A Touch of Lightning

[Kell_Durand]

Abele was acting strangly suddenly wanting to get out of town, gnawing on a lamp post until it fell and even tearing apart a trash can with his massive jaws. Oreth decided he needed to get whatever fit was wrong with him out of his system on the wolves and worgs on the east road. Acompanied by Tiggles and Cike they went to investigate if there had been any more strange activity from the Natural Union.

As they steped onto the East road their footsteps crunching on the new fallen snow they did a quick scan. The sun rose brightly in the east its rays casting long shadows from them as the snow tried in vain to block the warmth of the sun from the party. The Worgs soon took notice of the human smell in the area and quickly made their way to them.

Tiggles pausing by the side of the road by Jiyyd took her time with her lady issues as Cike, Oreth, and Abele, fought off Worg after Worg that wished for a human meal that day. Chilling howls sounded out over and over as the Worgs tried in vain to put their prey into a stupor.

Cike fluidly released arrow after arrow from his quiver in rapid succession felling his fair share of worgs and winter wolves as Abele and Oreth kept them from him. As they neared Ormpur however they paused the wind was picking up and dark clouds rolling in, one powerful gust knocked Abele back and almost off his feet. Oreth spattered in blood waved his scimitar carefully over the area that once held the glowing lights that drowned a man magically not long ago.

Oreth started forward a step then paused quickly as Cike shouted for him to wait. Cike looked towards ormpur and bit his lip, fear and worry etched into his face. He finally resolved himself and asked Oreth not to go first, as a Protector of the circle it was his duty to see Oreth safe, especially after his most recent death to Undead, he could not let miss Fadia go through that heart ache again. Oreth begrudgingly agreed and let Cike prepare himself as the winds whipped around them. Cike stepped through holding his breath at Oreth's words of encouragement.

The storm was getting worse and Oreth could not wait for Cike any longer the rain pelting against his armor like pellets slung from a sling. As he crossed through where the magical barrier once was he sighed in relief as he passed through unharmed, however it quickly left his mind as he found Cike engaged with a pack leader. Oreth charged to help Cike as the pack leader smashed a paw into Cike's sheild pushing it aside making an opening for a powerful bite of his leg.

Oreth lept upon the Pack Leader knocking it to the ground as Abele sunk his teath into the thigh. Cike regained his senses and glad for Oreth's impatientness struck out in turn at the fallen Pack Leader. It was finally silenced but the victory could not be savored, arcs of lightning that were playing over head now struck down with force near them, almost following them since the road there.

The wind buffeted them as they made their way to a ridge to seek shelter from the winds and Lightning. As they reached it the wall of earth did little to quell the massive winds. Before Cike could suggest they move to a cave a bolt struck between them singed armor and burnt barkskin filled the air joinging clumps of upturned earth and burnt grass. The rain did little to quell the smell and as Cike looked around to check the health another lightning bolt struck the ground close to them over and over in the same spot untill the lightning reformed into small balls flashing in and out.

With a substance all their own the balls charged at Oreth, Cike, and Abele. They fought them off with their swords and arrows, whenever they touched it dissrupted what ever held them togeather and they soon vanashed. Cike glanced over as Oreth was particularly swarmed and almost cried out as he struck one and it melded with the blade looking to travel the length to his arm. Just short of the handle the glow and miniature lightning stopped and seemed to be sucked into the blade. Like a cooling iron from the forge the glow seeped into the blade with every contact it made with one of the electric balls.

Cike was not so lucky he felt the shock run up his arm and could feel the burns forming over previous burns as the electric balls struck out at him. He could give no more thought to Oreth's scimitar any longer, Tiggles had finally arrived alonge with another powerful gust of wind and a deafining lightning strike.

The party struck out once more at the electric balls, screaming to each other to get to the caves. Deaf as they were they could not hear their new plan from each other until finally all the Electrical balls ceased. Cike running out of blessings finally pointed to the cave to the west and both Tiggles and Oreth nodded. Even Abele sevearly burned, patches of fur falling from his skin in all places seemed to nod in agreement.

Tiggles was first to the cave but as he reached the entrance he looked back at Oreth and Able he froze. Oreth seemed stuck in mid stride time slowing to a heart beat. Light flashed in the sky illuminating Cike's face as it changed to horror. Oreth's foot met the ground and was engulfed in a lightning bolt that seemed to last forever and a day. Droplets of water seemed to evaporate around him his sword turned into a bright mini sun as the lightning covered Oreth from head to toe.

Time returned to normal when Cike and Abele were thrown from Oreth's side. Cike could smell the burnt flesh, his own, Abele's and the burned bark that was Oreth's skin now. He pushed himself up to gaze at the chared ground around them and the smoking body of Oreth. He twitched and Cike was sure that if his helmet was off his hair would be on end and conducting electricity between them.

Cike Pushed himself up weakly and moved toward's Oreth his plates still warm from the blast, he thanked Nobanion Druids wore not Metal. Wary of the Scimitar cluched with a death grip, now glowing an unnatural sparkle to it, Cike and Tiggles dragged Oreth towards the cave as the wind whipped at their backs.

Abele stumbled in, more fur lost and still smoking as well, he lay beside his companion licking at some of the still smoking areas as Cike and Tiggles went to work healing the worst spots. Weak and aching from the burns Cike found the strength to start a fire as Tiggles using her rubber boots on her hand replaced Oreth's scimitar into his sheath.

The Bark skin fell away from Oreth's skin but some burns still remained, Tiggles applied a balm to it as Cike made tea for when he woke. A hoarse croak told him to take the tea off the fire and get a mug ready. Oreth with Tiggles help sat up rubbing his head asking what happened. They explained to him as he still twitched that he took the worst blow from the lightning and that his blade now glowed and hummed. They helped him out of his armor and pressed the warm mug into his shaking hands.

Oreth recalled the time Fadia was encased in ice and started to suspect what had happened to the blade, but rested a bit before standing and unsheathing it. Swinging it experamentally it hummed and sparkled like never before. Far Lighter than it used to be Oreth felt he knew exactly what had happened, though he wished it hadn't been so painful he was glad for his new Scimitar.

The group finally made its way back to Jiyyd, Cike sore from all the burns on his body hardly noticed the lighting that seemed to fly out and spark against the worgs and winter wolves Oreth struck with his blade.