laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

The gentle rocking and lingering nausea woke Lisa to what she quickly deduced was herself on the boat that they had chartered for their northerly trek from Uker. What she didn't know was how she survived the blast and got onto the ship. Laying within the hammock, she opened her eyes to the dim, creaking berthing area and could sense Faer, Lericanin, Sceva and Sir William suspended nearby in their own hanging beds. Farther away were the crew as well as Selyria, Gunnar, Alister and Raven. Stretching, she felt the soreness in her chest, right arm and the pounding headache that rudely announced themselves. She sighed and relaxed, concentrated on the pain and allowed her own learned abilities wash them away. Hopefully, they would be less one antagonist now.

After four days of self imposed hibernation, the sounds of activity on the deck above announced a stop as Lisa looked around to see Selyria and Gunnar talking nearby.

"Where are we," she asked.

They both turned to eye her, their features highlighted by the nearby candle suspended on a supporting post. "The captain announced a stop for fresh water, apparently he didn't have time to supply enough before our flight from Uker," Selyria informed as they walked over. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I'll be better once I get off this ship."

They both smiled. "Well get up then and go out with us," Gunnar invited as he finished strapping on his armor and swordbelt.

Lisa pushed herself up and strapped on her own swordbelt, wrapped her cloak around her and pulled up the hood, then headed out of the berthing area. "How is everyone else doing?"

"Fine. It was close but, we were able to save everyone after the fight," Selyria informed as they maneuvered around crewmembers gathering gear and weapons for their trek to a river or pond. "I almost lost you and Sir William."

"Really," she stopped and eyed the brunette.

Selyria nodded.

As they made their way up to the deck, Lisa noticed through the activity a couple standing off to the side. Her long, curly black hair was shaved from the left side of her head with only a long, braided line with black, grey and white beads woven into it falling down on that side. Her violet eyes caught Lisa's attention as well as the red aura that surrounded her denoting an essence user. Close at her side stood a handsome fighter, the beautiful flamberge across his back told that much. They both watched as Lericanin led the group down the side of the boat into the water and then wade to shore. Lisa headed into the forest with them.

"Good to see you up, finally," Lericanin smiled as he placed his left arm around her shoulders briefly.

"Good to be up. I take it he committed suicide?"

"We're pretty sure," Sceva interjected as the cool of the morning invited the walk through the oak forest. "There was no sign of him as we woke up and began carrying everyone into the ship. That doesn't mean however that he didn't teleport somewhere else."

"We'll keep our eyes open anyway," Lericanin said as they maneuvered through the thick underbrush to finally approach a rocky hillside and a cave entrance.

Lisa immediately smelled the odor of something large within wafting on the breeze just as the sides of the yawning entrance stepped out in the forms of earth elementals. As both guardians swung and tried to grapple with Alister and Faer, the group each began attacking in support. Arrows flew, swords and hammer pummeled as spells each knocked small chunks of earth from their enemies who kept up the assault until finally the one standing over Alister crumbled into a pile of dirt and rock that buried him underneath. Faer ran backwards, firing arrows into the man-like beast as Lericanin, William and Sceva attacked its flanks and soon destroyed the elemental, then all ran over to begin recovering their buried comrade.

"I'm alright," the farmer's son declared as he brushed the dirt from his armor and hair. Lisa stepped over and touched him, using a prosaic to clean him within an instant. He turned to her. "Thank you."

"There's something larger and more dangerous inside, we don't have time to waste."

They all looked into the cave's dark interior.

"I hate it when you say that," Alister clarified as he peered into another cave, remembering the past few that he'd investigated. None of them favorable experiences.

"You'd rather she didn't warn us," Gunnar asked.

"Well, what are we waiting for," Lericanin announced as he turned to her. "Any idea what it is?"

"Not sure, but it's big and deep into the cave."

He nodded, then looked to the rest of the group. "Can we leave this danger for the next passersby?"

"Do we have the time for this?" the more pragmatic Selyria queried.

"I can run back and inform the captain what we're doing," Lisa volunteered.

Lericanin nodded, "We'll meet you inside then".

In a flash, Lisa sprinted to the shoreline as the caravel sat quietly beyond, anchored within a few yards. Her eyes quickly found the other passengers, the pair that she had noticed earlier. "Tell the captain that we're going to investigate a cave that we found, we may be a bit before returning."

"I'll make sure they don't sail on," the female returned.

* * *

Once inside the large cavernous tunnel, Lisa rejoined the group as they neared the lair of the inhabitant that she had sensed earlier. Now that they were within range, she realized that it wasn't one large one but, three smaller ones.

"Everyone," she whispered. "There are three smaller dragons not far from us beyond that narrow there," she pointed.

"Dragons?" Alister clarified, his nervous voice echoing from the high ceiling above.

"You with me on this," Lericanin eyed his partner seriously.

"Yes."

"Line abreast, allow the mages and Faer in the rear."

They all formed up and moved on towards the unknown.

As they entered the narrower gap within the cave, the torchlight picked out three sets of purplish eyes that stared back, then roared as they attacked. Lisa prepared a spell as the clash of steel and claw erupted in front of she and Selyria who also prepared. Sword strikes and shield bashes clanged on thick, deep bluish hide as the first of the young howled in pain and dropped to the rocky floor. Lisa cast and watched the brilliant tendrils wrap another within its grasp, then dissipate as it continued on, more angered than it was before.
As the shield wall pressed and soon killed the second, Lisa felt the entrance of their mother high and to the left within the chamber who immediately announced herself letting out a thundering roar that shook the very ground. Gunnar stepped back to Faer as the others crouched and prepared for the worst. Suddenly, a wash of noxious fume coupled with an electric static filled the room and continued on past them into the long entrance tunnel. Concentrating, she resisted the heated blast and prepared for the physical attack to come. Firing into the new participant, Faer and Gunnar loosed their attack as the larger dragon swooped forward and raked the line of fighters, knocking Sceva into the wall nearby. Seizing the moment, the four remaining fighters charged and attacked the large body now within range of their weapons. As they struck, Gunnar focused his shot and fired. Speeding to its target, the missile punctured the beast's eye. In a shutter, the dragon's head shot to the right as it crashed to the ground allowing the fighters joined by Sceva to stab it repeatedly, then finish off the third young who charged forward.

Lisa approached Lericanin and the other men as they surveyed the carnage around them. "Anyone need tending to?"

"Just minor cuts and such," Lericanin scanned himself, then turned to Sceva. "You alright?"

"Sure," the knight of Elminoir stated, then plopped onto the rocky mound that they stood on. Lisa quickly crouched nearby and assessed the damage below the dented armor and torn leather. Placing her right hand on his arm, she concentrated and soon the bruising and internal damage healed and within moments, was gone.

"Thank you," he smiled.

"Of course. I half expected your other half to join us after that strike."

"Raven's been teaching me how to control that and I have been trying. When I turn into that, there's a danger that I could attack any of you and I think that's something that none of us want. I know I don't ."

She rose as they all looked up to Faer and Raven who were investigating the rest of the lair and had made a discovery on a distant ledge.
"We've got three large boxes, bags full of money and jewels as well as armor, weapons and shields," Faer announced.

Tie off a line and we can start transporting it over this blood that's beginning to fill the room. Alister's boot almost melted in it a moment ago," Lericanin informed. Soon after, they began claiming some of the treasure as Lisa helped tend to Selyria's burns.

As they began finding places to store the newer swords and shields, Lisa felt a familiar dark group enter the cave and begin charging their position. The fight had only begun.