CH 9: To the Walls of Pax Tharkas

[JadedDM]

Laurana steps forty feet ahead and looks down each path individually. This takes another minute.

Down one path, she only sees more tunnel.

Down the other path, the tunnel seems to open up into a much larger cavern.

Meanwhile, Eben ignores Magpie entirely, not even favoring the gully dwarf with a look.

[HorizonsDream]

"Actually, I think Eben is right here," Tika says with a sigh. This place was making her nervous. So much in fact that the grip on the handle of her skillet was turning her knuckles white.

[JadedDM]

Eben beams at Tika's remark. "Ah, see? Brains and beauty, this one here," he says, jerking a thumb in her direction as he leans back on the eastern wall, waiting for the scouts to return.

[Jerrard]

"We hold for a few more moments, they will return." Sturm looks at Eben with a appraising Gaze, "I have learnt that Tas knows what he is doing on occasion, and if Princess Laurana chooses to go alone, we let her a few moments." He moves forward ruffling the Dwarfs hair, "Yes Magpie she will."

[Kafen]

Tas follows along and whispers. "I bet we could go all the way and fight the dragons, ourselves." He says with pride. Checking the tunnels, he suggests as an afterthought. "Should we scout the other tunnel, too?"

[Nuke]

OOC, I'm here, nothing to post about.

Riverwind places his hand around Goldmoon's waist but says nothing.

[Breila]

Goldmoon leans close to her beloved, enjoying a moment of quiet for them.

[Jenara]

"No Tas." Laurana says quite firmly, "Go back at get the others, tell them what we have found and lead them here." sword drawn she waits for the Kender to go.

[Jerrard]

Sturm stands at the ready, resting on Brightblade he maintains a suitable posture.

[HorizonsDream]

Tika yawns as she leans up against a wall. "And this is why we should have went together."

[JadedDM]

As Laurana and Tas stand alone in the darkness, the elf waiting for the kender to obey her commands, they both suddenly hear a faint whispering in the darkness. Neither can tell where it's coming from, due to the echoing caverns around her, going in different directions.

But at once, they both recognize it. For they both heard it once before, back in the swamplands of Xak Tsaroth...coincidentally, the last time the two of them split up from the group and walked into the unknown together.

[Jenara]

"Tas, lets get back to the group. I don't like this!" Laurana drags the Kender back down the passage, "We have to get away from them."

She drags the Kender back to meet with the rest of the group, her face dark and haunted.

"Spirit's, the dead we saw them outside zak tasaroh!" she pants. "There are two tunnels that way, one gets bigger as it extends."

[Kafen]

"Yeah, I bet they're kind of tired, though. I'm sure they would not hurt us." Tas asserts and at the group with a huge smile on his face. "The bigger tunnel forks that way." He points to the outer edge of the mountainside.

[Jerrard]

"Sprits? Shades of those lost, much like those you saw before?" Sturm asks, moving towards Laurana in a protective manner.

"Do we risk it, or go the other way?" He asks, looking the way Laurana came from. "Goldmoon, I recall the Clerics of old used to drive back the Spirts of those departed, is that something you can do?"

[Breila]

"Let me think" Goldmoon answers Sturm. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tries to recall what the disks of Mishakal say about spirits and undead creatures. When she opens her eyes again, she explains: "With Mishakal's help, I can drive them away. But not the powerful ones."