Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Five

[JMaytr]

Jonathan's sobbing turns into complete hysterics when the knight removes his helmet and shows the group his monstrous corruption.

"I knew you were monsters! I knew it! Oh Doctor Rudolph! Save the innocent from this demonic night thing!"

[Le Noir Faineant]

[Batman voice:] "Give me a second, folks."

Cirdan will turn to Jon and walk towards the boy.

Should Jon not draw a weapon,
in which case Cirdan would attack him immediately with his sword,
the dark knight will simply step forward and slap the boy in the face.

[Power attack, non-lethal damage, should be enough to TKO Jon.]

[Batman voice:]"ALAIN, who do you think is the traitor?"

The question might come all of a sudden, but now that you think of it,
Cirdan had isolated himself from the group for way longer back than when you fought Wollutha.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio is about to speak and assure Cirdan that he has no intention of staying in this place forever, but he his shocked into silence, both by Cirdan's eyes and his actions. He puts a steadying hand on the knights shoulder in part to keep Cirdan from Jon and in part to just to make sure this is all tangible.

"Cirdan, what are you doing? Light of morning, what has become of you?"

[steveflam]

Norzak sees Cirdan's face and frowns, then watches him approach Jon. He has an odd feeling. Then the half elf slaps him! He spits on the ground, his eyes narrowing. He growls "Ay, dun touch the lad, Cirdan." His hand is not far from his short sword. He whispers to Alain "E jest slapped the lad an 'es got like red eyes an looks like a devil or something."

[Adam]

Bennedict looks at the ever confused crowd and the conflict escalating in front of him. He quickly steps between Cirdan, Dorgio, and Jon.

"I have a wonderful idea," he says, his voice lowered so as to be audible only to the group. "Why don't we get out of the view of all of these folks before we start...whatever it is we're starting here. They are panicked enough as it is." He turns an accusatory gaze on the boy. "It is bad enough that they have been stirred up by this false hope that they can simply wander out into the mists and everything will be safe and happy. To watch us tear each other apart could break them forever." He shakes his head, in disgust. "Mein gott, we are beset on all sides by horrors, and yet we take the time to do the work for them."

[ewancummins]

Jon is lying on the ground, bleeding from his mouth. The boy groans and struggles to rise, but slips back down to the dirt. He's just been struck very hard in the face by a very strong man wearing an iron gauntlet, and it was a sucker punch, too!

[Le Noir Faineant]

Cirdan will hiss like a snake, and unceremoniously go on to bind and gag Jon, s

hould noone interfere.

[Batman voice:] "I know, Ben. The youngster has panicked already, I couldn't let him go on."

To the group:

"I am not a simple man any more. I am more than that. But I will always be your protector and your friend."

The dark knight smirks, as if to an inward joke.

"Not the hero you deserve, but the hero you need right now."

The knight seems to loose some of his tension, but keeps his scary, raspy voice.

"Murderers like the one pursuing us are not complicated. Find out why he keeps chasing us, and we will find him. But we already know, right, Alain?"

Cirdan's red eyes seem to flicker.

[ewancummins]

Bang!

A small stone, hurled by somone in the crowd, bounces off Cirdan's breastplate just as he begins to man-handle Jon.
Voices are raised in anger.

Ottokar approaches and grabs hold of Jon's arm, trying to help the stunned and bleeding boy to his feet.
To Cirdan, the trader says-
''Stop it, you crazy brute! He's a frightened boy, not an enemy! What the hell is wrong with you? ''

[Le Noir Faineant]

Bang!

A small stone, hurled by somone in the crowd, bounces off Cirdan's breastplate just as he begins to man-handle Jon.
Voices are raised in anger.

Ottokar approaches and grabs hold of Jon's arm, trying to help the stunned and bleeding boy to his feet.
To Cirdan, the trader says-
''Stop it, you crazy brute! He's a frightened boy, not an enemy! What the hell is wrong with you? ''

Cirdan steps away, showing his teeth.

[Batman voice:]"Take him... And make sure he doesn't become a nuisance ever again. - Or I will take him."

Fearless, the dark knight turns to the crowd.

[Same voice, of course:]

"If you enter the Mists now, you all might die. There is only poor salvation behind the fog.
Whatever you decide, you shouldn't decide it in a state of panic.
- Calm DOWN, and reflect. TAKE THE BOY if you want. But THINK carefully what he is proposing."

[ewancummins]

Cirdan steps away, showing his teeth.

[Batman voice:]"Take him... And make sure he doesn't become a nuisance ever again. - Or I will take him."

Ottokar spits at Cirdan's feet-

''You ought to be ashamed of yourself. ''

Fearless, the dark knight turns to the crowd.

[Same voice, of course:]

"If you enter the Mists now, you all might die. There is only poor salvation behind the fog.
Whatever you decide, you shouldn't decide it in a state of panic.
- Calm DOWN, and reflect. TAKE THE BOY if you want. But THINK carefully what he is proposing."

The crowd recoils in horror Cirdan's words and appearance. A horrified babble breaks out among the people [the gathering is now well over fifty or sixty men, women and children, and it is growing by the moment as seemingly the whole Moot converges on the spot].

''Look at his eyes! Red, like a devil! His voice, I cannot bear the sound of it.....Monster! He is the Monster! We must protect the boy! The boy said our children are in danger!''

Another rock flies from the crowd, and this one strikes Cirdan in the face, cutting his cheek but otherwise doing no great damage.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Cirdan!" the priest bellows. "This is not helping! Jon may be in the wrong, but do you think this is convincing people otherwise? No please, be telling us about this business with the traitor, and what is this having to do with Alain? And by the beams, elf, what is happening with your eyes?"

[Le Noir Faineant]

''Look at his eyes! Red, like a devil! His voice, I cannot bear the sound of it.....Monster! He is the Monster! We must protect the boy! The boy said our children are in danger!''

For now Cirdan completely ignores Otto and Diorgio.

The red glow in his eyes looses its power, and his voice is softer when he addresses the crowd again, though equally loud.

"You shall decide what I am, or if you can still rely on my protection.
- Just don't throw your lives away, like the boy suggested."

[JMaytr]

Jonathan crawls over to where Norzak is and tries to hide behind the dwarf. Jon is shaking hard and a large purple bruise is rapidly forming on the side of the boy's face.

"I just want these people to be safe! And now Cirdan threatens my life for it! [to the moot folk] He means to keep you here at the moot so he may subjugate you all! He is the RIDER IN IRON now!"

[Le Noir Faineant]

Jonathan crawls over to where Norzak is and tries to hide behind the dwarf. Jon is shaking hard and a large purple bruise is rapidly forming on the side of the boy's face.

"I just want these people to be safe! And now Cirdan threatens my life for it! [to the moot folk] He means to keep you here at the moot so he may subjugate you all! He is the RIDER IN IRON now!"

The red glow returns into Cirdan's eyes as he looks back at the boy.

His lips move as he looks the small child right in the eyes, but his ghastly voice cannot be heard.

Yet, Jon might know what Cirdan is whispering, barely hearable.

I will kill you, traitor.

- Then, the dark knight suddenly steps out of the way.

[Batman voice:]

"Go, you fools, if you desire it. I am NOT the Rider. You are free. Go. But know that you have forfeit my help, forever."

[ewancummins]

Someone in the mob screams-

''The Rider-in-Iron! The Rider-in Iron!''

A few of the people run away. Others stand in their places and just stare at the scene unfolding before them. A group of about a dozen men rushes toward Cirdan and his travelling companions, trampling the bushes at the margin of the forest.

''Save the boy, stop the Monster!''