The Glitch IV - Inversion (Ch. 1)

[Comrade Tortoise]

It was just then that justin picked up on that conversation

"whosamawhatnow?"

[LadyTevar]

"Then we are three days away from getting some guarantees on this." Albert rumbled. He looked up at Vash. "No offense, bounty-boy. But I don't trust my own hands right now."

It was just then that justin picked up on that conversation

"whosamawhatnow?"

Leah looked Elwyn square in the eye. "What we're looking for is a fortress, three days ride from here, in the mountains. Get everyone together, we need to go."

Now that she had a goal, Leandra was shining through, ready to organize that days' adventure, go hunt the monsters, get the XP, and return triumphant to the village like always.

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Very well." Elwyn stalked around trying to find Rory and Ted

[Rukia]

Vash looked up, startled from his drawing by the dark elf girl. His eyes went big, and he screamed like a girl.

"ARGH! You scared me, please don't do that. Oh hey! your that cute girl from last night, you slept good?"

Rory giggled at Vash's reaction. "I hardly slept at all... This is all so weird. I got up to look for food for the others an--wait cute?" She looked at him.

[Agent Fisher]

"Excuse me," Jack said. "I know I dont know this Darek from before he was taken, but I did meet him after. And if I remember he was trying to kill us. Or he acutally killed me. Couldn't tell who was who. Doesnt matter. What does matter is that he has been taken. And now, he wants us to go to some fortress, where he sets the time and place. Does anybody else see a problem with this?"

[SirNitram]

"The only way to properly deal with a trap is to confront it with the knowledge that it's a trap. Otherwise you're just delaying the inevitable." Albert said as he hefted his warhammer and tested it's grip. "We face Darek head on and find out more. Otherwise we're just trusting our instincts, and that gets folks in trouble."

[LadyTevar]

"And he's promised that if we show... no one will be harmed." Leandra added, already walking over to the horses and starting to saddle hers.

"Darek never left the woods, so I don't know who was in the castle..." she answered Decimus. "Yet even in the woods, fighting Thog, he remained honorable. It's something that's deep in his player ..."

... Allen ... that is his players name Leah reminded herself. They'd exchanged real names the second time they'd ....
"Like Albert said, prepare for a trap if you wish, but Darek's given his word. I trust him." Leandra turned to face Jack, her eyes flashing and her voice blunt. "More than I trust you, Decimus."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"then we dont have much choice. But I am not trusting him more than I can throw a bull elephant, which isn't far. I do hope you are right Leah, for all our sakes I hope you are right, because if you are wrong, there is a good chance that one or all of us is going to die"

[Agent Fisher]

"And he's promised that if we show... no one will be harmed." Leandra added, already walking over to the horses and starting to saddle hers.

"Darek never left the woods, so I don't know who was in the castle..." she answered Decimus. "Yet even in the woods, fighting Thog, he remained honorable. It's something that's deep in his player ..."

... Allen ... that is his players name Leah reminded herself. They'd exchanged real names the second time they'd ....
"Like Albert said, prepare for a trap if you wish, but Darek's given his word. I trust him." Leandra turned to face Jack, her eyes flashing and her voice blunt. "More than I trust you, Decimus."

"Don't care if you trust me. But think with your brains, not your heart, or whatever is currently controlling your thoughts. Really though, the Darek you know is gone, dead. Whatever is left is evil. He is using you. Why bother hunting for us, if he can get us to stupidly come to him. You are going to get yourself and everyone that goes with you killed."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Still, it is better that we go to him regarrdless and combat him on our terms if it comes to that. It is better than being killed in our sleep."

[SirNitram]

"Don't care if you trust me. But think with your brains, not your heart, or whatever is currently controlling your thoughts. Really though, the Darek you know is gone, dead. Whatever is left is evil. He is using you. Why bother hunting for us, if he can get us to stupidly come to him. You are going to get yourself and everyone that goes with you killed."

"Then run the fuck away. Because there's zero evidence he is evil, or dead." Albert said coldly. "We've got two conflicting stories, that's all. And we find out which is true the old fashioned way. But if you want out? There's the horizon, start walking. Mind you, you might be stuck here forever."

[LadyTevar]

"Don't care if you trust me. But think with your brains, not your heart, or whatever is currently controlling your thoughts. Really though, the Darek you know is gone, dead. Whatever is left is evil. He is using you. Why bother hunting for us, if he can get us to stupidly come to him. You are going to get yourself and everyone that goes with you killed."

"Then run the fuck away. Because there's zero evidence he is evil, or dead." Albert said coldly. "We've got two conflicting stories, that's all. And we find out which is true the old fashioned way. But if you want out? There's the horizon, start walking. Mind you, you might be stuck here forever."

"Thank you Albert..." Leah said softly. It made sense that Al would be on her side.. he was the only other person to have RPed with Darek.

She mounted her horse, feeling odd as she did so. It was something Leandra'd done many times, but it was a lot harder than it looked. Thankfully the horse stood still for her until she got in the saddle. ".... ok... this is harder than it looks..." She looked worriedly over at Albert. ".... are you going to be able to control your dragon?"

[SirNitram]

"One way or another." Albert grunted as he mounted up, warhammer in hand to apply 'motivation' to the dragon. "To the mountains."

[LadyTevar]

"Anyone else coming?" Leah asked bluntly.

[Rukia]

Rory was still talking to Vash, but heard Thog--What was his real name....? Albert! that's right. She heard Albert's dragon starting to stir.

"Um, I think I need to go. Nice chatting with you." And with that she road back to camp.

"What's the deal with ya'll always leavin with out me?" She said lightly. She stopped Meeka and slid off gracefully, she had grown up breaking horses on her granfathers farm so riding was second nature to her. She gathered up her sadle and blanket and chined it on the mare. She rolled up her bed roll and mounted her horse again.

"I was gonna make breakfast.... So where we goin?" She looked like a child going on a trip. It was the only thing keep her sane, just pretend it's like the game... only you've bet you're life on it.

[LadyTevar]

"The mountains... there's a fortress three days ride from here, and it's where we'll get our answers about why we're here and how to get back." Leah told Rory. "Where's Ott... Matthew?"

[Agent Fisher]

Jack started laughing, quietly.

"What she fails to tell you is that if you go, you will be walking into what is most likely a trap, set by the dark riders. If you all want to get yourselfs killed, go ahead. Me, I'm throwing my lot in with the people I have seen that are opposed to the Dark Riders. Now, does anyone know where the shooter from last night is?" As Jack was saying all this, he was loading the saddle bags on his horse, and loading his pack.

"Anyone is welcome to come with me. If not, have fun getting killed." Jacked mounted his horse.

[Shark Bait]

Theodore walked back into the campsite with a gig smile on his face, a skeletal warrior to his right was holding the butchered corpse of a sparkle bunny. “Hey, y’all I got break…â€

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Yeah, we do need to eat. We can discuss things over an actual meal so we arent marching on an empty stomach. As for Mattthew, he left. He said he was going to do some scouting and look for our 'friends' But if he isnt back by the time we finish eating, he is probably dead"

[Charon]

Matthew continued to ride for a while before coming to a stop and looking around himself. The forest was unfamiliar, the sounds unfriendly, and no one was coming to stop him. Pulling back on the reins he came to a stop and looked back towards the direction of the camp. Was it safer out here? He'd die alone out here, forgotten. With a shake of his head Matthew cleared it some. He was going to die, he knew that. He was just a normal person, there was no way he could stand up to something like this.

As Matthew turned back to see where he was heading now he saw ten pairs of red eyes staring back at him. Pulling on the reigns again Matthew forced the horse to back up as 10 black skinned imp creatures appeared in front of him. Matthew looked at them with fear in his eyes, he was going to die. There was no way he was going to escape.

"No, I can't... I'm not gonna lie down and die."

Steeling himself Matthew drew up his sword and pointed it at the creatures. They charged as he did.

Ten minutes later, as Elwyn was saying Matthew may well be dead horse and rider appeared in the clearing. Deep gashes were cut across the horse which were spilling blood as the animal limped forward. Matthew looked little better. His black bladed sword was slick with blood and hung limply in his grip, his other hand was holding onto his gut, where a growing red stain could be seen under his hand. Another deep gash was cut deeply into his arm. Smiling, showing bloodied teeth Matthew looked at them.

"You give me too little credit. But if it's all the same to you, I think I'm going to be taking a very long nap now."

[LadyTevar]

"What she fails to tell you is that if you go, you will be walking into what is most likely a trap, set by the dark riders. If you all want to get yourselfs killed, go ahead. Me, I'm throwing my lot in with the people I have seen that are opposed to the Dark Riders. Now, does anyone know where the shooter from last night is?" As Jack was saying all this, he was loading the saddle bags on his horse, and loading his pack.

"Personally, Decimus, I don't give a $|-|17 what you do." Leah snapped. "You swagger around the village, thinking you're a big man because you're on the Baronial guard, when you're just a stupid little bullying snot-nosed teenager still living in your mother's house. So go do whatever you damn well please, because *I* am going to get answers."

It would have been a great exit, if not for the skeletal warrior holding the butchered sparkle bunny that came out nearly under her horse's nose.

“Hey, y’all I got break…â€

[Rukia]

Rory also slid off her horse, thankful for breakfast now reather than nothing later. She had just tied Meeka back up when Mathew came back into the clearng.

"OH MY GOD!" She ran over to him just as he slid off his horse, he was a bit heavier than she expected and she collasped to the ground with him in her arms. "Nononono, you can't sleep... Look at me. Sleep is bad... stay awake ok? LEAH HEEELP!"

She layed his head down and took out a dager, cutting away the cloth around his wound exposing it. She placed her hand over the cut to keep it for bleeding out. "Ted! I need some water, Quick! Send one of your minons! Hurry, Leah, can you heal him?" She looked up with a look of sheer terror on her face... "He'll die..." She'd been on enough crime scenes to know that people can die from less.

[LadyTevar]

Arguments were forgotten in an instant, as Leandra had moved to Rory's side almost before the darkelf had screamed for help. As before, she was thinking as Leandra the Cleric, not as Leah the State Archivist trapped in a game world. "Those of you that have heal potions left, bring them here, now!" she ordered as she knelt down beside Ottoman.

Blood.

It... it was blood.

Real blood.

Leah gagged, suddenly immobilized by the sight. "He......... he's bleeding." she whispered in shock.

This was real. He was bleeding. He was dying. This shouldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. this....

"Ted! I need some water, Quick! Send one of your minons! Hurry, Leah, can you heal him?" She looked up with a look of sheer terror on her face... "He'll die..."

Heal him? Would it work?
That was a game! You weren't really hurt then!

There wasn't red blood covering your hands, even when the person was down to their last hitpoint they could still stand, move around! THIS.... THIS WAS REAL!

"Oh goddess help me...." Leah whispered.

[Charon]

Matthew lay on the ground as everyone seemed to rush about him. He blinked slowly once, looking around.

"What's everyone so worried about? It's just a little..." Matthew looked down. "Well, it's a big cut. But I've had worse. Honest." Matthew blinked slowly again before looking over at Rory. "Oh, the lady with the daggers... I owe you money don't I? I'll get it I promise, I'm rich you know." Matthew closed his eyes for a few seconds before openning them again. "Sleep really sounds good though. I didn't get much last night you know."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Elwyn didnt waste any time. He couldnt heal as well as Leah could, but he wasnt as green when it came to blood and injury. Like that one time his Advisor got nailed in the field by a 12 foot alligator and almost lost his arm, or when his friend got bitten by a Cottonmouth several hours from any hospital. ANd matthew was bleeding heavily, in shock and trying to go to sleep.

He slapped Matthew as he started muttering about sleep, gently, not enough to hurt, just enough to get his attention.

"Keep talking man. You are in shock if you go to sleep you may not wake up."

He put direct pressure on the wound and muttered a brief incantation. The same one he habitually chanted for RP purposes when he cast Cure Critical Wounds. He envisoned the spell working and plied his very will to enforcing his vision on the universe, and tried to direct the power of nature through his fingers. Hoping, praying that it worked and the magical energies he could feel within him would be channeled out into a healing spell.