not hear the spiteful words but hear what lies beneath them.

As Fury's speech drew to a close, Ten became aware that all of the ambient sounds of the forest had gone... it was as if they were at the eye of a hurricane... an uneasy silence permeating the air...

At the edges of the field of light the darkness began to writhe even more desperately than it had before... The trees, though soundless and motionless, seemed to be laughing... Ten's eyes scanned the darkness beyond the trees... and found the first of the legs just to his right.

His eyes darted left and found the second about twenty yards ahead of him. As he wheels around his eyes move so fast that to human eyes the imagery would be a violent blur.

His eyes, however, found 6 more of the legs... it was right on top of them.

All of the trees seemed to explode into motion, reaching out for the road-weary travelers. In unison they seemed to cackle and scream...

DIIIEEEEEEE!

It was the sound of murder... of plague... of anguish. The sound of hate... fear...

The sound of evil.

As the gargantuan spider lunged downward through the trees, Ten leapt backward, bending his back toward the ground and planting one hand to carry him through the flip. His hair clouds on the ground for a single instant, during which time the flip is at its pinnacle.

As his chest angles toward the ground once more, his other hand snaps backward and unsheaths the sword on his back. It rises, casting a deep violet and crimson shot wave outward.

The fangs of the forest guardian close, with perfect aim, on the blade of the sword.

You are ssstupid to return here "LORD Ten."

You mussst realisssse that you will die here.

The fangs release the sword and the spider's entire body sweeps downward, the fangs sliding around Ten's body in an attempt to split him in twain. He raises the blade just a bit and thrusts the glowing red sword into one of the spider's eyes. It instantly lifts away from him and staggars backward, legs turning trees into splinters as it retreats.

It shrieks with the voice of a legion... high and metallic... like one sword sliding slowly down the blade of another. The volume is deafening but Ten's voice carries over it.

Return to the caverns, SLAVE.

Ten seems to spit the final word from his lips like a bad piece of meat.

Trouble us no more or I will take the rest of your eyes.

The spider seems to consider this statement for a moment... it does not speak again, but retreats into the shadows without a sound... the last words can be heard like the rustling of trees in a breeze.

Sssleep not "massster"... or you ssshall not wake.

[OOC: Amon, wat voor gek doet deze ding nou? LOL]


IC:

Isis watched the exchange from her perch above the rest of the group. The overlarge spider had been quite amusing and she enjoyed the way in which Lord Ten had disposed of it.

He would be quite handy around the home, she thought. What a knack for killing spiders.

A quick look at Amon and Fury's distance from Ten confirmed that she had some time to relax. Stretching her frame out in the cradling branches of the tree, Isis withdrew one of her swords, admiring again the craftsmanship of her father's people. Twirling her sword with just a quick motion of her wrist, she stared up at the canopy, knowing that sooner or later her curiosity would get the better of her.

A tug from somewhere in her stomach made her sit upright, and she rustled around in her pack for one of her small vials. Retrieving it, she tipped it to her mouth, drinking its contents. As her head was thrown back however, she heard what she thought was a twig cracking in the upper layer of forest. Swallowing the remaining contents, she swung into a sitting position, her legs dangling from the branch and both her swords drawn now.

Is anyone there? she asked aloud. Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the ridiculousness of asking that question. Isis stood on the branch, glancing up one last time before dropping down the others' level. Rising, she kept her swords up, searching for Amon.

We are being followed, by something or someone, she said, frowning up at the trees.

[OOC: Ik weet het niet lol]


IC:

Amon had followed behind Fury and Kotori as they spoke, catching bits of their conversation as he did. He knew he could have heard all if he wanted; but it would have been an intrusion between two friends and he did not want to do that. Instead he had listened to the sounds of the forest, heard them fade away as Ten had and had rushed ahead to assist with the spider. Seeing that his traveling companion had handled the matter efficiently on his own, Amon returned to the rear, a frown on his face as he glanced around.

Holy sh-, he began, as Isis dropped down suddenly before him. She looked troubled, and he soon found out why.

We are being followed, by something or someone, she said.

Amon glanced up at the trees, straining his eyes to see what, if anything, was there. For the moment, the calm of the treetops did not break, but hestepped ahead to Fury's side, gently taking her upper arm and pulling her towards him.

Sorry, love, he said, nodding his apology at Kotori. Be alert. Isis has sensed something up in the canopies. Let's not be caught unawares.

He kissed the top of her head and relinquished his light grasp on her arm, returning to Isis, his blade also drawn.

There she strolls, calm as day, not yet knowing what stalks her in the night, said the voice. You must strike now, NOW so that you can have your revenge.

Not with the psion and the demon beside her, I thought, not wanting to offend the voice yet not willing to do as it commanded just yet. Who walks with her? The women, who are they?

One is Fury, Lady of Dark Crown, that was before your time, I know not who the other is, but she is troubled, the voice answered. Why do you trouble your mind with such unimportant questions, Fury of DC matters not to you, who matters is HER, she who took everything from you.

Yes I know, I returned, eyes narrowing to slits as the company passed below us. The Lady of Dark Crown spoke of a child. Where is it?

I could feel the voice smiling, see the glistening teeth as lips pulled back and a thrill went through my body.

It is in a place that even the demon does not wish to go, it answered. Even the psion would fear such a place, were he to ever see it. But you, my Lord...you would be most welcome in those lands, the treacherous lands they must cross before arriving at their chosen destination.

The voice fell silent then, and a smile began to cross my own face, eyes fading to the black that signalled my transformation. Standing on the branch and gazing out to the horizon and what lay waiting for the traveling company, I shook my head, the smile becoming a grin and it was all I could do to not laugh aloud at the mere prospect of the fun that awaited me.

We will track them a little further, I replied. Then we will travel onward, and await their arrival. It will be a grand occasion indeed. Right now, the need to feed is upon me. Let's go.

Wings unfolding, I flexed my arms and pushed off into the air, soaring high above the trees, the wind rushing about me bringing greater pleasure than it usually did as I thought to the festivities I would soon enjoy.

When the spider had decended from above one of it's hairy legs had brushed between Fury and Kotori startling both of them. Fury holding the sword of the Dark Queen, struck at it, slicing it cleanly off.

Amon was at her side warning her to be alert, something about a danger overhead.

What the fu.....Fury stopped, not wanting Amon to remind her again she was mannerless. She kicked aside the hairy arachnid leg and moved to catch up to Ten.

Ten! What hell have you put my daughter in? You told me she was with one you called friend. How could you let her be taken to such a forsaken land. If 'tis so difficult for us to reach this place, how the fuck could she have survived such a journey?

I will find her and no damnable oversized hairy spider nor anything else will keep me from her.

Fury stopped her tirade and looked up into the deep canopy of the trees.........then she shouted...

Do you hear me up there??? NOTHING.......NO ONE..will keep me from my daughter. You are warned!!!!

wrong alt

The demon turned full on fury and his eyes flared brightly. Anger surfaced at the suggestion that he would have placed Dominique in danger.

Do you HONESTLY think that I would have so carelessly placed your daughter. I told you I placed her with Chein to keep her away from my OWN taint.

Do you TRULY think that I would have left her HERE?!

If you have so little faith in me then turn back. This journey means things to me that you cannot possibly comprehend and I will not be insulted so on the last journey I'll ever make in this world!

At that moment the trees part and the massive spider descends once more. It swings its front two legs, one of which seems to be a stump dripping acidic blood, and trees for yards around are uprooted and thrown to the forest floor. Above them the dark clouds eclipse the sun completely.

The spider, now fully visible, is more than 200 feet tall. Its abdomen seems to taper off into a strangely long neck that leads into the head.

It lunges down behind Ten and before he can turn to face it, the beast's fangs close around his abdomen. It begins to lift him from the forest floor and he curses. His sword is pinned in an odd angle down against his leg and he cannot reach it to withdraw it from the sheath.

He yells and throws his elbow back, resulting in a dull thud and a heavy twitch of the spider's head. Already it is attempting to rise with him in tow. He elbows it again and it staggars to the side. Once more and it drops him.

As he strikes the ground he rolls forward, sommersaulting away and pivoting as he rises to draw his blade and face the beast. In the meantime the spider is throwing forward a leg. The result is that Ten sails through the air and collides with a tree, which splinters apart on impact.

The spider then bears down on him, ready for the kill.

His prey cowered on the ground before him. Gotha was a simple mind... his needs consisted of feeding, spawning, and sleeping... but right now he was occupied with one of his few desires.

His fangs closed with the satisfaction of feeling the dirt caress them where they dug into the ground. As he lifted Ten high into the air he cackled... it sounded like a series of wet coughs.

His eyes slitted and he speaks, his gutteral voice grating on the ears of all within a mile.

Did you think, sssire, that I would be so easssily repelled?

He tosses his head to one side and releases the demon, who flies off into the forest and demolishes yet another tree.

He then turns to Fury and lifts his wounded leg, drooling corrosive puss onto the ground. The wound festers for a moment and then a new leg explodes from the stump.

He rears up on his hind legs and thrusts his abdomen forward, spraying thick, sticky web with the same acidic touch as his blood all over the forest floor. Not quite good with aim but the spray would eat away anything that couldn't move fast enough to get out of his way.

He turns and sweeps a few dozen more trees out of the way to find Ten, who has now regained his feet and started walking back, scowl on his face.

Gotha attempts to stab him with one hairy leg, but the demon leaps to one side, easily escaping it.

Whatsss wrong, massster?

The spider swings its leg again and another tree flies directly at Ten.

Are you ssscared to faccce me in the open? You would rather hide in the foressst?

He spins, with suprising agility, his massive body whirling about over the treetops as he looks for Ten.

Before Fury's retort could form into words the spider appeared as if from no where again. It grabbed Ten and flung him into a tree.

Fury stood motionless as the spider turned on her, the leg she had cut off mutating and replacing it's self.

She watched as the spider spun it's web from it's underbelly and spread. Fury tried to move then to plunge her sword into the soft underside of the spider. She could not move her feet. Looking down she saw her feet covered in the sticky web. The more she struggled to gain release the more she became entangled in the spider's web.

Isis darted forward to help untangle Fury, but she had barely reached within ten feet of her when a jet of sticky web was shot towards her. She ducked the first, but was not so lucky with the second, which caught her at her knees. Hopping back, Isis lowered her swords and sliced away at the webbing; it was more difficult to hack off than it appeared.

Son of a bitch! she exclaimed, and the swear words continued to fall from her mouth as she attempted to move her swords in scissor fashion. The spider was slowly advancing on each member of the company, shooting webbing whenever the fancy struck it.

Isis finally managed to cut free of her bonds, and she darted forward towards the spider, swords raised. The creature would have none of it; it turned and stared at her with its many eyes, hissing as Isis faced it. She darted around, not standing still and searching for an entry to the soft flesh that was the spider's weakness.

Amon was growing tired of this spider; he knew time was their most precious commodity, and right now, it was fading as they faced the giant spider. Clenching his teeth tightly together, he charged the animal as Isis was in front of it, sliding to the forest floor when he neared its rear.

Amon slid neatly under the spider and without thinking, thrust both his swords into the creature's belly, driving them deep into the flesh and rolling out from under the spider before the blood could touch him. He stood and watched as it staggered about the clearing, before turning his hand over once in the air and wrenching the spider down. It twitched once and then ceased to move completely.

He strode forward and heaved the spider over. Taking his swords and wiping them clean on a cloth from his pack, Amon turned to face the others.

I've no time to both with insects, he said. No matter how large they may be. I need to find my daughter.

He turned again and began walking in the direction they had been headed before the giant arachnid had attacked.

Fury chopped and hacked at the web that entangled her legs. The spider now dead, she did not have to worry that it might come for her.
Finally she freed herself, looked up in time to see Amon walk past her.

She stood for a few moments watching his back as he continued along the path.

It would be night soon and the forest would become darker. They should find a place to camp for the night and continue on the morrow.

Perhaps there would be a place to stop farther up ahead Fury thought as she got the last of the web off her. She sighed and began to walk along the path, lost in thought, alone.

Fury walked as if in a trance. She was no longer there in that deep dark forest. She stood before a reflecting pool, alone.

In the water she saw herself and another......they argued, she frustrated and extremely angry slashed at him with her riding crop. Connecting and leaving a livid mark.

A small sad smile came to Fury's lips as she remembered the time. She and Raistlin.....Raistie.....had always butted heads but she had always held him close to her heart. One of the most heart wrenching moments of her life had been when she had had to put him away from herself and the guild. She wept as she sent him away from Dark Crown. It was for the sake of DC but it hurt and was one of the hardest moments in her life.

A tears formed in her eyes as she remembered. She stumbled on a root of a tree pushing up out of the dirt.

"You know how to call me. You always have. So has Kotori. But alas, until you do, I am not my own person, nor can I be. Find the missing link and I can rejoin you, but first, you have a baby to save. Until then, I will just watch Her, and savor what I once knew was truth for me and her, and pray it is still. God Speed to your child Fury."

The words whispered through Fury's mind. Her head snapped up and she looked all around her.........no one was near her. She reached a hand to her face and felt the wettness there. Fury wiped her hand across her face and walked on.