What Lurks In The Forest

Helena Lethe
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0

    From the tower to the Ninetails Dominion is not a trip that can be made in an hour, but rather one that might take a day, and if you're heading for the root town: Dun Lorireag, then it could take longer.

The first problem is finding a Caravan willing to travel that path, as many are refusing to leave the port without a mercenary or hired help. If you can find one, they are a brave soul looking for the extra coin.

    In this, this is where Atif may find himself. A willing wagon transport, but the sun is starting to set once more as April 16th comes to a close.

The ride was quiet and a strange fog was starting to roll in as they moved into the forest. The deeper in the forest they went, the thicker the fog to the point where the driver had to stop the wagon. He looks over to Atif, "I'm sorry lad, but this is far as I can go. If we keep going on, we might end up getting our selves turned around."
Atif
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0


    As active as Atif likes to keep himself, long trips like this aren't exactly the kind you want to make on foot, no matter how much one might enjoy the feeling of wind against their brow or what have you.

    So for this, the Red Salamander is perfectly happy to remain in the back of the wagon. Sleeping most of the way.

    In fact, it's only the wagon driver's voice that eventually brings Atif up into some modicum of wakefulness.

    "Mmrrffhhuh?" He rumbles out while he draws his upper body to a more upright angle, one finger rubbing lightly along an eye. "Why, what's...?"

    He gets his answer quick enough when he actually gets the proper look around, and takes count of his surroundings. All of that fog.

    "Aaaah, spooooooooky!" He chimes out upon a forward hop and lean that brings him stretched out right next to the wagon driver, widened eyes staring up ahead. "Does this region even have this kind of weather usually?"
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0

    "Well, with the ocean near, fog does sometimes roll in." The driver says, "But this seems... Unnatural and with the undead about lately, it has made traveling just as difficult."

However as the driver explains this the sound of hooves can be heard. Not slow, those hooves were coming quick. With it one could see glowing green light; Green fire heading toward them.

It wouldn't be long till a figure races by the wagon. Luckly Atif is missed, but the driver? He is yanked right out of the wagon! It is here the mysterious rider turns his steed around, which keeps up.

Its neigh is haunting. The mane of this undead horse is that of green flames, along with its hooves. The rider is covered in dark armor, with glowing red eyes peering out from the helmet. As the hooves slam down, the mysterious rider holds the old man, who seems unconscious. His voice rumbling, booming. "What is this man's life worth to you... Adventurer?"
Atif
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0


    "Hmm, hmm, yeah..." Rumbles Atif with two fingers rubbing along his chin. "Yeah, it might be better to-- eh? What's tha-...?"

    In the last second, the Salamander sweeps his body back and to the side. Only to be left with a shocked expression there on the wagon over the realization that the driver has DISAPPEARED. Wait. No. SNATCHED!

    Driver-san!!" He quickly hops off of the wagon itself, and runs over around it to make way after the horse that nabbed him. Only to skid to a stop right after, when he sees the undead, green-flamed horse stop and turn.

    And see those dreadfully red eyes staring at him.

    A singel droplet of nervous sweat drips down over his brow, while he adjusts his own stance slowly, both hands coming up, palms open. "O-oi... Just..."

    A nervous swallow. while his green gaze draws over the old man in the knight's grip.

    "...You wouldn't be asking that if your aim was simply to nab whoever with you," he observes, voice steadied enough to at least try to hide the anxiety. "So... Why don't you let him go? Deal with me instead?"
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0

    "Answer /the/ question." The knight says, dark magic seething around his fingertips. Atif might notice the Lander's HP slowly dropping. "/What/ is this man's life worth to you?"

The horse stomps its hoof in to the ground, scuffing it along the surface. If huffs out smoke from its skeleton nostrils. The armor on the horse didn't help make it look any less intimidating. Including its rider.
Atif
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0


    "ALright alright alright!" Atif hurriedly calls out, one foot shifting just slightly forward over.

    Another gulp, an anxious swallow. "Better me than him," he declares then, with a wince. "Will you let him go if you can take me instead?"
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0

    "You are offering your life? For this man?" The knight asks. Soon there is a chuckle, then an out right laugh, before he lets the man drop to the ground. "... Predictable."

"I have no interest in your life, Adventurer." The rider on his unholy horse starts to trot around him. His glowing red eyes peering directly at Atif. "At least... Not yet. No, I have another task for you."

The knight draws out his sword and points it at Atif. "You will tell the towns. The ports. The people. That our Queen will reclaim what is hers. That these lives, on our lands, will be ours once more." His glowing red eyes narrow. "And no matter how many of you Adventurers come. We /will/ succeed in reclaiming what is /ours/."
Atif
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0


    "Ah!" Atif yelps out when he sees the old man fall. With the evident statement that the knight isn't, in fact, going to snatch him instead, he's just about to go move over and grab the old man himself.

    But when the horse comes circling around him, he stops. And in turn, he shuffles on his feet, just enough that he can maintain his eyes constantly on the rider. Not the sword that's pointed at him -- but rather, the knight himself, right at those glowing eyes.

    "...Your queen?" He repeats in a low mutter, and crimson brows knit together.

    ...Very well." He doesn't give that agreement without his hands tightening up into fists, however. "But you tell your Queen that none of them will be taking that as a promise. They'll be taking it as a challenge." Green eyes narrow. "Tell your Queen we will not let you."
Helena Lethe
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0

    "You adventurers have already been trying to stop us." The knight says, as he continues to hold his blade. "It seems either you are very lacking in information or your people are not very well informed."

"Does not matter in the end." He taps his heels on the horse, which reigns back a bit, as he goes to sheath his blade. "The outcome will continue and the lives of these people will be all ours in due time."

    The knight then tosses Atif a potion. "Give that to your old friend there. You shall have passage to the city. /That/ is not in our territory of interest." With that he pulls on the reigns and heads back into the fog, which seems to follow the rider.

It also clear that ghouls were watching, before they seem to take leave with the rider as well. Leaving Atif with a potion, the driver to the wagon, and a clearing sky.
Atif
Overworld - -31 - 11 - 0


    "Gh--" Atif's hand sweeps up just in time to catch the bottle. The potion itself is given just a cursory look of inspection, before his eyes draw up again. Something the knight said caught his attention, afterall.

    "Wait, wha--"

    The call out never finishes, with the sudden retreat of undead knight and ghouls alike. Whatever his question was, he clearly won't be getting an answer to that, today. Only thing he's left with is a message, and frustration.

    ...And a potion he's not sure he can trust.