Shawn Weaver's Blog - Posts Tagged "magic"
Fall of Ishtabar preview
Though the sun shinned bright, and the day was crisp and clear. None of the people gathered in the tight confines of the wagon could shake the ominous feeling the closer they got to the Kin-Marrow Mountains.
Even with a two night stay in a small inn. Eating well and sleeping on a feathered mattress, did not help their wounds heal any faster. Bruises, cuts and swollen joints, were constant reminders of the failure that they had faced at the Temple of Shell-Marr.
A failure that pulled on Jason Tolbridge’s heart, his son kidnapped. Taken by his former mount, a great red dragon named Brightwing. Now it was up to him to save his son, if that was possible.
Sitting on three bedrolls, a bag of dry rations consisting of dried beans and jerked beef, Tyree Loveland pulled a dry twig from his mass of tangled, dusty brown hair and said, “How much longer?”
“Days by the look of it,” Elizha Ambrose replied with distain. The regal elf hated his uncomfortable perch on the buckboard next to Master Well. The mage did not add to the comment. Instead, he kept his keen eyes on the road ahead.
“Come now, it won’t be that long,” Mee ‘Ahhnalee said. Her long golden hair tied back tightly concealing the sharp tips of her half-Elvin heritage.
“May,” Tyree said, “Do you have any apples left.”
“You finished the last of them yesterday.” The erstwhile hunter, Sayler said from his corner of the wagon.
“Always hungry,” Goldbridge added calmly. Her form showing that of a small framed human female, though inside she was truly a hulking red dragon.
Holding human form was not tasking for Goldbridge to hold for long periods. Only leaving the human guise and changing back into the beast, would be. If she did revert to her normal form, Brightwing could track her. That was something the party did not want at this time.
“He’s not the only one,” Jason said, trying to stretch his legs out in the cramp space.
Though his skin had healed from the lava burns received while underneath the Temple of Shall-Marr. His bruised muscles were taking their time in mending. A sharp twitch jolted through his ribcage as he tried to sit up straighter.
“Master Well please stop,” Goldbridge said, placing a long nailed hand on Jason’s shoulder. “We need to rest and eat.”
“There are still too many miles to go,” Jason said, not wanting to stop. Even though he knew getting up and stretching would elevate some of his pain.
“The front will still be there whether were there today or tomorrow.” Goldbridge said, knowing Jason’s need to keep going.
“Yes, but will the capital?” Jason replied, knowing that while King Ellight’s troops were in a prolonged battle along the shores of the Oak Barrel River. Hordes of demonic creatures were on their way to attack the capital of Ishtabar. If they did not reach the battle lines quickly, the capital would fall, and so would the rest of the kingdom.
Pulling back on the reins, Master Well coaxed the horses to stop. Setting the brake, he wrapped the leather reins around the wooden handle. “We can rest for the night,” he said, climbing off the buckboard.
“The night?” Elizha said, not wanting to spend another night in the wild.
Master Well nodded. The wide brim of his hat concealing most of his face, except for his long crooked nose and white beard, interlaced with grey.
Everyone filed off the wagon. Bedrolls were placed around a small fire of green wood. Still damp, the wood trailed pungent smoke into the sky. Stomach rumbling, Tyree began to boil beans for the night’s dinner. While the ever vigilant, Jason patrolled the perimeter of the camp, his sharp eyes taking in the hills and trees, noting every hiding spot and defensible position.
Dressed in a plain brown robe, Goldbridge stepped away from the fire. Barefoot, the cool moss of the forest floor was an exhilarating sensation on her skin. Only in the guise of a human did the simplest sensations excite her. For when she was in her true dragon form, the grass of the field felt the same as stones of her home deep in the caves of Kinn-Marrow. Her iron scaled hide did not allow the intense feelings that human flesh did.
As Goldbridge stepped up, Jason said, “We are not moving fast enough.”
“Be patient,” came the dragons reply.
Knuckles white from gripping the pommel of his sword. Jason started, “Can you...” “Can I what?” Goldbridge asked as the warrior paused.
Jason spun on his heels. “Take me into the mountains.”
Goldbridge could see pain in Jason’s eyes.
“If you change now, we could be there in minutes.”
A slight smile broke Goldbridge’s face. “Jason, you know that I cannot. We must warn the king. Then, we can go in search of your son.”
Holding up a hand, Goldbridge stopped the rugged warrior from replying. “If I change, Brightwing will know where we are. Is that something you want? Do you want to lose the element of surprise?”
“No, I see your point,” Jason replied bitterly.
Goldbridge took a step closer. “The safety of thousands rests on our shoulders. If we do not warn King Ellight, all that we know will be for naught.”
“Then let it be for naught. She has my son.”
“I know. She has Steel as well. But there is nothing we can do about that right now. One-step at a time my friend. One-step at a time.”
“What is she doing with him?” Jason asked, unsure of what could be happening with his son.
While underneath the Temple of Shell-Marr, Brightwing had cast Stockard and a young red dragon into the lava flow. Surrounded by magic, both of them had merged, creating a mate for Brightwing to bring her plan of domination to fruition.
Deep down Jason knew that if they did not act soon. Brightwing would be laying eggs. Once they hatched, she would create a fire breathing army that was too young to understand what they were doing. Yet old enough to follow their mother’s orders without question.
“Take a deep breath,” Goldbridge said, “Close your eyes, and relax.”
Jason did as he was told. By the forth breath he could feel some of his anxiety start to slip away. But that was chased away as a roar echoed through the trees. Birds flew from the trees as they shook.
Running over, Sayler asked. “What’s happening?”
Pulling his sword, Jason replied. “Something big is on its way. Warn the others.”
“Should we break camp?” May said, as the trio dashed back to the camp.
“No. We will go and see what it is.” Jason replied.
“That’s not good,” Tyree said, as Jason and Sayler dashed into the trees.
“Everything will be alright,” Goldbridge said, noticing that Master Well was nowhere to be seen. “Where is the wizard?” She asked, taking a step to see if he was sitting on the other side of the wagon.
Tyree scanned the campsite. “I don’t know. He was here a moment ago.”
Even with a two night stay in a small inn. Eating well and sleeping on a feathered mattress, did not help their wounds heal any faster. Bruises, cuts and swollen joints, were constant reminders of the failure that they had faced at the Temple of Shell-Marr.
A failure that pulled on Jason Tolbridge’s heart, his son kidnapped. Taken by his former mount, a great red dragon named Brightwing. Now it was up to him to save his son, if that was possible.
Sitting on three bedrolls, a bag of dry rations consisting of dried beans and jerked beef, Tyree Loveland pulled a dry twig from his mass of tangled, dusty brown hair and said, “How much longer?”
“Days by the look of it,” Elizha Ambrose replied with distain. The regal elf hated his uncomfortable perch on the buckboard next to Master Well. The mage did not add to the comment. Instead, he kept his keen eyes on the road ahead.
“Come now, it won’t be that long,” Mee ‘Ahhnalee said. Her long golden hair tied back tightly concealing the sharp tips of her half-Elvin heritage.
“May,” Tyree said, “Do you have any apples left.”
“You finished the last of them yesterday.” The erstwhile hunter, Sayler said from his corner of the wagon.
“Always hungry,” Goldbridge added calmly. Her form showing that of a small framed human female, though inside she was truly a hulking red dragon.
Holding human form was not tasking for Goldbridge to hold for long periods. Only leaving the human guise and changing back into the beast, would be. If she did revert to her normal form, Brightwing could track her. That was something the party did not want at this time.
“He’s not the only one,” Jason said, trying to stretch his legs out in the cramp space.
Though his skin had healed from the lava burns received while underneath the Temple of Shall-Marr. His bruised muscles were taking their time in mending. A sharp twitch jolted through his ribcage as he tried to sit up straighter.
“Master Well please stop,” Goldbridge said, placing a long nailed hand on Jason’s shoulder. “We need to rest and eat.”
“There are still too many miles to go,” Jason said, not wanting to stop. Even though he knew getting up and stretching would elevate some of his pain.
“The front will still be there whether were there today or tomorrow.” Goldbridge said, knowing Jason’s need to keep going.
“Yes, but will the capital?” Jason replied, knowing that while King Ellight’s troops were in a prolonged battle along the shores of the Oak Barrel River. Hordes of demonic creatures were on their way to attack the capital of Ishtabar. If they did not reach the battle lines quickly, the capital would fall, and so would the rest of the kingdom.
Pulling back on the reins, Master Well coaxed the horses to stop. Setting the brake, he wrapped the leather reins around the wooden handle. “We can rest for the night,” he said, climbing off the buckboard.
“The night?” Elizha said, not wanting to spend another night in the wild.
Master Well nodded. The wide brim of his hat concealing most of his face, except for his long crooked nose and white beard, interlaced with grey.
Everyone filed off the wagon. Bedrolls were placed around a small fire of green wood. Still damp, the wood trailed pungent smoke into the sky. Stomach rumbling, Tyree began to boil beans for the night’s dinner. While the ever vigilant, Jason patrolled the perimeter of the camp, his sharp eyes taking in the hills and trees, noting every hiding spot and defensible position.
Dressed in a plain brown robe, Goldbridge stepped away from the fire. Barefoot, the cool moss of the forest floor was an exhilarating sensation on her skin. Only in the guise of a human did the simplest sensations excite her. For when she was in her true dragon form, the grass of the field felt the same as stones of her home deep in the caves of Kinn-Marrow. Her iron scaled hide did not allow the intense feelings that human flesh did.
As Goldbridge stepped up, Jason said, “We are not moving fast enough.”
“Be patient,” came the dragons reply.
Knuckles white from gripping the pommel of his sword. Jason started, “Can you...” “Can I what?” Goldbridge asked as the warrior paused.
Jason spun on his heels. “Take me into the mountains.”
Goldbridge could see pain in Jason’s eyes.
“If you change now, we could be there in minutes.”
A slight smile broke Goldbridge’s face. “Jason, you know that I cannot. We must warn the king. Then, we can go in search of your son.”
Holding up a hand, Goldbridge stopped the rugged warrior from replying. “If I change, Brightwing will know where we are. Is that something you want? Do you want to lose the element of surprise?”
“No, I see your point,” Jason replied bitterly.
Goldbridge took a step closer. “The safety of thousands rests on our shoulders. If we do not warn King Ellight, all that we know will be for naught.”
“Then let it be for naught. She has my son.”
“I know. She has Steel as well. But there is nothing we can do about that right now. One-step at a time my friend. One-step at a time.”
“What is she doing with him?” Jason asked, unsure of what could be happening with his son.
While underneath the Temple of Shell-Marr, Brightwing had cast Stockard and a young red dragon into the lava flow. Surrounded by magic, both of them had merged, creating a mate for Brightwing to bring her plan of domination to fruition.
Deep down Jason knew that if they did not act soon. Brightwing would be laying eggs. Once they hatched, she would create a fire breathing army that was too young to understand what they were doing. Yet old enough to follow their mother’s orders without question.
“Take a deep breath,” Goldbridge said, “Close your eyes, and relax.”
Jason did as he was told. By the forth breath he could feel some of his anxiety start to slip away. But that was chased away as a roar echoed through the trees. Birds flew from the trees as they shook.
Running over, Sayler asked. “What’s happening?”
Pulling his sword, Jason replied. “Something big is on its way. Warn the others.”
“Should we break camp?” May said, as the trio dashed back to the camp.
“No. We will go and see what it is.” Jason replied.
“That’s not good,” Tyree said, as Jason and Sayler dashed into the trees.
“Everything will be alright,” Goldbridge said, noticing that Master Well was nowhere to be seen. “Where is the wizard?” She asked, taking a step to see if he was sitting on the other side of the wagon.
Tyree scanned the campsite. “I don’t know. He was here a moment ago.”
