Editing Fontainver (section)

==Fontainver Attacked==

As I climbed over the lip of the far river bank, horns sounded from the walls above me, and I could see figures running to line what was left of the battlements. I looked back and saw three of the devil creatures on the far bank - had they followed me?! Turning back, I was startled to see a massive eagle screaming towards me with a humanoid figure in its talons. I had no chance to get away, but thankfully it only intended to drop the figure off on the ground in front of me. He was human in appearance, but had a strange golden hue to his skin, bald and hairless... completely hairless actually, without even any eyebrows. His facial appearance was quite delicate, although he seemed to be screaming with excitement as he flew through the air, calming down only when his feet were on the ground. His eyes were... weird. Did they blink like a snake, or was that my imagination? He was simply dressed, with a fine kimono that had neutral colours with some elements of blue. He wore a backpack, as if expecting to journey, and carried a large fine bow, with the hilts of some other weapons stowed behind his back just visible.

He shouted, in Common, for me to run and stepped between me and the threat. I was resigned to having to fight, but I didn't need any encouragement to try and get away, so I sprinted forwards. I was not quite halfway to the gates when the first devil appeared on our side of the river bed. The guy that had told be to run managed to fend away its lashing tail, but got raked by its claws. I couldn't just abandon him... so I turned and fired a flechette from my wrist, causing the devil to scream in pain. Another one appeared a little farther back, so I pulled out my crossbow and put a bolt into it. The bald guy killed the first creature with a blade (he had pulled two blades from behind his back, although they were quite short for a human), and then turned to run.

I ran too, although he soon overtook me with his longer stride, and then devil creatures appeared between and behind us - we would have to fight! The bald upsider wanted me to run along the walls, away from the gate, which seemed strange. He used his weapons to turn away one clawed hand, but was scraped again by another. The cloak shifted again to protect me from one attack, but the other claws drew blood; I was able to bash it in return, doing significant damage, but was raked again. The lizard man killed his foe with one of his blades, so it seemed he could handle himself in a fight. I did the same, landing a crushing blow on my opponent's head. They both disappeared when defeated, leaving nothing behind.

We tried to get away again, hoping that the battle that had started between giant eagles and devils would distract the foe, but one close to us charged us down and caught me, lifting me up as it dug its claws in painfully. It started to lift up into the air, but the golden guy stabbed his blades into it from behind and hauled it down again. I forced my way out of its claws, using my mind to minimise the damage as best I could, but still badly hurt. The guy, who had seemed quite calm before, was stabbing into the devil from behind in a frenzy, almost falling forwards when it disappeared in its death throes.

We kept moving, getting away from the battle that was raging between devils and birds, and that would perhaps spread to the fortress. We found a dip in the landscape, which was ruined farmland, now too dry to sustain the crops that once would have grown here. There we rested, and discussed the threat, and Tak offered me a blessing of saltwater that revived me a little. Tak was his name... well, actually his name sounded like someone tried to make the sound of sea waves breaking on a beach, but I found that hard to get me head around, let alone my mouth. Thankfully everyone called him Tak, and he was happy for me to do the same. He had been a student at the monastery at Fontainver, but his master had told him to go out into the world, with me, and try to impose order for good. He had told Tak that evil had acted to impose order first, but that was a future that should not be allowed to happen. Tak also drew parallels between Yarlug and Fontainver - where stone once protected us, now it only imprisoned us, and that is why we had to move away from the fortress to find our own path.

I spent some time tinkering with my weapon. I had been doing so ever since I climbed out of Yarlug - the weapons I had found were heavy and slowed me down, so I had created my own, taking the best parts of each. I was quite proud of what I had created - a normal staff at first sight, and useful for finding my way safely, but I could twist it in such a way that a bladed, pointed end extended from the top to make a more effective weapon so long as I didn't need a free hand. Soon, though, we had to press on, not wanting to wait for the outcome of the battle behind us. We headed to what legend told us should be a great forest, the Efferendil, but it had been much diminished. Some of the forest had clearly been hacked down for wood, and much of the rest had withered and died for lack of water. It had taken a few days to reach the first trees as well, which was much longer than expected.

As we walked, increasingly worried that we would run out of water, we suddenly saw a forest appear a few hundred yards in front of us! We should have seen it much sooner, and Tak stepped back to see what happened; sure enough, it was invisible just a few yards back. What powerful dweomer could hide a whole forest? There was some movement in the trees ahead, but we kept going, hoping that there might be someone friendly within. We were not so sure when glowing forms emerged from the ground ahead of us, speaking simultaneously to say: "who goes there?" with one voice. They weren't much for conversation, and just said that: "Haemrandir says none may pass. The death of all is upon us." Tak dropped to the floor, saying that we seek allies, and that he sought to bring life with water to the forest. This seemed to interest them, and then Tak spoke in a language I didn't understand. After a few moments he told me that they were guardians of forest, and he promised to restore life to the forest. At that, they disappeared and our way was clear again.

Tak thanked his ancestors for their guidance, and asked if I would speak to mine. When I said that my ancestors were all gone to me he was shocked, stopping dead. He insisted that we must resolve this, and took me towards the river bed to find some rocks, as that seemed to be closest to my home. We found a boulder and he asked me to inscribe the names of my parents on the rock. Although it brought back painful memories, I started to write their names. As I did so the strangest thing happened, we saw water welling up from beneath the rock, and the rock itself vibrated. Although the water could not endure in this dry place, I felt like I had a spiritual connection with my kin for the first time since I had lost them. I would remember this, and honour them again.

We continued after that, but before long we had to make camp because it started to get dark. I tinkered with my armour, resetting the flechette and checking the other alterations I had made. When it was too dark to work, I found a sheltered spot near a tree and settled down with Tak watching over - apparently he didn't need to sleep like normal people. When I awoke, I could see that he was wary, looking around at the trees. He had been sprinkling salt water in some kind of prayer, but had felt that the tree spirits did not welcome it. I started to put my armour on, but felt that something was out of place and warned Tak to be ready. He seemed confused that salt water was not bringing life, and I had to explain that beyond the sea only fresh water could bring life. What manner of creature was he, anyway? I could believe, at least, that he had spent his life inside the walls of a monastery!