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Most people in this log are emitted by Quiet (with the obvious exception of
Patrick). Three notable exceptions are Thunder's Claws, Cyllan, and Sepdet, who all got to play guest starring roles, briefly. :)
Megan is mostly emitted by Thunder's Claws, and Blight-Render by Cyllan.
------------------------
The three canidates follow Eligio and Quiet to where the rite is
performed. Eligio enacts the rite, a stern and cool figure in the dim
light. Quiet, a yellow shadow behind him, calls out to the dream, her
upstretched hands the last thing you see as your eyes close. Something
touches your eyelids, and you feel sleep fulling you down. Quiet's
voice follows you as you fall, though as it fades, you find you can no
longer even understand the words.
You fall deeper and deeper into slumber. Past REM. Past beta. Dow. Down.
Down, deeper than any sleep you have visited before. Tendrils of mist
sweep by you, as you fall. At first, the falling is pleasant, a cool
breath of air past your face. As you gain speed, however, an uneasy
feeling begins in your stomach. That feeling only increases as you
plummet into blackness.
Patrick looks around hurriedly, and somewhat worriedly, as his Gifts
fail to halt the fall.
You fall into a black pit of emptiness, the wind harsh and cold against
your face. You attempt to scream, but you hear nothing, can move
nothing, sense nothing but the cold and falling. Even your attempts to
speak to Mask come to nothing.
Patrick's eyes widen for a split second, then close tightly. The
sensation stays, however, and the blackness is the same either way.
The mist grows thicker and wetter, and your falling seems to go faster
and faster. Finally you hit bottom with a stomach-jarring thud...into
yourself. You open your eyes again and blink them clear once, twice.
The world begins to suggest itself in the mist around you, the
familiar rocky outcropping of Thorn's island. You can hear Andrea and
Kate arguing.
Patrick looks around to make sure that he is, indeed, on Thorn's island.
After a quick moment, he approaches Andrea and Kate slowly, listening.
Kate's face bunches into a mimicry of her lupine snarl, "Where do you
get off, telling me what I said? You couldn't even bother to be there,
with your mage's whelps keeping you busy." The Get's fists bunch as
she speaks; she seems to be controlling herself from shifting by the
barest thread.
Patrick walks up calmly, asking, "Okay, what's gotten into you two?"
Andrea's blue eye flashes with anger, "Are you calling Patrick not only
incompetant, but a liar?" She also seems on the edge of losing her
temper completely. The full moon hangs overhead, a blind eye in the
night.
Patrick blinks at that, taken a little aback, but regains his composure
after a moment.
As the dream solidifies, you realize the 'when'. It is not long after
Kate and Thorn denounced Arjun's choice of ShadowWalker at the
meeting.
Kate glances toward Patrick, her face full of venom, "You're not getting
onta him for jumping into my place 'fore it was even cold, are you,
Quiet? But then, you always did play favorites."
Thorn appears from the mist, a silent white figure standing in
pack-defensive behind Kate.
Patrick rolls his eyes. "Kate, we've already talked about this. Arjun
put me in the place; I didn't choose it. Hell, I argued with him over
the phone about it. However, I agreed that I was the most responsible
candidate left, and most likely, by far."
Kate rounds on Patrick, "Yeah, right. You didn't stick up for me none
though, huh?" The Get shakes her head violently, "Why the fuck do I
bother?" Kate turns her back, hunching her shoulders in her leather
jacket. Thorn stands, a silent disapproving figure. Andrea growls
under her breath, crossing her arms.
A slight shimmering begins in the underbrush, near the grove of trees.
Patrick rolls his eyes. "Because I *did* stick up for you, at least
somewhat. In some ways, you *are* a better scout than I am, especially
right now. You just...." His voice dies as his attention is caught by
the shimmering.
The bushes are pushed aside, and a fat raccoon buck waddles out. Anubis,
startled, jumps down from his perch on a rock outcropping, landing
between the two groups of ragabash and theurge.
Mask pulls himself to his hind legs. The grass can be dimly seen through
his body; he has not entirely materialized. The thin moonlight catches
on his glittering tigers-eyes, and catches on the dreamcatcher web
pattern his belly. Silver glints at neck and feet.
Patrick looks at Mask, somewhat amazed. He stays quiet, though he grins
at the raccoon. He gives the totem a comfortable nod, as to a friend.
The raccoon chitters a little at Patrick. His look, however, becomes
stern as he takes in Thorn, Kate, and Andrea. He scolds, ~You fight.
Fight enemy, not pack.~
Patrick grins wryly. "Well, yeah, but we generally pull tog ... Enemy?
Like actually around here, or just an example?"
Before Mask can answer, Kate steps forward. Her face is hard and tense.
"You're right, Mask. We do fight, but you're wrong about one thing."
Mask turns to look at the Get, his thick body lowering one more to the
ground.
Andrea also looks to Kate. Thorn stares impassively off into the night.
Anubis is silent, as usual.
Patrick raises an eyebrow at Kate, but listens for now.
Kate crosses her arms. Her face is a mask, her eyes unreadable. "We're
/not/ a pack."
Patrick's expression darkens at Kate's words. "Say *what*?" he asks,
eyes narrowing even as his voice registers mild disbelief.
Kate looks at Patrick. Her voice now holds more weariness than anger.
"Admit it, Patrick. We don't run together. We don't get along. If it
weren't for Annie and Mask, we'd broken up months ago."
Andrea's face twitches, but she soon masks her own reaction. Her eyes go
to Mask. Anubis says nothing, watching the two ragabash. Thorn
continues to stare at something only he can see.
Patrick shakes his head. "Wrong. Remember the game of tag? How about
when Thorn came back? Remember who was there to meet him? Or when
Andrea had her pups, who's been helping her hunt part of the time and
watched over the area?"
Patrick continues, "We have more in common than you're giving *any* of
us credit for, Kate."
Kate crosses her arms and drops her eyes. "I don't agree." Her words,
for once, are empty of anger. They seem more final for all of that.
Mask peers from face to face, again rising on his hind haunches.
Patrick opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and turns as he
sees Mask's motion out of the corner of his eye.
Mask drops to his forepaws again and waddles up to Kate. His chitter is
soft. ~You envy.~ The raccoon then moves to Thorn, ~You distance.~ To
Anubis: ~You leave.~ To Quiet: ~You hate.~ He then ends up in front of
Patrick. Mask reaches out and grabs Patrick's pants leg, hauling
himself up. ~It hurts, the bad.~
Patrick winces and reaches down to pick up Mask. "Guys, he has a point.
I hate to sound like the philodox we don't have, but we're all taking
the wrong tack. Myself included. I tend to be too passive, as opposed
to the action from everyone else, but ... it's the wrong thing."
Anubis's ears tilt backwards ever-so-slightly, but he has gone almost as
still as a statue at Mask's words. Amazingly, Patrick manages to pick
Mask up, his weight almost non-existant.
Andrea says softly, "What do you wish us to do, Mask?"
Mask looks around, his black-shadowed face solemn. ~You came once, as
one. Gave gifts. But you not one.~
Patrick grimaces, but listens.
Mask looks around at the five gathered Garou and scrabbles down to the
ground. True to his spirit-form, he lands lightly.
The raccoon says, with an air of finality. ~When you are one again, come
to the place of council and seek me.~ He then turns, and with a flick
of his tail, is gone. A small pile of items remain behind: a silver
bracelet, two stones, a ring. Only a crucifix is missing.
Almost at the same time, the severing of the mental tie between the
members of Crossing comes like a physical blow.
Patrick flinches as the tie is severed. After shaking his head, he looks
down at the pile of items, then at the other Garou. "Shit," he says
softly.
Andrea begins to tremble. Kate's face spasms, and then she moves over to
violently kick the items. They scatter under the force of her kick,
one of the stones flying into the brush. The Get then turns and shifts
into her lupus form, running away from the others.
Patrick looks at the items, especially the stone, then after Kate.
"Guys, get those together and start talking things out. I'm going
after her." With that quickly said, he immediately shifts into his own
lupus form and takes off after the Get.
Patrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Patrick shifts into Lupus form.
With her head-start, Chaser manages to elude Whitestreak, simply running
powerfully away and swimming when she reaches the edge. When you come
back, Andrea and Anubis are gone. Thorn sits in front of his cave,
lost in meditation.
Whitestreak whines as he pads up. ~They left.~ It is a statement, not a
question.
Thorn doesn't seem to hear Whitestreak. The glimmer of the full moon
catches the sparkle of tears on his cheek, but the Silver Fang is lost
in his thoughts.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Homid form.
Patrick sits down beside Thorn and puts an arm around the metis's
shoulders. "It's not for good. It's just 'til we can get out
collective act together. Don't make it worse by distancing more,
Thorn."
Thorn does not answer, though he allows his body to be leaned against
the ragabash's. The night passes in silence.
Patrick stays the night with Thorn, leading him to bed with the sun's
rise and sleeping in the cave with him. He then visits Quiet at her
den and finds her sorrowing and withdrawn, not willing to open up to
more hurt yet. She still seems to cling to her tie with the Uktena,
however, not brushing him off. Days go by like this. Eventually, Thorn
and Quiet talk, under Patrick's gentle urging. Kate and Anubis are no
where to be found.
After a few days of this, Patrick finally spreads out his efforts,
heading first to the Wheel.
Life passes. You are confirmed as Shadow Walker. Anubis is still gone;
the Striders look tight around the eyes when asked about him. Quiet
eventually begins coming to the Wheel again, but is subdued. Thorn
stays holed up in his cave. Kate remains gone, though Brian once
assures you roughly that she is okay.
Patrick keeps asking regularly, though not pesteringly, about Anubis. At
Brian's reassurance, he is somewhat mollified, though obviously not
satisfied. He asks again, only to be rebuffed by stares and silence
from the Fianna.
More days pass. Arjun steps down, to be replaced by Justice. Stormcrow,
however, does not disappear from the Wheel. Eligio begins training
Quiet in the Rite of Unfettered Dreaming.
Patrick finally breaks down and goes to Quiet one day. "I assume you've
tried Questing Stone to find Kate and Anubis and gotten nada?"
Quiet turns to Patrick. Her voice, when she speaks, is flat, like
something dead. "If they wanted to be found, they would be."
Patrick rolls his eyes. "Yes, they're big children. On the other hand,
regardless of what's happened, they're still part of us. And, damnit,
regardless of what they might think, they're friends. Besides," he
adds in a lower tone, "I need to apologize to Anubis."
Quiet turns away. She adds, as if the topic doesn't interest her, "Maybe
later. I have to meet Eligio."
Patrick shakes his head and lightly touches Andrea on the shoulder.
"Now, Andrea. Please. For *my* sake, if not for yours or theirs."
Andrea's face twitches, as if at an inner struggle.
Eligio's voice cuts smoothly over the clearing. "I tried it already,
Patrick. He is too far away."
Andrea looks toward Eligio, an inexplicable sign of relief crossing her
features for a moment, before she again shutters in impassivity.
Patrick shakes his head. "Maybe so, Eligio, but I'd rather Andrea tried
sometime. She has a bit of a closer connection, even if residual now."
Eligio again shakes his head. His voice is cold and imminently
reasonable, "I wouldn't want to disturb her learning of a new rite,
after all." He pauses, then says, "I believe Stormcrow wants you."
Patrick raises an eyebrow. "I see. I'll go ask 'im about it."
Patrick walks back into the forest.
Patrick goes out for a time, then seems to shimmer, his outline becoming
indistinct. He then rises in the air, the misty trees brushing around
him. As discretely as possibly, he flies back to the clearing, keeping
to cover.
Patrick flies back above the clearing, staying within the tree cover.
Eligio, though normally perceptive, doesn't seem to notice. He has his
hands on Andrea's forehead, who is kneeling in front of him with her
eyes shut. Blood trickles from beneath his fingertips.
Indeed, when Patrick activates Sense Magic, Eligio and Quiet both glow
with it. The tinge of the glow makes the ragabash slightly uneasy, but
he can not pinpoint why.
Eligio remains with his hand on Andrea's forehead, the Voice
submissively kneeling in front of him. As Patrick gets closer, he
realizes the fingertips are slightly sunk into Andrea's flesh; the two
theurges are at least tenatively connected in some manner. The blood
flow from these holes is much less than it should be.
Patrick quickly swoops back up under cover of the trees, then off north
towards the Wheel. He pulls up part of the way to land, then pulls out
his cellular phone once he gets close enough to the Ranger Station for
the signal to be caught. He calls Information, then dials the number
for Michael Powers.
A woman's voice answers, "Hello?"
Patrick says "Umm ... is Michael there?"
The voice, still neutrally friendly, says, "Yes, who's calling?"
Patrick says "It's Patrick Hill."
After a few moments, Michael's voice comes on the line, "'lo."
Patrick says "Hey, Tep. Need you to do something for me. You going to be
around the Wheel later?"
The Strider answers affiably, "Probably. What's up?"
Patrick sighs deeply. "I need you to Sense Wyrm on a couple of people
for me. I think something's up. I just saw something that *really* got
me worried."
Michael's voice deepens with concern, "What's up, Patrick? Who do you
need me to look at?"
Patrick says "Umm ... Eligio and Andrea."
The silence on the other end of the line is almost tangible. Then an
explosive, "What the hell?"
Patrick sighs deeply. "It's a long story, Tep. Suffice it to say that
his fingers were embedded in her forehead, and there was too little
blood, and they were doing something nasty. I need Wyrm Sensed on them
ASAP, but also as subtly as possible, so we can figure things out
without their knowing. Can you?" After a moment's pause, he adds, "And
don't tell Seppie. If the worst possible outcome is true, she may
either be one of the next ones, or already be on the wrong end. Can
you contact Anubis? Please?"
Michael hesitates, then says, "If I could, I would, Patrick. But there's
no way to contact him right now." A considering pause goes by.
Patrick sighs deeply again, then continues, "Hokay. I can understand.
But would you please do this for me, for the Sept?"
Michael's voice states flatly, "If you think they might have gone over,
then I don't have a problem checking them out."
Relief is audible in Patrick's voice. "Thanks."
With a brisk, "Bye." Michael hangs up the phone.
Patrick frowns, considering his next move. After a long moment, he
shifts into lupus form, and heads off towards the Alpha's Compound.
Patrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Patrick shifts into Lupus form.
The woods are ominiously quiet around you as you run to Justice's lair.
Whitestreak pads up to the compound cautiously, giving the howl of
greeting followed by a request to speak with the Alpha.
An answering call lets the Shadow Walker know that he is welcome.
Whitestreak pads cautiously through the compound towards the answering
call, sniffing and listening the entire way.
A pair of lupine eyes peer a bit nervously back at you from the entrance
to the underground shelter.
Whitestreak looks back into the shelter. "Alpha?" he asks, somewhat
tentatively.
A head pokes out. The cub Always-Hungry looks at you, then drops her
eyes. Justice has gone to the caern.
Whitestreak looks back at the cub inquisitively, then shrugs it off. She
is at the caern. If she returns here, tell her the Shadow Walker seeks
her. With that, Whitestreak turns and heads out, towards the caern
itself.
An answering yip tells you that the Fang cub agrees. The woods press
around you. You pass Randall on your way.
Whitestreak pulls up as he sees the Guardian. ~Have you seen any of the
other Uktena or the Gaian Elder?~
Randall studies the Shadow Walker. He then answers, "Cyllan was at the
Wheel when I left."
Whitestreak chuffs in satisfaction. ~If you see Eligio or Quiet, keep an
eye on them. I can say little more, though.~
Randall grunts, though the Guardian stares searchingly at the Uktena
before he turns away, "I haven't seen either of them in days, but I'll
keep it in mind." Almost offhand, he asks, "Why do you say that,
though?"
Whitestreak shakes his head. ~From the Alpha. I have suspicions, but
they must be confirmed before I spread tales. She is at the Wheel?~
Randall shrugs, "She'd headed to the story tree, when I saw, but she
might not be there anymore."
Whitestreak whurfs his acknowledgement, then heads back towards the
Wheel.
As you step into the wheel, you see a lot of commotion near the pool.
People are packed tightly around what appears to be a
confrontation,obscuring your view. Bringer, Halfhand, and Jess are in
the center, the former two in conversation. Blight-Render is headed
for the pool.
Whitestreak howls loudly and long for a halt, then queries Bringer about
the commotion. Now.
The group by the pool parts as a shaken Storm-Dancer, crying tears of
blood, one eye savaged, pushes through. A body, reverting to homid,
lies on the ground. Halfhand turns toward the pool just as Bringer
answers Whitestreak. ~What?~
Whitestreak spares a quick glance at the body as he asks, ~What
happened?~
The body is Kevely's. As you question Bringer, Storm-Dancer disappears
to the north, with Blight-Render following behind. Bringer seems to
know nothing. Halfhand moves toward the pool. Clare begins howling a
dirge, the Fianna's voice searingly loud.
Whitestreak's eyes narrow as he sees Cyllan and Blight-Render moving off
to the north. ~Halfhand!~ Whitestreak cries, ~Please get your pack to
guarding the Umbra. Sense Wyrm on any who come through, especially of
Gauntlet or any other Uktena besides myself, or the Gaian Elder
Moon-Laughs Quiet.~ With those sparse instructions, he dodges into the
woods to the north, trying to sniff out the scent of the Get or the
other Uktena.
Halfhand's head whips around, but the ragabash is gone in the woods.
Blight-Render's path is easy to follow.
Whitestreak sniffs out Blight-Render's trail cautiously, stopping every
once in a while to listen and scent for anyone trailing *him* in turn.
Whitestreak pops out of a clearing in the woods, to confront the members
of Gauntlet.
Storm-Dancer continues to stumble out of the caern and deeper into the
woods. As she runs, her forms shifts and blurs back into homid form
until she is a small naked figure racing unevenly through the forest.
When she finally bumps blindly into a tree, the girl stops and
collapses to the ground in a heap. She curls up in a fetal position,
arms wrapped tightly around her legs as she sobs hysterically.
Storm-Dancer contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
Storm-Dancer shifts into Homid form.
Blight-Render stops next to the hysterical form of Cyllan, crouches down
and waits. Cyllan continues to sob, her breath coming in the panicked
waves of the hysterical.
Whitestreak pads up to Cyllan cautiously from behind, still not quite
coming within arm's reach. ~Hey, Cyl,~ he says, as reassuringly as the
snarls and short howls of that tongue can be. ~What happened?~
Cyllan doesn't react at all except to pull tighter into herself.
Blight-Render growls softly at Whitestreak--a warning growl that turns
into a snarl of irritation.
Whitestreak backs off a little. ~No one at the caern knew what happened.
I'm trying to work my way through some things. Can you tell me what
happened, Get?~
Cyllan's sobs continue to rise in pitch as the young Uktena retreats
into her own world. Blight-Render, obviously irritated at the
distraction from taking care of his packmate, snaps off a snarl with
an effort of will. He glares at Whitestreak and then says roughly
"Cyllan, shut up. You gotta worry 'bout Echen now, not this shit."
Cyllan doesn't react well to Blight-Render's comment, although she
snaps off the sobbing. Now her entire body quivers as she attempts to
roll over and look at her packmate. Blood soaks her hair and face, and
more blood covers her hands and arms--by now most of her chest is
stained a dull red.
Whitestreak looks at Cyllan, then one more time at Blight-Render.
~Different question, then. Where does Eligio factor into this?~
Blight-Render looks up at Whitestreak and growls ~What the hell would he
have to do with this?~ Cyllan remains unresponsive.
A howl keens through the night, in Clare's voice, concerning Kevely's
death. The strength of it attests to the Fianna's moon.
Whitestreak snarls in frustration. ~Honestly, I have no idea. That's why
I asked. Take care of her.~ He stops and listens to the howl for a
moment, then turns and heads back towards the Wheel. ~Damn,~ he
mutters to himself.
The woods are no longer silent, as the faint sounds of raised voices
becomes louder as you approach the Wheel again. They feel, however, no
more friendly. A silent owl swoops low over you, then disappears again
into the night.
Whitestreak grumbles to himself, not for the last time, about the
keenly-felt loss of Mask as he comes into the Wheel.
Several other Fianna have gathered at the force of their galliard's
howl, and are milling around Kevely's body like angry wasps. Halfhand
is gone, but Bringer is still at the pool.
Whitestreak turns immediately to Clare Brigit. ~Galliard, tell me what
happened here.~
It takes several repetitions for the question to soak through the
grief-mazed Fianna's understanding. She then snarls back, ~Your
tribemate killed a cub! A cub! Is this the way you treat our tribe at
the wheel?~
Whitestreak steps back a couple of steps. ~I am not the one who killed
your cub. I am not entirely certain I am of that tribe here. There
will be reparations. WHere is the Alpha?~
The crinosed nun spits out her words, ~I don't know. And I don't care.
Drinks-Not lies dead, wrongly dead. Awwoooooooo!~ She again raises her
muzzle in an anguished howl.
Whitestreak rushes off to the story tree, then the mounds, to find the
Alpha.
Whitestreak finds Justice on her way toward the howling, off the eastern
side. She snaps out crisply, "Shadow Walker, report. What the hell is
that Fianna moaning about a dead cub for?"
Whitestreak pulls up short. ~First, Cyllan killed the cub Drinks-Not in
the caern. The Galliard can tell you why and the entire story. Also,
this may or may not be related to something else I saw earlier:~ So
saying, he tells the story of Eligio and Quiet and What He Saw There.
Justice swears quietly, then orders. "Get Echen. Have them confined,
away from the wheel, but in the woods."
Whitestreak chuffs his understanding, then turns to leave. At the last
moment, he adds, ~I do not know if this is connected. If so, the
Warder may be corrupted, too.~ With that, he turns and heads back into
the caern.
Unsurprisingly, by this time, the Fianna's calls have indeed brought
Echen. His eyes are not completely reasoning as he worms the tale of
what occurred out of those that saw.
Whitestreak pads up to Echen. ~Claw, I have a message for you from the
Alpha.~
The big man's eyes snap to Whitestreak. He spits out the word, ~What?~
Whitestreak looks up at the Claw, then states, ~There are two she would
have you capture and restrain in the woods, away from the caern.~
Echen snarls, ~I'm a little fuckin' busy right now. Can't it wait?~
Whitestreak answers pleasantly, ~If you don't mind possibly going
against the second line of the Litany. Eligio had his forepaws *into*
the forehead of Moon-Laughs-Quiet and was doing something ... bad.
Justice wants them both restrained until we can find what goes on.
After the Wyrm has been halted and Cleansed, you may return on your
quest for reparations for this deed.~
The big man shimmers as he begins to shift upward, then restrains
himself, though whether his anger is at being forced away from his
tribe, at the news, or at Patrick's delivery is unclear. He then spits
out, ~Where are the -ikthya?~
Whitestreak indicates that he left them down at Quiet's den, but
Gauntlet's den is nearby, if they are not there. Who should guard the
Wheel in your absence?
Echen's red-rimmed eyes roam the Wheel, passing over his angsting
tribemates. His gaze settles on Bringer and Ilya. Though his face
twists somewhat with distaste, he gives the order, and stalks out to
the south, shifting into his huge wolf-form.
Whitestreak watches the Claw leave, then shakes his head and goes over
to the pool, shifting into the Umbra.
As you shimmer through the gauntlet, you come nearly muzzle-to-muzzle
with Sword-Eater's huge hispo. He grunts at you. ~Persephone and Lucas
report no Wyrm.~
Whitestreak nods. ~Good. Can you spare one to aid myself and the Claw in
restraining two crescent moons who may have been Corrupted?~
The Get galliard chuffs, his ears laying back. I will go. He shifts
upward to crinos; Lucas's silver form draws behind him. The two
members of Crisium look at the lupus Uktena. The ahroun then asks,
~Where do we go?~
Whitestreak turns to the south. ~South to the lake region. East of the
lake. Either at the den of Moon-Laughs-Quiet or further east to the
farmhouse of Pack Gauntlet. The two are Moon-Laughs -Quiet and Eligio,
the Uktena. The Claw goes ahead, but alone. Be he Adren, they are
still two.~
Joshua Halfhand snorts derisively. The two packmembers move like one,
toward the south, not shifting to a faster form, but eating up the
ground with long-legged strides. Persephone, after a worried look,
goes back to circling the center.
Whitestreak chuffs his thanks and Reaches back through.
Whitestreak goes to StrengthBringer. Are any of your packmates nearby to
help the Claw?
Bringer looks to Whitestreak, then gets a faraway look on her face,
though you could not tell from the abnormal eyes. She raises her head
reflexively once, then answers. Thunder's Claws can come, from not far
away. Her manner is a bit distracted.
Whitestreak chuffs in relief. ~Ask him to go to Quiet's den and help
restrain her and Eligio. If they are not there, ask him to go to the
farmhouse of Gauntlet. Two of Crisium will be going to help the Claw
and him, as well.~ Looking around the Wheel, he quickly shifts up into
homid form.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Homid form.
The metis dips her muzzle shallowly, turning away from the Shadow
Walker.
Patrick looks around again and mutters, "I'll be Contrite later," as he
pulls the cellular phone back out of his pocket. A call to information
later, he calls the number for Alex Michaelson.
Patrick draws a black look from Ilya, but none actually say anything to
the fostern.
The phone rings with no answer.
Eventually, a phone mail service picks up.
Michael Powers appears to the south of the wheel.
Patrick waits impatiently. "C'mon ... someone," he mutters before the
phone picks up. "Alex. It's Patrick Hill, Whitestreak. Your female
counterpart, Quiet, is probably tainted. Echen and a few others are
going to restrain her. I *think* you know the Rite of Cleansing,
right? Figured you might want to help take care of things. Get in
touch with me at 555-HEAT. Thanks!" As Michael Powers comes into the
Wheel, Patrick closes the phone and sticks it back in his pocket. "Not
to be paranoid, people, but can someone Sense Wyrm on Tep, please?"
Bringer shakes herself out of whatever troubles her long enough to focus
on Tep. She chuffs, He is clean of taint.
Patrick is beginning to draw open stares, even from the grieving Fianna.
Patrick whews. "Thanks, Bringer." With a wry grin at Michael, he says,
"Sorry. I don't *really* know who's tainted and who isn't. Report?"
Michael Powers gestures to the Wheel. The skin around his eyes is tight,
"Here?"
Patrick nods over towards the Windy Spot. "Over there." So saying, he
strides over to that area.
The Strider also goes to the Windy Spot. Michael drops his voice, so
only Patrick and the particularly sharp-eared might hear.
Michael Powers mutters, "I checked Sepdet first. She reeks. I went and
got Thorn, asking him to cleanse her. No one was at Quiet's den, and I
came here before heading out to the farmhouse."
Patrick hmms. "Was Thorn tainted?" he asks softly.
The Strider's eyebrows raise, "Why would I check Thorn?"
Patrick closes his eyes and counts to 10. "Because Thorn and Quiet were
packmates and are still fairly close?"
Michael does a surprisingly good imitation of a landed fish, then shut
his mouth. He drops his eyes, then raises them in alarm. "I should
go."
Patrick closes his eyes, but doesn't count this time. "Your family may
be in danger. Go." He turns to Bringer. "Please tell Thunder's Claws
that the Groundskeeper and possibly the Ritemaster have been tainted,
as well. Ask him to relay that information to the others when he can."
Bringer turns her weirdling eyes back to Patrick. ~It is done.~
Patrick nods. "Thanks." Patrick lets out a looong breath, then shakes
his head. "Okay ... lessee how things are going, and if I can help."
He shifts down into lupus form, and takes off to the south, towards
Gauntlet's farmhouse.
Patrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Patrick shifts into Lupus form.
As you detour toward the den, you find it empty, even of the cubs. The
woods continue to be silent and oppressive, the only sound your
straining heartbeat until you are about 1000 feet from the farm, when
Joshua Halfhand's powerful bellow cracks the quiet.
Thunder's Claws is on his way to the farmhouse.
Whitestreak runs faster towards the bellowing, pulling up short before
he gets into the fight proper to do a quick reconnaissance, preferably
before being seen.
The scene comes clear to the shadowing ragabash and the entering ahroun,
a mixture of comedy and horror. Dead chickens are everywhere, feathers
almost choking the air, spattered against the sides of the barn with
clots of blood. Andrea is on a ground almost solid red with blood, her
throat ripped out, her hands stained red to the wrist. Echen, much
worse for wear, raises a glinting silver hand to lash out at Halfhand,
who Lucas is attempting to restrain bodily. Both the galliard and the
Fianna appear to be frenzied under the uncaring light of the
half-moon.
Whitestreak looks around, then looks at the Lord ahroun. ~Idiots.~
Shifting upwards, Patrick cries out ~Would you two remember the true
enemy and stop fighting each other?~
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Crinos form.
Thunder's Claws lunges forward, shifting upward as he goes.
Surprisingly, his target is the downed Garou; he sprints toward
Andrea.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Homid form.
Thunder's Claws contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Thunder's Claws shifts into Hispo form.
Thunder's Claws confirms that Andrea is dead, and looks around at the
situation. He glances at Patrick and shakes his head slowly, then
begins moving in, attempting to get behind the frenzied Echen.
Thunder's Claws contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Thunder's Claws shifts into Crinos form.
Halfhand almost hesitates, the beginnings of sense coming back to his
eyes. Echen, on the other hand, lost in his pain and in the taste of
blood, presses his silver-nailed attack. His blows seem surprisingly
ineffective against the two members of Crisium, scoring only shallow
cuts.
Thunder's Claws studies Echen from behind for a moment, using Thunder's
Gift and looking for the proper place to strike.
Thunder's Claws stops for a moment, and notices that Echen is paying no
attention to him. A blow from behind will probably fell him.
Thunder's Claws lunges in silently, one hand coming back and balling
into a fist. He strikes the Fianna Righ in the back of the head, his
aim dead-on, aided by his tribe's totem.
Echen topples like a felled tree, reverting to a bleeding human form.
As soon as Echen goes down, Patrick turns to Lucas with a one-word
question. "Eligio?"
Thunder's Claws squats down next to Echen, retaining his larger form,
and does just enough to keep the Fianna alive.
Lucas grunts out, his normal eloquence distorted by the effort of
keeping a hold on his bleeding packmate, ~Gone, before we got here.~
Patrick nods at Lucas's answer, then turns to Thunder's Claws. "Anything
at the caern yet?"
Echen does not appear in immediate danger of death, though his wounds
will take many days to heal.
Thunder's Claws shakes his head as he looks up from Echen's body.
~Nothing, Bringer says.~
Patrick nods. "One or two more places to look, then." Turning to Lucas
and Halfhand, he explains, "The Groundskeeper and Ritemaster are
probably tainted, too. Next most obvious places in thr Realm are
Thorn's island and the cave at the promontory. Beyond that, they go
into the Bane's place in the Deep Umbra, and I don't *want* to know
from there. Or go there with only the four of us." He gestures to
Echen. "Any ideas for him?"
Thunder's Claws shakes his head. ~He'll live, leave him for now.~ He
looks at Crisium. ~What happened here?~
Patrick rolls his eyes. "Save that one for the judges later. Right now,
we have to worry about the damn tainted theurges. Second line,
remember?"
Thunder's Claws glances at Patrick a moment, confused. ~You're fucking
packmate's dead. Don't you give a shit?~
Halfhand shakes his head, obviously clueless. Lucas answers, ~We saw the
Fianna tearing out the throat of the one we were meant to restrain.
Joshua attempted to pull him off, and he attacked.~ Lucas falls silent
at Patrick's words, then looks at the Shadow Lord.
Patrick's eyes narrow as he looks painfully at Thunder's Claws. "Mask
left Crossing a month ago. I don't *have* a fucking pack right now.
She's not tainted anymore, at least. I'm trying to save the living
now."
Thunder's Claws's eyes widen and he looks back down at the crimson body,
but then he shrugs. ~I can get Megan to do a Questing Stone right on
them. She's confined, but I think right now the rules can be bent a
little.~
Halfhand speaks up, ~I don't think that Persephone has that one. We
should find second chance, or a ragabash.~ His eyes flicker to
Patrick, then away again.
Patrick considers. "Kate has that tracking Gift. I don't. The next
closest ragabash that might that I could even *try* to find it under
suspicion for being a member of Eligio's pack. Go with Megan."
Thunder's Claws nods once, silent. After a second, he says, ~She'll meet
us back at the Wheel. Fifteen minutes.~
Lucas asks delicately, "What do you want us to do with
Moon-Laughs-Quiet?"
Patrick sighs deeply. "Same thing as with Fianna-boy there. Take 'em
back. She was a great member of the Sept. Leave 'er outside the caern
proper, though, so she can be Cleansed first."
Halfhand grunts and hefts Echen up. Lucas lifts Andrea up almost gently,
but her gaping throat wound and glassy eyes dispell any romantic
impression.
Thunder's Claws eyes Patrick. ~If we're all going back, don't you think
you should carry her?~
Patrick sighs and nods. "I owe her that much. Plus, it leaves Lucas free
JIC." SO saying he shift up into Crinos and takes the corpse from the
Silver Fang.
Patrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Patrick shifts into Crinos form.
Thunder's Claws nods and begins heading back, taking the lead just in
case anything comes across the small group on the way back.
Nothing bothers the four crinos that reek of blood on the way back.
Megan is already at the Caern when the group gets back, waiting. "What's
up?" She asks Thunder's Claws, but he directs her toward Patrick. The
Fianna looks at Patrick, eyes questioning.
The group trudges into the Wheel to eeking Fianna in hysterics and Ilya
giving everyone dirty looks, not to mention Kevely's body around there
somplace. ~We need to find Eligio, Thorn, and Sepdet. They've been
tainted, most likely.~
Whitestreak said that last bit.
Others in the wheel raise their voices in alarm at the condition of the
Claw, Andrea's body already left at the burial mounds. Clare
especially, until Ilya open-hand slaps her.
Whitestreak doesn't aplaud that action. Really.
Thunder's Claws looks in the direction of the commotion and then looks
at Patrick. Megan nods, looking quickly at Brian then at Thunder's
Claws, who just grins back at her. "OK," she says, "I can be ready in
5 minutes. Meanwhile, you can explain what happened to my Righ."
Whitestreak sighs. "In 100 words or less, he frenzied, attacked a
friendly, and had to be taken down before he killed or was killed.
Now, please?"
Megan is already working on the Rite as Patrick explains. In a few
minutes, she stands up again, shifting to Crinos. ~Ready. Rain Walker
first?~
Halfhand also smirks at the looks, seeming not entirely unpleased with
the Fianna Righ helpless in his strong arms. The cuts on his chest
have scabbed over.
Whitestreak nods. ~He's the main thrust, far as I can guess.~
Second-Chance nods, falling in with her packmate. ~Let's get going.~
The stone hangs dead, as if the ritual failed, or the person is too far
away.
Whitestreak grumbles. ~Maybe Deep Umbra. The Ritemaster.~
Thunder's Claws looks at Second-Chance with more than a hint of
irritation. Her eyes widen slightly as she stares at the stone.
~Either he's dead, or he's too far away.~ She doesn't mention the
other possibility. At Whitestreak's words, she nods, and takes a few
moments to re-align the Rite, this time for Thorn.
The stone this time circles weakly, as if confused. None of you have
ever seen that reaction before.
Second-Chance shakes the stone slightly, confused by the reaction.
~Something's wrong, this isn't supposed to happen.~
The air shivers slightly as a flash of silver light fills the air. It is
gone in seconds.
Whitestreak looks at Megan. ~The Groundskeeper. I'll be right back.~
Looking at Halfhand and Lucas, he says, ~The Umbra,~ as he dashes over
to the pool and through.
Megan tries again, this time for Sepdet.
Dumping Echen off unceremoniously, Crisium follows. The stone reacts to
Sedpet as it did to Eligio.
Thunder's Claws snarls in frustration. ~What the fuck is going on?~
Speaks-Thunder, by her expression, feels much the same way.
The pair move to follow Crisium into the Umbra, the Fianna still
fiddling with the stone.
The three Garou shimmer into the Umbra, to see Persephone still standing
guard at the center.
A short bit after, the two members of Prophecy also shimmer in.
Whitestreak nods to Megan. ~Try again.~
Megan tries it again.
The ritual for Thorn inacts some slightly bigger circles here in the
Umbra, but still no concrete direction.
Second-Chance tries for Sepdet and then Eligio.
Whitestreak responds, ~Eligio.~
The stone again hangs dead.
Second-Chance shakes her head, frustration starting to show. ~I'm sorry,
something's wrong.~
Ash comes over a swell of grass and crawls up Thunder's Claws pantsleg,
chittering frantically.
Whitestreak says, ~Stormcrow.~
Thunder's Claws tries to communicate with the frantice Weasel while
Second-Chance takes a moment to try Stormcrow.
The stone makes small jerking motions, but less movement than the
circles for Thorn. Ash reaches the Lord's shoulder.
Whitestreak nods as if a thought was just confirmed. ~Shit. Crisium,
guys, stick around here. Let's check back through.~
Thunder's Claws mutters. ~Fuck, we've lost Shea.~
Whitestreak raises an eyebrow. ~Lost?~
Thunder's Claws nods. ~Ash can't reach her. Completely cut off. Not
dead, at least, she wasn't when the tie was cut. She may be by now.~
Whitestreak nods. ~Where *was* she?~ he asks as he goes back over
towards the pool.
Thunder's Claws looks to Ash. ~Where was she last?~
The weasel chitters.
Thunder's Claws shakes his head, frowning. ~She's not sure. Fight-Seeker
was blocking her off even before we lost her.~
Whitestreak sighs. ~Chalk her up to lost. Want to try for her, Megan?~
Second-Chance nods, and focusses on the hanging stone.
The stone begins to pull in a direction, though occasionally it begins
to make confused circles for a few seconds. It then returns to the
same direction.
Second-Chance looks toward the pool. ~I have her. I think.~
Whitestreak nods. ~It's a start. We'll go Umbral for now, if no one
minds.~
Thunder's Claws shakes his head. ~Not me.~
Second-Chance doesn't seem to mind.
The stone leads you north, to the grotto.
Thunder's Claws and the others pretty much follow Megan there.
The group walks in on a scene that Patrick, at least, finds familiar.
Though it is Joseph who has his hand on the kneeling Shea's brow.
Thunder's Claws steps toward his packmate while Second-Chance looks to
Patrick.
Shea and Joseph seem oblivious to the approach.
Whitestreak says, ~Restrain and Cleanse.~ He launches himself at Joseph
in a flying tackle. ~Okay, Wyrm-thing! Down!~
Thunder's Claws moves foward as well, hands closing over Shea's form as
Whitestreak hits Joseph.
Shea struggles weakly. Joseph, however, once startled, fights like a
cat, shifting up to crinos in the blink of an eye.
Thunder's Claws continues to hold Shea down, aided by Second-Chance.
Whitestreak and Soul-Catcher continue to struggle, seeming well-matched.
Second-Chance nods toward the fighting pair, looking at Thunder's Claws.
~Go ahead, I can hold her.~ Without a word, Thunder's Claws stands and
moves forward to help Whitestreak take down the Wendigo.
The Wendigo seems on the edge of throwing the Uktena off, when the
additional Garou brings him down.
Whitestreak nods to Thunder's Claws. ~Hold him. I'll hold her.
Second-Chance, can you Cleanse?~
Thunder's Claws climbs on top of the other Garou and pummels him
unmercifully. Second-Chance shakes her head and looks down at Shea.
~She can.~
Eventually, the Wendigo falls unconscious.
Whitestreak groans. ~Cart 'em to the caern. Keep them restrained outside
the Wheel itself. I'll try to get ahold of Alex again. I know *he*
can.~
The group marches back to the caern, the members of Prophecy and Joseph
outside the Wheel proper. As Whitestreak stomps into the caern, he
demands , ~Does anyone here know how to do the damn Rite of
Cleansing?~
A grizzled figure stands fluidly from where he had been kneeling next to
Su. A calm voice answers, the tones as smooth as new milk, ~I do.~
Whitestreak nods. ~Good. Managed to get a couple of them ... who's
Sensed Wyrm on this guy?~
Whitestreak says, ~For that matter, how clean is Su?~
Su looks offended at the thought. This is Obsidian Follows-The-Dawn,
adren theurge of my tribe. Su proceeds to get very offended at
Patrick's second statement.
Bringer states quietly that both are clean.
Whitestreak nods. ~That'll do. Sorry, Su, but half of everybody's been
tainted. We got Joseph and Shea. He was gotten by Sepdet, presumably,
and she was being gotten by him. Mind Cleansing them and helping me
find out what the fuck is going on here?~
Bringer frowns at the mention of Shea, looking to her packmates.
Follows-The Dawn, unruffled, stands to follow the Shadow Walker.
Whitestreak leads this adren theurge out to where the Prophecy members
plus Joseph are, outside the caern. ~The two restrained ones,~ he
explains unnecessarily.
Thunder's Claws sets the unconscious Joseph down.
Su, who followed the others, wrinkles her nose. Follows-The-Dawn simply
nods and begins enacting the rite, calling on spirits in an
unfamiliar, harsh tongue.
Shea sighs. Blood begins to dribble out of her forehead, and the Fianna
passes out.
Thunder's Claws looks at the Strider, alarmed. ~She alright?~
Joseph stirs awake, his face showing agonizing pain.
Second-Chance puts a foot on Joseph's chest, holding him down.
The Strider theurge ignores the question, deep in the ritual.
Whitestreak rolls his eyes. ~The answer to your question, Thunder's
Claws, is no. Garou who are 'alright' do not bleed from their
forehead, nor do they normally set off the Gift for Sensing the Wyrm.~
As the ritual goes on, Joseph begins to keen. The sound rises until it
seems to break your ears, settling uncomfortably in the bone
underneath.
Thunder's Claws growls at Whitestreak. ~I meant is she going to live,
shithead.~
Whitestreak has a rather distastful expression, or as distasteful as a
wolfman face can get. He mostly scouts the area as the ritual goes on,
making sure (and hoping) that nothing and no one interrupts.
The Strider finally stops. Joseph continues to struggle, though his
movements are weakened. He says, heavily, ~I cannot drive the evil
out. It must be treated at the source.~
Thunder's Claws looks to Patrick to see what to do next.
Whitestreak grumbles. ~Eligio, probably, unless it's Stormybutt
himself.~ Looking over at the theurge, he says, ~If it is what I
think, I can take you there Umbrally. I'd advise a nice-sized guard,
though, unless you can protect yourself completely.~
Thunder's Claws and Second-Chance volunteer immediately, like good
children of Weasel.
Follows-The-Dawn shakes his grizzled head. ~The source is a place, not a
person. And I will need more Garou than just these, to aid me, even if
they do not know the ritual.~
Whitestreak heads back to the caerrn. ~Be right back,~ he says. He goes
into the caern and shifts down into the homid form, the better to use
the cellphone with.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Homid form.
The Fianna seem to have cleared out, taking Echen with them.
Patrick dials first Michael Powers's number.
Michael Power's voice come on the line, sounding on the edge, "Yeah."
Patrick says "Tep. It's me. Some big hotshot that Su's brought in is
here at the caern. We need to nip this in the bud at the source. Come
on, and bring anyone in Ren that's not already tainted. If we can get
it at the source, it's over. Period."
Tep's voice shoots back, ~Dia's sitting on Seppie, and I can't find
Eris.~
Patrick says "Okay. That'll work. Come along yourself? Big Shot says we
need as many as possible."
The Strider asks, "Do I bring Seppie, or leave her?"
Patrick hmms. "Bring her along. Make sure she's restrained *well*. Meet
at the Wheel. Hurry." He hangs uo and calls Alex Michaelson again.
This time a woman's voice answers, "Hello?"
Patrick says "Umm ... Mrs. Michaelson? this is Patrick Hill. Is Alex at
home?"
Josette says brightly, "Oh, he took off after he got your message,
Patrick. Said he might not be back tonight."
Patrick says "Umm ... okay. Great. Thanks, Mrs. Michaelson." He hits the
'END' button, then considers for a moment before punching another set
of 7 digits."
A man's voice answers, "Fletcher."
Patrick says "Yo, Arj, we have a Situation. Someone fucked up and got
himself Tainted, and it's spreading like wildfire. Su got a Big Shot
theurge from outside to help, but he needs help in doing it. I know
you're retired from Alpha and all, but as an Old One, could you bring
in Rush Hour to at least help a bit? You guys work togethr like no one
else."
Patrick snorts. "Dunno. Haven't been able to find her for a while. About
to go looking one more time. Figured I'd get city people moving first,
though. Thanks. I owe you, now." More brief pleasantries are
exchanged, and Patrick hangs up. He does one more shift, and howls for
the Alpha, long and loud.
Thunder's Claws says, ~Crisium could come. At least the two that are
still here.~
Whitestreak considers. I want to have Umbral guardians, since we do not
know of the Warder.
The howl is picked up by others and carried on. After about ten minutes,
Justice appears from the east.
Whitestreak looks over at Bringer as Justice comes in.
Thunder's Claws shrugs. ~Suit yourself.~
Bringer simply nods.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Homid form.
Justice looks at Whitestreak, "Well?"
Patrick shifts, the better to explain, and tells Justice about Mr.
Bigshot Strider and having to go to the source. He then mentions
Renaissance, Prophecy, and Rush Hour. "Maybe Blood Moon as well?" he
tacks onto the end.
Justice frowns. Rather than directly answering, she asks, "Where's the
source."
Patrick says "Unsure right now. I have a strong guess, though, and I
could lead you there."
Justice quirks an eyebrow, "Where's that?"
Patrick hmms a long moment, then answers, "A grotto. Where a Bane is ...
err ... probably *was* imprisoned. He seems to have gotten out."
At this time, Diana and Michael Powers appear from the west. Diana is
carrying a squirming bundle.
Justice's eyes narrow, "Bane...imprisioned?" With a glance to the west,
she says tersely, "We'll talk, after."
Patrick nods. "Good. It's a long story, and we don't really have time.
It goes back a few centuries." He looks at the squirming bundle in
Diana's arms. "Sep?" he asks with a wry grin.
Sep hisses and makes a hollow miaowling noise more cat than coyote, then
goes limp, eyes angry and terrified and hateful all at once. ~You
trapped me in a tomb and raped me, and rescued me, and now you have me
bound again. Let me /go/.~ She spits, then whimpers like a child. ~Let
me go...don't hurt me...~
Patrick's smile falls as he nods. "Yeah, Seppie. Damnit. Let's head
out." He goes to the Pool and heads through to the Shadow.
Thunder's Claws, once on the other side, questions the wisdom of
bringing along a struggling and obviously unuseful Sepdet. ~She'll
give away our position, and take up manpower as someone has to watch
her ass. Someone who could be fighting or helping the Rite.~
Patrick waits in the center of the Wheel in the Umbra for the others,
including Rush Hour. "Maybe, Alexander. On the other hand, it could be
worse. She'll be restrained, at least."
Sep's eyes meet Alexander's pleadingly. ~The birds run scars down my
breast. I'll show you hope. I'll show you real despair, hope's violent
twin. Phoenix knew the truth, the flames of his that will burn us all
in the end.~ She suddenly snarls. ~So will you!~ She jacknifes like a
ferret, seven fingers scrabbling to reach for Di's throat.
Thunder's Claws says ~But what do you expect her to do? Why is she
coming al--~ He cuts himself off, staring at Sepdet, then taking one
step forward before he catches himself, certain that the Fury can take
care of the little Theurge.
As the people argue, others drift in. Justice is going, as are Oscar and
Drew. Arjun shimmers through the gauntlet just as Diana twists the
theurge's hand back. The bones break with an sickening crunch.
A voice comes from nowhere. ~She has a better chance of recovering, if
she is there when the sealing is done.~ People turn to see Obsidian
Follows-The-Dawn, standing and waiting.
Thunder's Claws looks toward the Strider, and rolls his eyes. ~Let's get
going,~ is all he mumbles.
Patrick nods. "'Swhat I thought. I'd love to get Thorn, if he's not
already there." He looks around, then shifts into lupus to lead the
group towards the grotto.
Patrick contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Patrick shifts into Lupus form.
The group heads that way, slowed by the need to carry Sepdet and Joseph,
who are non-too-pleased with the situation.
Thunder's Claws beats Joseph into unconsciousness each time he wakes up.
Sep's eyes streak with tears. ~Dusty's gonna be mad at you,~ she says to
Di with a helpless, lost defiance. Then she bites. ~I won't. I won't.
Dusty's gonna be mad...~
Whitestreak leads the group towards the grotto slowly, *trying* to block
out Sepdet's words, not always successfully. As the group gets closer,
he volunteers to check it out by himself quickly.
The group waits, keeping a careful lookout in the unfriendly-seeming
territory. The Striders are the only ones that do not appear affected.
As you get to the grotto, the twisted trees and dark stone walls seem to
almost melt into the black, roiling pool at the base of the cliff.
There seems to be some sort of channel in the cliff face, and up at
the top of the cliff, but it seems to be closed at the top, perhaps by
a rock. The sheer stone face is itself dry and solidly rigid above the
constantly moving and bubbling black pool.
Follows-The-Dawn nods a little and says something in the harsh language
he used earlier.
Whitestreak fades into invisibility and dashes towards the grotto.
Sep screams in a high keening cry like a hawk whose nest has been
destroyed and starts ripping at Di again. ~Not down there, no!
Eligio's down there on a spear of silver, and we've got to rip him
open to set him free...with eagle's claws... I'll do it. Don't make
me.~
A shroud falls on the group. Immediately, Justice's body begins to glow
silver, outlining her faintly through the gloom. Shrieking, a small
wave of theurges springs toward the group, Eligio passing within
inches of Patrick.
Thunder's Claws contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Thunder's Claws shifts into Hispo form.
Thunder's Claws drops to all fours and shifts to a more perceptive form,
relying on scent and sound to make up for his lack of sight.
Joseph lands on the ground with a thump as the Lord shifts.
Sep wrenches free of Di with a gasp and a crack as she snaps a rib in a
frenzied terror to get away from the powerful ahroun, and leaps for
the dizzying crumbling trail that leads up and out of this foul place.
She stops as if smacking into a wall, face going gray and slack, then
reverses course just as abruptly and runs towards the rank malevolent
pool.
Arjun's voice rings out from the shroud. ~Stop!~ The bane-ridden
theurges freeze momentarily, long enough for most of the group to
fumble out of the shroud. The Strider ignores the fighting, recruiting
his tribemates to aid him in a dissonant chant. Di, nursing her arm,
shifts downard into hispo. Fighting ensues shortly.
Whitestreak grabs Eligio's leg with his teeth as the tainted theurge
runs by, just trying to trip him for now and keep him away from the
old Strider. He slips back into the gloomy Shroud and listens and
sniffs carefully, continuing with guerrilla tactics.
Thunder's Claws and Second-Chance scramble out of the darkness and over
with the others. Joseph is bleeding heavily from several claw marks on
his chest and belly where apparently someone stepped on him.
Stormcrow snarls at Justice as the hold finally breaks, ~At last.~ The
glowing Fang and the dark-furred Uktena begin a struggle, the alpha
fighting to get to her klaive. The Striders continue their ritual, and
some of the theurges begin to hiss in pain, sinking to their knees.
Thunder's Claws's claws twitch as he looks from one Wyrm-tainted Theurge
to the next, but he holds his ground. Next to him, Second-Chance drops
back to help protect the Strider's performing the Rite.
Sep snarls and hits the water with both hands, dashing the black pitchy
stuff at Justice's white fur. ~I am /not/ a freak, and you are a
high-strung... insane..too-young-to-be-elder BITCH!~ Her voice rises
with each word,and then breaks off in a choke as the chanting finally
begins to take effect. She squeezes her eyes shut, breathing raggedly.
Whitestreak turns towards Sepdet, then back towards the main battle as
she collapses. Sighing, he works his way through the shrouded area
over to near where Stormcrow and Justice are fighting, and springs
into the Uktena Elder's side, shifting in mid-leap.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Hispo form.
Stormcrow, beginning to hesitate, is taken down by the oversized wolf.
Justice, freed for a moment, whips out her klaive, and in a motion
born of rage, cleanly slices his head off.
The fighting dies down as the theurges begin to drop, holding their
heads and screaming with throats gone raw. The Striders raise the
volume of their chant, the cacophony enough to give all there
migraines.
Blood begins to bubble out of the theurges's foreheads, except for
Eligio, who shudders as he pitches over on his face.
Mouth open in a glass-splitting shriek, Sepdet collapses into the edge
of the pool with a limp splash, at the foot of Grey Eagle's stone.
Whitestreak re-shifts and tries to cover his ears as best he can in
homid.
Whitestreak contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Whitestreak shifts into Homid form.
As Sepdet goes limp, Eligio also relaxes. His body begins to leak blood
from the skin, until he is covered with a fine sheet of it, like
sweat.
Other people follow Patrick's example, at least to glabro. The theurge
keen fades to a whimper as the drops of blood, unnaturally, roll
unerringly toward the pool. As the drops enter, the surface begins to
still, until Sepdet's arm is floating limply in a smooth reddish-black
pool. The Striders fall silent.
And...you wake.
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