The Return of Nail

January 15, 2008

The battle is over.  Deuce is collecting fangs and claws.  Finn and others are collecting scales.  Julia has just been collecting her breath.  She can't believe she made it through another fight.  She enjoys the company of the group and has died for them, almost, several times.  But, each time, she has to ask if she would.  Would she do it willingly?  Or had it happened so fast that that's just the way it was. 

Julia looked over at Notch, admiring his lithe body.  She had shared his bed many times, tonight included, but was it love or lust?  Did she just long to feel someone warm next to her?  For several minutes, all Julia could do was think of these thoughts.  However, as always, her reasons for being with the group come back to her eventually.  They make a difference.  Sure, when she had been with the others, they had adventures and made some coin.  But, she wasn't sure that they had made a difference, except to their own coin purses.  With Reece, Deuce, Notch and the others, she made a difference. 

Julia went over to Notch, grabbed his tunic and pulled him in for a hard kiss.  It had passion and lust in equal parts.  "There will be more later." 

With an audible whoosh, Reece appeared in the camp.  Julia jumped but stopped herself from drawing a weapon.  "Where the hell have you been?" A voice asked Reece. 

"I have been doing things.  Now I am back." 

Julia wasn't paying that much attention to Reece.  Reece was not the stereotype.  He was handsome.  He could have any wench in any tavern where he went.  He didn't, though, for he loved Tabra and Julia respected him for that.  He flirted a lot but Tabra knew he loved her and would come back.  Julia wondered if it could be that way with Notch. 

Julia paused, as if listening.  "We must go north.  We must finish the dragon and his group now.  We can't wait." 

Several people agreed and Julia started north.  Notch grabbed her.  "Wait," he said.  "We can't just go.  There was . . . something." 

"Yes, something just happened," said Reece.  "We shouldn't go just yet." 

"No, we have to go," said Arindahl.  "The other dragon might be able to complete the ritual.  The rest are but orcs, ogres and a few ettins.  Nothing we can't handle.  We need to destroy the dragon." 

"Yes, let's go," said Julia.  She let go of Notch but he held on to her.  She looked back at him, questioningly. 

"No.  I don't like making decisions but something's wrong.  Who else agrees with me?" 

Reece and Jaden both said they did.  The others were all for heading north. 

Reece started singing, looking over at Julia.  She wasn't sure why he was targeting her.  However, in the middle of his song, he sang a wrong note!  Julia couldn't remember the last time he had done that. 

"I was countered," Reece said.  "There is someone out there." 

All of them looked around.  Jaden froze and pointed.  "I think that's it."  However, no one could see it.  Deuce pulled out his gem of true seeing and looked through it in the direction Jaden pointed.  When he saw the large, black teardrop, with three heads and multiple arms each arm having multiple hands, he about dropped his gem.  He turned and started walking north, glad to do it. 

"What did you see?" cried Notch. 

"Nothing good.  I want to go north anyway," said Deuce. 

"Give me the gem!" 

Deuce pulled out the gem and tossed it to Notch.  Notch was bringing it up to his eye when it was yanked out of his hand and floated back in front of Deuce.  Deuce put it away and took a few more steps to the north.

"Look," said Julia.  "Let's go north and deal with the dragon.  It's what we came here to do, anyway.  So, let's just-"

"WE ARE NOT GOING NORTH!  SOMETHING HAPPENED AND WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT!" Reece roared.  Julia looked shocked and then cowed under Reece's fierce look.  Reece had never talked to her that way and it hurt.  Julia just wanted to go north, as did most of the party.  Why pick on her? 

"It happened again," said Reece.  "That thing, whatever it is, is trying to make us go north.  I am not arguing we can take them but why is it forcing us.  I want to know." 

You must go north, the voice whispered harshly.  The ritual of the dragon must stop now.  This must be for you to do. 

Julia saw the creature now and wasn't sure what to think.  It was so dark that parts of it blended with the night.  She couldn't see the whole thing.  She wasn't afraid of it and she did want to go north. 

"What are you?" asked Reece. 

That does not matter.  It must be to the north for you.  Stop the dragon.   

"Look, we are going to lose," whispered Jaden.  "Let's at least go north a bit and see what comes from it." 

"All right, we are going," said Reece to the teardrop.  "But, if we meet again, I want answers." 

I don't know if I will know them if we meet again. 

"Wha-" started Reece but the teardrop turned and floated away in the trees before disappearing through a gate, ringed with purple.  Reece shook his head and joined the rest of the group.

***

The two patrols they saw were no problem.  Arindal had killed four of them before they knew what hit them.  He left four of the five in the next patrol for the group, who got rid of them easily.  Soon, they looked at the clearing, and the ritual the dragon was performing.  In front of the dragon, protecting him, were some ettins, a giant, ogres and ranks of orcs, hobgoblins and kobolds.  The group talked about a plan and them moved to enact it. 

Arindal fired first, hoping to distract the dragon.  He hit with an arrow.  Deuce cast a fireball, destroying rows and rows of orcs and hobgoblins.  Finn just ran through their ranks, barely stopping, until an ettin came to meet him.  Even the ogres didn't stop Finn.  Julia and Notch attacked the ranks of orcs, taking one down with each hit.  In very little time, the orcs, hobgoblins and kobolds were killed or routed, beneath ice blasts and fireballs.  Some of the ogres died as well.  Finn cut his way through the ettins and Notch somehow appeared next to the giant to attack it.  Arindal rained arrows on the dragon, hoping to distract it from the ritual. 

It worked.  The dragon and the giant turned and unleashed their fury on Notch.  He took a beating but was still on his feet.  Finn took out the ettins and rushed the dragon.  Jaden pounded the dragon with spells, although only a few got past its resistance to magic.  And then, the giant collapsed and the dragon fell not long after.  It was done.  The ritual had been dispelled. 

They didn't have much time to breathe.  The teardrop came out of the darkness as they had gathered near the dragon's body. 

To the next place, you must be.

It's hands flicked out at the group and they were gone. 

***

Kilhan was standing in the courtyard, near the palace, when the wind whipped up.  Kilhan was used to magic and readied himself, signaling for others.  A lightning blot, blue with streaks of red, came from the heavens and struck the ground.  With a crash, people were standing there.  Kilhan moved cautiously and was about to attack when he recognized Reece. 

"Lord Reece!  It is good to see you.  There was no need for such a theatrical display!"

"There's always a need for a theatrical display!" Reece replied, with a grin. "However, we do have some urgent business.  Please convey to Duchess Lhal that we need to see her right away." 

Kilhan turned to another guard and told him to do that.  Then, he led the group toward the keep himself.  Kilhan kept a slow pace, so that the messenger would have time to inform Duchess Lhal.  He made some small talk before dropping the group off at the front gate.  Kilhan went back on duty, shaking his head at the lives of adventurers.

***

"You think Arabel could be invaded?" asked Myrmeen, still in her night clothes.  "Because some monster sent you here?" 

"Well, as I explained, whatever this thing was, it said we must be where we were needed and we appear here.  We might have stopped the dragons in the forest but perhaps more are coming." 

"Very well," replied Myrmeen.  She sent orders to increase the watch on the walls and to send out patrols come morning.  "Now, is there anything else I should do that you know of?" 

"No, not at this time.  We will leave you to the rest of the night."

"I would appreciate that." 

***

When Figment showed up, it wasn't that surprising.  He tended to do that.  However, even in his elvin form, he seemed to have aged.  And he looked tired. 

"Have you learned much about us from the book?" he asked Deuce, looking at the book about Dragon Magic and how to counter it. 

"Not as much as I would like," replied Deuce. 

"Oh, Deuce.  It's all falling apart.  I was used.  Some creatures were controlling the dragons and I didn't realize it.  That's why they were getting along.  They had been forced to do so.  And the creatures that can do this are so powerful.  I managed to free several dragons from their influence and we then freed more.  We kept doing this.  On and on, we kept freeing them.  However, after most were freed, alliances fell apart.  The metallics and chromatics were again enemies.  I thought I had, that I could create something that would last.  Apparently not.

"I want to be Nail again.

"I want to be your friend.  I want this whole thing to be over."

Deuce could only stare at Figment as he said this but he didn't stare long.  He got the others together and soon, they were working on the ritual and their parts in cleansing Nail of the shadow taint.  It was going to take the Nether Scrolls Figment had and some components, pretty expensive, but Figment had them all.  Within a day, they were at the spot where they had first met Nail.  It took another eight hours of preparation.  They had to draw several circles within circles and create the proper circles at that.  Arindal refused to help.  He didn't hinder the group but he kept watch and did not participate in the ritual. 

When they had completed the circles, the whole group stepped into the circles meant for them, with Figment at the center, and they started the spell.  It took almost an hour.  All of the spell casters present pushed all of their magical ability into the spell.  It was enough energy.  With a glow that looked like the sun, Nail was back! 

He was so happy, he waited until the next day to play a prank on Deuce. 

Notes

• I took too long to finish this.  I don't think this is verbatim.  And I know I did change a few things to how I wanted them to happen rather than how they did happen.  
• We had all of the group there.  It worked out quite well.  
• I am still trying to figure out what to do with the remote guys, to include them more.  I was just getting into a certain mode for the group at the table.  Now, I have to keep that, refine it and add to it for the new twist to it!