Gallant rescue

It's taken me some time to be able to write about this, so bear with me. I was captured by... Damien! Yes, I know, I should have run... and I did run! But Jordi came, and we cannot risk Jordi, and the baby, to the undead. So I turned and fought, and he captured me so fast! He took me down into the catacombs, what an awful place! cold and damp, and full of spiderwebs {{shudder} Then he congratulated me on being his 100th kill! I wondered why that was a cause for congratulations. I admit to hoping that meant he would free me. But not so, he took me upstairs, out into the auction area, and asked if I wanted to be sold at auction. There were many slavers standing around, and I begged him not to sell me to them, and he gave me the choice to be sold or to stay with him. Well...I know what my fate would probably be if I fell into the hands of slavers, and death seemed to me to be preferable. Then he took me back in the catacombs, but still he did not kill me. He seemed to be enjoying my fear as he made me follow him deep into the combs. He asked me again if I was sure, and I said yes, and awaited my fate. He seemed to ponder awhile, then took me up, and up, and outside once more, so that I was confused. Then I saw that he meant to kill me there, before everyone...so awful! And suddenly he turned and bit me, and I thought, "this is it" ...only then I was awake! and there was so much commotion, people screaming and my friend Kara crying, and I wondered why, because I was still alive. Only I felt so... so odd! There was a tingling numbness all through my body, and I could hear a strange deep thumping sound coming from all around me, almost like a heartbeat,but not mine! And something weird, too... suddenly I hated all slavers, with this terrible anger and rage. I went charging toward the slaver camp, I don't even know why, because I don't hate all slavers on sight, it was a very sudden, very violent mood from nowhere. But wolfie stopped me and would not let me go on, and I could not fight with dear indigo wolfie. She told me I was undead... undead!!! No!!! I ran back and attacked Damien in anger... useless of course. I suddenly thought, I thought if I flung myself from the cliffs, I would die. Silly of course, I was already dead, but I was so panicked and afraid, I was not thinking right. And there were so many people, and running and shouting, I was confused. Someone caught me as I fell, a bedu, I think, he caught me right out of the air and he tried to get me away from Damien and into the tunnels. There were so many people, all yelling and fighting and shouting at me to run, back into the caves. But Damien came and was fighting, so many people, I don't even remember. KCEE was there, and the strange bedu was fighting Damien, urging me to run, and my friend Kara trying to lead me through the tunnels, but every way I turned Damien was there, no matter which way I ran, until it was useless. Then he bit me again, and I think I fainted. When I awoke I was so cold... so numb and... different. And also, I felt this strange pull toward Damien. I both hated him and feared him... but he was the only one who could help me, who could explain what was happening to me. And even more than that, I wanted to go to him. And yet he was telling me that I would fight the knights... Never! Never! I would never fight the knights nor betray the Sultana. Finally he left, laughing, and I was left in the combs alone, except for Ari lying like asleep on a cold slab.

Later that evening I had wandered into the desert. I was so lost and scared, and didn't know what to do, or where to go. I wanted to stay far from my friends, because I remembered hearing the blood pulsing in their veins, the beat of their heart like a drum. I was afraid for them, and afraid for myself, for what I had become. When I returned to the combs, Prince Paw was waiting near the entrance, and as soon as he saw me, he attacked! I was heartbroken, that the knights whom I love and who have trained me and been so kind with me, must hunt me. I would not fight Paw, never, so I stood, waiting for my fate, and crying because he must hate me now. It was over in a moment, and he had captured me. Then he told me, so kindly! that I was under the undead spell and that I must follow him to KCEE to be healed. Oh! Healed! I almost didn't dare to hope as I followed Paw to the camp where the knights had gathered, and KCEE, and little blue wolfie too. They were so good to me, and KCEE began to cast a spell, the most wonderful thing I have ever seen, and wolfie added her magic to it as well. I remember beautiful stars and glowing lights, and the most incredible energy flowing through me, while the heavy, dark shadow seemed to drop away from me and I was filled with light. It seemed to go on forever and yet only a moment, at the same time. When the lights faded, KCEE was holding me close, and I was well. I could breathe again... deep breaths, feeling my lungs expand, taking in the warm welcome air of the desert, smell the sharp tang of the ocean breeze. I am alive again!

~Lady Elysa~

The excitement continues

Well, I've had an exciting, fun-filled day! I almost got capped by Jaril this morning. I don't even know why! I was just standing by the city gate watching the slavers and the undead and the knights all fighting (I have no idea why, but everyone seemed to be fighting everyone, all over the place) and suddenly she came at me! I didn't even hesitate, but turned and ran for all I was worth! Better even Arian or Damien, than Jaril! Fortunately, a certain slaver I know {{{blush}}} told me just the day before, if I am being chased, to run in a straight line as much as possible. So that is just what I did, and managed to make it inside the city walls just in time! That was truly an escape for which I am most thankful..

I did have some real fun though a bit later! Arian offered to spar with me in the arena! on his word that he would not kill me. So I agreed and we went, and it was way fun, trying to keep my focus on him and swing the sword at the same time. It was also very good practice for me, to have a moving target to chase after. The sparring ended when I killed him. Unfortunately, I had to let him go (well, darn!) because a deal is a deal, after all! heheheh. But it was a splendid time, and I now have 2 kills and my skill level has increased :)

I'm still having trouble on the parapet, when it comes to the corners. At a walk I am fine, but at a run, I still fall off maybe 2-3 times of every 5. I am getting very frustrated with that. But I can now approach the wall and leap up onto it at a run, nice trick! it's just the corners that are so much trouble for me. I'm still running around the tents too, but that's getting kind of boring now that I have gotten the hang of it, but I still do it for the practice.

Speaking of Arian, yesterday we actually fought for real. He capped my best friend's sister and I had to fight with him for him to free her. I haven't written about it because it was kind of traumatic for me, but there is a positive side to this, which is why I'm writing this at all. Despite the fact that I lost the fight (well, duh! Arian has the highest skill for a fighter, I the lowest), due to the training I'd been doing it was not the complete disaster I thought it would be. I mean... I know I can't fight, and hated thinking I would make a fool of myself in front of all the people around watching. I assumed the fight woud be over in just a couple of minutes, and it was not... indeed, I did much better than I expected, and gave Arian a good fight before he capped me! Looking back, now, I am very pleased with how well I was able to defend myself, given the circumstances. What I need is practice... a tricky proposition here in Ireem, if I want to stay free and alive (I do!). A sparring partner would be ideal.

~Lady Elysa~

Close Encounters of the Arian Kind

In the last 2 days, I have barely escaped capture by Arian, not once, not twice, but three times! The first time he came almost out of nowhere, and I was startled and unprepared. He was on me before I knew it, and I had on time even to call for help. However, I had just been talking with Jason, and there were other knights around, and they fought him off while I made my escape, but it was a very close thing. Just a few hours later, he came to the knights camp where I was alone, practicing, and this time I was close enough to the city to get inside. Today though was the worst of all... I'd just come into Ireem and was making for the city gates, and he came across the desert. I saw him coming and RAN FOR IT! Fortunately I've learned a few tricks from my training with the knights, and was able to make it into the city, but my health was very poor, my pulse pounding!

Of course, matters are not helped that Mirna and I put out a bounty on him {{{grins}}} and when WongFei capped him, we turned Arian over to Damien for punishment. But since Arian had already been trying to cap us... word is, he even tried to trade a capped knight to the knights for us! ...we didn't have anything to lose, you know? But now he's even more determined, and seems to chase me on sight! I can tell you, I barely made it to the city in time today, that was a very, very close-run thing, and no rescuers in sight... although this time I did have time to call for help as I ran.

I need to train more. Hopefully soon I will be ready to start working with my sword... though I would never dare to face Arian in a fight... my best bet is to just run!

~Lady Elysa~