Thread: The Swords Lady

Ziadia had no clue what was going on, she’d been walking along at the mercy of the elves, then the icy water was rushing up to meet her. She could feel Ratiks arms tightly around her, the burning sensation in her lungs that was threatening to overwhelm her, to force her to take a breath. She kept her mouth clamped shut, unable to think of anything else but when this chaotic ride would be over.

Soon she was above the water, the dim light of the caravan they had stopped glinted off her wet hair as she breathed in deep breaths. Not thinking of anything else she clambered up onto the wooden pathways and knelt over coughing, trying to get all the water out of her system. Her whole body had resumed Shaking as she looked over at Ratik who had also just crawled out of the water. She sat back on her heels as her coughing fit subsided, looking up at him she shook her head,
“Please warn me next time” She whimpered, before forcing herself in a standing position to face Ratik, smiling gently she then whispered,
“Thank you”

He felt compassion for Ziadia as she set against the damp rock wall shivering. He desired to ask her if she was alright, however, his stubbornly hardened side deflected him from doing so. Taking a seat next to her he half-heartedly put one arm around her shoulders and together they leaned against each other and watched the river as it swept under them.
They had escaped the elves, though, the surface world would surely have a patrol out looking for them in the event that they did make it out of the cold river alive. In their escape, they had abandoned any hope of taking supplies, weapons....or directions. Their situation looked bleak to say the least.
Ratik did not want to leave the warmth of her body. Hell, he had forgotten how it felt to hold a woman so close. His tramping around the kingdoms for hire and on business had robbed him of much of his life.
Forcing himself to pull away, he glanced over at Ziadia. The smell of her wet hair was inviting to his senses.
"We must be going," he shuddered as he took to his feet and leaned forward on the section that had a handrail.

Ziadia resisted the urge to whine as Ratik let her go, she wrapped her arms around her waist to stop herself from shivering. She looked at him a small smile on her face as he glanced over at her. She knew that there escape had cost them big time in the supplies department as well as deprived them of weapons, and dry clothes. Shutting her eyes she felt herself starting to shiver again, she started imagining she was in Ratik’s arms again.

His soft voice brought her back to the moment, looking back up at him she smiled slightly.
“Well, what way should we go?” She asked quietly walking over to him, leaning on the hand rail her hand resting just next to his.
“Where can we head Ratik, We have no weapons, no food, no water” She dropped her gaze to the fast running water below them,
“You may be able to fight using your hands, But I can’t fight at all, I can’t see how we’re going to do this Ratik” her voice was soft shaking her head she let her wet hair fall across her eyes. As yet again she let the weight of what they were trying to do tumble down on her.

Ziadia's smile seemed to enlighten the damp cavern and his heart. For a second, he let their hands touch. Fighting the urge, he alas rested his hand on her own and patted it.
"It seems we have one way out of here," he mumbled under his breath and nodded his head in the direction of the planked walkway.
Again, the 'darker' warrior side of him surfaced casting the soft side into another spell of oblivion. He suddenly seen the 'warmth' of his manly emotions as weakness. If he had allowed himself such human journeys, he agreed to himself that he would have been dead long ago.

He cried inwardly as he pulled from her and began to walk up the plankway.

(sorry it's short)

Ziadia just kept leaning on the handrail while Ratik started walking away. Sighing she started walking after him, shaking her head she walked after him slowly, keeping a meter or two between them.

Ziadia looked at the back of his head, he was so curious, happy to show affection one minute then cold as ice the next, it was begining to confuse her. Breathing in deeply she sighed,
"Men" she muttered, keeping her eyes trained on the pathway below her.

They walked in silence through the darkness. It took them no time to come into the view of a shaft of light from the world above. It broke through the ceiling some fifty yards ahead. It was high noon on the surface and the radiance from the sun was blinding.
Closer and closer they drew fearing that the light would give them away. The few torches that lined the plankway became fewer and far between. Soon there were no more altogether. The crushed remnants of an ancient iron gate stood before them. Great webs blanketed it giving assumption that a greater beast was near, perhaps lurking in the shadows above them.
"Be watchful," Ratik told her as they stepped into the light of day and found themselves standing on a cliffside road that clung to the edge-of-the-world above a valley. There was a waterfall crashing into a bay far below. The stenciled wooden fence of a farm grew out of the greenery and bore way to the snaking smoke of a chimney that led way to a cozy cottage.
Ratiks heart thumped under his chest. He cast a glance to his female companion and felt that she was as amazed as he was. Her mouth seemed to open as to say, But How, but, he looked away into the valley again.
Every paradise has its demons. That is how Ratik had come to know the World. Chance was never a lone soldeir. Forever, Chance was accompanied by Reason. And this picture of a quaint cottage in the middle of the cold North brought severe question to his uppermost thoughts.
In their turmoil of doubt and decision, they had not noticed the lone shadow that lurked up behind them. A little woman in a brown gown and a head of tough black hair stood pondering at the queer arrival of these two.
"Why, hello," she said in an almost giddy voice.
Ratik reared on one heel grasping for the sword that was not on his hip.
"Who are you?" He had unknowingly reached out and pulled Ziadia to his hip. "A demon or a fiend!?" he demanded as his eyes traced around for anything he could use as a weapon.
The woman was not startled by his attempt to protect them. She stepped forward a few steps and smiled passed her warty nose.
"Welcome to Wisteria Vale," she went on to say. "Evil does not enter here. It dare not." Her eyes traced Ziadia's slim figure with question; perhaps wondering why such a dainty woman was trudging through the Northern Badlands. "Come. Sit by the fireplace and stay for awhile. I get few visitors up here."
Ratik looked at Ziadia.

Ziadia brought her gaze up to Ratiks as the women finished speaking, not removing herself from his grip she looked the woman up and down, thinking carefully as she did so. The better part of her instint was telling her that they should turn away and leave, that it wasn't safe here. But her head was telling her that maybe there was a way that they could get food, warm clothes and weapons. Breathing in deeply she held her breath for a moment, Standing up on her toes so she could reach his face she whispered

"It couldn't hurt could it Ratik" Her voice was gentle and soft trying to make it so that the woman would hear her,

"We might be able to get food and supplies and the stuff we need, plus it'll give me a chance to work a couple of things out" She smiled at him softly before turning to the woman,
"We would greatly appriciate a place to stay just for a short time" Her voice was still soft as she took the woman in again, her mind racing to find which part of her dream that this woman belonged.

Lady Estrella.
That is what she called herself.
She led them down the winding mountain pass. All the while, the crashing and thrashing of the river grew heavier. It echoed. A voice was in the noise and it spoke to them; though, they knew not of what it said.
A small bridge jumped over the water and over it they crossed into a piece of the valley that was suddenly more still. More silent. A safe haven that cried of tranquility and aboding rest.
A plane that touched here and hinted of magic?
Ratik did not much care as he would have done so a few days earlier. The last few days had taken a sudden toll on him. Perhaps he was getting old.....er? He cast that thought aside and stroke it as being human weakness. He was not agreeing with what his heart was doing to him about the woman that he was traveling with. He wanted nothing of the part. He was a highwayman...a loner....an adventurer....a man-for-hire. Not a weakling that came out when he was not hiding from himself. He had once had the assumption that his 'hiding' was something deeper.
Ratik shook the thoughts from his head.

The doorway to the humble cottage opened and the travelers found themselves in an even humbler and more inviting room that was dancing with the light cast from a fireplace hearth at the far end. The smell of apple was in the air and more than once the light crackling of the orange embers drew Ratik's attention.
He could live here forever, he thought to himself out of the ordinary.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Lady Estrella invited them to the near couch that was draped in deer hide and rabit pelt. "I do not get many visitors out here in the Wilds. I fancy myself on being a greatful host."
Ratik was reminded of his mother at this moment. He cringed for he had not thought much on her for ten years and more, outside of a fleeting rememberance and heavy heart.
"Your chambers are down the hall in the niche," she went on to say and smiled like an elderly grandmother at seeing her grandchildren so loved her home. "Share one or if you are not for it, there is a smaller one for the man at the end of the hall."
The Lady turned lightly on one heel and shuffled over to the counter and began stirring the apple-stew....

(Eh, this is going to be pretty bad sorry )
Ziadia smiled as she entered the house, the warm smell of apples remined her of the home she so longed for. She smiled as she looked over at Lady Estrella, she remined her so much of her fussing mother at home, sighing she looked over at Ratik, how one person could be so complex was beond her.

"Make yourselves comfortable,"

Ziadia nodded grasiously as Lady Estrella offered them a seat, slowly she sank onto the couch pulling off the boots that were given too her to travel in. Her feet hurt like nothing she'd ever experianced and several blisters had started to form. Looking over at Lady Estrella Ziadia stood up again wincing as she applied pressure to her feet,
"Do you mind if i go freshen up?" she asked in her usuall soft voice, Lady Estrella simply smiled,
"Of course not, theres a bathroom just down the hall near the bedrooms" Ziadia smiled and in the same soft voice thanked her before walking down the hall.

The 'bathroom' didn't really have much, just a small basen full of water, a comb and a piece of reflective glass hanging on the wall. The smile never left ziadia's face as she began to wash the dirt off her face, before she started to comb her hair, it took her about an hour to get it to how she wanted it.

Walking back out into the living area she smiled at Ratik before letting her hair fall infront of her face as she took a seat at the table, creating a sort of wall between the two of them,
"It smells dilishous" She whispered as Lady Estrella had began to dish out dinner.

The Lady smiled from behind her wrinkles as she stirred the stew with the end of a dipper and looked at them like they were children. For the first time, it made Ratik uncomfortable. He twisted uneasily in his chair. The old woman smiled at him with patient eyes. She produced a mutton from the nearby stone stove and slid it on the table before them. Steam lifted from the chunk of meat and spiraled toward the rafters in the ceiling.
"Do cut," she told Ratik. "It is formidable that a man should do the portioning. No?" She glanced at them and then handed him the silver knife. "Carry on."
Ratik was again overwhelmed by his senses so tantalized by the aroma and the enviroment. He began to slice away at the mutton. Rolls and freshly churned butter and cherry sauce.....the list could have went on for an eternity. It was as if every desire was met here. Every dream came to pass.
They sat afterwards on the near couch with stomachs swollen. Sleep was coming for them. Ratiks eyelids were heavy.
The old woman sat near to Ziadia leaning forward slightly in a comfortable chair talking about how things were when she was a young woman. Ratik stirred from a shallow slumber thinking that he heard the woman mention she was 500 years old. However, he thought his ears misguided and drifted again into slumber.
He awoke with a hand nudging him lightly.....

Ziadia listened intently to the Lady as she spoke of being a young woman easily fighing the urges to sleep. After a good while however the lady excused herself and headed down the hall towards her bedroom, her face hardening Ziadia turned to Ratik, something was off here, something wasnt' sitting right with her, how someone who she never knew could possibly have a home that was so similar to her mothers house, and cook food that her mother made her on special occasions in the middle of no wear sent warning lights to her.

Turning to Ratik she opened her mouth to speak only to find Ratik had fallen asleep. Reaching over she placed a hand on his muscular shoulder, he paused for a moment leaving her hand there, shutting her eyes she shook her head and breathed in deeply she nudged him gently,
"Ratik, please wake up, something isn't right here" She whispered to him, leaning over him to make sure he knew who it was,
"Ratik, i have a feeling we have to leave here, if we don't something really bad is going to happen" She paused shutting her eyes slowly trying hard not to show the fear that was begining to build up inside her, "Ratik if we don't leave here tomorow, we're never going to leave here"...

But, it was too late. Ratik had fallen into the Sleep summoned by the old hag. He chattered to himself as a dream consumed his ability to open the door to the real world. Ratik fell over with his face in Ziadia's lap. His full weight was doubled it seemed.
"Come my pretty," the witch laughed from the door. "You are alone now!"
There Lady Estrella stood in the door to the hallway. She was a full two feet taller her skin green as a goblin and her nose a full two crooked inches long. The elderly woman was a grotesque vision of evil now. Wings hung from her back. The knees now folded opposite so that her body seemed to teeter forward on great clawed talons that raked the floor boards. Her shirt was left to shreds and sagging green breasts covered in warts hung nearly to the bottom of her ribcage.
"You have eternity to spend with me, my precious jewel," she again spoke with a raspy voice that was neither male nor female. "Come and take part in eternal life. Through you I shall lengthen my own life. Come! Immortality awaits you!"
Her stride was a full four feet that brought her clean across the room. A taloned hand groped out toppling the pitcher of water and glasseware to the floor with a shatter. At that moment, the roof began to pound with rain and the small window on the east side of the chamber flickered with silver lightning exposing a world of unwelcome beyond!

((Just to let you know, Ziadia is an orcal of sorts, but she's not very good so what she see's only gives her the general gist of what is going to happen))

Ziadia stumbled back away from the lady her eyes flashing fearfully as she looked over at Ratik who was completely incapasitated. Shaking her head she began to search around for something to defend herself with. Her eyes fell on the basket near the fire the old lady moved towards her again and Ziadia reached out grabbing one of the rods.

"Your being foolish my gem" the things inhuman voice hissed again, Ziadia swallowed hard shaking her head,
"No, I honestly don't think I am" She hissed back moving herself aroundso that she was between the old lady and Ratik, Well this is a doomed situation isn't it, Her mind thought dismally, Ratiks out, i'm alone holding something that can kind of be subsituted for a weapon i don't know how to use
Her eyes glossed over as the old lady moved towards her again, Images began flashing infront of Ziadia's eyes,

The experiance seemed sureal, It was as if she was watching herself move. Ziadia stood beside herself(litteratly),Watching as the old lady moved towards her, She watched as the lady's lips moved saying something she couldn't hear, before reaching out to grab her, ziadia watched as she moved ducking under the things hands, The thing seemed to laugh, it's mouth moved again, before it reached out for Ratik, she watched herself move foward the metal bar from the fire swinging out for the things legs, suddenly Ziadia knew what she had to do,

her eyes came back into focus just in time to see the old lady reach out for her, without thinking she ducked under the blow, smiling as she saw the old lady snarl. THe snarl however quickly turned to laughter as she looked over at RAtik,
"REally now girl, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your friend now would you?" She hissed, Ziadia let her eyes harden, panic filling her as the old lady swiped at Ratik with a taloned hand without thinking Ziadia moved the iron rod connecting with the taloned hand before it reached Ratik. Using all her strength Ziadia managed to shove her back away from Ratik however she knew that she needed RAtik to wake up cause there was no way for her to win this...

He awoke as if in a drunken stupor. The room was spinning. His head throbbed. His gut churned and he was forced to one knee.
"What did you put in my food!?" he blurted out.
At first his eyes were blurry. His thoughts raced to Ziadia. The old woman crossed his mind. But, there was a presence in the room that he did not recognize. He had been in the threshold of magic before. The tingling sensation on his flesh bore fact to that.
"Ziadia!" he managed to cry aloud but his words seemed hollow and his head empty. He wondered if he had in fact said anything aloud at all.
The hulking arm of the 'now-woman-beast' crushed into his chest and he found himself without breath and wreathing in agony as he crashed against the wall near to the hearth. Shaking his head did little-no, in fact, nothing at all! He slumped again. His chin came to rest on his bruised chest.
An almost still silence came over the chamber. The embers that had blinked in the fireplace silently, now popped with an alarming dismayal. The rain on the roof pounded and water flowed in under the door soaking Ratik's limp body. Lightning exploded in an oak tree outside the window leaving a stump of burning fury. The great tree fell with a crash into the back end of the cottage twisting walls. As the water reached the strewn fireplace embers, they hissed and seemed to flee from the cold liquid.
"Now, my Pretty!" the beast cried with a voice of a thousand demons. "You shall spend eternity in these walls!"
The walls were suddenly very unlike a moment ago. Instead of neat cherry planking, there was crude, cold stone raked with claw marks. Instead of a neatly raftered ceiling dotted with drying herb bunches, there were racks of steel with tightly bound souls that cried with a nightmarish wail from centuries of pain and imprisonment. They were rotten with the way the dead do, and their half rotten skulls shown with eyes aglow as beautiful orbs.
Ratik's eyes opened as the spell was broken....
The creature was upon Ziadia, though, and she had to do what she had to do....

Ziadia stumbled back as the house seemed to dissapear around her, her stomach heaved as her eyes fell apon the half rotten souls of those who had come before her. She forced this out of her mind as her eyes fell onto the limp form of Ratik, subconsiouly she took a step towards him mouthing his name in concern only to be drawn back to the present by the harsh laughter of the thing. She turned her head just in time to see the woman take a swipe at her, jumping back she hissed as she felt the womans talons just scratch the surface of her skin.

Looking around desperatly her eyes fell on a sharpened metal rod of sorts, she ducked backwards out of the way of another blow from the thing. Grabbing the pole she heaved it up to block the womans next swipe. Ziadia was looking around for other options now, she'd do anything no to have to stay here forever, swinging the stick she smiled as it made contact, however her smile didn't last long as the creatures talon swiped at her head, ZIadia leaned back out of the way however the creatures tallon connected with her chest leaving deep gashes, Ziadia let out a scream of pain before thrusting the steel rod up at the beast, she felt it connect, however the pain caused her to lose conciousness before she could see if her attack had worked.