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Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 121

"We don't have time for this." Finn pulls Blake up, and focuses on raising Pattern Defense to get a better sense of what is going on. "We can't retreat into the bloody canyon, but we can pull back to the entrance. Seems my mention of Leonidas caused me nothing but trouble." He calls out, "Faylinn! Something is accosting Kade! Something in your sphere I wager!" As he works on the Pattern, "I can't make changes unless we're moving!"

How long before the riders arrive where we are?

Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

Rebecca is stronger then the horse, and she digs her heels in and holds on to the reins. "It's a trick, Sha'lee!" Rebecca yells between the horses fearful bellowing. "It is just us! We want to leave, but we can't until you calm down."

"Demon! Tell her!"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject:

When the spell is released, the canyon walls begin to collapse, slowly at first. Rocks crumble and the area is quickly leveled. A great cloud of dust engulfs the entire area and it has become hard to see further than fifty feet. The sun's light is quite eerie, filtered in these conditions. This does not help Sha'lee's condition...
They could potentially hike the horses up the newly formed ramp, but collapsing earth could still be a concern.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:46 pm Post subject:

The riders are maybe two miles away, riding at full speed on flat earth. At least from what Finn could judge before the dust hid them away, they have three or four minutes to spare.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject:

Faylinn can sense that this land is ripe with caverns and natural underground tunnels that a powerful spell can merge.
Creating a great rift will take time but it will efficiently slow the riders' advancement, if not stop it altogether.

Growing vegetation to create a blockade would take less time, but would surely tire her out for a bit.

[OOC: sorry about the multiple posting... It took me this much to realize the word e.n.h.a.n.c.e will prevent me to post...]

sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 172

"Rebecca!" Faylinn calls. "Don't let her run towards those riders, or we will be down one horse! I am attempting to buy us time to deal with whatever that was." She gestures loosely in the direction of Kade.

And then she starts working on that rift...

Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

Rebecca doesn't even bother responding to that. She is well aware of the situation. Giving up on the usual way of doing things, Rebecca moves herself to Sha'lee's side. and the next second the mare's front hooves are on the ground, Rebecca leaps into the saddle, swinging herself up by the saddlehorn and a handful of mane. She waits for Sha'lee to toss her head again and grabs the reins in midair. The horse is too spooked for common sense, and Rebecca has to fall back on the physical techniques used for breaking the wild ones. She wraps the reins around her wrists, not giving the mare much freedom of movement.

"Dammit, Sha'lee! I ain't let nothin' hurt ya before, and I ain't gonna start now! But ya got ta control yerself!" She jerks the reins to get her attention to the much calmer Poppin. "Look! What yer seein' ain't real!"

Demon puts in his two cents, trying to explain it so the mare will understand before she hurts herself.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject:

Strong winds begin to move the dust away. With Demon and Rebecca helping, Sha'lee begins to settle down, but is very fearful. Arkadios can now stand on his own, but his powerful headache has returned in full force.

Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

Dismounting, Rebecca digs through her saddlebags, and comes up with an apple. She uses one of her daggers to force a hole through the middle that doesn't quite go all the way through. Reaching into her duster, Rebecca pulls out a silver flask, twists the lid off with her teeth, and pours some of the contents into the hole in the apple. "Here, girl," she murmurs to the mare. "Eat this. It'll calm ya."

While Sha'lee's busy with that, she digs around into the jack-of-all-trades pack and pulls out a set of blinders to slip onto the skittish horse.

Demon sniffs at being left out of the serving of alcohol, but there's no time and Rebecca ignores him. She continues to stroke Sha'lee to soothe her while trying to keep an eye on the approaching riders.

Finn · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 121

Finn continues to focus, speaking in a detached tone. "Arkadios, up on your feet soldier. Amberites don't wither, we endure."

His glares into the middle distance, as if trying to divine some secret from the Shadow around them. "We have two minutes, two and a half at most!"

Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

"I reckon I'll be needin' some shotgun shells," Rebecca says rather calmly, looking up at Finn. "An' ya better load someth'n fer yerself an' arm Kade. Shame there weren't a Gaitlin."

Arkadios · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 71 Location: Good old Yookay

Kade stands, but he sways slightly, after a second his eyes focus and he looks at Finn.

"I saw them, or felt them, someone or something from the Black Road! I think Sha'lee did too through me."

He looks at the advancing horsemen, "Now isn't the time to explain." he says rubbing his temples and frowning, then seemingly noticing Rebecca's actions for the first time Kade strides over to her side and grasps the reins of Sha'lee, "Please leave her to me." he says with a weary smile.

Placing his hand upon the horses neck he talks quietly and soothingly, in with his words he weaves a short working designed to calm the horse enough for him to be able to mount up if need be.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:05 am Post subject:

Faylinn stops her booming incantation: spell is now ready to be unleashed. The energies surrounding her are tremendous!

[how close/far from the riders is she casting it? How close to the group? Is it meant to surround the group completely or simply delay the riders and forcing them to go around?]

Finn can sense the powerful magic at work below the earth, all under the direction of Faylinn's sorcerous powers, like a network of tension ready to be unleashed upon the desert. He can sense the Black Road in the direction they are facing. Piercing through Shadow now should be quite quick, if he can continue concentrating upon the great symbol in his mind.

Sha'lee is now calm and allows Arkadios to mount back up. Arkadios' head feels a bit better... There is a slight daze still, but he can move and act as his usual.

Rebecca notices first that something is odd about the dust following the riders. There shouldn't be enough of them to create such a large cloud... There is something else there, concealed.

They can now hear distant yells from the group of riders, but nothing they can distinguish or recognize.

Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

"There's more then jest riders comin' at us," Rebecca cautions as she remounts Demon. The horse paws the ground and eyes the oncoming riders menacingly. She looks over at Finn, and decides not to distract him from whatever he is concentrating on. Pistol in holster, she brings out her rifle and brings it up to pick out a target among the oncoming riders.

Arkadios · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 71 Location: Good old Yookay

Retrieving his bow before he mounts up Arkadios sits Sha'lee's back staring at the advancing threat, suddenly he smiles ruefully and takes a deep breath as he begins to craft a spell.

He calls upon the wind seeking to assail the riders with a hurricane or at least a powerful gale, which should hopefully also disperse the obscuring dust.