Zion: Light of the New Moon Part 2, Ch 4.3 Bannihar
Zion - Light of the New Moon, Part 2 Chapter 4.3
Bannihar Convergence
Having been chased by the Torment, the party was forced to flee to the safety of the Periphery... but, once inside the protective aura of Zion, are things truly that safe? Let's see how their meeting with travelers from Myre plays out. It appears that the readers have elected to approach cautiously but openly.
The Risen had done well as a patchwork fix. Although nobody knew exactly how far the reconstructed wagon would get the party it had done admirably well. Having stood up to countless miles and numerous weeks of travel, a few members of the group had almost begun to think it would last the entire trip... sadly, it did not.
The leagues of wear and tear finally caught up to the belabored transport as the group made a valiant attempt to outrun the Torment. Scarcely an arrow's flight from where Sebastian circled overhead, the group could actually see a noticeable difference in the Highway; they were a few hundred yards from the protection of Zion's Periphery, and that's when everything came apart.
What started as a loud crack echoed through the frame of The Risen. The back end of the wagon collapsed as the wheels splayed out in either direction. The steeds, still pulling with all their might, lurched forward at the sudden resistance and the front of the transport came crashing down in a similar fashion. A huge crunch signaled the end of the wagon as the sides busted off, leaving little but a flat, wooden sled with a slight rise at the front where the driver's bench once was.
Elias and Kayte, who were both inside, fell to the wooden floor and held fast for all they were worth. Roarg, having been hanging onto the side of the wagon, was thrown free-- he somehow managed to recover after rolling for several yards on the Highway and quickly came up to his feet, running for all he was worth. Lord Raes somehow managed to remain at the head of the ruined transport, standing on the wood. He had kept his wits about him, snapping the reins as he forced the animals at the front to keep pulling.
The remains of The Risen slid across the ground, a huge cloud of sawdust spraying out behind it as the tethered animals continued running. Kayte and Elias noticed Roarg and they called to him, though their voices were lost amidst the sound of the splintering wood being ground to pulp by the road and the rapid rise in volume of the closing Torment. Its winds howled and moaned like a wild animal... somehow almost reminiscent of the mumblings of a mad man. Strange, almost amoebic masses of swirling clouds sped ahead of the group on either side, as if the Torment were extending tendrils to engulf the party. "Where's Iskiy? Where's Dana?" Kayte gasped.
The two had been left far behind by that point, and no amount of gazing back at where they had been gave any indication that they were still ahead of the Torment. Kayte spoke a silent prayer as Elias climbed atop her and sank his fingers into a stony section of the wreckage, solidifying the rock around his fingers to lock himself in place. At the front of the ad hoc sled, Lord Raes knelt down to better steady himself. "HYAH!" he shouted, giving the reins another flick... but his encouragement suddenly became inconsequential-- an enormous, antlered white wolf suddenly burst from the foliage to the side of the party and let out a snarling bark; the sled sped significantly.
"Daaaaaaannnnnaaaaaaa!" Iskiy screamed, holding onto the wolf's back for dear life. The creature was easily the size of a riding mount; it seemed to have no trouble whatsoever carrying the Wild Lander and keeping up its quick pace. Further ahead, Sebastian was descending to the ground to meet up with Jules, who had already crossed over the threshold and into what would hopefully be the safety of Zion's Periphery... a few more seconds and the rest of the party would join them.
"ROAAAAARG!" Sebastian screeched, his birdlike call rising above all other sounds. Gazing back to the running badger, everyone watched as he slowly came to a stop; the wreckage had already long-since outdistanced him. Taking a deep breath, the stone mason looked to the party, raised two fingers to his temple, and gave them a casual salute. He turned and faced the Torment... and disappeared as it engulfed him. The moment the clouds struck him the smoky tendrils beside the group drew back in on themselves and into the Torment.
Pieces of The Risen rolled, slid, and ground their way over the break in the Highway and, with a lurch, crumpled into rubble. Those atop the transport were thrown clear. Lord Raes let out a grunt as he hit the ground hard and rolled for several meters. Elias and Kayte were sent flying into the air, and the armadillo threw his hands out in front of him, hitting the earth a split second before Kayte... and they both landed harmlessly in a large pool of mud.
Kayte came up first, sputtering, "ROARG!" she screamed; Elias was mere moments behind her.
Having no way left to run, the party, as one, turned to face the indomitable force that was the swirling cloud of pure malevolence. It raced toward them, eager, with no sign of stopping... until it reached the Periphery. Although the Torment blew straight across the discernible border, it made it perhaps twenty feet into the divine protection before blowing itself harmlessly out; by the time it reached the group the only indication of its passing was a faint breeze, and the scent of blood.
"Roarg..." Elias murmured, raising himself and Kayte up to ground level as the earth beneath them solidified.
"ROARG!" Sebastian screeched again, feathers all standing on end as he raced toward the end of the Periphery. It wasn't long before the whole party was shouting his name... more than one of them close to tears.
"HERE!" Iskiy shouted, still seated on the back of the enormous, four-legged, white, antlered dire wolf.
The group ran to where the Wild Lander and his mount were, gazing down a slight drop into a ditch... which turned out to be an impact crater. "Ow..." Roarg called from below.
Raes and Elias quickly moved to help the badger up; despite the impressive indent in the ground, Roarg was still alive... and in only mildly frayed condition. Sebastian, still fluffed up, trotted right over to the badger and head butted him in the gut, "Don't DO that, damn it!"
"Sorry, mom." Roarg rolled his eyes.
"I can't believe you put us at risk like that!" the gryphon head butted him again.
"Hey!" Roarg blocked his abdomen with a paw, "Already sore, thank you!"
"I'm happy being me!" Sebastian argued, nipping at the badger's fingers, "You know what'll happen if you die! I'll go right back to--" and his feathers slowly deflated as he glanced around at everyone, "You should have kept running."
Roarg let out a breath and smoothed Sebastian's head feathers, "If I didn't do something then the Torment might have kept everyone from making it to the Periphery."
"Come again?" Elias questioned as he and Raes helped the badger up and out of the indent.
"The Torment..." Kayte murmured, "It was... reaching for us..." her eyes were wide with surprise and horror.
"Murderous... deadly... eager..." Iskiy's feral mount growled, barely comprehensible.
"Heywoahwhat?!" the Wild Lander quickly added, suddenly falling to the ground as the feral wolf beneath him rapidly altered her shape and once again became Dana... albeit, naked.
"An' ah find it strange that it pulled back just when it touched ye." she announced, gazing at Roarg.
"You could have been killed." Sebastian squawked softly, rubbing his beak into Roarg's sternum.
"Ye SHOULD'a been killed." Dana noted.
"Dana..." Iskiy murmured, oblivious to the discussion going on around him, "you're... ah.... uh... um..." his ears turned beet read, "...naked."
"I distracted it." Roarg explained, "When it took hold of me it didn't focus on all of you anymore... and its momentum brought it across the Periphery."
"Aye... but e'en th' Periphery wouldn'ta stopped it that fast." the shaman noted.
"Here... um... take my cloak." Iskiy offered, holding it out to Dana with his head turned.
"What are ye?" she demanded of the badger.
"Stand up" Lord Raes ordered, turning to the east, "We might have trouble." he motioned to a group of travelers heading their way.
"Myrenese." Kayte announced, peering at the two guards at the head of the column, "The dog up front is wearing a tabard... so's a human."
"What do you think they want?" Elias questioned, squinting his eyes to try to make out any details.
Iskiy finally convinced Dana (who was still staring at Roarg) to take is cloak, "If it's Myre they probably want to talk... Bannihar and Myre get along okay, right?"
"No Temple Cities get along well." Jules responded, "But I don't think we're really in any condition to fight."
"Hear them out." Kayte spoke quietly.
"Just don't let down your guard." Jules added.
"We're not done yet..." Dana noted to Roarg, "Unsolved mysteries n'er sit well wit' me, boy-o."
Roarg nodded, "I'd expected as much..." he motioned to the rapidly approaching group, "Let's deal with the possibly dangerous unknown first."
Dana nodded, wrapping Iskiy's cloak the rest of the way around herself, "Fair nuff."