Rolemaster 

"What now," asked Ulrich, " do we have to wai..." his voice trailed off as a bright red point of light appeared in the air beside the column. "What in the gods name is that?"

The party quickly stepped back as the red point of light took on more shape. It grew quickly into a large flat shimmering circle. The hairs on the back of Vryce and Ahs's necks began to stand on end, there was true power at work here.

The was a small "thump" and a slight puff of wind brushed past the party towards the disk.  A balding, greying man, draped in orange robes and gold chains stepped through the disk, appearing seemingly from no-where.

"Good morning!" He beamed at the party, his huge teeth glimmering in the morning sun.

"Well then, what can I do for you sorry looking mob?"

Ash and Vryce were still speechless at this amazing display of power. Lysar however still had her senses about her.

"We wish to journey toward Gryphon College."

"All of you?" The man cocked an eyebrow as he surveyed the ragamuffin band before him. "That will cost you a sight more than I think your type can afford." He smiled at Ulrich, "No offence..."

"We've the money old man," Ulrich stepped forward shaking his cloth bag of coins " so no offence taken. We just need to be dropped about 50 miles south of the college."

The old man's brow furrowed, "Alright then, if you wish it to be 50 miles south then 50 miles it shall be..." Ulrich missed the next few muttered words.

"When can we leave then" asked Lysar.

"Well," the old man rubbed his grey stubbled chin, "that all depends."

"On what?"

"On how long it takes me to count your money!"

Biryn felt poorly about selling the sword. He had no doubt that it was magic, and probably a fine weapon.

"Best its gone though..." he thought to himself, "had a little too much of a mind of its own. Never let me do my own thing... and besides, I now have a Navigators chit!"

He made his way slowly around the outlying streets of Norek, trying hard to avoid any contact with the guard and especially anyone from his temple. He would rather no-one know that he had returned to Norek. There had been no more answers to his questions here than there would have been on the road with the others, perhaps it had been a mistake to return to Norek after the shame of the death of the innocent fighter. He would have been better off in Cynar with the others, but it was too late for regrets, and too late to bring back the dead fighter, he had to move on. And from here, all the clues pointed toward Gryphon College being his next point of call. That Navigators chit was going to come in very handy.

The old man placed the last coin into his belly pouch and smiled at the party. "Wonderful, you young people are just so resourceful these days! Just wonderful. Now, I suppose you'd like to be on your way, there's nothing else you need to do here?"

Lysar bit her lip as she thought of Lionar being held by unknown person, possibly close by.. but he was beyond her help for now.

"Well then," The old man was becoming more excited, "we should be on our way. How many of you have travelled this way before?" The party looked blankly back at him. "Wonderful! You're just going to love it, it’s the only way to fly!"

From the folds of his robe he pulled out a strange small box, dials and wires covering every surface. The old man furiously began to fiddle with the contraption, twisting dials and waving wires back and forward. Red, green and blue waves of essence began to flow between the wires and the air around the party began to swirl.

"Oh, by the way," the old man raised his voice over the sound of the wind whipping up, "I hope you all brought some warm clothes."

"What?!" Vryce had to yell to be heard as the vortex tightened around the group, he wasn't sure he heard right.

"I said WARM CLOTHES!" Yelled the old man as he flicked the last switch. Then there was nothing but darkness. And Vryce was very cold indeed.

The bone chilling cold of the navigators jump subsided as the party took stock and began to work out their bearings.

A steel-grey sky hung close overhead, all around lay trampled and muddied fields, the smell of ash and decay wafting on the cool air.

“A battlefield…” Ulrich looked out across the blasted landscape that surrounded them. A soft wind moaning softly though a nearby broken fence. “Scorched earth… there was a mighty battle here I think.”

The navigator nodded. ”Indeed youngster, you’ve got a keen eye on you.” The sarcasm was not lost on Ulrich but he held his tongue letting the navigator speak on. “Here is where the Emperors forces broke the back of Frelik’s advance only a matter of weeks ago. I’m not sure of the full details, but at least it is now safe enough to venture into these lands, if you'’ wanted to come this way a few weeks back it would have cost you a pretty penny more!”

“Our thanks navigator. ” Ash shook his hand, eager to get another glimpse of the device he used, he had no luck though.

“I’ll be off then. You children take care now, Gryphon College is 50 miles that way,” he pointed off to the North East “so you better get walking!” Turning his back on the party he was gone in a flash, leaving them alone on the blasted and battle stained plains.

“Well then!” Vryce was looking more and more at home with every passing moment, “lets be on our way, its not too far to go.”

Ulrich grimaced as they began to trudge off in the direction of the college, ’50 miles not too far…’ he thought to himself, ‘I don’t know where these learned types get there ideas of the outdoors from, but its not from the bleedin’ outdoors…’

Ulrich did not have too much to worry of though as Xaris and Biryn quickly found the party and escorted them back to the college by horseback.

There was no real sense of reunion as Biryn rejoined the party, and not much was said of his absence. He much preferred it that way.

Biryn lay in his bed at the college, the room quiet around him apart from the occasional creak as the wooden walls contracted in the cool of the night. Sleep eluded him as the events of the day replayed themselves over and over in his head.

The party had made the return trip to the college with little trouble. He was glad to see his old comrades again, but could not help shaking the feeling that perhaps this was not the most nurturing group for him to be adventuring with.

Vryce still troubled him as he not yet had the chance to talk with the lad. Though brought up in the temple, and supposedly of an even temper and temperament Biryn was still quick to pass judgement on those he met. The young mage seemed a little too quick of mouth, and far to rich and accustomed to good living for his liking. Truth be told, he still felt uncomfortable among most of the party, though he did miss the always entertaining Ash.

As the evening wore on and the room became colder his thoughts moved onto the parties meeting of the prince, who was indeed residing at the college. Although royalty, Biryn still felt fairly ambiguous towards the heir. Indeed, he WAS royalty, though he did not seem to act like it, indeed, at this point he seemed to have no real qualities of a great leader, seeming more a two dimensional youth with pretensions of grandeur who just happened to be heir. Biryn thought he would give him the benefit of the doubt though, after all, he truly did want to protect his realm by retrieving the three Sea Drake artifacts, and he did have the mage sword of deowmeter, which would enable the party to track the items. The party was keen to join the prince and help him retrieve the crown. It was to be discussed at length the next day.

Biryn sat bolt upright in bed, from across the courtyard where the main dormitories were a clamour began to arise.  The sound of conflict flittered down the darkened college halls.

“Awake! Awake!” a voice yelled in the corridor, becoming louder as the speaker ran past their door and then around the corner. “Treachery! The walls have been breached. Awake and flee!”

The men of the party were up quickly, hurriedly strapping on armour and weapons. “Quickly!” Ulrich opened the door of the room, the hall outside was empty but the banging and crashing was becoming louder, “we have to help those in the dormitories.”

The ragged group, armour belted over bedclothes and caps ran towards the noise, still not sure too sure of the layout of the building. Coming to a small room with large windows overlooking the courtyards their hearts dropped.

“We’ve come the wrong way! This blasted place is a maze!” Biryn wailed, “the dormitories lie over there but we are three stories up.”

“Hold Biryn, I have an idea,” Ash stepped forward. “I can see through the windows over there,  perhaps I can use some magic to port us over there.”

“Aye!” Ulrich piped, “I’m game for that! Lets go”

Biryn and Vryce were a little more reserved “We’ll take the stairs and see if we can find the prince, it may be him this attack is about after all.”

“Agreed…”

Biryn and Vryce ran off as Ash prepared his leaving spell. “Hold on Ulrich, I’m sure this won’t hurt a bit…”

Ulrich’s image seemed to flicker out like a candle, flicker back into sight in the drawing room on the other side of the courtyard. That worked well, Ash thought to himself as he drew on his internal reserves to do the same for himself. Muttering the words of power his thoughts drifted back to the meal earlier in the evening, and that cute first year acolyte… I’m sure she was flirting with me, it must be my wisdom and stature. He felt the pull of the spell, tugging himself forward…

That’s strange, he thought as he finished the spell, I’m still here! What’ happened?

Ulrich began to get impatient as he waited for the mage. What was he up to. The sounds of chaos were growing closer. The room he had “jumped” from was still dark and he could not make out what the doddering old magician was up to. As he squinted, trying to make out anything, a bright green light flared up, throwing the room into a sickly highlight. Was that a pair of bright green ears he could see floating around over there?

Blast, thought Ash, I’ve buggered the spell! Damn my ears are warm. I’ll just try again. In a flash he appeared next to Ulrich who was grinning like a schoolboy. “What are you looking at brainless? Lets get going!”

The fighter and the mage with fluorescent green ears made their way off toward the noise…

Vryce and Biryn had found their way to the Prince’s room, only to find it empty. They began to worry for his safety. “We should try to find Xaris,” suggested Vryce,” she may know what is going on.”

Biryn nodded agreement Vryce quickly used his magicks to land them safely outside the keep wall. From here they could see the college population gathering outside the front entrance. Students in nightgowns ran from the college in fear, the guards keeping the group from mass panic, torchlight casting crazy orange and black shadows across the nearby fields. From inside the college yells and the clash of metal on metal rang out into the cold night.

“Where’s Xaris,” demanded Biryn of one of the guards.

“She’s up in the tower mate…” he frowned slightly, taking a good look at the bedraggled fighter, “why exactly?”

“The prince is missing, and we fear that this chaos may be linked to him and his artifacts.”

“Right, well, it may be hard to get through to the tower, these Lugroki are raising hell in there, I’ll send some of the other men with you, they know the way too.” Both Vryce and Biryn raised their eyebrows at the mention of Lugroki. How would a band of such creatures breach the wall of one of the most powerful places of learning in the land?

A small group of men at arms was quickly formed, “Ready?” Asked the lead man.

“Aye.” Nodded Biryn.

And with that they charged back through the huge front gate of the college and back into the chaos.

Chapter 17