Well, since people seem to like the series, here's chapter 2. C&C are
needed, and on that subject, I wanna thank all the nice people out there who
had time to comment on this story, there's always room for improvement, and
this story can be improved.
Any doubts on Dragonlance can be asked to me directly, since it's one of the
things I live for.
BTW if you've read 'The Black Wing' I'd really like to talk to you. ^-^
Disclaimer:
Yeah, I'm giving the Staff of Magius to Cologne, but I promise to give it
back to it's rightful owner whenever I'm done with it...
Pretty cocky, uh?
Anyway, in other words none of the DL cast or the R1/2 crew belong to me.
THE FORESTMASTER
"Then the demon laughed and took the screeching necromancer into the Abyss
with him!" Tasselhoff finished laughing evilly and imitating the
necromancers' screams as he was pulled down.
"You don't." Ranma stopped and tugged at a rope he had tied to his hand.
"Ryouga, its this way!" Ryouga looked back from where he was heading and
marched back into place. Ranma turned to Tas. "You don't expect us to
believe you, do you?"
Ukyo frowned at Ranma, then smiled at Tas. "That was a nice story Tas. But
what happened to the ring?"
"Well, after a moment the Demon came back and took it from my finger, he
even thanked me for setting him free!" said Tas opening his hands and waving
them around.
"Yeah, rig.." Ranma stopped and looked at Tas' ring-finger, where a white
mark showed, as if he had had something there and tried to remove it
forcibly.
Finally, after a few hours of continual walking and chopping through the
bushes the Companions finally could see the road to Haven. Ranma stepped
forth followed by Tas, but Caramon stopped them.
"Wait, how can we be sure that it's safe?"
Everyone stopped, the forest seemed expectant, as if every creature were
holding its breath. Suddenly no one was anxious to go ahead into the road.
"Well? Do we separate?" Sturm asked.
"We stay together," Said Tanis. "Still someone should scout ahead."
"I will Tanis!" Tas exclaimed. "No one would suspect of a kender walking
alone!"
After reminding Tas that he should keep his mission in mind, he went off
into the road singing a kender travel song.
They waited for a few moments, then started walking through the bushes
again.
Sturm led, followed by Ranma, Ukyo and Ryouga, behind them, Caramon and
Raistlin walked a little more slowly.
Ukyo looked at Ranma, he seemed to be in another place and time, she even
passed her hand infront of his face two times with no response. Finally
exasperated she snapped her fingers infront of his nose.
"Hey Ran-chan! what's up sugar? You seem to be a little distracted today,"
Ranma's face contorted into one of disappointment. "hey, what's wrong?"
Ranma sighed, then looked back at Goldmoon who had stopped to talk to Tanis
and Riverwind. "it's just that, well I kinda hoped Goldmoon's staff would
have cured us from the curse," he shrugged "hearing how it cured Tanis'
hands, and all."
Ryouga nodded. "Yeah, I wonder why it didn't work though, after all it
didn't burn us like it did..." he lowered his voice "Raistlin."
Ukyo looked up at the red-robed mage who was currently walking and reading a
book at the same time. "I wonder what's he reading, I mean he can almost
walk, and still he's been reading it ever since we left this morning."
Just then they heard Riverwind's strained voice, "I can speak of it no
more!" Looking back they could see Goldmoon holding his arm gently and Tanis
looking darkly into the sky.
Sturm came back and told them to go stand with the twins as he motioned at
Tanis and the others. When they reached Caramon he motioned with his finger
to talk quietly.
"What is it?" Ranma muttered.
Caramon pointed to the road. "Tas' back."
Tanis, Sturm, Riverwind and Goldmoon came running towards them. Just as they
stopped Tanis swore under his breath. "Damn, three waves. Everyone take
cover in the bushes!"
Everyone scrambled into the bushes except Sturm and Ranma, who untied Ryouga
and stayed where he was.
Tas arrived. "Tanis! it's some kind of clerics! Eight of them!"
"MONKS!" Ryouga sneered. "You made us hide because of monks?"
Tas ignored him and continued rapidly. "Remember those people Tika said were
dressed all over? Well, this clerics looked exactly like them! And Tanis,
they gave me an eerie feeling!"
Tanis considered Tas' words, kender were immune to fear, but still they were
very sensitive to other creatures intentions.
"Okay, we'll stay hidden until they pass, then we continue. Come on."
Again Tanis went into the bushes, leaving behind Ranma and the Knight.
"Sturm! Ranma!"
"I will not hide in a ditch." Sturm stated coldly.
"And neither will I," Ranma added "I'll stay here and see what they want."
Tanis swore, there wasn't anything to do about Sturm, he was always like
that, but the boy...
"Tanis, here they come!" Tas whispered.
"Alright, but be careful!" Tanis dove into the woods again while Ranma and
Sturm stayed in the road. Sturm looked at Ranma for a moment, wondering for
a second about the boy's pride and approving it.
As the rest stared Ranma and Sturm started talking on the other side of the
road. After a few seconds the 'monks' could be seen coming towards them, the
creaking of a wagon they tagged along announcing their presence even before
they showed up.
Ukyo shifted slightly from her kneeling position besides Goldmoon and
frowned. She didn't like this at all.
This clerics had given a kender an 'eerie feeling', and kender were immune
to fear and it's relatives from what she'd heard and seen. There was also
the fact that none of the companions had ever seen clerics like this in
their travels, and they seemed to have traveled a lot, specially Tas. But
the most disturbing thing was Raistlin's commentary about how this 'clerics'
had appeared just after the appearance of the Blue Crystal Staff, he was
right, this was too much of a coincidence.
She sighed and wondered yet again exactly what they were doing here, she had
discussed it with both Ranma and Ryouga and had come to nothing, the last
thing everyone remembered was going to sleep... and speaking of Ryouga...
"Ryouga?" Ukyo whispered looking around. Ryouga wasn't there. "Why doesn't
this surprise me?" she muttered.
She looked again at the road, where the clerics had stopped where Ranma and
Sturm were.
"Hail Knight of Solamnia!" The lead cleric called. Ukyo held her breath,
while Tanis shivered. The cleric's voice sounded hollow and cold, and Ukyo
thought she could hear a small hissing sound behind the words, but she
couldn't be sure, as the clerics were completely covered by clothes.
While the leader spoke the others looked around suspiciously, one of them
even stopping his gaze at the bushes where they were hidden, but seemed not
to notice them as it turned it's head back toward her two friends.
After some chatting about the weather and such, the leader seemed to bore
deep into the Knight's soul with his eyes. "We did not pass you on the road
from Haven, Sir Knight, so you must come from Solace," Sturm nodded, that
sent the rest of the clerics into a murmuring frenzy.
The leader snapped back at them in a strange hissing language which none of
the companions had ever heard.
The leader turned towards Sturm, and asked, "You mentioned some rumors you
had heard, Sir Knight, I'd like to hear them."
Sturm looked at the group. "Certainly, there's talk of armies gathering to
the north, my friend and I are walking that direction, and we wouldn't want
to step into a war we weren't invited to."
The cleric nodded. "We have not heard of this rumors, as far as we know the
road to the north is clear."
Sturm shook his head, "that comes from listening to drunken companions."
Ranma nodded sagely.
"But tell me what drives your brethren out on a day like this? Surely it's
not just for pleasure."
"We seek a blue crystal staff, we heard it was sighted in Solace, do you
know anything about it?"
"I've heard some rumors," Sturm replied, "but this came from the same
drunken companions that told me about the armies gathering in the north. Am
I to believe this rumors?"
Ranma smiled inwardly. Sturm had this guys, he could almost tell the cleric
was lying. His answer was too fast.
"Tell me," Sturm continued "Why is it that you gentlemen seek a blue crystal
staff? Surely a plain wooden one would suit you better."
"It is a sacred staff of healing," the leader replied gravely "One of our
brothers is ill and will die without the help of this staff."
"How come you lost it then?" Ranma interjected, tired of being ignored.
The cleric seemed to shake as if trying to control himself. "We did not
misplace it!" he said with a strained voice, "It was stolen from us! We
tracked the usurper to a Barbarian village to the north but lost his track
there, when we heard about Solace we came here as fast as we could."
Sturm straightened. "I'm afraid we cannot help you."
"I can help you." Came a clear voice from besides Ukyo.
She turned to see Goldmoon walk out of hiding followed by Riverwind. Tanis
tried to stop them, but Caramon followed them, tired of hiding, and he had
to
give it up. He grabbed Tas as he was about to follow Caramon.
"Flint take care of the kender, Ukyo where's Ryouga?"
"Lost."
"Uh, right. Stay here. Raistlin!"
"I have no intention of going out there." Whispered the mage. Tanis nodded
and followed Golmoon to the road, an 'eerie feeling' closing over him.
"I can help you." Goldmoon repeated. Ranma and Sturm looked at her in
surprise.
"I am the bearer of the staff, but we did not steal it, it was given to us."
Riverwind came to stand to her right, followed by Caramon and Tanis.
The leader looked at them, then shrugged. "So you say," he extended a
cloth-covered hand. "but it is ours, and we'd like to have it back."
Goldmoon held the staff close to her. "I wont part with it until after I
have talked to the wise men in Haven,"
The leader sighed. "So be it, however we would appreciate if you could help
our brother"
Goldmoon nodded. "I'll do what I can."
Ranma looked at Tanis and saw him look nervously at Caramon and Sturm, then
at him. The leader took Goldmoon and Riverwind to the back of the cart.
Suddenly there was a commotion , Goldmoon screamed, there was a flash of
blue light and a cry.
The leader pulled out a horn and started blowing long bellowing notes.
"it's a tra-!" Tanis began, before he was thrown down by an attacker. Ranma
rolled to his side barely avoiding his own attacker and stood to face him,
then
stopped and stared. It wasn't human!
Red eyes glared at him from a lizard-like head, it's maw open revealing a
very
impressive amount of sharp teeth, and sickly green saliva. The creature's
skin
was covered in scales and leathery wings protruded from its back. It wore
some kind of armor that allowed wing movement and was carrying a sword.
The creature attacked the moment Ranma hesitated, sensing an easy kill,
however it was very surprised to find he was wrong, very wrong.
Ranma snapped out of his reverie and ducked the sword thrust, he cursed
softly when it grazed the tip of his hair. This wouldn't do.
Flint threw the log he had used to hit Tanis attacker and helped the
half-elf up. Raistlin creeping next to them and glanced at the creature.
"What kind of creature is that?"
There was another flash of blue light and another cry.
Ranma upper-cut his opponent and quickly delivered a couple of hundred
blows into it's chest, which successfully destroyed the armor it wore, as it
fell forward, unconscious, Ranma saw Tanis fight another one and took a step
towards him. Then he saw Sturm run one through with his sword. Another of
those creatures was approaching him with an axe , and he tried to free his
sword, but it was stuck! Sturm was attacked and he ducked, however, the axe
nipped him in the forehead and blood covered his eyes. Sturm yelled
something and the creature jumped on him trying to kill him. Furious Ranma
jumped to where Sturm was.
Goldmoon, walked back from the two creatures that were attacking her, and
swung the blue staff infront of her trying to fend them off, she looked
at Riverwind who was fighting another creature. Another was coming towards
her, there were too many! Suddenly one of her attackers was batted away and
it crashed against a tree with a sickening thud. Ukyo took another swing
with her giant spatula and the other creature had to back away.
"Hi sugar! Need any help?" Goldmoon only nodded and took a long breath.
Riverwind finally killed his opponent, but the creature turned to stone! He
couldn't free his sword, so leaving it behind her ran towards the two women
and prepared his bow and arrows.
Ranma jumped-kicked the creature that was attacking Sturm, and was helping
the knight up when he felt an intense energy gathering behind him. He turned
around, only to see a cone of fire shoot out of Raistlin's hands! One of the
creatures was caught in the blast and screaming fell over the cart, which
quickly caught fire.
Tanis, Flint and Tas ran towards them. "Flint, you and Tas take care of
Sturm while I gather the others. Ranma, come with me."
Tanis ran away while Flint started to mumble. "Take care of Sturm! Do I look
like a babysitter?!"
Tas meanwhile tried to clean Storm's wound with one of his handkerchiefs.
"There, do you feel any better?"
"My sword." Sturm murmured turning to look at the dead creature.
Tas looked at it. "Wow! Hey Flint! Can you believe that?! Storm's sword-"
"I know, you fog-brained idiot!" Flint roared as he prepared to fight
another creature.
"I'll go get it!" Tas said as he started forward.
"No!" Flint yelled realizing Tas couldn't see the oncoming enemy.
Ranma and Tanis found Goldmoon, Riverwind and Ukyo back to back keeping a
group of creatures away. Tanis attacked, and Ranma followed his lead.
Riverwind, seeing an opportunity attacked with Ukyo following, the four of
them helping Goldmoon out.
As they ran back, Ranma stopped Tanis, and pointed to the road. Tanis paled,
more winged creatures were coming at them! Ranma looked at Tanis.
"We'd better hurry!"
Tanis nodded and ran in search of Raistlin and Caramon.
He stumbled first into Tas, who was dragging Storm's two-handed sword. It
was to big for the kender to carry.
"How did you get that?" He asked amazed. "Wasn't it trapped inside one of
the creatures?!"
"It turned to dust! Oh, Tanis, it was the most wonderful thing-"
"Not now! Have you seen Caramon and Raistlin?"
"Here we are!" Caramon stepped out of the smoke half carrying, half dragging
a coughing Raistlin.
Tanis grabbed Raistlin's free arm and helped Caramon carry him to where the
others waited.
------
"Ranma! This is all your fault!"
Ryouga, looked around for the third time. Where he had last seen a forest he
now only saw sand.
"Bastard, how does he always manage to get me lost?" he muttered. Well, that
didn't matter for the moment.
First of all he should find out where he was, with a sigh, he started
walking.
He followed the course of the large river to his right, eventually he found
himself looking at the fortified walls of a large city.
Walking towards the guarded gates, he found himself halted by a couple of
guards.
"What's yer business here kid?" the most smelly of the two asked.
He was wearing a cloak that had seen better days, and sported the belly of
an experienced drinker.
"Don'tcha know this city here is under the jurisdiction of the blue army?"
the other one bellowed, he was wearing a blue scale armor of some kind.
"Yeah? Well I don't know or care anything about armies, I'm looking for my
friends."
"Yeah, well that's too bad kid. Ya know, you hafta come with me now."
"Um... why?"
"Well, duh! You have been walking around haven't ya? Well, you may be a spy
or, somethin'."
"That's ridiculous!"
"Oh, the kid's gettin' angry! That means yer hidin' somethin' aren't ya!"
The guard pushed Ryouga against the wall. Ryouga clenched his teeth. "That's
it." He muttered.
"Bakusai Ten ketsu!!"
Five minutes later Ryouga was walking away from the partially destroyed
wall,
both guards unconscious infront of the remains of the gate.
***
"Now where am I?" Ryouga walked among high trees, nearby he could hear a
river and a large waterfall.
For a moment, he was filled with hope, for this looked a little like the
forests that surrounded the way to the city of Haven.
Deciding that following the river might bring him to Crystalmyr lake, he
walked towards the sound of running water and soon found himself standing
next to a large river. He could see the waterfall to the west, which was the
way he thought he wanted to go.
Walking next to it, he carefully avoided getting soaked and started
climbing. Halfway up, he stopped, up ahead, he could see some fungus growing
on the rocks, and that might prove slippery. Thinking fast, and not wanting
to go all the way back, he carefully passed under the waterfall. He then
started up again.
That's when he slipped.
Among humans, he was known simply as 'Silver', his real name was too
complicated for them to pronounce, and although his title was a bit general
for
his species, he liked it nevertheless.
Silver looked amusedly from his cavern at the curious sight of a small black
piglet pulling itself out of a river AND dragging a bag that quadrupled his
size, and it was obviously not empty judging by the big trail it was
leaving, he looked surprised as the little pig actually shifted so that the
strap it was pulling rested more comfortably on one of its shoulders.
He decided to help the little creature.
P-chan squealed yet again as he pulled with all his might one of his bag's
straps. "Why does this always happened to me?" he thought miserably as he
pulled again. He stopped for a moment to make sure the strap was comfortably
resting on his shoulder and pulled again. "And this time I didn't bring hot
water with me..."
He suddenly felt himself and his bag being lifted.
"Great, just what I needed, some hungry idiot ready to roast me-" he stopped
in mid thought when he saw what had lifted him.
"Ranma this is all your fault!"
Silver was amused yet again when he saw that the pig was not scared, and
that it was actually snarling at him. He briefly considered what might the
little animal be saying, he smiled.
P-chan let go of his bag as he turned around to look at the large
silver-scaled dragon.
"WHY YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD! IF I WERE MYSELF AT THIS MOMENT YOU'D---"
"I'd be what?" P-chan stopped. It had talked! And it had understood him!
"You'd be dead." He finally answered, not so sure anymore.
***
Ranma, Ukyo, and the Companions, walked slowly through the trail. Each
warrior was looking wearily around, certain that suddenly and inevitably,
something would jump at them. The kender was looking around happily.
"Hey Ranma! Do you know why this place's called Darken Wood?" the merry
kender asked.
"I can't imagine why," muttered Ukyo as she looked at the lively forest.
Birds were singing, squirrels were picking up food, this forest was as
normal as any other she'd walked.
Indeed, after escaping the creatures on the road they had climbed Prayer's
Eye, and had to decide where to go. That's when Sturm started seeing
visions, he claimed that the most beautiful stag he'd ever seen was waiting
for him to follow. Flint told Ranma about a story they had heard the day
before, when an old man had told the story about the knight Huma being lost
in the forest had followed a stag out of his predicament. Ukyo had figured
that it was a post traumatic reaction. They had followed Strum and his
'stag' through a trail none had ever seen before, and when once she had
looked back, she'd discovered that the trail had disappeared. Maybe it
wasn't a post traumatic experience after all.
After a short discussion, they had decided to follow the 'stag' into 'Darken
Wood', a forest that, according to Caramon, was full of undead.
There wasn't much of a choice anyway, since as far as they could see, they
could see the strange creatures that ambushed them searching all around.
Ukyo hadn't perceived this place as evil, but Raistlin had mentioned
something about bringing your own evil in, or something like that, and quite
frankly, that made her a little nervous.
As they walked, the sun began to set. And as the shadows grew, they all
became more uneasy.
Finally, Tanis called it a day, and they all stopped to rest in a small
clearing. All but Raistlin, that is.
"Oh, come on Raist!" Caramon insisted.
"You do what you want dear brother, I however will stay here." That said, he
sat on the road.
"Well, we've got to rest anyway." Muttered Tanis, looking at Raistlin
strangely. "Tas, you and Ranma go get some wood."
"Sure, Tanis! Hey! Maybe I could hunt something for dinner!" Tas exclaimed.
"Kill nothing in Darken Wood!" Raistlin warned.
"By Reorx! First he warned us against coming in, and then he tries to starve
us to death!" Flint muttered.
Raistlin sneered.
"Anyway, we'll gather the wood we find on the ground," Said Ranma as he
pulled Tas with him.
After they gathered the wood Riverwind tried to light it, but all his tries
were futile.
"It's wet," he declared. And so, the companions set themselves to rest on
the cold ground without a fire.
After some insistence from Flint, Raistlin agreed to produce light for them.
And after the guards had been set. The rest attempted to rest.
Ukyo sat close to Ranma as he prepared to sleep. He looked distracted. When
she was about to talk to him, they heard a gasp and quickly turned around.
They were surrounded by warriors. THAT Ranma could handle. What he couldn't
handle however was the fact that these warriors were dead.
Ranma crouched, while Ukyo, Tanis, Riverwind and the others unsheathed their
swords.
"Lower your weapons!" Raistlin ordered. Watching amused as Ranma actually
lowered his hands. "those will not work with such as these."
Raistlin walked calmly towards Tanis, who looked pale under the staff's
light.
"Welcome to Darken Wood, Tanis." The Mage said.
"Raistlin," Tanis choked out. "what are these?"
"Spectral minions." Raistlin interrupted. "We are fortunate"
Ranma sweat-dropped while Ukyo turned around to look at him, forming with
her lips the word 'fortunate' while looking incredulous. Ranma shrugged and
heard Tanis echo Ukyo's unsaid words.
"Fortunate?" Tanis blinked "Why?"
"This are the spirits of men who pledged to perform some task. They failed
that pledge, and are doomed to do that task over and over until they find
release in death."
"How in the name of the Abyss does THAT makes us fortunate?!" Tanis muttered
angrily.
By now, Ranma had grown a little bored and approached Raistlin, with Ukyo
close behind. He saw Raistlin step forward and face the specters.
"Raist!" Caramon said worriedly. Without looking at them Raistlin whispered
harshly. "Hold him! Our lives depend on it!"
"What are you going to do?" Asked Tanis, as he held Caramon's arm.
"I'm going to cast a spell that will enable us to talk to them."
Ranma watched as in a trance. Raistlin held up his hands and closed his
eyes, then he started chanting in an unknown language something, he repeated
it, and as he spoke, the specters opened way to what he thought was their
leader.
He was taller than the rest, and also had the most pain filled expression of
all. He wore a golden crown upon his head and his armor was obviously of
better quality than the rest.
"Use my living voice to speak your message, for we bring with ourselves no
evil, as you'll see if you read our Hearts."
And then the specter bowed to Raistlin.
Ranma sighed, slightly calmer, he briefly wondered what Cologne would
think about this kind of magic.
The leader spoke through Raistlin, it freaked Ranma to see the mage's lips
move, but hear another voice than the usual whispering, yet know it was
coming from the mage's throat.
Tas immediately took the chance to speak with a specter and started talking,
the specter would answer briskly until Tas started talking about how they
had got there, when he mentioned the Blue Crystal staff, the specter stopped
him.
"Blue crystal!"
The specter took out his sword and it began to glow blue.
"Look at the staff!" Goldmoon exclaimed as she held it forth.
"it's shining blue! Like the sword!" Ukyo said surprised.
The specter stood back and moved to touch Raistlin. Caramon noticing this,
threw himself at the specter attacking it with his sword.
When the sword connected, Caramon yelled and dropped it. Ranma Ran to
Caramon as he massaged his forearm. He took a quick look at Caramon's sword,
it was covered with a thin layer of ice.
The specter touched Raistlin and he shuddered.
"We are summoned" Raistlin said, and walked into the forest.
Following him, and watching the specters warily, the companions found
themselves surrounded by the cries and sounds of battle, and one by one they
arrived in a small clearing.
Raistlin, drained rested on his staff as the others looked around confused.
"Now what?" Ranma muttered.
"Now, thee come with us!" Came a booming LIVING voice.
Turning they saw a centaur, his broad shoulders and wide chest leaving
Caramon looking weak in comparission.
"Did you summon us? Where are you going to take us?" Asked Ukyo.
"To the Forestmaster."
---------
Yeah, I know this isn't as good an ending for the second chapter as it
should be, but lets look at the bright side; it leaves me a perfect point
from where to start chapter 3!!!!
HEY! DON'T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY!! IT DOES LEAVE ME A PERFECT STARTING PLACE
FOR IT!!!
__________________________________________________
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