MysidiaDrakkenbane

It had been a couple of days out from Windstalker Village. Austforbeer had told Mysidia he had to return home with the pelts they had collected so that he could get them tanned and on the market before the first frost had settled into Antonica. He left her in the capable hands of Kryimsson and James.

Mysidia hated to see Aust go, but she knew that he had a family to take care of and she probably kept him a little too long away from his tailoring duties anyway. They parted ways and Kryimsson, Mysidia, and James continued down the path.

The passed The Coven forest and rode quietly up the path ahead of them. Kryimsson looked at the bears and wolves in the distance with a worry on his face. Mysidia looked over at him and shook her head.

“Don’t worry about them. So long as James carries that torch, they’ll stay their distance. Nature may have gone awry, but basic survival instinct still causes fear of fire in animals.”, Mysidia said looking out into the darkness.

The air hung heavy, as if something foreboding lie waiting up ahead. There was a snap of cold that clung to the moisture in the air and Mysidia found herself pulling her cloak around her, tighter.

Since her near run in with death at Windstalker, she had been giving her magical studies a bit more attention. She had been trying to remember her spells of yesteryear, hoping that one of them carried over into this new life. She could conjure fire, strike down foes with an ice bolt, freeze enemies, and even call the power of earth to wrap vines around their ankles. Everything else, was a complete and new mystery with her.

She didn’t count “wolf form”. She had a feeling that, that particular ability would never leave her, no matter how mad things have gotten. Wolves may have forsaken her, but she would never give up her affinity for them.

In riding down the path, Mysidia began to concentrate at her hand, hoping to bring forth barbs, like she once did many years ago. She snapped her fingers, trying to feel the tiny spines prickle up on her fingers, but no.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Instead of trying to “align” with the power that resided in earth, she decided to go with the flow of the chaos, hoping that this would “unlock” the spells she once could do.

Chaos is a strange and powerful thing. Delve into it too much, and it will consume you. Stand apart from it and you will never understand its true meaning. Chaos brings change in some form or another. Be apart from that and you will always remain static. And stasis in Nature means extinction.

Mysidia remembered those studies as a child. She remembered the Druidic Clan she resided with while Mardock went to find out if the Iksar was looking for her, then. Mardock was as much a father to her as anyone else could be. When her mother gave her to Mardock for him to raise, he had to take on the fatherly role.

Mysidia wasn’t too much younger then. She was alive and could remember vividly her mother and father being forced over a stone altar and watched horrifically as their hearts were cut out and thrown into fiery cauldrons. The Iksar were savage then. They worshipped savage gods that had savage appetites.

To keep Mysidia safe, Mardock had a powerful enchanter place a mind block on her, to block those memories out as well as a few other vital tidbits. Mysidia followed Mardock blindly for years before the block finally broke. She was never angry at him, however. She understood why he did what he thought he had to do. Some memories you really don’t ever want to keep and some information is simply too dangerous to know.

Mardock had brought her to the Tribal Elder, Belle Darkfury. Mysidia had known about the Vah’Shir, but never had seen one until then. She looked up at the tall graceful looking cat woman and smiled. Belle had taken her under her wing to teach her the ways of the Druid and to polish her developing fighting skills.

“Each tree, each rock, even the blades of grass, they all tell a story.”, Belle used to say. “You simply have to “listen” to it to hear them. Try again.”

“It’s so hard, Elder Belle. I can’t seem to grasp the energy, like you said.”, young Mysidia said.

“You have been blessed by Tunare, child. Feel that energy within you and use it to fit into the energy around you. It is the ebb and flow I speak of. The rhythm of all life.”, Belle said as they both sat on a grassy hill overlooking a beautiful valley. The wind gently ran its invisible hand over the tall grass, causing it to sway and fold under its touch.

“How is it you know so much about this? You are a Beastlord.”, Mysidia asked confused.

“My mother was a Druid and I understand the energy that you use. I simply feel it in the beasts around you. You feel it in all life. You have to listen to the heartbeat of Nature. Feel her blood flow through you.”, Belle said looking down at Mysidia.

Mysidia closed her eyes and concentrated. She began to feel her own energy ripple on the waves of nature around her. She didn’t fight the alignment, she simply blanketed hers over it. And for a moment, the alignment cradled her.

She heard everything! The ants whispered. The trees softly giggled and sang as the wind tickled their branches. The birds joined in a beautiful chorus. Belle was right. Every living creature had a story to tell, if you listened hard enough.

Now Mysidia had to align with a different kind of energy within Nature. Nature can be benevolent but you cannot have one extreme without having another. Nature is based on balance. Disrupting the balance causes chaos which forces change. Mysidia had to keep herself centered while trying to find that even flowing rhythm deep within the chaos.

And for a split second, she felt her inner soul move to the same dance that she was so familiar with. As if deep, underneath all the chaos from The Shattering, Nature was waiting to right the wrongs and become whole again.

“Mysidia!”, she heard James’ voice yell. She opened her eyes and released her mind from her meditative work. When she did, she felt her body pull ahead of her and a hue of red light surrounded the three of them. An astral lion roar could be heard in the air around them and Mysidia flashed around confused.

“What did ye do, Siddie?”, Kryimsson asked.

“I’m… not sure…”, Mysidia looked at herself, holding her hands out in front of her.

“I feel..different.”, Kryimsson said looking at himself. “Like I could take on a whole troop of… somethin’…and not be hurt.”

“You just may get your chance, there, big guy.”, James said and pointed into the distance.

Mysidia recognized the smell immediately. Death. And from the closeness of it, undead were nearly on top of them. She could hear the faint sound of bone hitting stone in a walking pattern.

Mysidia grunted. “Skeletons.”

“We’re close to Stormhold. It doesn’t surprise me.”, James said looking out. He took the torch and threw it into the distance, off to his side.

“What ye go do tha’ for, rat? I canna see!”, Kryimsson exclaimed.

James nudged his horse over to Kryimsson and waved his small paw like hand over Kryimsson’s eyes. Kryimsson blinked and tiny orbs of light danced around them for a few moments before disappearing.

“Now you can.”, James said.

“Sister, this could get messy.”, Kryimsson said dismounting his war horse.

“With you, it always does.”, Mysidia said dismounting hers. James followed suit.

With the horses at a safe distance, Mysidia shadowed herself into wolf form. Her image shimmered for a few moments before four paws and fluffy tail took her place. Her violet eyes scanned the darkness ahead of her to easily see a small troop of undead milling around in the distance.

“We’re in for quite a fight”, Mysidia’s voice said into both of their heads. One of the tricks she made it mandatory to learn, was how to communicate to those around her while in wolf form. The visit to Oracle Tower proved to be more than useful and did a great deal more than simply teach an eager pupil of her history rich past.

A small leather bound book, hidden back in one of their book shelves provided Mysidia with just the instruction she needed in order to accomplish this task. Unfortunately, it took a great deal of effort and she found herself drained of her energy if she continued to use it. She decided that short sentences would be the best option at that point, until she found a better method of communication.

“How many do ye see, Siddie?”, Kryimsson asked trying to adjust to the spell placed on his eyesight.

“Twenty. Maybe more.”, Mysidia echoed in his mind.

“Ye best stay back, rat. I dunna think th’ cloak yer wearin’ gives ye much support against those undeaddies.”, Kryimsson muttered.

James took a defensive stance behind Mysidia. Kryimsson adjusted his head from side to side to crack his neck and Mysidia lowered her wolven head, teeth bare.

Undead are funny creatures. They all seem to be off their own world until you are close enough for them to sense your presence. It took the skeletons until the three of them got within 20 feet for all of them to turn their heads at once.

Kryimsson wasted no time in jumping in and he swung his two handed sword over his head, toppling one of the skeletons to the ground. All of the skeletons attention was on the three of them, now, and an ear piercing shrill exited their skinless skulls in a demonic unison.

James began to blast his spells away, causing several to catch fire and a few more to have several bones crack.

Kryimsson jumped back and kicked one into the ribcage, causing it to fall back. He placed his sword behind him to catch the skeleton from hitting his back. He whirlwinded around him slicing through dry bone, but it did little to deter the swarm of undead. They feel no pain, so the shock to their system was non existent.

Mysidia was busy on her own, weaving spells of healing with those of damage. When she was done with one, she was starting on the casting of another. She was starting to see herself become overwhelmed.

“Sis, if ye got a fancy trick in yer pocket, I sure could use th’ help o’ here.”, Kryimsson said with his voice serious.

Mysidia looked over and saw the swarms of undead continue on their relentless path to make the three of them fresh converts.

“Get close”, Mysidia echoed in their heads. The two of them stayed close to Mysidia’s side as she lowered her head and concentrated with her violet eyes shut. She began to align herself with the chaos of the land, like she had done before. This time, she forced her energy on the plants around her and hoped they would comply.

Her entire wolven body shimmered with a brilliant green light. Hundreds of tiny green orbs hovered around her body and began to meld with her fur, attaching themselves to her body. When the last few orbs became part of the green light armor she had, she lifted her muzzle to the sky and howled out as loud as she could. Kryimsson and James covered their ears at the ear drum piercing sound.

Huge thick vines shot up out of the ground and skyrocketed towards the stars above them. The moment the vines got their “Breath” of fresh air, the swooped down towards the skeletons and began to quickly weave themselves between the skeletons’ legs. The skeletons, not realizing what was going on, tried to walk forward, but found themselves tied to the ground, literally. A few of them reached down to use their skeleton fingers to try and pry themselves from the overgrown vegetation, but it was no use. Mysidia had all of them exactly where she wanted them. Stuck and frozen for them to pick off.

Kryimsson and James stared at her for a moment and then stared at the ground where the vines shot up.

“Impressive.”, James noted.

“Neat trick.”, Kryimsson agreed.

“It’s not easy keeping this up, gentlemen.”, Mysidia noted and her entire body, still cased in green light, shuddered under the pressure of holding the spell. Wolves can’t sweat like humans can and had she been in her humanoid form, sweat would have been beading down her brow. Instead, thin lines of transparent drool dripped generously from her growling muzzle.

Kryimsson swung his sword up ready to fight and James raised his paw hands above his head, summoning a huge group of lightening bolts to shoot at the skeletons around them. Several of them turned to dust and several more were in a mangled enough position for Kryimsson to finish them off with little effort.

When the last of the skeletons were defeated, Kryimsson went around collecting whatever treasure that dropped and Mysidia fell back on her haunches, lowering her head with her ears down, and panting.

James looked at Mysidia and placed a hand on her head. “You did well, Mysidia. I think you are getting the hang of it. Take a few minutes to catch your breath. I imagine that was quite a feat for you.”

With Mysidia still weakened, she slowly lifted her head and watched Kryimsson pick up the spare coins that were littered about. James watched him for a few moments and raised an eyebrow.

“Old habits die hard?”, James noted sarcastically.

Kryimsson shrugged. “We all have our burdens to bear.”

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