Awakening..[Catskills]

[Marcus Blackwell]

Duncan took one long draw of his ale and slammed down his mug and waved the waiter over and demanded another drink. As the waiter left he looked down at his empy mug and the pouch beside it and began to cry. After he got done crying he picked up his mug and threw it across the room then stood up took the new bottle of ale and his pouch from the table and walked out the door leaving Minoc forever.


Earlier that day....


The morning started out like any other morning for Duncan and Miles Croft. They had there breakfeast and did a few choirs around there house before heading off to the northern mines of Minoc. The Crofts had lived in Minoc for five years now taking service with the Miners guild who currently was contracted by the smity guild of Minoc to mine Ore. So far it had been an uneventful five years for the Crofts till recently with the news of the Strangers about and invasions in various cities along with the Murders of the royal council members recently but none of that really effected the Crofts yet. There journey to the mines as always was a boring one at best. Once there they were asigned an area in one of the caves and left alone mostly. It was always that way in Minoc lately teams of two to be safe. Miles and Duncan began there work and after a few hours had almost two barrels of ore ready when they came across something strange.


"Will you look at that!" Duncan said rubbing his eyes to get some dust out of them. Miles walked over to where his brother was and stared stunned at what appeared to be the outline of a rock door. "Well I'll be jinxed whats that doing there?" Miles said stupidly. "Beats me brother, but let try to open it up and see where it leads." said Duncan. Miles looked at his brother and thought for a moment before saying. "Nay we shouldnt. Lets tell the Guild and have them sort it out after all it could be dangerous." Duncan looked at his brother with a puzzled look and began to laugh. "Well I'll be I think your scared Miles!" he then made his way towards the door. "you should be too Duncan after all thats happened in the land recently!" miles said then shook his head and followed his brother.

Once at the door they both put there hands in the center and began the push, at first nothing happened by after what seemed like an hour to them of pushing the door quickly swung open and the brothers momentum sent them forward tumbling down for there were stairs leading down. After tumbled for a good five mintutes they both came to a crash on a hard, solid floor what was more surprising was when they landed the room lit up for torchs around the walls suddenly came to life. Shaking the cobbwebs out of there heads Miles and Duncan finally made it to there feet and began to look around.

They both were in shock and disappointment at what they saw. The room was basically empty except for one thing in the center of the room there seemed to be a valorite table til they looked closer for it was not a table but a coffin of sorts. Gathering there wits the brothers slowly walked towards the coffin. Once there they both looked down at the coffin admiring the fine work and the strange writing on it. "What do you suppose those mean?" Miles said pointing at the writing and turning to look at Duncan. "I dont know brother but it sure is an amazing piece of work I wonder who is buried here they must have been well off to afford a coffin like that.." Duncan then began to walk around the room to examine it more while his brother contintued to stare at the coffin. He was just noticing there was writing on the walls like that on the coffin when a sudden blast of air knocked him flat on his face and knocking him out.

Two hours later Duncan woke up with a headache. Sitting up he shook his head and focused his eyes. The first thing he noticed was half the torches were out the second thing he noticed was when he finally turned towards the coffin he noticed his brother or who he thought at first to be his brother standing five feet from bones that were laying on the floor with a pouch besides them. He then got up and began to walk towards the person he thought was his brother but for some reason before making it completely there he knelt by the bones and picked up the pouch and then got up it was then he met the eyes of the person he thought his brother. With a scream Duncan turned and ran up the stairs and out of cave leaving the man and the bones behind.


The strange man smiled abit at the fleeing Duncan then turned his attention back to the bones on the floor he walked over to them and began to search the area. Afterawhile unable to find what he was looking for he stood up and waved his hands over the bones. The bones began to hover in the air then man then pointed slightly to the coffin at this gesture the bones floated over to the coffin and landed gently into the coffin the man then snapped his fingers and the coffin closed he then walked over to the coffin and looked down. "Thank you for freeing me." he said and laughed darkly. Once done laughing he turned towards the stairs and made his way up them once inside the cave he looked around to be sure no one was around and then turned back to the opening in the wall. He bowed his head and began to chant after a few moments the opening in the cave began to close leaving no trace whatsoever of the door that use to be there. Once the opening was completely closed the man stoped chanting and fell to one knee. "Blast Im still to weak I need those stones!" he said then took two deep breaths and walked out of the cave insearch of his lost stones.

 

[Marcus Blackwell]

Screaming loudly Duncan woke shaking, he looked around the room and then at the table where he kept the pouch he had taken and took a deep breath. He then pushed the covers of himself and walked over to the table sat down and took the bottle that was by the pouch and began to drink. It seemed lately ale was the only thing that calmed him and helped him get a decent sleep that was til those red evil eyes visited him in his dream. It had been a month since Duncan left Minoc and he had been on the move ever since not stayin in one place took long. This time he had taken refuge in Vesper. He knew not what he was running from but only knew it caught up to him he'd be dead. Another thing he couldnt stop thinking about was his brother. What had happened to him? And way did that strange man look so much like him expect in the eyes? Thinkin of this caused him to shudder. After taking one big drag of his ale he laid the bottle back down on the table and made his way over to his bed. Hopefully this time he would be able to sleep without those eyes waking him.


Meanwhile in Yew...

The man in the shadows watched the strange gate in the center of the town with amusement on his face as an elf exited the gate. Slowly the man left the shadows and followed the elf northeast towards the Abbey. A whole month had passed since he consumed the essence of Miles Croft and he could feel himself weakening without the stones he could not hold the form he took very long. He was lucky at least to have one of the stones the thieves missed for without it he be nothing but a walking skeleton at best. His rebirth was still kind of a shock for him seeing as when he was imprisoned he was told he'd never find a way to be free again still he held onto hope and that had paid off. Now though it was time to find a new essence to take and before him was his next victim, who would have thought the elves would return to the land. It had been centuries since he last saw an elf not since the time of that fool Mondain.

Coming to his senses the man watched the elf turn all the sudden and head more easternly away from the town and the abbey. Now was his chance to strike he thought picking up speed he began to run. Within a matter of mintutes he was on top of the elf by now the elf had heard him and turned to see who was following while drawing out a kryss. Seeing a man with red eyes charging down on him shook the elf to his core and made him freeze for a moment which was all the time the man needed. the man grabed the elf by the arm and began to chant. The elf let out a wild scream and his eye grew wide then began to sink into his head and disappear. Next the elf's body began to shrink and skin began to decay. After about five mintutes nothing else was left of the elf but the bones laying on the forest floor.

The man now in the form of an elf took a deep breath and smiled. "Ah such life he had! I can feel it r unning through my veins! Yes, elves are such wonderful creatures if i had known they held this much enegry and strength I would have taken one long ago." he said to himself as he bent down and took the kryss that had fallen to the ground and placed it along his side. He then turned back westward and made his way towards town all the while smiling yet not satifised for even though he had more enegry and strength he still lacked what he coveted and that was his stones. Without those his powers could not grow, but all in good time he thought all in good time..