the flower 5 ( Mid afternoon link )

After three days of traveling across the rugged terrain and hiding in small crevices during the exposing daylight, Fabraut sat concealed within one of the few groves of knotted trees located in the North of Corron and was busy cramming a beetle in his mouth. The surrounding view of the landscape from his position was the perfect spot to wait out the daylight hours. The burrow squirrel would be able to see danger coming, on this, his last day, on his journey to reach the fickle humans.

Continuing to munch on the tasty doomed beetle, Fabraut made semi-hollow crunching noises that echoed loudly from time to time. Each instance a crunch escaped too loudly, Fabraut would crouch quickly, shooting his eyes in all directions, then slowly ease back up, relaxing, although a bit of paranoia causing him to look quickly at each different view from his spot in the shade, regaurdless of the noise he made. It was as if he felt his death coming, darting eyes bulging out of his face and all the while cursing the flower in his thoughts.

Fabraut reached into patch of fur near his lower chest, fiddled around and produce a tiny onyx ring. The ring glistened as if wet in the shadows of the trees. He lifted the ring to eye level and slowly turned it with the tips of his paws, both eyes locked on it. Why do I trust this weed? Fabraut thought to himself, closing his eyes as if in pain. The demons came when he sprouted from the mountain and last time I did a delivery it ended up crazy and insane. I don't want to do this… the humans are unpredictable and the flower is worse. There has to be another way...

A tingling sensation began to feather in the back his mind, lightly nudging his thoughts. Fabraut ignored the feeling, opened his eyes and continued to peer at the onyx ring... the flower’s ring. Several moments passed. The tingling poked Fabraut's thoughts once again, this time much harder and continued without pausing.

The squirrel’s shoulders slumped, releasing his eyes from the ring. He focused in on the feeling intruding within the limits his mind, letting it in. Mentally projecting, while squinting his eyes, Fabraut acknowledged… Yes flower, What is it?

the flower 4 ( That thing by the place )

The burrow squirrel, Fabraut, emerged from the small hole hidden near the base of the rocky mountain -- just below the murderous demons. Now clear, he stood up on his back legs and began to shake off, dust and debris billowed from his fur coat and floated to the ground.

Turning and facing the mountain, Fabraut squinted, gazing upward and over the pooling demons, to the top. "Damn that weed," he mumbled to himself.

Fabraut didn't mind the burrow tunnels under the demons, the air was a bit nasty and thick from the reek of evil, but easy and safe enough to travel. The rest of the journey would be a bit more complicated than scurrying around in some dark tunnels. Turning from his view of the high peak, the squirrel started moving away from the rocky mountain towards the land of the humans, located north on the far side of Herisdorlan, a huge black lake crammed between the massive Gozlyre peaks.

As Fabraut ran across the countryside, he considered what needed to be done before entering the humans’ domain. The thought of just walking amongst them gave him chills. A bit of anxiety tingled his stomach. He despised the humans and their harsh ways -- always eager to kill each other over metal and power. But the flower was right, they both needed the humans to intervene to stop the bloody war back on the mountain. Trying to hire or convince the humans to help had failed miserably in the past. Fabraut knew he could not fail this time -- the sick demons were winning.

The only hope for destroying the monsters on the mountain was to defeat the ancient dark magic embedded deep from within, below the lovely flower.

"Damn weed," Fabraut mumbled one last time as he picked up the pace and vanished over the horizon.

Treachery a grain high(Below the flower)

Several thousand grains below the plotting flower with five lovely petals, a black soil worm eager to please its masters, who currently consumed the bottom half of the mountain, emanated a mental chuckle, sending a fuzzy wave that rippled the length of its sticky frame. Continuing to eavesdrop with its two serrated hair-like antennas, both loosely coiled around a tiny root protruding from the soil in the darkness, the black worm devoured the remaining vibrations pouring from the organic appendage.

Immediately releasing the flowers root. The vile creature tilted its head to the floor of the small cavern, flapping its face and gulping more dirt than seemed possible, creating a squishy, crunchy popping sound. Now, loaded with dirt and treacherous knowledge, the worm continued its downward path…it needed to transmit… the demon lord was waiting.

forest warrior 2

Gripping both blades, turning his knuckles white, Baznor arched his back, throwing his head high, the veins in his neck protruding out, threatening to burst.

The air surrounding him began hum, tiny flashing points of green energy popped in and out of existence several inches from his crouched form. The first several rows of rapidly advancing demons slipped into a haze of slow motion. Energy continued to build around Baznor, the hum of the magic increased and began to shake the side of the mountain, stumbling many of the nasty beasts that charged his location.
The green energy formed a translucent shell which made the outside world a blur. Baznor gazed upward, clenching his teeth. Tears began to pool in the corners of his focused eyes, and his body trembled and shook. The energy surrounding his body started glowing brighter and brighter which made it impossible for him to keep his eyes open.

Now lost within the green barricade, Baznor roared through gritted teeth, "Make me your tool, Lord of the Dawn... strike these foul monsters back to their world!" An intense crackling beam of green energy shot from the night sky and merged with Baznor, screaming as the energy took over. The green shield consuming the warrior exploded outward shredding and disintegrating the demons in its path, the sound was unthinkable.
Several seconds and it was over, the light dissipated, leaving only the night sky. Baznor collapsed to the rocky surface with both blades jammed into the ground before him. He was the only soul left on the edge, alone.

the flower 3 The delivery negotiation

"I am eternally imprisoned to this spot, with ulterior plans to some day physically eradicate the demons surrounding this mountain." said the flower
The flower stretched its petals and continued, "This is why I need you... for now." mumbling the last part.
The burrow squirrel squatting on the ground a pace away squinted with suspicion and continued to eye the lovely little flower.

The flower's petals drooped with defeat. "Come on...its just a simple delivery, drop it off and back, nothing more. Pow! your back in your hole like it never happened" said the flower.
Several moments pass while the two stare each other down, Petals to eyes.
The burrow squirrel broke the silence, "Crap, ok, but listen." squinting his eyes, almost slits. "Don't forget about last time you, you...weed."
The flower pointed its five lovely petals towards its anthers and pistil, saying "Me forget!?, no... that shouldn't happen, pleeease. That was a freak thing."
"I have placed the package at the usual location, you know... that thing by the place." directed the lovely flower.
"Yes flower, I know." grumbled the squirrel, turning and started away.
Leaning after the departing courier, "Do return swiftly." said the flower.
Stopping a pace or two from the flower, the burrow squirrel said without looking back, "You are a strange little creature." and continued walking away...

a tomb

The sarcophagus was located in the center of the small dismal tomb. Many carvings were chiseled into the surface of the walls, continually depicting screaming souls being shredded and devoured by a massive black dragon. Ancient runes burned into a mystical molding on the tops and bottoms of the stone walls. These gruesome scenes and unreadable words repeated themselves, circling the room. Water dripped from the ceiling and was collecting in a putrid puddle, which looked more like some nasty sludge pile. The smell of death lingered on the thick heavy air creating a thin haze, which made it hard to see. As the room looked safe enough, Vastig Burnsward pulled himself thru the small opening near the ceiling and dropped to the floor, not making a sound or disturbing the dust covering the floor. Still in a crouch and balancing on the balls of his feet, the trespasser begins to cautiously inch forward while pulling his harmonic sword free of its scabbard...

the flower 2

The putrid demon stood square, feet planted solidly on the high rocky mountain's rough surface. Massive arms hung ready by its sides, while muscles twitched with anticipation, and hands tipped with razor sharp claws clenched tight and shook. Eyes filled with blood glowered down at a tiny flower with five lovely petals. The flower gazed up at the monster braced before it and said, "Go ahead, pick me,but consider this you demonic spectacle," as it bent its stem in and out of an S shape and never took its petals off the beast. "A lone flower thriving on a mountain surrounded by evil monstrosities and these monstrosities have battled upward for countless years, trying to destroy the lovely little flower, to no avail." The flower stood strait and leaning a bit closer to the demon, continued. "But you," it said, "You, have made it to the top and I can see in your eyes that you want to pick me, so, I say to you, foul soul,Go ahead, pick me...if you dare."

the flower

The savage humanoid, covered with its enemies' gore, stood at the crest of the mountain. Clenched in each shredded fist was a purple energized blade, crackling with violent energy. At the monster's feet, a tiny lone flower sprouted with five lovely petals. Below, the flower gazed up, "Don't you dare, fiend," it squeaked.

spy

Taking a quick second the Fossian spy really couldn’t spare, he moved his hand cautiously and began caressing the edges of the deep blue stone hovering above the dusty book. His eyes flashed with a glorious joy, “I shouldn’t,” he said. After a pause, he smiled…"Oh, why not?" and snatched up the stone. Thunder sounded in the distance.

the thief

Several minutes go by without a whisper; a cool breeze flows by with sting on its tips. A huddled shape, squeezing into a small shadow, sat gripping its knees. The thief whispered, “What have I done?”

choosing

The slumping warrior, clutching his side seeping blood from a fatal wound, slowly looks up at the spectral demon with defeat in his eyes. Reaching out and laying a clawed hand on the warrior’s bowed head, the demon’s voice rasped out, sounding like rocks grating against one another, “I see you have chosen.”

priestess

Standing there twirling her red curls with the tips of her fingers, the priestess of the Scifion Conscience peers over her shoulder, spying the tattered fabric on the chair with squint of disgust. She turned back toward the general, who snapped to attention and stared straight forward, knowing it would be fatal to do otherwise. A moment passes. Through gritted teeth, in a soft tone the priestess hisses, “Destroy them all”. The general thumps his chest and bows, turns on a heel and strides out of the chamber. Continuing to twirl her lovely red locks, a sinister smirk begins to grow on her lips.

the price

“What is the price?” the frail man asked. The mist swirling in the air before him flexed and hissed. The hovering moisture left a hint of coppery aroma floating in the cell. Swaying side to side the frail man said with impatience, “The price, the price?” The mist suddenly reached out, consuming the man within its wet and thin existence. “Your soul, you wretch,”it bellowed.

the cavern

Within the cavern, the air was thick and wet, many different colored molds and fungi clung to the walls, some glowing giving the chamber an eerie feel. There was no entrance or exit, just the empty space beneath the planet's crust, alone in the gloom. A shadow twitched in the corner. It twitched once again and expanded, like a black balloon on the verge of its limits. A loud pop sounded along with a bright flash. Four figures flew out from the shadowy flare to land hard on the cavern floor.

forest warrior

With precision and grace, the forest-warrior sliced a wet crimson path with his purple energized blades as he moved up the rocky slope. Any demon that came too close was a dusted soul. Halfway up the ridge, he was surrounded in a sea of evil. Black souls poured in from every direction, slowing his assault. For hours his blades kept death at bay, but every man has his limits. And he knew it. His muscles began to fail, occasionally missing a mark. “Curse this crap!” he said, as he planted both armored feet in a wide stance, crouched and thrust both blades into the ground...