Part Eight: Return to Vlackheim

Dunka will be here soon with the Unseen. They are already on their way. That bone skeleton female general feels that she has a score to settle with Tulkas.

Those quill beings are one of the races from Vlackheim. There are some the ig session list who are still in Vlackheim but they sent out soul bottles. One is a female and she one of those quill beings.

The other is male and he is one of those pale humanoid. Apparently he is wanted and always on the run. I think he killed a reagent Lord.

Xarsha: "There has to be a way to be able to send me and Epimetheus to Vlackheim through the Athranaak. We cannot be turned because we are dead."

Epimetheus is strength and power. Xarsha has wisdom and knowledge

The Great Baron Yustaf was kind of an outcast among his kind. We are not going to take them out. They need to be left where they are. He was an off-one.

There are not very many like the Baron's kind. There was only 13 of them made. There are only 7 of them left on Vlackheim. The others went through the rift.

It is reagent Lords which are most oppressive.

The quill beings are in a place in Vlackheim that is a glowing forest. The reagent Lords and the red demon-looking ones cannot go in there or it burns them away. So they send turned ones in there to capture the quill beings.

These quill beings are valuable as turned ones because they are very fast and have quills that can poison, paralyze, explode or do pretty much anything when they launch them. They also glow a bit. Maybe from living in this glowing forest.

The female one on the ig list is a quill being that went through the opening eye rift. I wonder if any reagent Lords also went through.

IG sessions...
Ancient Alchemical Wyvern - Ondrax - Vaupwayn Warlock
Shelley - Dracelsa - Vaupwayn Witch
Mariandi - Axula - Quill being that went through the rift
Carla -  Tiyenta - Quill being sister who stayed behind
Sumaiya - Eldrax - Vaupwayn Hunter Turned One (like Jaholden)
Shuvo - Fiylin Xansheel - Elf Mercenary
Maldee (Follow up) Shadow Being - She is hiding the Quill being who came through

Shaderell is speaking to the two turned quill beings...

Shaderell: "Well I hope I can trust in you. I hope your master is better than that failure of an effing Baron."

Female Quill: "Our master does not let himself be exposed so easy."

Shaderell: "But he will be able to carry out the task which we need him for?"

Male Quill: "He will be able to."

A little orb with Dunka: "Good. Combining my unseen with the power Vlackin."

Oh we see who the unseen are now...
They are wearing high glossed armor but they are invisible. They can change so you cannot even see the armor.

Dunka wants to make the unseen turned ones so they can infect others without being seen.

Bone skeleton female general: "This will be good when we roll over Valinor."

Dunka: "You take half of them to Valinor. I am taking the other half to the shadow realm."

Maldee, Eldrax the turned hunter, and Axula the quill being that went through the rift are spying on them.

These ones in Vlackheim are important. There is something there we need to get. This witch and the quill being sister can help us get it.

Ondrax is planning to go through the rift to leave Vlackheim. Xarsha is going to catch him when he does.

The Dunka and the Unseen enter the existence along with the Bone skeleton female general...

They come through and suddenly the invisibility was gone. The Unseen are a tan color, humanoid form, no mouth, they have a nose but no nostrils except for a slit. They have no hair. They seem androgynous because we cannot tell if they are male or female.

Bone female looks her hands: "Something strange has happened. I feel different. Dunka look at the Unseen."

Dunka: "Strange."

Shaderell has some of his converts scan them. They report back...

Convert: "This is just a temporary effect of yourselves adjusting to this existence."

Bone female grabs him: "You had better be right about this!"

Shaderell comes between them...

Shaderell: "Trust me there sweetheart. They know what they are talking about. When the True Order came here we kind of had the same effect. It is only temporary. You know, like sea sickness. It will go away."

Dunka: "Good. For them to be turned I want no problems arising."

The two turned quill beings are there... Lasil and Ovia.

They have a large stone athranaak carving. It looks like a casket.

Ovia: "Our master can guarantee that the effect of the turning change will empower your Unseen beyond anything that these beings of this existence can contend with."

Dunka: "Just make sure it is my Unseen. I want to make sure I remain who I am."

Lasil: "Joining us would be more beneficial to you. The turning is not as bad as you think. Once it is there you will embrace it."

Dunka: "I choose to stay who I am. If you try to turn me I will crush your little soul sucking ass."

Shaderell: "Everything is going to go according to plan."

Dunka: "Good because my father will arrive soon. He has grown impatient in his dealings with you Shaderell and the other conquerors of this existence."

Shaderell: "There is no way that they can win now."

Bone female: "Then let us begin. I must make my return to Valinor. I have unfinished business there."

The turned quill beings Lasil and Ovia go to the athranaak carving and open the casket... There is a Vlackin inside. He is much older almost decrepit.

Lasil and Ovia: "Master grant us your power. Place it within us. Help us to build an army to turn this existence."

The Vlackin master's eyes open and his mouth shoots out a sharp bone. It goes into Ovia's head and her eyes glow.

Then he puts it into Lasil's head and his eyes also glow. Energy is flowing through their quills. The Vlackin closes his eyes and the casket closes.

Both quill beings curl down where they just look like a ball of quills.

Maldee, Axula the quill being that went through the rift, and Eldrax the turned hunter are watching...

Maldee: "If we are going to make our move we had better make it now. Axula did you hear me?"

Axula: "They are starting to gain power. Are you ready Eldrax?"

Eldrax pulls out three sided blades: "As long as we all remember the plan."

Maldee: "We take out the Dourin before they are able to turn the Unseen. They are our main target.

This will be our last time together sisters. Our existence may not know that we fell here today but we will give them a fighting chance."

Axula puts her hand on Maldee's shoulder: "Out of all the beings I have met here you and Eldrax are the only ones I would want fighting by my side."

Eldrax: "All we have done has led us to this moment. Let us not fail."

They get ready to make their move. There is a cutlass that comes to Maldee's throat. A barrel of a gun goes to Axula's head.

Blacklace: "Nobody is going to have any of that effing pin cushion before I do. I have score to settle. That mother effer took my whole fleet and most of my crew.

So that if that effing box of toothpicks thinks he is going to get away with it and I am going to forget that? Oh eff no. I am going to turn that effing chopped up piece of wood into more effing splinters than he can throw at me.

Fiylin keep your finger on your trigger on that one. If she is anything like those other porcupines she will stick ya and stick ya quick."

Fiylin: "There is no one quicker than me."

Fiylin Xansheel is an Elven mercenary who works with Blacklace and Bloodlade. He specializes in dwarven firearms. He has light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes.

He has a scar above his right eye and he wears an optical gadget over his left eye. He wears black leather armor with a hood. He has different firearms on his belt. Dwarven firearms require elemental powers to use.

Blacklace: "I'll tell you lasses what. If you got a plan on taking out these effing sewing needles down there then you are going to need my approval and you are going to have to work with me. So what does your skinny little asses think about that?"

Her fist starts to glow...

Blacklace: "Or I could beat the eff out of those pretty little faces of yours."

Maldee: "We share a common enemy so I hope you have a master plan because my sisters and I know that we will die here today. Tell me dwarf, are you ready to die?"

Blacklace laughs: "I ain't doing no effing dying. All them mothereffers down there are going to die. If you don't want to die either then I suggest you follow my plan.

So those kinfolk of yours pin cushion, how long until those assholes decided to turn those others into more assholes?"

Axula: "It won't take them long to gain their full energy."

Blacklace: "Then I suggest we get back to my ship because when the ass kicking starts your pretty skinny little asses don't want to be right here."

There is a turned Mist Weaver named Targa there with Shaderell...

Shaderell: "Oh you mean that ship I just effing confiscated? Targa put them down."

Blacklace: "Nobody touches my effing ship Shaderell! Now come get your effing teeth knocked in!"

They all get surrounded by Unseen. Targa does mist around Blacklace, Fiylin, Maldee, Eldrax, and Axula and they pass out.

Shaderell: "Take these to your master Dunka. I am sure they will make fine slaves. A little gift from Shaderell. Let's go Targa."

The turned Quill beings Lasil and Ovia rise up again. There is a red glow coming off of them. They both shriek and move really fast launching their quills into all the unseen. It is changing them. They become invisible again.

Dunka laughs: "Come General, let's go over our plans."

In Vlackheim...

Ondrax is running. He waves his hand in front of his face and all he can see through all the spirits eyes.

Behind him he is chase by those big guardian demon-looking guys. There are also many mindless turned ones after him. Ondrax fades and turns into a mist. He moves faster.

The broken athranaak ruins are off in the distance. He is going towards it. He is able to command the dead spirits.

The opening eye rift is right next to the broken athranaak. He made it there and he is still being pursued. He is waiting for the rift...

Ondrax: "Come on. Where are you?"

Two of the red guardians are up on him. He launches blue fire at them and it burns them. It doesn't kill them but it singes them and he is able to get away.

One of the red guardians is screaming. Those mindless turned ones are going after Ondrax. There are at least 30 of them.

He is running around the athranaak because the rift appears in different spots around it. The athranaak there is about as big as a skyscraper building.

Ondrax is able to burn and destroy some of these mindless turned ones. He fades right before quills were about to hit him. It is a turned quill being. She is commanding the red guardians to go after him.

He is running through the ruins of the athranaak. As he runs by he waves his hand and some of the pieces fall on the mindless ones.

Ondrax: "It has got to be here."

Atherak: "Don't go wrecking up the place Xarsha. Get what we need and then take it where it needs to be."

Xarsha: "Yes Master."

Atherak opens a rift. Xarsha and Epimetheus go through.

Ondrax is tackled by a red guardian. Ondrax is burning his face. As the guardian goes to bite him Ondrax covers himself with his cloak. The teeth hitting it is like hitting metal.

Mindless ones are still coming after him. Ondrax jumps back and sets a ring of blue fire. He is getting tired. He is trying to concentrate to keep the flames up but they are dying down.

The red guardians are running through the flames. They are almost upon him. Just as they are about to get him coils go through their heads.

Xarsha: "Take care of the other ones Epimetheus."

Epimetheus gets hit by many quills. He just looks down at them.

Xarsha: "I will handle this one." Referring to the quill being...

Xarsha stands with his hands behind his back. This turned quill being launches his quills. Xarsha creates a black mist cloud in front of himself. As the quills go through the mist it acts like acid and eats them away.

The turned quill being rushes at Xarsha. He is still standing there with his hands behind his back. The quill being is almost upon him.

The quill being shows his fangs and goes down to bite. Xarsha disappears. Then all you can see is the quill being's throat slice open. It dies.

Epimetheus crushes the other mindless turned ones. They cannot do anything to him.

Ondrax is watching them. He is down on his knees recovering. Epimetheus walks toward him.

Ondrax: "Who are you?"

Xarsha: "We serve a master beyond this realm." He is wiping his dagger off.

Ondrax: "Then you are the servants of the god. So there is a heaven."

Xarsha: "Not a heaven that you think. More of a place that could end up to be worse for you than it is here."

Ondrax: "No place could be worse than here."

Xarsha: "Unfortunately you will be staying at least for a while."

Ondrax sees the opening eye rift...

Ondrax: "No one. Not even the servants of the god will keep me from salvation."

Ondrax burns Xarsha with blue flame. Then he stops. Xarsha's body is smoking.

Xarsha laughs: "Please."

Epimetheus pulls the quills out of him and throws them in front of Ondrax.

Epimetheus: "Understand we can make you do what we want."

Ondrax: "What is it you want?"

Xarsha: "There are a few that we need to find here. Some of your kinfolk and fellow beings you share this realm with came through and has caused upheaval in the realms beyond this one."

Ondrax: "And if I help you..."

Xarsha: "Then I may be able to persuade my master, or what you consider 'God' to let you leave here permanently."

Ondrax: "But you warned me before that the place beyond here may be worse."

Xarsha laughs: "On the other side of the rift could be worse but there is much you have yet to understand."

Ondrax: "Who is it you wish to find?"

Xarsha: "A witch you know very well... Dracelsa. One who is conspiring with you. It was her who gave you the information on where this rift would be."

Ondrax: "Do you intend to do her harm?"

Xarsha: "No. She knows of a place that my comrade and I here need to get to."

Ondrax: "I'll take you to this witch, but be weary. We must travel without being noticed. The reagent Lords and minions watch over these lands."

Xarsha walks up to him and places his hand on the head of Ondrax. He is getting information. Then he finishes and takes his hand off.

Ondrax: "What did you do?"

Xarsha: "Pinpointing our destination. Let us go there."

Xarsha creates more black mist. They go into a place that looks like a swamp. There is a small shack.

Dracelsa is there picking up firewood. There is a two-tailed six-eyed black cat with her. It rubs up against her leg and she drops her wood.

Dracelsa: "Penyayleah look what you've done."

Cat sits and starts licking itself. Ondrax walks up behind her and startles her...

Ondrax: "Here let me help you."

Dracelsa: "Ondrax, how many times have I told you not to do that to me?"

Xarsha: "Hmm peculiar."

Ondrax cannot be picked up by senses this is how he is able to get close without being noticed. He is literally like a ghost. He has long blood red hair with a beard.

His skin is pale white. He has blue tattoo markings which are tribal and look like vines. He has tribal moons on his cheeks. He wears a burgundy gold-trimmed cloak. His eyes shimmer yellow. They are not black like the others.

Dracelsa has pale white skin and black hair. She has almost the same kind of tattoo markings except the moon symbols are on her neck instead of cheeks. They glow blue. Her eyes are a deep blue. She wears a sky blue cloak and blue dress underneath.

Dracelsa turns around and sees Xarsha and Epimetheus. She drops her wood again and falls to her knees and bows. Epimetheus chuckles.

Dracelsa: "Get down to your knees Ondrax."

Xarsha steps forward: "Peculiar customs you have here, but I will need you to stand. I am not going to squat down to speak to you."

Dracelsa stand up: "Forgive my friend's ignorance. He does not know who you are but I do. You are servants of the god."

Xarsha: "Yes. We seem to be getting that a lot lately."

Dracelsa: "You have come to us. I have been waiting so long. I have so many questions. Please come inside."

They follow her into her shack. There are all kind of bottles and potions. There are six-eyed four-tailed pointy-eared rats and really long silver lizards.

There are also creatures that look like toads without eyes with spines on their backs. There are all kinds of different objects. It is dim inside. There is just light from the fireplace.

Dracelsa: "So dark in here."

She puts a blue dust over the fire and it turns blue and increases. She places some of the wood on it.

Dracelsa: "It is here. It is all here."

She goes over to a chest and opens it up. She pulls out very old scrolls on black parchment. The scroll handles are made of bone. She opens it and it is written in glowing red thothilssin.

Dracelsa: "I studied it over and over again."

Xarsha: "Let me see this. Hmm... and what have you learned from this?"

Dracelsa: "That there is a heaven beyond here ruled by the great creator god. The one who fell here who sacrificed his body to go into the great beyond so that one day all of us would find salvation there from the Vlackin and the reagent Lords. The day has come when the great eye will open and we will all be called there."

Epimetheus laughs. Xarsha looks at him and clears his throat.

Xarsha: "A wonderful fairy tale, but that is not what it reads."

Xarsha places his finger on it and the thothilssin symbols change shape and move.

Xarsha: "I will need to give this to my master. This is mine now."

Dracelsa bows her head: "Yes I understand."

Epimetheus walks over to this little pestle and mortar that is used to grind herbs. He picks it up...

Epimetheus: "There is life in this thing."

Dracelsa: "There is life in everything here. These are all the forgotten children."

Epimetheus: "And who forgot them?"

Dracelsa: "The reagent Lords."

Because Dracelsa has no children of her own they don't ever take her. They leave her alone. Many don't want to give up their children to become turned ones or to be fed on so Dracelsa turns them into objects for the parents. They consider it better this than something else.

Xarsha: "So this is one of your crafts then witch."

Dracelsa: "Yes. That is why I keep them here with me. I keep them safe."

Xarsha: "And I suppose if the reagent Lords of this land were to find out..."

Ondrax: "Then would cut her into a thousand pieces and then place her into a thousand bottles. One of the more merciful examples that they make of our kind."

Dracelsa laughs: "To think what they would do to you."

Ondrax: "Most likely slow decay... but first they have to catch me. Our friends here may be able to help us."

Epimetheus: "No one said we were friends."

Ondrax: "They speak of a different place beyond here. I want us to go there. If we help them they may take us there."

Dracelsa looks at all her objects: "But I cannot leave them here."

Ondrax puts his hands on her arms: "Dracelsa you cannot stay here forever. They will learn about what you have done. In time they will know you aided me. I didn't want to leave before without you."

Dracelsa: "And my answer is still the same. I cannot leave them here, but I will help you."

Xarsha: "We need to find an illuminated forest where a certain race of beings live. Ones covered in quills."

Dracelsa: "You speak of the Dourin. It will be hard to find them but I can take you to the forest. It is some distance from here."

Ondrax: "It will be no trouble for the servants of the god to take us there."

Dracelsa grabs a staff with a blue crystal on it...

Dracelsa: "It will be no trouble for me either."

She pounds it on the ground and twists it. All this blue light swirls around them. There is a flash.

Xarsha and Epimetheus wipe their eyes and as they regain visual they see they are in this glowing forest. All the plants and trees are luminescent. Even the pollen glows. Ondrax and Dracelsa's tattoos are glowing while in this forest.

Xarsha: "I am noticing that your powers resonate in this place. They grow stronger."

Ondrax: "This is where the cleansing flame was born. What Dracelsa and I practice is a forbidden form of magic."

Xarsha: "This explains why you can harm the turned ones and their guardian minions."

Dracelsa: "The reagent Lords do not come to this forest. They will burn away in an instant. Their guardians... As you can see..."

She points to burned up corpses.

Dracelsa: "Along with the mindless turned ones cannot stay here long without also burning up. We are safe here."

Ondrax: "Dracelsa and I are well known among the Dourin."

Dracelsa: "This way..."

True Self Past Vision for Ondrax...

Xarsha: "Such an interesting place this is. It may shock you to know this, but we know very little of this realm. As I said to you before warlock, there is much you have yet to understand about outside of here."

Ondrax: "What do you wish to know?"

Xarsha: "As much as you can possibly share. I wish to know more about this cleansing flame."

Ondrax: "Then I should start with what I remember. There was a time before the great purging. This was when the Chieftain and Chieftess of the Dourin protected those against the reagent Lords.

Many of our kind would journey to this sacred forest to seek sactuary and refuge. They would bring us here as children and would leave us among the Dourin.

They would take us in and teach us their ways. Dracelsa and I were two of these children. The children that got to stay with them were called the Kourin.

Many others would try to seek refuge here but the Dourin would only take the youngest. This was not satisfying to our people. So some would hide in this forest.

It attracted the attention of the reagent Lords who brought the full force of their armies upon this place and punished our kind for disobedience."

Dracelsa: "They burned our kind like candles to light the way for their armies. They surrounded the whole forest and burned us. Many more of our kind sought refuge inside from the slaughter. This became a strain on the Dourin and the forest itself."

Ondrax: "The Chieftain and Chieftess became more impatient with those of our kind the Vaupwayn.

The Chieftain became more obsessed with immortality. This fueled their hatred for the Vaupwayn who were straining their forest of resources.

Their two daughters Axula and Tiyenta tried to persuade their father and mother from seeking immortality because the only way to achieve it is to be turned.

I was still yet a young boy when the Chieftain and Chieftess left the forest seeking immortality."

Xarsha: "And what were the names of the Chieftain and Chieftess?"

Ondrax: "Lasil and Ovia. They were given the touch of damnation from one of the Vlackin masters themselves. They promised that all their Dourin kind would turn.

When the Chieftain and Chieftess returned to the forest they were unaffected by the luminescence that would burn the others away. They demanded that all Dourin take the touch of damnation and receive eternal life.

This caused a civil war led against them by their two daughters. Thus came the time of the great purging. Those loyal to Lasil and Ovia invaded the sacred forest.

The daughters Axula and Tiyenta gathered the eternal ashes and rekindled the cleansing flame. This drove back the turned Dourin.

Once it was all over only Dracelsa and I remained of the Kourin. The Dourin decided to head deep into the forest for their survival.

They declared that we would be the last Kourin and they would never teach their ways to another. That if any Vaupwayn leave their children then they would leave them to starve because they had already almost brought destruction upon them.

Axula swore to end the torment of her mother and father. She left the forest. While her sister Tiyenta took the rest of the Dourin deep within the forest."

Xarsha, Epimetheus, Ondrax, and Dracelsa arrive deep in the forest where the Dourin reside...

Dracelsa: "It has been a long time since we have been here old friend."

Ondrax: "I still remember the last time we saw Tiyenta. We were standing on the edge of the forest. Tiyenta held little blue flames in her hands and gave one to each of us to forever protect us against the turned ones and their masters."

Some Dourin see Dracelsa and Ondrax and recognize them...

Dourin: "They have returned and brought strange beings with them."

A few Dourin look at Xarsha and Epimetheus and bow to them.

Dourin: "They are servants to the god of salvation!"

They all bow to the Myrrdonites...

Tiyenta comes out with a few of her personal guard. She walks forward and her guards fall to their knees and bow. She looks at Xarsha and Epimetheus and then takes a knee and bows her head.

Tiyenta: "Servants of the god of salvation... you have blessed us with your coming. The time of the great exit from this place is upon us. Gather your things everyone. We are leaving here. I will gather the eternal ashes."

They are joyful and running around to gather things. Epimetheus is watching them.

Xarsha: "This is no rapture for anyone. So tell your people to go about their business. I am here only to speak to you."

Some of the Dourin nearby heard and are concerned and confused...

Dourin: "We are not leaving? But if this is not the great exit then why have the servants of the god of salvation come?"

Xarsha: "We have come on regards to your sister Axula as well as your parents who are no longer here in this place."

Tiyenta: "Axula has set my parents free as well as herself. She is in the great beyond. I do not understand then why are you here if not to take us from this place to be with them?"

Ondrax: "There is much that we do not understand. I have been trying to gather the answers to similar questions with no results."

Xarsha: "All your questions will be answered in time. Our main concern now is to take you and this eternal ash to your sister. For your parents have caused chaos in the realms beyond here."

Tiyenta: "So my sister and my parents are not dead, but in a place beyond here?"

Xarsha: "Yes a place that I will be taking us to. Well, myself, my comrade, and you three. The rest will remain here. Gather your ashes."

He pulls out a little spinning compass then he closes it...

Xarsha: "I do not want to waste any more time."

Tiyenta: "I understand. Let me speak to my people."

She gathers the attention of the Dourin...

Tiyenta: "Fellow brothers and sisters the servants of the god of salvation has come to take me into the great beyond.

For my sister and my parents have gone there. There is chaos and the servants need my help.

I do not know what may happen to me, but if I am to survive I will return for you all and find a way to take us from this place."

Tiyenta goes up to an altar and gathers shimmering blue ashes. She scoops it up and places it into a cloth which she ties up.

Tiyenta: "I am ready to go."

Xarsha: "Then let us leave this place and go to what you call heaven."

They see a rift open up...

Xarsha: "Come and see what awaits you on the other side."

They step through and the rift closes.

Dourin are humanoids that pale skin and black eyes. They are covered in red and black quills from the top of their head, down the back, a bit on their arms. They all wear cloaks.

To be continued...

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