A simple Plan - (the rescue mission)

[Moridanu]

*Standing there before the others, Moridanu struggled to catch her breath as her worried emerald gaze skipped from one person to the other. The air inside the Den’s Tavern was thick with stale smoke and the scent of spilled ale and Moridanu coughed lightly behind her hand as she gasped for more air and smiled at Elethaires brother. She had known that Aridawn would pledge his help, he was a loyal and faithful friend. But although she had hoped that the Den would happen to have a few patrons here this eve, she was pleasantly surprised to see two able bodied men that looked as though they would be of use when it came to digging Crowe and ODK out of the wreckage.

At the thought of them both trapped inside, her breath caught in her throat once more and she made a slight wheezing noise before she glanced down questioningly at the unconscious man before Aridawn.

~Thank ye all for the offer to help… m'plan is simple. To get to the temple as quickly as we can, so that we can dig them out by hand if we need to… We must go now though or I fear it shall be too late. Aridawn, please send word to Kendelah t’send help and then follow me.~

With a swish of her long golden coat and silken curls, Moridanu turned on her heel and hurried out of the Dens Tavern, up the winding staircase of darkness and through the Dens front entrance. In the woods once more, she took a few deep lungfuls of the crisp clean air before she glanced back quickly to make sure the others were following her. When she was sure they were all there, she called out ~This way..~ before she gestured for them to follow her and made her way through the thick, dense woods on the way to the Pithmoor Plains and onto what was once The Temple of Morrighan. Moving quickly she hoped that the two men that she loved more than life itself were still alive and safe.*

[Elethaire]

((Forget everything you knew about Aridawn... Personality wise, his the same, but appearances well he's just an Elf again the way he should have been in the first place! ))

Aridawn nodded stepping back from Moridanu, he looked around the Den thinking fast, there were tools, tools he was given ages ago, Elethaire had told him about them, He raced through the Den and rummaged around under the bar for what seemed forever, until he pulled out a large box, he ran past Moridanu and the others looking down at the hurt man still lying on the den floor, he would be ok he pleaded, the medicines he used to cure just about anything, unless he had internal bleeding and that usually meant death.

Aridawn's long black hair trailed behind him, his pail skin and brilliant green eyes glinted against the diamonds forever embedded in the cave walls. The Stone doors opened and allowed him to leave the Tavern. He pulled open the box and pulled out an unusual instrument, it looked like a sold metal Crow with it's wings spread wide, protruding from the back of the Crow was a long metal pike, Aridawn stuck the Pike deep into the ground, He rummaged the now empty box and pulled out a large piece of Flint, he held the flint to his mouth and whispered "Give word to Kendelah, the Temple Of Morrighan is under attack, Warriors are still inside…". With one strike he brought the flint against the metal Crow and with a huge bang and the colour of pure moonlight the Crow lifted into the air, faster than could be followed. Aridawn stepped back in alarm and watched the yellow trail into the sky, there was an explosion and the sky lite up with brilliant colours, the Image of a Crow was not sitting gently in the sky made out of purple and yellow smoke. Anyone who would gaze up at it would know immediately there was trouble and where to go. It was a tool used to give word to the castle in times of need.

"The Words been sent!"

Aridawn yelled loudly, hopefully anyone able bodied would respond to the call.

[Moridanu]

*Hearing the cracking of the flint, and the explosion of the crow, Moridanus emerald eyes glistened with unshed tears as she stopped and looked up at the image of the crow that was now blazing across the darkening sky. The sight of the crow caused her already troubled mind to turn to Crowe, imagining him bruised and battered and laying trapped under some debris of the temple. In her minds eye, she could also see ODK laying nearby. He however, appeared to not be moving… a horrible voice screamed in her head ~They’re dead! They’re both dead! Gone from you forever!~ but with a strangled cry, Moridanu shook her head quickly, dismissing that terrible image and voice. Blinking back the tears, she smiled over at Aridawn faintly as she nodded her thanks.

~Help should b’sent soon.. thanks t’Aridawn, but I fear that we d’not have the time to waste… let us go!~ and with that, she turned on her heel and raced through the thick woods. Branches reached out at her with bony, twisted limbs; tearing at her skin with an almost intense ferocity. Although her golden coat and knee length boots protected most of her skin, her face and hands were soon covered in hundreds of cuts and scratches as she raced through the trees, unmindful of her own safety. All she could think of was Crowe and ODK and she urged herself to run faster as her long auburn curls streamed behind her.

After what seemed like endless hours the woods seemed to lose some of its density, as the trees began to thin and she could smell the scent of the sea on the breeze. Slowing down slightly, she breathed a slight sigh of relief as she jogged past the last remaining trees and stepped onto the Pithmoor Plains. The long pale yellow and green reeds reached up to her thighs as she made her way through the vast open fields of barley and wheat. Checking over her shoulder to make sure that the three men were still following her, Moridanu smiled at them encouragingly. ~Nearly there!~ she called.

Moridanu ran as quickly as she could through the Plains despite the long reeds that wrapped around her legs and threatened to trip her over. As beautiful as the Plains were, their starkness was almost frightening and Moridanu noticed with relief that the ground beneath her feet was becoming more sparse and craggy as she neared the cliffs and then, almost suddenly, the ocean appeared before her. Slowing down to a brisk walk, she turned to the right and began climbing up the jagged cliff, towards the front entrance of what was once the Temple of Morrighan. While the cliff fell away to her left, leaving her with the view of the oceans waves crashing against the rocks below, the mountain was sturdy and strong to the right of her path, and Moridanu found herself leaning towards the right on more than one occasion. Finally, she was at the top of the mountain. Before her where once the temple stood there was merely what appeared to be a mountain that had caved in on itself. From the outside, all that could be seen were massive boulders, all jumbled on top of each other in no particular order. Planks of wood, the occasional marble pillar and a few small chunks of golden statue were the only indication that the rubble came from something other than an avalanche.

Bending over slightly, Moridanu placed her hands on her thighs as she took in a few deep lungfuls of the salty sea air while waiting for the men to catch up with her. When they finally did, she looked to each of them imploringly before calling out ~C’mon! Let’s dig em out!~ before walking up to a medium size boulder and trying to lift it up. The rock was heavy and awkward, and as she struggled with it her mind turned towards finding some easier method of removing the rubble. *

[Elethaire]

Aridawn nodded and smiled weakly at Moridanu's thankyou and instructions, she began to run and Aridawn followed, his long powerful legs could leap great strides and he followed close behind Moridanu, he realised how bad things were, the enemy was attacking the Temple of Morrighan, things really were bad and getting worse, he realised he really wasn't one for battle, not like his brother, in fact this was the first time he had actually done anything to support the war, taking over the Dragons Den and helping Moridanu, he was used to it of course but only through a looking glass, Moridanu and Elethaire were always struggling with the Evil that inhibited Morthika.

It was getting easier to move through the forest now, Aridawn hadn't even checked behind him to see if the soldiers were following, his huge green eyes clashed against his streaming black hair and pale skin due to the wind constantly blowing in his face. He could feel the trees thinning out more than he could actually see it, his affinity for nature was beyond words in these particular forests.

"Nearly there"

Moridanu cried out, Aridawn was feeling a tightness in his chest, his sleeveless tunic wasn't doing much against the wind. Aridawn stopped when he realised they were nearing the cliffs, he walked the rest of the way even though Moridanu was still running, he could almost feel her panic it was so strong. Moridanu had already began climbing before Ari had reached the cliffs, he sighed and looked back at the men behind him, with a half smirk he began to climb the cliff, something he wasn't very used to, it didn't take as long as he though and by the time he reached the peek, his hands were bleeding and there were gashes all over his legs. He rolled on the floor thankful for land under his feet and slowly pulled himself up, moving next to Moridanu, Aridawn placed his hands on the boulder The Queen was trying to lift and helped her throw the boulder away, there had to be an easier way, he thought of some of his innate abilities he had received from his fathers side, for as not many people knew Elethaire was his half brother and his father was a tree spirit that healed his Mother on her death bed while pregnant. Aridawn could try an Earthquake? But it would probably do more harm then good. Aridawn began to concentrate, the wind moved around him, leaves and dirt lifted into the air, spinning around him in spirals, rocks and boulders began to shift slowly as small roots began to creep through the debris.

[Moridanu]

* Her nails were soon ragged hooks atop her bleeding fingers, but Moridanu failed to notice as she dug desperately at the pile of rocks that stood between her and the two men she loved. Her breathing was coming in short, husky pants as she blinked back tears of frustration and fear. Glancing around quickly to ascertain the progress of the others, Moridanu offered a faint smile of gratitude to the two soldiers that worked beside her, digging up large boulders and seemingly throwing them over their heads. With a sideways glance at Aridawn, she murmered ~Keep digging.. we have to get them out!~ before she looked quickly to the sky above them. The black silken threads of the signal smoke still clung to the darkening sky although the image of the crow was no longer evident. Moridanu could only hope that help would come soon.

Turning her attention back to the pile of rocks, she picked up a particularly round stone and placed it quickly on the growing mound behind her. Although they were all working as quickly as they could, the pile of heavy rocks in the entrance of the temple seemed to never end. Sighing in frustration, she noticed that the wind seemed to have picked up and the leaves and twigs that littered the cliff’s path were now billowing around her head in tight little tornadoes of air. The rock pile began to tremble as what appeared to be roots began to appear beneath the rocks. Smiling over at Aridawn as she knew that he must be the one responsible, Moridanu murmered ~Good thinkin’~ before she lowered her hands to her side and stood completely upright. She had been so consumed with rescuing ODK and Crowe that she had failed to use her common sense.

The fact that Aridawn had already summoned the use of two elements helped Moridanu to quickly tap into their energies, as she called upon the wind to lend its power in shifting the rocks. Chanting over and over again ~Light as a feather, light as a feather~ she reached down to pick up a large boulder that was now surprisingly light. So light was the chunk of rock that she could toss it over her shoulder with one hand while picking up another light boulder in the other. Grinning over at Aridawn, she tossed her auburn curls over her shoulder as she and the other soldiers made quick work of the pile of rocks. It wouldn’t be too long until they would be able to enter the temple – or whatever there was that still remained of the temple. Calling out in a loud husky voice, Moridanu yelled with all her might and hoped that either ODK or Crowe might hear her voice.

~We’re comin m’love.. just hold on a wee bit longer..!~
*

[The Demon Auditor]

There was very little ODK could do right now short of simply sweeping away the debris with a giant hurricane. Actually...he'd probably need several. He could even give them cute pet names, like Delbert, and Stan, and Stewie, and even Squishy Huggles Bottom! ...Er, nevermind. ODK looked around the ruins, bored. Dead bodies, more dead bodies, and even a few dead bodies he was certain the goddess of war just threw in for fun. But, no sign of Moridanu or even Crowe. Rocks? Well, there was plenty of them. Corpses? As stated, plenty (plus some). Mystical relics of the great and powerful Morrighan? Not anymore! ODK whistled innocently to himself as he quickly left the scene, hands stuffed in his coat pockets.

As he crested the sloping hill of debris, he realized it was in fact a steep cliff. The ocean raged below, and several pebbles kicked by his shoe fell into the watery depths. "Whoops, wrong way." ODK then doubled back, hoping somewhere around here was the entrance. He had given up hope of finding Mori. His mind was still in shock she was gone, and it was very slowly accepting the (possible) very harsh reality. So, he pretended everything was fine. She was away, somewhere, very far away, and he would see her soon. Yes. Very soon. All would be right then. Hehehe!

As the familiar rustle of arcane whistled by him, he turned to see what appeared to be elementals moving boulders nearby. He didn't summon those... With quick steps he clambered up the pile of rocks until he could see over the cliff down to where the entrance to the temple used to be. There, at the bottom, fighting tooth and nail against a stone giant, was the woman who had stirred such emotion in his black soul. The shock of her untimely demise left him numb, and now this shock was a balloon popping in his head. -Snap.-

His eyes went pupiless and hollow, and his body limp. With no support, he tumbled over the rocks and fell head-long into the party below. Somehow, in the middle of it all, he managed to utter that familiar soap-opera standby: "Bum-bum BUUUUUUUMMMM!!"

[Elethaire]

Aridawn was somewhat confused; he looked down at the man that had almost knocked him over, The Other Demon Keeper apparently?

He let go of the spell he was using to push away the boulders, it was a chore and he suddenly felt overcome with exhaustion

"How many are left alive? What of Crowe is he still with us?"

Aridawn asked the batted man who had fallen in front of him, apart from being filthy he looked well enough

"Are you injured? I can heal you"

Aridawn said confidently as he began to place his hands over ODK face examining his ears for bleeding.

((Not my best work sorry! Will be better next round))

[Moridanu]

* The salty air whipped around her face suddenly, causing her emerald orbs to water as she squinted against the increasing power that she and Aridawn now controlled. The boulders were flying over her head and the entranceway was now almost cleared. Soon she would be able to enter what was left of the temple and search for ODK and Crowe. The thought of either of them injured caused her already watering eyes to shed a few more tears before she blinked quickly and wiped her eyes on her coat sleave. Pausing to wipe her eyes and take a moment to compose herself, Moridanu cast a quick glance around her.

Although the pile of rocks in the entranceway was slowly diminishing there was still a mountain of debris above their heads and she looked up at the landslide beside her just in time to make out a black shadow standing high above the rubble. Her salt infested tears blurred her vision, causing her to squint at the black shadow which fell and began to stumble down the rubble. It was only when the shadow came to a stop at her feet and muttered something about his bum that Moridanu realised it was ODK.

She was too numb with shock to react in any way at first, and she stared down at him with wide unblinking eyes as Aridawn quickly attended to any wounds he might have. She had to keep chanting to herself ~He’s alright.. he’s alright..~ to herself for several moments before she allowed herself to believe what her blurred sight was showing her. Gasping outloud in what could almost be confused as a delighted scream, Moridanu immediately fell to her knees beside him and started covering his head in quick little kisses. ~ I knew ye would be alright m’love.. I knew it..~ she murmured in between kisses as her worried eyes searched him for any injuries she had not first seen. ~ Ye are alright are ye not? And Crowe? What of him?~ she glanced up at the pile of rubble that ODK had fallen down, almost expecting Crowe to be standing up there, smiling down at her in that way that made her problems all melt away. But when she gazed wistfully there, all she saw were late afternoon shadows forming on the rocks. The sun was going down and soon it would be nightfall. Moridanu shivered and sighed sadly as she realised Crowe would not be joining them just yet. As delighted as she was to have ODK back safe and sound, the absence of her natural born protector weighed heavily on her as she stroked ODK’s hair lovingly and gazed anxiously down at him. *

[The Demon Auditor]

Were ODK in a right sense of mind, he would have warned Aridawn not to attempt any magical healing. Instead, such actions would backfire and harm both ODK and the spell caster. Herbal remedies were also infective, but far less dangerous. They simply did nothing. Instead, the wounds and injuries would heal themselves if left unattended. Moridanu, however, would know all this already.

As he was scooped up into the arms of a beautiful woman and laden with kisses, he made no indication he was alive. Not even the soft caress of her sweet bosom against his cheek made any impression on him (though his physical body made a mental note to remember the sensation later in private). He simply stared straight ahead at nothing, his eyes mere hollow orbs of green, with no reflection and no window.

As Moridanu fretted over Crowe's absence, ODK was far away. He was floating in the darkness. His coat flapped gently in a nonexistent breeze. Then, from the depths came a clawed and gnarled hand, larger and larger it loomed over him, before engulfing his body in its decaying palm.

"NO!!" ODK let out a sharp yell as he snapped up into a sitting position.

He blinked several times, and furrowed his brow. This wasn't his residence in Otherworld. Where were the naked singing fire nymphs, ambiguous pole dancers, and casual friends-with-benefits? He looked around slowly. Only now did he realize he was sitting beside Mori, his back to her with his sudden up-righting. He turned the other way and saw some strange elf inspecting his ears.

"Err...Can I help you?" he asked Aridawn cautiously.

[The Demon Auditor]

Moridanu: *Moridanu was hovering over ODK when he sat up suddenly and shouted out NO! Blinking and jumping back slightly, she tried to pull Aridawn away from him as his kind nurturing attention would only backfire on him, should he try to heal ODK by magickal means. As she heard his voice however as he asked Aridawn if he could help him in some way, Moridanu screamed again and threw her arms around his neck. ~M'love!! I knew you would be alright.. I just knew it..~a hundred kisses were quickly placed all over his face and neck.*

The "Other" Demon Keeper: *ODK snapped into reality as Mori grabbed him around the neck and smothered him with affection. Already he could feel the minor wounds healing, leaving some of the major ones to heal slower. He could feel his ribs were not quite in the right positions, one of which he was convinced was now upright and gently tapping his lung on the shoulder to ask what he should expect in that region of the body. Mori's squeezing of his body wasn't exactly helping it adjust. ODK let out a squeak, wrapping his arms gingerly around her and gasping quietly* Mori...my dear...I do believe you're squeezing my lungs shut...!

Moridanu: *She gasped in shock and let go of him immediately, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. ~Sorry!~ she cringed and stood up beside him. ~Are ye alright? How ye be feeling? Is anythin' broken?~ Although he was talking to her and looked to be okay, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Therefore, she fretted like a mother hen and quickly scanned him with her emerald gaze. Seeing nothing hanging off or missing altogether, she finally let out a long shaky breath and kneeled beside him silently as she waited to see if he really was okay. *

ODK: *ODK took in deeper breaths now after she let go. It was an odd relationship he had with his body... Normally it didn't matter what happened to it, he'd be alright, but he still felt the pain. He'd mostly gotten used to it over time. After all, once you're past the first hundred thousand years, you've got all the hard parts out of the way. He smiled to Mori, putting an arm around her.* I'm fine, just a little worse for wear. It'll pass. How're you?

Moridanu: *Her heart soared as his arm slipped around her and he assured her he was fine. Sagging slightly as she let go of all her anxiety in one long deep exhale, she put her arm around his waist, careful not to squeeze as she gazed up into his green eyes. ~I be much better now I know ye t'be safe... Crowe on the other hand... we have seen nor heard nothing... do ye have any news on him? Do ye know if he survived the cave in?~ her emerald gaze flickered over to Aridawn and she motioned for him to wait for her before standing up. Reaching down with one slender hand, Moridanu offered to help ODK rise to his feet. *

ODK: *ODK declined Mori's assistance with a wave of his hand.* No, I need a, uh, a moment. I haven't seen anything of Crowe... I thought everyone was still in the temple during the collapse. I can't fathom how you got out in time... But, if -we- both survived, there's still hope. I did not, after all, find his body, either. *He gave Mori a comforting smile, which turned to a slight wince. His normally dark green eyes were now a dull hazel as most of his energy was directed towards healing himself quickly. He would not doubt there would be another attack very soon somewhere in Kendelah, and the army would need its generals. This was just what they needed, their forces scattered and in disarray.*

[Catrux]

(I hope no one minds if I jump in)

Sehkem was walking near the out-skirts of a forest, in the company of his two ravens. The ravens were playing an odd game resembling tag, while Sehkem was lookin for a spot to sit. Just as his eyes found a sufficient spot his ravens let out a surprised call. He looked up in time to watch a streak of yellow shoot across the sky. Its too low to be a shooting star....oh where have I seen that sort of thing before?

It slowly dawned on him that it was a distress call. Once the full gravity of it had settled in, he flew up toward where the streak had come. After a while of flying he spotted a collapsed temple. This most likely is the source of the danger even though the streak extends a bit further...I'll first take my chances here.

He flew towards the temple and perched on the remaining part of the roof. He called out to see if any one was in the vicinity that needed help. He was a tad unsure why he felt compelled to help, it wasn't his business. Little did he know it was his good half attempting to balance out some of his past actions.

[Elethaire]

Aridawn was about to pull his hands aware when they were pulled away by Moridanu; he stepped back and furrowed his brow slightly indignant

"I was just checking for bleeding…"

He said quietly, a slight red tint rose to his cheeks and he steered away from the pair, he began to kick away at the stone and debris that lay all over the place

"I fear Crowe is no longer in this realm… I can't sense anything…"

He called out to Moridanu, he then felt a flare of intense heat, someone Aura, it was unusual both warm and cold, good and evil, Crowe? Was he sensing something in Crowe, perhaps he was still alive?

He turned sharply when he heard the sound of beating wings, in the distance stood a winged man, an angel of sorts, Cautiously Aridawn approached him, pulling a strand of dark almost green hair out of his eyes he smiled politely at the man

"Welcome stranger. I don’t think I've seen you before? I'm Aridawn, that’s The Other Demon Keeper and her highness Moridanu"

He said pointing in the distance; he put his hand out for the strange winged one to shake

"I think in these troubled times we could use all the help we can get"

He said quietly

[Catrux]

Sehkem turned sharply as some one aproached him. He knew a great deal about other races since he tryed figuring out what he was. The elf put out his hand to shake, Sehkem almost reached out before catching himself. I should first remove the glove, otherwise it may hurt him a great deal.

Reaver had sensed his master's thoughts and perched on Sehkem's shoulder. Sehkem brought his hand to the raven and it immediately pulled the black glove from his master's hand. Sehkem then reached out with his bare hand to shake the elf's.

"An elf, a demon, and a queen I presume? Forgive me for not knowing who any of you are. What has brought such a motely crew together here? Where you the ones who set off the call?"

Soul, Sehkem's white raven, took his place upon his master's left shoulder. After the raven glanced at the assortment he then began wispering into Sekhem's ear. Sehkem nodded after the raven finished then spoke to the elf, "Soul here has noticed you seem troubled, he wishes to know what it is that is weighing down on you." The white raven cocked its head looking sideways into the elf's eyes. Sehkem, while waiting for the elf's responce glanced toward the "other demon keeper" and the "queen" to see if they had yet torn themselves away from one another. This so called queen and demon keeper I have never heard of. I hope she does not expect me to gravel.

[Moridanu]

* A slight frown of worry creased her forehead as ODK told her he needed a few more moments before he rose to his feet. Although she stood, she hovered above him as Aridawn approached the new arrival and introduced them all to him. She waved as Aridawn addressed her and after a last sideways glance at ODK to make sure he was okay, she strode towards the two men just in time to hear the strange man say he did not know any of them.

~If it be making ye feel any better sir, we do not be knowing ye either, so I be guessing that makes us even.~ With her usual twinkle in her emerald eyes, Moridanu stepped up to the man and offered her hand out to him by way of greeting.

~As Aridawn has explained, m’name be Moridanu Darkflame. This pile of rubble that ye see before ye used to be a temple in honour of my Mighty Mother Morrighan, Goddess of War and Witches. ~Dark lashes closed briefly over her emeral orbs as she paid silent homage to her Goddess for a few precious moments, before her eyes flickered open once more..

~Someone that I love more than life itself is believed to be trapped within this rubble. ODK over there.. ~she pointed over to him and offered him a weak smile. ~ He was trapped in there as well, as was I… we escaped however… Crowe..~she sniffed and wiped back some tears that were quickly beginning to fall. ~… did not..~

She smiled sadly at the mans two ravens, one as dark as Crowe and she in their aerial form, the other as white as the purest snow. ~Thankye for answering m’distress call. Whatever help ye might be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.. ~ *

[Catrux]

The "Queen," or at least thats what he assumed she was, stode towards him after breaking her embrace of the demon keeper. She said they did not know him either so that made them even. His hopes fell, he thought that maybe one of them would know what he was. He had spent his entire life thus far, searching for the answer to what he was.

"It is no wonder none of you know who I am, very few if any do. It was merely the way Aridawn introduced you. It sounded as if you were very important."

Moridanu extended her hand just as the elf had. Sehkem reached out and took it as a greeting, he never really liked such greetings but at this point he did not need to be thought rude.

Sehkem was unsure of what to say to Moridanu about a temple to her mother being destroyed, he didn't recognize any god or goddess so he felt no feeling about the destruction of the temple."

Moridanu then spoke of a man trapped inside the temple, Crowe was his name. She seemed obviously shaken, almost unfit, due to his possible death. Sehkem was not a comforting person but he tried anyway. "He may not be lost, but we will have to hurry. Let us quickly look for him, so that you all may be reunited." He knew how grave it seemed for Crowe, but possiblities always exist. That lesson he learned a long time ago, it seemed like a life time ago.