Highlander Fox of ... on Jan 16, 2014 wrote:

"I'm fine," Emma grumbled with a sidelong glare at Alex. But the negativity in her glare subsided as she glanced at the flask of Yum, morphing into an expression of confusion. She scrutinized it, taking it and getting a close eye view. "What the...? What's this?" She continued to observe the lavender substance, clueless as to its name or origin.

Alex paused the drink she was taking from it to answer. "It's called Yum. A favorite drink for pirates, but I dunno about you." She resumed a long drink from it.

Emma reluctantly took a sip, blinking. "It's... Not bad." She answered lowly.

(Sorry for the shortness.)

"Yum," Warwick explained with a grin, "Crafted from the finest flying fruits." He nodded in approval of Alex's answer and leaned on the wall, taking a sip from one of his flasks.

The Dryad appeared, shrouding the room in bright light. Warwick staggered towards the wall, effected by the spirit's tangible aura. He shivered and waited for the spirit to complete her task before he could be somewhat calm again.
What was that for!? he growled mentally, Surely some first aid would have done well, too. And what's he seen? Gosh. Warwick pushed off from the wall and started walking towards Hank and Lizzy. As he took his fourth step, a tile on the floor seemed to be pushed in a little. A trap door swung out from beneath him, and he fell. The cackle of a grendel escaped just as the door slammed shut.

(OOC: I just did that.)

-

Warwick groaned, sitting up immediately and attempting to stand in the low room. He scrambled towards the light and consequently ran into a wall. He turned and kept running, only to face another. As his vision cleared, he found himself in a maze, the door in which he had entered having faded back into its wall. Immediately, he began running, sliding around corners and avoiding corridors. He had run a labyrinth of sorts back in Aquila, but this one proved to be slightly more nerve-wracking.

As he ran, voices resounded throughout the chamber. Where am I? Can somebody help me? Aaaagh! Warwick glared back and forth, finding no source of the voices, not even directions. They had a certain emptiness to them; Warwick realized that they were illusions. Soon after realizing this, he face a magical wall, slightly clear and glowing. It stung when he touched it.

"A wizard would go through it," Warwick concluded, "But I'm a no-good pirate, aren't I?" Scrambling up the wall, Warwick gained a glance at the maze. He coughed in shock.

He was at no entrance before. He had begun at the center of a maze miles long. He heard the growl of a wolf, deep and obviously not-fake. Warwick leaped a maze segment over, barely clearing the distance.

"Guys?" he called out, "Lizzy, Alex? Hank? Mackenzie, Highness?" Warwick decided to run, and run he did. The laughter of the grendels ensued.

DS Devereaux on Jan 18, 2014 wrote:

"Yum," Warwick explained with a grin, "Crafted from the finest flying fruits." He nodded in approval of Alex's answer and leaned on the wall, taking a sip from one of his flasks.

The Dryad appeared, shrouding the room in bright light. Warwick staggered towards the wall, effected by the spirit's tangible aura. He shivered and waited for the spirit to complete her task before he could be somewhat calm again.
What was that for!? he growled mentally, Surely some first aid would have done well, too. And what's he seen? Gosh. Warwick pushed off from the wall and started walking towards Hank and Lizzy. As he took his fourth step, a tile on the floor seemed to be pushed in a little. A trap door swung out from beneath him, and he fell. The cackle of a grendel escaped just as the door slammed shut.

(OOC: I just did that.)

-

Warwick groaned, sitting up immediately and attempting to stand in the low room. He scrambled towards the light and consequently ran into a wall. He turned and kept running, only to face another. As his vision cleared, he found himself in a maze, the door in which he had entered having faded back into its wall. Immediately, he began running, sliding around corners and avoiding corridors. He had run a labyrinth of sorts back in Aquila, but this one proved to be slightly more nerve-wracking.

As he ran, voices resounded throughout the chamber. Where am I? Can somebody help me? Aaaagh! Warwick glared back and forth, finding no source of the voices, not even directions. They had a certain emptiness to them; Warwick realized that they were illusions. Soon after realizing this, he face a magical wall, slightly clear and glowing. It stung when he touched it.

"A wizard would go through it," Warwick concluded, "But I'm a no-good pirate, aren't I?" Scrambling up the wall, Warwick gained a glance at the maze. He coughed in shock.

He was at no entrance before. He had begun at the center of a maze miles long. He heard the growl of a wolf, deep and obviously not-fake. Warwick leaped a maze segment over, barely clearing the distance.

"Guys?" he called out, "Lizzy, Alex? Hank? Mackenzie, Highness?" Warwick decided to run, and run he did. The laughter of the grendels ensued.

Lizzy plopped onto the ground hopelessly. She allowed herself a few minutes to be depressed and emotional as she curled into a corner caused by a rock and a hard wall, arms between her torso and her legs as she shivered, resting her head on the rock. After she gave herself this moment, she stood up again, wiped away her tears, and analyzed the situation.

Based on the speed and the length of which the chute was, she had been diagonally dropped several miles from the pillar that she had been leaning against. There was very little light, and she almost couldn't tell where it was coming from, though when she turned to the entrance of the maze, the light seemed to grow stronger. How she had gotten into this chamber had been closed off, she assumed the same way as Warwick's trap door was. If her friends entered the maze, it wouldn't be by the same way that she did. To make her feel better, she assumed Warwick was in the maze as well, though that hardly effected her emotions, as that would mean that he is in this same terrible situation as she was. The rock behind her and away from the entrance to the maze felt and sounded completely solid when she knocked on it, so her only potential exit would be this strange labyrinth. The wind howling at her ears and the air in general smelled stale, which supported her theory that she was underground. From the sound of the echo that she had made a few minutes ago, this place was several miles large, and she was at the very edge of it. The light was so little that she would have every bit of a chance with her eyes closed as she would if they were open. She could hear the snarling and howling of wolves along with the wicked cackling of grendels, and some horrible animal sound that seemed like wolverines... she didn't want to think about that. She still had her rapiers and her wand, though considering the fact that the place felt overwhelmingly magical, she doubted steel would do much good in this situation. This left her essentially weaponless, beside her wand, and she knew very little defense spells. She didn't even know if her own magic would work down here.

(OOC: Lizzy does a lot of analyzing...)

"Now, what can I do in this situation?" She said, putting her hands on her hips despite what Mackenzie had said about talking to oneself. "No weapons, very little magic. I'm completely lost. My friends can't follow me. It's too dark to leave a trail of any sort once I enter the maze. I haven't a clue if Warwick is here or not. I don't know which direction the exit of the labyrinth is, or even if there is an exit. There are plenty of other creatures here that don't seem friendly. Now, what to do about this?" Lizzy racked her brain for useful information, and remembered that Life Magic is Song... is Light... this might help. She sang quietly to herself, and became her own glowing golden light. As soon as she stopped singing, she stopped glowing. Thus, the swashbuckler trudged into the maze, glowing and singing to herself.

Just Add Bacon on Jan 19, 2014 wrote:

Lizzy plopped onto the ground hopelessly. She allowed herself a few minutes to be depressed and emotional as she curled into a corner caused by a rock and a hard wall, arms between her torso and her legs as she shivered, resting her head on the rock. After she gave herself this moment, she stood up again, wiped away her tears, and analyzed the situation.

Based on the speed and the length of which the chute was, she had been diagonally dropped several miles from the pillar that she had been leaning against. There was very little light, and she almost couldn't tell where it was coming from, though when she turned to the entrance of the maze, the light seemed to grow stronger. How she had gotten into this chamber had been closed off, she assumed the same way as Warwick's trap door was. If her friends entered the maze, it wouldn't be by the same way that she did. To make her feel better, she assumed Warwick was in the maze as well, though that hardly effected her emotions, as that would mean that he is in this same terrible situation as she was. The rock behind her and away from the entrance to the maze felt and sounded completely solid when she knocked on it, so her only potential exit would be this strange labyrinth. The wind howling at her ears and the air in general smelled stale, which supported her theory that she was underground. From the sound of the echo that she had made a few minutes ago, this place was several miles large, and she was at the very edge of it. The light was so little that she would have every bit of a chance with her eyes closed as she would if they were open. She could hear the snarling and howling of wolves along with the wicked cackling of grendels, and some horrible animal sound that seemed like wolverines... she didn't want to think about that. She still had her rapiers and her wand, though considering the fact that the place felt overwhelmingly magical, she doubted steel would do much good in this situation. This left her essentially weaponless, beside her wand, and she knew very little defense spells. She didn't even know if her own magic would work down here.

(OOC: Lizzy does a lot of analyzing...)

"Now, what can I do in this situation?" She said, putting her hands on her hips despite what Mackenzie had said about talking to oneself. "No weapons, very little magic. I'm completely lost. My friends can't follow me. It's too dark to leave a trail of any sort once I enter the maze. I haven't a clue if Warwick is here or not. I don't know which direction the exit of the labyrinth is, or even if there is an exit. There are plenty of other creatures here that don't seem friendly. Now, what to do about this?" Lizzy racked her brain for useful information, and remembered that Life Magic is Song... is Light... this might help. She sang quietly to herself, and became her own glowing golden light. As soon as she stopped singing, she stopped glowing. Thus, the swashbuckler trudged into the maze, glowing and singing to herself.

"This is why pirates should never wander around in wizard areas" Mackenzie muttered as she watched Lizzie disappear into the trap door.

Mackenzie held out her hand in front of her and stared at it, within seconds, a ball of green flame appeared in her opened palm. "Lizzie and Warrick" Mackenzie told the fire in a clear and authoritative voice. Almost instantly, an image of Lizzie and Warrick appeard in the middle of the fire, each image separated slightly.

So, they aren't together, but they are in the same place. Probably Winterdeep Warrens by the look of the maze. Mackenzie though as she watched Lizzie curl up near the rock, and Warrick scale the maze walls. Warrick, seems to have some sense, maybe enough to solve the Warrens. But Lizzie, she looks like she needs help.

Once again, Mackenzie spoke directly into the fire she was holding. "Warrick and Lizzie you appear to be in Winterdeep Warrens. I can help you, but only one of you directly. Once I'm in the maze I cannot use my magic to find the other. I can help the other indirectly though. But you have to decide who needs the most help. And don't worry, this is a two-way fire, you can't see me, but I can still hear both of you."

Down in the warrens, Mackenzie's voice resounded clearly throughout the maze, sounding clear above the howling wolves and cackling grendels. To Lizzie and Warrick it sounded as if Mackenzie was standing right next to them.

[OOC: This should be fun, Mackenzie happens to quite enjoy WinterDeep Warrens, and often goes there just to clear her mind and relax.]

CdeWinter on Jan 20, 2014 wrote:

"This is why pirates should never wander around in wizard areas" Mackenzie muttered as she watched Lizzie disappear into the trap door.

Mackenzie held out her hand in front of her and stared at it, within seconds, a ball of green flame appeared in her opened palm. "Lizzie and Warrick" Mackenzie told the fire in a clear and authoritative voice. Almost instantly, an image of Lizzie and Warrick appeard in the middle of the fire, each image separated slightly.

So, they aren't together, but they are in the same place. Probably Winterdeep Warrens by the look of the maze. Mackenzie though as she watched Lizzie curl up near the rock, and Warrick scale the maze walls. Warrick, seems to have some sense, maybe enough to solve the Warrens. But Lizzie, she looks like she needs help.

Once again, Mackenzie spoke directly into the fire she was holding. "Warrick and Lizzie you appear to be in Winterdeep Warrens. I can help you, but only one of you directly. Once I'm in the maze I cannot use my magic to find the other. I can help the other indirectly though. But you have to decide who needs the most help. And don't worry, this is a two-way fire, you can't see me, but I can still hear both of you."

Down in the warrens, Mackenzie's voice resounded clearly throughout the maze, sounding clear above the howling wolves and cackling grendels. To Lizzie and Warrick it sounded as if Mackenzie was standing right next to them.

[OOC: This should be fun, Mackenzie happens to quite enjoy WinterDeep Warrens, and often goes there just to clear her mind and relax.]

(Going to be short, since I've posted recently.)

"Send my regards to her," Warwick said into the air, struggling to catch his breath, "I'm running, but I'll probably lose 'em...send all the help you can to Lizzy. "

Alex only watched with a coalescent product of anger, fear, and jealousy as Lizzy went for Warwick. Why couldn't the swashbuckler see that Alex just wanted her to listen? Why? She felt like sobbing right then and there, but no. She. Couldn't. Her heart pounded like a beating Zafarian drum. Did Lizzy not want her friendship anymore because...? Because she had found out? That Alex was not Alex? Horror built up in Alex's systems. If anyone found out... She'd be dead. Literally.

But if they didn't know and found out from someone other than her? Would they be angry and turn her in? Alex sighed. She needed someone to know her problem.... Alex snatched a pair of broken, blue rimmed glasses, and then took out her violet contacts to reveal Hazel eyes beneath. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and turned to Stormshade.

"Couldn't you use some magic and repair these?" She inquired. When Stormshade nodded, Alex whispered another thing in request, and Emma nodded again. Moments later, Alex didn't look like Alex. A Hazel eyed brunette with waist length, straight hair in a ponytail, and black clothes stood there, a smirk written on her face. "Thanks."

Carly DeMonelle stood up. "It feels so much better to be myself." She sighed happily before walking up to Mackenzie. "Let me go after Warwick and Lizzy. I can try to get them out... And it's Alex, but I'd rather not go by that silly name anymore. Call me Carly. Carly DeMonelle."

(yes, I did just do that. )

Highlander Fox of ... on Jan 23, 2014 wrote:

Alex only watched with a coalescent product of anger, fear, and jealousy as Lizzy went for Warwick. Why couldn't the swashbuckler see that Alex just wanted her to listen? Why? She felt like sobbing right then and there, but no. She. Couldn't. Her heart pounded like a beating Zafarian drum. Did Lizzy not want her friendship anymore because...? Because she had found out? That Alex was not Alex? Horror built up in Alex's systems. If anyone found out... She'd be dead. Literally.

But if they didn't know and found out from someone other than her? Would they be angry and turn her in? Alex sighed. She needed someone to know her problem.... Alex snatched a pair of broken, blue rimmed glasses, and then took out her violet contacts to reveal Hazel eyes beneath. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and turned to Stormshade.

"Couldn't you use some magic and repair these?" She inquired. When Stormshade nodded, Alex whispered another thing in request, and Emma nodded again. Moments later, Alex didn't look like Alex. A Hazel eyed brunette with waist length, straight hair in a ponytail, and black clothes stood there, a smirk written on her face. "Thanks."

Carly DeMonelle stood up. "It feels so much better to be myself." She sighed happily before walking up to Mackenzie. "Let me go after Warwick and Lizzy. I can try to get them out... And it's Alex, but I'd rather not go by that silly name anymore. Call me Carly. Carly DeMonelle."

(yes, I did just do that. )

Looking into the ball of fire, Mackenzie watched as Warrick found Lizzie, both now surrouned by wolves.
"Well, that does make thing easier, now I can help both of them."

Mackenzie shook her hand and the green fire faded away. The fire in her eyes however, began growing in intensity as she focussed her mind on the image of Lizzie and Warrick facing the wolf pack. Then a voice broke through Mackenzie's thoughts.

"Let me go after Warwick and LIzzy. I can try to get them out..." Alex said standing next to Mackenzie.

"Eh? Send you in to help them? I'm sorry, I can take you to them, but I can't send you to them alone." Mackenzie replied, "Here, take my hand and clear your mind, double teleportation can be a bit tricky." Mackenzie continued stretching her hand out to Carly.

Carly gingerly took hold of Mackenzie's hand and almost let go immediatly. She was simply shocked by the amount of power currently running through Mackenzie, and by the feverish heat that was given off through Mackenzie's skin.

"Sorry", Mackenzie said, as she tightend her hold on Carly, "There are a few side effects of being part fire titan".

Once again, Mackenzie narrowed her eyes in concentration as she focussed her mind on Warrick and Lizzy trapped in deep in the Warrens. As her eyes began glowing brighter again, Carly could feel the power rising in Mackenzie, very soon the air around them appeared to be vibrate. Then, with a great flash of light, and a crack of clangourous thunder, the pair of girls vanished, leaving behind no more than a plume of smoke and a smell of brimstone.

CdeWinter on Jan 24, 2014 wrote:

Down in the Warrens, Warrick and Lizzie paused for breath as the ring of wolves inched closer. But both parties froze, as a sound like the roaring winds of a firestorm began echoing through the maze. The sound rushed closer, and soon a great blast of scorching wind screamed down into the maze, knocking the wolf pack backwards onto the ground, and sending Warrick and Lizzie staggering against the maze wall. In the moment that the wolves were being flung through the air, and Warrick and Lizzie were sent stumbling, a stroke of fire smote the ground between the pirates and the now prone wolves.

Warrick and Lizzie both looked up at the same time to find, Mackenzie and Carly both standing in front of them. Carly looking just as unstable on her feet as Warrick and Lizzie felt, while Mackenzie standing squarely on her feet, drawing her bow and almost literaly glaring fire at the wolfpack.

"Sorry," Mackenzie said over her shoulder, "I forgot how narrow the halls are down here."

Lizzy stood there, frozen for a moment. She stared straight ahead of her blankly, not allowing herself to freak out, and instead seemed rather calm. When she realized what was in front of her, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a frozen statue of a wolf, nothing alive and nothing that was going to hurt her. She had only run into a dead end, nothing to be afraid of. Lizzy backed away and turned down a different direction.

It was then that she heard sobs. Quiet sobs, though she froze to listen. Gosh, those sobs sounded exactly like her. She put her hand up to her face, though it wasn't her sobbing. No, it sounded a little bit away, to the left. Lizzy followed the sound and heard a scuffle, then Warwick's voice. Her eyes widened at this last sound and she broke into a run, taking turns without giving it a second thought. Eventually she came across the sounds, and found Warwick defending her from wolves. But wait, that didn't make sense, because it wasn't Lizzy that he was protecting. No, Lizzy had just turned into this hall, so how could she be there? The illusion turned, saw the real Lizzy, then disappeared.

At the same moment that a fiery explosion threw the real Lizzy against the wall. She stood up shakily and squinted at what was in front of her, which made her eyes grow wide. Her friends were attacking the wolf pack. "No!" Lizzy cried out, rushing ahead. She leaped in between her friends and the wolves, holding an arm out to prevent her friends from further attacking. "Don't attack the wolves." Lizzy switched over to the language of wolves.

Don't attack my friends. Lizzy's posture was an easy and comfortable one, not one ready for battle. Though the way she looked at the wolves suggested that she was unafraid of fighting them if they crossed any lines.

Your friends? You consider the destroyer your friend? One of the wolves, a mid-ranking pack member judging by his posture, barked this. He obviously didn't like Warwick, and she recognized him to be the one who had attacked Warwick earlier.

I consider us all friends, wolf, which is why I don't want to fight. Lizzy answered back, looking the wolf directly in the eye. The wolf looked away.

He brought this upon us! Snarled a lower ranking member. He had his teeth bared and tongue visible, and he looked ready to attack Lizzy.

She looked at him right back, the look saying that he had nothing to fear from her. Indirectly, maybe. He wouldn't wish harm upon this land enough to summon clockworks.

The alpha male was the one who responded to her this time. He stood on his back paws and leaned forward, sniffing at her and seeming to have the same posture as her. He looked her in the eye, though it wasn't a challenge. "You speak the truth." He said in the human language.

Lizzy nodded to the giant wolf respectively. "Please," she said, "we need to work together to banish the clockworks."

Just Add Bacon on Jan 27, 2014 wrote:

Lizzy turned around and walked over to her friends. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Carly, though since she was distracted, she assumed that this was Alex and didn't notice that this wasn't the person that she knew. Lizzy picked up Warwick's hands with her own. "Lower your shoulders, put away your weapons. Don't glare at them." She looked into Warwick's face. "And stop grinning like that, you're making me nervous." She gave him a reassuring and friendly smile, then guided him over to the alpha wolf. Lizzy turned Warwick's hands so that his empty palms were facing upward. She looked up to the large wolf, awaiting his reaction to this movement of peace.

"I remember you." Said the mighty wolf, ignoring Warwick for now. "Elizabeth, do you remember my son, Warg?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes. He gave me my first dagger, taught me how to fight with it." She reached into her pouch and pulled out a wolf-fang dagger, a beautifully sharp white weapon. "We play-fought each other a lot. In many ways, I owe Warg my life. I remember him well."

The alpha's eyes reflected happiness as he remembered watching them play together. "He really missed you once the clockworks captured you. He was worried sick. He will be so relieved and proud to know that you've grown into a brave young warrior who fights for peace." The large wolf turned to Warwick. "Elizabeth trusts you, and I trust Elizabeth. If she says that you didn't want this to happen, then I believe her. If you accept our help, all of the Wolves of Mirkholm Keep will do all they can to protect this land from the machines. Young Warrior, do you wish us to be allies?"

Lizzy put her dagger back into her pouch, and turned to look at Warwick, searching his expression while waiting for an answer. Please say yes.

Warwick turned quickly and saw Lizzy - at long last found - disappear. He stopped for a moment, feeling a sword whoosh over his head. He choked on his fear of losing his friend once more. His eyes clouded, but he shook it off, trying to remember what he was fighting for. Nothing came to mind, yet putting no obstacle on his strikes. Fire heated the room to a nearly unbearable temperature, and when Warwick's vision cleared up, Lizzy was back, guarding the wolves from him...or him from the wolves, Warwick couldn't tell which.

"Please! Don't attack the wolves." Warwick stumbled back in confusion. Who was the real Lizzy? Considering that he had seen an illusion, there was a chance that this one could be as well fake, turning against his ideas and all. The wolves had chased them so far. After a short conversation in some distant tongue, Lizzy announced working together. The idea made Warwick cringe, and he heard snarls in response. Lizzy grabbed his hands.

"Lower your shoulders and put your weapons away," she warned softly. Warwick followed suit, in fact letting the tiger claws drop to the ground. "And stop grinning like that, you're making me nervous." Warwick's smile faded. He didn't recognize this Lizzy (OOC: The maze may or may not be making him a little out of his mind.) but he felt no other choice but to listen and follow along. He then paid attention to the conversation.

Wait, you were once allies? Warwick glared at the back of Lizzy's head in confusion, You had never told us about that...you hadn't told us of many things. Warwick listened keenly to the story. So in fact, the wolves knew how Lizzy fought, which meant that he would stand little chance should he come across any pack members trying to kill him.

"Elizabeth trusts you," the alpha sighed, "And I trust Elizabeth. If she says that you didn't want this to happen, then I believe her. If you accept our help, all of the Wolves of Mirkholm Keep will do all they can to protect this land from the machines. Young Warrior, do you wish us to be allies?" Lizzy turned to him as well, her eyes pleading. Warwick chewed on his cheek, trying to think everything out. How would he be regarded in Marleybone? He felt Grizzleheim to be past the point of no return...surely his friends thought the same?

Warwick glanced about. Lizzy, Mackenzie, Carly (who he too thought was Alex)...their opinions suddenly mattered more. No recognition would surpass theirs. He turned back to the wolf.

"Whole-heartedly."

Just Add Bacon on Jan 29, 2014 wrote:

Lizzy stood there for a moment, eyes wide as she looked to Warwick, waiting for his answer. She bit her lip as she practically watched his thought process.

“Whole-heartedly.” Warwick replied. Lizzy stared at him for a moment, unable to believe her ears. Peace. Well, for the moment. Lizzy's knees buckled from relief, but not before she threw her arms around Warwick in a hug. Her smile was wide as she leaned into him. “Thank you!” She whispered. Lizzy leaned away, roughed up his hair like she would her brother's, then turned to the pack. “I've done this maze dozens of times,” she explained. She had recognized the wolf of the dead end that she had run into and realized where they were in the warrens. I swear, she had thought, that wolf looks just like Warg's great uncle Ralf. “I know the way out, if you'd kindly follow me.” Lizzy first walked over to Mackenzie and Carly. “Thanks for coming down here, guys.” She said with a smile. Good old near-sighted Lizzy... the poor thing still had no clue that the girl she had smiled to was indeed not Alex.

Lizzy walked back over to Warwick and linked arms with him, leading the wolves and the humans in a different direction while simultaneously and subconsciously not leaving the former Marleybonian Captain's side. “We'll be out within ten minutes!” She alerted the others, then she looked at Warwick again, and realized exactly how very little that he knew about her past in Grizzleheim. “Eh, heh.” She chuckled warily, shivering with adrenaline that she kept pent up, as she was walking quite calmly, though she had the jitters and a light 'fight-or-flight' response. “I guess I have some questions to answer, then? Fair enough. Ask away, if you want.”

"I guess I have some questions to answer, then? Fair enough. Ask away, if you want."

Mackenzie knew very well that the statement was directed entirely at Warrick, but she too had quite a few questions for the pirates. Fuming slightly, with her eyes glowing clearly in the dark of the maze, Mackenzie quietly, and somewhat menacingly stepped in front of Lizzie and block her path.

"Please explain these clockworks," Mackenzie stated, in a rather cold voice that was quite unlike her normal, light cheerfull teasing. "I asked you what you pirates were doing in Grizzleheim awhile ago. You never mentioned anything about clockworks attacking this world. Sure, you probably just saw a wizard and assumed that I'm from Wizard City, nothing more than a passing tourist. Sorry, but I'm not from Wizard City, I live right here in Grizzleheim. Maybe I haven't left my mountain in a awhile, but I still always help the Bears, Wolves, and Ravens whenever they ask. So tell me, everything you know about these clockworks."

Mackenzie sat down in the middle of the hallway, still blocking the path and waited for an answer.
"By the way, the exit is in the other direction." She added in her normal voice and with her usual grin.

DS Devereaux on Feb 2, 2014 wrote:

(Minor modding on this one, on my part. My apologies.)

"I can take this one," Warwick offered, leaning against the wall. He felt too vulnerable sitting. As he began to explain, his weathered hands gestured to different parts of the air around him, as if he were pointing to various locations.

"So, there are four powers in the Spiral," Warwick began, oblivious to what Mackenzie wouldn't know about a Pirate's Spiral, "Marleybone, Polaris, Monquista, and Valencia. But, it seemed that the Spiral was too small to house all four, and war consequently broke out. The one bloke in charge of the war's starting was Emperor Napoleguin of Polaris." Warwick paused, chuckling to himself, "I've talked to him, before. Quite a character. Anyways, Valencia is the center of it. Inventors there built a clockwork army - all gears and wire - and they defeated Napoleguin. However, they sort of got out of control once the war ended, terrorizing the place." Warwick's face grew even more grim. "They didn't want to win the war...they wanted to win the Spiral, and that's why they're here."

At this point, Warwick was flushed with memories. "I fought for Marleybone for quite a while...I was on a deal with the general, and I grew to like it very much. I got captured by the clockworks at one point, escaping to find myself relieved of duties." He glanced up, then collecting himself once more. "The clockworks are best defeated by dis-assembly and then scattering of parts, if none are broken. They have an excellent repellent to magic and know how to negotiate with anyone too cowardly to fight back." Upon mentioning negotiation, Warwick's voice dripped with sarcasm, and he rolled his eyes. He then pushed off of the wall, offering his hand to Mackenzie so she could stand.

"Is that it?" he half-pleaded, "Anything else you need to know?"

Lizzy stood there, stunned for a moment by Mackenzie's almost threatening address. Her eyes, her posture, and her words all intimidated Lizzy, thus she stared at Mackenzie, eyes wide, waiting for her mouth to obey her brain. She was relieved when Warwick answered for her, also because she was a little too frightened to point out to Mackenzie that she had just come from the other direction that she spoke of.

She listened as Warwick explained to Mackenzie about the four powers and Napoleguin, though her listening was cut off when she felt a massive paw on her shoulder. Lizzy turned and was greeted by the bulk of the alpha, and for the first time realized that his naturally brown-black hair had streaks of grey. She looked up to the large brown eyes of the wolf.

"Before we travel back to Mirkholm Keep, I believe I should tell you about what has happened with the wolves since your departure." He lowered himself to his fours, his head being at Lizzy's height. She reached out a gentle hand and rested it on his ear as he spoke. "Warg, he has become the alpha of his own pack now. He is a mighty, brave warrior." The alpha gave a chuckle. "He has surpassed me in both size and rank, if you can imagine."

The swashbuckler smiled, though she got goosebumps from the last sentence. "Wow, that's amazing!"

The alpha nodded. "He now has a family of his own. His pups are just like he was when you two played. They are mischievous and cunning, though powerful and aware." The alpha glowed with pride. "I am a happy grandfather."

Lizzy's smile slackened slightly, though she was genuinely happy for Warg. "A lot can change in five years, can't it?"

The alpha once again nodded. "So, young warrior, tell me of your adventures away from Grizzleheim." The mighty wolf took a seat, looking to Lizzy with a tilted head.

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I've been through a lot, I'll tell ya that much." Lizzy gave a half-hearted chuckle, though silenced almost immediately. "Most of my time away hasn't been happy. It's a little dark, what I've gone through. Just a warning."

"I understand." Said the wolf.

And so she explained to him her life as a pirate, what happened to her after the Armada had captured her at age nine. She described learning how to fence, and meeting up with her long lost twin brother, how together with a head-strong Buccaneer and a crazy Musketeer, they created the Golden Gryphon Crew. She went on, explaining how after a year of doing good deeds in Skull Island and all of its branches, the crew split up to spread the ways of the armada resistance throughout the whole spiral. The corner of the spiral that she traveled to was Valencia, where she was an undercover spy in the Laurentine Library for three years. As she described this, her expression was strained, though she went on. Being cloned, how she met Alex, her adventures with Jack's wizard sister, preventing a Waponi War, and so on.

"You've been busy." Said the wolf, wide-eyed.

Lizzy could only sheepishly nod.

CdeWinter on Feb 4, 2014 wrote:

"Actually there is one more thing," Mackenzie said as she stood up and moved to the side, no longer blocking the hallway. "Have any of you ever seen a true wizard in battle? Have any of you ever witnessed these clockworks facing off against a transcendant pyromancer? So far, I've found that Dragon Fire is pretty effective with just about everything. Especially anything that melts or burns."

Mackenzie started walking back the way Lizzie had just come from. However when she noticed she wasn't being followed she stopped and turned around. "Lizzie is right, there is an exit in that direction, but it's not the closest exit. I expect that no matter how often you've been in this maze, you've never scratched that Warg statue's ear right? Most people wouldn't."

Mackenzie turned back around and walked back to the Warg statue, even if nobody was following. Once she found the statue, she reached up and scratched the statue's left ear, just as someone would scratch a real dogs ear. Almost instantly, the Warg statue moved, it put up the spear it was holding and slid sideways revealing a hidden stairway leading upwards.

"Oh," Warwick chuckled, gesturing to the others to continue up the stairs. He was followed closely by a packmember. It - soon determined to be a he - held a gigantic halberd with golden trim. He inspected it, and furrowed his brow. From all he had researched, he concluded that the weapon was not crafted by wolves - by the arc of the blade, it couldn't possibly be.

"Where..." Warwick asked, "...did you get your weapon?" The wolf thought for a moment and shrugged.

"I had found it on a patrol, one evening." Warwick's face formed an 'o' of understanding. He glanced at the shining blade of the halberd and could make out a Valencian insignia. This was obviously a clockwork's, at one point. He furrowed his brow and looked back up at the wolf.

"It's wonderfully crafted," he noted, "Looks supple. The wood grain looks foreign, like one of the trees..." Warwick trailed off into thought before finishing his sentence, "...here." Biting his lip, he as well shrugged. "What's your name, by the way?"

"Staolan," the wolf responded, "And you smell of dogs unlike wolves." Warwick hoped it was a compliment, and followed suit.

"I'm Warwick," he mumbled, leaving out his title and last name. It seemed that the wolves would accept him slightly better if he omitted the fluff. Soon enough, the pirates, wolves, and wizards emerged in the common foyer, surrounded once more by the ethereal beauty of the artwork. Warwick sighed. He now walked alongside Lizzy.

"Thanks for the help," Warwick whispered, "Saved my hide." While walking, he also thought of Mackenzie's proposal. If dragon fire would burn the clockworks, then would storming the excavation be that easy?

Just Add Bacon on Feb 6, 2014 wrote:

“You're welcome.” Lizzy said with a start, as she was dragged out of thinking about the past. Her expression reflected her thoughts, mildly sad. All she could think was that Warg had grown up without her. Heck, he had his own family now. Lizzy shook her head in disbelief. “Amazing.” She murmured. She shook her head again, attempting to bring herself out of the past and into the present.

“I think we could use all the help we could get in this war against the clockworks.” She said out of nowhere. “Including that of the Ravens. They might be a little bit more difficult to convince. They're kind of against helping in general.” Lizzy sighed. “Knowing the Ravens, we're probably going to have to fight them to convince them that we are worthy of their help.” She raised her hands to her head, pushing back some of her white-blonde hair off of her forehead. “Complicated. Very little like the Wolves.”

Lizzy remained silent for a little while as she leaned against the stone next to one of the portraits of the Giant and the Dragon. Thinking. Without her knowing about it, she brushed all of her long hair to the side in front of her shoulder, raking her fingers through it as she thought. When her mind continued to draw nothing but blanks, Lizzy growled, a sound that wasn't too different from that of a wolf pup who had just figured out how to. She sank to a sitting position, hands resting on her knees. She sat there for a long moment, staring blankly at the blue tiles in front of her. After what felt like a while to her and was only a few second to the others, she stood up, addressing the wolves.

“You should probably go back to Mirkholm Keep, warn the others of what's to come.” Lizzy trudged over to Warg's father. “Krigor, may I join you?”

The alpha nodded. “Of course, little Hvit Ulv.”

The blonde smiled. It's been a long time since she had heard the name the Wolves of Mirkholm Keep had given her. Her smile faded a little. Too long. She turned to the humans, the awkward semi-smile still played on her lips, betraying her emotions. “Would any of you like to come?” She asked, rapidly tapping the fingers of her left hand on her hip bone in a complicated pattern that kept her distracted from her thoughts.

Carly glared.

Her hazel eyes were reminiscent of anger, and her fists were clenched. "Are you daft, Elizabeth? Blind, perhaps?" She demanded, gripping the edge of her glasses. They were shaking, trembling with her hand, revealing her inner emotion of rage. "Have you not noticed something different about your supposed 'Best friend?' Or are you too focused on Warwick to notice someone like me?" Her tone was shifting into anger and hatred. "You haven't even noticed the difference. I'm not Alex, I hope you know."

(Short, but I'm not sure how to get back in....)

DS Devereaux on Feb 8, 2014 wrote:

(OOC: This may a good time to reassure everyone that Warwick has become his own character, so to speak. In many cases, his actions do not reflect mine at all, and all reactions are his own, in context. Thank you...and now, back to your scheduled programming! YARR!)

As soon as Carly mentioned the difference, Warwick couldn't fathom why he didn't see it before. This wasn't the alchemist in the slightest...but why did she know Alex, then?

"...Or are you too focused on Warwick to notice someone like me?" That sentence hit Warwick like a brick. Had he separated Lizzy from the others? He had made himself too proud. Warwick walked slower, hoping nobody would notice the red in his face. His mind blubbered apologies.

(OOC: I had another part written, but I don't really like how it flows.)

OOC: Sorry, I've been pretty busy these past few days, and even now as I write this I'm on a time crunch. I'll do my best. Emma, you did a great job writing that post. :) I got the chills when I read it, no kidding. I'm excited to respond. And Des, I know exactly what you mean when you say that Warwick has become his own character. Liz is the same way for me -- I'm not nearly that emotional. XD She's far more afraid of things than I am (though, I have to admit, I am kind of jumpy [though not as extremely!]), and I'm more calm in general than her, which allows me to deal with situations a little better than she does. Though, it's always fun for me to write as her.
~
Lizzy looked up to Carly, a deep sadness in her eyes as she listened to what she had to say. She let the insults roll off of her and took no offense, and stood there for a long moment after Carly finished.

Outside, said Krigor urgently in the language of wolves, now. Krigor turned to Lizzy on the way out. We'll meet you in Mirkholm Keep.

"I'm sorry." Lizzy said to Carly, meaning it. "It was wrong of me to not pay attention to all of my friends. You deserve so much better than that." without breaking eye contact or slowing her speech, Lizzy began fishing a hand inside of her pouch. "I apologize for the fact that you had to tell me that there was something about you that I hadn't noticed. Thank you for being honest with me, now I know how you feel. I appreciate this. I'm also sorry that you felt the need to keep this away from me. What kind of friend am I, when you don't even feel that you can trust me?"

Lizzy dropped her gaze and held out both of her palms. Both palms had several small (yet, on the inside, infinitely large) bags. As she offered these to Carly, Lizzy explained what was inside. "Reagents," she said, "for your alchemy. Most of which are abundant in Grizzleheim and difficult to find in other places." Lizzy took Carly's hands and closed them around the bags. "This isn't nearly enough to make up for my ignorance, though at least it's a start."

The swashbuckler began to walk after the wolves, though before she was almost past Carly, Lizzy held out a hand and touched her shoulder. "Please be angry with me and not Warwick. I'm the one that deserves anyone's anger." With this, Lizzy trudged out of Nidavellir, her eyes on the ground as she followed the way by heart to Mirkholm Keep.

OOC: Sadly, I've had more practice with apologies than I should...