The Campfire(disaster strikes)

[arcon]

Arcon awoke unable to breath, gasping for breath he sat up in his tent.......a nightmare! The crow! It was the crow with the Red eyes. How could it be after so many years? In his dream he awoke as the crow broke the skin on his forehead....those evil red eyes glareing at him with every attack.
He rushed out the opening of his tent....nearly falling on dew laiden grass..as he regained his balance he looked around the campsite.....all seemed normal..but he knew something was not right.
He couldnt see it....he didnt have to .....he could feel it.....
He glanced down toward the river barely able to see Angel walking along the river embankment slowly swinging his sword back and forth along the ground. Arcon knew the boredom of the nightwatch......there was a time not long ago that he was on many of these missions. He felt himself out here...like he was doing what he knew best.
The group was camped with their backs aganst a cliff and facing the river. If an attack were to come it would have to come from the river side. The cliff behind them was too high and treachous for even the most nimble of climbers.
He was feeling a little better... maybe hed overeacted to the dream... As he walked back toward his tent passing the campfire.........suddenly arcon came to a dead stop his eyes took on a blank stare the paleness of pure fear seemed to drain his color away.
Strip a man of fear and you have "pure evil"and as he looked into the burnout fire
he saw pure evil....at least thats what it stood for.
It was fresh....done minutes maybe even seconds before he had arrived.......the human skull was totally covered in blood..still a deep red...it sat on the coals dripping ....each little drop made a seperate little cloud of smoke rising into the air ...the smell although slight was one arcon knew well....it was the smell of battle.
Suddenly Arcon turned, he made a complete revolution as he drew his sword....a motion in the bushes......He saw it! Something moving...
The impact hit him like a small boulder
the pain.....like a penetrating spear of fire...as his feet flew into the air he screamed for Angel...as the force drove him backwards he hit the ground shoulders first
breaking the arrow off at his back. As Arcon came to rest his vision already blurring...he
look down to see the black arrow dangerously close to his heart......the feathers on the arrow were red.....Willow was the first to reach him then Angel and Dame.......Willow lifted up his head as Arcon whispered into her ear......then he lay unconcious

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[DamedEscrime]

Dame was beside herself with fear as she gazed upon the fallen king. "MY KING!" "OH MY KING!" She knealt beside him, tears filling her eyes. She gently touched his face, shoulder,wanting to pull the arrow free of its bonds. "Arcon, please, speak. Wake."

[Foil Girl]

Serana ran back in the direction of the campsite down the road, hopping while she tried to squeeze her boots on. in a few minutes, she too had reached her destination. She drew her swords as she ran into the camp. When Serana saw the others gathered outside a tent looking worried. She quickly walked up to Jo. "What's happened? I'm here to help... The only thing I heard from the messanger was that the king's in danger."

[SteveMcDonough]

Ooooooooh.
That looks bad. Don't remove the arrow. Keep him awake and get him out of here to cover. I'll scout around...

[Iwant2bafencer]

Lady Rosaline arrived not minutes after Serena. Having passed the group she was with because their horses were to slow. She stopped right outside the camp while she herself ran in drawing her sword as she ran. She stopped inches from plowing Steve over on top of the king. "Whats all the hallabaloo abo. . .oh dear." Lady Rosaline stopped talking when she saw the king. "Wait a minute I. . .I've seen that arrow before. . .that was the same. . ." Lady Rosaline covered her mouth. "The same type of arrow that killed . . .m . .my sister." Lady Rosaline stood horrified staring at the unmistakable marking of a skull with a snake running through it on the arrow. She finally turned away resting a hand on Steves shoulder for support.

[Lord Tellurine]

It was a moonless, starless, overcast night over the royal campsite. Why King Arcon insisted on spending nights out of the safety of the castle so he could "commune" with nature was something not many people understood, including Queen Zelda. Perhaps it went back to his days of youthful adventuring. Perhaps he was uncomfortable in the satin sheets of the royal bed. Perhaps he longed for some of the excitement that the daily bureaucratic duties of a king could not offer him. If that was the case, tonight he got a lifetime’s worth.

The campsite and the surrounding North Forest were teeming with activity. Royal Guards and members of the Arconian Secret Service were searching the nearby woods. A crowd was gathered around the tent where the fallen ruler lay.

The top half of the not-so-great wizard Oddeldoodle arrived at the campsite. His bottom half was there too, but you couldn’t see it. He spied Willow in the crowd gathered around the King’s tent. He approached her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to look at him and was momentarily taken aback by his half-appearance. She said, "It’s the King. He’s been hit by an arrow."

"Is he in any pain?" asked Oddeldoodle as one of his hands scratched an itch on an invisible thigh.

"He’s unconscious."

"He’ll need something for the pain when he is revived. Go into the woods and gather these items…" Out of thin air (or possibly an invisible pocket) he produced a piece of parchment and a quill. He quickly wrote down the ingredients he needed. He handed it to her and then thought of something. "It might not be safe in these woods, my dear. Where is your Nicholas?"

"He’s in the woods right now searching for whoever did this." A look of renewed worry grew on her face. "I don’t see how anyone can see in these dark woods in the middle of the night."

"Perhaps I can remedy that," said Oddeldoodle stoically. He walked to the middle of the campsite. He looked into the dark sky, lifted his hands, and mumbled something. In an instant there was a ball of white light floating over the scene, illuminating the campsite and the surrounding area. Everyone stopped and marveled at the work of magic. Some were entranced by its simple beauty, others by the fact Oddeldoodle did something without screwing it up.

Lady Moon stepped out of the tent, where she had been tending to King Arcon. She noticed Oddeldoodle in the middle of the camp, his energy all but drained away. The floating white ball coated the nearby cliffside with bright light and the stream the ran past the camp reflected it beautifully. Moon glanced toward the castle and saw that it glimmered off the royal spires. "Perhaps that will get Queen Zelda's attention," she said to herself. When the royal guard couldn't remember what painting the secret passage was under her and Lady Rosaline gave up, realizing if the King were in danger then perhaps the Queen would be safer in the castle. They had grabbed Naekos before he could bust down the door and they rushed to the campsite. Moon suddenly saw someone run out of the forest into the camp. It was Angel.

Angel, the leader of the Arconian Secret Service, who had been coordinating the search, came barreling towards the wizard. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Helping," he said in a weakened voice.

"Well, I wish you wouldn’t," spat Angel angrily.

"What’s the problem?" asked Lady Rosaline, joining them as she brushed tears from her cheek.

Angel pointed at Oddeldoodle. "This old fool just lit up half of the North Forest."

Willow stomped over and she said, "He’s helping YOU to find whoever shot an arrow through our King!"

Angel turned and glared at the pregnant sorceress-in-training. "His little light show just made all of us sitting ducks!"

[Iwant2bafencer]

Everyone had started yelling at. . .well everyone all at the same time. Lady Rosaline had to yell at the top of her lungs to be heard. "QUIET!!!!" Everyone at the camp froze and stared at her. "Look you people are going to cause more attention than the glowing ball of. .whatever it is if you dont stop yelling!" Everyone remained quiet as if they didn't know what to do. Lady Rosaline sighed. 'This isn't my job. Why do I always have to take control of things?' She thought to herself. "Alright Lady Willow, I believe Oddeldoole gave you a list of things to find that will help the king." She started calmly. Lady Willow nodded. "Good, take someone with you and please go and find them." Willow motioned for a guard to go with her and left. Rosaline turned to Angel. "Angel, Please continue searching the forest with the rest of your team. We will send someone to find you if we need you here." Angel bowed slightly then left. Next she turned to Oddeldoole who was absentmindedly scratching his invisible thigh again. "Could you please , when you get your strengh back remove that ball from the sky. Angel is right it will attract alot more attention than we need. Thank You for trying anyway. Oh and. . .do fix your er. .leg problem will you? It's begining to scare people." She pointed to a guard. "You there, please find what lamps you can and hang them around camp. We want light to see, but so so much that it'll attract attention. So make them slightly lower than usual." The guard set to work on the lamps. Rosaline turned and saw a strange man working on the king. "Someone escort him out of here!" She said pointing to the man in the tent. "No one should be working on the king but the royal doctor! I for one know for a fact that is NOT him!" Two guards took the man away, and Rosaline stepped into the tent to see what damage had been done. Shaking her head she covered the king and sat by him waiting for the doctor to come. 'If James were here I wouldn't have to do this.' She thought as she placed a damp cloth on the kings forhead. She grew silent and still watching everyone move about the camp.


---------------------
Carpe Diem

[ 08-21-2001: Message edited by: Iwant2bafencer ]

[Lord Tellurine]

Almost immediately the bright white light of the floating ball began to fade. Oddeldoodle’s visible top half slowly made it’s way over to the edge of the campsite and disappeared into the increasingly darkening woods so that he could "find himself."

Lady Moon overheard Willow telling her guard escort as they walked past, "I’m not half the magician he is."


"Neither he is right now," the guard retorted back.

Soon there was only a soft glow coming from the ball and then it was dark again. Moon shivered

[ 08-21-2001: Message edited by: Lord Tellurine ]

[arcon]

moan............moan.........

[arcon]

acron came out of his unconcious state, just long enough to learn that Zelda had become moderator of the kingdom.....smiled and was again unconcious.......he wasnt sure what those numbers had been about......he was sure it was just a bad dream.
All would be well in Arconia.

They would all "live long and fence.

[SteveMcDonough]

Steve walked back into the clearing where all the activity was. It was still a fairly warm night, but he could see a couple of the party were shivering. He went around, and offered them all a tot of warming brandy from a bottle, and hot fresca for the non-drinkers. He walked up to a midget in a hooded cloak, who he didn't recognise, who was hanging around the tent where the king lay. "who are you, friend? show yourself and be recognised." he ordered the midget. "My name is 355." replied the little guy, removing his hood, a revealing a leprous, bleeding, shrivelled face. Steve held up a lamp so he could better see, and consequently refluxed.

"That is an unusal name - You may cover your face again. Please." he said, trying to hold down his lunch. "Well, I am batch number 355. I was created in a horrible genetic experiment. Now I am disfigured, and obsessed beyond all rationality with homosexuality. Do you have a drink, sire?" he asked. "yes. I have some fresca" Steve replied, unhooking the flask from his belt. "I like brandy." said the halfpint horror. "You are nowhere near the legal age for drink. This forest is on arconian land, and the legal age is ten. You'll have Fresca, and like it, or nothing." He offered 355 the fresca, and as he reached out for the drink, Steve could see a small brand on his wrist.
It was a skull and snake. The same marking as on the arrow, and the same marking as he had seen oon his travels. He had met up with a band of nomadic barbarian thugs in the desert, north of Arconia, many years ago. He couldn't recall them too well, but he knew these were an anarchistic species of beings.

Steve had all the evidence he needed. He drew his sword, and smashed the dwarf in the face with the hilt, knocking five of his front teeth out. The midget staggered backwards, and landed face down in some excreta that one of the sniffer dogs had left. He called willow over, and had her cast a spell to prevent him from moving. A warmth eminated from the sorceress, and vines wrapped themselves around 355, holding him exactly where he lay. When she was finished, Steve thanked her, ran into the tent and knelt in front of the king. "I have caught the perpetrator, my king A midget named 355. What do you want me to do with it?"

[ 08-22-2001: Message edited by: SteveMcDonough ]

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

The king replied, "Since you're kneeling in front of me, I'll have the usual."
I am not deleting this post, as it can be read several ways. HOWEVER if it continues in this vein I will delete without warning.

[ 08-24-2001: Message edited by: Zelda ]

[arcon]

No need to bow before me.....my good Arconian.....but i will take those frescas...you carry...you remembered my usual(frescas after lunch)..thanks .
now rise and go join the celebration....the dragons are slain!.....

arcon of arconia

live long and fence.

P.s. again the king goes unconcious
and still his assassin goes unpunished.

[ 08-23-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[SteveMcDonough]

Originally posted by iq_of_3.55:
<STRONG>The king replied, "Since you're kneeling in front of me, I'll have the usual."</STRONG>

you should contemplate suicide.

It would make me laugh more then that feeble attempt at humour.

Steve.

[ 08-23-2001: Message edited by: SteveMcDonough ]