As Vailin was pulled into the portal, Valik looked questioningly at Ayrron.

Ayrron looked at Vailin with a straight serious face - unusual for the kender and spoke softly. "Good luck" He muttered as he stepped through.

When Valik looked at him, he allowed a weak smile. "You have no idea how good it is to see you, big man" His eyes welled up as he looked at him, then coughed, stood up and looked at Pokerstickleaf.

"You weren't wrong when you said you wanted to test us in interesting ways" He muttered
This message was last edited by the player at 06:37, Thu 25 Jan.

Aelina kneeled down and hugged the kender, glad to see all right, before wiping off a soot smudge from his cheek. "I'm so glad you are all right, what happened?" When Vailin volunteered, she looked up and gave him an encouraging smile. "I trust you'll ace this, my friend! Your heart is greater than your considerable brawn!"

Ayrron let the woman hug her, and when she looked at him, she noticed his soot was a little tear-stained. He none the less smiled weakly. "I'm....." He paused and frowned for a moment, then looked at her again and a hint of the old self came back. "You know me....i'll survive anything thrown at me - we kender can escape anything."

He stood up and brushed off his pants as he looked at her. "As to what happened, maybe that's a tale for later - after we all finish this test." He looked at Pokerstickleaf with a serious look. "....lets just say this test is far from over for you."

He then sat down and took out a piece of charcoal and his book and began sketching something - something he remembered in his time in the test.

"The two of us are still waiting to go through the test. You want to talk about it later instead of telling us what to expect?"

The Kender had a faraway look as he looked at the other kender and the portal. "I believe that each one will be different - suited to our own skills, needs and fears." He looked at the warrior and he seemed to have doubt in his eyes.

"My test was i had to find a forge to build something i have aimed for...a mystical place. It showed me my potential, but also brought me the cost of such" He wiped his face with his sleeve. "....lets just say in the end, my choice was one not of skill, but head and heart."

He smiled weakly. "...had it not been for you all, things may have gone very differently"

Aelina pondered on the unusually sober answer from the normally energetic kender, and frowned. This test was likely individual, as he said, so she took her lute and started playing a slow, pensive tune, appropriate for meditation and relaxation. "In that case, we better prepare ourselves, Valik. I've learn this piece from a sect still believing in the return of the gods, and I find it helps me concentrate."

Just as suddenly, Vailin was back.  He looked troubled and blood decorated his face and fists.  Pokerstickleaf put down his flute, and the portal subsided once more.  "Two down, and two remain.  The heart's refrain, the blood will stain.  We're all the same; we all feel pain,"  He danced a little shuffle as he looked at Valik and Aelina.

"Who's next?  Come, play my game!"

Aelina played a few more notes, then rose. "I am ready, I will go next"

Vailin was quiet, even for him.  His gauntleted hands still were covered in blood.  He didn't seem to overly notice as he seemed to have a more distant stare.

After a short while he focused on Ayrron.  "I may have done you a disservice.  I have always found your mannerisms reckless and sometimes annoying.  But never have I had an urge to pummel you senseless."  He spared a glance towards Pokerstickleaf, his hands reflexively clenching and unclenching.

"I need to centre myself.  Excuse me."  The warrior move away from the group and began practicing basic sword and shield drill while the next person went on their 'journey'.

Ayrron looked up from his absent sketching in his book as he came back and smiled a weak smile. He noticed the human had the same faraway look he felt he had when he returned. When Vailin came over and spoke, he held his hand out. "I am annoying, and sometimes a little too reckless - i admit that. I admit that i aim it towards my friends, you included a little too much."

He closed his book and looked at him. "In truth, i admire each of you in different ways. Valik his strength and determination. Aelina her talent and endless optimism. And you....your steadfast faith and reliability. You hold an inner strength and faith i have never seen - something i can never have. Perhaps it's my kender heritage, but we are too flighty for such ideals. Even for my kind i am more 'reserved' than most, but i see your dedication to your cause and your friends and i know that's something i'll never have."

The kender stood up and held out his hand. "I am not only glad to call you a friend, i am blessed." He looked at Valik, and he lost his smile. "...i don't know what i'd be without you all."

"Ah, a bard after me own heart!  Seeking the climax of the piece, right before the denouement!"

"Step forward!  And give the Performance of a Lifetime!"  Pokerstickleaf didn't pick up his usual flute this time, but reached into a pouch and withdrew a small humanoid skull.  The mouth of the skull hung open, grinning as the kender broughrt it up to his mouth, with the face outwards.  He gripped the skull loosely with the bottom fingers of one hand, while the top fingers and the entirety of his other hand made a small mouthpiece at the back of the skull.  He took a deep breath, and blew into the back of the skull, which wailed an unearthly howl that sent shivers up the spine and the flesh to crawling.

The portal swirled invitingly, warningly, menacingly.

The bard ajusted her hairs, plucked an invisible lint from her sleeve and gave a brave smile to her friends before moving to the creepy portal and entering it without hesitations.

"Dead most likely."  Vailin responded to the kender, unable to supress a snort.  "That time we had to save you from the lynch mob comes to mind.  I never did find out what you said to rile them up so."

Ayrron looked at Vailin and chuckled. "There ya go....i never knew you had a sense of humour."

He scribbled in his book. "...and for the record, they mistook me for someone else - totally understandable." He stopped and frowned. "...and as i recall, you didn't save me from them - they still hadn't found my hiding place."

The portal flared purple and white, and spat Aelina onto the floor and her hands and knees.  She was screaming, her eyes unfocused for a few minutes.

Poperstickleaf stopped playing, a look of sympathy on his face.  "Some trials are harder than others," he said softly.  "Be grateful for your pain; it means you are still alive."  He took a step back, allowing the others to see to their comrade.  "When you're ready, master goliath," he said quietly, nodding to show he was happen to wait as long as necessary.

Valik rushed to Aelina's aid, checking to be sure that she was alright, no matter what the little man had to say about her.

He knew the others could take care of her well enough. Once she was settled, and they were sure she was alright, Valik stood tall and stalked into the portal.

Instead of picking up his flute once more, Pokerstickleaf reached into a small bag at his hip, and withdrew a small hand drum.  Quickly, he began beating out a rhythm.

*boom ba-doom-doom boom ba-doom-boom boom Boom BOOM*
*boom ba-doom-doom boom ba-doom-boom boom Boom BOOM*
*boom ba-doom-doom boom ba-doom-boom boom Boom BOOM*

The portal swirled and flared again, this time a grey colour, with whorls of black and silver.  "Enter, and experience the tale of The Slings and Arrows of Fortune,"

Ayrron was still scribbling in his book when the portal flared up. When the woman was spat out he jumped to his feet, picketing teh charcoal and book and came to her side. He had genuine fear in his eyes as he held her shoulders. "Aelina.....Aelina, it's me - Ayrron. It's over." He brought her in for a hug, and spoke softly. "It's over. It's over."

He repeatedly said the words as if to convince himself as much as her.

Aelina breath came on syncopated, as she attempted to scream and cry at the same time, and she flinched when Ayrron touched her, trying to flee from his grasp, but too exhausted to do so. Through the kender's calming tone, the bard stopped screaming, her voice hoarse. "You escaped you escaped, you escaped, I died to save you, you escaped, you escaped."

Obviously her mind was still in her trial...

Ayrron stood there with a serious look as he held her to his shoulder. "It's over....you passed. It's over."

He pulled her out to arms length and smiled at her. "You didn't die....your here. We're all here - well, not Valik, it's his turn in the portal." He drew her in and started at the kender. His gaze was one of a hard edge, but his tone was warm, clearly to Aelina. "It's done. Your back, i'm here. Even Lailin is here. It's over."

Vailin's hand reflexively gripped and ungripped his sword hilt.  What mental trauma did Aelina was forced into for the sick fantasy of the wizards and this kender?  He moved forward to give comfort to his ally along with Ayrron.  With Ayrron holding her, he gently stroked her back and hair.

"Breathe easy.  It's just a game to them.  We're here, none of it was real."

He wondered if he was trying to convince himself as much as her.  The blood on his gauntlets had been real enough.  Remembering he pulled his hand away from Aelina, not wanting to stain her with his own shame.  What was this place doing to him?  Already he felt like his soul was being pulled in two.  Like he was looking at himself from outside his own body.  Why on Krynn had they come here?  Why had he been so insitant they get the staff checked by these supposed 'experts'.  They seemed more like sadistic bullies than wise counsel.

Slowly the woman calmed down and the glazed look in her eyes dissipated. She looked up to her friends and wiped her eyes from the tears, her ruined light make-up staining her cheeks and hands. Sniffling, she gently disengaged from Ayrron embrace, and smiled. "I know its an illusion, but it was so real.... I never want to face that many undead again. But your avatars escaped, and I am glad for that. I guess I died happy that you would live." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her knees. "But if dying is as painful as what I felt, I'll want to delay that for as long as possible.

Ayrron watched as Vailin pulled back, his own face a mask of some hidden trauma from the test. Was Ayrron's own face teh same as his? His experience had been an eye opener to himself. He now knew more about himself than he thought he ever would, but the price haunted him also. He looked at Vailin when he spoke, a serious look on his face. "I don't know if they think it a game, but they think it nessessary at teh very least."

Vailin could tell that he tried to convince himself more than anyone else. "One thing i know from this is whatever happens now, we are stronger together."

He then looked at Aelina and smiled. "I for one agree on that count - i don't want any part of dying, or any experience i had in that damn portal." He sighed as he looked at the other kender, and the usual happy Ayrron had a hard look as he looked at him. "Once Valik is back, it will be done." He clenched his fist. "...and when we're out i'm gonna have a bit to say to them."

"All I know, is that if this wasn't important to the two of you, I would have walked away from this insanity well before know.  I do it because it's important to both of you.  And maybe, we'll actually learn more about the staff, which is why we came."