Collab: Crossing Paths finale

CLICK TO SEE PICTURE!

Meanwhile. . . Hazelin walked with his head down looking at his feet, sulkily pondering over what was said, but his thoughts are suddenly distracted by Xull’rae’s voice.  “Hazelin!”

The transapian looked up seeing no one in front of him.  Searching wildly, Hazelin realized she has taken a different path to him.  “You are going the wrong way,” she called, sounding amused.

He must have drifted.  Quickly Hazelin made his way to her, but as he did so he caught a glimpse of a tiny light behind her at the far end of the tunnel.  Then a cool breeze swept across his face.  They were almost at the surface.
  
Hazelin was about to comment to Xull’rae regarding it, but her attention seemed suddenly diverted towards something else.  She stealthily made her way over to the cave wall and paid close attention to a big barrowed out hole in it, about a meter wide.  Putting her hand carefully into the black gap, her face instantly contorted into immense displeasure as she retracted from it with a clear thick liquid covering her palm.  She lifted it to her nose and there admitted a foul odour that made her blanch.

“What is that?” Hazelin asked, his face looked as offended as his tone.

“Saliva. . . . It’s still warm,” she said slowly. Xull’rae steadily examined the surroundings further.  Suddenly there was an expression of concern on her face.

Hazelin caught her look and became anxious himself. “Is something wrong?”

But before Xull’rae could answer him, Khyra called out from within the darkness.  “Hazelin . . . wait!” The elf’s shadowy form could be seen as he quickly made his way down the cave toward them.   And when his features become clearer, there was no sign of self pity or regret on his face, but rather an expression of determination.   Hazelin knew Khyra was anxious to say something.
  
“Khyra stop!” shouted in alarm and put her hand out to signal a stop.  Khyra glanced at her confused.  It was the first time she had ever said his name.  Is she gonna strangle me before I get a chance to say sorry?  

But then he realized that his worries were unfounded with her words that follow.  “Listen. . . . .”

The drowess went very still and tilted her head, listening hard. Both Hazelin and Khyra followed her lead and do the same.   

Suddenly faint rumbles could be heard coming from under the ground.   Xull’rae’s eyes widen.  The grumbles start to get louder and louder like rolling thunder.  All three stayed pinned to their locations.  The grating rumble seemed all around them now; it was hard to determine where the direction of the sound was coming from.   Xull’rae took a small step in the direction of the faint light source, but the slight movement seemed to unsettle her. “Boulder worms!” she yelled.

Not a second after she uttered those words, a massive worm crashed into their area from the side wall, right next to where Khyra was standing.  

The boulder worm was the most hideous thing Khyra had ever seen.  It had a mouth full of rugged, uneven teeth and tough skin full of spikes that shifted like shredders on its body.  Despite its gargantuan size and short, fatty shape, it had a very vigorous and agile movement.

Caught by complete surprise, Khyra failed to act quickly enough and the worm’s spikes shredded into the side of his torso as slithered toward the other two.  He screamed in pain and fell to the ground.  Blood spilled out everywhere.

Hazelin staggered back in shock as Xull’rae started chanting rapidly, her hands glowed a deep dark purple she began running around the monstrosity.  With a moving target, the worm focused solely on Xull’rae.  Reared up and prepared to strike, but the drow was ready and touched its underbelly.  A purple haze began to emanate from the giant worm and it screeched in agony as the touch spell took affect.

In unbridled rage the horrible creature attempted its strike against the little drow. Xull’rae was in full focused concentration. As best she could she avoided the creature’s full blows as her psionic defences came in to play.  Xull’rae kept her balance as the worm smashed into the ground twice, on both sides of her, leaving huge crack in its wake.  Still alone in the fight she used the Mislead and Confusion spells to slow it down and attack itself.

After taking a huge chunk of its own tail, the worm wiggled sluggishly beside Hazelin. It immediately sensed his warmth and violently cut the transapian’s arm, but befuddled as the creature was, the injury was slight because the dive was badly aimed, and it took more stone than flesh in its saw-like mouth as it crashed into the ground.  

To avoid getting shredded to bits Hazelin quickly transforms and jumped over the worm to get away from it.  He quickly glanced over at the injured Khyra who was lying weakly on the ground.
  
Xull’rae ran down the cave to make some ground between her and the worm.  Then turned around and proceeded to buff herself.
.  
Hazelin galloped to his friend.  Khyra heard him approach and faintly looked up with his hand clutched over his stomach. Blood was still flowing out strongly.  But matters worsened as another bolder worm made a smashing entrance and head toward them from the other end of the cave.  
Both are overwhelmed with fright as the hefty worm makes its way closer and closer.   What where they going to do?  How where they going to survive this?

Hazelin turned his horse eyes, now rolling with whites, on Xull’rae to see that she was still very occupied by the first bolder worm.  As if she possessed an inner eye, the red head managed to glimpse back at him. Her normally smooth forehead, furrowed with deep concentration. “Hazelin,” though she sounded strained, her tony carried with it a hard edge. “Don’t just stand there . . .Do something and do it quick!”

A cold sinking feeling seized Hazelin’s stomach as he frantically looked around at the situation.  Xull’rae was right; if any of them where going to survive these creatures, Hazelin knew what he had to do.  He had to swallow his pride and carry them on his back.  It would be hard to face his fear like this, but he would rather live with the shame then let his friends die.

He bent down beside Khyra and threw his head as a signal for him to get on his back.  And just to make sure he understood he signaled again, this time with a whinny.   In gratitude and agony, Khyra fumbled to climb onto his back, grabbing his mane with his free hand.   

As soon as Hazelin felt that Khyra was stable enough he got up swiftly and galloped toward Xullrae’s location.  The most recent worm to hit the scene was right on their heels.  Imitating Xull’rae, Hazelin focused on staying ahead and with more courage than he felt, ran past the other worm and retrieved the lovely drowess, who gave him an ear splitting grin.

In a second, Xull’rae eased her spell buffing and vaulted herself up onto Hazelin’s back with one graceful swoop and carefully sat herself on backwards so she could start blasting the worms, while Hazelin sprinted toward the cave’s exit at a full gallop.
  
Finally Xull’rae’s large worm had enough and gave an ear piercing screech in defeat, turning to flea.   But the group’s relief was quickly diminished as the other worm didn’t share its siblings mind set of letting go.
.
Xull’rae shuffled a bit on Hazelin’s back.  She was rather pleased with how she managed to keep herself in place.  It wasn’t everyday a drow got to ride on a horse backwards.  Before she got too cocky and fell off, she focused on the last worm.   “Bring it on baby!” she taunted it.  The worm shrieked in defiance.  Chanting again, she raised her arms to the ceiling and soon the roof began to glow, turning bright orange.  Suddenly with a roaring burst of intense heat, a wide column of flame, the size of a tornado jetted down and engulfed the worm and the entire surrounding area. Merry sparks of red, orange, and gold rose in exaltation as they dashed onward.

The distance between them started to grow as Hazelin’s lowered his long neck and gathered more speed.

As they made their way closer to the light, Xull’rae began to squint, the familiar dull pain of bright sunshine was fast approaching.

The worm still had fight left, even on fire it didn’t give up pursuit.  Just as suddenly as it gained ground on them, it slowed down finding the light uncomfortable too.   Resigned to defeat the boulder worm slinked back into the cave.   

Xull’rae let out a sigh of relief but searing pain cut off her celebration abruptly. Her retina’s felt like they were being prodded with a hot poker as they passed into bright blinding light.  They had made it to the surface.  

The drowess gave a loud cry. “Aghhh!!  Get me out of this forsaken sunlight.”  She shielded her eyes, turning around on the horse and held on to Khyra. “Quickly to the waterfall; it shouldn’t be far from here,” she said, winded. Her lungs burned to the point of bursting.
  
In no time at all, they made it, Xull’rae guessed her prayers had been answered as she calculated the distance to only have been five hundred feet. Hazelin, his white coat sporting a lathered look, galloped along the side of the riverbed and then leapt into the waterfall which led to another cave.

The cascading water had drenched them all and relieved Xull’rae of the pressure in her chest.  She opened her eyes carefully and wiped the water away from her face.  Everything looked blurry but was becoming clearer as she mopped her face.  “Much better,” she looked happy to be in the dark again.  “Stop here.”  She hopped off Hazelin’s back, catching Khyra before he fell off.  Hazelin instantly changed back into human form, covered in sweat and blood.

Xull’rae wasted no time in chanting gently. She began to work on him straight away.  Encasing him in a soft smoky light that shimmered lightly, he was healed, his wound stopped bleeding and closed completely; amazingly it left no trace of a scar, and then her chanting changed pitch and she drew a big shaggy looking creature on Khyra’s forehead.  She tapped it and the drawing became animated and ran down his face and leapt off his nose.  It bellowed like a bull and resembled close to one in appearance as the image became larger, lifting into the air.  It grunted proudly before it poofedinto a large cloud of brown smoke which drifted down over the elf and evaporated into his colorless skin.

Xull’rae repressed a sigh.  Was it worth saving these two again? She wasn’t sure that it mattered anymore and reminded herself that they did help her out as well. Healing Khyra repaid her debt to them.  They were not a useless lot, not entirely.
   
There was an immediate change in Khyra as his eyes opened slowly.  He no longer looked ill or pale as his health returned to him.  He felt weak at first, but he could feel a warm tingle through his body that steadily gave him strength. His heartbeat was normal and strong. Khyra looked up at Xull’rae.  The drow had saved him.
  
Hazelin was smiling happily.  His friend was going to be ok.  The quarrel they had earlier didn’t even enter his mind.

Xull’rae didn’t linger over Khyra, giving him and Hazelin their space as she grabbed her hair and tried to ring out the excessive amount of water, then petted her carry bag and gazed inside it to check that the artefact was still intact.  Good, then it is time to get a move on she thought.  These two had already slowed her down enough and she needed to quit dawdling.  The drowess walked over to the cave that would her lead down to the underdark and turned to face them.  They hadn’t even noticed her leaving.  They shared a look with each other that reminded her of herself and Dilyl.  Leery to interrupt but not keen on leaving hanging on such an unfinished note (there was opportunity to still use them in the future after all), Xull’rae cleared politely.

“Well this is my exit.  I must say, I’ll have quite a story to tell the others when I get back home.   It’s not every day a drow gets to boast about riding on the back of a stallion,” she paused, shook her head about something and rephrased. “Oh my apologies, I mean a handsome transapian,” she finished with a disarming smile that was neither mysterious nor smirking, but charming.

Khyra bolted upright and glanced over to Hazelin who turned a blushing red and gave a dazzling smile.

And Khyra . . .“ Xull’rae added, that coy look back again, “you need to smile more.”

She waved away whatever he was going to say as he opened his mouth.  The corners of his lips twitched as if playing or struggling with the idea.  When the elf said nothing, Xull’rae moved on. “I’m sure you’ll have some interesting stories about me to tell your friends also.   But make sure they are good stories; if any bad word gets back to me about my name or hair. . . .” she shot them a warning look.

Hazelin was quick to respond with warmth and welcome. “Relax lady Xullrae I can assure that that won’t happen.  Right Khyra?”  The elf nodded dumbly, mouth still twitching.  

Xull’rae giggled almost girlishly at Khyra’s look and gave an approving nod.  She went to turn again but Khyra quickly jumped to his feet, and even though he was feeling a little light headed he raced up to her.   Now was his chance to make good on his intentions.
  
“Er . . . Xull’rae . . .” he wanted to give her an outright apology but as he tried to do so he stutters. He shrugged his slumped shoulders and sighed, feeling flustered.
  
She blinked at him curiously.

“My friend was . . .” Khyra began softly.

“Right,” helped Xull’rae.

The elf blustered forth, “I was being a real. . . . . “

“Ignoramus,” the drowess suggested with a hard look.
  
Khyra gave a glum nod. “And you deserve . . .”

“To be supreme ruler of the underdark,” Xull’rae said in a maniacal voice and smirked.  “Go on . . .”

Khyra smiled briefly, but then set his expression more serious. “What I wanna say is that . . .you . . . You are okay for a drow,” he stopped, frowned, furrowed his brow, and muttered soundlessly.  Finally he shook his head vigorously. Drats that didn’t sound as good as he wanted it too.  

Xull’rae went up to Khyra and put her hand up toward his face.  He cringed expecting a slap.   But instead she grabbed a short piece of hair that dangled in front of his face and tucked it behind his ear. “Short hair suits you y’ know.”  

She smiled at him and in relief he gave her his first genuine smile back.  She then turned back toward the underdark entrance and walked into it with out a word.  The other two just look on as she disappeared into the dark.

As Xull’rae’s shadow melted into darkness, Khyra’s eyes linger where she had been before he turned to Hazelin and walked towards him.   “Thank you for showing me the error of my ways.”

Hazelin shook his head. “I know you Khy.  That wasn’t like you at all.”
  
“I know; I was being a real jerk,” Khyra said admittedly.

“Yes you were,” Hazelin agreed.

“Can you forgive me?” asked Khyra, looking mortified.

The transapian extended his hand to the elf’s. “Put it there pal.”  They shake and pat each other on the back.  

“I have a confession too,” Hazelin looked guilty, “carrying you on my back wasn’t as degrading as I thought it would be.  In fact . . . I felt honoured to be able to help you like that.”

Khyra looked cheery. “Thanks buddy.”

“And I want you to know that if the circumstances ever called for it, I’d do it again,” added Hazelin.

“I appreciate that,” Khyra nodded.

“But that’s it,” he pointed his finger toward Khyra.  “Every other time you’re on your own, including now.”

“Hazelin, I just lost a ton of blood,” Khyra pointed out.

There was a short pause from Hazelin. “Okay so I will piggyback you.”

“Nah it’s okay I will walk.”  It dawned on Hazelin that Khyra was just fooling and punched him in the arm for it.   “Ouch.”  They both walk toward the waterfall exit.

“You know what?” Hazelin said after basking in the sunshine, “we aren’t amateur adventurers anymore.”  

Khyra looked perplexed. “We’re not?”

“No,” Hazelin shook his head.  “How many adventurers can see they’ve met a drow? a red head drow at that.”

The elf scratched his head. “So what are we now then?”

“We are first level adventurers,” the transapian said with pride, puffing out his chest.

“First level!?” Khyra squawked, “After what we’ve been through?

Hazelin frown softly holding his chin and nodded seeing his friend’s point. “Okay second level adventurers.”

“Try third level!” shouted Khyra grumpily. “Remember I almost died.”  Hazelin only smiled reassuringly.
  
Changing the subject, Hazelin asked, “So what do you think Xull’rae wanted with that artefact?”

Khyra blushed, his mind was on Xull’rae too, but the question made him uncomfortable.  He did remember saying her reasons were not good. “I don’t think I wanna know the answer to that.”

Hazelin shrugged. “Do you think it was powerful?”

“More then likely,” Khyra answered.
  
Hazelin smiled dreamily. “Do you think she’s pretty?”

The elf remained silent on that one.

Hazelin grinned and nudged him. “Oh come on Khyra, you think she’s pretty! Admit it.”

Khyra did his best to keep a straight face.  

The transapian grunted. “Stop being such an elf and just say yes already.”

Khyra broke out laughing and nodded his head eagerly.  They both laughed together as they walked off into the horizon.

***

Xull’rae had more surface allies.  She grinned as she teleported to the High Priest Inquisitor.  The drowess would see them again, feeling Khyra’s braid between her slender fingers as she handed the artefact over.  With them she could hep HIS influence spread again.  It certainly was a start with Khyra.