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Zion Milestone Contribution 1 Myre, Anor-Roc

Anor-Roc had been silent, traveling near the back of the party through the sewers. At first, his senses were overwhelmed with the second-life granted to him by the Moon Pelted shaman woman; he hadn't realized how numb he was as a spirit. By the time they had reached the tunnel leading underground he had acclimated to the input and it almost felt normal... almost. Despite the fact that he could draw breath and sense the tangible weight of his body it seemed as a dream and he knew, eventually, he would wake up.

Lingering just behind Roarg and Keeland, the coy-wolf continued to murmur to himself the echoing words he had heard whispered by Dana Whitecliff. They had held power, that much he knew, yet he couldn't seem to understand. It was obvious to him that she was a natural shaper of spirits-- she had a talent he could only grasp at. He had thought that his form of magic was unique and, as far as city dwellers were concerned, perhaps it was, but, in meeting the shaman woman and being the recipient of her magical touch he realized he was hardly an initiate; he was both impressed and intimidated all at once.

The spirit-made-flesh kept his own council for the entire march through the sewers. Other members of the party had their colorful comments about the stench within the tunnels but, to Anor-Roc, despite his acute senses, he didn't receive the same impression.

~Tis 'cause ye smell the true scent.~ the coy-wolf didn't hear her voice as much as simply know she 'spoke' to him in a way other than with her voice.

~Tis called 'kennin''.~ she explained, and only then did he realize that she was able to hear what he was thinking in the same was she he could hear her.

~Ain't hearin', boy-o.~ she chided wordlessly, ~I told ye, tis 'kennin''.~

Anor-Roc tried it for himself. ~Can you hear me?~

He received the impression of a laugh in response, ~Nae...~ he received the impression of a laugh, ~ye didn't say anythin'... but I could sense ye kennin'.~

~How is this possible?~ he questioned her wordlessly.

~Ye've done it before, summoner... tis how th' spirits ye called knew what he desired... maybe they couldn't ken back to ye in a way ye knew then, but now that ye be spirit it's as natural to ye as a mortal drawin' breath.~

Anor-Roc took a breath almost as a reflex once she said that; there was so much he didn't know.

~Aye... but that's what existin' be all about, boy-o... flesh or spirit, we can learn.~ Something about the optimistic tone in her voice made him smile. Anor-Roc couldn't figure it out, but there was something about Dana that he found familiar. She warmed him like a lover... no... a mother... or... an older, protective sister? No... an inquisitive, lively kid sister... perhaps a daughter?

~Family.~ she answered for him, ~Nae by blood... but in spirit. Spirit Speakers feel it clearer than most... we all be children o' th'gods... we all be family.~

He would have liked to continue learning more about her alien insights through his new form of communication, but, just then, Elias stopped the group to catch his bearings. They did not stay there for long before a warning rose through the group and their lights were extinguished. Anor-Roc suddenly felt a very bad premonition, not unlike the sense he got in Attood Keep when they learned about the Death Mist.

~An' for good reason.~ Dana acknowledged and, even as she kenned to him, she still managed to bring forth a soft glow Anor-Roc recognized as summoning magic. With all the effort a normal summoner would call to a chipmunk the otherworldly shaman woman brought forth an elemental; the coy-wolf was astounded... but, in a matter of minutes, that surprise would turn into pure terror.

"Move!" Lord Raes grabbed Anor-Roc by the back of his tunic and pulled him into the warded area created by Dana as an enormous wall of water rushed toward the party. The coy-wolf watched mutedly as Elias, the party's Geomancer attempted in vain to further support Dana's wards; he was obvious he was no master of water. Planting his paws as firmly as he could imagine against the slick floor of the sewers, Anor-Roc pulled to the mana surrounding him and-- was too late... the wall of water crushed the party's wards and swamped them.

Despite the chaos, things suddenly became entirely clear to Anor-Roc. Though the water was shockingly cold and filled with partial-solids, the situation didn't lack the usual heart-wrenching twist of terror. ~Ye already be dead, boy-o...~ Dana's likewise calm thoughts kenned to him.

~Where is everyone?~ he kenned back, glancing around in the blackness of the water, ~I can't see anyone.~

~Ye didnae move when we were hit... shows that ye have a natural affinity to th'spirit... ye choose where ye manifest whether flesh or not.~ her 'voice' was growing fainter and fainter.

~I can't sense you as well...~ the coy-wolf grasped for her mentally.

~Aye... cuz I be dyin'.~ she responded as calmly as if they were haing a causal discussion, ~We all be dyin.~

Finally that sense of fear and helplessness struck home. Only then did Anor-Roc realize that the water was still flowing with full force, having completely filled the tube. Elias had said something about 'Flushing'... about aquamancers releasing water into the sewers to cleanse it. If that was the case, the water had to be coming from somewhere.

As if a bubble burst, Anor-Roc suddenly found himself standing on dry land: a stone bridge of sorts built underground but overlooking a vast, swirling mass of water. Torches sputtered oily nearby, four of them, granting just enough light within the chamber by which to see. The coy-wolf didn't need more than a second to realize why he had suddenly been drawn to that specific point; down below him two man stood channeling water magic, and two other men, adorned in tabards of the Sun Cult, kept them at sword-point.

"Hey!" it hardly seemed like a thoughtful or insightful thing to say, but, Anor-Roc realized, in retrospect, it certainly served its purpose.

"Hey!" one of the Sun Cultists repeated. The guard began to climb a ladder that linked the ground beneath Anor-Roc's bridge and where the four men stood. The coy-wolf waited patiently for the cultist to get near the top before even bothering to react to his presence.

The guard obviously thought Anor-Roc to be a passive observer; he was thus surprised enough that he didn't react when the coy-wolf stomped straight down on his forehead. The guard cursed when the coy-wolf knocked him free from the ladder. The man fell onto the walkway upon which the two magi and the second cultist stood but he half-bounced and half-rolled into the water; he was swept away in the blink of an eye.

"Hey!" the second guard exclaimed (apparently Anor-Roc's 'eloquence' was infectious) and started toward another ladder, but he never got the chance; the two aquamancers reach raised their own wave of swirling water and crashed them against the cultist from either side, dazing him, and carrying him over the side and into the current to join his friend.

The two mages were waiting for the coy-wolf as he descended, "Thank the Goddess." said the first, a young pine martin who appeared to be perhaps in her mid-teens.

"They threatened our parents." the older mage noted, resting his paw on the girl's shoulder; Anor-Roc could see the family resemblance and, for a moment, he felt an all-too-living twinge in his heart at seeing them together.

He thrust the thoughts aside from his mind and focused on the task at hand, "My friends are in the tunnel." The two aquamancers stared at one another for a split second and, a moment later, the water had halted. Not bothering with another word, Anor-Roc lept straight down into the receding waves; he didn't bother having to brave the currents as, suddenly he was where he wanted to be.

Josh clung to a half-torn metal grate, hanging off of it from its place near the ceiling, coughing and sputtering, but Anor-Roc saw no one else. "Where is everyone?" the coy-wolf, asked, slowly helping the young cub down to the floor. Josh looked around, fearful, and surprised, with no answer.