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Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: Scene 2.5 - Race for Cimarron

Rebecca and Kade ride hard toward the Shadow Cimarron.

The spreading smoke is likely to narrowly reach their path by the time they cross the wide plain they are on. If they are delayed by anymore shooters, they will have to backtrack.

In the meantime, Kade can feel the Black Road beyond their current path. It lies beyond that plain perhaps and in the direction they are headed.
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Arkadios · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 71 Location: Good old Yookay

Riding hard as they are Kade leans forward and shouts to Rebecca, "I feel the enemy ahead of us, let us be prepared."

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

Rebecaa's response is a blistering string of curses that would peel paint if there was any nearby.

"Ain't nuthin' fer it!" she hollers back. "Gotta keep goin'!"

She checks that her pistol's handy and wraps her hand around the rifle with her finger resting on the trigger.

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

Kade doesn't respond he simply readies his own weapons and leans into the ride.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:43 am Post subject:

The ride is intense but also rather long as they cross 45 miles of plain. Demon is tempted to reach his top speed in order to avoid the smoke altogether. He's not enjoying the restraint in a situation like this.

As they approach and make their way on a slight slope uphill for several miles, they notice that the fire is spreading from a settlement about 5 miles to their right. The smoke is black and very ashy and whatever fire is the cause spreads low to the ground, slightly uphill in some instances.

The fire continues to spread laterally toward a rocky canyon formation to their left, which they could not cross on horseback. Demon and Rebecca could easily outrun the fire, but Sha'lee and Kade, not so. On top of this, Sha'lee seems upset about approaching the land of smoke they are entering on their last few miles.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

"We're almost there!" Rebecca calls over. Though whether it's to Sha'lee or her rider it isn't clear. "Just hang on and stay close!"

Rebecca keeps a hand on her whip. She may need to snag Sha'lee to keep them together if the smoke gets too thick. She eyes the fires and then her human companion.

"Can ya do somethin' 'bout that?"

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

Kade stares at the advancing flames and grimaces, when Rebecca calls he shouts back, “Slow down, I’m going to try something.”

This said he draws rein on Sha’lee and brings her to a halt, then without hesitation he vaults from the saddle and moves to a position where he has an uninterrupted view of the advancing flames. His mind reaches out, summoning his magical sight he begins casting a spell, summoning wind and rain designed to push the fire and smoke back upon itself.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

The smoke is pushed back and reveals to him that the fire continues to ooze its way in the direction of the passage. This is no coincidence. The magic is hidden behind the circumstances of the Shadow and are a magical effect directed through the Black Road beyond.

Rebecca knows stopping is madness if the fire cannot be stopped magically and although the smoke is taken care of for now, the fire continues on.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

[how wide is this river of fire?]

"We need everythin' ya got, Sha’lee!" Rebecca yells and they pour the speed back on. She is certain she can heal the both of them once they get to Cimarron; assuming this madness hasn't already touched her home. "Runnin' through it is a whole let better than stoppin'!"

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

Kade mounts up and gets Sha'lee of to a gallop in Rebecca's wake.

OOC: If he can he'd like to try and cast some sort of protective spell about them. Nothing fancy, just enough to ward the worst of the heat.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:04 am Post subject:

The one-hundred foot wide crawling fire reduces from three foot high flames to a magma-like ooze with flames no higher than a hand.

As they approach and get ready to run through the narrow path between the rock wall and the hand of fire, Kade incantates wildly calling upon strange forces from beyond Shadow, his tongue and voice nimble and echoing all around the valley. He has just enough time to unleash a protective wall to stop the fiery onslaught.

It stops! The adrenaline rush going through the riders and mounts is incredible and though relief is near, they have just enough width for three horses.

Then the horror. The protective spell is overcome in spite of Kade's continued chanting support.
The sparks fly everywhere for an instant and the flash could be seen from afar. The fire oozes back into motion and as they continue through the narrowing passage, Demon goes full speed and Sha'lee is forced to jump the final two-feet.

As they recuperate, continuing their stride for a long while, they see the Shadow very near to Cimarron. It's plain are ravaged, arid, sandy and taken over by desert. Below the high hill upon which Rebecca and Arkadios ride, miles away, there is fighting. Hundreds of men in black uniforms and hundreds of men in sandy yellow uniforms fight. Guns and canons and other artillery.

Everywhere, riders and mounts fall to pointless fighting over a keep, floating several feet above the Black Road... It is widest here than they have ever seen.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 375 Location: Oklahoma

Demon comes to a sudden stop and bellows at the mare to do the same. Rebecca's expression is as open as Kade has ever seen it. She is torn between fury and fear. This is too close to home, and she's terrified now of what they'll find. The saddlehorn creaks as her fist tightens around it. Eric may have put protections on her home Shadow, but that was years ago by Cimarron reckoning. She has no idea how they've held up to the recent activity.

She turns and spits in disgust on the dry ground and then dismounts. "We need ta give yer horse a moment ta catch her breath," she says to Kade as she unslings a water skin from her pack. Removing her hat, she pours water into it and walks up to offer the mare a drink first as she scans the action below, looking for a way to get passed the battle to continue on their way. She held out her other hand to Demon, offering him the stick of butterscotch as a treat for a job well done.

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

Dismounting quickly Kade checks Sha’lee out for injury, and then gazes over toward the battlefield.

“That was close.” Kade remarks smiling slightly, then asks quietly, “How far are we from our destination, or put it another way are we watching friends of yours battle away there?”

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

"No," she replies with a shake of her head. Rebecca pours out more water and offers it to her own horse. "We're still a Shadow or two over. Too close for comfort."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject:

A contingent of fifty mounted men in black uniforms stands out: they are leaving the fight and headed toward them, but they are very far away still.

Behind them, the fire continues but spreads no longer. It seems that the person responsible for it is focusing elsewhere.

Rebecca remembers this plain now. It was once a lush wide field where she, Demon, Blake and Finn had a ball racing through to Cimarron. She also recalls a rocky canyon to their right that, if it still exist and its narrow pass has not collapsed, could lead them to Cimarron and avoid the battlefield altogether. Alas, it also would make a great spot for an ambush.

Both of them see other options, such as avoiding the battlefield and take the horses on a trek to the left, through rocky terrain where they can shift slowly. Magic does not seem as powerful here than it was in the previous Shadow. There's also the option of entering the fray and avoiding combat through sheer speed. Demon, in his anger, is tempted. Sha'lee recuperates.
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