Teelia's Story (Closed RP, MATURE content throughout)

[Teelia]

It was a dry, cool night in Tirisfal glades. The Forsaken which called this area home were going about their business, attempting to drive back the smaller minions of the Scourge and the zealots of the Scarlet Crusade as they did every night.

A group of Forsaken, still wet behind the ears, stood near the edge of the lake that formed a barrier around the backside of their Undercity. They spoke in a gutterish tongue, mixed with a bit of orcish, talking about the events of the day. One of them was fighting with a duskbat as the others looked on, cheerfully applauding the skills of their friend.

None of them saw the lithe figure that slipped from the water only 30 feet from them. She was human, very much alive, and was clad in armor of leather. Two blades hung at her waist, the magical heat coming from them instantly drying the wet leather of her torso and short leggings. She stayed hidden as she watched the Forsaken, and pulled off her boots, pouring the lake water from them and holding them up to her heated blades to dry.

Teelia Gazee was that woman. She brushed her reddish brown wet hair aside and watched the figures, carefully studying their movements. They were no threat to her. On the off chance they even saw her, she could take the whole group to the grave with minimal effort. While she was no expert, her training as a rogue had progressed quickly, and she was learning more every day.

Teelia slipped her boots onto her feet, carefully tying a strap around each ankle to hold them in place better, and looked up at the massive walls which surrounded the Ruins of Lordaeran...her former capitol.

Once dry, Teelia sat crosslegged in the grass, still looking at the walls of the "Undercity" and her thoughts began to race backwards. Much had changed since she had last been here. This place was alien now, but as her mind drifted to memories, her vision of the city began to change shape. The sky began to turn a light blue, speckled with white hatchwork clouds. The grass was a beautiful emerald green....and the walls of this kingdom were white and beautiful, as the walls of Stormwind were today.

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It was nearly five years ago. Teelia was only 14, but had begun to blossom into a beautiful young woman. Her father, a noble from the kingdom named Niles Gazee, helped her into a carraige along with her little brother Neilo and her mother Naadia. The family would be traveling to Andorhal that day for a visit with another family. Teelia had at first assumed the family trip was a diplomatic measure that her merchant father had set up to inflate their holdings, but right before the trip began she had been informed that this trip was for her....and for her future.

Teelia sighed aloud as the carraige began its slow and leisurely drive east toward Andorhal. She was supposed to meet a young man today, a young man that was being groomed by her father's business partners to be her future husband.

The young Teelia didn't like the idea of an arranged marraige. She was only 14, and even though she was to only meet this boy, she had always dreamed that one day she would meet a man who would sweep her off her feet....a romantic encounter, not her father pointing at a stranger and saying "This man will be your husband upon your 16th birthday."

There was no romance in it at all. The entire thought of it was rather droll, and even looking from her carraige window at the beauty that was Tirisfal didn't make it better.

Later that day, the family arrived at the house of her father's partner. It was a quaint house in the middle of the city, near one of the watchtowers that had recently been erected there. As the Gazee family approached the house, Teelia noticed a large concentration of soldiers patrolling the area. She had never seen this many in one spot, but put the image of them in the back of her mind. After all, there were more important things to think about...such as meeting the man who would become her husband.

As they walked to the door, Teelia looked to the ground, unwilling to lift her chin lest she be disappointed by the troll her father had probably set her up with. She expected him to be hideous....A pimple covered ogre with puss spewing from a giant zit on the end of a long nose, or maybe horns sticking out from under his hair. She shivered for a moment, shaking the ruffles of her floor length noble's gown which was as blue as the sky above. Her breathing became erratic for a moment, as she had lost her train of thought and forgotten to suck in her gut, lest the tight cleavage building corset she wore suffocate her.

The door opened, and before she could think any further, a manservant let the Gazee family in. Teelia twirled about the home in a lightheaded daze, not liking to be around her father's associates, until finally the words of her father's partner echoed in her ears. "...And this must be young Teelia. Teelia, I'd like you to meet my son Darathon."

Teelia winced as she looked upward. For a moment, she saw the hideous monster from her visions, but after her mind calmed itself, she saw a normal looking boy, near her age if not a little older. He had black hair, and a stocky frame, and his large chin and cheekbones curled upward a bit as he smiled. Teelia breathed in deeply in relief. The boy was a bit handsome....not a demon or naga-born creature of the nether as she had first thought he'd be.

Darathon bowed to Teelia, and took her hand. He kissed it gently, letting her know that the pleasure was all his. Teelia smiled and blushed, lifting her other hand to shyly cover her smile as was proper etiquette for a girl her age. Her little brother Neilo rolled his eyes as Darathon led Teelia to the back of the house and into the back yard, where a large bench sat in front of a lush garden.

The two sat on the bench, and as Darathon smiled with his dimples drawing Teelia's eyes into him, he spoke to Teelia softly, letting her know that he himself had been concerned about this whole "arranged marraige" thing. He also felt that romance should be involved, and that if Teelia would give him a chance, he would do whatever it took to be a good man for her. She melted at his words, and the two talked for hours.

After finishing a rather large supper, Teelia and Darathon retreated once again to the garden behind the house. She knew their time was growing short, as father had said they would be leaving within the hour. Night was falling, and they had to ride back to their home. Teelia was worried inside. She enjoyed talking with Darathon....She wanted to stay.

Teelia also wanted to kiss the boy. She had never once kissed a man, although she and her friends from home had discussed proper procedure for doing so. She must be patient and let him kiss her, and then follow through with his actions. By all means, a proper bred girl is not allowed to use her tongue, or any of that nonsense, lest lust overtake and purity vanish. Inside, Teelia thought of all these little rules and sub-rules that had been drilled into her. She so wanted to be proper and do the right thing, but time was running short, and as she thought of these things she suddenly realized that Darathon had been speaking, and she hadn't been even paying attention!

Gathering her wits, Teelia turned her ears on, hoping she hadn't missed anything important. His voice was still soft, and his sharp blue eyes pierced her soul. Teelia fluttered as he spoke of giving her a gift to remember him until next time they were able to court. He leaned in....His lips moving closer to hers....Yes! He was going to kiss her. Teelia's heart jumped into her stomach as her eyes closed slowly and her mouth moved toward his.....


Suddenly a hand thrust forward from the bushes, grabbing Darathon by the throat. Teelia still sat there, watching in slow motion as a man pulled Darathon away from her. The man was ragged in appearance, and his face was caked with blood, particularly around his chin and mouth. His eyes burned with the fires of the nether, and before Darathon had time to scream or react, the tattered man tore into his throat with bared and snarling teeth.

Teelia watched, horrified and unable to move as a jet of blood sprayed from Darathon's throat and doused her in an arc of crimson, contrasting deeply against her pretty light blue gown. Darathon fell to the ground, limp like a discarded doll, and then the crazed eyes of the murderer fell upon her.

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((More to come))

[Teelia]

Teelia was unable to scream as the blood covered ragged man stared at her with his dead eyes. She wanted to scream badly, to let her father and the men inside the house know what was going on, but when her mouth opened, nothing came out. It was like a bad dream when you are being chased and yet you feel slowed as if your feet are made of lead.

She couldn't make a sound, but unlike the dream, Teelia could get up and move. She turned toward the back door of the house and bolted for the door. The creature (although he was a 'man' thats what he seemed to be) bolted right after her, diving for her with incredible speed.

Luck was with Teelia, for as she ran for the door, the creature lunging after her, it tripped over the stone bench that not moments ago she had almost shared her first kiss. The creature fell to the ground, breaking one of its legs in the process. Before she could get fully away, however, the creature thrust a hand forward and grabbed her by the hem of her gown. Teelia toppled as well into the garden of lush flowers.

She struggled to get free, but the creature held her gown firm, trying to pull her toward it. With a growl, he snapped at her legs, as if they were his only source of sustenence. Teelia panicked for a second, but then thrust a foot out and kicked the creature square in the face.

Her kick did nothing but anger the creature more, and it bit at her, catching her foot in its mouth. She quickly slid her foot out of her shoe, and as she looked back the creature flailed its head back and forth, the shoe looking like the play toy of a violent dog. It was then that she was finally able to let out a piercing scream.

The back door to the house burst open, with Teelia's father and his partner's manservant running for the scared girl. The manservant grabbed a shovel and immediately hit the creature in the head. This seemed to slow the creature, but caused no halt to its activities. Teelia's father thought quickly, ripping the hem of her dress away so that it stayed in the creature's hand. The sound of the shovel repeatedly hitting the creature seemed loud to Teelia as her father carried her inside the house.

A moment later, the manservant ran inside and bolted the back door. He looked as white as a sheet. Teelia felt dizzy for a moment, and began to see spots. The voices of the panicked people in the house seemed broken and slowed, and then she blacked out.

((More to come))

[Teelia]

When Teelia awoke from fainting, she lay on a bed upstairs in the house. She was groggy, but could still make out several things. Her mother was with her, pouring water slowly on her face and chest, and trying to remove the tight corset, which had possible been the reason she fainted in the first place just as much as the shock of what had happened. She could hear voices downstairs in the chaos, screaming things about "undead" and "Cauldrons", but it was hard to hear over the sounds of nails being pounded into something.

Outside, Teelia could hear the sounds of a pitched battle. Screams from grown men echoed through the streets of Andorhal, and every few seconds she could here the sounds of explosions, no doubt caused by wizards throwing balls of energy and flame at these "undead" that were attacking.

She heard her father yelling from downstairs. "Those damn wizards are going to set the town on fire! They're more dangerous than those things out there!"

No reply from Teelia's brother, or the owner of the house could be heard. Only the sound of constant hammering. Teelia looked into her mother's eyes, which seemed older than they were this morning. "Mommy," she said weakly, "What is happening out there?"

Her mother tried to force a smile and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't you worry about a thing, Teelia. We're going to be fine. We Gazee's are tough people, and it will take more than a few lunatics to hurt us. Besides, your father and the others are boarding the windows and doors. There are guards outside, and even some wizards from Dalaran....So you have nothing to worry about."

Teelia smiled at her mother as she sat up, slipping out of the tight corset. She could finally breathe. Her mother then removed the tattered gown that was now blue and purple (from Darthon's blood), and handed Teelia a long tunic to wear. She stood and put it on, and it came down to her knees, making a dress. The color of the tunic was black, and Teelia assumed it belonged to the owner of the house, who was much larger than she was. Barefoot now, Teelia slipped from the bed and moved toward the window.

What she saw outside was chaos unleashed. Soldiers were fighting a losing battle against a multitude of undead oppenents, and no matter how many fell, it seemed there were others to replace them. Wizards were throwing fire and ice, and blasts of arcane energy shot forth in random directions around the city. Less than two blocks away, and inferno raged out of control, swallowing houses as the occupants jumped from windows into the waiting mobs of undead and were torn apart. There seemed to be no one in charge. Undead swarmed around this house, as Teelia could see them below, but they seemed to be concentrated on fighting those outside for the moment.

Teelia noticed that there were varieties of undead....They weren't all the same. Some looked human, although slightly decomposing, yet some were complete skeletons with no flesh whatsoever, swinging large axes that tore through people like they were paper. Down the road, Teelia saw what she thought to be an armored knight swinging a large sword, but his movements gave him away as one of the undead also. The entire scene was framed with a green mist that seemed to creep along the streets themselves, and at seeing this Teelia bolted away from the window and began to cry.

Teelia's mother ran to her and cradled her, holding her tightly as panic overtook Teelia and tears streamed down her face. How could this happen, she asked herself. There was no answer other than a loud crash as something hit the front of the house. Teelia felt the entire house shake, as if it were an insect that had been swatted by the hands of the gods, and then she heard her father's voice. "By the light! They're inside!!!!"

((More to come))

[Jobolg]

((Ooo, this is very nice! I love the suddenness with which everything happened. It didn't even cross my mind the attacker was undead until it was mentioned directly! Kept my attention the whole way through. Keep it up!))

[Teelia]

Teelia was huddled with her mother as she heard the slamming of the footsteps coming upstairs. Her father had said that the undead were in the house. Teelia braced herself with fear against her mother, trying to convince herself that this was all a nightmare.

The first figure she saw was her little brother Neilo, who was white as a sheet and ran into the upstairs bedroom without saying a word, and dove under the bed. Then she saw her father, who had bloodstains on his shirt and held a mallot in his hand. He still had nails in his other hand from where he had been trying to fortify the house against the attacks of the undead. The manservant of the house quickly brought up the rear, holding the gardening shovel in his hands.

Teelia expected to see her father's partner next, but he never came up the stairs. Her father waited for the manservant to get into the room and then quickly slammed the door, moving a dresser of clothes in front of it and trying to keep it closed while he started hammering nails into the doorframe. The owner of the house was most likely dead.

Teelia's father frantically hammered spikes into the doorway, to better protect againt the onslaught he knew was coming. Teelia could feel her own heart beat as she watched, and everyone in the room seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her mother cradled her, and at that moment she felt more helpless than ever before. All the proper upbringing and etiquette training in the world had not prepared her for this moment, when the nether itself was unleashed on Andorhal.

Even as her father tried to barracade the door to the upstairs bedroom, the pounding began. The door shook beneath the blows of the creatures who were on the other side. Teelia could hear the sounds of claw marks scratching at the door, and the sound they made turned her stomach. It was only a matter of time before the things got in....

"Neilo," Teelia's father screamed at the twelve year old boy hiding under the bed, "Get out here and help me hold this door!"

The manservant helped pull Neilo out from under the bed, and Teelia could see that the boy was struggling, stricken with fear and wanting to hide in his so called cocoon of safeness once more. She noted with a fascinating detail that her little brother had soiled himself, and this made her dry heave, tasting the supper she had recently put inside her.

Neilo held the door as he was told, and cried unintelligible words of fear. His cries were cut short, however, as a large axe blade shattered the door and came down in an arc, hitting the boy and almost severing his arm at the shoulder. The boy screamed, but didn't fall. He just staggered back, swaying back and forth for a moment as the shock had totally destroyed his cognitive thought processes.

Teelia was aware of her mother screaming as she was thrown in the floor. The room still moved in slow motion, and she saw her mother rush forth and clutch onto Neilo, his ruined arm and shoulder swaying back and forth and spinning in such a way that this time Teelia could not hold back the vomit. She retched in the floor and on herself, even as the rest of the door caved in and she saw the attackers.

The skeletal figure with the axe was the first to fully be seen. He leaped through the door with a remarkable agility, as if his animated state gave him special powers, and he spun the axe in a circle before bringing it down into the head of the manservant, who was still busy trying to hold the dresser in place. The manservant fell with a gurgling sound.

Another creature then entered the room, this one a ghoul still covered in flesh, although the smell of burning rot was prevalent on this one. The things growled and grabbed Neilo away from his father, who in shock had been trying to reattach the child's shoulder. Neilo didn't scream as the creature pulled him close and sank it's teeth into his throat, and for some strange reason this ghoul brought fire forth from its hands, catching the boy aflame even as it began to devour him.

Teelia stopped vomitting and screamed, as both of her parents jumped back from this horrific sight. Then more ghouls and creatures began to pour into the room, and Teelia's parents were caught in a rush of undead madness. They were quickly brought to the ground as Teelia watched, her mind compeltely locked in a state of fear.

"Teelia Run!!!"

The voice had come from her own mind. She wasn't sure how, but some part of her snapped awake. Her family was being slaughtered before her, and she had finally mustered the mental strength to try and escape. Without thinking, Teelia bolted to the open window and leapt out. She was on the second floor of the house, but the garden was below, and she landed in the soft bushes and flowers with no injury save for a few scratches on her bare legs.

Gathering her wits, she watched the chaos around her. Andorhal was a town lost. It was burning to the ground, and everywhere she looked she saw death and acts of depravity from the undead attackers. She his behind a bush for a moment as a rather large undead creature, mostly skeletal in appearance, calmly strode through the chaos as though he were a general inspecting his troops. He seemed intelligent, not like the rest of these things.

Teelia didn't care. At the sight of this thing, She ran south, ignoring the screams of people being devoured and the crackle of fire. She got to the bridge, where she saw several soldiers fighting to the last man against the overwhelming odds of the scourge attack.

Teelia paused for a moment, wondering if she should try to run across the bridge. Things looked grim, and she decided quickly not to risk it. She went to the side of the bridge and slipped into the water. She had never swam before, and now wasn't the best time to learn. She was in shock, and exhausted, and so she went under the bridge and got in the water up to her neck, and prayed that this nightmare would all be over soon. She would hide in the water under the bridge until these undead things were defeated. It should only take a few hours, her mind rationalized. Perhaps reinforcements from the Kingdom were already on their way. Someone, a soldier or civilian would find her hiding spot under the bridge and rescue her....they had to.

[Teelia]

Hours passed. Teelia had not moved from her hiding spot in the cold water of the river that flowed slowly under the bridge. She had waited for an eternity for the screaming and the fighting to stop, but with each passing minute it seemed to intensify. She was freezing...her body seemed to want to shut down, but her force of will, along with utter fear, commanded her to stay immobile. She couldn't even think of what had happened to her family...that was all a blur to her. She could now only think of self preservation, and staying in this hiding spot was a good way to do that.

Suddenly a splash in the water distracted her, and her head jolted upward in the direction. Something had fallen off the bridge. In the dark, with only the fire of the burning city to see by, she could tell it was a humanoid...but was it one of them? Was it one of the undead?

A moment later, nothing had surfaced. What if it was a soldier, and he was drowning? Teelia couldn't swim, and the water at that area was probably over her head. She wouldn't be able to save him. But what if it was an undead? Maybe one of the skeletal things that she had seen so much of in the past few hours? Maybe it was clawing its way along the bottom of the river, coming for her to eat her flesh or cleave her in half with an axe?

She took a couple of steps backward, moving closer to dry land. Panic and anxiety set in, and her stomach turned as she went over all the possibilities in her head. She didn't know what to do.

The man broke the water a few feet from her. It had to be a man...A living man. He gasped for air as he surfaced, and had a moment of awkwardness about him as he shook his head, spraying water in all directions. She said nothing as he swam her direction.

When the man drew near to her, he stopped and looked at her. The stare seemed to last forever. He was a rugged man, with a mustache and a thick beard, and he had a gash on his forehead that looked like something had split the skin wide open from a quick bash to the skull. Blood flowed freely from the wound, and he looked a bit confused. He reached out and grabbed Teelia, who yelped a bit in fear and surprise, and then he spoke in a gravelly voice. "Come, little one...This city is lost. We have to leave now while we still can!"

Teelia didn't resist the man as he pulled her deeper into the water. She couldn't resist if she tried. Her body was so weak that she felt as if her arms and legs were made of lead, and she could barely stay awake. The man pulled her in and held her aloft in the water, swimming across the river to the other side, but never leaving the water. "We'll have to swim a ways...The road is thick with those things. They're calling them 'The Scourge.'"

Teelia didn't nod, but her silence and lack of resistance let the haggard man know she wasn't going to fight him or argue. They swam for quite a while, the whole time Teelia looking back at the burning city in which her parents and brother had met their end. When dawn finally came, they were a good distance away, but Teelia could still see the smoke rising in the morning sky.

When they reached what the man thought to be a safe spot, he pulled Teelia toward the shore and the two laid down in some grass at the edge of the water. Teelia was shivering...Her only clothing a soaked shirt that did nothing to help her stay warm. Her skin was pale, and her lips had a tint of blue to them. She huddled in a ball on the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

The man seemed to be in bad shape himself. He wore bits of leather armor, looking as though he had pieced them together himself. On his waist was a belt with two dagger sheaths, although only one dagger was showing. His brown hair and beard were slinging water as he shook his head again, and the cut on his forehead was still bleeding. "We....should be fine," the man said with a raspy voice. "We have to get somewhere....Tell someone what has happened....But first...We have to rest...."

The man laid down, as Teelia looked at the sky. The sun was almost hidden behind a layer of smoke, and it seemed like even without the smoke it was a dark day for the kingdom of Lordaeran. The sun, hidden as it was, still warmed her, and Teelia could feel her shaking subside after a while. She was so tired, but could not rest. She had to get further away, and wanted to do so now....But her body didn't want to move. She laid there for over an hour, trying to force the images of the night out of her mind.

Finally, warmth and sense began to take over, and Teelia felt the strength to move. She rolled over in the tall grass to thank the man who had saved her, and then she saw his eyes. They had never closed. The man lay still, and wasn't breathing. The wound on his head looked worse in the light, and Teelia knew he was dead. She stifled the urge to cry, instead putting her hands on his face and closing his eyes for him. She bent down close to his face, and quietly whispered a thank you to her fallen savier.

[Mortica]

((that last bit was so sad *cry*))

[Teelia]

As dawn arose over the lands, Teelia looked at the fallen body of the unnamed man who had saved her. She had no tools to bury him, and she didn't know how long this area would be safe anyway. They were a couple of miles from the burning city of Andorhal, but what if the undead began to spread from the town, looking for fresh victims?

Resigned to the fact that Teelia couldn't give this man a proper burial, she began to look over his gear. She was not a thief, and frowned upon those who were, as her upbringing dictated, but this was life and death. This brave man might have tools that could save Teelia even after he had died getting her out of the city.

Teelia first took his belt, with the dagger in its sheath, and wrapped it around her own waist. It was loose, and hung low on her hips, but now she had a weapon. She had never used a weapon of any kind, but she felt safer with the weapon on her side.

She then looked at his armor. It was leather, and pieced together in a strange way. She struggled with it for over a half hour, and could not figure out how to get it off his body. He was almost too heavy for her to roll him over, and she gave up in disgust after trying several times. She wished she was a bit older, instead of only fourteen. Maybe then she would have had the strength to do what was needed.

No matter. Teelia began to go through his pouches, looking for anything that might be useful. She found some dried beef sticks, and put that pouch on her new belt. Then she found several small pouches that contained different plants and dusts, along with small vials. Unsure as to what these were, she tossed them aside. The man had a small flask of water, and Teelia took it as well. She had seen the greenish mist in the city last night, and didn't know how safe the water would be to drink...Perhaps it had become polluted by those foul creatures. Better safe than sorry, she thought.

She pulled off one of the man's boots, holding it up to her own foot. Her foot was only half the size of this man's....The boots wouldn't fit. She would have to travel barefoot until she was able to get some help. She placed the boot back on the dead rogue's foot, almost worried that he would be angry if she left him in any other state.

With minor provisions and a weapon, Teelia then stood and looked around. She had no idea where she was. She could see Andorhal in the distance, but didn't know geography well enough to know whether it was east or west. Panic set in for a moment. She was lost.

Brushing the dirt from her bare legs, Teelia tried to figure out where she should go. Where would be a safe spot from these creatures? Was this a localized event, or worldwide? She knew that she had been very lucky to survive this far, regardless. She said a silent prayer for the dead rogue's soul, and moved in a direction away from Andorhal, hoping it wouldn't be a mistake.....

[Tillna]

((Wow, that is some damn good writing...Love the descitptions of all the blood. Blood makes a story better...especially when it is aertieral jet spray))

[Rosemerta]

((*Whistles* Beautifully written! We want more! <3))

[Teelia]

Teelia made her way through the woods, just near the edge of the river. She was heading away from the burning city, unsure of which direction she went. She just wanted to get away. From time to time, she would see other figures moving in and around the light forest and hills. She was frightened, but they seemed to be human. She kept low, sometimes crawling to avoid being seen.

When Teelia was a child, she and her brother had played 'hide and seek,' and she had been naturally good at the game. This time, however, her life could depend on it. She strove to be extra careful, not wanting to make a sound. She wanted to become her surroundings, to blend in and not be seen by friend or foe, because she didn't know the difference at the moment.

In the distance, she could see that her path was blocked. A group of refugees had set up a makeshift camp near the water's edge, and had built a small fire over which they were cooking some fish. The smell caught Teelia, and it was then she realized how hungry she was. It was early afternoon, and she hadn't eaten since the night before. She stopped, ate some of her dried beef, drank a few sips of water, and then crept closer to the camp.

The people at the camp were ragged, and surly humans. They were alive, no doubt, but they didn't look like the kind of people Teelia wanted to introduce herself to. She was a young girl, and the men at the camp were brutish and ill mannered. Who knows if they would try something that they shouldn't, she thought.

Looking down, Teelia pulled her tunic a bit lower. She had no pants or shoes, and if they did see her, she wanted to be covered properly. She paused, thinking of her plan. A moment later, she crept slowly in the water of the river, and began to make her way around them.

Teelia couldn't swim, but she stayed just shallow enough that the tips of her feet could feel the muddy ground under the water. As she got closer, she lowered her head under the surface and held her breath, slowly making her way down river.

After a minute, she had to surface for air. She had passed the camp, and looked back at it. The men still sat there, talking loudly and spitting on each other. One of them, she noted, was missing. There had been three men there earlier. Now there were two. Where had the other one gone? Perhaps to relieve himself? Paranoia crept up Teelia's spine, but she kept moving. After a few more minutes, she went around a small bend and left site of the camp. She pulled herself up to the edge of the water as she looked back.

"Well....What do we have here," a voice spoke in a whisper. Teelia turned to see the third man from the camp, squatting in the bushes and grinning a depraved grin at her. He wore stained pants and boots, and no shirt whatsoever. A sheath hung at his side, but the dagger from it was held in his hand. He winked and chuckled with a low voice.

Teelia gasped. "I don't want any trouble, mister. I'm just trying to get away...trying to get home." She was nervous...Shaking....Was he going to kill her? Take her virtue?

No, she thought. Whatever his intent, he was going to be nice, or she was going to do something about it. She had been through too much to let a man beneather her station get her upset.

The man spit on the ground and chuckled again. "I ain't no trouble, pretty thing. But I think you may be lost...and I think you may need me. And here I am. And I seen you in that water, and now yer all wet, and lookin' good....Get over here, girl. Right now."

Rage built within Teelia. This man was up to no good. She had been through too much. She lowered her head to look away from him, because in her mind he was as ugly as the ghouls that had just killed her family. She stood there, shaking, her fists clenching.

The man lunged for her, half playing and half terrifying to the frightened fourteen year old girl. Teelia's mind went into action. Before she was aware of what she was doing, her knee went into the man's crotch, causing him to double over in pain. He had a look of shock on his face. It was obvious he hadn't expected that.

He also didn't expect what Teelia did next, and neither did she....But her body moved on its own, uncontrolled by any rational thought. She lunged forward herself, clamping her teeth on his throat and biting as hard as she could. A spray of red flew directly into her face, blinding her as it filled her eyes. She was aware of a gutteral sound coming from the man, but she had torn something in his throat so that a scream was impossible.

Still blind from the blood, Teelia wrench her head to the side, feeling more of his flesh tear. A flash of pain hit her arm as his dagger wounded her bicep, but then she could hear it hit the ground. She bit again and again, until finally she and the man both collapsed at the edge of the river.

After an eternity, Teelia wiped her eyes, which were burning, and looked at herself and her would be assailant. He was dead...His foot was still twitching, but he was dead. She spat out a chunk of meat that had once been his jugular vein, and cried so hard that no sound came out. After several minutes, fear and rational thought took over. She picked up his dagger and added it to her own, and crept further down river.

[Tillna]

((o.0 *Edges away*

[Rhowen-Prea]

((Wow, that is some damn good writing...Love the descitptions of all the blood. Blood makes a story better...especially when it is aertieral jet spray))

(( Was this necessary? ~_~


Again, miss, damned strong writing! ))

[LordDestructo]

((bravo, this is what I view to be a very intricately woven, deeply detailed backstory. I greatly enjoy watching the cataclysm of Andorhal and the growth of Teelia through such a finely crafted lens.))

[clys]

((fabulous writing! ))

[Tillna]

((Wow, that is some damn good writing...Love the descitptions of all the blood. Blood makes a story better...especially when it is aertieral jet spray))

(( Was this necessary? ~_~


Again, miss, damned strong writing! ))
((Yes. Read Shiggies stories. She makes people bleed. She loves it))

[Teelia]

It had been roughly a half hour since Teelia had killed the would-be rapist. She stumbled as if in a dream along the bank of the river, still spitting blood and trying to get her bearings. The adrenalin rush was finally wearing off, and she was exhausted.

How could she have done that, she asked herself. There was no real answer. Biting out the man's throat had come to her as a surprise, even while she did it. It was as if she had become disconnected from her body, and another being was operating it. She had cried for several minutes afterward, and still cried a bit now, the tears running through the thick blood on her face and dripping onto her crimson spattered tunic.

Stumbling a bit further, Teelia found a tree to lean against. Her body had been moving non-stop, and she was a disheveled wreck physically and mentally. Her thoughts traveled many places at the same time, and random images of chaos were her only thoughts. She breathed deeply as she rested her head against the tree, trying to clear her mind. Thats when she noticed the pain in her arm.

Looking down, Teelia saw a pretty large cut on the outside of her right bicep. It was camoflauged under all the other blood, but was still bleeding rapidly. That would explain my fatigue, she thought. She then moved her left hand to inspect it. It was pretty deep. The man she had killed had sliced her with his dagger and she hadn't even noticed it. Or if she had, she had forgotten it in the chaos.

Teelia tore the bottom of her tunic, exposing most of her bloodstained bare legs, but gathering enough cloth to make a bandage. She wrapped her arm tightly, tying a knot to keep her wound closed as tightly as possible. The makeshift bandage was red in a matter of seconds.

The pain was numbing from the wound, but didn't seem to bother Teelia as much as the rest of her body. The sheer exhaustion had taken its toll. Teelia closed her eyes as she slid into a squatting position, and then slowly laid down and passed out in some tall grass by the tree.

[Teelia]

The pain in her bicep woke her up from a sound sleep. It was sharp, and burned a bit, and Teelia stirred awake....Her eyes opening slowly to the room she was in.

Wait....She pondered for a moment....A room? I fell alseep in the woods near the river.....Those thoughts crowded her mind, until suddenly she woke up fully and looked at her surroundings.

Teelia lay in a bed, inside a large stone room. The only light came from arrow slits high above her, and the room was full of many strange things. Animal heads hung from plaques on the walls, and there were rifles and bows strung up for decoration as well. The floor was covered with a bear skin rug, and the walls were lined with thick shelves, covered in books. A fire was burning, but was down to coals, and near it was a large sofa and chair, with a table situated between them. The only door to this room was bolted shurt on the inside, with heavy interlocking iron bars on each side. The door itself seemed to be made of iron, as well as the bed that Teelia was laying in.

Teelia sat up in the bed, inspecting herself. She wore a white tunic made of wool, that was long enough to cover her privates, and had a heavy silk bandage on her upper arm where she had been sliced open by the dagger earlier. She also felt something on her right ankle, and quickly lifted the sheet. It was a shackle, holding her ankle fast and connected by several feet of chain to the frame of the iron bed itself.

Seeing the shackle, Teelia began to panic. She quickly looked around, breathing heavy and trying to find anything she could use as a weapon. Her motions were jerky, and a moan of despair left her lips, but was interrupted by a man's voice. "The chain is there for your own protection. I don't want you running off and getting yourself killed, little girl."

The voice had sounded educated, yet the voice was a bit raspy and gravelly, and as the man who spoke appeared from the shadows, Teelia could see why. He was old...Ancient in her fourteen year old eyes. His grey hair was pulled back into a pony tail, but he seemed to be going bald on the top of his head. A massive scar adorned his left cheek, but blended in with the heavy wrinkles also found there. He smiled, a scary smile, and walked slowly toward her, holding his frail body up with a cane.

Teelia looked fearful at the old man. "What am I doing here?"

The old man chuckled a bit. "Training, young lady. I'm going to train you. My name is Smith."

[Rosemerta]

(( Have Mai story-writey babies, and give us more story <3!))

[Jobolg]

((< Shuffles through his things for his sometimes trustworthy Mind Control Cap, then puts it on.>

Write more. ))

[Teelia]

The man called Smith poured some stew into two bowls he had placed on the small table, after he had dragged it closer to the bed Teelia was attached to. He grimaced, years of pain showing on his aged face as he motioned to her and spoke. "Dinnertime, girl. That chain is long enough for you to reach the table. Come get something to eat. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

As gruff as the old man looked, there was something about him that Teelia understood to be honorable. She was still scared, but at the moment hunger had outweighed any distrust she might have for the old man. She slipped from the bed, the chain making a clinking sound as it moved with her ankle. She then sat at the table, her years of upbringing still demanding she sit up straight. Smith chuckled a bit. "Lass, you don't have to worry about manners here. I don't care if you slouch. But its good to see you've had some discipline in your life....That'll come in handy."

The old man then started eating his stew, smiling a slight bit as he pointed at Teelia's bowl. Teelia took his queue, and threw her manners aside. She tore into the bowl, quickly devouring the beef chunks and vegetables that filled it. When finished, she picked up the bowl and drank the remaining juice from it, then managed to take a breath of air into her lungs...the first she had taken since voraciously attacking her dinner.

"Heh. You were hungry indeed," Smith said. "You've been alseep over 24 hours. When I first saw you laying out in the woods, I thought you were one of those things....You weren't a pretty sight. I hope you don't mind I cleaned you up a bit."

Teelia paused, then brought a polite smile to her face. "Thank you."

A moment of silence interrupted the two, and then Smith broke it once again. "We should be safe here. This place is partially underground, fortified with stone, and camoflauged. If they even found the place, I also have it trapped. And nothing is going to get through that door, lass. You are safe here."

Teelia nodded, paused for a moment, then spoke softly. "What were you saying about training? What do I need to be trained in? I'm just a girl."

Smith chuckled out loud, and then brought forth a ring. It was Teelia's family signet ring, and she hadn't even noticed it was missing from her finger. Smith sat it on the table in front of her and began to speak. "You're the daughter from house Gazee, aren't you?"

Teelia nodded. "I am Teelia Gazee."

Smith smiled. "Your family is known around these parts. You have a pretty sizable farm...Or did, at least. All thats gone...And I assume your family is gone too."

Teelia winced at the words, allowing Smith to see he was correct. He spoke again. "Little girl, you can't survive out in this mess unless you learn a few things about life. Now me, I'm at the end of my life. I don't have much time left, and I'm fine with that fact. But I'll be damned if I'm going to let all my years of knowledge go to waste. I ain't got no one to pass it on to, and you ain't got no family, so I figure we can help each other. I teach you how to survive, and you carry on my legacy, and give to the world what I no longer can."

Teelia sat silent, listening to the man. Instinctively, she straightened up in her chair again, then picked up a cloth rag and wiped the corners of her mouth.

Smith pointed at the chain connecting Teelia to the bed. "First things first...That shackle on your ankle connects you to the bed. There ain't no key either. But you don't always need a key to get things open. I'm going to leave this table here, with the silverware that you just ate with. You got a spoon, and a fork and a knife. You get that lock open, and you can be free of that chain. Til then, you're stuck. And I don't want you tryin' to saw through the chain, or anything else like that either. That chain cost me several silver, and I'll be mad if you mess it up. Now there's a chamber pot by the bed so you can do your business. Hopefully, you'll pick this up and we can get started with your training."

Smith then stood up, an act that seemed to take longer than it should, and hobbled on his cane to the other side of the room. He sat in his big chair, almost falling as his legs nearly gave out under his own weight. He picked up a book and began to read.

Teelia took the silverware from the table, and looked at the shackle on her ankle. There was a keyhole in the shackle, but the silverware was too big to fit inside it. She sighed in disgust, looked at the silent old man, and began to try and saw through the chain with the knife.

"Hey," the old man exclaimed without looking at her, "I said no sawin' through the chain. Try it again and you'll get punishment. Now pick that lock like a good girl and you can get free. And keep it quiet, I'm tryin' to read."

Teelia gasped. Punishment? What was the old man talking about? What could he possibly do to her that hadn't already been done. Her mind raced for a moment, and she looked about the room. Better not to test him, she thought.

Looking at the silverware, Teelia set the knife back down on the table. She then took the back of the metal spoon, which could barely fit in the keyhole, and started moving it inside it. Nothing happened. She struggled again....Still nothing. For an hour, she worked on the lock, with no success. Anger started to take her, and then intensified when she realized the old man was snoring.

"Uuuuaaagggh," Teelia screamed, and grabbed the knife. sawing at the chain once more. This woke Smith up, and he turned and shook his head in disappointment.

Smith got up, slowly as usual, walked over to a wall, and pulled a tapestry aside. A string hung from the ceiling, which connected through a pully to a bucket that was positioned on a rafter right above Teelia's chair. The bucket tipped as Teelia watched in slow motion, and cold water poured forth, drenching her as she yelped in shock.

She sat, almost growling, as the old man chuckled and went back to his seat. He smiled at her and said "I told you I'd punish you. Leave the chain alone."

Smith then went back to his book, as Teelia fumed.

[Danyxandra]

((Awesome writing! Just awesome!))

[Sinthe]

(( Excellent story, and excellent writing. Can't wait to read more. ))

[Noury]

(( I think I understand Teelia a wee bit more. Were her affinity for cold water and wet clothes comes from.. ))

[Aendra]

(( I really like this story. Like I told you yesterday, your style makes it fun to read. Brava! ))

[Barke]

((Teelia yuor doing a wonderful job. Haven't had so much fun reading a story in a little while and its always nice to see how she came about to be the way she is now.

Oh and. "I killed your family" ^_~ ))

[Teelia]

Morning seemed to come all to quickly for Teelia. She awoke in the iron bed, with the spoon still sticking out of the shackle which bound her ankle to the frame. She had stayed up most of the night working on the lock, but had been unable to open it, and had finally fallen asleep. She looked around the room, trying to see the old man, and was surprised at what she saw.

The book Smith had been reading was in the floor, and his arm hung limply from the chair. It didn't move, and Teelia listened intently to see if she could hear breathing. After a few seconds, she was sure she didn't hear anything. Panic set in...If he had died, she'd still be shackled to the bed and would never get out of here.

Then again, she thought, where would she go anyway? The lands outside this little fortress were infested with undead, and she had been lucky to survive as long as she had. She spoke up, nervously. "Mister Smith? Are you awake?"

No answer. The limp hand still hung from the chair. Again, she spoke, louder this time. "Smith? Smith!!! Wake up!!!"

Her thoughts raced. He should have woken up with that noise. He didn't seem to be breathing.

Teelia jumped off the bed, trying to get a better look at him. The chain connected to her ankle wouldn't reach to his chair, but she could get close enough....She could tell he wasn't breathing. The old man had apparently died in his sleep.

"No," she said lowly, "Don't be dead.....Wake up!!!"

Teelia rushed for the chair, hoping to be able to reach it somehow. Logic wasn't with her, however, and she was caught like a hound on a short leash, wiping out and hitting the stone floor hard. "Owwww!"

Suddenly, Smith was standing over her. She was unaware of how the old man could have moved that fast. It looked to her as though he had just appeared. No matter, she thought. He was alive....and...laughing?

"Hahaha," Smith chuckled. "You should have seen your face, girl. You really thought I was dead."

Teelia scowled at her captor. "That isn't funny."

He nodded. "I beg to differ. That was very funny. I haven't had a good laugh like that in years, lass."

Teelia, still angered, spoke loudly. "Why did you do that anyway?"

Smith chuckled. "I wanted to see how you handled panic. Obviously not too well, little one. We'll have to work on that. I see you still haven't opened the lock, either."

"No," she answered in disgust. "I haven't opened the stupid lock! I can't get it without the key! The spoon doesn't work...The knife and fork won't fit.....You just want to be mean to me! Either kill me or let me go....I'm sick of this treatment! I am Teelia Gazee of House Gazee, and I demand you show me respect, old man! You are beneath my station!!"

Suddenly the old man was in motion, moving faster than Teelia thought possible. His open hand hit her on the side of her face, stinging and sending her reeling as she crumpled in the floor. She lay there in shock, not beleiving what had just happened. A moment later, she began to cry, wailing and spouting words that didn't seem to make sense.

"Shut your mouth," the old man said, obviously very angry. "Sit on your bed and shut your mouth."

Teelia crawled back to the bed, and sat there pouting. The old man stood there, staring a hole through her, calming himself. When he next spoke, his voice was without emotion, and terrified the young girl. "Teelia, your family is dead. Your way of life is gone. If you don't accept and understand that, then I'll put you out there with the undead and you can fend for yourself. Or, you can stay with me, learn from me, and become a survivor. Choose right now."

Teelia sat for a moment, rubbing her face and snifling. "I....I'll stay here."

"A wise choice," Smith said. "I am here to teach you, and help you. But if you ever try to pull that 'beneath my station' shit again, I won't hesitate to spill your guts in this floor and throw you into the undead swarm out there. Do you understand me? This isn't a camp, Teelia. I need to know you understand that."

Teelia nodded as the realization set in. "I'm sorry, Smith....I just...I've lost so much."

"Foolish way of thinking," Smith retorted. "You want me to feel sorry for you? You want me to cradle you and tell you everything is going to be fine? Then you're shit out of luck, girl. This is the way things are, and you better learn to suck it up and deal with it. Not every one you meet is going to be as nice as me."

Smith then hobbled over to his chair, picking up his book as he sat down. "Teelia, you don't eat again, until you get that shackle off your ankle."

[Tillna]

((heh...old men make me laugh. Damn good job so far))

[Teelia]

Teelia sat on her bed, looking at the shackle around her ankle and moving her jaw, trying to get the burning sensation to go away from where Smith had slapped her. She still couldn't believe he had done that. She had never been hit before, and the shock of what he had done was still echoing through her.

She looked at the kitchen utensils in front of her and took a deep breath, trying to make the anxiety go away. Smith had said she wouldn't eat again until she got the shackle off her ankle, and she knew he spoke the truth. The anger welling within her was enormous, but she decided that maybe it was best to do as he said for now. After all, she had nothing left, and there was really no authority she could report him to for assaulting her.

She took the spoon and tossed it aside. It hadn't worked, and she had already tried it for a full day. The knife probably wouldn't work either...She had nearly broken the tip on it already. The fork, however, was deceptive, and something crossed her mind that she hadn't thought of before.

Teelia picked up the fork and looked at the teeth. She then took her fingers, grasped the teeth, and bent them in such a way the two of them stuck out at an angle from the rest. She took another deep breath and went to work, maneuvering the teeth around inside the lock, until she felt something catch. A moment later, Teelia was surprised at the popping sound, and the shackle opened easily.

Smith spoke from his chair, still reading his book. "Good job, Teelia. You passed the first test of many, although you took longer than most people would have. Come over here and have a seat."

Teelia slipped off the bed, her ankle now free, and walked over to the sofa. She sat with her knees together, still a bit self conscious since she wasn't wearing pants, and pulled the shirt down a little bit to cover herself. Smith looked at her and smiled.

"I'm sorry," Teelia said meekly. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. You had every right to hit me."

Smith nodded. "Damn right I did. You're going to get hit by everyone in this world, Teelia. Some of the hits will be physical, some won't. But you have to learn to take a hit and keep going, which you did fairly well. I'm proud of you."

Smith then tossed Teelia the book he was reading. The cover was worn and frayed, and the book stayed together by forces which Teelia couldn't understand. The cover was written in common, and in gold leaf letters that had faded from age, it said 'Horsenwort's Study of the Human Body.'

"Read this book," Smith said with a grin. "In it, you'll find use for later on. In combat, you need to know where to hit someone to take them down quickly. You aren't a strong girl, but strength doesn't always matter if the other person can't move right. Read the book and memorize it. There will be a test."

[Tillna]

((awwww....She needs a hug...and pants....*Hands her Hattori's Flaming pants* best I got...stole of Shig when he wasn;'t looking. Keep it up!))

[Teelia]

A week went by, faster than Teelia expected. Smith kept her busy the entire time, studying anatomy and working on her lockpicking skills. Every night, Smith would shackle her ankle to the bed, and then give her a random utensil when she awoke. Teelia would pick the lock, sometimes taking a while, but sometimes rather quickly. She would then read, and would be tested on her knowledge.

Teelia seemed to learn quickly, as she had been schooled by her family before the scourge had attacked. She was bright, and passed every written test Smith had given her.

Smith also began putting Teelia on a strict regiment of physical excercise. She had been raised by her family to be pampered, and even for a fourteen year old girl was pretty weak. Smith was changing that, by making her do situps, pushups, and stretching excercises twice a day. The work was strenuous, but Teelia said nothing and did as she was told. In truth, she was scared of Smith. For if he was smart enough to teach her these things, she thought, who knows what else he may know or be capable of.

Teelia didn't know what day it was. She only knew that she had awoken today like every other day this week, and had gone through her pattern. She had just finished with her excercises, and was exhausted. Smith stood watching, as always, and clapped slowly as she finished. She was drenched with sweat, and looked at him unemotionally as he stood near his bookcase.

"Teelia," he said, "I am proud of you. This week you've done very well, and I can already see that you'll have what it takes to become a good pupil. Therefore, I have a gift for you."

Teelia nodded, breathing heavy and wiping her hair back with a sweaty hand. She said nothing, but managed a slight smile.

Smith then turned to the bookcase, pulled a book from the shelf, and then pulled a lever behind where the book had been. A slight grinding noise could be heard, but it was quiet enough that it almost didn't register. In the shadows, near the corner of the room, Teelia could see the faint outline of a hidden doorway. Smith smiled and walked into it, beckoning her to follow him.

Teelia followed the old man into this secret passage, her mind already questioning things. She had wondered where he went while she slept, and where he got his food from. Now, he was trusting her with this secret, and had said he was proud of her. Teelia felt a bit of happiness enter her heart. She smiled and followed.

The stairs behind the wall lead downward, curving and descending nearly 40 feet. Smith was visibly tired by the time they reached the bottom, and as Teelia watched him and wondered how many times he'd be able to walk these stairs again at his age, the room opened and she saw it for the first time. Her eyes widened as amazement filled her senses.

At the bottom of the stairs, the room opened into a large natural cavern, lit by sunlight which poured in from nearly a hundred feet overhead. The light shone like a beam into the water of an underground lake, which was nearly two hundred feet across. In the center of the lake was a small island of rock and sand and at the far end of the room a waterfall fell from the roof of the cave, the sound of rushing water echoing through the cavern. At the doorway into the room, there were crates and barrels, and a table with several chairs. There was a practice dummy, along with an assortment of weapons and other things that Teelia didn't recognize.

She stood in awe, silently purveying the wonder in front of her, barely hearing the sound of Smith wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. Several moments passed until he finally broke the silence and spoke. "Welcome to my home, Teelia. This is where you will truly train. This...Is where I will mold you into the survivor I know you can be. How do you like it?"

Teelia smiled brightly for the first time in her recent memory. "Smith....This is beautiful."

[Tillna]

((keep it up Teelia! Damn good so far...wish I could write this coherntly...>_< Lack the Finease you have))

[Teelia]

Teelia lay in the middle of the underground lake, basking in the sun on the small sandy island as the rays caressed her skin. Her tunic lay next to her, and for the first time in over a week she was truly comfortable.

Smith had given her some time alone, having gone upstairs to work on something, and her mind wandered to the events of recent times. She thought of her family, destroyed by the Scourge. She thought of the man she had killed, and this seemed to bother her quite a bit. She had become an animal when the man attacked her, forgetting all she had been taught about etiquette and proper behavior as she ripped out his throat with her teeth.

The rage of that moment still lingered within her, even as she bathed in the sun. She couldn't completely relax, and she rolled on her belly, trying to put it out of her mind.

Teelia thought of Smith, and what he had done for her. He had treated her well, regardless of the fact that she was a prisoner. It wasn't like there was anywhere to go anyway. The Scourge roamed the lands freely, killing anyone unlucky enough to be caught outside. Smith had saved Teelia, and was keeping her safe. He was also teaching her things...She realized this. He had mentioned teaching her survival skills, such as skinning and working leather, but her lessons on these hadn't begun yet. What he was teaching her, through the shackle he kept putting on her, and the anatomy books he made her read, was how to be a weapon....How to kill.

In Teelia's mind, she wanted to resist this. She wanted to be a pretty girl who went to parties and mingled, meeting rich people and becoming a pampered princess. Smith's teachings went against everything she had been brought up to want.

As she thought of this, her mind drifted off, and sleep claimed her. Perhaps, she thought sleepily, she could have both worlds, if the former one even still existed....

[Teelia]

"Teelia, wake up."

Teelia stirred, then when she realized Smith was sitting next to her on the small underground island, she grabbed her tunic and covered herself.

Smith chuckled. "My dear, I'm 87 years old. Modesty is something you don't need to worry about with me....Even if all my parts still worked, I think you're a little young for an old man like me."

Teelia smiled shyly and put on her tunic. She sat facing Smith as he pulled an object from his pouch. It was a stone, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. It appeared to be made of marble, with veins of blue running through its white surface. He held the stone out to her and smiled his grandfatherly smile. "Do you know what this is, Teelia?"

Teelia took the stone and shook her head. "A rock? I don't know."

As Teelia felt the smooth surface of the stone, Smith began to explain its properties. "This is a hearthstone, Teelia. It is an item that only a select chosen few are able to possess and work. It has many uses, which I will explain to you."

Teelia looked at the stone and laughed. "It just looked like a rock to me."

Smith sighed. "Be patient and listen, girl. This ain't just a rock. You want to be a survivor, you'll listen to me. Now let me explain its uses."

Teelia listened as the old man told her how to use the stone. She was amazed at the properties of the item, which apparently was somehow created by creatures of nature. The stone could teleport its user once an hour to a location that was set in the stone, which could be done by rubbing it in a certain way.

By rubbing the stone in other ways, along the blue lines, other things could be done with the rock. Teelia would be able to communicate with others who held hearthstones, and once she learned the proper rubbings, she would even be able to talk in separate channels of netherspace. Smith even indicated that the stones could be used to bring visions of the person you talked to, even at a distance, which would seem as real as if your contact were right next to you.

Teelia was amazed at the properties of this small simple rock, and asked Smith why he was giving this to her.

Smith smiled. "Teelia, you have a future. You will do great things...Combat much evil. There are others like you, all of which have trainers such as me. You will often need to contact these people, and this is your tool to do so."

Teelia nodded, still not understanding everything Smith meant. Smith smiled again, standing up and pointing to a small raft which would take them back to the training area. "Now...You've had a rest. Lets go get you ready."

[clys]

((Yes, yes, hearthstones do all this awesome stuff but they still won't let you TALK TO THE OTHER SIDE! *grumbles and goes off to kill something in spite*))

[Teelia]

((Yes, yes, hearthstones do all this awesome stuff but they still won't let you TALK TO THE OTHER SIDE! *grumbles and goes off to kill something in spite*))

((That because my hearthstone is a GOOD hearthstone. Yours is EVIL. See, it even has a goatee!!!! hehe))

[Tillna]

((................................................ ...
.........................................
Teelia..forgive me...but you're rubbing the damn rock...
you're rubbing the God damn rock...
Am I the only one perverted enough to get that?
But, still, doing damn good so far, keep it up))

[Teelia]

It had been over a year since the Scourge invaded Andorhal. Teelia and Smith walked from the hidden bunker to investigate the surroundings. Smith's instructions to Teelia had been very clear. She was to run and hide if they encountered undead, as he had been teaching her for the past year. She had been training well, but still was nowhere near ready to fight the Scourge.

She stood in the open door to the bunker, inhaling the air for the first time since she was fourteen. Now, after having just turned 16, Teelia saw the trees, and the sun, and the area she used to call her homeland. It wasn't a pretty sight. A haze seemed to cover the entire area, and although the air didn't smell putrid, it didn't smell right either. This was a diseased and dead land, and Teelia felt sadness tug at her heart. Smith said nothing as his eyes moved about the terrain.

Teelia was equipped for combat now. Over the past year and a half, Smith had taught her to use a variety of weapons, and had taught her how to hide, even sometimes in plain sight. She wore a black leather vest, which was tight and held together by taut strings, and a pair of black leggings that came down to her knees. She had made these clothes herself, as Smith had taught her, and was proud of her accomplishments. She had failed at making boots thus far, and was still barefoot, but knew that soon her skills would progress and she would take care of that as well.

A belt hung from Teelia's waist, and on it were two swords. One was a rapier, and the other was a longsword. Both were gifts from Smith, given to Teelia after she had mastered the skill of picking them up and using them efficiently. A short bow was strung on Teelia's back, and a small quiver held a handful of arrows on her back.

Teelia's hair was tied back in a ponytail, her beautiful features exposed save for a slight scar under her left ear where Smith had hit her too hard during a training session.

Teelia glanced over at the old man, who's scarred countenence and shriveled body camoflauged the fact that this 88 year old man could probably kill her faster than she could see him coming. His cane was hanging from his back, and at his sides were a pair of daggers and a crossbow.

The two looked at each other, and then back at the entrance of the bunker. It would be the last time they ever saw it. For now, they would travel south at Smith's instructions, and attempt to find a bastion of safety. The bunker, while still safe, had run out of food, and the water had become polluted and unsafe. Smith had told Teelia that he would take care of her, and guide her, and that no matter what the future held, he was proud of his young student.

Teelia looked at the Gazee family signet ring on her finger, thought of her family, and then crept into the woods after her mentor. She did not look back.

[Teelia]

Teelia spied the ghoul a few seconds before Smith saw it. It was standing near a group of trees, swaying back and forth as though caught in a trance. It hadn't noticed the two yet, and Teelia wanted to keep it that way.

The ghoul looked less like a human than perhaps it used to. It was wrapped in the ragged remains of clothing, and the parts of its body which weren't rotted off were bloated, increasing its weight and giving it a slouching appearance, more like a gorilla than a man. It had large, jagged teeth, which to Teelia looked as though they were too big for its rotting jaw. She stared at it for a moment, curiosity filling her as she studied its clothing and tried to figure out what it had been before it was turned into this horrid creature.

Finally, Smith saw the thing, motioned for Teelia to stay hidden, and crept up behind it. She could barely see him, and the creature was completely unaware of his presence. He positioned himself correctly, and struck.

Smith's dagger entered the creature near where its kidney should be, sinking all the way to the hilt. The creature spun around and growled, a sound which sounded more like an animal than something that used to be human. Black fluid spurted from the wound, spraying the nearby trees as the creature raised a rotted arm to swing at Smith.

Before the creature could hit him, Smith through his palm forward and hit the creature in between the eyes, stunning it for a moment. Its arms hung limp, and Smith quickly moved to the backside of the ghoul. He hit it again, twice in the back with each dagger, and making the creature howl with pain.

The howl of the creature unnerved Teelia. She had assumed that since these things were dead, they could not feel pain. Yet the howl was one of agony. Teelia grinned at this thought.

The ghoul then regained its senses and turned again, attempting to swing at Smith. Smith took his daggers and crisscrossed them, driving them into the creatures throat and whipping his arms out to the sides. The head of the creature came off, flying upward for a moment before thudding on the ground. Black ichor sprayed forth from the neck stump of the ghoul, covering Smith in its inky slime. The body of the ghoul fell to the ground.

Smith stood over the body and breathed deeply. He stared at the ground for a moment, caging his animal and returning to normal. After ten seconds or so, he blended with the trees and leaned against one, obviously aching from the exertion of such an event on his 88 year old frame.

"Teelia," he whispered. "Remember...The animal will never leave you. You control when it comes forth and you'll be fine. You'll be able to fight better than me if you remember my words."

Teelia nodded silently, and the two continued south....

[Tillna]

((You know the spot! No one else does..right between the eyes, hit em there, they stunned for a few seconds or KO'd...need to be prescise, or you give em a bloody nose))

[Thartis]

Most Excellent Story