The vast plain stretched in front of them, coarse flat sand and turned soil stretched to the distant horizon. The reddish brown expanse was bleak, and featureless. In a land of verity and life this dead ocean formed lifes antithesis.
“Wow” gasped Nate “Pretty big! And empty. I don't think I've seen anything like this before”
Aurora said nothing. Nates comments were so mundane. Arkadia was across this, so this was where they were going to go. She stepped forward towards the edge.
“You'll die there you know” A gloomy mutter rose from by her waist “I suppose you think yer better than the others, walkin in there like that. Well your not so special Au-roar-ra”
She paused, looked at Swarf. “This is our way, we have to try”
“Ha, well have a try then” he laughed, his usual gruff chuckle sounding thin and strained “The ground dragon will have a feast I suppose”
She shook her head. This diminutive man's attitude was quite infuriating. It was just a bit of mud and some stupid superstitions. She took her pack, and placed it on the Ground “Wait here Anant” she said doubtlessly to the small creature sitting within. He merely nodded, and continued gazing off to space.
She turned and walked forward again towards the edge.
Two steps left. A low rumble sounded across the plane, perhaps a distant storm? Aurora didn't even pause.
One step left.
A groaning sound. She did pause this time. It stopped, like some metal structure had collapsed after years of neglect. She looked around to see Swarf and Nate standing on the side. Nate was looking around, trying to find the source of the sound. Swarf had his gaze locked on her, never blinking. He shook his head and turned away.
In irritation she turned back, infuriating idiot! Another step. An unearthly noise erupted from deep in the earth. She was ready, pulling her blaster she was on full alert.
Dirt exploded from the ground 20 paces away, a roar like a raging demigod sent dust and soil through the air, throwing small rocks and grit over the party. In the confusion and disruption of the blast, deep in the dark in the chaos, black gleaming talons and teeth, glittered.
She jumped backwards, but slipped as the ground turned to jelly beneath her feet. Strangely the dirt did not fall on her. She pulled her blaster and shot accurately but pointlessly at the darkness of the monster before her. Nothing hit, or if it did nothing happened. A larger bolder launched out of the darkness, heading straight for Aurora. She winced.
It struck, something. Aurora was unharmed.
“Shield!” exclaimed Nate, and he was right. Surrounding Aurora a shimmering silver aura had formed. A force-shield was protecting her from the immediate danger. As she fell backwards and away from the plain, back on to the safety of the rocks behind, she seemed to float to the ground and lay still for a moment surrounded in the bubble of silver-blue luminance. How had this happened?
“It's not me? Who did this?”
As it had started the thunder and turmoil stopped. A slight tremor followed like aftershocks of some deadly earthquake.whatever it was, this Ground Dragon, had moved away. For now.
“ID STAY OFF THAT IF I WERE YOU!” a distant voice bellowed from across the way. Looking to the voice Nate could make out two small figures walking around the rocks to their location, taking great care to avoid the Ground-Sea and its terrible occupant.
* * *
The two strangers were like fish and sand; opposites in every respect; Nevanth, the one who had hailed them, was tall, wraith-like, pale and gaunt. His voice boomed heartily for all his palid looks. Emphasising his thinness, his oversized black robes swamped his slender frame. He supported himself with a staff as tall as his impressive height.
Kendra was freckled, average in height, but stocky, muscular and fey. She had a easy grace and a quick humor. She seemed to respect Nevanth, like an elder or fatherly figure. Unlike Nevanth she was content merely to listen, smiling all around. Nothing in her world was darkness.
Looking across at Nevants pallid face, Aurora did not see much physically to engender respect, but there was something about him. Something odd and familiar.
Animated, more animated than one might have thought possible, Nevanth was explaining to Nate and Swarf the dangers of the Ground-Sea, the Ground-Dragon, it’s ferocious appetite, and how he and Kendra had spent some days trying to find a way across.
“There is no route around this plane, and its inhabitant is sensitive even to the slightest movement on the Sea. We have tried some dozen times to creep across, but it seems all the legends are true of the sensitivity of the beast.” Nevanths thorough, sylablistic style expounded the difficulties precisely and at great length. Aurora knew the problems, she needed a way through.
Nevanths smile flashed as he glanced briefly her way “Of course”, he spoke more quietly, “The problem is known, but the solution we all seek is perhaps at hand”. Aurora raised an eyebrow, had she been so obvious in her impatience?
“There is a story, ancient in origin of this beast and it's doings. In it is a description I have found to be exactingly pertinent to the nature of its haunt and the difficulty in passing here, but also told of nearby is the home of the beasts bane: it is said that they who hold aloft the Stygian Glaive may free the ground of thunder”
“The what?” Aurora at last spoke, taken aback a little at this strangers manner and his strange tales. He didn't look like a friend, but it seemed he knew things.
“The answers to these questions” smiled Nevanth once more “await nearby. In the village live the guardians of the Glaive, though perhaps they have forgotten its importance.”
“Well then, why are we waiting”
After a short rest and sharing some rations (some variety in the food even cheered up Swarf. Slightly. For a second or two), they moved southeast along the coast of this strange desolation, and found themselves exactly where they needed to be.
