What have I forgotten?... Part 2- Dark Secrets

[Asa]

Kuk hit the ground with a thud. He groaned and looked around. As things came into focus, he noticed he had falled out of his hammock. He clambered back in and stared at the ceiling of the hut. Outside he could hear...a song? But what were the words? They seemed to just go in one ear and out of the other. He rolled back out of his hammock and looked out of the door. He looked out to see Ayira between the two huge cats singing a song. Hmm, perhaps it's in an animal language? Kuk thought as he noticed a dog crawled over and seemed to listen. A druid rushed over to him, "Kuk," He called out to him quietly, "Follow me, quick,". He followed him past tents and huts until he came to the great hall, "Inside, Kuk," The druid held open the door for him. Kuk walked through, "We have kept your chair for you," the druid told him.
"Thank you," Said Kuk kindly, "I have missed it,". In reality, he couldn't remember it at all, but he thought it would be polite to pretend he did.

The great hall; the meeting place of all the high druids; a sanctuary for the poor and wounded, animals and people alike. Pryll himself had a chair, reserved for Kuk, of course. It was the largest, grandest, tallest one there. Built around 200 years ago, it was ancient, unused, but incredibly clean. Kuk was seen as a sort of 'saint' to the druids of this grove: he had saved them from disease killing them all when half of the druids had split off, calling themselves 'the bearers of the plague'. They now lived on the other half of the island, where healthy vegetation was scarce. What little there was had been infected and became a beacon of disease itself. Their territory was slowly spreading from tree to tree as plague slowly creeped up the trunks and into the fruit of the nearby trees. The bearers of the plague themselves were disease-ridden and rotten, but had become immune to the thousands of illnesses and diseases that surrounded the area. Many battles had been fought between the druids and the bearers, the druids carrying healing herbs and planting them around their border to destroy the disease, shrinking their territory.

Kuk took his seat in the great hall. Wow, he thought, this is comfy! He sank into the sea of soft, silky cussions. At the far end of the table, someone called out: "Great Kuk, welcome back. You came in our time of great need. Headmaster? You may enter,"
An elderly druid came out from behind a curtain and hobbled into his chair. He was the most experianced druid in the world, using his knowledge to help him live to 236 years of age. He was the last remaining survivor from the breaking off of the bearers of plague. "Silence!" He called out in his ancient voice, "The bearers are expanding at an extraordinary rate! A path of disease is cutting across to us- fast! If we do not act soon, plague will envelop our grove and destroy us. This entire island will turn into a rotten, festering heap of disease! We have planted the best anti-plague plants we have around the border, but if the bearers attack with the plague, we won't stand a chance. O mighty Kuk, you have returned in our hour of need, as the prophecy foretold! Help us protect our village from the evil that threatens to destroy the entire island,"

Kuk called out to the circle of druid masters, who, despite having years of experience, didn't know as much as Pryll knew in his diary, "We must act quickly," He called out, "I will go and send to you a Onigari," There were mutters echoing around the vast hall, "Yes, they are real!" Kuk shouted, "Although known mostly as a myth, there are a few in existance on this very island! They are shining beacons of health and prosperity- a single one can cure a crowd of one thousand! I will not be returning with it, but it will have instructions to help you defend from the bearers. There will be a great battle, but you will come out on top, I guarantee! Meeting...adjourned,"

Kuk went to find Ayira. When he found her, he told her what was going on. He told her every detail, "So there will be a huge battle. Even with help from me there will be heavy losses. Listen," He said uncertainly, "I want you to gather as many animals as you can to help in the battle, okay?" He was about to turn and leave when he said, "I know you love animals, but many will die, many will be injured, but even more will get diseases and die slowly," And with that he went to say farewell to the druids, so he could return as an Onigari.

[wolfenchantress]

Ayria wondered vaguely where everyone had gone. She'd seen Kuk led away, along with many others going the same direction.

"Where are they going?" Ushi wondered. She watched them all with interest.
"I don't know," She answered. "Possibly to some meeting." Karr stood excitedly, tail lashing back and forth.
"Let's follow!" He exclaimed. Karr was obviously the more energetic and enthusiastic of the two. "We can be very quiet, you know." Ushi reached up and cuffed him with a paw.
"We will go nowhere we are not invited to go. Remember your manners," The more sophisticated of the two growled back. They sat back and waited.

Not long after, both stood, watching off into the distance.
"Your friend is coming," Said Ushi. Ayria stood and greeted Pryll as he approached, looking perfectly healthy. She listened to his story with a growing sense of dread - a war? But weren't they supposed to be finding the seven headed thing and getting the crystal back? She said nothing, however, figuring that Kuk had his priorities.

At the next part, she gave a horrified gasp.
"Pryll, I can't do that!" She said, but she'd hesitated a moment to long, and he was out of sight. "I can't expect them to fight for me, to die for a cause that I don't even fully understand..." She sighed in frustration. She knew that if she but asked any of them would help her, and that was what she hated. She wished they would choose on their own, but it was one of the things about her - not many animals ever refused what she asked of them.

"We will fight," Said Karr and Ushi in almost unison. "And the rest of the Urusai." She shook her head, close to tears. "Why? You don't even know what it is you are fighting for!"
"Ayria, calm down," Ushi purred. "Pryll is right. As many of us will die from the disease, but much, much slower and far more painfully."
"You don't know that," She snapped back, but even as she said it she turned on her heel and walked a few feet into the forest. Shaking, she called one bird, one canine, one snake, one of all the types of animal and explained to each that she needed as many of their species as was possible to come and gather in front of her, and that not one species was to harm another in her presence. She asked the word to be passed in. They went off, and, in only a few minutes, the area in front of her was filled with animals. Not just a lot; they were everywhere. The trees' branched bowed with the weight of birds and snaked and various tree dwellers. And on the forest floor, there were so many packed together the ground was not visible, not for as far as she could see. It was stunning really.

Now, she thought. How do I talk to them all at once? but even as she thought it she felt the familiar feeling inside of her, the one that meant she should just talk. It happened when she met a new animal, or used a language she'd never used previously, almost as if her mind anticipated the words before she realized it.

"Thank you all for coming here..." She said, and was right, It was a language she'd never used, yet recognized immediately as the language every animal would understand. The words were extremely hard to form, and she knew that this was possibly a once in a lifetime thing, for she wouldn't remember how to do it, and doubted her mind would ever make it possible like this again.

She explained the situation, and halfway through tears fought their way from her hold on them and spilled down her face. When she finished the explanation, she could barely stand to look at them, so willing to accept her ordering them to their death. Every single one agreed, and she thought she might just go insane with guilt.
"Please...if you have young at home, or you are sick or elderly, stay home and stay safe. Th . . .Thank you..." And she couldn't say any more. Karr carried her back into town as the animals dispersed, waiting for the battle to start. He stood away from people until she got half a hold of herself, then hunted Pryll down. She slid from Karr's back, angrily wiping tears away.

"It's done." She said, her voice cold. "I've ordered them to their deaths." She cast him a glare. She knew she was being unnecessarily harsh, and that what he'd asked her to do was necessary but she couldn't remember ever feeling so . . . guilty, shameful, angry. Sad. Ushi nudged him with his massive head and purred, "Don't worry, she'll get over it," though knowing that Pryll couldn't understand him. Ayria was going to say more, but choked up and turned away, climbing back onto Karr. The cat gave Pryll an apologetic look do diffuse the cold stare Ayria shot back before sauntering to find the groups she'd broken the animals into and sent to different strategic spots to make sure all of them were getting along okay. Though it wouldn't matter - a lot of them would be dead soon anyways. Once that was done, she lay face down on Karr and let her tears soak his fur. It felt like she was sending her own family into Battle and knew she wouldn't see them again - a kind of heart wrenching, hollow feeling.
"You know, you were kind of harsh," Ushi said. Ayria nodded, not trusting her voice. "Are you going to apologise?" The big cat prompted. Again, a nod. She couldn't find the words enough to explain herself. Ushi merely nodded, totally understanding.
Silently she lay there, Ushi not straying far from Karr and herself, and waited for the call to fight.

((Whoa...sorry, this is ridiculously long...*sheepish grin*)

[Asa]

((Just modified your post- you called Kuk Len, and don't worry about long posts (and I thought mine was long!) ))

As Pryll was about to set out into the jungle, Ayira came over to him, telling him that the animals were ready. He could tell that she was upset about it. Of course she was. Animals were her life, and he had asked her to send them to what was probably their deaths. Her words hurt him, although they shouldn't have. He sighed and walked off into the jungle. Once out of sight and earshot, he shifted into an Onigari. Onigari are huge hulking beasts, resembling a creature similar to a bear, about as tall as two and a half people, except with more weight on the upper half of his body. It's head was similar to that of a wolf, with great, sharp teeth. It's arms were huge and muscular, especially compared with it's legs, which were much smaller in comparison, but still huge. However, the strangest feature on this beast was the glowing pure green sacks protuding from it's thick, matted, black fur.

The Onigari are a mythical beast of the island. Pryll had heard of them in a tale, so tried shifting into one, and it worked. There was a small group of them living underneath Drano Island, hidden away for thousands of years.

The Onigari hulked back towards the grove, supporting it's weight on it's arms and swinging it's legs imbetween. As it passed by the plants, they When it arrived at the grove, there the many gasps from the druids and other people there. Pryll concentrated and started sending out thoughts to everyone nearby, "I have been sent by Kuk to aid you in your battle. Do not fear" sounded in everyones heads. He found the headmaster and a crowd of druids prepared or preparing for war. He also found Ayira with her group of animals, and there was loads! He looked at Ayira, "It's Pryll. Listen, I'm...I'm sorry for having to put you through this," then at the headmaster, "Is this the way they're coming from? I can understand you if you talk,". The headmaster nodded and said, "The plague will be arriving soon. We are ready," Pryll grunted out loud. He went to Ayira and sat next to her, towering above her. "They are going to hit, and when they do, they will hit hard. Stay by me. You will be safe. I do not want you getting hurt because of me. It would tear me apart inside..."

Straight ahead of him, he could see trees shrivelling and dying, turning a sickly green, a similar green gas spreading out, infecting the surrounding vegetation. "They are coming!" The headmaster called out, "Fight well. I am too old to stay and fight, but I shall be acting as a medic for the wounded...or sick," He hobbled back to the grove. The druids were nervous. There must have been about sixty of them, all waiting anxiously for the bearers to come from the jungle. Screams shot out from the trees and about ten men ran out from the trees, wailing crazily. They were wearing robes that were stained a green colour, with a red eye on the top of the hood. They were swinging flails about wildly. The druids braced for impact, the spearmen sticking their spears in front of them. A few were impaled on the spears, killed instantly, the others smahed through the ranks of druids, sending them flying into trees. The druids moved out of the way and surrounded them one by one, stabbing them repeatadly with their knives. One of them ran towards Pryll, but he dealt with him with a single sweep of his mighty claw. When he made impact, the bearer disintergrated into a skeleton, and fell apart within his robes.

The mad flailers were soon dealt with, with little casualties. Then the full attack force came. A huge croud of at least one hundred and fifty ordinary bearers came marching through the trees towards them, weapons in hand. Pryll prepared for their attack as they started charging wildly towards them.

[wolfenchantress]

((Whoops. Mixing up RPs. In the other one, I called Len Pryll.
And I've been trying really hard not to do that too. ))

Ayria glanced up as Pryll wandered over as a huge, lumbering something she couldn't identify. He spoke into her head, surprising her, telling her not to be too rash and stay behind him.
"We will protect her," Ushi meowed up to him. Ayria made a face.
"I don't need protection," She muttered back. "I'm fine."
"With you in charge of all of these animals, I think you will need significant protection." Ayria frowned, but didn't argue. She knew they were right.

In only a few moments, the forest was turning a sickish dead color, and it was spreading. Fast. The animals were getting restless, she could feel it, but they didn't move, awaiting her signal. The first wave of them were dispatched soon enough, and still the animals waited. It was when the second wave came that they began to get fidgety. Most of them made some kind of noise, a growl or a hoot or a roar, so it sounded like a chorus of terrifying beasts. They drew closer and closer. Everything was dead silent.

Then they charged. At the same time, she screamed, "GO!!" and every single animal was off running, flying, swinging towards the mass. Karr, her mount at the time, sprung foreword with a savage roar that she'd never heard the liked of. Feeling rebellious, and still rather grievous, she ignored Pryll's direction to stay near him and charged foreword with the animals. Either way, she had to. She needed to be able to watch and guide them. She clenched her teeth in horror as one after another the front row of beasts fell to the opposing side, bloody and staring ahead blankly. She was torn from that sight as four from the other side began to hack at Karr and her. Karr let out yet another wicked snarl and fought them off with the help of Ushi, suffering a gash to the face. Ayria ignored the blade that bit into her arm,; it wasn't a lethal wound, she could take it.

Ayria surveyed the scene from the middle of the fight, not in any way afraid except for the animals. She was surrounded by animals that would protect her, even if she did not want them to. So she watched, issuing gentle commands to those who needed the help and recruiting other animals to help those who needed it, as well as the Druids from the village. She asked three Torie, massive, terrifyingly powerful birds, to stay near Pryll, just in case,m and the rest of the different species in the back lined to aid the Druids. She scanned everything, her eyes skipping over the fallen bodies, each on like a wound to herself. She watched, occasionally jarring as Karr fought off something or another, guiding the animals as best she could.

[Asa]

Pryll watched as the animals made a charge on the bearers, Ayira riding one of the Ushi. Pryll roared and pounded towards the bearers. The bearers, crazy with disease, showed no fear of the huge mythical beast hurtling towards them. They screamed and slashed at his arms and body, making slight gashes, but no real damage. Pryll swung his great arm in a wide arc, disintergrating several bearers. One came charging at his from his left flank and plunged a knife into one of his green buboes of health. Pryll grimaced in pain as the gooey liquid inside squirted out over his attacker, burning straight through his as if he wasn't there. The half that was left slumped to the ground as the liquid his the infected undergrowth, healing it immediately and making it grow lusher and greener than it was ever before. He grasped the seething green hole in his shoulder, clenching his jaw tightly shut. Another group saw him and charged towards him. He roared incredibly loud and pounded them with his fists, obliterating them. He glanced over to see how the others were doing. The druids were locked in combat with the bearers, but it was a losing battle. However, with him and the other animals, they should just make it.

He went to help the druids, who were battling ferociously. He came at them from the rear and picked one up. His hand glowed green and so did the degrading bearer. Pryll tossed him into the enemy, disintergrating all infected in it's path. However, a second wave of fanatics with their great flails came charging up behing pryll. Before he could react, a spiked ball smashed into his leg and into a buboe on his back. Pryll screamed and spun round, crushing the like bugs. He put a hand to his back and scooped up some of the green liquid and threw it into the crowd of bearers. There was a loud hissing followed by the sound of growth. He collapsed to the ground, his leg snapped. He knocked away the flailers with his great paws as they tried to leap on top of him. He crawled back up and grabbed an overhead branch. Swinging from branch to branch, higher and higher. He sat himself atop a baobi tree, a tree with a huge trunk and a flat, leafy space on top. Pryll grunted. He was in a lot of pain, but he had to keep going. He looked out over the jungle. About a third of the jungle was a sickly yellow-green colour, with a similar colour gas hanging around it. It was spreading. He had to go back down to fight. Taking a rough breath, he jumped.

Landing hard on his shoulder, a bright green gas spread out around him, making flowers burst from their buds. Luckily, he had landed in the middle of a bearer platoon of about twenty-five, now reduced to dust. He hobbled up, not putting any pressure on his left leg. He looked back to the druids. Their numbers were dwindling, but he could tell that they'd fight down to the last man. Ahead of him, something was coming out of the trees. A mass of small creatures...animals! Animals of all shapes and sizes, with eyes misted over, foaming at the mouth. They were half-rotten, some with their ribcages showing, others with their arms nothing but bone. He looked back at Ayira on the Ushi, feeling sympathy for her to have to see these poor creatures in such a state.

((I was thinking that our posts could be going on simoultaniously, so you'd fight for a bit before seeing the animals)) ((Also I drew a pic of an Onigari, don't know if you've looked at it yet))

[wolfenchantress]

Karr jumped over a flailing person and whipped around, latching its jaws around its neck and snapping it with a simple twist of his head. The movement caused Ayria to fall from Karr's back. Hurriedly, she stood and turned back to the big cat but fell when she felt a hard blow to the head, making stars appear in her vision. She turned to her attacker, only to find that he had already been dispatched of by a Wolryg, who viciously tore at his stomach. Ayria made a face and bent over to retrieve the flail of the victim, a bit uncertainly. She'd never before killed anyone, and wasn't sure if she could do it, but this was a matter of life and death.

For a few moments she just watched the scene around her, wondering why it had to be like this, why everyone had to fight, to kill each other. Those thoughts weree cut off by a cruel laugh from behind her.

She turned to face two of the other side and froze, scrambling backwards. She swung the spiked weapon wildly, crushing something in one of them - she'd closed her eyes, so she didn't see what it was - and felt blood splatter across her body, warm and sticky. The other was taken down by Karr, who'd come back to retrieve her. Karr had many slices and cuts, and his muzzle was coated in the blood of countless victims. She reached up and hopped onto the cat's back again. From her vantage point, she could see a lot, and what she saw she didn't like.

Dozens of animals lay dead and wounded next to the dozens of human bodies, the wicked gleam in the animal's eyes gone, their faces plastered in loyal snarls, even in death. She looked away, scanning the distance.

And froze. Coming through the trees were more animals - but they were sick. Their eyes were glazed over and they foamed at the mouth, guttural sounds issuing forth from their throats. She remembered to breath, horrified to see them in such a state.

"Ayria, we must kill them, they will spread the disease," Karr snarled. Numbly, she nodded as Karr leapt easily over the bodies of the living and the dead, reaching the horde of sick animals quickly. Immediately, Karr was engaged in a fight with another one of her own kind. Ayria slid from the cat's back and turned to a Sayo, which was a wolf but it had scaled and was much bigger. She swung the flail, feeling it connect. More blood sprayed across her face, and she jerked back. By now she was coated in it - most not her own.

She drew her arm back again and made to swing it foreword, but a searing pain in her forearm made her scream and drop to her knees. She wrenched around, terrified. Another Sayo, foaming and Sick had her by the arm, his teeth sunk deep into her flesh. A blow to the head and he let go, but she backed up, clutching her bleeding arm to her chest, the wound feeling as though it was on fire. She shook her head, ignoring the intense pain as best she could, and resumed fighting, also ignoring the fact that the Sayo that had bitten her was sick with infection. The dizziness started to set in, and she crawled on Karr's back with some difficulty. She held on with her good arm, swinging the flail down with the one that had been bitten.

It's fine, she told herself. It won't kill me. I have to help fight, or...or...they all might die, She thought. She didn't know what she would do if she was the cause of the Druid's deaths, especially Pryll's. Grimly, she glanced over to see Pryll not too far. No, She thought. I have to help guide the animals.

[Asa]

[[GO TO DRANO ISLAND]] ((I forgot to move it ))