Deadwing's Dominion of Despair IC--[M] Bluemoon and Holeypaladin

The half elf felt the knight's attentions on her again and she shifted uncomfortably, trying to ignore him but unable to when he called her the Naked Looter again. She had hoped that the teasing was over. Narrowing her eyes, she looked at him warily, sighing in frustration. "I have a name...of course...you can call me El...but with your magic, I'm not going to give you any more. You might use it against me." It seemed ridiculous to worry over, but she had seen him create clothing out of thin air. Who knew what else he could do?

Her gaze continued to hold his for a moment, the mention of being surrounded by the undead coming to her as a surprise. She couldn't help but to look around...searching for any sign. If she was going to leave it would have to be soon...the thought of spending the night here, sleeping on the cold ground, was not appealing to her. Especially if this was the spot he was staying.

Looking in the direction of the town, she pointed with her chin. "I'm going to go back to the village. Sleep where I did last night. I haven't see any of the undead since they attacked, so it must be safe." Her voice, despite her belief, held a bit of a tremor. "You said they are surrounding us...how can you know that? I don't see anything."

She wasn't going to take any chances though, and if she only had a short amount of time before they rose, she had to get moving. Getting to her feet, she finally was able to slip her boots on without flashing him, the laces left undone. She would only take the most valuable items, keeping her load light, specifically her coins, food, and mace. She didn't bother with the skirt's hem as she grabbed up her items...there was no time to play games...and once she had everything, she looked hard into the darkness, fear striking her cold as she imagined movement along the tree line. She tried to dismiss it as a flight of fancy brought on by the knight's words, perhaps told to keep her here in his proximity. Shaking her head, she swallowed hard then stepped out of the embrace of the oak's branches.

Regarding the half-elf with his gaze, he chuckled as she refused to give him more than a simple name. "Well, El," he said, feeling no such desire to tell her that he didn't need to know much else if he wanted to cause her harm, "Sounds like you have a great plan. If you plan to die within a week, that is." As she stood up to collect her belongings, he continued, "Not only will the stench be unbearable by the time you get to your ruin, but it'll be festering with disease, and the crops are likely all burnt or blighted so as to render this land uninhabitable for quite some time. But don't let me stop you," he remarked.

He noted in her haste that she flashed him several times while collecting her belongings, apparently more concerned about getting away from him, or at least back to where she perceived safety to lie. He was just about to release the magic that composed her dress and leave her completely naked as she walked away, when suddenly a skeletal hand reached out from the soft dirt at her feet, gripping her ankle like an iron vice.

Acting on instinct and without thinking, the knight used his Foundry circuit to conjure forth a large, two-headed flail, and in one smooth motion brought the weapon down in a powerful blow. Upon striking a lump in the soil where the skeleton's head was, a radiant light flashed from his weapon, and the hand gripping the half-elf's ankle was reduced to ash.

His spirit sense was now detecting numerous undead arising from the dirt all around them. "We're surrounded," he said to the thief. Incanting in the Draconic language, he said, "Tharm di eligne, kaegro." In response to his summons, a circle of light quickly lit up around him, surrounding the knight up to about ten feet. Several zombies were now visible, but when one of them tried to cross the circle, a barrier of light stopped the creature like a brick wall.

"If you want to survive the night," he said to the stubborn half-elf, "Don't leave this circle." Already, numerous other corpses, arising from the dirt as if fresh from the grave, began to surround his position, testing the barrier by pressing against it, only to linger outside, lifeless and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

El glanced over her shoulder as the knight tore apart her decision to return to the village, shaking her head slightly. Maybe being called the 'Naked Looter' was better than her name, as she did not like the way 'El' sounded coming from him, especially on top of his bloody sarcasm. She had already considered most of the negatives he mentioned, but her reasoning was based more on her naivete than actual fact. She wanted the comfort of familiarity, and the town provided that. Turning forward again, her resolve solidified by his doubt, she started walking along the pathway.

The girl had not gone more than a couple of steps before she paused, a slight shifting of the ground beneath her foot drawing her attention. In the next instant she screamed. Trapped in the grip of a bony claw around her ankle El struggled, the leather of her boot digging into her flesh as the hold tightened. The pain was fierce, but her panic was more intense, her newly acquired belongings falling to the ground as she tugged on her leg. She was not aware of the knight until she was tumbling backwards, landing on her backside and continuing to scramble out of range of the reaching arms of the undead that were starting to appear.

'Surrounded.' The word reverberated in her head in the knight's deep tone...and she was...the undead were everywhere. El realized a little late that she had scooted too far...a circle of light appearing before her...and she was not in it. In a second she was up on her feet, her dress holding her back briefly as the material was grasped in a faltering grip...then she was free...inside...her shuddering breath filling her ears.

The undead were close...too close...and there was no visible barrier to block her view of the disease and putrification that was occuring. It was not like the night two days ago. She had been fleeing then and there had not been a chance to see them so clearly. She wished she could erase the image now. As another hit the barrier she flinched, jumping back and landing against the knight. Her breath caught...and she forced herself away...just a few inches...but it wasn't long before she was against him again. The center was the safest...and he was the center. Whether friend of foe, he was better than the zombies outside the ring...as there was no doubt that they would kill her.

A tremor passed through her and she moved again...away from the distraction his warmth was becoming. She swallowed away the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath and focusing on the throbbing in her leg...and something new...the slight sensation of wetness along the middle of her back. If this was her new reality she was going to have to learn to face it...and them. As much as she hated the thought of having to fight against them, she would, and in the morning she would find her way back to the village and collect her belongings. It was time to leave this town.

Opening her eyes, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She was back in control...at least as much as she could be given the circumstances. Stepping forward, she faced the true enemy, stared them in the eyes and managed not to flinch when they lunged. She could only hope this barrier would hold. Whether it was it's own entity or held in place by the knight's will, it was the only thing keeping them alive.

After a moment she turned to face him. "You win," she said with the slightest hint of humor. "I guess I will stay here tonight in your little ring of light." She paused to look at his mount still standing by the oak tree. "I don't suppose we could at least move a little farther away? Somewhere where they are not. Perhaps on your...horse?"

The panicked reaction of the half-elf was understandable, and normal... for most people, at least. To the knight, however, this wasn't new to him, and instead he became instantly focused on the situation at hand. Even the exposure caused by the girl falling on her butt and backing away as quickly as she could did little to distract him, though he did manage to spare a glance at it so that it wouldn't be a total waste.

Before long, she was back at his side, pressed against him while the undead continued to press against the barrier on all sides. It was difficult to focus with her pressing so tightly against him, but he examined the area around them, thinking a bit as she mentioned the horse, which, while outside the circle, was not disturbed by the zombies and skeletons as it wasn't, strictly speaking, alive.

He nodded to her words, and soon the horse made its way into the circle, the zombies oddly enough moving aside so that it could pass. "We can at least put some distance between us and these corpses before the spell wears off," he remarked, climbing up onto the horse. Reaching out his hand, he took hers and helped her into his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her closer and prevent her from falling, as he doubted she was able to get much riding experience with her social status.

It was clear the undead weren't simply going to let them ride out, but he used his Foundry circuit to conjure a shield on his left arm. It was then that a different breed of undead came charging forward, managing to make it through the barrier and raising a rather unhealthy looking claw to strike at the girl's exposed leg.

Seeing this, the knight directed his shield in the direction of the wight and incanted, "Shartleg!" A brief flash of light from the shield reduced the creature to ash before it could complete its strike, as well as a large number of zombies and skeletons in its vicinity, clearing a path to water where the girl had been bathing not long before. "There's our gap," he said, the horse instantly charging forward directly towards the water.

As the hoofs of the creature came in contact with the surface of the water, however, they did not sink. Instead, the magical steed was able to continue its forward gallop, across the surface of the water, with the half elf in the knight's lap. It was then that he was able to realize that he was, in fact, grinding against the bare flesh of the girl underneath her short dress. "I'm Wilhelm, by the way," he said, pronouncing his name with a V sound after realizing he had not yet introduced himself.

It had been her idea, but once the surreal horse entered the ring of light, El wasn’t so sure about her rash suggestion. Although she had always found the creatures majestic and beautiful from afar, this one was unlike any she had ever seen. Appearing to be made of energy rather than flesh, she had no idea how to ride it. There wasn’t much time to ponder on her apprehension however, the knight mounting immediately and offering his hand. Reluctantly, she took it.

Astride the horse, El’s discomfort continued. With her dress bunched up to her hips, the knight pressed hard against her, and the beast below, she could hardly keep her mind on the danger at hand. It was only the sound of the man’s voice which allowed her to catch a glimpse of the creature breaking through the light barrier. There was no where for her to go, but El still attempted to move backwards, her leg pulling away from the outstretching claws as her backside pushed harder into the knight. A sound escaped her...between a gasp and yelp...and then the threat vanished, once again her life spared. She was in debt for two lives now, the young woman hoping she was the only one keeping count.

During the next few moments El realized she might actually be able to provide some small assistance. The horse’s ability to cross the water without having to swim made her realize there was a place they could go...where the undead hopefully could not. ...and sooner would be better than later. Her building unease from the knight’s proximity was reaching a peak, and soon her ability to stay her hand from the daggers at her side would reach an end. It was a sensation she was all too familiar with...panic...and the only end in sight would be a sanctuary that would allow her to dismount.

As the steed continued its pace she swallowed hard, her short nails digging into the flesh of her thighs to provide a distraction. The undead in pursuit were falling behind, but others were dragging themselves into the moon’s light as they passed. There was a slight flicker as the ring of protection started to pale. Time was running out...

“There’s a place...” she said in a breathless tone a bit above a whisper, “...that might be safe. A small island in the lake about a mile out. Can we make it that far?” The ‘island’ was actually a stationary floating mass of sedge and reeds, the grasses so tightly packed together that the surface was solid. El had swam to it many times, using the tall vegetation to shield herself from prying eyes. Privacy was something she valued, but so rarely had...the little haven her shelter when she dared to bathe.

As the horse galloped across the water as if it were land, the knight held the half elf close to him, realizing the discomfort of riding unprotected as she was would be mitigated at least somewhat by remaining in his relatively comfortable lap. His armor remained on, however, mostly for her sake than for his own, as he noted how high the clothing he had conjured for her was riding as he made his way away from the undead.

Noticing her anxiety, he sighed softly, saying, "Don't worry. I'm the honorable type... mostly, at least," he assured her. Attractive though she may be, he would never take a girl against her will, easy though it might have been in his current situation, with such a physically appealing girl sitting right in his lap, unprotected as she was under the short dress.

Once he had distanced himself from the walking corpses, he realized that the circle of light that protected him was now only telling those of the undead that still had minds where he was headed, and so he opted to allow his spell to fade, his presence now obscured by darkness from the undead minions of Deathwing. He listened to her words, thinking over what she said as he scanned the darkness for the location she had told him of.

"A mile out? Too far to swim... did you steal a boat to find it?" he asked. Though some of the best swimmers could swim a mile, El seemed more of an urban survivalist than a rural survivalist, else she never would have suggested visiting the village once more. As the night was dark, there was no way he would find such an island with so low visibility, and so he incanted, "Thurkear jillepse...." a simple Divination spell, required study material for every academy of magic in the Empire, that would allow him to see in the dark.

"I see it," he said with a nod. "We need to hurry, though." He could already sense that the conjuration spell that had summoned his steed earlier in the day was about to fade... and with it, their ability to gallop across the water rather than fall into it. And so, the knight made his way to the island, holding the half-elven looter in his lap as he did so, riding across the lake as if it were land.

There were only seconds left in the spell by the time the horse broke through the vegetation shielding the island from view of the mainland, and as the knight brought the steed to a halt, it reared up a bit, the half elf bouncing hard back onto his lap, before fading away from existence... dropping both riders onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Despite her unease, El let out a sigh, relieved that the undead were finally falling behind. As the knight spoke, she ignored him, choosing not to respond to either of his comments...his ‘honorable’ claim still in question...and as to the remark about her stealing a boat, she thought it best to be quiet. Admitting to such a crime would only work against her...besides, she had ‘borrowed’ it the first few times, finally managing to swim the distance after a summer’s worth of practice.

With growing impatience, El watched the forest speed by, her view limited by the small sliver of moonlight that managed to pass through the tree’s canopy. She was surprised to note the dark shimmer of the lake so quickly, the steed much faster than she anticipated. A short bit after Wilhelm had incanted some spell, she saw the island coming into view, her worry that they wouldn’t be able to find it in the dark dispelled. Coming to a stop, she tried to work out how she would manage dismounting the horse with this horrible dress..and then the animal reared. El grabbed for the horse’s mane as she fell backwards, feeling the coarse hair slip though her fingers...and then it was just gone. There was a sensation of falling, the warm mass between her legs dissipating into thin air. The knight’s arm around her waist was the only thing that kept her from falling freely, her body pulled down atop his, a grunt coming from her as she landed.

El froze, once again compromised by her position. She felt the knight beneath her, her back against his chest and her legs between his. If she was facing the other direction… But no...she wasn’t, and as long as she managed to remove herself from him without further embarrassment, she should be fine. Mumbling a barely audible apology, El pushed her hands against his abdomen and started to scoot downward, ignoring the dress’ hem which insisted on going in the opposite direction. She might as well be naked...as little coverage as this article of clothing was affording her. Grumbling, she moved her hands lower...a deeply inhaled breath catching in her throat when she realized just where she had set them.

“I…I didn’t...” she stammered...her face blushing a deep red as she tried to readjust herself, only succeeding in making matters worse. There was no way for her to lift her hands without falling backwards, and no way for her to continue without pressing down. With great internal struggle, she chose the latter, her color deepening as she finally managed to get herself off of him. She busied herself with the dress, rubbing her hands along the material to straighten out the bunched wrinkles, desperately trying to make it cover up her exposed skin. Once she was satisfied she was semi-decent, she got to her knees, scanning the small area quickly, a bit confused as to where the horse had gotten off to. Animals just didn’t disappear...or did they? ...perhaps in Wilhelm’s presence they did. She rose to her feet slowly, feeling both her pride and rump were bruised. When she turned to face the knight, her color was still high, her chest rising heavily as she sighed in exasperation.

As the girl fell from the horse and onto him, it occurred to Wilhelm that perhaps he should have warned her that the conjured steed was wearing off before it did so. However, riding across the water in a rush to escape the undead and find shelter in time hadn't exactly been the best moment for conversation... and so it seemed the sudden fall had caught her completely off guard. Thankfully, however, he had broken her fall with his own body as he held onto her, the girl falling right onto him in a rather ungraceful way.

The first thing he noticed was the way her dress had been torn, and her back clawed by the zombie while she was panicking earlier. "You're wounded..." he remarked, gently placing his hand on the wound before incanting, "Irisv ezoukeic, mitne." The restorative energy that he used to defeat the undead was used in this purpose to heal the minor injury on her back.. a necessary measure to avoid infection. He even went a further step in mending the dress with his Foundry circuit.

He remained on his back, his hands releasing the rogue so that she could make her own way to his feet, and so that he didn't touch her in the wrong places... like she did to him. Noting her rather embarrassed reaction as he felt her groping him, he chuckled. "I can't really help that..." he remarked, referring to the fact that her attractive body and the flashes of her flesh had left him with a reaction big enough for her to grope the way she was.

Much as she tried to avoid flashing him, the mere physics of trying to climb off the way she was led to a few flashes of its own, though she tried to conceal them as much as possible. Once she did make her way to her feet, however, he glanced up at her... and up her dress, of course... as he helped himself up into a sitting position. Dark though it was, he felt no need to tell her that his night vision spell allowed him a clear view, and allowed her to dwell on the thought that the darkness was obscuring her from normal sight. "I'll ward this island so that the undead won't be able to find us," he said to her. "You can feel free to get some rest, though." Though the skeletons were more than capable of walking across the bottom of the lake to get to them (thanks to their lack of need for air to breathe), finding such a small island in a large lake was no easy feat.

El continued to stare at the knight, her night vision limiting her to little more than his outline once the thickening cloud coverage shifted. She let out a held breath, the ghost of his hand upon her back still present...his gentle touch...and the feel of him under hers. As she looked upon him, his attention did also seem to be on her. Ridiculed and belittled most of her life, she couldn’t imagine what held his regard...she was little more than a mongrel...and yet she could feel his gaze burning into her skin.

With a force of will, El turned away from him, the mention of sleep causing her to scoff softly. The ‘floor’ of the island was rough, the ground damp and cold, hardly a place to rest her entire body. And yet she was exhausted, the day’s trials and the night’s misadventures wearing down on her heavily. She paced slowly, looking for a softer spot, her steps bringing her to an edge. Dark water faced her, the surface still and murky. She stared towards the shore, seeing nothing, but curious as to the meanderings of the undead that occupied it. Such a lonely existence, with nothing but violence and death for the rest of their days. With a sigh, she lowered herself to her knees and dipped in her hand, cupping it and bringing it to her lips. She drank, trying to ignore her hunger. It was an exercise she had practiced before...and with the night’s temperature dropping, she was starting to feel the effects of the cold as well...even the spell placed upon her article of clothing not keeping her warm anymore.

Rising once again, El walked over to Wilhelm and sat down, taking care to keep her legs close together. She would not trouble him with her discomforts, she was already too deep in his debt, but she did have some questions she wanted to ask. His presence was all-consuming, but he had yet to give her reason to fear him...and so she sat with confidence that she was safe. Tugging at her mini’s hem, she almost growled at the material, not sure just how long she could keep up with the constant worry of it...and yet it required her attention. Most of her possessions were gone now...perhaps forever...and it too would soon disappear...only adding to the list of things she would have to worry over.

Shifting slightly, she cleared her throat, her hand reaching out to lightly touch his.

“Wilhelm?” she said apprehensively, her emphasis on the “V” quite strong, “...come morning...what are your plans? Will I be able to come with you?”

The knight began to examine the small island, noting its size, shape, and the general terrain. It definitely didn't seem like it had any comfortable places to sleep, however, as it was more like a swampy area that seemed to lack any solid land. Even after going out of his way to make sure the girl didn't put on wet clothing that would make her sick, it seemed like the mere dampness of the terrain they were forced to use as a rudimentary camp site would have the same effect.

"This isn't really an island..." he noted, tracing some wards in a circular pattern around the closest thing he could find to a dry location. While a true elf would simply be able to trance for a few hours as her rest cycle, from what he knew of half elves, El wouldn't be able to do so... interesting though it may be to watch her try. With a sigh, he resolved himself to the fact that he wouldn't be getting much sleep... though he was used to such things.

"That should do it," he said, marking the last symbol to complete the circle before incanting, "Houpe de wer loex." The draconic runes he had inscribed into the ground lit up briefly as the spell settled into place, and for the remainder of the night, the two of them would be invisible to the perception of undead creatures. He took a seat in the middle, as it was the closest he could find to a dry location, and reached into a pouch at his side, pulling out a sleeping roll that was obviously much too large to fit inside.

As the girl came over, he allowed her to sit next to him, feeling her touch to his hand and giving hers a comforting squeeze. "I need to track down that undead dragon you saw..." he said. "Not sure I stand much of a chance against it, but I'm the only knight within a thousand miles that might. Don't plan on abandoning you, though... so it's up to you if you want to come with, or see if any villages in the area haven't been wiped out."

Laying the sleeping roll down onto the ground, he said, "I only have one of these. Technically it could fit two people but... we can take turns, if you don't mind only getting a couple hours of rest." The interior of the sleeping roll was in fact comfortable enough to allow sleep even in extreme climates, and waterproof, but the only options were to snuggle together inside or take turns.