LOG: The Hero Scrolls Episode 1 - pt 2.
Martin hurriedly pulls Molly over, "I'm attached. This is uh.. my wife Molly."
Gilgamesh says, "Bless, maybe?"
Molly glares at Martin. "You SO owe me."
Martin puts his arm around Molly's shoulders and plants a kiss on her cheek. "She gets jealous."
Aristides opens up the scroll. He glances toward Martin with the journal. "I am very certain of the wording. The girls have been waiting for this special occasion."
Martin points at Gilgamesh, "His father is good at this sort of thing."
Martin says, "I'm sure he's qualified to procreate with your daughters. I wouldn't want Molly to have to kill them."
Molly nods enthusiastically. "Terribly jealous. Awful temper, me."
Gilgamesh says, "We could send for him."
The girls shift toward Gilgamesh. Well, he is the larger target.
Aristides notes looking at the scrolls, "We can accept a substitution of the Omniscient Oberon."
Gilgamesh says, "Well. That might be arranged."
Martin clears his throat, "Well, let's get there when we come to it. So, where is this temple?"
Aristides folds up the scroll. "We can worry about the particulars of procreation after the temple. We will supply you with a mute and blind priest who will lead the way."
Molly lifts a finger, opens her mouth, repeats 'blind...lead' silently. She shrugs and gives up. "Fantastic!" she says instead. "Temple Ho!"
Gilgamesh says, "Or something like that."
Martin gives Molly an adoring smile, then he glances at Gilgamesh, "Hey, aren't you Gerard's son?"
Gilgamesh says, "One of many."
The girls seem willing to follow the group back to the village. They are muttering softly to each other and watching Gilgamesh and occasionally Martin but they try to look when Molly won't notice.
The group's arrival is heralded by a guy standing on top of a wooden lookout. He blows a long horn which sounds across the land. It's a pretty area, very picturesque and seacoastish.
Molly notes, "Oberon, Gerard, They're willing to substitute, let's not split details." She catches a girl looking at Martin and glares daggers at her.
That girl thinks TWICE before looking at Martin again. Unfortunately, she has six sisters.
Gilgamesh says, "Well, shall we...go, that is...."
Aristides leads the way to the village.
Heulwen is still out there somewhere.
The heroes are well received by the village people™. There is a lot of chattering as they are led through to the main fortress. There they are introduced to their guide, a young once attractive man with a cloth over his eyes. Obviously the 'guide'.
Martin sticks close to Molly.
Gilgamesh says, "We have anyone bringing Haley?"
Molly sighs, rolls her eyes at Martin a second and starts aggressively squinting dangerously out at all the women, fiddling with her knives.
The women follow along as if they have been waiting all their lives to get to this day. They probably have. Their sisters are obvious in the crowd from the same flowing white garments and ornaments but they do not approach the heroes.
Martin says, "This is our guide?" he looks at the young man dubiously.
Martin says, "What's your name, kid?"
Gilgamesh says, "He's mute, Martin. Speaking of alliteration."
The young man does not reply.
Molly looks doubtfully at the guide, leans over to Martin and whispers, "Was there, by any chance a map in that journal?"
Martin pulls the map out of his pants pocket. "Why yes, dear." he gives it to her. To Gil he grins, "Oh yeah, I forgot. My bad."
Aristides notes from across the crowd, "The guide can lead you past the traps."
Gilgamesh says, "And so how will Haley find us?"
It is about at this point that Haley shows up in the distance. She's a little damp and she is carrying something brass or gold with a large chain dragging behind it. The villagers move to let her pass.
Molly suggests, "We leave a trail of breadcrumbs?" She sees Haley and waves, "Oh! No need."
Martin waves at Haley, "Hi Haley! My WIFE Molly, Gilgamesh and I were just wondering what happened to you."
Gilgamesh says, "Is that the chain of command?"
Haley squints at Molly and Martin but seems to take that in stride. She shows off the golden shield-sized plate. It has some odd symbol on it. The chain continues to be dragged behind her. "I took it off the sea monster. Is that in your journal, Martin?"
Aristides looks at the scroll and announces, "Heulwen the Fantastic."
Molly puts an arm around Martin and winks at Haley.
Martin looks in the journal, "Uh-oh..."
Molly hangs her head, shaking it slightly. "Did you actually read this journal before we left, or were you planning of just skimming it as we move along?"
Martin smiles at Molly, "You've never read any of Oberon's notes have you? It's almost like a Choose- Your-Own adventure.... A lot of my cousins write the same way. I only read the part we needed to get here."
Haley makes a thumbs up gesture to Aristides at the announcement. She does not seem to be concerned about the exotic women trailing Gilgamesh or to have noticed the mute and blind guide. No she's got a shiny new toy in her hand. "I thought it might be useful. I mean, why leave it on a sea monster if it didn't have some importance. Hello, Gilgamesh--collect the slave girls?"
Martin hands the journal to Molly.
Gilgamesh says, "Apparently, there's a set."
Molly peers down at the journal, runs a finger across a page and says, "Uh-oh!" She looks at Haley, "I don't suppose you'd mind running along and putting that thing back?"
Molly adds "Not that that's going to help..."
Haley holds it out in front of her, "It is gold Molly. It's some Pirate's Booty."
Martin clears his throat, "We'd better get moving before the gods notice..."
The guide is already moving. Look at that blind, mute boy go!
Gilgamesh holds his arm out for Haley to follow the guide.
Martin motions forward, "After you, my dear." he tells Molly.
Molly tells Haley, "That's not Booty. Booty doesn't get you smited...smitten...SMOTE! I think we should leave it...somewhere. Not near me."
Haley offers the huge 'necklace' to Gilgamesh. "What should we do with this then?" Her eyes widen at Molly's words. "We can't leave it here in the middle of the village. That would be irresponsible."
Gilgamesh says, "Not sure you can use it to replace a pearl necklace."
Martin sighs, "We're going to have to take it with us."
Molly suggests, "Maybe we can leave it at the temple when we're done?" She hands the journal back to Martin.
Martin stuffs it back in his pants.
Martin pauses, "Hey hang on." he squints. "This is about when Addison said I should give him a trump call."
Molly perks up. "Oh! We can give it to him, then."
Martin pulls a card out of his pouch. "Hold on there! Someone stop that mute!"
Gilgamesh draws his bow.
Martin says, "Hey, you said to call about this time.."
That poor mute and blind boy keeps going, of course.
Haley stops near Gilgamesh and looks down at the shield sized plate. "Well, the chains have a certain potential for bondage games but...yeah, I get the point. No pearls. Maybe we can trade it for a giant pearl necklace?"
Gilgamesh whistles loudly.
Martin says, "I need you. The journal I found when looking at Cibola stuff. Remember I briefly mentioned it yesterday and you said to trump you about now. We could use a fifth."
Girls crowd toward Gilgamesh.
Martin says, 'Of course I can, it's me..."
Aristides notes while he is looking at the scrolls, "Back up. Back up. There will a great flash of light." The girls do not back away from Gilgamesh "The Amazing Wizard will arrive in a flash of bright blinding light."
Addison appears suddenly, grasping Martin's hand.
Martin sticks his hand out and Addison suddenly appears. The crowd gasps.
Addison steps through the trump contact and yawns again. He blinks around and says, "Uh, this is sort of interesting."
There is a flash of lightning. There is a mute, blind guide stopped just outside of the circle of people. There is now a fried mute and blind guide. He appears to be in no condition to lead the group.
Martin says, "Oh, crap."
[Summary for Addison: You are in the middle of a small village in the ancient world. Behind you is what is a fortress of some kind, people are wandering about in cheery colors. Heulwen has a big gold chain, there are seven women hanging around Gilgamesh and a tall thin guy in colorful robes who looks like he's in charge as he has a bunch of scrolls.]
Gilgamesh says, "Addison, we have a flock of adoring girls for you."
Addison says brightly, "Fantastic! It's what I've always wanted!" He opens the flap on his satchel and pulls out, of all things, a silver letter opener.
The adoring girls are more flocking around Gilgamesh (and Heulwen at this point).
Molly looks over at the crispy guide. "Oops." She holds up the map. "Good thing we have this." She pauses. "Not that it's going to help us with those traps."
Martin says, "That's why we needed Addison!"
Martin tugs something out of his leather pack. "I have something for you!" he thrusts robes at Addison.
Addison catches the robes, and slides the letter opener back in his satchel. He shakes them out and says, "What the bloody hell is this?"
Molly looks from Martin to Addison. "Martin, even *I* am not cruel enough to just go around throwing Addison into traps."
Gilgamesh says, "You're not?"
Martin beams at Molly, "But Molly, Dear. He's good at spotting traps." To Addison, "It's a robe. You can put it on and you'll fit right in."
To Gilgamesh, Heulwen says, "Sure you don't actually want the girls?"
Heulwen mutters to Gilgamesh, "Sure you... girls?"
Addison sighs, and gives in to the Martin crazy. He pulls off his satchel and drops it on the ground. Then he slides the robe over his head and over his black standard necromancer day to day wear. Then he picks his satchel back up and slings it over his shoulder. "There. Now do I look in theme? We're throwing me into what again?"
Privately, Gilgamesh says, "Don't want a hundred little me's wandering about."
Aristides looks toward the dead guide and then opens one of the many scrolls. It may be a Choose-Your Own-Adventure on his end as well. "And the Wizard will lead the way through the traps?"
Haley cocks her head to one side and studies Gilgamesh before glancing back at the girls, "Do you think that is likely to happen?"
Martin pats Addison's back. "You look excellent! Does he have a name as well?" he wonders at Aristides. "In short. We're going to find the temple of a mad god. Pick some flowers and then destroy it."
Privately, Gilgamesh says, "You missed the part about that being their purpose."
Molly grins at Gilgamesh, "I've been in a good mood lately." She turns the grin to Addison. "Brilliant! If he spots the traps, we won't need to throw anyone in."
Martin puts an arm 'affectionately' around Molly. "I love it when you're in a good mood."
Addison yawns again and says, "Alright. Someone just point me in the right general direction, yes?"
Martin says, "You're such a good WIFE."
Martin says, "We should be able to follow the map to the temple. We all ready?"
Gilgamesh says, "Molly, you and Martin still doing that open relationship thing?"
To Gilgamesh, Heulwen says, "Just because they THINK it is their purpose doesn't mean it would happen, I'm not pregnant and we've had a LOT of...opportunities. Never mind, this is a silly discussion. Let them be Martin's problem."
Martin eyes Glgamesh, "No. She gets VERY JEALOUS."
Molly with a cheery grin nudges Martin in the ribs with a sharp elbow. She says softly through clenched teeth, "Oh, yes. You will owe me. You will." She turns to Gil, shrugs. "I'm a very sensitive girl, me."
Gilgamesh says, "So I've heard."
Martin says, "Let's go!"
Martin starts moving forward, stops. "Molly, you have the map."
Molly replies, "And you have me, funny how that works out." She unfolds the map and spreads it out.
Haley asks, "Who is going to lead us and what should I do with this..erm necklace?" She sends a couple of jealous looks at the girls near Gilgamesh. Seeing as she is wet, bruised and carrying the protective necklace of a sea monster, it seems to be enough to cause them to back away from her. "Menacing enough?" she asks Gil.
Martin says, "Onward!" he looks at the map. "Right the temple is ..." he points. "That way."
Gilgamesh gives a thumbs up.
Addison sighs a big deep Martin-sized sigh and follows along. Hey, there are pockets in this robe. Excellent.
Martin points at the forest. "There's a trail up the mountain that way." The forest seems to be a normal forest. It's quite pretty actually. That was where the guide had been heading before he was crisped by lightning.
Molly, before she moves along onward, turns to Heulwen, and pulls an extra sword from her belt. "Oh! Haley, you dropped this." She hands the weapon over.
Haley might have missed the sign or misinterpreted it as belonging to someone else. One of the more forward girls gets punched as she dangles the stupid golden sea-monster necklace in one hand. "Step off." She moves then toward Molly to claim her sword. "Thanks."
Aristides calls the girls back into the center of village. None will be following.
Martin mutters under his breath as he trudges forward. "The journal really didn't' mention virgins but it was written a long time ago."
Gilgamesh says, "They didn't have virgins back then?"
Haley notes and drags the golden necklace behind her as she starts to walk. "Not when Oberon left here. According to Prince Gerard he had his women and everyone else's women too. That was the explanation that he gave me about not wanting to share women with...well...never mind."
Martin just shakes his head, "Let's keep moving before any other virgins jump out at us."
Addison says, "Only Martin would have a deep seated fear of being jumped by virgins."
Martin says, "Are the crew of the Perilous Fine ok, Haley?" he tells Addison, "Well, I will tell you about this one time... uh... sometime later."
Gilgamesh works the bow up as he walks.
Haley nods at Martin and seems not to be worried about virgins jumping out at her or anyone else. "What are the dangers of the temple?"
Martin says, "I didn't read that Far." he pulls the journal back out of his pocket. It is a small leather-bound journal stuffed with a couple of pictures. It describes traveling along with a grandson of Oberon in shadow. "It says something about 49 brothers; I can't quite make it out."
Up ahead of them are two groups of two men per group, they carry swords and are dressed identical. In fact they look identical as well. "You shall not pass." They are dressed all in black and look menacing and thuggish.
Martin looks relieved, "No actually that's just four."
Gilgamesh says, "49 brothers? Could be my siblings."
Martin looks at Addison, "You ok, you don't look so good..." he ignores the men at the moment.
Addison says, "Sorry, mate, Martin, I am more tired than I thought. If I can borrow the ride back..."
Martin fishes in his packet for a trump. "Gil, talk to the nice men, would ya?" he asks Gil.
Addison concentrates upon a Trump, and begins to fade away.
Gilgamesh draws two arrows, placing them on the bowstring.
Martin tucks away his trump and draws his sword.
The men start to menace swords. They know fancy foot work and how to position the swords. They menace.
Gilgamesh uses extra fingers on the string to spread the arrows, pulls, and releases, sending one arrow towards each of them.
Two of them go down which makes it seem unlikely that they are Gil's siblings. Two more remain menacing and roll and dive toward the front of the group. Another pair comes out of the forest. There may be forty-nine of them after all.
Molly watches the rainbow for a second and rubs at the bridge of her nose, sighing. She watches Gil's arrows.
Martin gives a yell and starts to use his sword. He's been taught well!
Gilgamesh flaps his hand, saying "Ow." His eyes remain on the others.
Molly unsheathes her sword and jumps into the fray.
Mooks continue to join the fight strangely the do all look the same. They filter into the area slowly enough to be mowed down but it appears that they will have to be mowed.
Martin's luck is with him today as he swings his sword and hits vital points. There are apparently more men coming out. They all seem identical.
They may as well be pop up target dummies on an obstacle course, the was Gil spins from one to the other.
There is another bright flash in the sky followed by a crack of thunder. As Haley rolls toward a brother with an extra painful dagger drawn, she is struck with lightning. The necklace is dragged along with her.
Limbs fly, blood spurts and bodies go thud around Martin as he narrowly avoids getting hit and manages to cut the enemy down in a wake of lucky moves using whatever is around him to gain the advantage. Higher ground, trees, loose rocks... and apparently even quicksand.
Gilgamesh shouts "Haley!" and throws the sword into Heulwen's target. Slurpthunk.
Molly lets out a 'whoop' as she bounds towards the brothers, she slashes, spinning and dodging through them. Laughter rings forth as bodies part before her blades.
Martin casts an appreciative glance Molly's way as she makes with the killing. He does likewise, accomplishing some rather fantastic stunts such as men skewering each other while he rolls between them.
The bodies start to pile up at this rate and blood spurts in a spectacular array. One might think that they would give up but it is as if they were one mind focused on a single task. Die. Die. Die.
Haley brother, screams, dies and lands on top of her. She's briefly prone on the ground but kicks the body away from her jumping up and screaming, "Ala-la-la-la-la-la." She hurls herself at a not dead brother. Her hair may have more wave than normal but it is still black.
Molly skids to a halt between two brothers, she scrabbles back a ways, jumps up, swinging herself up onto a tree branch, cutting at one brother on the way up, and slashing at the other on the way back down. She glances over at Haley, concerned, but sees she's fine and moves on.
Gilgamesh looks relieved, but is now unarmed. So...snap this neck, and then snap that one.....
Martin had seen the lighting strike Haley out of the corner of his eye and saw her get back up. She's ok! that's good. The men start to get less and less, maybe they are running out of brothers. He briefly wonders how someone has 49 kids.
[Editors note? He didn't wonder how someone had 50 daughters.]
Haley is not worrying about the brothers, except in making them die. Unfortunately her attention is caught by a bright flash of light and this time she jumps before she gets hit with the lightning. The brother standing near her is not so lucky. Another one fries in the dust. "I think we're running out of corpses. Too bad Addison had to leave before he could but the spirits to rest."
Molly slashes at a brother, calls out to Haley, "Smiting! See? I WARNED you!" and makes her bloody way further through the crowd.
Martin says, "Just leave the damn necklace!" as another brother charges at him and manages to skewer himself on Martin's sword.
The Path is now clear as long as you aren't afraid to walk over the still twitching and blood gushing bodies of the fallen.
http://rta-martin.livejournal.com/33720.html#cutid1 click here for pt 3