Ohanzee continues to follow the voice and the faint light, slowing his pace to a walk Whispers?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:40, Sat 06 June 2015.

Deep within the vegetation up above the Holes, Taya is hunting one of the many Jackrabbits, when all of a sudden the armoured animal goes taut as if in pain

"Oh Shit I'......"

Then the Rubble Runner shakes it's head as if clearing itself of some unwelcome visitor before continuing on it's vicious way.

After repeating his call several times as he moves towards the light Ohanzee is soon rewarded by a distant reply and the light being partially blocked as if someone is standing in it's way.

"Ohanzee? What are you doing here. They mustn't find you down here."

The light moves and Ohanzee realises that Whispers is approaching him. Moments later the Shaman stands in front of him, holding a fat lamp to his face before taking one arm and leading him back the way he'd come.

"Why are you here?"

She sounds exasperated.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Sat 06 June 2015.

For those standing on the shore of the lake it is a worrying time, made worse by the sudden appearance of a long, scaly worm like body breaking the surface roughly where they presume Salen and Melock to be.

It's a good half metre in diameter,  the part they see a few metres in length suggesting that it's huge, and it's accompanied by a good sized amount of air and blood bubbling to the surface.


For the briefest of moments Salen is confronted by a terrifying teeth filled maw that jabs at him before coiling out of view. It's got Melock well and truly wrapped, the Raven brave limp in the creature's crushing grip.

Within the Earth Complex

The Raven brave looks confused "They? Why? I'm freed, slave no more?" Then the thought comes to him "You mean the Axe Maidens? I've been here before, I serve the Earth like them a Wandering Ranger, just as much right as them to be here. In fact the Rangers were here first!"

He sighs realising that he's getting carried away on something that doesn't matter at this point and it is his voice that shows exhasberation this time "The Sun is trying to dominate the Earth. All the others are lending their strength to resist. The spirits of the air and storm are sorely needed!"

Amara sighed, dropping her javelins to the ground. "Melock will need help to get out. Ravens are more trouble than they are worth." she said to her brother. Dropping her helmet and shield she jumped into the water to pull him out.

With the Yelmalions and Red Thorns present, Kobal had tried to maintain a proud and unhurried demeanour, but as he realises that Melock is struggling in the waters, there's nothing for it but to drop any pretense.  He takes off the helmet of Emesh-Ga and his hauberk - taking sure to place them near his fellow Rangers and away from the Red Thorns - and wades into the water, drawing his knife.

With the water looking so murky, though, he doesn't feel confident that he'll be able to do much underwater - not confident enough of his swimming ability.  Instead, he watches for any sign of movement that might signal the position of Melock or the approach of the monster.

For those watching from the shore time seems to drag on far too long. The Yelmalions and the Red Thorns have left, and the Earth Witch and her assistants have come to join the Wandering Rangers.

Suddenly Salen is at the surface, his arrival heralded by a cloud of bubbles, but he's gone before anyone can react, having needed a lungful of fresh air before he could continue rescuing Melock.

As he dives the water thrashes as the scaled tail of the beast whips back and forth in fury.

Then Amara appears walking steadily up towards the bank, both arms dragging what turns out to be the still body of Melock. Akala instantly goes to her aid and in moments they have their friend back on dry land.

He's not breathing and blood begins colouring the water flowing out from under his armour.

Back in the water the ripple appears again, this time heading off in to the middle of the lake.

Within the Earth Complex

"Men are not allowed in this part of the temple, nor none initiates. It doesn't matter what you have done, they will not forgive trespassing. These are new tunnels made since the first visit."

On hearing about the Sun she quickens her pace, a sudden wind at their backs as her spirits begin to materialise in this world.

Then they're out into the blinding sunlight and there on the shore is what looks like their friend Melock.

Dead.

Ohanzee stops dead in his tracks stunned at the sudden change in the situation in the cave, the dome of light gone, the Sun Domers and their lackey shaman exiting with the priestesses and their own guard. But most of all he is stunned to see his fellow Raven brave, his fiend in adversity and trickery, laying there on the side of the underground lake, his body motionless and his blood flowing into the murky water below.

"What? Shit!" is all he manages.

Kobal takes the armour off Melock, and looks for the source of the bleeding.  He presses a hand over the likely source, and prays to all spirits he knows - Waha, Thunder Bird, Zola Fel, and the Earth - to heal his friend and brother.

Looking to the Earth Witch, and then to Hoskar, he asks desperately "Can you help?"

As Kobal begins healing, he realises that the damage done to his friend is not curable by the meagre charms that he or his friends posses. It needs divine aid or the touch of someone well versed in the arts of curing those that totter on the very edge of extinction.

Whispers who had just run up exchanges glances with the Earth Witch, both saying at the same time "Serpent Tamer."

It's the name of the Priestess that had fallen sick in the healing quest, the Eirithan from the Blue Water clan.

"She knows the way of bringing back those that died...It will likely come at a cost and your friend will not be the same as before."

Looking at the two women "Get her, we'll pay!" is all Ohanzee says.

There is more bubbling and frothing over by the island, and another figure appears out of the water, soaking and covered in blood - Salen. He drags himself onto the island as it is the nearest bit of dry land he can find. He gasps as he takes in great lungfuls of air, and looks across the cavern to the shore where his fellow Rangers are gathered - around the limp form of Melock. In a few moments he stands, and water and blood runs off him, and he takes a moment to consider what it all means.

"Damned serpent," he says, spitting. "Drove it off, but it's still alive. And all this blood...is Melock's. I am unharmed."

Salen shakes his head a moment, trying to rid himself of another Ranger dying when he was so close at hand. Kaonu...Melock...who next?

He shakes his head once more and tries to look deep into the blood-infused water.

The Earth Witch orders several of the Axe sisters to take Melock deep within the Temple.

"Take him to where Serpent Tamer is resting and see if she can revive this Ranger."

"Rangers you are under geas to help me now, for full two weeks, this Earth Season and every one after. I ask you to leave now and hunt down the Harpies that have been plaguing our beasts. Melock if he is saved can join you later or serve his time here.

Today the Sun wooed the Earth and took what was his. Bloodshed was avoided today and peace made, thanks to the timely intervention of Banyak Bulu. He has found favour with me and mentions that his Khan wishes to offer me his hand in marriage, which is not unexpected.

Your beasts are waiting. Ride now to the Shattered Hills and right the wrongs....Walk the Walk....And Talk the Talk."

The Axe Sisters pick up the inert figure of Melock and carrying him off down the tunnel.

The surface is a giant mesh of water lilies, algae and other water plants, making it incredibly hard to see anything. There's a sign of agitation about ten metres away and then it's gone.

Then there's a splash between the island and the ancient platform behind Salen, on the Southern side of the Hole. It's where the entrance used to be, now closed over and only open by special rituals.

The creature is circling the island.

A rope, still attached to the Condor brave and Henal on the shore, twitches as the worm passes underneath.

"We need to drive off the creature so that Salen can come back unharmed. Bad enough for Melock to be nearly killed but we'll need all of us to deal with the harpies".

Henal looks with the rope to see if there is anything it can be hung off and Salen brought back without entering the water.

There are in fact several trees on the banks of the lake and one stubby bush that might be strong enough for what Henal plans.

In fact looking behind him, Salen sees that he can easily leap across to the carved platform some three to four metres away. Taking a small run up he soars over to land perfectly on the stone floor. A set of pillars hiding the steps and carved walls of the room behind.

He's still attached to Henal by the fifty metre rope, but is now stuck even further away than before. Above him is the fifty metre sides of the massive hole, the eastern side filled with many small caves, out of which several rock lizards have appeared, their blue tongues tasting the air.

Ohanzee watches Melock's corpse get carried away before looking to the others "I don't think he'll be ready to travel soon, let alone fight. Let's go up top and haul Salen up now he's close enough to the edge."

He makes a move himself but detours to a side tunnel briefly returning with something wrapped in cloth then heads up to the surface questioning the others on the job the Earth Witch spoke about.

"Thank you, Wise Ones," says Kobal.  "Our task will be easier if our brother is with us."  He places his fist over his chest and bows low.

The news of the Red Thorns' strengthening their ties with the Earth Witch is disconcerting, though.



"As you command."

Kobal turns to Salen and calls out, "Stay there.  We'll haul you up."  He goes to collect his helmet and hauberk.  As the Rangers walk back up, he explains their task to Ohanzee.  "What happened to you?  We saw that you had taken your rhino, but then found no trace of you..."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:29, Mon 08 June 2015.

"Yes, and I remember a backflipping rabbit." Tarnessh added, after being shocked silent when he saw Melock's corpse being dragged out of the water, deciding that talking to Ohanzee would be better then dwelling on seeing his dead friend.

Amara felt crestfallen. Everything they'd worked towards to keep the Red Thorns out of the resurgence of the garden and now they would be reaping the benefits. Deciding who could access the temple and not and the Earth Witch due to marry one, and Kobal marrying one. The Red Thorns were in the ascendancy.

And all they did to try to recover Melock and he ended up dying anyway. Enough to turn a one time geas into lifetime geas. She would gladly pay it to bring Melock back, but this would mean her wishes to travel to see Sartar and other places would be short ones by necessity, and probably serving the Red Thorns to boot. She had no doubt the Earth Witch was powerful and strong willed enough to bend the Red Thorns to her will, but it also meant she was bound to them.

Amara sighed heavily as she picked up her javelin and helmet from the shore. This trip was not going to be a good one.

Ohanzee gives the Sun Hawk brave a strange look "Back-flipping jackrabbit, are you sure you haven't been overdoing the smoke?"

"That does remind me though, where are my jackrabbits?"

Then after listening to the description of the rabbit, or rather rabbits at the arrival of the others at the camp a look of understanding comes over Ohanzee's face and he says "I'll explain when we are away from here. I don't want too many ears listening."

While the others make their way up above Salen stands on the stone platform, smiling at Oglod's children in the holes of the cavern wall. He occasionally looks at the water of the pool, just to see if the water demon shows itself or its lair.