His hands appear to be shaking and there is a near maniacal look in his eyes but he stops.  "I no trust none of them, nor you."  He looks at the old hag, his body barely able to contain what is happening to it, heat is radiating from him in waves and not just his hand.  "YOU! TAKE US BACK NOW!!  THEN TALK TA THE WITCH!!  IFN WE AINT BACK TA THE TAVERN, I WILL GEEK YOU!!"

Max winced at the heat coming off Cinder. Why me? She hated heat. Hate fire. Hates smoke most of all and it always came as a package deal.  She shrunk back away from him, thinking it was highly unlikly the girl was going ot give up the stone or the witch was going let her go.

I have no issue with any of you... Nor do I care about the girl.  I just want what was rightfully mine.  She glared at the crazy man.

Your door is there. She pointed to a spot in the wood, the darkness seeming to shimmer a bit.  You are all free to leave, but not her. Not with the stone.  She leaves the stone and she can go too.

Nooooo. The scream came from the other. Yous can't leave. It... it would be bad to leave.  Come in the house...Don't believe her.  She's... she's crazy. She stammered, sounding worried.

He turns towards the prettier of the two hags, the gun coming up.  The trigger is depressed for about a second but the sound is deafening and a foot of flame bursts from the front of the gun as nearly a hundred rounds chew up the ground in front of the creature, spraying her with dirt and broken branches.  "Shut yur damn yap."

Turning back to the old hag he keeps one hand on the gun and the other extended away from his body.  "No talkin deals till we all be back.  Try n convince er there."

The woman watched her counterpart flinch at the gun fire with a small degree of satisfaction, then turned to the firey one who seemed to have taken charge.

I can't.  The stone must be returned to me here, in my world, or it will not work. She answered appearing to be honest.

I don't know what you are, but her people stole that stone from me and mine long ago.  They have been greedy and arrogant.  Like her, they don't think of anyone but themselves.... She shook her head.

In case you've not notice, this world. MY world is in harm.  I have nothing else to loose.  This is not a neogation... The old hag, took a step closer to Cinder, despite the great heat that was radiating from him.

A clear popping sound was heard as whatever magic she had employed to protect her was broken.  This is NOT a negotiation.  And if you kill me, without the stone, you have only served to end my suffering and seal a curse on that wretched girl and her kind.  I want the stone.  I need that stone.  We must all do what we must.

She took a step closer still.  I have no issue with any of you, but the girl. You are free to leave.  She is free to leave when my people's property has been returned to me.

The orange gem on Aubria's disk faded, but Aubria was unable to feel calm about that. "T-the stone is corrupted," she stammered out. "My mentor and the strongest wizards and witches of my world have tried to change it back, but none of them have been successful. I doubt you can change it back into a true sunstone." Looking between the unconscious Kelris that Tauri still carried, the mage Cinder, and the hag sorceress, she continued shakily, "Now all it's good for is to cause destruction. It used to carry light, but now it refuses to. It's a darkstone now, and it needs to be hidden away or destroyed."

Now looking at her fellow witch, her eyes panicked, she asked, "Why exactly do you say we can't go back?"

The old hag, now ignored Cinder and took a step toward Aubria. Foolish girl, it is corrupted for you, because it was stolen from it's rightful keepers.  It is not corrupted here, THAT is why it must be returned to me here, in my world. She shook her head as if humans were really the most impossible of species.  They never paid attention.

If returned to me, here, it will be able to return to it's purpose.  Take it with you and it is corrupt and will curse all it comes near.

I said you may all leave but you, Little Girl.  You may leave when you have returned the stone.

The hag looked at Cinder then back to Aubria and thought for a moment.  If you all believe in this one's abilites so much, She glanced at Cinder then back to Aubria, Give me the stone, here, now, let it restore itself and see.  If it does not, they that one may let loose his flame.... She paused and glared back to the pretty witch still cowering in her doorway. Or do you wish to go be dinner and seal all our fates?

Max looked between all assembled, assessing, judging.  Giving Cinder a wide berth, she stepped up to Aubria, speaking softly so only the girl could hear,

Cinder glances at Aubria, at the butterfly woman and the old crone.  "I be goin through that portal in a minute.  If n any of yuz wana join me, no one be stoppin ya."

          "Cinder, a favor." Tauri finally spoke. It had taken him this long to find a reason, and as it was, he was absorbing all the information he could as he listened to the two women of this world debate. "Bring Kelris with you, back to the tavern, see if someone there can help him." He figured that even if the old hag was lying, Kelris would be safer with Cinder than with anyone else, regardless of where he was. Tauri trusted Aubria more, but without her 'spell components' or whatever she'd said, she didn't seem to be confident and calm enough to handle it well, and since this whole conflict seemed based around her...well...
         Yuck. Choices. He hated them, loathed them, because every time he had to make an important one, it seemed like somebody else's life was at stake. Tauri was perfectly pleased to goof around and call people names, but when lives were at stake, which they might be at that point, he became a different person, and it wasn't someone he liked. He became just like all those other military thugs. Direct, to the point, and with no personality whatsoever. All in all, a person that certainly wasn't preferable to his normal self.
Or at least he thought so. Many of his fellow CEA members believed he should behave like that more often, 'be responsible for once', and whatnot.
          The mere thought of it made him want to kick something.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:10, Mon 01 Feb 2010.

Nodding slowly as Max talked to her, Aubria began to debate with herself about the issue. Based on what she'd seen the stone do in the past, and based on what the Head Wizard of the Council had told her and Zahura back home, the stone couldn't bring light anymore because the sorceror Erin had corrupted it. On the other side of the issue, though, she did realize her magic worked slightly different here- and she needed to get back to the tavern where the rest of her components were. She then mumbled something back to Max.


With the stone in hand, Aubria looked over it, her eyes widening suddenly. She then realized she wasn't sure that she, in reality, had the sunstone. She couldn't tell whether she had the sunstone or the less-powerful enhancer diamond- both were cut exactly the same. Zahura would know the difference, but Aubria didn't remember what the difference was.

With a sigh, Aubria looked at the hag witch, a name forming in her mind. "Alright... Marcy... you can have it." Then she flung the stone over the hag's head; it soared until it hit something hard, like a tree or rock. "If you can find it!" With that, Aubria bolted for the portal, slowly remembering where she had seen the sorceress before but not bothering to thing about it. She waved to the others to leave with her.

Noooooo. The butterfly witch screamed, starting to take a step off the porch, but shrinking back, as the location of the stone began to glow with a most powerful light.  How could you, you stupid, stupid girl. Her voice was shrill and held a fierce anger.

The old hag smiled, watching the rock sail over her head with the thump as it landed.  The stone had begun to glow mid stream, and was only growing stronger as it landed on home soil.

Moving quickly, the old woman hurried to the glowing orb, and picking it up, swallowed it.

For a second, there was an explosion of blinding light that seemed to come from everywhere.  It faded as if the sun were finally rising, the colors of the foliage, slowly regaining color.

The woman stood slowly, no longer the old hag, but a being of pure white light.  It shimmered off her skin and her hair.  Her eyes the pales of blues, such that they too appeared to be the color of ice in winter, and she smiled.

Looking up at the sky, where now a bright sun was approaching, she took deep gulps of air, before looking at those that still remained or were scrambling for the portal.

Your safe passage back is assured.  For all of you. Thank you Girl, your deed here, shall not go unforgotten and shall be rewarded.

Max smirked finding the girl's words amusing, and watched.  She wasn't overly concerned about getting to the portal.  At that point there were two she was leery of, Cinder and the butterfly witch.  There was something about that one that she didn't like.

She was actually surprised when Aubria threw the stone, although not the response it garnered.  She'd figured before that if the old hag had wanted to truly harm them, she could have, easily.

Max inched toward the portal, but her curiousity was strong and a part of her wanted to linger to see what was going to happen next, if anything.

Aubria stopped and turned when the witch screeched, and then was astonished when the hag swallowed the sunstone and became a being of light. She simply stared up at the now gorgeous woman and suddenly realized something- her senses of magic had been out of wack in this world, but now they were back to normal. Aubria was fairly certain she was looking at a goddess. And to think I distrusted her!

"I- please forgive me," Aubria stammered, suddenly on her knees on the ground. "I didn't know- you were disguised- I..." She trailed off, biting her lip as she darted her eyes away from the transformed sorceress. She glanced at the butterfly witch for only a second but then kept her eyes on the ground. I'm such a fool!

Shaking his head at Aubria's words he starts to back towards the portal slowly.  "Ifn ya act sinister, ya get treated like ya be sinister.  Go... I'll cover ya."  He brings the mini gun back up, not aiming it at anyone, but holding it at the ready.

Max snorted, and reached to pull Aubria up, with a hiss.  Honestly, there were times when she just wanted to throttle the girl.  Nothing says she was disguised.  So, she probably was telling the truth.  And you prob'ly did something that helped this forsaken place.  You don't bow ro that, you say, 'your welcome,' Max growled. You didn't steal the stone from her.  And it was ...nice She flinched at the word, for you to give it back, now say, g'bye and lets get out of here.

"Ouch! Hey!" Aubria flinched a bit at Max's touch and murmured, "Nothing wrong with showing respect to a superior..." Then, with a slight nod towards the white sorceress, Aubria said with grace, "I am glad to have helped you." With that, she simply turned and walked towards the portal.

He glances over his shoulder.  "Ha, that be yur problem... recognizing sum one as a superior."

Since the others seem to have dropped the orc, he lowers the gun and grabs him by the collar, starting to drag the big lump of bacon towards the portal.  His right hand glows, not white hot, but a bright blue.

Realizing that she'd forgotten Kelris, Aubria turned around and silently walked towards Cinder. She helped him carry- or drag, if needed- the orc to the portal.

>>To the Tavern>>
This message was last edited by the player at 20:35, Thu 04 Feb 2010.

Well she hated to agree with Cinder, but she did.  With a glance around and a shrug at Tauri, she too started to head toward the portal.  There was a part of her that was curious what the house of the butterfly girl held, but the way the creature was shrinking away from the light told her it was not likily to be something good.  In fact, she had the distinct feeling they had dodged a bullet with that.

He stands there, pushing the comatose lump of bacon towards the portal.  After the unconscious ork goes through with Aubria he brings the gun back up and keeps an eye on both the light witch and the butterfly witch.  He can feel the effects on his body starting to wear off.  He knows he doesn't have much time left but still waits for the others to go through the fraggin thing.

"Hurry your asses up."

There was a part of her curious.  And a part that wanted to dwadle just to annoy Cinder, but this world was even more foreign for her than the Tavern's.  She knew nature existed, but she was more comfortable in the concrete forest.

With Aubria gone, she gave one quick glance around and stepped into the forest to disappear.

[To tavern]

As the other man hesitates before moving, Cinder gives up and goes through the portal.  He probably has enough time to get into the tavern.

<<<To Front Porch>>>