Kartakass: The Barovia Chapter

[NeoTiamat]

The Warden listened to Van and Draven calmly, giving a sharp nod as he finished. His quiet, grey eyes were utterly unreadable.

"I agree."

Valerian sheathed the longsword, then stooped and carefully picked up Tara Kolyana in his arms. A swift kick with a steel-booted foot opened the door, and the Warden headed out into the rain.

"Come, quickly now. Van, bring the vials. We'll need them shortly. Leave the horses, we'll never get them through the fog. And don't forget our gear!"

"Hurry now!"

==============================================

Sefi stared at Draven for a while, then shook her head as if trying to remember something. At the Warden's hurried words, she shrugged and headed out into the rain. It wasn't as though she carried much, just a sword, some clothing, and a money pouch to buy more clothing.

Outside, in the rain, Sefi stopped suddenly and perked her head to the new silence. Without warning, the young woman tilted her head and let out an eerie, inhuman howl.

http://www.boomerwolf.com/soundsmovies/single.au

[ewancummins]

Seeing that flight had become necessary, Cornelius quickly doused the coals with some water and repacked his kit.


''Yes, let's go.''

With that, he followed Valerian oustide into the rain.

[lostboy]

Draven takes afew gulps of air to clear his head and fight down the bile in his throat, why now of all times? he thinks. Steeling himself he pulls up his hood, shoulders his pack and wraps his cloak tighter around himself before following the Warden out into the night.

He stops dead just outside the door at the sound of Sefi's howl, and stares at the girl.

[VAN]

Van gets his backpack and with Tarlyn's box at hand goes out as well.

[BigBadQDaddy]

William rushes to his room and grabs his pack in haste. He then rushes back down the stairs and out into the rain with the others.

"I don't like the idea of leaving the horses behind..." he says to the group, but then doesn't press the matter, instead simply following the group.

[Ail]

Lucius follows the other anxiously. He had brought all his gear and was armored for a fight. He'd have to do without arcane spells, not having slept a wink, so the armor wouldn't harm him. He still had some cleric spells to spend, and he intended to make good use of them. Having his mace at the ready, he was ready to run for the border with everybody else, still unsure of what had happened to Tarlyn, worried with their new protégé and at the instability Sefi had so clearly revealed.

It would be a long night ahead, and perhaps even worse days after that.

[steveflam]

As you hurry towards the fog, in the distance you can hear anew the howl of wolves, and many more than the last pack. Tarlyn's words are beginning to sink in as the howling gets closer.

For nearly 20 minutes you run, barely outdistancing the howls, which sem to be getting closer and closer. In front of you looms a large, tall and very lengthy wall of fog as when you enterred this accursed Domain.

Up on the hill behind you and exitting the forest are wolves. Eyes red in the moonlight. They howl and approach you with confidence, almost as if they know something you don't. A head appears at the hill, then a body and finally the whole body. It's the unmistakable form of the Count!

"Fools! I am the land! You can't escape through there. Hand over the girl to me and I promise to let you go."

He moves closer, almost too fast for you.....

[NeoTiamat]

"Ezra guard us and guide us." Valerian's tone is oddly reverent as he looks at the oncoming attackers.

Shifting Tara so as to free a hand, the Warden opens the box in Van's hands. Inside, a number of small glittering vials rested on a velvet cloth, a swirling yellow liquid inside. Let these be what Tarlyn spoke of, Lady in the Mists

"Take a vial and follow me."

Grasping a single vial in his free hand, the Warden pushes the stopper out with his thumb and downs the liquid in one gulp. Taking a second, he pours it down Tara's throat, moving her head so that she swallows.

"Into the Mists of Death I go. Ezra hold me."

With that Valerian entered the misty wall before him.

==============================================

Sefi looked at the wolves, but then she shook her head, trying to clear the muzziness out of her mind. Taking a vial from Van, she drank deeply the strange liquid. It felt strange flowing down her throat, but she shrugged and followed the blond, armored man without so much as a backward glance.

[VAN]

Van looks the wall of fog in front of them and then the wolves and Strahd's figure.

"Lets hope Tarlyn's liquid help us!" Thinks the evoker and without hessitating another second, he puts the box down, gets a vial and drinks the liquid. Then he follows Valerian and Sefi through the misty wall.

[lostboy]

The appearance of the Count shocks Draven, and he quickly grabs a vial and knocks it back, figthing to keep it down in his nauseous stomach. Swallowing with tears in his eyes he turns and heads after the others into the mists.

I have a bad feeling about this he thinks as the greyness swirls around him, drowning out the baying of the wolves.

[BigBadQDaddy]

"Down the hatch lads."

William takes the contents of the vial in a crude single swallow, then, drawing his pistol, heads into the fog with the others.

[ewancummins]

Cornelius does the same as the others, quickly downing a vial of the potion and rushing into the Mists....