This continues the game for Adam Keller from Adam Against, continuing Adam Keller's Game.
You feel the blast above you, crushing you into the ground; then there is an abrupt hush, and you hear birds--not tropical birds, but song birds, woodland, not jungle, creatures.
You are groggy, but already have the sense that points you to Horus, this time pointing in two directions, and the sense that points you to your equipment in one of those.
You are lying face down, as you were, in dirt, thick loam, soft and untrodden.
--M. J. Young
Well that hurt...
*pushing myself onto my feet looking around for Geneice as I brush the dirt off, looking around at my surroundings*
Adam
Your surroundings are dense temperate forest, something seemingly untouched by humans.
You sense Geneice, but it's about a hundred yards through the uncut brush to reach her; she sleeps peacefully, her pack and any of your extra gear beside her. The radio is not here.
You have a sense that must be pointing you toward Horus and the gear you left in England, but of course that would be over a thousand miles from here, even if it managed to come to the surface of the planet.
--M. J. Young
*I make my way to Geneice and sit beside her till she wakes up, when she does*
"Welcome to the ranks of versers, I don't have your immortal membership card, and I have a feeling plastics will not be a resource here
*short pause*
The sense you feel in the pit of your stomache, that's like a radar to people and objects that are also filled with scriff, and have traveled through the Multiverse, you probably can feel me now, as well as your items around a thousand miles away. You probably also feel Horus, who was in London. It's almost as well that the motorcycle is there, I doubt there are many roads to use it on anyway. I suggest we make out way toward our items, and see what happens to us on the way"
*offers his hand to help her off the ground*
Adam
"Well," she says, "I guess it's true." She takes your hand, and then goes into her backpack. "It's good a brought this," she says, and pulls out that box you gave her. "I read the note. I know you didn't want me to unless something happened, but, well, I figured whatever secrets you might have I should find out. I was pleased to learn that you had never been married." She smiles.
My estimation makes her about twenty-six; would you concur with that?
"You're the one with the experience," she says; "I'll follow your lead."
My admittedly vague recollection is that there were valuables in the box, which is why she brought it with her.
You strike out through the seemingly pristine woods.
--M. J. Young
I would put her about 26, works for me. The box had 250k in gems, and half the gold nuggets I had left, and I had the other half in my box.
"*smile* Well I wanted you to know the truth, and besides, you weren't that naive girl I met years ago.
*looks around*
This forest looks totally untouched by man, I wonder if there is any civilization here at all. Well either way, Let's head toward our belongings, and whatever happens, happens. On the bright side, we have our tents, and army gear, so we are defineatly prepared for an extended outdoor journey"
Adam
You strike out in the direction of your equipment, pushing through the undergrowth.
Around dusk you hear a voice.
The language is English, but not modern; it is pre-Chaucer. The voice might be human, but it is very rough, almost a growl. You clearly make out the words, although speaking in this dialect is going to be a bit of a challenge. The voice says, "Halt, and state your intentions in our lands." The speaker is well hidden in the trees.
--M. J. Young
*grins*
"We are heading to retrieve our property, we are not looking for trouble, but we do not shy away from it either."
*using my panaramic awareness to see if there are others about*
Adam
You are aware that there are something between a dozen and a score of people watching you, but their ability to stay hidden is uncannily good and you can't actually get a look or an exact position on any one of them.
"Your property? At what castle is it stored? Why are you passing through our woods instead of taking the roads?"
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"Yes my property, and I do not know which if any castle within which it is stored. I've heard rumors it lies far ahead in this direction. As for why I am passing through your woods, the first is it is the most direct route, and the second, I fear no man, or the score of you hiding in the woods trying to ambush us.
*I give a general point around to where I would try to ambush someone from*
"You picked a perfect spot for an ambush, and you placed yourselves perfectly, but being a master of ambush and stealth myself, I know where I would hide. Now that we've gotten the pretense out of the way, perhaps an introduction is in order. I am Ashe Valerin, of the Stonefist Assassins, and this is my consort, Jade Bladesong of the same organization. Now that we have introduced ourselves, would you do us the honor of doing the same?"
(Since we didn't really change, we should have our armor, helmets on and weapons slung, as far as appearance)
Adam
"You are not knights?" There is a pause. "But you are not ghouls; nor do you know even the legends of these woods, or you would not so quickly call us men. I will oblige, however. I am Tar, consort to Grielle, of Lewen Wood. Assassins are not welcome here."
--M. J. Young
*rolls eyes*
"Well then Tar, it seems we are at an crossroads. We do not know where the roads are to go around, and you said we are not welcome here. I would prefer not to have to fight, but do assume that it is due to lack of ability, just desire.
*pause*
"The decision is yours, point out the route to the closest road so that we can be on our way, or attack us,"
*if I even get the impression they are going to attack I will do the following, Steal Initiative, Fast Draw Katana to start Chow En Lai, Muscle Blocking and go back to back with Geneice*
Adam
There is a moment of silence, and a stirring.
"Well, friends, it seems that our humans are lost; they have lost their road, and wandered into our woods. We should respect humans who would dare leave the roads in these parts. Grench, show them to a road."
You have the clear impression that those surrounding you are moving away in all directions; however, one steps into the clearing. He is nearly naked, and nearly human--very hairy, very muscular, a sense of constant awareness about him, something feral, animal, in his presence and his movements.
In a very gruff voice which is not unkind but not entirely friendly, he says, "Follow me." He moves to your left, staying visible, but you can tell that if you blinked he could vanish into the brush so fast you might not know he was ever here.
--M. J. Young
*We will follow Grench till we reach a road, keeping up my panaramic awareness just in case*
Adam
You're about half an hour through the woods, struggling to keep up with the native who seems to be born to this, until you come out on what he seems to think is a road. It is little more than a pair of wheel ruts with the grass between them worn, horse hoofprints, some shodden and some not, and a look of abandonment or rare use. Turning right seems better than turning left, as far as your equipment vector, although neither direction seems exactly correct, as the vector you're following points across the road at a forty-five degree angle toward the right.
Sunset is approaching, and your guide looks like he is about to leave.
<i>I realized earlier today that I should have mentioned this not quite human guide does not look orcish. You would recognize an orc.</i>
--M. J. Young
*I give our guide a nod and head up the road to the right, I would like to camp out for the night but unless there is a clearing by this road ahead, we will walk it until we can no longer do so from lack of sleep, or we find a clearing, town or castle. If we have to sleep we will be using alert rest if it works*
"Well he didn't look undead, at least not in the Dungeons and Dragons sense, but if this is any indication, we are in a low tech world, our guns may or may not work, as well as our electronics. I wish we didn't leave our bows in London now, but at least we have our swords, armor and army gear, should serve us well till we figure out just how close to real world earth we are dealing with."
Adam
"Isn't Dungeons and Dragons a game?"
It becomes very dark, but you continue to follow the road. After about three hours it opens into fields, and in the distance a village and a small castle, all very medieval, or possibly earlier.
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"Yes it is a game, but here it can also be real, just like all those missions I went on where I met you, were all part of movies in my home world. If you can think it, it probably exists somewhere.
*When the fields and castle are in view*
"Looks like pushing on was the right thing to do, I would like to use the identities from before, but we will call ourselves Stonefist, Ashe was my favorite character when I played D&D, and I already know his backround and relationships, where he was born, so it makes sense. Either way, we need to get some period clothes to put over our armor, I hope either Gold or Gems will buy things. Either way, let's push through, at least we won't have to worry about those Ghouls in there."
Adam
You continue to follow the road until you reach the walls of the village. The iron gates are secured, and a watchman sits within, possibly asleep. The place is very quiet.
--M. J. Young
*walk the right up and knock or jingle the gate to jostle the man awake*
"We require enterence"
Adam
"Wha? Oh, strangers at the gate, eh?"
It's old English, but you're conversant in it. The accent is distinct from that of the people in the woods, and the voice decidedly human.
"It's a bit unusual, isn't it, traveling at night? Could be waylaid by bandits on the road. Course, you could be bandits yourselves, couldn't you? So, who should I say you are, when I apply for permission to open the gates?" His lordship is alseep, I'm sure, and doesn't like being awakened without good reason. If you're knights, well, he'll want to know your family and your station."
--M. J. Young
"I am Ashe Valerin of the Stonefist, from the city of Center in the Castle of Six Cities. This is my wife Jade Bladesong. We have travelled long and do not wish to have to deal with the ghouls again this night. We are not bandits, we are not looking for trouble, we would just like to enter to rest."
Adam
"Ghouls?" the watchman exclaims with a bit of a disdainful laugh. "I've never heard of your Castle of the Six Cities--somewhere in Gaul, is it?--but either you're from a very superstitious and barbaric race, or you've really let our English woods spook you. Ghouls indeed. Next you'll be sayin' you saw ghosts or vampires or werewolves."
He begins unlatching the gate.
"Still, I can't leave a lady, even a foreign lady, outside at night. Come in, and I'll show you up to his lordship's manor, where you can introduce yourselves proper-like."
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"Well Jade looks like we get to meet the Lordship, such hospitality, we must be in England"
*waits to be taken to see the lord*
Adam
The gatekeeper admits you, and relatches the gate. "This way," he says with a wave of his hand, and turning his back on you starts up the main dirt path. You can see the castle ahead.
He looks over his shoulder a couple times to make sure you're there; it's probably five hundred yards through the midst of wooden houses and empty market stalls. Soon you're standing on the stone steps of a small stone keep. The gatekeeper raises and drops the heavy iron knocker several times.
"Don't worry," he says. "Someone'll be up."
In a few minutes the oak doors swing open.
"Beggin' your pardon, but it seems that this knight and his lady arrived, on foot, and I thought they should be taken to give their repecks to his lordship."
"Quite right," the man inside says. He's in a heavy robe carrying a candle in a cage. "Please come in, my lord, my lady."
Thanks the watchman, and closes the door behind you. The hall is cold, lit only by the candle, but in a moment he leads you into a larger room with a table and chairs, and drawing flame from his candle lights a few candles in a chandelier above.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. Will you be requiring refreshment after your journey? I will alert his lordship to your presence, but he will be a few minutes as he has already retired for the night; I can wake the kitchen staff, too, if you are hungry."
--M. J. Young
*walks into the keep and then into the room where he is to wait, and takes his helmet off and takes a seat*
"There is no need to wake anyone else for us, we know we come late, and there is no need to disrupt more of your staff than is necessary, my wife and myself are fine, and just happy to be out of the cold"
*waits for the Lord of the manor*
Adam
It takes about fifteen minutes before a middle aged man in good shape, clearly a fighter, and just as clearly hastily dressed, stumbles into the dining room.
"Robert Lord Penrose," he says. "They say you are Ashe Valerin of someplace called the Stonefist, in a city called Center in a region called--no, I'm sorry, I didn't get it all. Never heard of any of it before, to be honest, but then, the world is so big. So, what brings you to England?"
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"That's alright, Lord Penrose, we are in England just exploring the world, seeing what there is to see. Might I inquire what part of England we are in? If you can relate where we are to London we would be grateful. We walked off the road and got a bit lost, I don't know if the road we found is the same road we started on."
Adam
"London?" Penrose appears puzzled. "London? Oh, do you mean that Roman outpost, Londinium, way up north? You're near the southern coast, Valerin, not too many miles from Camelot, where King Uther is trying to establish a united England. More power to him, but I don't see him as the man to rule us all."
--M. J. Young
"Camelot eh? very interesting, well it is late, and I do not wish to keep you up. We can talk more about these lands and other events going on? One last thing before letting you get back to sleep? Is this King Uther, Uther Pendragon, the former Roman Legionaire?"
*will show us to whatever hospitality he affords us*
Adam
"Uther a Roman? Never heard anyone say that; he's a Celt, like the rest of us. And I thought Merlin was the Pendragon, but I never really did understand these religious political things. Anyway, Merlin's a bit of a nut, if you ask me. Living alone in the forest like that, thinking he can do magic.
"Anyway, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. Who, exactly, did you say you were again? No offense, but we can't have just anyone come by claiming to be knights wanting hospitality. Anyway, my man will show you to your room, and we can talk more in the morning."
--M. J. Young
*smiles*
"None taken, I am Ashe Valerin of the Stonefist, from the city of Center in the Castle of Six Cities. This is my wife Jade Bladesong. We do not know of these "knights" of which you speak, but if they are warriors of noble birth like I get the just of, my wife and I are what these "knights" are.
*I offer to show him my katana, which should be in the harness over my armor*
Adam
"That's certainly a fine weapon. Foreign, of course, but knights can come from anywhere. I gather the Stonefist is an order of knights of some sort. Welcome, Ashe Valerin and Jade Bladesong. Enjoy our hospitality; we will have breakfast an hour after sunrise."
His man is ready to show you to your room.
The room has a comfortable bed; it is not richly appointed, but nicely so. Penrose seems to be a minor nobleman, barely above a shire reeve perhaps, who oversees a relatively sparse area; whether he is answerable to someone is unclear, but he apparently regards a certain code of chivalry as binding.
The servant will bring you a fresh pitcher of cold water, which will be placed on a stand beside two stone cups and a pottery basin. He promises hot water in the morning, when the kitchen staff are awake.
--M. J. Young
*nods* "You could say that, and thank you for the hospitality."
*when in the room looks around*
"Beats sleeping on the ground in the English night, I think a trip to see Merlin and Uther is in order, I would like to have a master teach me magic, instead of making it up as I go"
*pours a cup of water for both of them and drinks it, before heading to bed and winking at my wife, and eventually getting to sleep*
Adam
And a much more comfortable bed it is than the boats in which you were traveling a day ago.
It is daylight by the time you awaken, and Geneice is still asleep.
--M. J. Young
*I'll take care of business, and then come back and start organizing what I have left, magazines, ammo, grenades, and wishing I had my bow at this point, I'll clean our armors as best I can, and wait for the bathwater as promised. Taking a nice bath with my wife sounds nice, and after that get dressed, use some deoderant, and make our way downstairs*
Adam
The didn't promise you a bath; they send up a pitcher of very hot water and a fresh pitcher of cold water. There are some fresh towels and washcloths, though.
Breakfast is cold venison and meade. Your host asks you to tell him about your homeland and your travels, and what brings you to England.
--M. J. Young
*We will clean up using the pitcher and washcloths and towels and dress to go to breakfast, clean clothes under our armor. Now that I know where in the world we are, do I think our items are in England, overseas or in the water, using my general knowledge of world geography?*
*sits down and starts to eat*
"Well my homeland is the town of Center in the Castle of Six Cities, I was born the son of a merchant, lived a normal life till I was 18 years old. The war between the Stonefist and Firetide had been going on for a decade at this point and both sides were losing members. They didn't fight conventional battles, small units would fight one or other units of the other side. I used my meager earnings and put myself into the arena one day and bet on myself. I won, became champion and took my winnings and constructed my weapons and armor, and set off across the world to seek my fortunes.
I learned hand to hand combat, and I was one of the few to be able to fight a firetide one on one. They are skilled in fighting and stealth, while the stonefist deal in magic and stealth. The war came to an end, with both sides having few members left, it was at this point, I looked to gather the remaining stonefist, but due to circumstances beyond my control, due to bad situations and betrayal, I was the only one that I knew of left, and I was not in a hurry to recruit due to the corruption and betrayals just suffered. I met Jade, my wife on my travels and trained her. The firetide are no longer a problem, between my friendship while training with a firetide underneith the masters at stonecorner, and my brother being a high ranking member now, there is peace and I am free to wander the lands and hone my skills. I have heard of a wizard in these lands, and I have come here to seek him out, to see if he really is what I hear, and if he is, what I can learn from him. I also seek some possessions that members of the stonefist left in a hidden cache, including some of my property, that I would like to see back in my possession.
What can you tell me of these lands? We have already met some men that live in the forest that call themselves Ghouls, but they were men. That was our first experience of this England."
Adam
Probably your stuff is somewhere in North America. It was, after all, in England when you were in Central America, so it's quite a distance as the hawk flies.
"I don't think they said that they were ghouls," Geneice injects. "They said that we were not, but I had the impression that they would have thought it bad to be ghouls. I'm also not sure that they were men."
"Of course they were men," Penrose interrupts. "Did you think we had talking bears in England? Or perhaps you think they were werewolves or something like that? On the other hand, no one lives in the forest, of which I'm aware, so likely you encountered bandits, and your appearance (which I might say is quite formidable) caused them to avoid challenging you. I'm sorry you had to meet them. So, how did you cross the Channel? Did you come across from Gaul, or up from Spain? Or are you Irish, perhaps, trying to sail around the south of Wales to reach Europe and getting washed onto our shores? If that's what became of your possessions, you'll not find them easily without the aid of a wizard--but then, you said your people used magic, eh? Knights around here don't generally do that, but some wizards are respected, even if they make people uncomfortable."
--M. J. Young
*smiles* "My wife is from the outskirts of Rome, my ancestors are Irish, but we actually came to England by magic. As for the men living in the forest they are real, they are numerous, and they know enough to not attack knights. Either way, we appreciate your hospitality Lord Penrose, and for the information on your lands.
*we will see what there is around town, and find the way to Camelot*
Adam