City of IF

[Chinaren]

Chapter 21 - Water water everywhere...

Synopsis:
The Dark Queen Phang and her Evil Horde have invaded the Silver Lands and taken the Gnomish Capital city Chundyer, forcing the King to flee north to unknown lands. Only an artifact known as the Black Heart has the power to defeat her Dark magics.
Duke Reg and a small party are chasing the Duke’s small sister, who has been abducted by the mysterious Sorrow, his eight headed goose and his wretched sidekick Idea Master, the later cruelly sacrificed by Sorrow to get closer to the Heart.
Phang is also looking for the Heart, and has sent a hideous Demon to search for it. Homer and his party, including witch Stoat fought the demon, but he got away with the witch, who he later killed.
Moving on into a secret mountain lair in search of the Heart, Homer and Shanty met a talking Ass who directed them to choose one of three paths…


Cast (in no particular order):
Evil Homer as ‘The Paladin Hero’
Chainfire as Homer’s sword.
Araex as Homer’s steed.
Shanty as Captain Shanty.
Dragon Fire as The Dragon Guardian.
Kalanna Rai as the Bad Ass.

DukeReg as Oaf Duke Reginald Percival Thunderking Harwobble the Fifth.
Key as the Magical Dignified Chamber Pot.
D-Lotus as the Elven special forces commander
Solomon Birch as a misguided AlbinoDrow.
Random as The Thing.

Sorrow as a mysterious robed figure.
Mother goose as a hydroose
Sunbellina as Duke Reg’s little sister.

Ingrothechundyer as Ingro Chundyer the Gnome King.
Reiso as Gnome Prince Reiso
Cantolope as King of the Fairies
Author as Gnomish Wizard.

Phang as The Dark Mistress
Muaddib as a wheely thing.
Lord of the Night as an Evil Demon Warrior.
Powers That Be as General Powers ‘the perverted.’
Luvd and Mr Moochie as ‘The Ravens’
Dean as the Dean the Head.
Smee as the Smee Slug.

The Fallen – Lest we forget..
Jnmrcs as the High Commander
Hyperion as the Mage.
CowofDoom666 as the Cow of Doom
Idea Master as the Wretched minion.
Shady Stoat as the Twisted Witch.
Ethereal Fauna as Ethereal Slug.


Sorrow.

The power from Idea Master’s death energy surged through Sorrow as they flew along the pathway opened up by Random’s spell. Mother Goose tumbled beside him and the little witch followed, still attached by the silver cord.

After a thousand years or one second, maybe both, he landed on solid ground again. The others landed after him with a couple of thumps.

He looked around. It was night. They were at the base of a mountain near some woodland. Sorrow sniffed the air. Magic had been used here recently, a lot of magic.

He turned to face the mountain. “Come on, we have some climbing to do.”

Homer.

“Earth, air and water” mused Homer. “Why isn’t there a Fire tunnel?”

Rai shrugged, which isn’t easy if you are an ass. “Don’t know. Someone said there used to be one once, but it collapsed or something.”

“What sort of guardian are you anyway?” asked Shanty.

“Oh, I am worse than I look, I assure you. It’s just…” The ass trailed off.

“Just what?”

Kai looked uncomfortable. “Well, it’s just I have been in this form so long now, I seem to have become stuck. I am actually quite the monster, if you catch me on a good day.”

Homer rubbed the back of his head. “Well, that’s all very well and good, but it isn’t getting us closer to the Heart. This tunnel” he pointed to the closest one, “which one is it again?”

“That’s the path of Water” Kai replied.

“Okay, water it is then.” Homer walked forward and then paused to look back, “coming?”


D-Lotus.

D-Lotus, The Duke, Solomon and the thing called Random hurtled through the magical tunnel. They landed hard at the base of a mountain.

“Ug!” said D-Lotus, staggering to his feet and looking about. A dark mass loomed high over them. In the darkness he thought he could make out movement further up the mountain.

Solomon was kneeling down. “Someone has been here recently.” He picked something up off the ground. It was a pink ribbon. “Look.”

Duke Reg roared! “That Little Sister’s!”

Solomon scouted around for a few moments. “They went up the mountain. Not far ahead of us.”

“Let’s go.” Said D-Lotus.

“What about me?” asked Random.

“Come or stay, it is no concern of mine.” So saying he started up the trail with the others close behind.

Random looked around for a moment, and felt the remnants of the magic in the air. “Wait up!” he said, and set off after them.

Shanty.

Shanty stepped through the entrance to the path of Water and passed through a moment of darkness. The moment passed and she looked around at her new surroundings. She was on a dusty brown plain, no sign of the mountain or tunnels. Overhead the sky was a pale mud color. Three dull suns hung in it, one blue, one brown and one a color she had never encountered before. The light from the three cast strange shadows and hurt her eyes.

Something moved in front of her. She reached for her sword as the thing approached. It was man shaped, but seemed to be made of water. Ripples passed through its body.

“Stand where you are thing!” she said, and then stopped. Her words floated out of her mouth in bubbles. “What the…?”

The other shape spoke, producing similar bubbles. “Is that you Captain Shanty? This is Homer.”

Shanty looked down. Her form, her clothes, her sword was no longer solid but liquid. Yet she felt the same as she always had. “Yes. I think. What’s going on?”

Another shape appeared near them. “Oh. So this is what the path of water does.” It said.

“Is that you donkey?” Water Homer asked.

“The name is Rai. How unusual.”

“What’s going on?” repeated Shanty, trying to poke a finger into herself. It didn’t penetrate, which was oddly re-assuring.

“Well,” said Water Ass, “it appears we have been transmogrified into some kind of liquid. I would say water at a guess, what with it being called the Path of Water and all that.”

“I wonder what happens when you go to the toilet?” said Shanty.

Water Homer looked around the strange landscape. “Where now?

Rai nodded a head in one direction. “That looks a good a destination as any.”

Shanty looked over. Some sort of structure could be seen in the distance.

“Let’s go then, I have no desire to hang about,” bubbled Homer.

He turned and started towards the distant building. The others sloshed behind him.

Solomon.

Solomon raced after D-Lotus, who was running hard to keep up with Duke Reg, who in-turn was racing up the mountain path waving his huge hammer. Somewhere behind Solomon the chamber pot and the creature from the tower were following.

There was a sudden flurry of movement, and an eight headed shape leapt out from behind a rock at the Duke, who ran straight into it. The collision buffeted the Hydroose back off the edge of the cliff with a squawk, but barely slowed the enraged man.

D-Lotus cried a warning to Duke, but he was heading towards his little sister and nothing was going to get in the way.

Solomon saw a hooded form step onto the path infront of Duke Reg. The Duke screamed with renewed rage and raised his enormous two handed hammer. Sorrow raised a hand in turn and a bolt of power leapt from his palm, striking Duke in the chest, staggering him. Even so, the hammer swung down, scoring a glancing blow off Sorrow’s arm.

Sorrow screamed and pointed a finger. A bolt of light lanced out and hit the Duke, knocking him flat on his back. Now though D-Lotus arrived on the scene, with Solomon hard on his heels.

“Give it up Sorrow!” shouted D-Lotus, wielding his blade.

Sorrow had no intention of doing so, and made another gesture with his good hand, words of power burning into the air around him. D-Lotus raised his enchanted sword though, and the spell bounced off it to hit Solomon square in the face.

Solomon’s world went black.

Sorrow

“Curse that damned oaf!” Sorrow stumbled up towards a large metal door set into the mountain, one arm hanging limply at his side. Behind him Mother Goose landed on the path, one head dangling lifelessly.

Sorrow went around the back of a large boulder where the little witch lay, tied up with the silver cord. “Get up hag!” He yanked her to her feet.

“Ha! Looks like my brother caught up with you then!” she said defiantly.

Sorrow smacked her round the head, knocking her down again, then turned to look at the door. “No time for subtlety now. He reached into a pouch and withdrew a small globe. Muttering a small cantrip he threw the globe at the door. It exploded with a muffled thud, splattering liquid into the metal. There was a hiss as the acid ate away at the iron.

Sorrow felt his injured arm. “Damn oaf.” He muttered again.

The door sizzled.

Solomon.

A voice. Solomon opened his eyes to see a thin Elven face looking down at him. Green eyes pierced his, straight hair moved slightly in the wind. A thin but sculptured nose mounted a stern looking mouth, lips moist and red. The Face glowed with a wondrous radiance. It was the most beautiful thing Solomon had ever seen.

“Are you alright? That spell hit you straight in the head.”

“You are a god.” Murmured Solomon.

D-Lotus raised a (perfect) eyebrow. “Well, I don’t like to boast.”

“Such a wonder! Such perfection! Perfect skin!”

D-Lotus blushed. “I use a cream” he said, then looked up. “As much as I would usually enjoy this little chat, if you are capable of moving we should be off. Sorrow escaped us, but he can’t be far ahead.”

Solomon tore his gaze away from the elf and looked around. The Duke (how crude and ugly he was in comparison) sat on the path, head in his hands. Dried blood caked his chest, but he seemed not to notice. A little way away the Random thing stood quietly, blinking multiple eyes.

Solomon stood up. The wondrous D-Lotus moved over to the Duke. “Come on big man, stand up. We will catch them yet.”

The Duke looked up, tears dripping down onto his armor. “Bad man hurt Duke!” He said.

“But you hurt him too, that was a mighty blow you gave him.”

Duke snuffled and then nodded. “Yes. We catch him I give him another. On his head.”

“That’s the spirit.” Said D-Lotus. He looked around. “Are you coming with us thing?” he asked Random.

“I have no way back at the moment, traveling with you seems the way to go just now.”

“Well, I will be watching you.” D-Lotus helped the Duke to his feet. “Come on, let’s go.”

The party followed the path up the hill, moving cautiously in case of ambush. Nothing happened. Eventually they came to a metal door. A ragged hole seemed to have been burnt into it. A small pink shoe lay nearby.

They looked at each other and moved forward. Solomon trailed after D-Lotus, smelling his perfume. What a perfect figure! Such a being must be protected at all costs! He resolved to watch out and protect his new idol. Whatever it took, Solomon was your Drow.

Homer.

The brown plain was not flat, as they soon found out. It dipped and rose in a series of low hills. Still they continued on, sloshing forward for an unknown amount of time, under the three strange suns which appeared to hang motionless.

Trees, or something Homer decided to classify as trees, were becoming more common. They were lumpy things, and seemed to be made out of mud and rocks, as if some sort of crazy artist had decided to make a forest from dirt.

It was as they moved through these mud trees that they heard the voices. Homer raised a hand and motioned for silence. Slipping from one tree to another he moved quietly up the hill until he reached the crest. Looking around a trunk(?) he saw a strange sight.

The castle, made of something the same color as the ground, loomed up in the distance. Surrounding it was a host of water-type creatures. To Homer it looked like an army was laying siege.

A movement caught his eye and he ducked back. Several water creatures were close. They appeared to be looking over the scene below. ‘Commanders?’ thought Homer.

He frowned. For some reason he felt like the castle was where he needed to be. Call it a hunch. He looked at the massed forces below, then at the small group a little way away. ‘Now what?’

>>>>>>

Well, what should Homer do now? Observe a while? Speak to the nearby water people? Something else? All suggestions welcome!

And btw Stoat, as you can see from above, your Soily bid has been initiated! Others will be forthcoming! Watch this space!


<<<<<<

[Shady Stoat]

I like the path of water. Inventive :)

As for what Homer should do - can he change shape at all? I know he hasn't tried yet - but if he's made of water, it might be possible to become a stream... or to allow himself to sink into the ground and make his way under the castle, somehow?

Other than that, it might be worth seeing if you can covertly eavesdrop on the other watery figures. Try and find out what their agenda is before you confront them directly.

[LordoftheNight]

then again, he might change into a ond, and be swept away before he has a chance to change back, and spend the rest of eternity in little droplets, which wouldn't be that useful

i like the way they chose the path - very clever

[Smee]

Good chapter - nice to see stoat's bid getting started.

Quote: Solomon trailed after D-Lotus, smelling his perfume.

:lol:

so Homer...

Stoat's idea of trying to see what powers he has is a good one, but these paths were supposed to be hard, and apart from some possible issues going to the bathroom so far it's been pretty easy.

Turning into Steam seems dangerous, even if it is possible - too insubstantial and probably best avoided incase you can't pull yourself together again.

Just strolling up and talking doesn't seem like a good idea. For all we know the army is in fact just all the previous souls who walked the water path and are now trapped just staring at the castle.

Let's be more covert and try to get round them, learning what we can.

Happy Writing :D

Smauna :D

[D-Lotus]

Well, maybe they are friendly. Let's help them out! :smile:

[Key]

I like the straightforward approach. Approach them and ask them whether they are good or evil.

[ethereal_fauna]

The only problem with the straightforward approach is that's the quickest way to lose your head. :-o

[Solomon Birch]

ethereal_fauna wrote: The only problem with the straightforward approach is that's the quickest way to lose your head. :-o

ROFL! Very true. :P

And I like my infatuation for D-Lotus, very funny. Should provide some highly amusing occurences in the future. ;) :biggrin: :lol:

And I agree with Stoat; trying some sort of useful shapechange would be good, although Smee is right, steam is probably not a good idea. :?

*holds breath*

[Idea master]

Oh no, you all couldn't go with the path of Air or Earth, you had to choose the ambiguious one of Water...
*Does the I-told-you-so dance*
Anyways...
What if our real destination is not the structure, but beyond it?
I say scout around a little bit first.
And China, you'd best get a start on some of your old storygames. Smee's been on the prowl with his hellhounds just looking for a few good people to use as dog food.
I'm just saying I wouldn't be the least surprised if in the morning, all that remained of you was a few small tufts of orange fur.

[Chinaren]

Quote: you'd best get a start on some of your old storygames

I think I am fairly up to date, especially in the Fantasy section. Narg had a new chapter a few days back, Tale too, and the only other one is Arena, which is still twitching with imminent life!

[Idea master]

I see you failed to mention some of the other games. Such as the bananas one. It's okay though, as random only usually tortures them for a long time.

[Chinaren]

Yah, but that's in humor, and all of my SGs are well within the one post per month limit. :D

[duffman666]

can i be in the story please

[Chinaren]

Indeed you can Dm. Any preference? If you have you can go to the Marketplace thread. Otherwise I will insert you when a suitable opportunity arises! :D

[D-Lotus]

So basically we have 2 options.

Direct or indirect approach.

or we could send someone alone to see what happens to him/her?

[Idea master]

Chinaaaaaa.
Your numbers don't match up.
As the written title, you have chapter 22.
As the title we click on to see the story, you have chapter 21.
Make up your mind oe we'll make it for you.
And you don't want me to make up your mind...
Trust me.

[Suneila]

D-Lotus wrote: So basically we have 2 options.

Direct or indirect approach.

or we could send someone alone to see what happens to him/her?

That's awfully nice of you, D. Let's just send the donkey over there and see if her head gets chopped off!

Eavesdropping (for a while at least) is the way to go.

~sunny

[D-Lotus]

Yeah! Send the donkey! Send the donkey!

[Idea master]

Sending an ass to figure out your situation? How moronic could you get?
Clearly, if you don't take my advice (again), then Evil Homer will charge in with his sword swinging, laying waste to everything he encounters!

[Chinaren]

Episode 22 is now up.

I will put a poll up for this chapter soon, so any more suggestions let me know!

[Chinaren]

Okay then, poll is now up. Get 'em while they are hot!

[ethereal_fauna]

Send in the ass...

[LordoftheNight]

yes, sounds like a plan

[Chinaren]

Okay, I know not many voted, but I was in the mood, so next episode is up.

This thread is going into lockdown.