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Elmah awoke on a sandbar of a remote island somewhere in the ocean. He rubbed his eyes gently, looking around. It was a clear night. Apparently that other world was all just a dream... But where the hell was he? Wait... what about the explosion? Was that real, or was it a part of the dream? He couldn't remember. It seemed like he had been sleeping a very long time. Had that explosion been real, and sent him flying THIS far somehow? In the world of Seralia, there was no telling what things could happen- or why they happened, for that matter. The gods just kind of did whatever, whenever. Elmah stood, his legs feeling weak. Where were all his friends? He was apparently alone. There wasn't much to this island. Hell, it was almost like a prison cell, with the great ocean as the walls. He attempted to cast a spell. Nothing happened. Dammit! What now? He felt FULL of energy. Gods know he didn't need to sleep any more. He tried again. Same result. He stood there for a long time, casting various spells, none of them doing anything at all. Was he in another world for real now? Something was wrong.... very wrong. Well, he certainly couldn't just stay here... especially since he couldn't summon any food or water... He decided to try and make a boat of some sort...
It had been a good two days, Elmah was sure of it. The sky had not changed though. It was still pitch black. He had built something of a boat with the sparse wood and trash that had washed up on the island. He got on top of it, and it did not break. Elmah shrugged his shoulders, figuring getting out there and drowning was better than just sitting here. He used his hands to get him out a bit, until a breeze picked him up.
Elmah drifted for several days. He was feeling weak from thirst, and he had a voracious appetite. He looked ahead, and saw something odd in the distance. He drifted towards it, as it came better into sight. It seemed to be some sort of wall of fire. ... well, magic must work here, he thought. He conjured up a few things to eat, and filled his canteen with fresh water. He fanned the water a bit, to avoid running right into the fire... He could feel its heat already. Now why the heck would someone go and cast inferno here? .... and why was it so dang big? It looked to be all around, and he could find no way through. This really WAS starting to seem like a prison now.... Elmah sighed and lay down upon the raft, and soon drifted to sleep. Was he EVER going to see his friends again? Or Plith? Or Olaria? Heck, he even would have liked to have seen a mob of those plague-ridden rats from Reza by now. There HAD to be a way back.
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Invisible to the mortal below her, she gazed down at him with her lilac eyes. A small smirk danced across her face. It was amusing the predicaments mortals seemed to get themselves into. Yet, not even she knew what had caused this man to end up as he had now. Hmmm, she moved her gaze to the gaint wall of fire. What where the other immortals up too? and if it was not the work of the others then who had caused this? She crossed her legs and she pondered to herself. Keeping an eye on the mortal below.
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With a faint look of interest on her face, Nimue materialized next to Leena to nosily observe whatever was occupying her fellow immortal. Sipping daintily from a cup of steaming coffee, she hovers next to the Avatar; pale silver eyes watch the mortal silently, with one dark eyebrow delicately arched.
"Hmmm, what have we here? Mortals getting themselves into mischeif again?" she purred, her voice a low and velvety lilt. Her mouth turned up at the corner into a mischevious smirk as she looked back at Leena.
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She turned a look to Nimue. "Aye, it seems this little one is caught in abit of a rought" she speaks softly, her voice barely that above a whisper. "I was considering helping him but I wondered if one of the other immortals where up to something". She shrugged softlym pushing raven hair behind her ears, causing her braclets to clink and no doubt be heard by the little one below. "What do you think Nimue?"
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Elmah wondered if maybe he could swim under the wall of fire. Best not try it, he thought. He couldn't breathe underwater, and even if he made it to the other side of the firewall, there might not be land anywhere nearby. He did have the fly spell though… He couldn't rely on his magic though. It didn't work before, and though it worked now, no guarantee it would work on the other side. He sat up thinking for a while. What did he have to lose really? Nothing besides his life, and being dead beat sitting here. He threw up a few of his spell shields, and prepared to take the dive. Then, as if it knew something was about to enter its world, a large black serpent rose from the water. With a loud hiss, it breathed a cone of frost in Elmah's direction. Elmah leaped out of the way and into the water. REAL smooth, he though.... go into the enemy's home turf... Oh well. He drew a dagger from a small scabbard near his ankle. The beast swam at him and Elmah swiped at its neck. Missed. The thing quickly wheeled around and sped towards him again. This time Elmah nailed him right in the neck. The creature opened its mouth as if to turn and swallow him whole, but instead turned and swam down into the darkness. Was it gone? Elmah hoped so. He poked his head up from the water. The fire made it awfully hot up here. He looked around. HEY! that bastard's frost froze part of the wall! With a grin, he swam over to the area, drew one of the swords from the pack on his back, and slashed at the wall repeatedly. Finally it shattered, and just before the fire moved in, he got through.
Looking around, Elmah noticed some land in the distance. This would be hell on his body, but he could swim for it. He slowly began the long swim ahead. He wondered what that place was. Could it be familiar territory? Oh he hoped so. He hoped it was good old Plith. As boring as that place was he liked it. Sure as hell better than Prison Cell island back there....
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She watchs as the little one fights with the large black serpant and then turns to arch and eyebrow at Nimue watching her sip her coffee . "Now Nimue, that serpant looks awefully like one I saw you playing with yesterday. Did you have anything to do with that?"
She idlely follows the little one through the wall of fire. Wondering wher ehe was off to now.
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Nimue lazily drifted after Leena, her lips unable to cover her devilish grin.
"It was just a test of his mettle," she responded with a tone of faux-innocence. At Leena's scrutinizing look, she continued, "besides… I wasn't going to let anything __happen__ to him."
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She rolled her eyes lightly at the nymphish elf. "I'd protest more if your little test hadn't provided him with a way out." She turns on her side to relax and watch him. "Any ideas as to why he ended up out here? Think he was punished by one of the Elders?"
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She tapped her chin thoughtfully, seemingly more interested in her childlike desire to watch how things played out and interfere in ways amusing to her.
"Hmmmm," she purred again. "T'would be a rather devious and cruel punishment, I wonder what he could have done to deserve it… if that's what it truly is."
As Leena gives her a suspicious peer, with a snicker she declares, "I had nothing to do with his being out here, I assure you." ;)
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She gave Nimue a small smile. "No dear don't worry. I don't believe you would place such a horrible punishment like this one someone. Besides, I've been to your office and seen you have a soft side." She grins, which seems odd for her since she hardly ever grins. She snapped her finger making a brownie appear in her hand. She nibbles on it for abit before looking back over to her friend. "Should we let him know we are here?"
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Elmah grabbed onto a large piece of driftwood, and used it to propel him toward the shore faster. He kicked his feet faster and faster. He was anxious to get the hell out of this dreary ocean.
When he finally made it, he was very tired, so he napped. When he awoke, he looked about, and noticed a dock not too far away. There was an active-looking town by it. He wondered if he would be welcome there, then grinned, realizing he really didn't care. He still felt oddly different though. Maybe he'd been out of it too long. He walked toward the town. It was a fairly long walk, but it seemed short to Elmah after what he'd just been through. When he arrived at the gates, he saw a sign. It read "Welcome to Olaria." He smiled. He would surely see familiar sights here. He stepped through the gates and headed for the temple, where many folks gathered.
Upon arrival, Elmah did indeed find a few of his friends. Lukus, the Sith was the first he noticed. Lukus was probably the first person to make friends with him in this world. He also noticed Xevira Demordian, who appeared to be your average human, but wasn't at all. He thought Xevira was dead, as he had disappeared for over a year, but yet here he was. He looked a lot stronger…
Also, there was Ashlynn, the great leader of Retribution, a church to which Elmah had belonged once. He respected them, and her, greatly, and was very happy to see her doing well. He grinned, and they welcomed him in. He didn't say a word, only kept his smile, before passing out near the fountain from fatigue.
He slept for 3 days. His friends kept him safe, and hydrated. When he awoke they were still by his side. There were two others in the room now. Before him stood Soth, a fiend of large prestige. He and Soth had feuded long ago, but became friendly with one another eventually. Soth's face was expressionless, and as Elmah sat up, Soth slapped him across the face.
"where the hell have you been you crazy bastard?" he said sharply, before grinning. Lukus snickered from one of the darker corners of the room. Elmah looked to the second person now. It was Rahvin. He was completely nude. the hell? Oh, right. Elmah remembered now. Rahvin was ALWAYS naked- usually attempting to sedcue Lukus, or Soth, or Riane, or some other random person.
Elmah coughed. "That is SO not what I want to see when I wake up." Rahvin laughed, and then went over to Lukus to flaunt himself. Now that Elmah looked, he noticed that Lukus was oddly dressed too. He was wearing a pink visor on his head, had a whistle around his neck, and a clipboard and pen in his hands. As Rahvin approached, Lukus wrote something down. Then he grinned at Rahvin before exiting the temple. Rahvin followed. Elmah just sat there, knowing damn well what they were going to do. He looked to Soth again.
"I'm hungry," Elmah told him softly. ".... for blood. Let's go hunt retarded people." Soth smirked, and they walked out of the temple, exited the city, and went out into the wilderness. Something held Elmah back though, and he turned, and rode in another back to the temple. Something drew him back. He waved to Soth, envious of the fun he was going to have.
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Nimue looks over at Leena's snack and enviously conjures up one of her own, promptly dipping it into her seemingly unending supply of coffee.
"It looks as if he's in g – well, he's in someone's hands, anyway, no point in making our presence known now."
Her eyebrows furrowed with a look of baffled curiosity. "I do wish we know how he got there, why he was there... I wonder if he even remembers what happened before he woke up there..."
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Hmm she thought to herself. She noticed Nimue copy her snack and quickly conjured up a peice of angel pie. Then proceeded to stick her tongue out at her as she munched on the tasty treat. "It seems as if his friends have found him. The boy can sure snore though. Hmm, I think I shall appearm. Just to ask if he remembers anything"
Large dark storm clouds gather as lightning strikes the ground and Leena appears
She stood in front of the two and focused mainly on the one who had been lost. She was truely a sight to see. Metal glinted from almost every part of her body. She looked almost like a dominatrix on a power trip. But the voice that came forth from her lips seemed worthy of an angel, still it does not raise above a whisper. idlely she straightened on of her fingerless leather gloves.
"Tell me, do you recall anything that has happened to you?"
-
Elmah looked upon this goddess that had appeared. He had not seen her before, but had heard of her. This was Leena. "I can recall nothing between the other world and the island…. Hey wait... have you been watching me??" He eyed her funny. "Thanks for helping me back there," he said sarcastically, apparently lacking respect for this immortal. He had been on the other world for too long. He wasn't used to being in the presence of gods anymore. He quickly bowed, though perhaps a bit late. "If you'll excuse me... " Elmah said before darting out the door.
Elmah sat in his house in the Plith suburbs now, alone. It bothered him how he couldn't remember how he got to that... infernal place. He had had a long dream, so elaborate. He remembered every detail. He dreamed that one day he had been hunting the beasts of Mystica, and that out of nowhere there was a huge explosion that rocked the entire planet. He was sent flying into another world. A horrible world, inhabited mostly by humans. The air was dirty, the water was dirty, and the humans were the biggest morons he had ever bore witness to. When people died there, noone really knew what happened, except that they didn't just simply come back to life. In fact, the majority of the humans spent their entire lives fighting each other over their theories about death, and the gods, though most of them believed in only one god. It was all bullshit. It was the most dull place Elmah had been in his entire life. Not to mention depressing. There was nothing for him there. Had it been a dream though? He woke up on that island.... How did he get there if the other world had been real? It didn't feel like a dream though. He drew his sword and sliced into one of the walls. This was bugging the hell out of him. He stormed out of his house, not bothering to lock the door. He knew someone he could ask. He stole a horse from the Plith stables and rode to Olaria. He walked straight into the mayor's office. He asked the mayor his opinion on this could-be dream. The mayor said he would tell him, if he first completed a quest for him. Elmah agreed, as he had little better to do at the moment. The mayor asked him to slay someone who had been troubling him for a long time now: Scarm, a notorious vampire known to reside somewhere in Reza. Crap.... this was gonna be hard. REALLY hard. No way he could do this alone. Elmah left the office and walked around town, looking for someone to maybe help him. Great, NOW noone was around. Reluctantly, he pointed his stolen horse toward the town of Reza and rode on, knowing he would probably not be able to win the battle to come. He rode past Plith, noticing a head on a stake outside the town. It looked familiar. He looked at it for a moment, finally recognizing it as the head of Arkain, someone he had become acquainted with in the past. Wow.... They must really not have liked that guy. Elmah rode on, noting to himself that he should try not to be that hated.
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Giggling, Nimue slowly floats down and lands on the ground next to Leena. Choosing to remain invisible for the sake of her amusement, she pokes and prods at the mortals randomly.
"This is boring," she complained after a few minutes of harassing the unknowing mortals. She looked back at Leena, her eyes sparkling with all manner of wicked intent. "Let's put them both back on the island and see how long it takes them to go crazy!"
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She seriously considered Nimue's comment before disappearing again and reappearing in front of Elmah. She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck then disappeared once more to reappear by nimmy. She placed the disrepectful mortal between her and the invisible Nimue. "Now see here mister grumpypants. My fellow Immortal here has a suggestion I may be willing to take if you don't say your sorry. I was merely concerned for your well being as you seem to of had a terrible experience."
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Suddenly the proper respect for immortals flowed into Elmah as he now remembered just how gods were. "Er…. Sorry. You see, I've been in a place where very few people deserve respect.... and no immortal ever appears. Truly I do apologize." He looked at them, a little uneasy.
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Nimue, still invisible to the mortal, intoned in her deep, sultry voice, "you shouldn't question our choices. Sometimes it is not our place to involve ourselves in the matters of mortals."
Of course, she failed to mention the water serpent she sent to play with Elmah.
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He looked in the direction of the voice, perking a brow. "So… you have access to other worlds?" He was curious now. He just assumed there was no god in that foul place. He closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling unfit to look upon these immortals.
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She gave him alittle pat on the head. "there much better..here" She conjured up a big fat chocolate chip cookie. "Have a cookie" She handed it to him. " I know this world you speak up. Dun let it get you down" she winked and then ebcame serious. "Now did you happen to have a run in with any immortals before getting stuck on that island?"
