Log:Once Upon a Time, Scene 6

Once Upon a Time 2010/04/22 	 Flux Jennifer Jessica Lorelei Riot TitanLiandere 6

The path leads to a small clearing in the swamp, where a single tree is surrounded by a pack of man-wolf-beasts. There are a handful of them, each heavily muscled and covered in hair, with scraps of the clothing that they once wore. The leader of the pack is obvious -- he's a bit bigger than all the rest. He turns towards the heroes and bares his teeth. His mates take notice as well, snarling and beginning to take aggressive positions.

The compass indicates that the flower is beyond this clearing.

Lorelei says, "These are Canador and his men - don't do anything deadly!" Then hoping there's still something good and rational in the wolfmen, says, "Please let us pass - we don't want to fight. We came to save the king from the poison, just as you did!" Naturally, she uses the full effect of her beauty in trying to get this message across!

The Alpha Wolfman bounds towards the heroes, once on his hands then onto his legs, before he springing towards the most obvious target, Lorelei. He closes the distance in one giant leap.

Titan turns his back toward the charging beast, trying to shield Lorelei.

Titan manages to turn and bring his arm up to deflect the Alpha Wolf aside...hoping to get its attention at the same time.

Lorelei says, "These are Canador and his men - don't do anything deadly!" Then hoping there's still something good and rational in the wolfmen, says, "Please let us pass - we don't want to fight. We came to save the king from the poison, just as you did!" Naturally, she uses the full effect of her beauty in trying to get this message across, lifting herself in Titan's arms to the point she can be seen.

Lorelei says, "Remember, don't get too caught up in the fight - the important thing is to get to the cure before this swamp gets to us...."

Riot slips on a bit of swamp moss, and misses the grab entirely! Oh NO!

The two other Wolfmen attack, one going for Riot and the other for Flux. Their claws dig into the frosted ground as they run up and lash out with their claws.

Flux thows forth a large chunk of ice to act as a wall in the path of her wolf attacker, her eyes literally burning at this point.

One of the wolves, the one attacking Flux, skids to a halt as Flux erects her protective wall of ice. He lashes at the barrier, but only manages to scrape at it.

Lorelei says, "If we can keep moving toward the cure despite the fight, so much the better!"

Titan sets Lorelei down on her feet, and then turns to take a punch at the Alpha Wolf. "Lorelei...keep trying to calm them. They're too fast...I don't think we'll outdistance them in the swamp here."

Wham! Titan's punch his the Alpha Wolf solidly, rocking it back onto it's hind legs. It's claws dig into the ground and it skids backwards for 6 meters before settling back down on it's hands.

Titan grimaces. "Well...I probably at least got its attention."

Just as the the Alpha Wolf finishes its backwards skid, it bounds forward and tries to pounce on Titan.

Titan grunts as the giant wolf-thing latches on. "Ow...okay...this things a bit stronger than I am, I think."

Riot pushes off the ground, slipping through the air as he watches the OTHER brick go down. He intends to land, and wrap an arm around the Wolf. More specifically, the wolf's throat. It might be thicker than Titan, but Riot's pretty damn sure ain't nothing thicker than him! Because he's an overconfident moron.

The Alpha Wolf snarls angrily as Riot pulls it up off of Titan.

Lorelei addresses the alpha wolfman, still hoping he can understand, and some part of him is uncorrupted. "Prince Canador, if you are still yourself, somewhere there in the wolf, please, call off this attack, and let us help you, your men and the king! Remember yourself, noble cousin!" (She hopes the last might recall him to himself, if just by its surprise value.)

The Alpha Wolf's snarl fades. It relaxes in Riots arms as it begins to focus on Lorelei.

One of the wolves rears up on its feet, and it tries to sink its teeth into Riot's neck from behind.

The other wolf tries to bound over the top of Flux's ice wall to snare one of her limbs in his teeth.

Riot yowls in pain as his neck is bitten from behind. Despite the powerful bite, a nasty forming bruise seems to be the extent of the damage - until a small trickle of blood is released from Riot's once impenetrable flesh.

The wolf tries to leap the ice wall only to smack harmlessly into it as Flux makes it taller and more narrow.

The Alpha Wolf's mouth closes, hiding his nasty looking fangs. He's no longer struggling at all against Riot's arms. His brows lift and his expression, while he's gazing at Lorelei, could be read as confusion.

The wolf behind Riot tries to rest his hands on Riot's shoulder to steady his frame as he goes for another bite.

The other wolf tries to press its weight against the ice barrier.

Riot actually -growls- when the wolf bites him, tearing that tiny wound into something thats actually looking nasty now.

The ice holds fast.

Flux seems to be uninterested in remaining close enough to become lunch for hungry wolves, flying upward to get out of chomping range.

Riot suddenly lets go of the Alpha wolf, ripping his shoulder loose as he turns on 'smaller' wolf. And he's... bigger? A hell of a lot bigger, suddenly, seams popping, veins pulsing along his bullneck. Even his eyes are getting bloodshot from the sudden surge. This is not Riot.

Lorelei moves in the direction indicated by the compass - things are getting out of hand now, to judge by what just happened with Riot, and staying mobile seems important. She talks soothingly to the transformed prince as she does so. "You remember what this is, don't you? You had one yourself. It shows the way to the cure for your grandfather, the king - my grandfather too, though you don't know me...."

The Alpha Wolf focuses on the compass. He rises up on his feet and begins to look down at himself.

Titan positions himself between Lorelei and the Alpha Wolf, but doesn't get between their line of sight...so he can still see her and the compass.

Lorelei thinks. o O (There's still something of Canador in there - and if there's hope for him, there's hope for mum!)

Riot lands his big old fist on the wolf - which flies off thattaway, leaving a few teeth behind it. And, just as soon as the temper tantrum occured, Riot -shrinks-. Those great, bulging muscles laying flat again, leaving him blinking.

Alpha locks eyes with Lorelei for a moment. Then, he turns and begins to bound off into the swamp again. As he begins to retreat into the fog, he howls loudly.

The other wolf, the one who's been tangling with Flux, he raises his head and looks after the Alpha.

Lorelei grins to see she's got through to Canador. "Come on, everyone - let's get to that cure!"

Titan takes a deep breath. "We should get moving again. Quickly."

The other wolf bounds after the Alpha. The both of them disappear into the mists.

Flux moves down again, ready to cook some wolves, then nods. "Yeah. Moving." She heads forward.

Lorelei lets Titan carry her again for increased mobility.

Titan picks up Lorelei again. He then starts to jump in the right direction, "You alright?"

Lorelei says, "Riot - try to stay calm... Hopefully you can jump out of here the moment we have the cure."

[To Titan] Lorelei says, "I'm fine, thanks to you.... For some reason the swamp doesn't seem to be affecting me. As far as I can tell...."

Titan shakes his head a little bit, "We won't get out of here before transforming, I think. You'll have to just find your mother, and cure the problem." He quirks a grin. "No pressure, or anything."

Lorelei says, "We'll see. Maybe you can get out with the cure and leave mum to me.... but so much depends on how far the cure is."

Titan nods. "If it comes to that, we give it to Flux, and she flies straight up."

"Anyone notice how the fog stays even though it's stupidly cold?" Flux asks, annoyed sounding. "It's not fog."

Lorelei says, "Anyway, let's hurry!"

The compass points the way through the murky depths of the swamp, with the heroes making decent time over the Flux-frozen swampland. And eventually, they seem to come across it. The tree seems out of place in the gray marsh, with brilliant orange and yellow blossoms springing from its S-shaped trunk.

Taking Riot's suggestion, Flux begins burning a path to make things faster.

Titan keeps jumping, trying to pick up the pace a little bit. He falls silent again, concentrating on not tripping. He lands relatively close to it. "Test the compass...make sure that's it by walking around it."

Lorelei nods and begins to walks about the tree.

Riot lands as well, not nearly as quietly. There's even a dull *boom* from the mossy, water logged earth. He then straightens up, crossing his arms and looking... well.. generally pissed. Probably missing his mask.

Lorelei says, "Careful, this one's like a giant venus flytrap."

Flux asks, "What's the part we need?"

Lorelei says, "The real flowers are on that tree there - they look like dead leaves."

Riot grunts "Jes' dig it all up an' drag it up."

Lorelei says, "We can circle round this one to get to the real one...."

Lorelei starts doing just that.

Flux blasts the hazardous tree to freeze it, to ensure it won't easily do something annoying.

Titan looks to where Lorelei pointed. He then realizes something..."Flux, you can't fly off with the flower, can you? It'll burn up." His jaw sets, and he cracks his knuckles a few times as he walks with Lorelei around the potentially dangerous plant.

Flux replies, "I can. Big fiery wings don't have to be big fiery me."

Titan nods and lets out a deep breath. "Good. That's a blessing, I think."

[To Titan] Lorelei says, "How far can you jump?"

Titan shrugs, "If it's clear? A little over 50 meters."

Riot pssh.

Flux motions to Riot. "He can jump much farther. catch a ride on him."

[To Flux] Lorelei says, "I know - I wanted to know how we stood if Riot has to leave thr swamp before us."

"We're leaving because if we don't, then we become them. You wanna be a furry?" Flux asks Riot.

Titan shakes his head. "I don't think he'll be furry. I'm just guessing. I was thinking more scaly."

Lorelei keeps well clear of the dangerous plant as she makes her way round. "Hm - this looks like a deliberate trap for people after the cure. Maybe."

Titan's mouth curls up in a smile when Riot flips him off, revealing his nearly perfect looking teeth. Well, and the overly long canines he seems to have now.

Lorelei frowns on noticing Titan's new dentition.

The giant plant retreats into the ground under the blasts of ice, taking the decoy tree with it.

Flux sets a sheet of solid ice where the plant was, ensuring it does not pop back up through that.

"You've made it further than any of the others," says a female voice. It's a strong voice, with an edge to it. From beyond the veil of mist a single figure appears. It looks to be a female, dressed in a hooded robe, with a belt that dangles almost to the ground. The hood hides most of her face, except for her pale skin, dark colored lips, and bit of white and gray hair. She almost seems to float forward, her steps barely disturbing the swamp as she moves.

"We had me along," Flux replies. "Who're you?"

Titan turns his head, and actually growls when he sees the woman, despite knowing in his head that it's likely Lorelei's mother. He cracks his knuckles several more times slowly.

Lorelei says quietly, "How could I not come - Mum?"

"I'm known by different names to different people: the Swamp Hag, the Lost Princess, the Other Daughter..." She pauses and turns towards Lorelei. "Mum," she adds to the list.

Riot huhs. "Ya'll ain't lookin' so sharp, baby." And he grins.

Lorelei says, "Don't you recognise me? I don't look much like I used to, I know. At least, on the outside."

"Of course I recognize, you Stephie. I saw you on the day you arrived. I can't say that sad I'm to see you. I can't say that I'm happy either. Just that I see you."

Titan grimaces, furrowing his brow. Clearly this wasn't the response he expected.

Lorelei wasn't expect this either. Tears well up. "What's happened to you, Mum? What's... missing from your soul? How it is missing, why?"

"I will explain," Liandere says, "But it will take some time..."

Lorelei says, "I have time. But the swamp is changing my friends... will you let them take the cure for the king, and leave?"

She nods, "You've bested the Swamp, the flower will be your reward," Liandere says. "Wisest to take your prize and leave, while you're still able. This one..." she looks towards Titan, "It about change. A pity -- I would have liked to have seen what kind of wonderful creature he would become."

Lorelei says to Riot, Titan and Flux, "You three - take the flower and get out of here. I have to stay - I have to know what happened."

Titan sets his jaw again, watching Liandere...clearly he doesn't want to leave Lorelei here...but knows he's going to be a liability shortly. "Flux...grab the flower. Riot...carry me out of here. Lorelei at least has a shot at this on her own."

"That's the plan," Flux replies, not in any mind to argue against that.

Lorelei says, "Riot - go. Please, before you change."

Riot tchs, and walks over towards the -brown- flowers. Intending, of course, to grab a few off.

Lorelei makes sure people get the right flowers.

"My, you've grown," Liandere says. "Quentin, is he still alive?"

Lorelei says, "Yes! A little grey at the temples, but still well... and he still misses you...."

Titan snorts, "Like I'll tell her. As if." He gets up on Riot's back.

Lorelei says, "Take care, you three."

Flux flies upward with what she had taken hold of, getting out of the pseudo-fog.

Once Liandere and Lorelei are alone, Liandere comments: "I wonder how Palanir will react. I doubt that he expected anyone would be able to retrieve the antidote."

Lorelei frowns. "Then the poisoning of the king - this is some scheme of his?"

Meanwhile, Back at the Castle...
The King's bed chamber. A number of guards stand on duty here, including Lothven. Besides him, there are four men in the room. A heavy wooden door separates the bedroom from the chamber outside, and the door can be barred from the inside. A pair of guards are known to be standing on guard outside the bedroom door at all times. There's a window that looks out to the courtyard, but it's currently closed and shuttered.

The King lies unconscious in his bed, in the same state he's been in for almost the past month, since his poisoning.

Lothven sits in a chair by the door. He keeps an eye on the twins -- as though he doesn't quite trust them yet.

Jennifer looks around the bedroom with a tactically discerning eye. "Mmm.. Lothven, how long would the door stand up to a determined effort to enter? I'm not knowledgeable about the type and power of magic that might be employed."

Lothven hms. "The door itself? Ten men and a battering ram, and it would take them some time. Really, if someone wanted to get it, it wouldn't be by bashing the door down. It'd be by turning the wood back into a tree and growing it until the roots and branches cracked the stone around it."

"But the door is protected by magic as well," he says.

Jennifer nods. Moving around the bedroom Jenn and Jess tap on the walls, the floor, and lifting each other to shoulder height test the ceiling, making sure to look behind paintings and wall coverings. "I'm assuming the room is shielded against scrying spells? Also, is the King's bed in its customary position?"

"Usually it's closer to the window..." Lothven is interrupted by a knocking on the door.

"Sir, we've got a message... It's important," says one of the guards on the outside.

Jennifer smiles on hearing the bed *has* been moved. It's what she was planning on doing anyway.

Jessica quickly moves to interpose between the door and the King's bed.

Lothven nods to his men and they stand ready. "Fire," he says. "Water," calls out the guard on the outside, with today's challenge word. Lothven says, "Ok, I'm going out." He unbars the door and heads outside to chat with the messenger.

If there's a clear line of fire from the door to the King, Jennifer moves some item of heavy furniture to block the shot of any hopeful bowman or similar.

After a brief and quiet conversation with the messenger, Lothven returns to the room. "Reports are that we've captured a goblin spy. Palanir is going to interrogate him. I've got to get down there to stop him from messing it up. I'll be back as soon as I'm able. This means, the rest of you have to stand ready. And you..." Lothven says to Jennifer and Jessica, will transition to guard duty outside. "Frankly, I don't quite trust you yet."

Jennifer glances around again. o O(If one of my uncles wanted to take out the King how would he do it? Yeah, well C4 and drop the entire wing of the castle. But hopefully any local assassin will be a little less thorough. A spell to take the window shutter out and then a arrow. Is the King visible from outside the window? Most likely though, trickery. I wish Lorelei was here. She has a knack of seeing through tricks.)

Jessica turns to Lothven. "You can trust me. If you want to know why, it's simple. If I wanted the King dead he would be. I'm that good. But right now Lorelei wants the King alive. Which means the only way to get to him is over my dead bodies."

Lothven says, "Well, your bodies, in whatever state they're in, will wait outside until I get back."

Jennifer nods, "Okay. But first, before you go..."

Jennifer moves the King's bed from it's current spot to a new location where direct sight is blocked from both door and window, and sets up a mirror so it reflects an image of the king, should the shutter be opened, say by a spell or heavy siege weapon. Then she nods, "Okay, outside it is."

Lothven oversees the changes. Once the changes are complete and the door is closed and barred, he departs, leaving the twins with the two guards outside he room.

Jennifer and Jessica stretch, trying to settle the borrowed armor, and loosen their muscles.

After some time, the silence and boredom are interrupted by a small explosion that comes from the inside of the room and rattles the door in its frame. There's some coughing from inside the room, soon followed by shouting.

Jennifer looks to the guards outside with her, "I'm going in. Any objections?"

The two guards draw their weapons and don't seem to object to the twins.

Jessica whirls and kicks at the door.

Jennifer's kick splinters a couple of panels in the wood. The door holds, but the busted panels allow a line of sight into the room.

Jennifer takes a brief glance into the room, aiming to follow up Jessica's kick with a clenched fist strike to the edge of a splintered panel to make an opening large enough to slide through.

Inside the room, Lothven is wielding Jennifer's two katanas as he attacks the guards inside the room. One guard lies unconscious at his feet, while the other circle him. Lothven swings heavily into the side of another one of the guards, landing what could be a mortal blow.

Jennifer splinters out another panel making an opening large enough for the twins to slip through.

The two guards outside the room take the opportunity to rush forward to protect their King.

Jennifer slides through the door effortlessly and moves into combat range with Lothven. "So this is why you wanted me outside. I misjudged you badly. You fooled me, I have to admit. I don't like being fooled." She spins, a pair of nunchucks coming out from her jacket, and swings at the guard captain's torso and head with the weapon, feinting strikes to cover for the last movement, when the nunchuck chain link is spun to try and entrap Lothven's arm, and taken him into a binding grip that ties up the swords.

Jessica takes longer getting through the door, leaving Jennifer to deal with Lothven alone at first.

Lothven flows out of the way of the attack like a practiced fencer.

Jennifer misses the entrapping action, her face grim and determined, an expression of distaste on it as she fights the traitor.

One of the guards looks to Jennifer. "What are you talking about? That's Palanir! -- even a child could see through that simple glamour!"

The guards all try to their best to take 'Lothven' down.

Jessica says, "Huh. Are you sure? Maybe a child could. But probably not a human, right?"

Lothven spins, alternately parrying the sword attacks of the guards and side stepping them. With a final twirl, his form shifts, and he reveals his true form.

Jennifer shrugs, "Take any form or appearance you like. I'm taking you down any which way."

Palanir says, "I suppose I'm not really fooling anyone right now."

Jessica snaps out to a guard, "Run and alert the Regent. Then check on Lothven. Let's make sure this traitor will not benefit from his crime."

Palanir switches his stance to southpaw, holding his left hand blade ready to deflect blows as he lashes out at the guard behind him.

Palanir's blade finds its mark. The guard collapses, clutching a bloody wound. "Careful..." he gasps out. "It's cold iron..."

Jennifer says, "Stand back. Let me deal with him. Cold iron has no effect on humans. Well other than it being a sharp sword in the first place."

Jennifer moves in on Palanir, staying between him and the King. She starts a seeming strike with the nunchucks but part way through spins on her left foot and pivots to slam a kick at Palanir's lower body.

Palanir grunts as Jennifer's kick connects. He tumbles across the floor and rolls up to his feet.

Jessica moves into position to block Palanir's route to the King.

The guards advance on Palanir.

Jennifer says, "Stay back. You'll only get in my way. Someone go report this."

One of the guards holds back from the attack. He looks to Jennifer, "But I can't leave the king!"

Palanir easily fends off the other two guards' blades with his own.

Jessica says, "Listen up guardsman. If Palanir is here, Lothven is down, possibly bleeding out. Palanir is not getting past me. No way. Now GO!"

Palanir jumps away from the attacking guards, putting his back to the wall. With a flick of his wrist, he levitates black metal sphere from his belt. It's about the size of a grapefruit and when he points his sword at the two guards, the sphere zips towards them. In mid flight it sparks with a flame and it explodes when it reaches one of the guards.

One of the guards is caught in the center of the blast, and the other is right next to it. Both of them drop.

The remaining guard turns. He spins and transforms into a hummingbird. At this size, he easily slips through the hole in the door and begins to zip away.

Jessica closes on Palanir and sends a straight hard punch into the traitor's chest slamming him back into the wall behind him.

Palanir gets slammed into the wall. He ends up on his hands and knees in front of Jessica's free.

Jennifer's elbow collapses Palanir down and into the floor. He's still up, but his nose is bloodied from the impact with the floor.

Jennifer wonders if Palanir can transform into something small like the guard did. If so she may not be able to maintain a hold on him. But if he does he'll have to drop the swords so it's a worthwhile maneuver.

Jennifer drops onto Palanir, twisting his left arm into a armlock and binding his right arm with her legs. Then she sees how far those arms will move against the joints.

Palanir grunts under the force that Jennifer exerts.

"Why - yargh - why are we fighting?" Palanir grunts. "I can be king. Then the wealth of the nation would be open to those who supported me."

Jennifer says, "Why? Because unlike you I'm loyal to those I associate with. I'd die rather than betray Lorelei. The King is your leader. Good or bad as he might be, you pledged your service to him to his face and came at him with naked blade when he was defenseless."

"That's not how I recall the events..." Palanir says.

Jennifer says, "Tell it to the Regent. Anyway, that guard is telling the Regent right about now. So I think your chance to be King is pretty near zero."

"We welcomed you into our home with open arms," Palanir says. "Under the premise that your Stephie might be a long lost grand daughter of our ailing King. It turned out that you were an assassin who killed a number of the royal guard with the weapons we all saw you bring here..."

Palanir says, "I wonder if he'll make it past my men who are stationed about the Regent's office?"

Jennifer says, "Mmm... I see your point. So lets say I make sure you won't be going anyway and I go tell the Regent. Oh, did you kill Lothven?"

"You see, the Regent's is where I left my men, after I informed the Regent of Stephie's disappearance. Rather suspicious that Stephie and your friends disappeared just before we could verify her identity.

Jennifer twists his arm a little further against the elbow joint, "Lothven... Let's stay on topic. Did you kill him?"

"Lothven -ah-! he's still alive," Palanir says. "Just delayed. Of course he may have problems after disobeying the Regent's direct orders and aiding your friends in their little adventure."

Jessica starts to disarm Palanir, digging her knuckles into the pressure point in back of his hands until his fingers spasm open and release the katanas.

"Ow!" Palanir gasps and he lets the katanas drop. "There's no finger-printing... no Dee Enh Ay... you're a stranger here, and I... I'm a bloody prince. I not only know the system, I /am/ the system. What say you let me work the system in your favor, because you might not care for the results otherwise."

Jennifer laughs as Jessica kicks one of the blades away across the room and picks up the other. "You and I are staying right here. You know, there's something you're overlooking. Lorelei, Riot, Titan, Flux. They went to get the antidote for the King. And there's not a chance in hades they won't succeed. In the meantime, the king will be safe and sound. I could take this castle unarmed. What do you think the chances of your men taking me are when I have cold iron in my hand?"

"Hah." Palanir says. "The Swamp is going to eat them alive. Do you think that witch cares about her daughter? She doesn't have a scrap of love left for anything. I know this for a certainty."

Jennifer says, "You don't know Lorelei. You don't know Titan or Flux. And you sure don't know Riot. They'll take whatever the swamp can throw at them and walk through it unhindered. This I know for a certainty."

Jessica pulls up a chair and sits on it facing the splintered door, the naked blade of the katana resting across her knees.

Soon the Regent's men arrive at the King's chambers en force - a dozen soldiers, plus the Regent himself. Once on the scene, the Regent commands his men: "Guardsmen, place the assassin under arrest..."

Jessica says, "Which assassin did you have in mind to arrest, my lord Regent?"

A hummingbird flits into the room and lands on the Regent's shoulder. The soldiers move to take Palanir into custody. "There's only one assassin here to my knowledge," the Regent says.

Palanir shouts, "You're making a big mistake! All of you!"

Jennifer and Jessica nod. Reversing the blade she offers the hilt to a guardsman. "You'll want to lock these up. Somewhere safe ideally."