Homestar Runner Wiki Forum

"Hey, have you seen Auriel lately, prosper?" asked Tem. He looked around. "We don't want another incident like last time."

_________________


I lost the state spelling bee in FIFTH PLACE!!

[OOC: Then in that case...]

Marcus thought he saw the Half-Elf but ended up colliding with a tree with a resounding OOF!, and a CLUNK! as his sword hit the ground. Luckily his tail flail was on the ground behind him.

Marcus could smell the lingering smell of goblinoids and orc-kind around him. They'd been here recently. So had Eruantian. He'd learned the Half-Elf's particular smell from close association these past few days, and he was sure he knew how he smelled.

Drek said: "Hrm, no signs of a struggle, but there's several sets of tracks here. One of them could be Eruantian... the prints are the right size and shape to have been made by his boots. The other prints are definitely Bugbear and Goblin prints. I'd say at least a dozen Bugbears and three Goblins. From the looks of the Bugbear prints, they were carrying something heavy. The pace of their strides indicate that they were encumbered by a heavy load, and the depth of their prints confirms this. The prints that could be Eruantian's overlap the Bugbear prints, so it looks like he was following them. This impression of a body here matches Erunantian's body type and shape, and I found some hair here that could be his. Looks like someone knocked him down... but it doesn't look like they captured him. My guess is that he's giving chase, tracking them by himself. It must be that they captured Aurial and he went after them It's the only thing that makes sense."

Maxwell said: "Bugbears? What are those?"

Captain Sealem said: "They're not native to this part of the world. They are a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins from the jungles of Chult and also some parts of The Underdark. A typical Bugbear is larger than a typical Orc, but smaller than an Ogre. They're not very intelligent, but their fighting prowess, barbaric though it may be, can be very dangerous in hand-to-hand combat. The good news is that they are often poorly equipped and use primitive strategy & tactics."

Drek said: "You've encountered them before, then?"

Captain Sealem said: "Yes. Back when I was an Corpral, before I received my commission as an officer, I was posted at the ill-fated Brun-'El Toth colony on the northern coast of the Mekrenor region of Chult. The Bugbear raids were so bad there that we eventually had to evacuate the colony. We had superior arms, tactics, and training, and our positions were well fortified, but they had such numbers and fought with such ferocity that the the elders decided that maintaining the colony was more trouble than it was worth. These Bugbears, though, are likely from the Underdark, and I don't know if that makes our lot less toublesome or not. I have never been to the Underdark. But now, look to your arms and armor friends. If we face Bugbears this day we can a savage fight from them expect."

Micheal said: "I've got good news, and I've got bad news. I took a look on the astral, and the bad news is Auriel is definitely missing. She's not in the woods, and I can't see her magic items anywhere. But, I've spotted Eruantian's Ring, and it's not far away. I think it's Eruantian that's wearing it. The wearer's aura kinda looks like Eruantain, but it's hard to tell for sure from this distance. Only, the ring's energy has changed a bit, as if it's been re-talismongered. What's more, there's some sort of ethereal creature following him around. It looks like an Elf, but it's not real. It's not a physical presence, it only exist on the Astral and the Ethereal planes. I can't see on the Etherial, you know, but I can see it clearly on the Astral and it's got a definite Ethereal signature to it's vibrational patterns. It's probably not an Astral projection or a summoned creature because there's no energy trail leading back to it's physical anchor, so that means it's not native to or bound to the our plane of existence. Speaking of our plane of existence, I don't see any Goblinods, but there is a disturbance in the movement of Gaian energy... uh... in layman's terms, that means that someone's recently been using the entrance to an underground passage. Tem, read my mind for the location of Eruantian's ring, and then see if you can teleport there. If it's Eruantinan, ask him what's going on. We'll tray and catch up overland."

Maxwell said: "Well, Tem can see on the Etherial, right? Maybey he can find out what this mystery creature is that's following the ring. What do you think, Tem? Can you teleport off a telepathic image?"

<GM's Note: Marcus has never smelled a Bugbear before, and he's mistaken the smell of Orc for the smell of Bugbear. It just so happens that they smell very similar, and Marcu's nose hasn't learned to differentiate the two. Also, Tem CAN read Micheal's mind for the location of the Ring, but he's gonna end up projecting into the Etherial near the ring's location instead of teleporting due to the limitations of his teleportational powers. The good news is that he'll be able to communicate telepathically with Eruantian from there, but not project himself physically as his body will still be standing beside Micheal at the time. Hey, you learn something new everyday.>

_________________

Eruantian continued to follow the tracks until they led him to the mouth of a cavern. Most of the tracks led into the cavern, but there were some that veered off to the left of it for some reason. Eruantian didn't pay it much attention.

As Eruantian approached the cavern, he thought to himself that it wasn't very much like any of the ice caverns he had vague memory of from his trance. He was about to yell a greeting into it to hear an echo, but stifled the temptation. "You fool" he thought to himself "Do you want to be caught?"

As Eruantian took his first step into the mouth of the cavern, he could hear pounding footsteps coming from the left. Something was coming... something big... VERY big... Eruantian knew exactly what he needed to do - HIDE! Without hesitation, he ran and jumped into a bush next to way he had come from. His breathing stopped and his heart pounded almost as loud as the footsteps.

Swallowing his fear, he peered through the bush to see what monsters had come. Unfortunately, what he saw wasn't very much unlike what he had imagined: two brutish figures covered in fur and brandishing massive morning stars. Their faces were very odd; like a mix between a goblin and a bear. Apparently, they did not notice him, as they went directly into the cave.

When he could no longer hear the stomping of the brutes echoing out of the cavern, he started breathing again, quickly. "Big" he quietly said to himself "... VERY big..."
"Aye, lad" a voice said "So, do you plan on going in or what?"
Standing next to Eruantian was a dwarf, clad in plate armor and a grey cloak.
"Jarec" Eruantian acknowledged out of surprise "You too? What are you doing here?"
"I asked you first, lad" he coldly responded "What are you doing here; rescuing the lass or cowering behind a shrub?" Jarec's tone was quite severe. He obviously did not approve of something.
"Well, I" Eruantian meekly began "I'm still deciding on what to do next"
"Hmph" the dwarf grunted "Young master Eruantian, how many skirmishes have we been through together?" His tone was already harsh, and it wasn't getting any better "How many orcs have I seen you disembowel?"
Eruantian gulped and answered "Uh, my memory of those things isn't quite what it used to be... And, you know, I likely had a sword when I..."
"Get off your duff!" the Dwarf barked in the half-elf's face. Eruantian followed that order without hesitation. The dwarf continued "Turn yourself around!" Eruantian faced the cavern entrance. "Now go in and don't come back out until you find that lass, savvy?"
"Well, I..."
"SAVVY?!!!"
"Aye, sir!" Eruantian blurted out as he ran towards the cavern entrance. Upon entering the cavern, he looked back at the bush and saw that the dwarf had not followed him. It wasn't like Jarec to stay clear of a battle. Eruantian walked back to the bush and discovered there was no one there. He was starting to consider that the rock must have hit him harder than he thought. However, he followed orders anyway; Eruantian entered the cavern.

<OOC: Quinn's gonna be an NPC for a while. I need some time away form the role play and forum to get ready for school. See you in a while!>

_________________
Please click "view" on all the dragons listed. Thanks a million.

Please visit my city as well.

{ ooh, things are getting interesting! 8D

unfortunately, school starts up for me on Monday. D:

however, my utter lack of a social life means that shouldn't have much of an effect here. XD }

_________________

get LOST

As Eruantian entered the cavern again, he could hear voices coming from inside. There was a lot of echoing, and he couldn't make out what they were saying. It sounded like they were speaking Goblinoid, but he couldn't be sure because of all the echoing. He couldn't tell how far away the voices were, but they didn't sound like there were getting closer. The ground was mostly shale and sand now, and he had to watch his step or risk losing his footing. He noticed that there were tool-marks on the roof and walls of the cave, as if the cave walls had been worked with heavy equipment (like pick-axes, heavy iron bars, and geological chines). He though that perhaps this wasn't a natural cavern at all but rather the entrance to a mine shaft. That certainly would explain all this shale lying around. It could merely be the debris from a mining operation.

Something was definitely living in here, though. He could smell a lingering smoke drifting on the air, and there were faint flickers of light just at the limits of his perception. His eyes gradually began to supplement his sight with the infra-vision that is the birthright of all half-elves. And them, he could hear Tem, talking to him with that telepathy of his.

_________________

Tem Quickly looked in michael's mind, and saw the location of the ring. "Okay, but I'm teleporting through the Ether, just to be safe." He said, doing so. He saw the strange creature following the ring's signature, and grabbed for it. He turned it around, looking at its face. "And Who, might I ask, are you?"

_________________


I lost the state spelling bee in FIFTH PLACE!!

"You have interfered once before, aberration" the figure of a dwarf said "He has failed one test because of you. Do not interrupt again." The dwarf disappeared and Tem was suddenly surrounded by half a dozen ice mephits, all blasting him with cone of cold.
<OOC> No, tennesee10, there is nothing you can do to hurt them. Tem should teleport back out if he knows what's good for him. </OOC>
<OOC>Ah, so there are light sources down there... </OOC>

Oblivious to Tem's current situation, Eruantian continued his descent into what was now obviously not a cavern, but a mine shaft. He took notice of various mining tools scattered here and yon. As he walked past a pick ax, he thought it prudent to use it as an improvised weapon. However, as he tried to lift it it was so have that he nearly fell over. "Unarmed or not" Eruantian thought to himself "This is just not practical." He lowered the weapon to the ground and set it down, trying not to make a CHINK noise that would echo through the shaft. He continued to follow the lights and sounds further in...

<What I'd like to know is how Michael was able to talk to Tem when he was still back at the wagon with me and Andrew. For RP purposes I'm going to assume that we finnished our conversation, Tem came with us to scout out, andwe met with the rest of the party at the tree where Eruantian was. I hope no one thinks this is to God-moddy.>
Prosper, Andrew and Tem had struck out to scout around. They had noticed a commotion comeing from a certain part of the woods, and had gone to investigate. As they emerged from the brush, they saw the rest of the party, already in conversation, apperently about Eruantian, Auriel, and the ring. Micheal had a few words with Tem, and then the Flayer faded into the etheral.
Turning to the adults of the group, Prosper asked; "What do we do now?"

_________________
(THE ABOVE USER HAS BEEN BANNED)

Tem's Eyes bugged out. "Holy--" was all Tem could say before hey was blasted back to his body, actually getting knocked backwards by the technically nonexistent force. "Crap." He said, "Eruantian has some freaking Ethereal guards. That was so cheap, it was free. Ugh, We're going to have to get there on foot. Eruantian's in a cave, that much is certain. I can also give you a rough sketch of the area I saw in my blurred Ether-vision, and put it directly into your brains. I mean, if it won't invade your privacy. One last thing... the dwarf with him is MINE! He called me an Aberration, and that is an insult my Species can not endure. Rrrgh!!"

_________________


I lost the state spelling bee in FIFTH PLACE!!

Captain Sealem said: "Very well, Mister Tem. Fall in beside Master Prosper and march with us."

Micehal pooped back into his body (which Maria had picked up and was carrying over her shoulder). He said: "I saw the whole thing on the Astral, Tem. Whatever those ethereal things are, they sure pack a wallop. Captain Sealem, the Astral looks clear. No sign of the Vampires, and no obvious magical threats. I should advise you, though, that now that Erunatian has entered that cave, I've lost sight of him. I can't see through rocks on the Astral, in case you didn't know."
Captain Sealem replied: "Thank you for that report, Mage Micheal. Maintain overwatch."
"Aye, Captain." came Micheal's reply, and then his body went limp again as he projected himself out of his body and back into the Astral realm.

Meanwhile, Drek has loosed Goldwing, who flew up to watch from the air with Acedia's bird-form.

Drek said to Marcus and Coren: "Alight, spread out and keep sharp." And with that, he readied an arrow in his bow and took of to scout ahead... not quite at a full run, but faster than a walking pace. He knew he could track the Bugbear prints all the way to Eruantaian... so that's what he was gonna do. And it was working, too. Just have to watch out for bobby traps...

The Battle Squad continued it's march.

_________________

<OOC> Sarge, could you describe any more about what's happening with either Aurieul and/or Eruantian? Eruantian needs some of this mission done solo before the party gets there. </OOC>

Eruantian saw a small rat scurry across his path. It gave a high-pitched little "peep", climbed into a small hole in the wall and was gone from view. He could make out the shadowy form of some object in the path ahead of him. About four feet tall, half-again as wide, and roughly square. It wasn't moving and he couldn't see any heat coming off of it, so it wasn't alive, whatever it was. He notices that his ring was glowing a very pale blue, but it wasn't really giving off enough light to see by. He wondered if he could make it glow brighter so he could see more, but then thought again and realized that any light he'd generate would make HIM easier to see... and maybe he didn't want to be seen, just yet.

_________________

Tem fell in beside prosper, his Eyebrows (or rather, Eye... flesh... thingies. They're just his Eyebrow Analogues!!) twitching. It was bad enough he got his butt kicked in the cheapest possible way, but to also not be able to simply use pyrokinesis to julienne fry the Dwarf? Lame.

_________________


I lost the state spelling bee in FIFTH PLACE!!

"I wish Jarec was here" Eruantian thought to himself "I could use his darkvision. But did he come in? No... I suppose he thought my glowing eyes would be bright enough to..."

Eruantian stopped mid-sentence; he was startled by the fact that a beam of blue light shot forward. Where was the light coming from? Was it behind him? Was he being followed?!He looked back and no one was there... And the light had moved to that direction!

"Bless my soul" he thought to himself "There's no one else here, so that means..." He held up his hand and noticed that it cast a shadow on the wall. The beams of light were coming from his eyes!

"Well" he said "That's seems useful, though not quite what I had in mind..." Just as he said this, his eyes dimmed, leaving him in pitch black again. Then, another bright light was shining, this time from his ring. "My word, if that isn't redundant, I don't know what is." True, it was a bit redundant. However, Eruantian did notice that there were a few differences between the two sources of light. The one from his ring was broader though didn't seem to carry as far.

Well, in either case, he could the see what that object before him was.

<OOC> Eruantian has learned two powers of similar nature.
Eye Lighter: The glowing of Eruantian's eyes can intensify to the point of being like a couple of blue spot lanterns. Closing his eyelids can completely shutter the beams. Range - 120 ft.(cone-shaped)
Blue Lantern: Eruantian's ring can function as a blue hooded lantern. Range - 60 ft.(radius)
</OOC>

Aurieul wondered what was meant by "the next step" but she didn't have to wait long. Her captor pulled a letter from a pouch on his belt and called to some sort of bird. As he tied the letter he spoke.

"Take this to him. Make sure he has the ring; that's how you will know it is him. He may want proof she is alive. If he demands it - and only if he demands it - use your power to show him. But only a glimpse."

Auriuel suddenly realized they didn't have Eruantian. They wanted him, and were using her as bait. Aurieul swiftly changed her thinking. Maybe they haven't noticed I'm gone. Or maybe they thought I decided to leave of my own free will. Maybe Eruantian was too distracted by his ring to...wait a minute...Eruantian doesn't have his ring! The bird won't know it's him because the ring is on White Dragon Peak! So he won't come for me because he won't know where I am.

Suddenly, the bird flew off and the Ogre-Mage turned back toward Aurieul.

"This time, there will be no escape."

_________________

After his glorious arboreal collision, Marcus stood up slowly and painfully, seeing spots everywhere, and rubbed his poor head.

"Something's not right. I swear that tree just looked like Mister Ice Elf Man. Ah well." He shrugged, then picked up a scent.

"Orcs! Goblins! They've been here!" Marcus followed the scent along the Bugbear tracks with Coren. "But these ones are huge....gigantic, maybe. They smell like it, anyway."

_________________

<GM's Note: You may want to read the part where the party is now marching, and Marcus is out scouting ahead with Coren and Drek.>

Eruantian could see that the object ahead of him was an old wicker mining cart. It didn't have wheels, just a pair of long skids on the bottom. It was designed to be picked up by four people, one at each corner; Only, three of the four carrying handles were broken off. Inside it Erunatian could see that there was an axe handle. The axe head had apparently been broken off and the axe handle discarded here. The axe handle was about four feet long, and made of some sort of hardwood (like oak, ash, or elm).

<GM's note: The axe handle can be used as a sort of makeshift club if Eruantian wants it>

Meanwhile, the Ogre Mage was talking to Auriuel: "Ahhhhhaaha. Bwhahahaha... Oh, I haven't had this much fun in ages. Everything is going according to plan. Your friends come to rescue you now, but my army of Bugbears will stop them. And foolish Eruantian... he proceeds underground by himself. He will either give up the ring and perish thereafter or he will fight me for it. I'd really prefer the latter, as revenge for what his friends did to my brother Ulamar. Sure, it's neater to just trick him into giving up the ring and all, but there's nothing like a fair fight to satisfy family honor.
What's more, he's already used the ring, so I KNOW he has it with him now. Pesky fool doesn't know the kind of power the ring can call upon. Do you know what he used it for? Did he use it summon an army of ice warriors or blast his way here with a torrent of ice arrows? No... no... he used it to... make light. And he turned it off right away. Hahahaha... oh what a fool. He is afraid of the very ring that could enpower him. How can one such as he be the Chosen? Ah, as always those elves are such fools, puting it back in his hands. They should have kept it and used it themselves. The Drow certainly would have.
But now, my pretty... let's see what you look like under all that fabric. I want to see the meat on your bones before I roast you. Guards! Open the cage. Fire up the roasting pit we feat on human flesh tonight. Ah-hahaha!"

<Well-spoken for an Ogre, isn't he? I'll explain how he got so good at talking later. Unless you kill him first. And by the way, the brother he refers to is the Ogre-Mage who was leading a group of brigands that tried to hold up the initial party when they were a few miles out of Glenarbnor. Remember him, guys? Well, Maxwell's party killed him, and this guy wants revenge for it.>

_________________

*Get ye broken Ax*
Eruantian grabbed the ax handle and waved it around a few times to see how it would handle in a fight. "Clumsy" Eruantian said "But it will have to do." Eruantian followed the path further in...

Suddenly, Eruantian could see movement up ahead. A bird had rounded a corner and way flying his way. It was about 200 meter away. It had something clutched in it's feet.

_________________

"A bird" Eruantian thought to himself "Underground? That's not something you see everyday... Although, these are strange times..." Eruantian wanted a closer look at the bird, so he approached it.

[OOC: I did; I was just catching up.]

"Doesn't look like they went off the path, Catman. You'd think they'd go into the trees, but their footprints are still on the path along with their smell."

The bird landed on the old mining cart and said: "::Squaaal!:: Master sends me to deliver this to you. Master bids you read it. ::Squak!::" It dropped a small scroll of parchment on the ground. It unrolled as the bird dropped it.

The bird was some sort of parrot, but it's coloring was a dull grey/black and it's beak looks more like what you'd expect from a hawk.

Meanwhile, over by Marcus, Coren & Drek:


Drek said: "I don't think they had time to set any traps. Let's pick up the pace. I wanna catch up with Eruantian before something happens to him." Eruantian put two fingers too his mouth and made a bird-call sending Goldwing further ahead. Then he gave an pumping hand-signal back to the main party to letting Captain Sealem know that it was safe to speed up.

IN Response, Captain Sealem gave new orders: "Battle Squad, QUICK MARCH! Mark me well: A-left right left right left right left. A-left right left right left right left. A-left right left right left right left. Company, keep cadence with me! I don't know but I've been told..."

from the swordsmen in the back, the response came:
"I don't know but I've been told"

Captain Sealem continued the marching chanty: "Bugbear eyes are mighty cold..."
"Bugbear eyes are mighty cold"

"They're so dumb they hurt to think"
"They're so dumb they hurt to think"
"You smell them coming 'casue they stink!"
"You smell them coming 'casue they stink!"

"Stupid brutes, they charge right in"
"Stupid brutes, they charge right in"
"We hack them down, that's how we win!"
"We hack them down, that's how we win!

"Swing hard!"
"Swing hard!"
"Real hard!"
"Real Hard!"
"Hit them hard!"
"Hit them hard!"
"In the nards!"
"In the nards!"

"Cut off the head!"
"Cut off the head!"
"And make them dead!"
"And make them dead!"

"It's good for me!"
"It's good for me!"
"It's good for you!"
"It's good for you!"

"Feels GOOD!"
"Feels GOOD!"
"Mmm GOOD!"
"Mmmm GOOD!"
"Real Good!"
"Real Good!"
"We're good!"
"We're Good!"

"I don't know but I've been told!"
"I don't know but I've been told!"
"The bugbear solders are hard to fold!"
"The bugbear solders are hard to fold!"
"But they stack real good and they fall down quick"
"But they stack real good and they fall down quick"
"When you poke them hard with your poking stick"
"When you poke them hard with your poking stick"
"Sound off"
"One Two"
"Sound off!"
"Three Four"

<All together now...>
"One two three four, (Stomp stomp stomp) THREE FOUR!"

_________________

"Bless my soul" Eruantian said out of astonishment "It can talk!" Eruantian had never even heard of a parrot before, much less seen one speak. To him, the parrot seemed as if it must have been enchanted. Not one to question the motives of a strange talking animal, Eruantian picked up the parchment and read it.

The bird said: "Yeah, buddy. I can talk. I'm not really a bird, see. That Ogre-mage polymorphed me into a bird-form, made it permenent, and bound me to his service with an enchantment. I don't like him, but I can't resist his commands. ::Squaaakk!:: ::Whissle:: My name used to be Chezzo before he made me a bird. I used to be a human."

The scroll was hand-written. It was written in sometrhing other than ink... perhaps charcoal or grease... hard to tell what it was. It read:



The bird called Chezzo said: "::Squaak!:: His titles at the end there are mostly embellishments. He's actually more of a warlord than a king, and he's only a High-Mage because he founded his own "order" of Ogremages quaakk: they numbers less than a dozzen members. However, he is actually a Cheifton of a tribe of Ogres, and he does hold the Rings of Klebia. Rings of Klebia. Rings of Klebia. ::Whissle:: Bugbears work for him because he dominates their small minds. When he sent me out, he said something about having an army of Bugbears ready to intercept your friends. Apparently, you have friends outside that are coming to help you. I suggest you go help THEM fight the bugbears. Help them. But, give me a reply for my master. Will you give up the ring or not? Or NOT! Or not! Not! Or Not. ::Squaaakkk::>

Meanwhile, The Ogre-Mage was watching all this: "Drat! The ring of power... it is loosening my hold on Chezzo! That little bird is warning Eruantian. Auuuugggg! Prepare my armor. Call for the captain of the guard. Tell him to ready my chariot. And throw this female in the stewing pot. Boil her whole! She is of no use to me now."

_________________

Acedia had apparently taken to the air. Luckily, somehow or another Taryn's bag shifted along with her and she was now simply a falcon with an odd stripe across her chest and back.

She mostly just followed Goldwing, really, and made a mental note to let Taryn out at the first opportunity. The spectre was "repaired enough," so she claimed.

{ oshi-- things aren't looking good for aurieul D: }

_________________

get LOST

"This reminds me of the one time I was looking for squirrels in the woods. Except I had a stick and I was 5 years old and the squirrels weren't evil. They were just annoying." Coren whispered to, mainly himself, but also others in the party. He's weird like that.

_________________

Eruantian was dumbfounded. Too many details rushed through his mind at once. "... Uh... May I have a moment?"

Eruantian had too much to think about and not much time to think about it. He couldn't let the Ogre Mage have his ring. Such power in the hands of evil was unacceptable. Not only that, but the ring was the key to defeating Lolth and the Drow. He could not, would not let the ogre mage take his ring. Then there was the party to consider. They were walking into an ambush. If he hurried, Eruantian could warn them, possibly save them, himself, and the ring... But, what about Aurieul? She shouldn't have to suffer for all this; it wasn't fair. Eruantian would not be able to forgive himself for sacrificing her just so he could escape.

... "Hey, wait a minute" Eruantian stated aloud as something occured to him "How do you expect me to believe that Aurieul is still alive, or that this Aclabar even has her to begin with?"

The bird said: "Your ring can tell you if I lie. Do that, it can. That's one of the reasons Master wants it. Powerful lie detector, it is. Ask you ring if I tell the truth."

Meanwhile Drek's scouting party had reached a clearing beyond which lay an the mouth of what was apparently a cavern. A group of about forty or fifty bugbears were attempting to conceal themselves in the bushes around and above the cave-mouth, but Drek, Marcus, and Coren could spot them anyways becasue they were doing a really bad job of concealment... and because our there stalwart adventurers are really good at spotting movement.

Drek made some hand signals. The first one was a standing fist with the back of the hand facing in, which means "Stop, go silent" He then made some more basic signals that were easy to understand, even for the uninitiated. He was sending Marcus back to Captain Sealem to make a report, While Coren was being signaled to stay low and hide. Drek then made the "go, go" signal to Marcus and hid himself behind a tree, holding his bow ready with a barbed arrow notched in it.

_________________