Lyneya and the Amethyst

[Lyneya Oceanheart]

Lyneya clutched the amethyst, wrapped in the countless layers of cloth as it was, it still warmed her entire body.

She had her white hood pulled high above her head, and her dress cascading around her legs like a whitewashed waterfall.

Where is Nina? Lyneya thought to herself. And Dagwyn? They couldn't be too far away. The small party of Drifters had gone in search of the Ameythst. Unfortunately capturing it only too late. News had already spread.

"Damn that Trader!" Lyneya said to no one in particular, despite her normally forgiving nature. "No doubt walked right up to a group of people and declared what she had and was selling it for the best price."

Lyneya frowned and continued walking towards the ocean, trying to fulfil the plan she had come up with. It was the only way.

[nina]

News was defiantly spreading fast. Rumors were already circulating through Meuna, and without a doubt, Nina believed that word had already reached the ears of every race. The people were fascinated and are seeking it out: some for power, others for glory, even more still to regain honor and dignity.

Is it really as powerful as Lyenya says?... Can it revive the dead? Nina shook her head. Her own inner thoughts were betraying her values. That's ridiculous… This stone is going to cause war...

Or has it already?

Nina walked across the grasslands seeking out Lyenya and Dagwyn. Being this close to the Navy made Nina nervous. No doubt Nina's own legacy reached the Navy's ears. She tried not to draw attention to herself, but it was hard considering her and the small brigade of Drifters possessed the stone that every race was seeking. The Navy would be here, not to mention the Southerners.

Nina wasn't sure about the Angels, or the Ice Warriors. She'd never met one, and doubted that they would be interested in her anyway. They would want the stone.

Nina shook her head from her thoughts as a figure formed in the distance. She squinted her eyes and shielded them from the glare of the sun. It was Lyenya. Nina gave her a small wave as the gap between them closed.

"Dagwyn's not with you?" Nina questioned. Where was he?

[/size][/color]

[Dagwyn]

The eagle sailed on the wind, over the grassy areas, feeling the sun warm it's back. Piercing eyes watched the grounds beneath, looking for prey. Food had been scarce for some time, more and more creatures where reluctant to stray out in the open. As if they were afraid of something. The air was tense, full of restraint. Like a storm was coming..

Breathing heavy, a cloaked figure ran like all the dark forces in the world was on it's tail. I better not be late. With feet moving like hands on a drum, Dagwyn headed for his companions. Only twice did he dive into the grass, trying to see if anyone was following him. When objects of power appeared, rumors and people with sharp blades wasn't far behind. They should be close now. At the sound of a voice Dagwyn crouched down, drawing his hunting knife. Then he recognized the voice. Nina.

He sheathed the blade and slowly stood up, bowing slightly to the two women. He looked over to Lyneya and the clothed amethyst she carried. Something needed to be done with that, as far as he was concerned, it was too dangerous to stay in the mortal world. "Any news on the situation?"

[Lyneya Oceanheart]

Lyneya smiled as she saw her two companions. But the smile was not humourous or light, it was solemn and forced. She held in her hands something that could throw the world into a war. World's took too long to recover from war, and the war that this stone promised would rip the world to sheds.

I hope they don't fight on the ocean. . . Lyneya thought, but the idea was near inevitable. Armies were beginning to rely on their navies almost as much as their foot soldiers.

How could three Drifters stand up to an army if the moment came? Lyneya trusted Nina and Dagwyn in combat, but she doubted either could fend off an army. Lyneya herself had her own forms of fighting, but to defeat an army with that power would drain her beyond death.

Lyneya shook her head. "I don't know." Was all she could manage to say. She was sure armies were stirring. The cobra of the south was drawing back for the strike with teeth outstretched. The leopard of the north was crouched, prepared to pounce, and here they were in the middle. Armies were stirring beyond a doubt, but she didn't know where they were or what they planned.

"We have to get to the ocean." Lyneya said, severing any loose thoughts that could force a rain cloud over their heads.

[nina]

Dagwyn finally showed. Between his question and Lyenya's answer, Nina knew that the situation was grim, and the future was unclear.

Lyenya's suggestion jerked Nina from her inner turmoil.

"What good will the ocean do us?" Nina asked skeptically.

She continued, "I've been near the fort, there are many rumors circulating. No doubt every army of Lilan is heading this way. The ocean is their route. Unless we're planning on giving them the stone or die trying to fight our way through five armies, we need to stay away from the sea..." her voice trailed off for a moment. She looked at her companions, allowing her statement to sink in. Nina shifted her feet, moving her weight from her left foot to her right.

She spoke again thoughtfully, "They'll all start heading inland soon enough. Unless we get off the isle soon, we'll be trapped here; surrounded on all sides. If we head to the sea, we need to go east, away from the oncoming armies. Lyenya, you know a fair amount about the stone through the stories you heard, right? Did they ever give any inclination on how to destroy it?"

[/size][/color]

[Lyneya Oceanheart]

Lyneya closed her eyes and nodded gravely, listening to Nina's words. She liked the way that Nina would think over her words, so they came out far wiser than they would have if she spoke like Lyneya did. Blurting anything and hoping the words she strung together got her message across.

After the mention of the ocean, Lyneya bit her lower lip and shook her head, trying to think of the tales her mother had told her so long ago.

"No," she said, speaking little above a whisper, as if there were people everywhere, deep within the ground listening. The ocean could whisper or roar to her, but it never listened to her secrets or stood over her, watching her, like the ground and the trees did.

"The stone cannot be destroyed." She said, with a solemnity in her voice that she often adopted when talking about the dead. Thankfully there were none around her now, but there always many in the cities. "It is stronger than diamond, but unlike diamond it cannot be shattered. It is far stronger than any normal amethyst. I don't even think it really is an amethyst, but a completely different gem."

Lyneya continued onwards, realising she had gone off track. "But we can hide the gem." She said, looking at Nina. "At the ocean floor, where no human is welcome. There the gem will be guarded by creatures that no human could ever describe. One day, what is sea may turn to land, but the stone will be long buried beneath countless centuries off dirt. No one will ever know how to find it, and in the end, humanity will forget about it." Lyneya was only hoping that humanity would forget. Humanity forgot a lot, but when put to the test, their memories could strecth for many long years.

[Dagwyn]

Lights will be snuffed out today. Dagwyn thought as he stretched his body. He was slightly unsure as of how to deal with the situation. Large military forces were coming closer, making the sea an unsafe route to travel. Lyneya wanted the stone at the bottom of the ocean, far away from people. Nina wanted to head to the east, before they were caught in the midst of a giantic battle. And what did he want himself? The thought of losing his new friends ripped in his spine. Seing that stone sink into the darkness below the waves would be reliever.

"Southerners, Ice Warriors, Pirates and the Lilan Navy. All these would want to get a grip on us." Dagwyn said with a very serious face. Then suddenly his face broke up into a large mischiveous smile. "So how about we go east and drop that damn stone into the dephts of the sea? Make 'em all a little hot between their ears." That would be something worthy of a tale, the three drifters who eluded the great armies of the world. And why not? They were only three people, and could move much faster than a marching armie.

"Choose quickly. I wouldn't want to be around when we hear the sound of marching feet."

[nina]

Nina's heart sank at Lyenya's answer. An amethyst stronger than diamond? Obviously, the stone is one of its own kind...

What would Vance do? An ache in Nina's heart swelled. He would lead them along the best path. He would know what to do.

Nina shook her head, and tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. She listened to Lyenya's plan, and then to Dagwyn's solution. Destroying the stone was out of the question, but hiding it so no one would ever find it? The answer was simple - perhaps too simple.

Choose quickly...

"There is one flaw in the seemingly simple solution," Nina stated looking at Lyenya and Dagwyn in turn, "The ocean depths stretch beyond human knowledge, but what of the Fallen Angels in the north? They were once of god, and in a way, they still are a part of him. I'm sure they have abilities beyond our own."

Nina paused for another moment. With a sigh, she said, "It seems we have little option despite the defects in our plan. Let us cast it away and pray for the best."

[/size][/color]

[Lyneya Oceanheart]

It took no more persuasion than that to get Lyneya moving again, making her way to the eastern shores. Along the way she began talking.

"I do not know how far the knowledge of the Fallen Angel's stretch." She admitted, clutching the warm stone to her breast with one arm and holding her long dress up with her other. She could have thought of plenty of better clothes to be wearing right now but there was no time to worry about appropriate clothing. "But I believe they are a people of the skies. The oceans belong to no human like creature. It is owned by the sharks and the whales and other animals far deadlier."

Lyneya could remember seeing one of these other animals. She had been young, standing with her mother at the time, and she was amazed when she saw it. It was huge, and the young Lyneya had clutched at her mother's dress in fear, but her mother had shown no fear as the creature swam insanely close to the shore.

She hoped that this was what her mother would do. Her mother would have known what was the right way to be rid of the stone.

[Jarad]

Geddo touched land and noticed his men on the shore. "OK Pirates! We must find the amythist stone and destroy it! If you find the drifters with it, do not kill them! Anyone who tries to harm them will die by my blade." HE said angerly to his men. "We must find this stone and destroy it before the northerners do!" He said to them.
(Note: really I leave it up to the drifters to weather or not pirates find them ^_^)

[nina]

Nina followed after Lyneya quickly, and nodded her head as Lyneya spoke. "Guess that's a comforting thought," Nina mumbled in reply.

This plan looked as if it would work, so long as they reached the eastern side of the isle before they were discovered. Nina looked back toward the western shore. A pit formed in her stomach. "Let's speed it up guys," Nina said warningly to the two.

Less than a mile off shore were the massive fleets of the Southerners and the Ice Warriors. Nina recognized their flags immediately. Signals shot back and forth between the fleets, and although Nina could not read the conversation, it was obviously not a peaceful discussion.

"This is bad. The races have arrived much sooner than I would have expected. They'll be on shore within the hour."

((i'll let Dagwyn jump in when he returens, but I thought our section of this plot should start moving seeing how the rest are.

kk, Jarad =P))

[/size][/color]

[Jarad]

Geddo led a group of men towards the eastern side of the island. "Where are they? Our fate relies on me finding the drifters and helping them destroy the Amyathist." He said to himself. If the Ice warriors found it, then they where screwed.

[Kevin Sage]

They reached shore not nearly as fast had Sage had hoped for. Weaving through the battle scene in the ocean slowed them greatly. Sage and Alaria would have much ground to make up.

Sage cursed to himself silently as the boat hit the sand, for another boat was already upon the shore.

"Alaria, I fear there will be others to battle. We must make haste," With that, Sage leapt from the boat, trusting that Alaria would not be far behind.

[/size][/color]

[Dagwyn]

So they are already here. I was hoping we had more time, if only a little, but it seems this is bound to end up in steel against steel Dagwyn thought as he watched the ships out on the water. "Then we must make sure to put as much distance as possible between us and them." It was far easier to move fast trough hard terrain when wearing leather and cloth, instead of heavy steel plating. Still, when in close combat it also meant less chance of getting a sword trough your body. Just now I wouldn't mind having a few more people with us, and some material to make traps along the way.

Wait a second. Fallen angels, angels with wings, possibly with bows... Images of the trio with arrows sticking out of their bodies filled his head. If the angels did join the battle it could mean even more trouble. He didn't know much about the Fallen Angels. Did they still have their wings? He decided to let the matter fade into the back of his mind. Time was short, and he needed to concentrate on keeping up with his two companions.

[Lyneya Oceanheart]

Lyneya looked over to where Nina and Dagwyn had been inclining their words to. It was true, there was a naval battle bursting into gruesome life just off the shore. For some reason, despite the whole situation, Lyneya felt a stab of childish anger. Why? She demanded in her own head. Why would they litter the ocean with the broken pieces of war? It was a show of the normal Lyneya, deep within the cloak she had pulled over herself ever since she had been on the Isle of Emeralds. Her true self, the ocean-obsessed woman, still childishly waiting for her mother to return was slowly coming back to the surface. But Lyneya couldn't let her true self appear. There was far too much at stake, and her own role, along with those of the two Drifters with her was far too pivotal within the whole world, and the future, to be brought down by a child's dreams.

"We have to hurry!" Lyneya said, an urgent whisper. She was fighting a battle to remain in control of herself, as well as a battle of time. It was not favourable for them. She could see more people coming. Scouting patrols perhaps? Whoever they were, Lyneya had no doubt that the stone she held against her breast was the thing they wanted above anything else.

Lyneya, with her free hand, bundled her skirt above her legs and began running. Her hood was still up around her head, and she could only hope that Dagwyn and Nina would share her urgency.