Subject: Re: The chase begins; back down the tunnels

Blood and Stone.

Mission takes off the blue robe he'd been wearing and wraps Promise in it. There. No more chills. His movements are quick, but his fingers tremble on touching the boy's skin. Eyes, so calm Mission could get lost in them.

Mission has never been more terrified in his life. Promise is the end of the Path. This heart, this head, these eyes. . . the Path of Blood and Stone ended here, as it had with every Kaishin in history. Here, was not only born a child, but born the death of Stone, and the Renewal of Blood.

Mission kisses Promise's cool forehead, and tastes Blood on his lips.

The mountain shakes. Mission steels his heart again. retreat?

"This is a terrible place to die in, after all," he says, tucking Promise into his arms. "Let's find someplace else."

OOC: Karl, would it be possible to summon another earth elemental and have it create a wall of stone to block our followers? If so, I'd suggest doing it at the bottom of the elevator shaft, after we cut the rope.

Subject: Re: The chase begins; back down the tunnels

"Somehow I don't think a couple of arrows is going to stop whatever's battering on that door..."

Rennik looks to the others.

"Calling on one of the earth creatures would be wise - perhaps calling one here to hold this door? I do not know how many dwell in this mountain, or how many would respond to you, Caller Farron."

A thought strikes him.

"How do we cut the rope if we're all at the bottom? We could burn it perhaps, unless someone has a better way."

Subject: Re: The chase begins; back down the tunnels

Farron descends the ladder as Cadfael is exiting the door. Within the chamber he can see the black pillar and some of the nearer hoard beginning to snap out of their stupor and confusion. Cadfael pauses briefly to close the door. As it closes Farron could swear he hears the pillar call his name.

Farron holds his head in pain, sharp but not unbearable, which is rapidly replaced with a cold numbness deep in his head. He turns to look at the child in Cadfael's arms, but cannot see him. "Give me my son, Cadfael," Mission says. And then, as if being passed back into the world through some invisible veil, the child appears in the monk's arms.

"Ahh," says a voice of relief inside Farron's head, but strangely the relief does not feel like his own, and the numb spot in his brain begins to hum. He feels himself running through the spells in his head, but now instead of evaluating them for usefulness in aiding their escape, he see each in light of how they could be used to slow the group. "Just a moment is all we will need," says a voice in his head. "And all the power of this world will be ours to take."

Farron sees the group and knows their haste. From behind him he hears a great bang of something heavy striking the secret door. He knows they must flee but his feet feel like lead. "Stop the monk. Show him your power. He has never respected you or your craft. Humble him!" In his pocket Jack begins to scramble around in agitation. "Join me, wizard, and all you desire is yours. All you must do is slow the monk" NO! he screams in his head, but involuntarily his hand reaches into his pocket searching his spell components for the small, straight piece of iron he needs to cast Hold Person, but he cannot find it. His hand brushes Jack and he feels the rod just underneath him. Fingers digging under the weasel, he grasps the iron, his mind racing for the words of the spell to hold the monk. NO! he screams again in his head.

At that moment a sharp pain stabs into his hand and rushes up his arm. He pulls his hand quickly out of his pocket, Jack swinging from it with his teeth deep in the back of Farron's hand. The wizard swings his arm sharply and the weasel flops to the floor amid several large drops of blood from Farron's hand. "That HURT!" Farron yells at Jack, but with the pain comes renewed clarity, the invading voice gone, the unwanted link to Kor Garesh broken.

Farron sees Sa'id glance concernedly at Jack, then quizzically back at himself. "We have to go NOW!" Farron yells to the group. And makes a beeline for the shaft, ashamed to even glance toward Mission or the child.

Subject: Re: The chase begins; back down the tunnels

Nice work! :)

Subject: moving on

Just need a check in from cadfael, sa'id, and garyth and we can move on.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Oh, and by the way?

People taking my bit about promise showing them their futures, and running with it, is why I freakin' love you guys.

Matt, yours was brilliant.