The band headed back to Demerol’s grove and retrieved their healed half-elven friend and informed Jemerall that the dark elves would no longer be a problem. They also asked if he knew anything of portals, which he said he did not and told him of the portal which Jemerall said after its use to transport us would be destroyed. So the group headed back to the city to ask the help of Aranor. The troupe arrived a few days later and found Blake at the gate. Jerick asked Blake if he knew anything about portals, to which Dean was not privy to the response. So they all went in search of Aranor. When they found him he was sitting on a chair with a meal untouched in front of him and an elven woman tending to the room. He was facing the window with a blank look about his face. The woman informed us that he had gone into a trance or daze and hadn’t said a word except for “It looks like its going to rain.” And the skies out side were perfectly blue at the time he had said it. Blake sent the woman away with scathing words telling her to “Bring a competent healer.” When the cleric showed up he checked Aranor over and informed us that there was nothing that he could do. So everyone geared up and left back to the grove in a grim mood for it seamed the person that could help needed help himself.
When they arrived at the grove they had a restful nights sleep and prepared for the journey back to the cave. In the morning everyone awoke to see Suzara’s bear friend Bongo licking Blake’s face, which everyone, except Blake, got a chuckle out of. The group headed out across the bridge when it arrived and went off on their journey. Also, Jerick had apparently come across a nice new blade while in the grove, given to him by Jemerall, Dean supposed. The trek to the cave went uneventfully, even Suzara
did not follow. When they entered the cave the bats were silent, however as they neared the back of the cave a volley of arrows came out of the darkness. The crew found out what had shot the arrows post haste. Goblins. The creatures were put down as quickly as they had come and were killed, save one. The one that survived Dean threatened telling it that he was a powerful wizard that could curse his children’s children and that he should go into the forest and watch out for the elves that would surly kill him. The goblin informed him that they were supposed to keep out all intruders by the “big bosses”, who ever they might be. They would find out soon enough. The team entered the blasted door and made their way to where the portal was located when all of the sudden they saw three figures hovering above the blasted entrance. One cocked its arm back and chucked a glass vial at the group, which shattered in a blaze of fire. An extremely dangerous fight broke out in which most of the party was grievously injured. However after the fight, Danyelle passed out on one of the couches in the room so Dean decided to rummage around for anything useful. He discovered where the goblins had been sleeping and a few copper coins, though the real information came from the same hidden cubby that had held the chest of treasure. Instead of treasure there was a scroll case, and the scroll contained therein was instructions on how to operate the portal. Dean read the instructions with trembling hands. They were gruesome, it seamed that to activate the portal one needed to smear it with blood and speak the name of the place one wanted to go. Over the course of the next day, in which Jerick healed everyone back to full health, Dean and Blake made out the language that was on the portal. It was the names of places. Elana had been taken to a place called Atma so that’s where everyone had to go. Then came turmoil. Jerick wanted to use his own blood to smear on the portal, but no one would allow him to do so. So Alawan went to try to trap a deer and bring it back alive. The problem that came about was that the deer Alawan came back with wasn’t alive. Dean decided to try anyhow. The deer’s blood was smeared about the bones of the portal and Dean spoke out in a strong voice. “ATMA.” The portal shuddered and then began to glow a white light. Each one of the party members stepped into the glowing portal and as they step in the portal rippled like water on a lake. Dean was the last to step through as he did not know whether or not if the invoker step through if it would close, and Dean definitely didn’t want to leave anyone behind, well maybe Blake. With the last person though Dean himself stepped in. It felt as if all of the particles of his body were being disassembled then reassembled in the same instance. As Dean stepped out the other end he was in darkness. Did it work? Had they all reached the place called Atma? |
