Balthazar takes a vantage point in the sky above the combat and does not give himself away.  Does he see anything unusual about the tree?

The young archer remains in the back, ready to use his bow if need be. Like all Rus he had heard of the Deathless but only in fairy tales and the like. Never did he believe that such a demon existed.

Miroslav steps forward and dumps the contents of the bag he had been carrying on the ground before Koshchei. Vikhors bloody severed head falls at the flaming hooves of the Deathless One's mount.

"He urged us to steal your death and then kill it. Instead we slew him and brought you this trophy."

Koshchei smiles grimly upon seeing the head of the corpulent djinni. He looks back up at the party..."This is good! I thank you for this gift...but still there is the matter of you coming here. But first...I will give you a ball of pure silver that will take you to Baba Jaga. If she has made a deal then she is the one who will need to honor it. I am not her keeper."

He reaches into his armor and digs around in his chest cavity and produces a small silver ball partially covered in a tar like substance. He tosses it to Loukas and says..."This will take you to the Hag herself. Be wary of her words and actions. She has fooled much wiser than you lot."

The copper ball begins to roll past Koshchei bu tit is stomped into the ground by the flaming hooves of his steed as he talks.

The Deathless looks down upon the party and continues..."Very few set foot upon this island and live and those who do live, do not remember...once you leave here you will remember the events but not how to find this island. You may even walk the shores of Lake Beloye and the island will remain hidden. You shall never find it again without such an aid as your copper ball."

His eyes begin to burn like two white hot flames..."You must never again seek this island, I warn you only once."

"And here I was just getting used to the place," mutters A'kos, glancing around.

Privately he wonders at what damage he might inflict upon the dead warrior upon the flaming steed.

Cuivi nods his approval, "Indeed a fair bargain great sorcerer. I am an old man and unlike yourself am not immortal, to gaze on the mystic Island of Koshchei just once leaves me in awe. My friends here are young and impetuous, I fear by myself I could not ensure they kept their word on this matter. So I also agree to what is undoubtedly your other demand, we shall allow you and your henchmen to escort all of us that you see standing before you back to the ferry. Leaving the great bargaining chip of your soul untouched, buried beneath your tree. I assure you, you would never see any one of us risk disturbing that particular treasure."

Koshchei smiles grimly at the mention of the tree and replies..."The silver ball will be your escort."

The tree itself seems to writhe when it is spoke of. The motion is subtle but it can be seen.

Loukas looked askance at Cuivi for mentioning the tree. For one who just called himself wise it seemed rather foolish to point out to a being like Koshchei that one was aware of his greatest point of weakness. Indeed, they were lucky that The Deathless did not decide then and there to attack. Clearly it was time to be moving.

Loukas bowed respectfully, and then turned to his friends, preparing to follow the silver ball back to the ferry, "Let us not overstay our welcome."

Dyanna brings her mount alongside the recent addition to their party.

"Cuivi, I would learn what lore you may possess regarding Koshchei's tree," she says in a quiet voice.

She is sure the Deathless likely has heard her on some level, but she keeps her tone even, neutral as her interest is academic in nature.  Still, she is intrigued.

Miroslav nods at Loukas and says..."Yes, back across the ferry then to where the silver ball may lead."

The tree writhes once again when when Dyanna speaks of it. Koshchei , if he has heard her, makes no sign of it.

Jean sits his horse looking calmly at the Deathless until the others have begun to move away. Only when they are well clear does he sheath Nail, wheel Donnerhuf about, and ride after them

Cuivi grips the reins of his mount tightly, his weathered knuckles visibly whitening. He waits momentarily with Jean, deep in thought, sighs and turns his mount. As the party nears the ferry he draws close to Dyanna, his eyes show great sorrow. "My dear perhaps if you had appeared more vulnerable in his sight that monster would have had you for his own. I had hoped he would follow, sometimes the wisest course is not the safest, I considered something rash back there but there are more lives at stake here than just my own." He shakes his head,"I fear our invisible friend will not have opportunity to achieve much in the dirt of the tree, no more on what lies there will I say. Perhaps I shall return when I have more control over the outcome, we are but puppets as ever."

The party heads back and the ferryman does not collect his fee for a return visit. Within a half hour the party is back reunited with Jaleh on the shore of the lake. The island, while surely still there cannot be seen any longer.

Taking out the silver ball Loukas doesn't pause before dropping it adjusting the pack on his back, and beginning to follow.

"I see it didn't eat you or take your souls, or anything." Jaleh commented when everyone made it back.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:24, Wed 08 Dec 2010.

Miroslav smiles at Jaleh's remark and says..."Now I better understand your reluctance to join us! You were afraid you would starve the poor creature!" He continues laughing as he urges his mount to follow the silver ball which is now heading due south at an even faster rate than the other balls had moved. He follows closely behind the young dedicant of Veles.

Loukas smiled and winked at Jaleh, "Perhaps."

Yaro smiles and kicks his horse in the ribs. He brings up the rear, not daring to be near the head of the party. He does ride with his bow across his lap, arrow at the ready, just in case there is trouble.

A'kos roars his approval at Miroslav's remark.

"Have a care, Ruskite!" he shouts.  "She'll pack a fair wollop in such a small frame!"

"Let him have his laughs, A'kos" Jaleh remarked to the falcon. "Although, one would wonder if I had soul why I worry about starving something."

The party follows the silver ball south...time does not seem to flow correctly neither do your bodies reaction to it. As you follow the ball it seems as if a day passes by in an hour followed by an impossibly fast night.

None of you are exactly sure how many of these quasi days have passed by but Miroslav says that you are nearing Kiev.

You are following a strange dirt paved road that forks into three different paths with s signpost in the middle. The silver ball stops at the base of the sign and pops out of sight just as the others had done.

Dyanna attempts to discern the reasons behind the strange mode of travel, and what type of power drives the silver ball onward.  When it disappears next to the signpost she mutters, "Here we go again..."

Quietly she makes ready a spell and waits for what happens next.

While travel with the ball had been decidedly odd and somewhat unsettling, there was also something utterly fascinating about the experience. While they followed it they were seemingly outside of mundane events. It was an excellent preparation for dealing with Baba Yaga...

When they found themselves signpost he looks about in a impotent attempt to orient himself. He had never been to Kiev. His mother was born in Kiev. He had extended family there he had never met. Indeed, he had once met his mother brother, Uncle Sergei, when he visited them in Byzantium, but that was years ago. He had been six years old and he had no idea whether the man was still alive.

Of course, it was not likely that they would make it to Kiev this trip...

He stepped up to the post and read the sign.

OOC: Sorry for being so busy recently.

Balthazar obviously didn't get a chance to hunt around in the tree, though if I'd been able to get online last week, who knows?

He reads the sign as well.

The sign is in a strange script, only Loukas and Miroslav are familiar with it and only Loukas can read it completely.

Opening a new thread...To the Baba Yaga!