Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 21:29:14 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [ffml] [MW] Nikeah From: Sky H Ainsworth The army moved out before dawn. Crossing the low mountains, they were granted a view of the partially ruined city of Nikeah. Bacca led the army on his chocobo. Coming closer, the army spread out and formed a wide battle line. Phalanxes formed, a wall of spears and shields faced forward. Cavalry formed on the flanks, ready to assist in any way possible. The command was sent, the army increased to a jog. Closing the short gap between the army line and the rude earthen palisade erected around Nikeah, Bacca felt confident that victory would be granted. Magical creatures moved about behind the enemy line. A couple dark robed figures stood atop the wall and faced the army of Lance Henriksens. Bacca watched, unsure of what was going to happen. His eyes widened with realization and he was about to issue the order of retreat when a barrage of fireballs flew out from the wizards. They struck the line of soldiers, burning many and disrupting the line. "Fall back, retreat," ordered Bacca, his voice trying to reach above the din of screaming men. "Wizards, cast some shields. Nullify some of that magic. Now, dammit!" The white wizards stopped and began chanting wall spells. The black wizards casted some magic of their own. The white wizards were barely able to catch the barrage of lightning bolts that struck at the concentrations of troops. The black wizards had to dodge magic turned back at them. Lady Paladin stood beside Bacca and stared wide eyed at the destruction. "Their magic is much to powerful for the healers and mages in the army," said Lady. "I think that only Kaitlin and I can face them." "Okay," said Bacca. He turned and faced the heroes. "Okay, we are going into battle. We will attack those magicians and try to destroy them. If you know magic, watch over those of us who do not. Chaos, Tritoch, Seph, you, the rest, and I will form a front line. The magic users will be behind us. Try to stay together. But if you need to move, then do so. Try to help each other out as best you can. Good luck." With that, Bacca turned to face the wall of Nikeah and advanced. The other heroes did as well. They progressed up to the wall, but were split up by a meteor that appeared almost out of nowhere and struck the earth. The heroes barely managed to dive out of the way, Lady managed to cast safe on the heroes and not all of them were majorly damaged. Looking about, Bacca saw that the heroes were far apart, and the Mystics monsters were advancing. He hope they would be alright. The real battle began. (To players, your turn to write your path to fortune and glory. Have fun. :> ) Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 14:40:02 EDT From: Spacecat found himself surrounded by Mystics. He drew his automatic weapon. He thought to himself how strange it was that people like Bacca used old- school weapons like swords when there are guns and bombs available. He fired a storm of bullets at the monsters. They all dropped like flies, except for their leader. "You're a toughy, eh?" said Spacecat. He pulled the pin on one of his grenades and tossed it at the large Mystic. This time, the Mystic was blown apart. Spacecat silently praised his modern weaponry. But then he noticed that the monster he had just blown up was regenerating. As a knee- jerk reaction, he reached for another grenade but he quickly realized that that would be futile. Then he panicked. 'Oh no, I'm going to die..." he said quietly to himself. But then he remembered something, his last hope. It probably wouldn't work, but it was Spacecat's last resort. Spacecat reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of Magicite. "Poochie! The situation is dire! Please, heed my call!" And then it happened. Spacecat morphed into Poochie, the Rockin' Esper Dog. Poochie brandished his nunchucks. He swung them around, showing off his skills. The regenerated Mystic decided to show off his own skills. He began to twirl his mace in the air. But while he was busy doing that, Poochie rushed forward and knocked the Mystic's proverbial block off. Then he shot wave after wave of magically charged antimatter at the decapitated beast until there was nothing left of it. Then, as Poochie began to disappear and Spacecat reappeared, Spacecat could hear the Esper's gentle voice say, "Welcome back to the side of the light, my friend." Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 17:46:30 -0400 Subject: [ffml] [MW] Kaitlin's battle with the Mystic From: druidkaitlin@juno.com (The Druidess Kaitlin) Kaitlin stood prepared. She was still a bit shaken from her ordeal with the KinSlayer, and she was afraid that it might not be so simple a task to go up against one of these dark-robed fiends. But she wore dark robes as well, and her experience had left her foreboding . . . almost older-looking. Almost. She glared darkly at the army of monsters that advanced upon her friends. She hoped Lady Paladin was faring well, and all the others--Kaitlin brought up an Immolation spell about her guardedly. She cast an Invisibility spell upon herself, one of her oldest tricks, depending upon it to get her close to one of the Mystics. She wasn't sure exactly how many there were, but the more she could take out, the more the evil army would fall into chaos. Kaitlin slipped through the monsters' line of defense quickly, but she was sure some of the more magical kinds sensed her presence. But she was too clever for them; she blended in with the magic winds sent down by the mystics themselves in their spell-casting--she was grateful for the darkness she had clothed herself in during her brief alliance with the gods. She wasn't afraid this time. She fingered the Dark Lord's obsidian amulet distractedly as she chose her approach. The Druidess knew that she wouldn't be able to get very close before the Mystic she was nearest to sensed her. She transported herself atop the wall, and it turned, knowing she was there, though not seeing her yet. Kaitlin immediately whispered a Disintegration spell, but it only knocked the Mystic back. Drained, she dropped her Invisibility and came out into the Mystic's view. * * * * * Hwer the Mystic stared at the girl who opposed them. She was cloaked as he was in robes of black, but her skin was fair and light and her hair a bronzinsh blonde. He was taken aback that such a skinny slip of a girl would dare come up against him; Hwer took a step forward to get a better look. * * * * * Kaitlin wondered why the Mystic was not attacking her--she had openly and aggressively thrown a spell at him, had allowed herself to be seen. She saw that he appeared thoughtful, as if he wanted to know what she was about. There wasn't time for a conversation; though her thirst for knowledge of such secretive peoples urged her to learn more about him before she destroyed him (and she was sure that she would), she prepared a magical defensive and brought up her cinnibar and ebony staff. Despite its construction, the staff felt very, very light now. It began to glow. A shot of lightening fell from the sky at her command, cracking with a tremendous force, incinerating the Mystic. Or so it appeared at first. It staggered surprisedly, then brought his hands about in an ark, levitating dramatically off the ground, raining darts of poison colour upon the exposed flesh of her face. They penetrated what shielding she had, and she winced in pain. "That the best you could do . . . ?" * * * * * Hwer frowned. The girl was a fighter, that was for sure. She knew some killer spells, all of which had surprised him. She knew a lot more than her age would allow--but perhaps she was not so young as she looked. His dark staff seemed to eat the light surrounding them, and he knew she was having trouble seeing exactly where he was except when he cast his magic. Pathetic, but she seemed so sure of herself. Hwer advanced. * * * * * Kaitlin brought her staff up like a weapon before her, surprised a magic-wielder would dare to come so close to another under such situations. It grabbed her shoulder and brought her face closer to his, and it stared hard into her eyes. She wrinkled her nose. The Mystic was a young-looking male, dark-complected for all she could tell. She struggled against his hold and brought her staff up into his upper abdomen, and he doubled over for just an instant, enough for her to dance away swiftly. "Don't touch me," she warned, remembering her close encounter with KinSlayer. The Mystic reeled at the effects of the Immolation spell. He brought up his hands innocently. "My intentions were purely that of any being who has met a sorcerer of his own caliber, but that is so very different. From where are you, lady?" Kaitlin knew he was preparing a powerful spell, and countered. Hoping to keep him unaware of this, she spoke to him. "I am Kaitlin, a Druidess of Paranor and successor to Allanon and all those who came before; I am the adopted daughter of Walker Boh and know everything he knows, and I much of what he doesn't know. "I am the Sorceress Supreme," she added, saying her old title with a grin, "and I am anyone's most feared nightmare." Her spell finished, she brought it up about her, and it combined with her original Immolation spell, protecting her (she hoped) from the next fierce attack. "I am Hwer," the Mystic answered, "and I don't think you're all that great, Druidess. After all, am I here . . . " the Mystic said, fading away, " . . . or am I Right Behind You?" Kaitlin wheeled around, her hair flying, too late. The Mystic Hwer grabbed her left wrist and sent several waves of magical power coursing through her. It was painful, and she sank to her knees, despairing. Hwer held his ground. Kaitlin didn't even scream. She sat there shivering in pain, not realizing that suddenly, the magic stopped. "What's THIS?" Hwer said, shocked, noticing the Dark Lord's amulet which was bound tightly around her neck for safekeeping. He forced her chin up, and tried to pull the amulet of her neck. When the cord refused to break, Kaitlin struggled against his hands weakly, but hadn't much power to fight. For once, she was losing, and nothing could save her now . . . nothing . . . the Mystic was choking her now, fighting her magical reserves, draining her waning power, and life flashed before her eyes. She slumped, her will gone. Kaitlin squeezed her eyes shut to prevent the tears from coming. * * * * * The Mystic would have that amulet if he had to pry it off her dead body! He knew Kaitlin had not invoked its power; had not even realized its potential as anything other than a gift from the infamous Dark Lord. By constricting her neck, he was also constricting the magic that flowed through her body and her ability to use it against him. He could feel her dying, and her aura weakened noticeably. Finally, she fell limp, and he let her tumble to the ground, her hair and robes askew. Hwer dug at the amulet around her neck greedily, trying in vain to break the cords or untie them, but it seemed impossible . . . as if the amulet clung to her neck with little claws. He ripped at Kaitlin's clothes angrily, frustratedly. She was so still; she could not make a move against him. He couldn't tell if she was still aware or even alive anymore, and stopped to take her pulse. There was none. Hwer the Mystic stood up, and back. He would char her dead body into ashes, knowing the amulet (and possibly the staff and other artifacts) would remain intact. Firing a red flame, they ate at her robes, dissolving them, and burned her skin. He didn't observe how gruesome this was, so intent on his capturing of the Obsidian charm; and so immersed in this task was he that he failed to notice one other important detail. An image of the Dark Lord towered over him, and proceeded to unleash killing magic of a greater magnitude than Hwer could withstand. The Mystic was left with only one option. He disappeared in a blinding flash of light. "I WILL get that amulet," he thought, as he finished his spell. The obsidian amulet glowed, and the image faded. Kaitlin lay there scorched, lifeless . . . The amulet glowed more, and soon Kaitlin's body was also glowing, and silver strands of magic wrapped a cocoon around her, and remained this way for several minutes, sucking up the light of the sky so that even the stars winked out for a bit. Then the cocoon exploded, and the Druidess floated to the ground much as a wisp of dandelion fluff would, her clothes tattered and burned, but her body intact. Her eyes were closed. Kaitlin became aware, and stood up hurriedly. What was happening? Were they winning the battle? She surveyed the scene from atop the wall. * * * * * Hwer the Mystic, now Hwer the garden snake, lay coiled within the Druidess' intact pocket, wrapped around the bag that contained her red Elfstones. He'd have the obsidian amulet yet, and these priceless Elven jewels, and that staff--he'd have the Druidess yet. Subject: [ffml] [MW] Daylight...Siran vs. Zile From: "We'll distract them!" says Siran. Siran catches a brief glimpse of the Materia Warriors climbing the stairs, but his vision is soon blocked by a well built man wearing the armor of the dreaded Dragoons. "Distract us?" the Dragoon asks. "I think not. Like a dragon stalking his prey, nothing will keep me from killing those Materia Warriors. It will take me only a moment to kill you. The intensity of the Dragoon startled Siran badly. For all his talent, the martial artist had little experience in battle and even less confidence in his ability to stand up to this man who seemed to personify a dragon in all its mythical horror. "Your struggles will be useless! Submit to the prowess of Zile, dread Dragon Knight!" As Zile said this, he thrust his spear directly at Siran, who dodged it purely out of instinct, as his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of his impending death. "You are fast, but your speed is no match for me!" Zile pierced Siran with his gaze, which had an almost hypnotic quality. Siran stood, entranced, staring into the Dragoon's eyes. His mind was blank, but slowly he began to remember hearing stories about dragons, and their petrifying gaze. But this was no dragon, it was human, just like Siran. No matter how skilled the man might be, Siran was talented enough to be chosen by his master to take over the dojo. Even though Siran had run from that responsibility before, he was no less skilled because of it. "I am Siran, of the Anything Goes school of martial arts. Dragoon or not, I accept your challenge!" "You cannot put of your death by talking!" Zile shot back. No sooner had the Dragoon said this than he gripped his spear tightly and thrust it at Siran again. This time, Siran was ready and he dodged the thrust easily. While Zile was still recovering from his failed attack, Siran drove his fist into the Dragoon's stomach. Zile brought his shield up just in time to block the attack, but Siran grabbed Zile's shield arm and drove his fist into the unarmored elbow. There was a sickening crack as Zile's elbow became double jointed, and the enraged Dragoon dropped his shield and drew his now useless shield arm close to his chest. Zile drew back a few steps, and began circling his opponent, trying to size him up and find some kind of weakness he could exploit. Siran was determined not to show any weakness, however, and he charged Zile, startling the Dragoon, who barely brought his spear up in time. Siran dropped to his knees right before Zile drove his spear into the martial artist's chest and swept the Dragoon off his feet. Zile surprised Siran by getting up before Siran's heel could crush the Dragoon's throat. Tired and enraged, the Dragoon stood tall and proud, his face formed a fierce battle mask. "You can evade death no longer!" Zile bellowed. "No, Dragoon," Siran said calmly. "True power comes from beyond fear or hatred. And I rise from the depths of these feelings to vanquish you!" Siran charged Zile and drove his fist into the Dragoon's mid section. Zile's battle mask of hatred froze, and the hardened warrior's body fell to the ground. There were no last words from the fearsome Dragoon, who had seen uncountable battles and had killed many with his skills. No matter what powers he had though, he was still human, and when his broken ribs punctured his heart, he died like one. Siran stood over the dead Dragoon for a moment, contemplating his new found confidence. "Well met, Dragoon." ---Pat Szostak Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 11:22:19 -0400 Subject: [ffml] [MW] Mataya's first battle (Was: [MW] Nikeah) From: "Shumate" Mataya walked out to the edge of a small cliff overlooking Nikeah and the surrounding area and noticed that the front lines of the humans armies were getting fried. Mataya: Hmm... I can't just march off into the army, they might think I'm the enemy, but I can help with those wizards... Mataya stepped back and sat down. Taking out a scrying crystal, he looked for any weaknesses in the enemy, he also noticed a few people he faintly knew were approaching the walls. Setting the crystal down, Mataya closed his eyes and focused, after a few seconds, he sent a beam of white light into the crystal. He saw the group approaching the walls were surprised to see walls of protective energy appearing around them, and then turning invisible. Mataya saw Kaitlin turn about in the crystal and stare at the cliff suspiciously. Mataya shifted the image in the crystal to one of the black mages. Focusing again, he sent a reflective wall right in front of the mage so when it fired, it fried itself and... lived. Then it abruptly vanished. Mataya: What the...? Feeling a rush of air behind him, Mataya warped several feet to his left just in time to dodge a fireball from the wizard who was right behind him. The wizard wasn't so quick to dodge, yet still went on. Mataya: Damn, it's undead! Mataya was about to send out a Cure spell at it, but was blasted off the cliff edge with a beam of dark fire. Luckily he had enough mana to still fly and he zoomed up and cast Holy on it. "That weakened it." He thought. But it still got up. Mataya still was mentally prepared but his body was weakened and battered further by another fireball. Becoming extremely angry at himself for not being able to defeat a simple undead wizard Mataya sent out a huge barrage of white magic and engulfed the wizard it a beam of curing energy. When he stopped, the cloak the undead creature was in was the only thing left. Mataya collapsed. END Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 09:19:12 -0000 Subject: [ffml] Tojo's (pathetic) battle with some bad guys. From: "Tojo Mojo" "Damn. Didn't even see that meteor coming. Hope there aren't any more...", Tojo looked at the sky just to make sure. Seeing none, he brought his gaze back down to meet the mystics. "Hmmm...", Tojo drew his sword (He still preferred Big Sticks, but Bacca had insisted he use a sword). Tojo began to hack away at the nearest Mystic. Had Tojo not been so horrible with a sword, he might have been able to kill the mystic at least 15 minutes before the guy had a chance to cast meteor. As it was, Tojo took twenty minutes to kill his first mystic. A loud "AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHH" came from above Tojo, and, looking up, he saw a giant meteor headed his way. Bruce Willis clung to the bottom of the meteor. Tojo managed to dive out of the way. The meteor landed with a large SPLAT. Wiping the Bruce Willis off of his clothing, Tojo turned around to face another mystic. "Y'know, maybe I should try using some magic!" Tojo casts Fire2 on the mystic, incinerating him. "Cool. Why don't I just cast a bigger fire spell, and take out more mystics!" Tojo bowed his head as he began to chant one of his most powerful spells. "FIRE8PI!!!", Tojo yelled as a giant fireball slammed into the nearest mystic. It only took a microsecond for Tojo to realize he had used the word "near" in the previous sentence. As the fireball exploded, Tojo too was engulfed in it's flames. "ARRGGHH" Tojo flew through the air and hit the ground with a thud. While he had strong defenses against fire, the blastwave and flight through the air had taken a lot out of him. He couldn't fight in his present state. He needed healing. He could see Lady Paladin ahead of him... She was talking... talking to... her horse? "Psyyy-co", Tojo muttered. Dragging himself through the chaos, he tried to get himself within speaking range of Lady. Tojo managed to reach her and asked for some healing. Maybe I should just stay on the sidelines, for now, he thought. Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 23:12:18 -0700 Subject: [ffml] [MW] Lady Paladin vs. a Mystic From: "Beth Davis" "Sometimes I get so tired of having to face crazed mages," Lady Paladin murmured, looking askance at an approaching Mystic. "And I get tired of fighting of foot. Enough of this!" She stamped a steel-toed boot on the ground, and a gust of wind blew dust all around her. "Here to serve as always, my lady," said Golden Melody, stepping out of the dust. He bent on a foreleg and briefly kneeled before her. She gave him a dazzling smile. "It is always good to see you, my friend," Lady Paladin said, swinging herself into the saddle. He tossed his palomino head and turned to face the Mystic. "And I see you're in the middle of a battle, as always. Will I finally have the honor of meeting the High Lord Bacca today?" The stallion spoke the name with clear disdain and resentment. Lady Paladin looked down worriedly at his creamy mane. "Hopefully after the battle you can meet." The idle chit-chat ceased as the Mystic drew close. "You know what to do, Goldy." The stallion chuckled. "Aye, I do, my lady." The Mystic stopped in her tracks and stared at healer on horseback. "Hello there!" greeted Lady Paladin with a friendly wave. "You must be a Mystic. Nice to meet you. See this?" Lady unsheathed her wakazashi and waved it at the Mystic. "This nice little sword? It's Japanese in design, quite sharp, and is going to take your head off. My apologies." As Golden Melody cantered forward, the Mystic tried casting a spell. No words came out. She looked at up Lady Paladin with panicked eyes. "Oh, did I mention I'm a Master White Wizard? I cast oHold and oMute on you as soon as you were in my line of vision. See, when it comes to mages...for some reason, I don't trust them." Thump. "Lady..." Goldy began in a worried tone. "Usually it is more like you to act with some...mercy. To at least give them one blast at you before you even cast a single spell..." The stallion side-stepped to avoid the gathering flies. "This doesn't seem right." Lady Paladin looked down at the head, it's mouth gaped in an expression of shock and agony. "Why? To kill them before they kill me? I know, it seems strange...it is almost as though...oh, never mind." "What is it, my Lady?" "I just wish I knew what happened at Crystal Peak, that's all. And you and Wentch could never find a reason for my memory to go blank. I just feel like something is wrong." "We'll get answers soon, Lady," soothed the horse in his British accent. "For now, let's just stand by in case anyone needs a quick cure." Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 07:49:05 -1000 Subject: [ffml] [MW] Schala's run-in with a Mystic From: Schala The last thing Schala had seen was a flash of light, and she'd had a sensation of being flown backwards. When she next opened her eyes, she saw that she HAD been thrown back. A huge, flaming hole burned some distance away. Through the smoke and dust, she saw the others had already recovered from the meteor. She felt her heart leap when she saw that Bacca was safe. She shook her hair out of her eyes and started to run back to Bacca and the rest. Suddenly a wall of smoke rose up in front of her and surrounded her. Schala stopped and stepped back in surprise. A figure was walking through the smoke, toward her. Schala put up a magical shield around her and prepared to meet whoever it was. As the person came closer, she could make out flowing robes, long hair...She could only stand in shock. The person she saw was...HERSELF! "Who...who are you?!" Schala stammered out. "You know who I am." The voice echoed in her head. "I am you." "I don't think so." Schala raised a hand, and a bolt of lightning shot near the figure. "And my aim isn't THAT bad. That's just a warning for you to reveal your true self." The second Schala smiled, a rather cruel smile that curved her lips into a red moon. "It is you who need to do the revealing," she said, this time moving her mouth. "Why do you join Bacca when you know he will lose? Not only are you on the losing side, you fight against your own people! You are a traitor!" "I am no such thing," Schala retorted. "The people of Zeal have always been my people...we have never allied ourselves with the Mystics." The figure walked slowly forward as she spoke. "You have the power of the Mystics...you come from the same land...And as such you are a Mystic. You are obliged to help us." She stretched out a hand. "Come, join us, and you will be spared. Deny us, and you will die. Like Bacca will." Schala's heart jolted at the warning. It was only later would she realize that the figure had touched a nerve in saying that Bacca would die... "It may have been prophesied that Bacca will lose, but Fate is a fickle creature," she yelled out. "She may desert the winning side and smile on the losing one, who knows? And I must make the choice for myself...not be hindered by some prophecy. I will continue to fight by Bacca's side." The other woman dropped her hand. Her eyes glowed a fierce red. "Foolish one!" the voice screamed in Schala's head. "Prepare to be cast to the fires of Hell!!" She reared her head back, and in an instant, the figure had turned into a horrible creature whose body was a mass of flames. The monster flung out a hand, and the grass around Schala caught on fire. Schala stepped back, but the fire quickly spread and encircled her. She turned her face to the skies and summoned the god of rain, and the clouds burst open. But the water had no effect. The fiery Mystic laughed at Schala's attempt. "You think the heavens are strong enough to combat the Underworld?" it screamed. A bolt of lightning shot behind Schala, and she jumped forward in surprise, almost landing in the fire. Too late, she realized the flames were magical. What could put them out? Wind might simply fan them. She gritted her teeth as she thought of something to try. A quick call to the plane of summoned monsters, and...a huge chocobo whomped right on one part of the fire! The creature squawked as its feathers were singed and began running pell-mell. Schala whistled, and the chocobo ran toward her. She grabbed onto its feather-mane and hauled herself onto its back. The flame monster screeched at Schala's escape. It cast a huge fire wall in front of the fleeing chocobo. The creature squawked and reared, throwing its rider off. Schala fell to the ground with a thump as the big bird ran away. She got up and cast her own wall around herself, one of ice. It may not put out the fire, she thought, but it might give me some protection against it. She concentrated, stretching out her arms and crossing her hands in front of her. A bolt of pure white shot out from her hands toward the flame monster. The creature dodged, and the beam caught its arm. The arm fell to the ground, disappearing as its flames died away. It screeched again. Schala heard a rumbling sound, then fell down as the ground started to shake beneath her. Cracks started appearing in the earth. Before she could cast float on herself, a chasm appeared in front of her. She stepped back, but she wasn't quick enough. The ground opened, the ledges began falling. Schala fell along with it, screaming. She had time enough to grab onto a solid edge of the chasm. There she was, hanging on the edge. Schala could feel a strange heat emanating from below. Craning her neck, she looked down and saw a red substance. Lava... But it wasn't like regular lava. It wasn't flowing. She could just barely make out vague spikes shooting from the top of the substance. As she watched, the color began changing. It went from red to orange to yellow, flashed to black for a split second, showed brown spots, then was suddenly glowing red again. A presence seemed to rise up to her and surround her. She felt lightheaded but strangely calm. The pendant around her neck glowed fiercely. Schala gasped. Could it be...? After all this time, after all her travels, could this be what she had sought...? Could this be only coincidence, or had it been summoned here? After all, they were Mystics...They might have the power... Her grip slackened. Schala closed her eyes...she seemed to lose track of time...first it went by so slowly that she felt as though she were in suspended animation...Then the world whizzed around her, and an inhuman scream sounded from the depths of the chasm and echoed throughout her ears, so powerful that it shook her entire body... It was the sound of the Power...of the Source... It was her destiny... Lady felt the rumbling. "What is that?" she demanded. Melody shook his head. "An earthquake?" "It doesn't feel right. We'd better go check." She looked around. "That direction," Lady said, and Melody charged off. They encountered thick smoke, but the horse galloped right on through. They heard a faint scream and an evil laugh. Melody felt the ground suddenly give out before him, and he reared in alarm. He quickly turned and galloped in another direction. The smoke eventually cleared enough for them to see a large flame-like monster standing on a small hill. The ground had been changed by the earthquake, with small chasms and large hills now dotting the once unbroken landscape. The creature began walking toward an exceptionally large chasm. A scream again rang out, an eerie one that made Lady's hair stand on end. "That's Schala!" Lady exclaimed. She drew her sword. "Head for that thing, Melody!" The steed obeyed, jumping nimbly over the cracks and crevices. As they approached the monster, it heard them and turned around. But it was not quick enough. One slice, and its head was off. Lady heard Melody give a snort. The flames died away, and they saw it was the body of a Mystic. "Looks like I wasn't too harsh in my actions, wouldn't you say?" Lady said grimly. She dismounted and ran to the chasm. "Schala! Are you there?" she called out into the depths. Receiving no answer, she peered into the chasm. There was only total blackness below. A fear gripped Lady's heart. Could she have fallen in? If so, why hadn't she levitated? Melody whinnied, and Lady spun around. She saw a mass of purple further along the top of the chasm. She ran to it, and the steed followed. All the while a horrid feeling rose within her... It was Schala. Lady knelt by the unconscious figure and lifted the woman's head up. The Mystic seemed deadly white, her hands and cheeks cold as death. Was she...? Slowly, the sorceress opened her eyes. She stared dumbly at Lady. "La...La..." she mumbled incoherently. "Yes, I'm here," the healer answered. She cast a quick cure spell, and some color returned to Schala's face. With a strength borne of concern, Lady lifted the woman up on Melody and quickly mounted herself. "Let's get back to Bacca," she said. The horse galloped off. As they rode away, a weak rumbling shook the ground. Smoke issued forth from the chasm. The same scream floated up...then died away. Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 13:05:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [ffml] [MW] Battle at Nikeah From: Sky H Ainsworth Bacca readied his weapons and charged. The meteor which had thrown everyone in every which way, had thrown Bacca over the Mystics wall. Luckily, Bacca had landed on a large hay stack. Standing up, Bacca awkwardly drew his swords and looked for enemies to fight. He felt the pendant hanging from his neck hum and vibrate slightly. "Ah, Lady, I love you," said Bacca. He could almost sense the magical protections surrounding himself. A chimera trotted up to Bacca, emitting a horrible scream from it's different mouths. Bacca was taken aback by the sight of the creature, but charged forward anyway. Meeting bite with blade, Bacca parried each attack the creature gave at him. A huge paw lifted and tried to swing across, but Bacca dodge the strike by diving down. The spiked tail of the creature struck down and Bacca had to lean back and part his legs in time to avoid getting hit. "Damn, you are a toughy," muttered Bacca. The tail came down again and this time Bacca swung with his swords at it as it struck the ground. The hard scales of the tail were penetrated by the dark magic of the short black sword. Bacca was able to cut halfway through the tail, before the creature screamed and withdrew it's now useless appendage. The fury of the chimera doubled at this onset and it unleashed a new flurry of attacks on Bacca. The swordsman took the defense and ended up dealing out a lot of damage to the creature. Each bite tasted steel, each claw swipe received a sharp blade. Soon enough, the chimera's three heads and paws were bloody from the action. It seemed loath to pursue the battle and Bacca began stepping away. The chimera did not follow, but instead laid down and panted. Bacca ran for the wall when a huge blinding light erupted from the parapets. Bacca shielded his eyes and tried to make sure no enemies rushed him. When the light subsided, Bacca looked to the wall and saw a half naked Kaitlin. She stumbled and collapsed against the crenels. Bacca ran to her, clearing the eight foot jump to the top. Wizards in robes stood perched on the wall, fighting other heroes. Reaching her side, Bacca took Kaitlin in his arms. "Are you okay?" Kaitlin opened her eyes slightly. "Anyone get the name of that chocobo that squashed me?" said the druidess. Bacca smiled at her. "Do you need me to get you out of here?" asked the High Lord of All That Kicks Ass, concern in his voice. "No, I just need to recover a little," said the Druid. She weakly fumbled in one of the pouches at her belt. Bacca brushed aside her hand and opened the pouch, pulling out a small vial. "This?" questioned Bacca. Kaitlin nodded. Popping the cork from the top, Bacca held the vial to the druid's lips and helped her drink. Almost immediately, Bacca could feel the strength return to her body. Her back became rigid, her breathing deeper. Bacca spotted a golem approaching the wall. Gently placing Kaitlin against the wall, Bacca stood up and jumped down from the wall. The golem approached with a wide stride. Bacca readied himself and hoped for the best. Coming within range, the stone creature swung it's arm. Bacca dodged and moved away. The creature made another lunge and Bacca side stepped that too. Leading the creature away from the wall, Bacca tried to figure out a way to defeat the stone monster. Bacca led the golem back to the haystack and the place he had fought the chimera. The wounded creature had moved away and was now nowhere to be seen. However, the blood was quite evident on the ground. Bacca led the golem over a large puddle of blood and waited. The magical creature swung and Bacca led the swing on, just stepping out of range. The result was the golem over stretched itself and lost it's balance. Falling on the ground, the golem quickly tried to stand itself back up. In an awkward position, Bacca gave the golem a push which sent it onto it's back. The golem then softly flailed about. Bacca took a deep breath, then turned to block a sword strike. Turning in time to block another, Bacca faced a six armed swordsman. Each hand held a weapon and Bacca swallowed hard. Gripping his swords, Bacca attacked. The six-armed creature was unprepared for this. Bacca had hoped this would happen. He had fought such creatures before and had learned that they always attacked, the intimidation they produced made warriors try to run away or fight defensively, which eventually led to a loss. Bacca swung wide with his long sword, lunging and parrying with his short. The effect was that his opponent had to block his flying attacks with two swords, and his short attacks with three more. Bacca backed his opponent to the wall. Edging closer to the recovering druid. When within range, Kaitlin took notice and casted bolt3 on the creature. The lightning bolt struck hard and the being fell down. "Thanks," said Bacca. "No problem," replied Kaitlin. "How is it going out there?" Kaitlin turned and looked about. "No too good. We got some injured people out there." Bacca nodded. He was not too effective inside the walls when all the enemies were on the opposite side. Leaping up, Bacca landed atop the ramparts and looked about. He spotted Chaos and Lady Paladin. He pointed at them. "That is a good place to begin rallying ourselves," said Bacca. Kaitlin assented. "Save your magic." Taking Kaitlin in his arms, Bacca let over the wall and landed on the ground. Placing the druid on her feet, Bacca stood up and made for Lady Paladin. The battle was long and hard. However, the enemies were fewer then Bacca had thought. After rallying the heroes, Bacca managed to recover the rest and give a final push against the Mystics. Most of them were slaughtered, though a few escaped. The inhabitants of Nikeah were grateful. They celebrated their liberation and welcomed the conquering army. NOTE: Hold on...when did Bacca first meet the Watcher?? Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 13:41:46 -0600 From: His Dark Lordship The Watcher looked at the fleeing mystics. "SHIT!" he yelled over the field. He bucked his steed, and the small tyrannosaur ran full force down to the battlefield. Seeing the hulking mass of muscle, few soldiers decided to get in his way. The watcher detoured around those foolish enough to stand their ground. He rode straight up to Bacca, who turned to meet him. "Greetings, sir, I-" The Watcher slapped him upside the head and dismounted. Bacca felt the large cut across his chin. He reached for his sword but the Lady Paladin grabbed his arm. "So ye wants to fight, correct? Very well, we can end this nonsense right now!" One of the Lance Henriksens approached from behind with his longbow. The Watcher didn't even move but a thunderbolt shot out of him and sent the Lance Henriksen back 10 feet. "He'll live," said the Watcher. "Now then, my foolish old friend. Exactly what do you hope to accomplish here, besides your own glory and everyone's destruction?" "The moogles will kill everyone if I don't do something," spoke Bacca. "The moogles will kill everyone if you do something," insisted the Watcher. "Continue fighting, and you will soon have the entire world taking up arms to stop you. You seem to be the sole person in this war who is not taking heed to the prophecy." He remounted. "Watch your back and think before your actions, lest the universe erupt in thy face." As he rode off he caught sight of the Druidess and Schala. With a quick shot to each, he rode off. The stopped and looked at him, as if having been given the ultimate lecture. Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 02:25:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Sky H Ainsworth Bacca watched the retreating figure on the dinosaur. He was barely able to contain his rage at what had just happened. "What prophecy?!" demanded Bacca of no one. He did not take his eyes off the retreating reptite. Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 02:41:39 -0700 From: "Beth Davis" "Shh, Bacca love," Lady Paladin whispered, tugging harshly on his arm. He continued to glare at the reptite in the distance. The white wizardess frowned, and suddenly Bacca flinched as a spark leaped from his medallion. "Now that I have your attention," she murmured, "I think Kaitlin and Jaana may know something of this. It is just a hunch, of course, but..." She shrugged her white-mantled shoulders, "I may even know something about this from my dreams but not even be aware of what it specifically is." Bacca began to pull away, as if to confront Kaitlin immediately, but Lady Paladin's grip kept him from leaving. "I know that you were just insulted, but you have to think rationally. Get control of your rage before you do anything else. My tent is closest, so if you wish to go there for a few minutes to relax we can do so." Lady Paladin's brown eyes studied his carefully, and she felt the muscles in his arm relax ever so slightly. "I'm tired of all this secrecy around me," Bacca finally said in disgust. "Of not getting answers." "I know," replied Lady softly. "Now come along. We're in front of everyone, and you need to regain your composure completely before you confront anyone." Bacca interrupted, "But that Lance Henriksen..." "Is being tended to already by some apprentice white wizards whom I have trained. He will be recovering quite soon. Now, come along, please?" The healer gazed at him in slight annoyance and caring in her eyes, and Bacca unwillingly followed her to her tent. "Now, drink this," she demanded, out of nowhere conjuring a cold cup of green liquid. "Now, don't look at me so suspiciously, just drink it! It'll soothe your nerves some." Bacca sipped the sweet concoction and just stared down at the cup for awhile. He knew that Lady Paladin was studying him with worried eyes, but he needed this time to think to himself. Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 03:05:01 -0700 Subject: [ffml] Re: [MW] Battle at Nikeah & Goldy Watches From: "Beth Davis" Golden Melody watched everything from the edge of camp, his eyes narrowing when he heard the Watcher speak. "Most interesting," he murmured in amusement to himself, seeing his Lady hold Bacca back from attack the reptite. "My, my, she even puts herself at risk for him." He sighed, and unconsciously began striking the turf with a hoof. "He's not worth it, doesn't she see? She deserves more. So much more. A royal marriage, a lifestyle of comfort. Not a lecherous rogue who steals her innocence and her heart." The stallion glared at Bacca as dust flew about. "But I have to act polite and mannerly when I meet him later. I have to bite my tongue and act like a loyal steed, an obedient servant. Bah!" Goldy tossed his head to the side. "At least I can make sure her knickers stay on as long as I'm here. "She deserves so much more...." Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 22:43:16 -0000 Subject: [ffml] [MW] The Departure From: "Tojo Mojo" Tojo looked about. What was he doing? Was he on the rightful side? They had just attacked a bunch of Mystics that were "plowing about". Plowing! They were planting crops and Bacca ordered the attack. Apparently Lady Paladin and Bacca were to concerned with each other to care for the others in the battle. "Goodbye, Adios, Au Revoir, Sayonara, Etc. etc..." Tojo left Nikeah, and embarked on his own quest...