Post subject: The Journey: Stranger in a Strange Land 
Nearly Three Years Ago
"We are in need of a scouting party. Volunteers will be needed, those who will go through the rift first and set up a base of operations." Sergeant Winters looked over the quiet audience of Redmonts and their allies, knowing there would be a prolonged moment of silence after he had just explained all of the details of their current situation. "Do we know if the lands are safe?" A McKennah boy, not a day older than thirteen, spoke up over the crowd.
"We only know they are habitable, no one knows what awaits us beyond the Gateway, which is why we request volunteers to go in first and to report back what they find before the Navidiums attack.""So, this is it? We run like cowards. We can, and will, defeat this enemy as we have many times before. Give us time! Tell the King to just give us time! That is all we need to bring that snake Lumine to his knees. This time we -end- the Ravenholms!" Darius raised his own custom axe above his head, attempting a brief call to arms from the room and succeeding with some as they joined in the grunts and bellows of agreement.
"This world is coming to an end," Isabella's strong voice rang out over the crowd, cutting off the building rally as she stepped up onto the platform upon which Sergeant Winters stood. "It is not just the looming threat of the Navidium Army or the return of the Kinslayer -- It has been known for decades that our time was short here on Mystra-Amor... and like our ancestors when they traveled to the realm of Mystics, we will forge forward to a new world. Who will join me?"Isabella knew as Maxim's second in command she would be needed to lead this expedition, it had taken many days of inner struggle to come to this conclusion. Every clear thought she had was telling her to stay, to protect her family, to be sure they made it through the portal, but she knew this was the way it had to be. This mission was far too important to the survival of their family."I shall accompany you, my dearest niece," Mikayla drifted up the stairs, never seeming to have her feet touch the floor, to stand by the Guardian. Soon after others began to join, one by one, lining up upon the platform beside Isabella. A few of Redmont lineage, others of interwoven families, and some of the Absolutioneer and Silver Cross brigades. After the slow, but steady stream seemed to end, Isabella lifted her newly amber eyes to Darius' face. "Come with me, cousin. Join us," she knew leaving him behind would leave the window of opportunity open for him to start a revolt against their current plans, wanting to take on the Ravenholm regime and it was the last thing the Lord and Lady needed as they attempted to salvage what they could. Darius would never be sure if it was a request or an order, he didn't need to know. He would obey; As they were all taught as children that in times of war you do as you are told.
The very next night the volunteers gathered at the Gateway. Ainsley had already begun the ritual that opened the rift between the two worlds. "I will not be able to hold it long. We must save some of it's power for communications and our following trip, should all go well." They gathered their supplies, each of them weighted down with a large size rucksack filled with supplies of various natures along with personal affects.
Faster than they had imagined the Gateway came to life, "Quickly," Ainsley stepped out of the way and Isabella took charge, leading the way into the portal, quickly followed by the others as they walked into the unknown.
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 5:35 pm
In a world beyond controlling, are you gonna deny the savior in front of your eyes?
Give into the Night.
Post subject: Re: The Journey: Stranger in a Strange Land
"Just as expected..."The words hung in the air as Isabella's one fluid step forward left Northcross in Mystra-Amor and landed upon the sandy shore of Heruin. As her body completely appeared out of the portal she could only take a few steps forward before the barrel of a gun was pointed directly at her chest.
"I wouldn't move any closer if I were you, Redmont," Isabella had heard of such weaponry in the history books that cluttered the archives. These weapons were known to the Redmonts from lands they had lived in before, but their generation had been sworn to never make mention of them, to never use them as long as they called the Land of Mystics home. Bringing herself back to the moment, her eyes twitched slightly, and she took in the small crowd that had encircled the portal opening.
"Did our reputation proceed us?" The Guardian began slowly lifting her arms to her sides, a universal sign of surrender, or so she hoped. At this time the other volunteers began filing in behind her, coming in two's and three's, thirteen in all, with Mikayla coming in last just as the portal closed. She could only hope they would follow her lead.
The elder witch's gaze traveled quickly across the welcome party that had greeted them ever so rudely. "Who has sent you?" She sniffed the air as a disgusted look began to creep across her features. "That smell. I know that odor. It sickens me." Mikayla raised her voice slightly as she announced the last few words.
A few of the soldiers foolishly turned their aim onto the Redmont witch. "Pitiful," Mikayla maneuvered her hand, twisting her bony fingers into a sturdy grip, then pushed her hand up and away from herself. Simultaneously, every barrel of every gun in that crowd bent up then back, their owners were now staring down the barrels of their own firearms. "Now!" Isabella cried out over the gathering as the volunteers each grabbed their weapons and began dispersing, each taking on at least two of the welcoming committee. She herself had gotten entangled with two rather large blokes, each with a rapier, and a bad attitude. "You will never beat us in a fair fight, cowards."The battle was more ferociously fought than she would have thought, these strangers knew their fighting styles, not perfectly, but you could tell they had been prepared for this encounter.Her large broadsword finally tore through the midsection of one of her opponents, leaving just the one left. Looking around she saw the playing field was evening up, almost down to one on one. Darius slammed the butt of the titanic sized axe he wielded through the skull of a man attempting to get at Mikayla with a sickening crunch. One more down.
Sergeant Winters came up behind the last of Isabella's chosen marks and ran him through easily with his scimitar. Only three remained on the field now. "Keep them alive." Mikayla yelled across the beach, "They move too quickly to be ordinary humans." She stepped assuredly over to the three captives as the volunteers remaining began surrounding them. The cloak of the witch whipped around her in the sea winds rushing off the foreign waves, she knelt down beside the most injured of the three."You will tell us who sent you, you will tell us or we shall let you die. No, we will not end it for you, we will let you rot on this beach, alone...in the sun, slowly drying up like a raisin." Her fingers reached down between the man's ribs, pushing the tips of her fingers into the open wound there. "Who.." Deeper in, "Sent..." Deeper now, "You?" The man writhed in pain with each movement, finally giving into her persuasions."We are of the--" One of the other two captives yelled out for him to stop and had his head unceremoniously sliced off by the sharp edge of a sai. Scared even more for his own fate the man began where he had left off, "We are of the Ravenholm Empire, we were sent by the King."
"I knew I recognized the stench of your blood," snarling, "shackle them, keep the prisoners with you at all times, Darius." Mikayla moved towards her niece, who had been absent for most of the interrogation. Instead of asking what was on Isabella's mind she just moved to stand beside her.
"Nothing. There is nothing here." Isabella's feet were planted firmly in the sand where she had taken her first steps upon the beach of Heruin. "No, gateway, no portal, not even ruins. We have no way to let Mystra-Amor know that we even made it through the rift."
"A trap, one would assume, dear child. They must have known we were arriving, averted the stream to a different location.""How? How did they get here? Ravenholms, in Aleris? There is no logical explanation.""When logic runs dry one must begin accounting for the illogical. We will start by learning more from our new friends."
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:00 am
In a world beyond controlling, are you gonna deny the savior in front of your eyes?
Give into the Night.
Post subject: Re: The Journey: Stranger in a Strange Land
"The others would not have survived this sun, this land. There is nowhere to go to ground in this dreadful desert."Darius' comment hung in the cooling desert air as the sun set over the horizon, finally settling the makeshift camp into darkness. The gathering of people that had been brought together in the Gateway chamber, when Isabella had asked the group for volunteers, had not been randomly invited. Logically, the Redmont twins had known that the likelihood of the group being stranded at first without shelter would leave the scouting party open to the elements, which is why none of their light sensitive brethren had been motivated to join.
Isabella was a day walker, due to the circumstances revolving when she was changed by her brother, and while the sun did not harm her, it made her uncomfortable in her own skin. A feeling she always gladly said goodbye to when the skies went dark.
An eternal flame sat between them as they came to circle about it, a spell by Mikayla that would keep the party warm through many cold desert nights. Sergeant Winters cleared his throat before he began to speak, bringing the circle to order. "The two prisoners have told us where they originated from when they started their journey, a place called Arthuran. They say it is two continents north of this desert land, which they also call Heruin. In order to get to Arthuran we will have to cross over a land called Elved. Now, according to them, if we choose to trust their word, this land and Arthuran are without a governing body. Elved though, Elved has a seated Queen overseeing the lands calling herself Lady Victorie. Quite the coincidence I know.""I do not feel like stumbling across any local 'authority' at this time in our journey. We would not have the upper hand in this encounter, for now." The younger of the Redmont twins stood from her seat in the sands and began to slowly walk behind her comrades that had joined her at the campfire. The moonlight gaining strength now that the wicked sun had vacated the heavens, and the white light reflected eerily off of her pale skin as she began to lay out their future plans.
"We will return to the shore tomorrow morning. Since these lands are habitable I can assure you there will be a harbor or dock somewhere along the coast line. We will travel by foot until we reach the harbor of the next settlement and there we will wait until a proper ship makes anchor. We will commandeer the ship... take it by force," Isabella explained further at the questioning looks she received with the word 'commandeer', "Then we will sail to this land Arthuran and find the source of this Ravenholm empire."
"If I may Isabella, what shall we do regarding contacting the others. They've no idea we are even still alive. Will they still come if they do not know if it safe to do so?""The King will do what is right for the survival of our family. I do not know what their situation is like back at Northcross, just as they do not know what our circumstances are here. Just as they will fight to keep our legacy alive, so will we. We have two chances now, instead of just one, to be sure the Redmont name carries on. This task, above all others, is the only thing that matters. Mikayla is attempting to scry an image of where the matching gateway is in these lands, but it will take her many days of meditation to envision the destination. None of us know these lands, this quest will not be easy, but we will prevail. I promise you this, my family, I will bring us to our enemies with heads held high."
That night, as the others slept, Isabella joined her aunt on the perch of a nearby dune. The eldest Redmont witch sensed the approach of the Guardian and let a half smile quirk her lip. "No, Isabella, I have not seen the location yet of the portal's twin. All I see is white when I close my eyes. A deep, blinding white."
Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:49 am
In a world beyond controlling, are you gonna deny the savior in front of your eyes?
Give into the Night.
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